"But after all, he is the Ninth Prince of the Chu Kingdom! If we kill him, once the Emperor blames us, how could our Lin family possibly bear the consequences?" an elder said worriedly.
"So what if he's the Ninth Prince? Out here in the barren mountains and wild wilderness, who can prove that we killed Chu Yang—I mean Chu Yu? We'll take his corpse back, and if the Emperor asks closely, we'll just say..."
Before Lin Wan'er could finish speaking, Chu Yu made his move!
His speed was astonishing. He vanished from his spot, and in the next instant, he appeared right before a powerful expert of the Lin family.
Without a single word of nonsense, holding the Burning Heaven Dao Wheel—no, holding the Burning Heaven Sword in hand, he slashed out with a single stroke, immediately cutting that Lin family expert cleanly in half at the waist.
"You don't even have a chance of leaving the Flaming Ravine alive, yet you still dare to try and kill this Prince!"
Chu Yu shouted. Since the Lin family wanted to take his head back to claim credit for themselves, why should he show any mercy?
Swish! Swish!
With a flash of sword light, two more Inscription Realm experts perished beneath Chu Yu's blade!
"Charge! Charge! Show no mercy and kill Chu Yu!" Lin Wan'er shrieked harshly.
Hum!
An elder at the Eighth Layer of Inscription Realm made his move, summoning a Spirit Treasure. It was a massive golden seal that expanded to over ten meters in height, carrying an oppressive and formidable Dao power as it smashed fiercely down toward Chu Yu!
"Break for me!"
Chu Yu roared, splitting the heavens with a single sword strike. A piercing sword glare surged into the upper firmament, colliding violently with that giant golden seal.
Bang!
A terrifying, thunderous explosion echoed resoundingly over the Flaming Ravine.
Immediately afterward, before the horrified gazes of the gathered Lin family members, that massive golden seal was split directly in two by Chu Yu.
The Devouring Dao Wheel floated into the air, resembling a black hole as it enveloped the elder. The elder's figure could no longer be seen, and only a burst of despair-inducing screams could be heard.
"Die!"
Chu Yu struck once more, sweeping the Burning Heaven Sword horizontally. A crimson sword qi over a hundred meters long erupted outward, slashing toward the remaining Lin family members.
This sword strike was far too terrifying. Every single face turned pale with shock, and they all desperately threw themselves into defense.
Bang, bang, bang...
Wherever the sword qi passed, a dozen more Inscription Realm experts were killed on the spot.
Without strength at or above the Seventh Layer of Inscription Realm, there was simply no way to withstand it.
The few remaining, stronger Lin family experts were also sent violently flying backward, looking as though they had been struck by a massive blow.
Lin Wan'er stood frozen in place, her pupils contracting continuously. Seeing the Lin family members being dealt with by Chu Yu as easily as cutting vegetables and melons, she was practically frightened out of her wits.
Is this the kind of power a Third Layer of Inscription Realm expert could possibly possess?
"Retreat! Retreat!"
"Flee! Escape the Flaming Ravine and bring this news to the Third Prince!"
Lin Wan'er let out a near-desperate scream, being the very first to bolt toward the exit of the Flaming Ravine. A Chu Yu with such terrifying strength was simply not someone she could handle.
Unfortunately, Chu Yu had no intention of giving her that chance.
The Burning Heaven Dao Wheel and the Devouring Dao Wheel were unleashed simultaneously, instantly wiping out two Eighth Layer of Inscription Realm experts.
Chu Yu's figure dashed forward, his Burning Heaven Sword consecutively cutting down three more.
The final elder seized the opportunity to sprint away, but a force of death burst forth from the Samsara Dao Wheel, piercing straight into the elder's back.
A miserable shriek rang out as the force of death entered his body, instantly stripping away every shred of vitality within the elder.
"Ah! This is insane!"
Lin Wan'er let out a despair-filled scream, running for her life with all her might.
Yet, given her speed, how could she possibly outrun Chu Yu?
Just a moment later, Chu Yu leaped through the air and materialized directly before Lin Wan'er.
"Lin Wan'er, how could you possibly escape the palm of my hand?" Chu Yu said indifferently.
Thud!
Lin Wan'er collapsed to her knees on the spot!
It wasn't that she wanted to kneel; her legs had simply turned to jelly from terror, leaving her no choice.
"Ninth Prince, please spare my life! I swear to you that once I return, I will never speak a word of this and will act as though I never even laid eyes on the Ninth Prince!" Lin Wan'er pleaded tearfully.
"Your Lin family are nothing more than Chu Lingfeng's lapdogs. Did you really think I would believe your words?"
Chu Yu stated, reaching out a hand and pressing it directly onto Lin Wan'er's crown.
Lin Wan'er's realm and cultivation had only just stepped into the First Layer of Dao Inscription Realm; Chu Yu couldn't even be bothered to devour her, ending her life with a single palm strike.
Having finished all of this, Chu Yu and the Sky-Swallowing Beast left the Flaming Ravine, speeding onward through the boundless mountain range.
That very night, within the Third Prince's residence in the imperial capital of the Chu Kingdom:
"The day of my grand return shall be the day the Chu Kingdom is overthrown!"
Three feet of white silk and a line of bloody characters were laid out before Chu Lingfeng. The handwriting was wild and unbridled, resembling a runaway fierce steed or a dragon breaking out of an abyss, causing Chu Lingfeng's expression to turn uglier than death itself!
Bang!
Chu Lingfeng slammed a palm downward, instantly reducing the desk before him into fine powder.
"Useless trash! A bunch of utter trash! What on earth are the people at the Martial King's Estate even good for, letting Chu Yu escape like that?!"
Chu Lingfeng roared in fury, his face flushed red and the corners of his eyes twitching uncontrollably.
His original plan had been to wait for some time to pass before dispatching assassins to eliminate Chu Yu quietly and completely root out any future trouble.
He never imagined that after barely a month, Chu Yu would actually manage to escape the Martial King's Estate.
"Reporting to Your Highness, it was that fellow Chu Yang. After failing to humiliate the Ninth Prince and instead having his own Dao Wheel crippled by Chu Yu, he dispatched an assassin that very night in an attempt to secretly murder the Ninth Prince. Who could have known that the Ninth Prince would kill the assassin, swap clothes with him, and use the cover of night to slip away from the Martial King's Estate—and they only discovered it the next day!" an elder reported.
Chu Lingfeng's sword-like brows furrowed tightly together, his fists clenching so hard they creaked.
"What is even more unimaginable is that the Ninth Prince actually re-gathered his Dao Wheel!" the elder said in a solemn voice.
Upon hearing those words, Chu Lingfeng's expression instantly shifted!
He had clearly arranged for experts from the Hua clan to cripple Chu Yu's Dao Wheel back then; who could have anticipated that Chu Yu would actually be capable of reforming it?
There must be some unknown opportunity and secret residing within Chu Yu!
And an opportunity like that might not even be inferior to his own True Dragon Dao Wheel and Nine Provinces Heavenly Emperor Sword!
Once Chu Yu escaped, it was like a dragon entering the vast ocean or a tiger returning to the mountains!
If he should one day return to the Chu Kingdom, he would undoubtedly become a grave calamity!
"That idiot Chu Yang! Absolute idiot!"
Chu Lingfeng raged furiously. If not for Chu Yang taking it upon himself to assassinate Chu Yu, how could Chu Yu have ever found the opportunity to leave the Martial King's Estate?!
"Send people out to search for me! Use whatever methods necessary—you must find Chu Yu and bring him back, I want to see him alive or see his corpse if he's dead!"
Chu Lingfeng commanded harshly. He would never allow anyone to threaten his imperial throne.
Meanwhile, in a secluded corner of the imperial palace, unlike the other resplendent and magnificent halls, this place was cold, dim, and dreary—it was the Cold Palace.
The Ninth Prince's birth mother was dressed very simply in a plain white robe. Wearing no makeup and maintaining a serene, calm demeanor, she nonetheless possessed a graceful and noble air, with a peerless temperament that made the concubines of the six palaces pale in comparison.
She was currently busy with needlework, sewing a cyan robe with the intention of sending someone to deliver it to the Martial King's Estate for Chu Yu to wear.
Now that she had been cast into the Cold Palace and Chu Yu was locked away inside the Martial King's Estate, feeling completely helpless, these were the only things she could still do for him.
"Imperial Concubine Ling!"
Old Han hurried over, dropping to his knees before her.
"Rise. I am merely a commoner now; there is no need for such grand courtesies," Yan Ling'er said.
"Once a master, forever a master. No matter your circumstances, Your Ladyship will always be this old servant's master."
Old Han declared, a trace of moisture welling up within his weathered eyes.
A wave of profound emotion similarly surged within Yan Ling'er's beautiful eyes.
Ever since she was cast into the Cold Palace, even the palace maids here dared to raise their voices and shout at her. For Old Han to still show her such deep respect at a time like this only served to highlight his unwavering loyalty.
"You rushed over here in such a hurry—if you have something to say, speak," Yan Ling'er instructed.
"This old servant brings wonderful news! The Ninth Prince has escaped the Martial King's Estate!"
"He escaped?"
Yan Ling'er found it somewhat hard to believe. This news was simply too startling for her; before she knew it, the silver needle in her hand had accidentally pricked her finger.
"Yes, he escaped! The Ninth Prince re-gathered his Dao Wheel and successfully broke out of the Martial King's Estate on the very night you had me leave there," Old Han said.
"It's good that he escaped. Remaining trapped in the Martial King's Estate, he would sooner or later have fallen victim to Chu Lingfeng and Imperial Concubine Hua! Yu'er has possessed an extraordinary and unyielding spirit since childhood; sooner or later, he will return to the Chu Kingdom and accomplish a great millennial enterprise!"
Imperial Concubine Ling murmured to herself, then slowly seated herself once more, regaining her serene and calm composure as she resumed her needlework.
When the day of Chu Yu's return finally arrived, she, as his mother, would personally dress him in this very robe.
At that same moment, within the central hall of the Chu Kingdom's imperial palace, Emperor Chu Hao of the Chu Kingdom sat solemnly upon the dragon throne as a secret guard came forward to report.
"Your Majesty, the Ninth Prince has re-gathered his Dao Wheel and left the Martial King's Estate!"
"What?!"
Chu Hao's expression instantly changed, and he stood up straight from the dragon throne. The face that had always carried an unangered majesty was, at this moment, flooded with a look of sheer disbelief.
Re-gathering a Dao Wheel—an achievement deemed practically impossible—was something Chu Yu had actually accomplished.
Just what kind of secrets were hidden within Chu Yu?
Chu Yu's innate talent was by no means inferior to Chu Lingfeng's; if anything, it was even stronger.
And yet, what had he himself done?
He had cast Imperial Concubine Ling into the Cold Palace, banished Chu Yu from the imperial city, and placed him under house arrest at the Martial King's Estate!
It was tantamount to him driving away a supreme genius with his own two hands.
At this moment, Chu Hao's emotions were infinitely complex.
Over half a month later, Chu Yu and the Sky-Swallowing Beast were rapidly nearing the edge of the Cangyun Mountain Range.
Throughout these past twenty-odd days, Chu Yu did not know how many ferocious beasts he had battled, nor how many life-or-death perils he had traversed. His physical body had undergone an astonishing transformation, while his realm and cultivation had advanced at a pace that could only be described as rapid.
Peak of the Third Layer of Inscription Realm!
This was Chu Yu's current realm. In the span of just half a month, he had surged from someone who had merely stepped into the Third Layer of Inscription Realm all the way to the peak of the Third Layer. Such a speed of cultivation could certainly be considered fast.
Yet, compared to his cultivation speed, even more astonishing was the transformation of Chu Yu's physical body. His flesh was exceptionally resilient, and the blood surging within him rumbled like thunder. With a single flick of his arm, he possessed the terrifying physical might of over two hundred thousand catties.
The robustness of Chu Yu's physical body was now sufficient to rival many powerful living creatures.
However, compared to those pure-blood creatures endowed with extraordinary bloodlines, a considerable gap still remained.
And the Sky-Swallowing Beast's demand of Chu Yu was precisely that his physical body must become even more formidable than the descendants of pure-blood creatures, meaning Chu Yu still had a very long path ahead of him.
"Screech!"
Suddenly, a ferocious, piercing cry rang out from high above Chu Yu. The next moment, a Luan bird was seen diving straight down, hurtling toward Chu Yu to slaughter him.
That was a Azure Luan; though its bloodline was not entirely pure, it was nonetheless extraordinarily formidable and served as an overlord beast within a radius of a hundred miles. Its feathers were as hard as steel and its talons like divine blades, making it exceptionally vicious.
It had set its sights on the surging life blood within Chu Yu's body, intending to devour and kill him to elevate its own strength.
"A Seventh Layer of Inscription Realm Azure Luan!"
Chu Yu's expression shifted slightly. This Azure Luan was only at the Seventh Layer of Inscription Realm, but the sensation it gave Chu Yu was even more terrifying than those Eighth Layer of Inscription Realm experts he had previously encountered.
Chapter 10: Hunting the Azure Luan, Teaching the Ye Family Genius a Lesson
Seeing the Azure Luan pounce toward him, Chu Yu remained calm and composed, dodging effortlessly.
This Azure Luan was diving straight down from the sky with a terrifying amount of momentum. Even if Chu Yu could forcefully block it head-on, he would likely suffer severe injuries, and there was simply no need to trade blows with it directly.
Boom!
The ground shattered, rocks flew into the air, and surrounding trees snapped in half. Such a spectacle was frighteningly intense, causing even Chu Yu's heart to skip a beat.
Failing to hit its target on the first strike completely infuriated the Azure Luan, which opened its beak to unleash a sphere of cyan light carrying oppressive Dao power, blasting it straight toward Chu Yu like a shooting star.
A black vortex materialized in the palm of Chu Yu's hand, converging a devouring force as he met the attack head-on, directly swallowing the cyan light whole.
"Screech!"
The Azure Luan shrieked, spreading its wings to a span of over ten meters. A monstrous murderous aura billowed outward, and a swath of cyan runes materialized around its entire body, transforming into a barrage of razor-sharp feathers that rained down toward the ground below.
"Break for me!"
Chu Yu shouted aloud, throwing a punch that unleashed towering crimson flames, blasting apart the dense sheets of falling feathers.
Bang!
A loud crash echoed out as Chu Yu's fist collided directly with the Azure Luan's sharp talons, sending both of them into violent tremors.
Chu Yu's physical body was by no means inferior to the Azure Luan's.
Simultaneously, Chu Yu's other hand thrust outward, pressing flat against the Azure Luan's body as a terrifying devouring force swept forth.
The Azure Luan's eyes shifted drastically. It fiercely guarded the spiritual and Daoist energy within its body to prevent it from being consumed by Chu Yu.
It had to be said that this Azure Luan was quite intelligent. Coupled with its formidable cultivation, for a moment Chu Yu found himself unable to devour the spiritual and Daoist energy inside its body.
"Slam it down!"
Chu Yu shouted harshly, a fierce glint welling up in his eyes as he charged forward to engage the Azure Luan in brutal close combat.
Fist to flesh, blow for bloody blow, Chu Yu appeared even more ferocious than a savage beast. In the span of just a few moments, he battered the Azure Luan until its feathers were plucked bare and its entire body was covered in blood.
The Azure Luan wailed mournfully, flapping its wings in an attempt to flee, but Chu Yu grabbed hold of one of its talons and mercilessly smashed it straight down into the ground.
Boom!
The earth shook and mountains fractured. Where the Azure Luan crashed down, a deep crater was formed. Chu Yu pointed the Burning Heaven Sword downward and directly severed the Azure Luan's head, subsequently devouring its Dao Wheel and cultivation.
"Fourth Layer of Inscription Realm!"
A look of satisfaction flashed through Chu Yu's eyes. This Eighth Layer of Dao Inscription Realm Azure Luan—wait, Eighth Layer of Inscription Realm Azure Luan—was easily one of the most powerful ferocious beasts he had encountered over the past half-month, and the resulting boost to his realm and cultivation was a delightful surprise.
Right after, Chu Yu dragged the carcass of the Azure Luan over to find a mountain spring, plucked its feathers, washed it clean, ignited a bonfire, and began to roast it.
Not long afterward, the rich aroma of roasted meat permeated the air, and Chu Yu along with the Sky-Swallowing Beast began to eat their fill.
Over the past twenty-odd days, following Chu Yu around had allowed the Sky-Swallowing Beast to enjoy quite a few culinary delights; its realm and cultivation had skyrocketed all the way to the Fifth Layer of Inscription Realm.
Although the Sky-Swallowing Beast hadn't actively fought, it wasn't contributing nothing—its senses were exceptionally sharp, allowing it to detect powerful Dao Pattern Realm creatures from far away and helping Chu Yu successfully evade numerous dangers.
Right at that moment, a group of twenty or thirty people also arrived at this mountain spring to drink.
Most of this group consisted of young people under the age of twenty, both male and female, with quite a few being Inscription Realm experts.
To reach the Inscription Realm at such an age could be considered quite a rare and remarkable talent.
There were also several elders whose auras were vast and profound, possessing deep realms—likely experts surpassing the Void Dao Realm.
Catching the scent of roasted meat, some of them began to salivate as they looked over toward Chu Yu's direction.
"Some wild brat who crawled out of who-knows-what kind of impoverished backwater."
"Though he looks a bit ragged and unkempt, his cooking skills aren't half bad."
These youths carried themselves with an air of extreme arrogance, acting as though they were superior to everyone else.
"Hey, kid, stop eating. Give me those Mysterious Spiritual Stones, and all the meat you've roasted belongs to me."
A young man walked up to Chu Yu with an arrogant, disdainful expression, tossing a dozen Mysterious Spiritual Stones onto the ground.
"Someone like you has probably never laid eyes on this many Mysterious Spiritual Stones in your entire life. Get the meat roasted properly, and there will be plenty of benefits in it for you."
Chu Yu wore a blank expression, not even glancing at them as he continued to take large bites of the Azure Luan wing in his hand.
A dozen Mysterious Spiritual Stones were indeed a considerable fortune for ordinary people; even in the imperial capital of the Chu Kingdom, it was enough to sustain an entire family for two to three years.
Yet Chu Yu had seen plenty of wealth—let alone a dozen Mysterious Spiritual Stones, even ten thousand of them wouldn't catch his eye.
If the other party had spoken politely, a few pieces of roasted meat weren't anything valuable in his eyes anyway.
However, with the other party acting so arrogant, a surge of anger welled up within Chu Yu's chest.
Seeing that Chu Yu couldn't even be bothered to acknowledge him, the young man's face flushed with anger, and he directly kicked over the bonfire burning in front of Chu Yu.
"I'm talking to you, did you hear me..."
Before the youth could finish his sentence, Chu Yu abruptly stood up and slammed a fist straight into the young man's face.
"Ah!"
A miserable wail erupted from the youth's mouth as his entire body was sent flying over ten meters away, his right cheek swelling up high and his mouth full of blood.
Everyone present changed expression, never expecting that this raggedly dressed youth possessed such extraordinary strength.
Another young man stepped forward and shouted loudly, "Kid, how dare you..."
Before he could finish, he was cut off by Chu Yu.
"What do I not dare to do? If you had spoken politely, I might have shared some of this roasted meat with you. But to show such a lack of respect—not killing him already shows I'm exercising restraint!"
Chu Yu said coldly. The only figures here that gave him pause were those Void Dao Realm experts.
It was evident that these young talents came from extraordinary backgrounds, and those Void Dao Realm experts were solely there to ensure their safety.
However, Chu Yu was not afraid. When young talents went out to temper themselves, unless it was a matter of life and death, those Void Dao Realm experts would not casually interfere.
"Respect? You, a little brat from the wilderness, hold no qualifications whatsoever—whether in terms of status, standing, or strength—to talk to us about respect!"
A youth dressed in lavish garments with a jade pendant hanging at his waist and delicate features looked down at Chu Yu with a condescending gaze, his body surging with profound spiritual energy and formidable Dao power.
This was a young talent who had already reached the Fourth Layer of Inscription Realm, possessing outstanding innate talent and formidable strength.
"And just what kind of thing are you? Looking human on the outside but acting like a dog, completely lacking in upbringing—do you even qualify to speak to me?" Chu Yu replied indifferently, not even sparing him a glance.
When it came to status and standing, he was a Prince of the Chu Kingdom!
When it came to strength, even an expert at the Ninth Layer of Inscription Realm was someone Chu Yu could fight.
"Audacious! Do you even know who he is? He is Ye Chen, a genius of the ancient Ye family! To dare speak to Young Master Ye in such a manner, are you tired of living?!" someone shouted.
Any ancient family was an archaic clan that had been passed down for tens of thousands of years, boasting countless experts within their ranks and generation after generation of geniuses. Even the Chu Kingdom had to treat them with a degree of courtesy.
"An ancient family?"
Chu Yu smiled dismissively. It was no wonder this group was so arrogant and conceited, traveling with Void Dao Realm protectors—so they were geniuses from an ancient family.
If it were anyone else, upon meeting geniuses from an ancient family, they would be eager to grovel and cozy up to them to establish a connection.
Unfortunately, Chu Yu was born with an unyielding backbone; if someone respected him by a foot, he would repay it by ten.
Conversely, the opposite was also true—if anyone sought to humiliate him, Chu Yu would invariably return it a hundred or a thousandfold!
"So what if you're from an ancient family? Want to throw down? I'll accompany you to the very end!"
Chu Yu tossed away the bone in his hand and stood up, his eyes filled with murderous intent and his demeanor wild and untamed.
"You're courting death!"
Ye Chen's face darkened, a murderous intent welling up in his eyes. In all his years growing up, no one had ever dared to speak to him like this.
A cluster of runes lit up around Ye Chen as his Dao Wheel was summoned into existence. Stars twinkled as though forming a night sky, and a beam of chilling light burst forth, tearing the air apart as it shot fiercely toward Chu Yu.