Slender willows sway in the breeze

Chapter 107 Ignorance
The leader, dressed in black, quickly waved a black bell, which emitted a strange sound again, attempting to disrupt Nightshade's actions in the same way.

However, as the leader of the Shadow Guards, Night Shadow had been through countless battles and faced numerous life-or-death trials. His will was as firm as iron. He used his spiritual power to forcefully resist the influence of the strange sound, and continued to slash at the black-robed man with his long sword.

Upon seeing this, the man in black robes quickly conjured a layer of black spiritual energy shield in front of him.

The blade struck the shield, unleashing a burst of intense light and spiritual energy. The shield trembled violently under the impact of the blade, but ultimately managed to barely withstand the attack.

At this moment, the other men in black robes also surrounded Ye Ying and Min Rui.

Taking advantage of this opening, Min Rui quickly circulated his spiritual energy to suppress the discomfort in his body.

At this time, he cannot hold others back.

Min Rui took a deep breath and used the "Golden Spirit Illusion Step" again, his figure transforming into golden phantoms as he rushed towards the man in black robes.

At the same time, he continuously wielded his longsword, and streaks of golden sword energy shot out from the sword, attacking the man in black robes.

The two fought side by side, with Night Shadow taking the lead in the attack and Min Rui providing support from the side, using the disorienting effect of the "Golden Spirit Illusion Step" to disrupt the actions of the man in black robes.

The two worked together seamlessly, and the man in black robes gradually found himself in a difficult situation. As their attacks became more and more intense, the leader of the men in black robes, seeing that the situation was not good, began to consider retreating.

Nightshade remained on guard, concentrating all his spiritual power into his longsword. The longsword instantly erupted with a dazzling silver light, and a crescent-shaped beam of light flew towards the black-robed man with incredible speed and power.

The man in black robes had no time to dodge; the sword light struck him directly.

A scream rang out, and the black-robed leader was instantly cleaved in two by the sword's edge, his body turning into a cloud of black smoke and dissipating into the air.

The other men in black robes were terrified when they saw their leader killed. They lost their fighting ability and turned to flee, but they were caught up by Night Shadow and Min Rui and eliminated one by one.

After the battle, Ye Ying and Min Rui smiled at each other.

Min Rui said gratefully, "Thank you so much, Brother Ye Ying, for arriving in time. Otherwise, I would have been in danger today."

"Master Min, you're too kind. It's what I should do. His Majesty was worried about Master Min's safety and specially ordered me to come and find him. I imagine His Majesty is still anxiously waiting, so let's return as soon as possible."

Min Rui nodded, carefully took out the Breakthrough Pill from his pocket, and after confirming that it was correct, returned to Zhongzhou City with Ye Ying on their swords.

Luanming Palace

"Your Majesty, Master Min has returned safely."

The Empress glanced sideways at the suddenly appearing dark figure and said with great displeasure, "Useless! With so many people, you still can't kill Min Rui."

The shadowy figure said, "Min Rui's cultivation is profound, reaching the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and he also carries a sixth-grade pill..."

"They're all excuses."

The Empress's eyes turned cold: "Such a good opportunity! As long as we stop Min Rui from getting the Breakthrough Pill, His Majesty's health will be beyond saving, and the First Prince can smoothly inherit the throne. You were so confident back then, but I didn't expect you to be so useless."

The figure in black suppressed his anger and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, although we have failed this time, there is still a chance. There is still no movement from the Crown Prince's side. We can look for another opportunity to trip up Min Rui and others who are loyal to His Majesty, so that they cannot fully assist His Majesty. This will also create an opportunity for the Crown Prince."

The Empress nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Go and make arrangements. Find some capable people, and make sure the next operation succeeds. Also, keep a close eye on the court's movements and see if there are any conflicts that can be exploited to further disrupt the situation."

"Yes, ma'am."

The shadowy figure obeyed the order and disappeared into the darkness once more.

Meanwhile, in his study, the eldest prince, Bei Chenhan, was having a private conversation with someone.

The man had thick eyebrows, narrow eyes, wore a deep red brocade robe, and had dark red lips. He was none other than Du Xiuwei, the manager of Xuanji Hall whom Gu Changzhou had mentioned before.

He looked to be around forty, but was actually nearly two hundred years old, with the cultivation level of the early Nascent Soul stage. "Your Highness, we have created chaos throughout the palace as planned, and the Second Prince has also begun to make moves. But to ensure everything goes smoothly, you need to provide more information about strengthening the defenses and the experts around His Majesty."

Bei Chenhan frowned slightly.

I still had some concerns in my heart.

He wanted to take that position, but he didn't feel safe at all if everything was revealed to him.

Du Xiuwei's tone was icy: "If the Crown Prince doesn't trust Xuanji Hall, then there's no need for us to cooperate!"

After saying that, he made a move to get up and leave.

"Wait a minute."

Bei Chenhan said, "Why is Steward Du in such a hurry?"

"I am indeed unaware of the palace's troop rotation, but there is a Shadow Guard in the palace, led by Marquis Molin. They are exceptionally powerful and serve as His Majesty's personal bodyguards. Also, after Min Rui obtained the Breakthrough Pill for His Majesty from Yougu Palace, he seems to have become even closer to him. His cultivation is even slightly stronger than Gu Changzhou's. Oh, and there is also the Shadow Guard leader, Night Shadow. The three of them are quite difficult to deal with."

After all, age is a factor.

No matter how extraordinary Gu Changzhou is, he is still human.

Du Xiuwei chuckled coldly: "Our leader has his own ways of dealing with the three of them. However, Your Highness, you must also be prepared. Once we take action, you must cooperate promptly and strive for more support in the court."

Bei Chenhan nodded: "Of course. I am also secretly contacting the ministers in the court. As long as the time is right, they will all stand up to support me."

Du Xiuwei said with satisfaction, "Very good, then let's wait for the right opportunity."

Having said that, he vanished like a ghost.

After Min Rui retrieved the Breakthrough Pill, the evil cultivators in Zhongzhou City fell into a brief silence.

However, Bei Chenyao suffered considerable damage because his dantian was invaded by evil spiritual power, even with the Breakthrough Pill.

During this period, Liu Sijun tried to refine many pills.

Those who don't understand elixirs might think that the higher the grade, the better, but that's not true. Only what is suitable is best.

Bei Chenyao only has the Golden Core cultivation level, and for him, the fifth-grade pill is already the limit.

After taking a few pills, Bei Chenyao felt his energy had been restored considerably.

April has quietly arrived.

Du Wei stood on a boulder in the center of the valley, his cold gaze sweeping over the evil cultivators below. He said, "We have been resting and recuperating for quite some time now. This mission is of great importance. We are to deal with Marquis Molin Gu Changzhou, Min Rui, and the Shadow Guard leader Ye Ying from the Imperial Palace. These three are exceptionally strong, and we must not underestimate them."

A rogue cultivator with a hideous scar on his face stepped forward and said disdainfully, "Manager Du, no matter how powerful these three are, can they compare to so many of us?"

Du Xiuwei snorted coldly, "Ignorant! These three are no ordinary people. Gu Changzhou is highly skilled in swordsmanship and possesses abundant spiritual power; Min Rui is proficient in various techniques and has the cultivation level of the mid-stage Nascent Soul stage, with unpredictable and ever-changing methods; Ye Ying, as the leader of the Shadow Guards, is skilled in concealment and surprise attacks, and his movements are so fast that ordinary people cannot catch him. If you don't want to die, listen carefully to the plan."

Upon hearing this, the evil cultivators' expressions changed slightly, and they abandoned their contempt.

Du Xiuwei continued, “We will split into three groups. The first group will be led by the Blood Demon Old Monster and will be responsible for dealing with Min Rui. Blood Demon Old Monster, you are skilled in manipulating the power of the Blood Demon and can use blood as a guide to track targets. You need to secretly infiltrate Min Rui’s residence and launch a surprise attack when he lowers his guard. Remember, Min Rui’s ‘Golden Spirit Illusion Step’ is extremely powerful, so you must be careful. Once you seize the opportunity, use your Blood Demon Soul Locking Curse to trap him and kill him.”

The Blood Demon Old Monster grinned, revealing a set of uneven black teeth. "Don't worry, Steward Du, I will definitely let Min Rui know the power of my Soul-Locking Curse."

(End of this chapter)