C21 Earth Dragon Guard

Creak!

Taking a deep breath, Su Li pushed open the door. At this juncture, it was imperative to quickly ascertain the status of the Death Monarch. The gravity of the situation could easily incite panic among the Su family members.

"Disaster has struck!" No sooner had Su Li stepped out of the room than his father, Su Hai, rushed towards him, his voice laced with urgency, "I've lost contact with the Death Monarch!"

Having consumed a fourth-grade medicinal pill, Su Hai's cultivation had progressed to the late stages of the Oceanic Wheel realm. Normally, such an advancement would be cause for celebration, but Su Hai found no joy in it. He had disturbingly discovered that the soul force he had left within the Death Monarch's body was no longer responsive.

To Su Hai, this was a crisis of the highest order. The Death Monarch was the third most wanted criminal in the Mollukya Empire. Should he break free, the fallout would be catastrophic.

Swish!

Before Su Li could respond, Yan Hui from the Coldhammers arrived in haste, his face etched with concern. Clearly, he had some inside knowledge concerning the Death Monarch.

"What's going on?" Su Li inquired.

"There may be trouble in Ouismouth," Yan Hui replied gravely. "If I'm not mistaken, it's likely the work of the royal Earth Dragon Guard!"

"Tan Qing appears to be the deputy captain of the Earth Dragon Guard," Su Li noted, his brow furrowing. The Earth Dragon Guard was the elite force of the royal family, brimming with formidable warriors. The baseline for entry into the Earth Dragon Guard was the attainment of the Oceanic Wheel realm. The thought of an entire army composed of such powerful cultivators was indeed terrifying.

He had already locked down Suuton City. Furthermore, it seemed unlikely that the news of the Crown Prince's capture could have spread so quickly. Could the royal family possess a scroll capable of long-distance communication?

Su Li quickly dismissed the thought. A scroll capable of transmitting sound over vast distances would be as rare and precious as a Common Mysterious Realm scroll.

"Everyone, come out and face your death!" The challenge rang out at that very moment.

A thunderous shout erupted from the main gate of the Su Family estate.

Crash!

No sooner had the words been spoken than all the elders of the Su Family, who were in deep meditation, burst forth from their seclusion.

The sounds of rapid movement filled the air as they raced toward the main gate of the Su Family compound.

"It's Sun Kun, the captain of the Earth Dragon Guard!"

Yan Hui's fists clenched tightly, his expression turning fierce.

The Earth Dragon Guard was the advance force in the conflict between the Imperial Family and the Coldhammers.

Lately, dozens, if not hundreds, of Coldhammers' experts had fallen to Sun Kun.

As the old adage goes, there's nothing more intense than the glare of sworn enemies.

Yan Hui leaped into action, charging toward the main gate of the Su Family ahead of the others.

"We should check it out."

Su Li's face was also grim.

The Imperial Family was proving to be a relentless adversary.

At that moment, three warriors stood before the Su Family's main gate.

Su Li recognized one of them; it was the Death Monarch, the traitor.

The other two were the Earth Dragon Guard's vice-captain, Wang Yong, and the captain, Sun Kun.

The Earth Dragon Guard was led by one captain and two vice-captains.

With Tan Qing captured, Sun Kun had brought Wang Yong directly to the Su Family's doorstep.

"Death Monarch, are you certain the Crown Prince has been taken?"

Sun Kun slapped the Death Monarch's shoulder forcefully, his tone severe. "You should be aware of the consequences of deceiving me!"

Crack!

In the midst of speaking, Sun Kun applied pressure to his palm, shattering the Death Monarch's shoulder.

Sun Kun's primary objective in coming to Suuton City was to apprehend Yan Hui.

Not long before, the Earth Dragon Guard had uncovered crucial intelligence: Yan Hui, a prominent Coldhammers' expert, had stealthily departed from Ouismouth.

Yan Hui was second in power only to the Master of the Coldhammers.

Concerned that Yan Hui might have absconded with a significant portion of the Coldhammers' resources, Sun Kun and Wang Yong had taken it upon themselves to pursue and eliminate Yan Hui.

Upon reaching Suuton City, they encountered the Death Monarch blockading the city gates.

Clearly, Sun Kun's initial impulse was to eliminate the Death Monarch.

Unexpectedly, the Death Monarch, desperate to save his own life, spilled the details of the events that had unfolded in Suuton City to Sun Kun.

Sun Kun was livid!

He had no interest in pursuing Yan Hui any longer and immediately took the Death Monarch to the Su Family to demand justice.

In the process of examining the Death Monarch, he also managed to expel the two strands of soul force from within the Death Monarch's body.

The truth was that Sun Kun could only expel the soul force because Su Li and Su Hai were in deep seclusion, unable to attend to their soul force.

Otherwise, with Sun Kun's level of power, trying to expel the soul force Su Li had left in the Death Monarch's heart would have been an insurmountable challenge.

"Is that so?"

The Death Monarch, not daring to delay, hastily added, "Yan Hui from the Coldhammers is at the Su Family, and I've heard that Su Li possesses..."

Swish!

Before the Death Monarch could finish speaking...

A man bolted from the Su Family courtyard.

"Go!"

Sun Kun, seizing the moment, flung the Death Monarch aside.

Crack!

The man's right foot shot up, landing a solid kick to the Death Monarch's chest.

The man was none other than Yan Hui himself!

At merely the mid-stage of the Oceanic Wheel, the Death Monarch stood no chance against Yan Hui's full-powered strike.

In an instant, the Death Monarch's chest was punctured, and he collapsed to the ground like a lifeless carcass.

"Yan Hui, are you so eager to rush to your demise?" taunted Sun Kun, a smirk playing on his lips as he released his formidable aura.

Mid-stage of the Celestial River!

Sun Kun's confidence in pursuing Yan Hui stemmed from his own advancement to the mid-stage of the Celestial River.

Moreover, the vice-captain, Wang Yong, had ascended from the peak of the Oceanic Wheel to the early stage of the Celestial River.

For them, apprehending Yan Hui, who was at the early stage of the Celestial River, seemed like a task well within their grasp.

"We'll see about that," retorted Yan Hui, his fists clenched as he too unleashed his aura.

Sizzle sizzle!

Their auras clashed, filling the air with a continuous sizzling sound.

"You've actually advanced to the middle stage of the Celestial River Realm!"

Sun Kun's expression shifted subtly.

If Yan Hui was at the middle stage of the Celestial River Realm as well, then even with Wang Yong's help, they might not be able to capture him!

"Thank goodness I came to the Su family."

Yan Hui silently rejoiced.

Without Su Li's guidance, he doubted he'd ever reach the middle stage of the Celestial River Realm in his lifetime.

"Hmph! What of it!"

Sun Kun snorted disdainfully and turned to Wang Yong, "I'll handle Yan Hui. You go and wipe out the Su family. Spare no one!"

"Understood!"

Wang Yong acknowledged the order and quickly made his way toward the Su family courtyard.

Bang!

It wasn't long after Wang Yong stepped into the Su family courtyard that his body was sent flying out like a kite whose string had been cut.

"Who's there!"

Sun Kun's face contorted as he fixed his gaze on the Su family courtyard, a tumult of shock and apprehension rising within him.

Wang Yong had only recently advanced to the early stage of the Celestial River Realm, and defeating him with ease would be a challenge even for Sun Kun himself.

Now.

Wang Yong, at the early stage of the Celestial River Realm, had been defeated in a single move.

Sun Kun felt a twinge of concern.

He suspected that the Su family must be harboring a formidable master.

"Could it be someone from the Trembleglades?"

Sun Kun was aware that Su Li had been cast out by the Trembleglades but was unaware of the details.

He speculated that an expert from the Trembleglades might be accompanying Su Li.

Rustle! Rustle! Rustle!

Amidst Sun Kun's shock and trepidation, a gaunt figure slowly emerged into view.