C8 The Cornerstone of the Vrabouton Empire!

Outside the Palace of Vrabouton, a commotion erupted.

At the middle stage of Core Formation, one possessed the pinnacle of combat strength within the Vrabouton Empire.

It's no surprise then that the Envoys of the Netherworld, having just arrived, boldly erected an Arena of Life and Death right at the palace gates.

"Indeed, I am at the middle stage of Core Formation. What guidance do you have for me?"

Yao Tiankui let out a series of cold laughs.

As he spoke, a fierce killing intent flooded his icy gaze.

"Guard the king!"

Ignoring the stabbing pain wracking his body, Soong Qian bellowed.

Instantly, both citizens and Imperial Guards of Vrabouton rallied to Soong Wang's side.

Even Su Yingying, standing in the arena, fixed a wary eye on Yao Tiankui.

Soong Wang's expression, however, turned grave.

"What's the panic?"

He roared.

Then, fixing his gaze on Yao Tiankui, he declared, "I refuse to believe that the Fourth Prince of the Evilkind would dare to strike me down under the clear sky of day."

"Haha, what courage, Soong Wang. But tell me, if I were to strike now, who within the Vrabouton Empire could possibly stand against me?"

Yao Tiankui's laughter boomed, his voice chillingly sinister.

While he spoke, the Netherworld's mightiest warriors had already stealthily encircled Soong Wang, ready to back Yao Tiankui's play.

At this, Su Yingying's face twisted with rage.

"Villain, you dare to attempt the assassination of Soong Wang?"

She hurled her accusation, her plump fists swinging through the air, each packed with explosive power.

Caught in his own hubris, Yao Tiankui had not anticipated Su Yingying's sudden strike.

Thud!

Her formidable Might of the Flesh struck Yao Tiankui.

With a single punch, she inflicted excruciating pain throughout his body.

A stream of crimson blood burst forth in an instant.

"How dare you ambush me? You're seeking your own death!"

Enraged, Yao Tiankui lashed out, disregarding the sharp pain coursing through him.

Despite Su Yingying's recent advancement to the early stage of Core Formation, thanks to the Ascension Pill, she remained but a six-year-old child.

Upon witnessing Yao Tiankui's rage, she was petrified with shock, forgetting even to defend herself.

As Yao Tiankui's strike neared Su Yingying, Su Lang could contain himself no longer.

"Yingying!"

His cry was a prelude to action; he became a blur, shielding Su Yingying from harm.

Bang!

The sound of an explosion tore through the air.

Su Lang was hurled dozens of meters away, his bones shattered, life hanging by a thread.

Su Yingying, too, was gravely wounded by the residual force of the attack, slipping into unconsciousness.

The sight of the Vrabouton Empire's prodigy, who had just preserved the Empire's honor, now grievously injured by Yao Tiankui, ignited the fury of the onlooking citizens and cultivators.

"Despicable! To strike down a child with lethal force!"

"I am Su Lang's battle-tested sworn brother; I cannot stand idly by while he and his daughter suffer such blows. Even at the cost of my life, I must confront Yao Tiankui."

"Include me. The Vrabouton Empire may be frail, but we will not abandon our spirit of resistance."

In that moment, the cultivators amassed at the Palace of Vrabouton's southern gate launched their assault.

Their formidable attacks descended upon Yao Tiankui like a deluge.

"Do ants dare to strike at a prince?" Yao Tiankui mocked with a sneer.

With a swift motion of his hand, Chi Feng and the other Evilkind powerhouses joined the fray.

In an instant, the area before the Palace of Vrabouton became a maelstrom of combat, filled with the clamor of battle cries.

The tumult soon reached the imperial mausoleum of Vrabouton.

Soong Lin, deep in meditation within the secret chamber, was jolted awake.

"All was quiet before; why this sudden uproar?"

His brow furrowed, Soong Lin's divine sense swiftly expanded, homing in on the palace's southern gate.

Upon seeing Su Lang and his daughter lying bloodied and beaten, and the Vrabouton cultivators locked in a fierce struggle with the Envoys of the Netherworld, his expression grew steely.

"How dare these Evilkind act so brazenly. They're seeking their own demise!"

With a thought, Soong Lin summoned the power of the Skybreaker.

The Skybreaker sword let out a resonant hum, its sound instantly carrying for miles around. Both the cultivators of the Vrabouton Empire and the formidable Envoys of the Netherworld were taken aback.

"What is this sound that so unsettles my spirit?" one asked.

"It seems to be a sword's chime emanating from the direction of the imperial mausoleum. Could the Netherworld's experts have come to reinforce them? It appears the Envoys of the Netherworld have harbored ill intentions since they set foot in our empire," another speculated.

"The Evilkind excel in physical refinement, yet I've never heard of them having a Sword Cultivator among them. My guess is that one of our own Vrabouton Empire's experts has taken action," a third cultivator surmised.

Amidst the flurry of speculation, a longsword suddenly plummeted from the heavens.

Boom!

With a mighty slash, the longsword unleashed a ferocious wave of sword qi that scattered in every direction, swiftly engulfing the Netherworld's envoys.

"Attack!" Yao Tiankui's face drained of color.

As he spoke, his spiritual force whirled within him in a frenzy, and a sharp, bloodied stench wafted through the air. A formidable Demonic Beast aura exploded from his form, and in moments, a towering Long-Backed Ape materialized before the crowd.

Witnessing this, Soong Wang and the others couldn't help but feel wary.

"Yao Tiankui has revealed his true form? This sword strike must be immensely powerful," someone remarked.

"Who could have launched such an attack? Is it possible that it's one of the Vrabouton Empire's reclusive old masters?" another pondered aloud.

"The elder who intervened possesses not only an astonishing level of cultivation but is also a Sword Cultivator. When did our Vrabouton Empire acquire such a formidable presence?" the cultivators murmured among themselves, exchanging puzzled looks.

Only Soong Wang's eyes sparkled with recognition. A smile of relief broke across his previously stern face.

"The one who has intervened must be none other than King the Benevolent of the Vrabouton Empire. He has dedicated the first half of his life to waging wars for our nation. And now, even in retirement, he remains capable of averting disaster at this critical juncture. He is indeed the bedrock of our empire," Soong Wang declared with a triumphant laugh.

Soong Wang burst into laughter as his gaze fell upon Yao Tiankui and his companions, his face alight with sheer excitement. "I implore you, King the Benevolent, to slay the Evilkind and redeem the honor of the Vrabouton Empire!" His voice boomed like thunder, echoing through the void.

The sword qi radiating from the longsword in the air grew increasingly wild. In no time, it was as if a barrage of arrows was raining down from the heavens. Yao Tiankui, having already unleashed his true Penetrating Ape form, was seething with rage. "King the Benevolent, how dare you injure me! I swear I'll desecrate your family's tomb!" he bellowed.

But the only response he got was a relentless onslaught of sword qi. Whoosh! The thick swarm of sword qi gave him no quarter. Yao Tiankui, in his true form, was instantly turned into a porcupine, the relentless sword qi piercing his body and churning his insides as if his organs were caught in a maelstrom. The agony was so intense that it wracked his entire body, causing him to shudder uncontrollably, despite being in the middle period of Core Formation.

"Quick! Defend against the sword qi!" Chi Feng and the other Evilkind elites sprang into action, attacking with desperate fervor. Some even sacrificed themselves in a self-destructive attempt to save Yao Tiankui's life. Yet, the sword qi assault from the void remained fierce and unyielding, like a deluge.

"To strike the snake at its vital spot, we must find King the Benevolent. Only then can we avert this dire situation," Yao Tiankui pondered rapidly. His gaze fixed on the source of the incoming sword qi, his expression twisted into one of malevolence. "Forget about me. Push forward with everything you've got and try to pinpoint King the Benevolent's exact location within the Vrabouton Empire," he instructed, pausing only briefly before his sinister smile returned. "If this prince must endure such indignity, King the Benevolent of the Vrabouton Empire will surely pay with his life!"

​