Shen Qinglong's complete disregard for him ignited a surge of fury within Wan Yunshan.
"Kill him!" Wan Yunshan roared. "Kill them all!"
He shoved several Imperial Guards forward, forcing them into Shen Qinglong's path.
His eyes were cold.
He needed to test this man.
'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles.'
His subordinates would reveal Shen Qinglong's true strength.
The Imperial Guards charged forward confidently.
In their eyes, Shen Qinglong's attack looked impressive, but nothing extraordinary.
After all, the true experts of the Xuan Tian Dynasty were all within the Sky-Supervising Pavilion or the Imperial Guard.
An unknown warrior suddenly appearing with Houtian-level strength?
Impossible.
But Shen Qinglong's blade was far from ordinary.
Boom!
The moment the guards reached him, his saber descended.
A cold arc of blade light tore through the air like lightning.
The result was immediate.
The charging guards froze mid-step.
Then—
Their bodies split apart.
Blood erupted like a fountain.
Not one survived.
It was not a battle.
It was an execution.
Silence fell across the battlefield.
Then the remaining Imperial Guards erupted into panic.
"How… how is this possible?!"
Their faces turned pale as they stared at the corpses scattered across the ground.
"He's too strong!"
"That strike… that was Houtian Realm power!"
"Attack together!"
Several Imperial Guard commanders shouted desperately.
If they allowed this man to continue cutting through their ranks, they would be wiped out.
Six figures shot into the air simultaneously.
Each one was a powerful warrior.
The weakest among them had reached Peak First Rank.
Two of them had already stepped into the Houtian Realm.
In an instant, they surrounded Shen Qinglong from every direction.
But Shen Qinglong merely lifted his eyes.
His expression was cold.
"When the Jinyiwei move," he said quietly, "heads will roll."
Behind him—
One thousand sabers were drawn at once.
Shing!
The sound of steel leaving its sheath rang out like thunder.
The one thousand Jinyiwei raised their blades in perfect synchronization.
Their war cry shook the heavens.
"KILL!!!"
A suffocating killing intent exploded outward.
These were not ordinary soldiers.
Each Jinyiwei had crawled out of mountains of corpses.
Each one had bathed in blood countless times.
They were executioners.
Death incarnate.
For a moment—
The Imperial Guards felt as if they had fallen into hell itself.
Before their eyes appeared a horrifying illusion.
Mountains of corpses.
Rivers of blood.
And in the middle of it all—
One thousand silent reapers.
"First Rank…"
"They're all First Rank masters!"
One Imperial Guard shouted in horror.
"This… this is impossible!"
"How could that useless emperor command such an army?!"
"I served him for years! I've never seen these men!"
Even Wan Yunshan stood frozen in shock.
Before his betrayal, he had been Ye Chen's shadow.
The emperor had trusted him with nearly everything.
Yet he had never heard even a whisper about such a terrifying force.
One thousand First Rank warriors.
Led by a Peak Houtian commander.
Even the powerful Sky-Supervising Pavilion could not easily assemble such a force.
While Wan Yunshan's thoughts spiraled into chaos—
The Jinyiwei moved.
Like a black tide of death.
They surged into the mausoleum.
Blades flashed.
Blood splashed.
Screams filled the air.
Every strike was fatal.
Every step left another corpse behind.
The traitorous guards felt a cold dread seep into their bones.
They had chosen the wrong side.
And now—
They would pay the price.
Zhao Zhong stood frozen beside Ye Chen, his mouth hanging open.
Moments ago, he had believed everything was lost.
But now—
The battlefield had completely reversed.
The traitors were being slaughtered like livestock.
"This… this power…"
The old eunuch trembled.
"His Majesty… hid his strength so deeply…"
Shock gave way to wild excitement.
Tears streamed down his wrinkled face.
Hope had returned.
Perhaps the Xuan Tian Dynasty was not finished after all.
Meanwhile—
Shen Qinglong moved like a phantom among the Imperial Guards.
His blade flashed again.
An early-stage Houtian commander tried to block.
The result was immediate.
His body split cleanly in half.
Shen Qinglong didn't even slow down.
His voice echoed coldly across the battlefield.
"The Jinyiwei obey only His Majesty."
"He has ordered that no one be left alive."
"Then none shall live."
The slaughter intensified.
Wan Yunshan's heart sank deeper with every passing second.
This man… was stronger than him.
If he fought Shen Qinglong directly—he would die.
His mind raced.
Then suddenly—
His eyes locked onto Ye Chen.
A ruthless plan formed.
'Cut off the head.'
If the emperor died, the army would collapse.
These warriors had appeared out of nowhere.
They must be loyal only to Ye Chen.
Kill him… and everything would fall apart.
Wan Yunshan's eyes became cold and predatory.
Like a wolf preparing to strike.
Ye Chen noticed immediately.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"So," he said calmly, "you've decided to come for me."
"Die, you dog emperor!"
Wan Yunshan exploded forward.
His body turned into a blur.
His saber left its sheath mid-charge, slicing downward with brutal force.
"No! Your Majesty!"
Zhao Zhong screamed.
Without thinking, he threw himself in front of Ye Chen.
But in the distance—
Shen Qinglong did not move.
Neither did the Jinyiwei.
Their eyes were filled with calm disdain.
They knew the truth.
Their emperor was stronger than anyone here.
Shen Qinglong had intentionally left Wan Yunshan alive.
Because Ye Chen had chosen this traitor himself.
Wan Yunshan's blade screamed toward Ye Chen's neck.
"Betrayal?" he sneered. "No."
"This is called understanding the situation!"
"The world belongs to Prince Ming!"
"You should have died long ago!"
His saber was already descending.
Victory was within reach.
Even if Ye Chen possessed a powerful army—the emperor himself was still weak.
Once his head fell—everything would end.
But Ye Chen's expression remained calm.
Almost bored.
"I gave you a chance."
With one hand, he gently pushed Zhao Zhong aside.
Within the other—a sword appeared.
The Son of Heaven's Fate-Sword.
Then he swung.
In that instant—
Light erupted.
A sword radiance so brilliant burst forth that the entire mausoleum was illuminated.
Night turned into day.
The blinding sword light stretched across the sky like a heavenly river.
For a moment—the world became white.
Wan Yunshan's grin froze.
His pupils shrank in absolute terror.
He tried to speak.
But no sound came out.
All he could see—was the sword light rushing toward him.
Then—darkness.
The light vanished.
Silence fell.
When the battlefield became visible again—
Wan Yunshan stood frozen.
Then slowly—his body split apart.
Two halves collapsed onto the ground.
Blood spread across the sacred stones of the imperial mausoleum.
The shattered remains of his saber lay beside him.
Wan Yunshan—Grand Commander of the Sky-Supervising Pavilion—was dead.
Killed by a single sword strike.
Ye Chen slowly lowered his blade.
His cold gaze swept across the battlefield.
"Traitors…"
His voice was calm.
Yet filled with imperial authority.
"None shall be spared."
And the slaughter continued.