She grinned faintly, her voice deep and resolute as her figure flickered repeatedly, almost ghost-like in its motion.
"Today, rivers of blood will flow in this royal hall."
An elder standing at the front, merely in the Foundation Establishment realm, felt his body go limp. Before he could comprehend what was happening, his entire form split into three parts.
His head soared into the air while his body was cleaved cleanly in two, collapsing lifelessly onto the gleaming marble floor. Until the moment of his death, he did not even realize how he had died.
Xu Jiaojiao didn't spare him a glance. Her sword, now visible in her hand, moved with precise, fluid swiftness—cutting down another elder cleanly in half.
Suddenly, she sensed a subtle shift in the air. A faint rustling of wind brushed past her ear like a whisper of intent.
'Trying to sneak up on me?'
She smirked, and without hesitation, waves of flame erupted from her body like a living inferno.
Dragon Fire Sword Strike.
She invoked the technique in her heart. Her sword arced like a snake, fire coiling along its length. It hissed with serpentine menace as it lashed toward over ten elders who stood in front of her.
BOOM!
Before they could react, an explosion detonated outward. The fire that had spiraled around her sword had transformed into a blazing serpent, its scales glittering with molten brilliance.
The fiery snake roared forward with terrifying hunger. It coiled and snapped toward its targets, swallowing them whole in a single sweeping arc.
BANG!
The moment the fire snake made contact, a deafening shockwave burst outward. Flames surged like a flood, tearing through the ranks of elders and sending severed limbs and charred fragments of clothing flying across the chamber.
The battlefield fell into a momentary silence.
The elders still in the Foundation Establishment realm froze, horror etched across their pale faces. Their breathing became shallow as they instinctively began to retreat.
But Xu Jiaojiao didn't give them the luxury of escape.
In the span of a few breaths, she closed the distance and dispatched every last one of them, her blade moving with brutal elegance.
With a casual flick of her wrist, she swung her sword to the side, scattering droplets of blood onto the floor. Her eyes turned sharply toward the king, who remained rooted on his throne, staring at her with disbelief.
The First Prince and his siblings were equally stunned. Their faces were pale as they gawked at her, as though they were seeing a ghost.
When had she become so powerful?
Each of them grappled with the same question. Confusion and terror mingled in their gazes as they tried—and failed—to process what had just occurred.
Xu Jiaojiao's thoughts moved swiftly. 'By now, Mother and Brother should have reached safety. Risking my life like this just to buy them time… it was dangerous. But fortunately, my gamble paid off. None of the elders here were truly strong.'
Her gaze swept the carnage, then turned toward the exit.
'It's time to leave.'
Without hesitation, her figure vanished from her position. She became a blur as she darted toward the grand doors of the royal hall, attempting to escape before the others could regain their composure.
The king's expression changed drastically. His eyes burned with fury as he watched her rush toward the exit.
"Leaving after causing such chaos?" he hissed. A whistle appeared in his hand, and he brought it to his lips.
The moment he blew into it, a shift in the atmosphere rippled outward like a pulse.
Xu Jiaojiao, halfway through the doors, sensed the sudden change. Her instincts screamed danger. She frowned, trying to interpret the sensation.
Before she could react, a massive palm descended from the sky, crashing onto her with brutal force. The blow sent her hurtling through the air, her body colliding with several buildings in the distance.
CRASH!
Debris exploded in every direction as her figure was buried beneath shattered bricks and broken tiles.
A cold, emotionless voice echoed from above.
"If you wanted to walk the path of immortality, little girl, you shouldn't have challenged those in power. You will be captured and punished for your crimes."
As the voice faded, a green-robed figure descended gracefully. Behind it, three others followed, also clad in green robes.
Their movements were eerily mechanical.
Their wooden limbs moved with unnatural precision. Beneath the green fabric, the metallic joints of their puppet frames gleamed faintly in the light.
'Puppets?' Xu Jiaojiao emerged slowly from the wreckage, blood trailing from the corner of her lips.
She shoved aside a massive slab of stone that had fallen across her torso.
THUD.
Rising to her feet, she met the lifeless gaze of the puppet's carved wooden eyes. They stared without emotion, but their presence radiated a chilling aura.
She glared back without fear.
The lead puppet opened its mouth again. The wood creaked faintly as it spoke.
"Such promise, and at such a young age… already in the Golden Core realm. Why must you choose destruction over destiny? It is unfortunate, but your head must be sent to the Northern Palace to secure peace."
The moment its voice faded, the puppet's palm shot forward again with lethal force.
Xu Jiaojiao's pupils shrank. Only now did she sense the true strength hidden within.
'Nascent Soul realm? A puppet… in the Nascent Soul realm?'
She was momentarily stunned. But the fear didn't linger long.
'I can still survive. If I give it my all, I can survive this.'
Gritting her teeth, she raised her sword once more. Flames surged around her body, wrapping the blade in a vibrant orange hue.
Dragon Fire Sword Strike.
Her strongest technique.
The sword blazed, and from its tip, a massive fire serpent condensed once again.
This time, its scales were sharper. Its fangs gleamed. Its forked tongue lashed out with a hiss that cracked the air.
HISS!
The fire serpent roared as it darted forward, clashing with the puppet's outstretched palm.
BANG!
A massive shockwave exploded from the impact, sending both Xu Jiaojiao and the puppet flying backward into separate buildings nearby.
CRASH!
The sheer force shattered rooftops and pulverized walls. Tiles rained from the sky like falling stars.
"What was that?"
The noise had startled the commoners nearby. A crowd had gathered at the edge of the city square, eyes wide with panic and confusion.
"Is that a demon beast? How did it get into the royal capital?"
"Mom, are those cultivators?"
Many people gasped, whispering amongst themselves. Though not all understood the full scope of what they were witnessing, the strength on display made their hearts race.
Some among them—more knowledgeable in the ways of cultivation—watched the battle with wide eyes, stunned by the level of power being unleashed.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
With each clash, Xu Jiaojiao and the puppet continued their fierce exchange. Shockwaves rippled through the district. Broken stone and burning debris littered the battlefield.
To her relief, Xu Jiaojiao realized that she was holding her ground.
They were evenly matched.
Finally, she exhaled deeply. A sliver of hope lit up in her heart.
But her relief was short-lived.
The puppet's hollow voice echoed once again.
"Have you forgotten there are three more like me?"
For a brief second, Xu Jiaojiao imagined the wooden mask grinning with mockery.
Her heartbeat stuttered.
The remaining three puppets stepped forward, their forms eerily synchronized. They moved in absolute silence.
Panic surged within her chest as she braced herself.
Then—
A radiant, mesmerizing sword light erupted into the sky like a divine beacon.
All who saw it were struck motionless.
The commoners fell to their knees, eyes filled with reverence and awe, as though they were witnessing the descent of a celestial deity.
Even the puppets momentarily paused, their eyes reflecting the blinding brilliance.
Something was coming.
Someone had arrived.