Chapter 213: Duke Wei

"Damn it!"

Lu Bai was on the verge of cursing.

He had considered several possibilities, but he never expected that at this critical moment, the Immortal Vine deep within the Ancient Mirror would act up.

The Immortal Vine reacting was a good thing, all things considered.

It was just that the timing was terrible.

Mo Tang and Ah Ming were both in a terrible spot.

Furthermore, the men brought by Wu Lan, Liang Yifan, and Yu Weifeng had begun to arrive, forming a vast, dark, and oppressive crowd. The sheer scale of their forces was immense.

Lu Bai’s Blood Qi was currently depleted, leaving him with virtually no fighting strength. If he showed himself, never mind helping Mo Tang and Ah Ming, this mob would be more than enough to overwhelm him!

"THUMP... THUMP... THUMP..."

Just then, a strange sound drifted from the distance.

It wasn’t the sound of war drums, yet it was deeper and more oppressive.

It sounded like a heavy object striking the ground, over and over, accompanied by the steady, unhurried beat of horse hooves echoing from the depths of the pitch-black woods.

Each beat seemed to strike a person’s very heart, causing their Blood Qi to churn and making it difficult to breathe.

No one was immune.

Even the True Master Martial Daos locked in fierce combat mid-air felt extremely uncomfortable. They instinctively ceased fighting and turned toward the sound.

An indescribable sense of pressure emanated from the woods, washing over them like a tidal wave.

Wu Lan, Yu Weifeng, and Liang Yifan exchanged a look, their brows deeply furrowed.

"Hmph!"

Luo Kun twisted his bald head, the bones in his neck cracking audibly. He sneered, "Enough with the theatrics!"

Lu Bai also looked in that direction, his heart pounding with uncertainty. ’Friend or foe?’

The first things to pierce the darkness were two points of burning flame.

No.

Those weren’t flames, but a pair of eyes.

Within a pair of enormous equine eyes, two orbs of fire burned, illuminating the darkness. They were filled with savagery, destruction, and the detached indifference of a being looking down upon all creation.

Then, a massive silhouette slowly emerged from the shadows.

It was a Divine Steed.

Its coat was as black as ink, and as its four hooves moved, they were wreathed in a faint, smoky mist, as if they never touched the dust of the earth.

Its build was incredibly powerful, with bulging muscles that radiated explosive strength. The mane on its neck cascaded down like a black waterfall, a truly mystical sight!

"THUMP... THUMP... THUMP..."

As the Divine Steed emerged from the darkness, the strange sound grew clearer.

Everyone could now see clearly.

Hanging from the Divine Steed’s sides was a pair of enormous golden hammers!

The hammerheads were massive, forged from a dark gold metal that gleamed with a cold, heavy luster under the faint moonlight.

The handles, as thick as an infant’s arm, appeared simple and ancient, yet they radiated a suffocating Evil Qi.

Merely hanging there in silence, they seemed to possess enough weight to collapse space itself.

That deep "THUMP... THUMP..." was the sound of the two golden hammers striking the saddle and each other with every step the horse took!

It was hard to imagine that such terrifyingly huge golden hammers were actually weapons.

And what kind of terrifying being would wield such peerless, deadly weapons?

Upon seeing the Divine Steed and its pair of giant golden hammers, the expressions on the faces of Wu Lan and his two companions turned to shock and doubt. Rumors about a certain individual began to surface in their minds.

’Impossible, right?’

’That man is far away in the Royal Palace, a figure of noble status. Why would he personally come all the way out to Jing State?’

Then, the figure on horseback gradually emerged from the darkness.

He was a slender man who didn’t look very old, with a pale golden complexion and high cheekbones. His eyes were exceptionally bright and, just like those of his Divine Steed, seemed to contain two burning orbs of fire!

One man, one horse, two hammers.

And so they slowly emerged from the woods, halting at the edge of the clearing.

The Divine Steed snorted, its breath forming a cloud of scalding white mist.

The man on horseback swept his indifferent, flame-like gaze over everyone present.

Without a word, without a movement.

Regardless of whether they were Martial Artists from the Shi and Mo Countries, Demon Suppression Guards, Government Soldiers from the Marquis Jingzhong’s Mansion, or state government constables, all of them felt an impossibly terrifying pressure at the same time.

"CLANG! CLATTER!"

Everyone was utterly horrified, rendered as silent as the grave. One by one, the weapons fell from their hands.

Even the True Master Martial Daos in the air lost control and plummeted to the ground!

Ah Ming quickly reverted to his rooster form, standing perfectly still and on his best behavior.

Lu Bai instinctively shut his eyes.

He couldn’t see, but the sensation was even clearer.

The newcomer wasn’t emitting any Blood Qi, yet his seemingly slender frame contained what felt like an infinite, boundless power.

It was primal, domineering, as if it could tear heaven and earth asunder!

This was a true, peerless expert!

"D-D-Duke Wei?"

The Governor of Jingzhou, Liang Yifan, was pale, his voice trembling.

A chill went down Lu Bai’s spine.

After joining the Evil Extermination Bureau, he had learned a little about the officials of the Wu Dynasty.

The most famous and highest-ranking among them were naturally the Six Great Dukes.

For instance, the Duke of Jing was the Evil Extermination Bureau’s Mountain Monarch Envoy, as well as Mo Tang’s master.

The Duke of Zhen was the Demon Suppression Venerable of the Demon Suppression Bureau.

The Duke of Ding was the Demon Slayer Venerable of the Demon-slaying Bureau.

Duke of Wei, Li Qingtian, was the commander of the Wu Dynasty’s Royal Palace Dragon Guard. He resided deep within the palace, was the most mysterious of the Dukes, and was seldom seen in public.

The Dragon Guard was the Royal Palace Guard, responsible for protecting King Wu and the entire Royal Palace!

’Why would this Commander of the Imperial Guard, the legendary Duke of Wei, be here?’

"True Master Martial Daos from the Shi and Mo Countries, coming to our dynasty to besiege a Morning Bell Ringer..."

Li Qingtian’s gaze fell upon Luo Kun and the other four men, his tone impassive.

Luo Kun and the other four men felt their scalps tingle. They shot a pleading look at Wu Lan.

Wu Lan swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and was just about to offer an explanation.

But he only heard Li Qingtian utter two words: "Kill them!"

The moment the words left his lips, one of the giant golden hammers hanging at the steed’s side suddenly flew out, descending from the heavens!

Luo Kun and the other four men activated their Blood Qi, trying to flee, but felt as if their feet were rooted to the spot, completely unable to move.

The five of them could only watch helplessly as the golden hammer descended, its pressure as crushing as a collapsing mountain!

Their bodies couldn’t withstand the terrifying pressure. Blood seeped from their pores as their bones creaked and groaned, unable to bear the weight.

Then, before everyone’s horrified eyes, with a loud BANG, the five True Master Martial Daos exploded into a cloud of blood mist, leaving not a single trace behind!

Lu Bai was dumbfounded, his face a mask of utter shock.

From start to finish, the golden hammer hadn’t even touched the five men. The sheer force radiating from its descent had been enough to completely crush the True Master Martial Daos, pulverizing them into dust!

And yet Mo Tang, who had been standing right among them, was completely unscathed.

THUD. Liang Yifan could no longer bear the pressure and collapsed to his knees. Drenched in sweat, he stammered, "D-Duke Wei, please... calm your anger."

Wu Lan’s expression was grim, sweat pouring down his back. His guilty conscience kept him from daring to meet Li Qingtian’s gaze.

"Spare us, Duke Wei!"

Seeing this, the remaining Martial Artists from the Shi and Mo Countries turned deathly pale and fell to their knees, begging for mercy.

These so-called Desperados, these vicious and cruel men, were all scared out of their wits in that instant.

"Arrest them all," Li Qingtian said coolly.

Just then, the sky above them darkened. A massive shadow blotted out the clouds and the moon.

Everyone looked up instinctively.

An immense Ancient Ship had appeared in mid-air, sailing slowly toward them.

As Li Qingtian’s voice faded, figures leaped down from the Ancient Ship and pounced upon the group of Desperados from the Shi and Mo Countries.