# Chapter 124: The Murderous Female Demon
"Shua!"
Huang Yanchen drew her sapphire-blue battle sword. With a flick of her arm, the inscriptions within the blade were activated, and countless invisible sword qi surged forth, transforming into wind blades that flew toward General Hong Ye.
Dozens of wind blades struck against General Hong Ye's armor, producing a series of "bang bang" sounds, leaving white sword marks across its surface.
"Eleven layers of Black Profound Heavy Armor." Huang Yanchen narrowed her eyes, staring at the armor on General Hong Ye's body.
One layer of Black Profound Heavy Armor weighed fifty-three jin. Eleven layers weighed a total of five hundred and eighty-three jin.
Ordinary soldiers only wore a single layer of Black Profound Heavy Armor.
Only Earth Extreme Realm experts dared to wear more than ten layers.
General Hong Ye's heart jolted, and he cast aside his contempt. Just now, Huang Yanchen had merely flicked her sword and already summoned dozens of wind blade sword qi.
Such skill was not something an ordinary Mysterious Extreme Realm martial artist could possess.
"Could she be someone on the Mysterious Ranking?" General Hong Ye wondered inwardly.
Huang Yanchen said coldly, "Even if you were wearing twenty layers of Black Profound Heavy Armor, it wouldn't save your life."
General Hong Ye regained his composure and asked, "Miss, may I ask your esteemed name?"
"Martial Market Academy, Huang Yanchen," she replied.
"Number one hundred and three on the Mysterious Ranking, Huang Yanchen." General Hong Ye was slightly startled. He hadn't expected to actually encounter a Mysterious Ranking martial artist.
Without another word, Huang Yanchen gripped her blue sword and stepped into Wind-Riding Nine Steps. Her first step landed one meter above the ground, propelling her forward more than ten meters. Her second step landed two meters high, carrying her over twenty meters. By her third step, she was already above General Hong Ye's head.
Holding the sword with both hands, she poured true qi continuously into the blade, activating all thirty-three inscriptions within. A seven-meter-long blue sword light trailed behind as she slashed downward.
General Hong Ye had no choice but to meet the attack. He swung his war halberd to block.
"Bang!"
The force transmitted from the blue sword was astonishingly powerful. General Hong Ye's arms went numb, and the war halberd nearly flew out of his grip.
Seeing that General Hong Ye had blocked her strike, Huang Yanchen immediately changed her technique. She slashed diagonally downward again, aiming for his neck.
Although General Hong Ye was a top expert at the initial stage of Earth Extreme Realm, his speed couldn't match Huang Yanchen's. His arms were still numb and sore, making it impossible to block her second strike.
"Slap!"
The sapphire-blue battle sword struck General Hong Ye's neck with brutal force, sending him tumbling off the Golden-Horned Leopard.
General Hong Ye rolled once on the ground before scrambling to his feet. His eyes were filled with shock as he reached his fingers toward his neck. He discovered that the eleven layers of Black Profound Heavy Armor had been cut through, leaving a long bloody gash on his neck. Only a hair's breadth more would have sent his head flying.
Was a Mysterious Ranking martial artist truly this terrifying?
An ordinary Mysterious Ranking martial artist already possessed the strength to contend with an initial-stage Earth Extreme Realm expert. Moreover, Huang Yanchen ranked around one hundredth on the Mysterious Ranking, so her strength was naturally even more fearsome.
"Miss Huang, this is a personal grudge between our Four Directions Commandery and Zhang Ruochen. I hope you won't interfere." After witnessing Huang Yanchen's power, General Hong Ye's tone softened somewhat.
Huang Yanchen walked forward, sword in hand, and said, "Are you threatening me with the Four Directions Commandery?"
"This general does not wish to be your enemy, Miss Huang," General Hong Ye said.
"It's been a long time since I've fought an Earth Extreme Realm martial artist. How could I let you go so easily? How about this: if you can withstand ten of my strikes, I'll spare your life," Huang Yanchen said.
"Agreed!"
General Hong Ye was no weakling either. Provoked by Huang Yanchen, his ferocity surged. He stamped his foot on the ground, leaped into the air, and landed back on the Golden-Horned Leopard's back.
He intended to borrow the Golden-Horned Leopard's strength to fight Huang Yanchen. If he could defeat her, he might still have a chance to turn the tables completely.
Huang Yanchen stood straight and tall, making no move to stop General Hong Ye from using the Golden-Horned Leopard's power. She charged straight at him.
"Cloud-Breaking Halberd!"
General Hong Ye unleashed a spirit-grade lower-rank martial technique. Gripping the war halberd with both hands, he poured all his strength into it and thrust it toward the charging Huang Yanchen.
Huang Yanchen executed a graceful spinning turn, sidestepping three paces. Then, with lightning speed, she thrust her sword toward General Hong Ye's head.
General Hong Ye hastily struck out with his palm, hitting the side of Huang Yanchen's incoming sword.
"Shua shua!"
Centered on Huang Yanchen's body, a hurricane vortex formed within a ten-zhang radius, completely enveloping General Hong Ye and the Golden-Horned Leopard.
Seven or eight afterimages of Huang Yanchen appeared simultaneously—some slashing diagonally, some cutting horizontally, some thrusting straight ahead.
Moments later, the vortex dissipated. Huang Yanchen leaped down from the Golden-Horned Leopard's back without even glancing back at General Hong Ye. She sheathed her sapphire-blue battle sword and let out a cold snort: "Pathetic."
General Hong Ye remained seated on the Golden-Horned Leopard's back, his long war halberd still raised, his body completely motionless.
"Hua!"
A gust of wind swept past. General Hong Ye's head rolled off his neck like a ball. It didn't fall to the ground but was carried by the hurricane wind out of Demon Wind Valley, spattering blood everywhere.
At that moment, Prince Huo Xing led nearly a thousand Tiger Might soldiers to the entrance of Demon Wind Valley.
"Reporting to Your Highness, Zhang Ruochen has fled into Demon Wind Valley, and General Hong Ye has pursued him inside," a soldier knelt before Prince Huo Xing.
"Haha! Zhang Ruochen brought this upon himself. Fleeing into Demon Wind Valley means he doesn't even have a chance to escape. General Hong Ye must have already killed him by now," Prince Huo Xing laughed heartily.
Just then, a blood-dripping head was blown out of Demon Wind Valley by the wind and landed in Prince Huo Xing's arms.
Prince Huo Xing picked up the head to look at it and nearly fainted from fright.
"Hong... Hong Ye... General..."
Prince Huo Xing's hands trembled, and the head fell to the ground. His mind went blank. He couldn't understand how the powerful General Hong Ye could have been killed.
No matter how strong Zhang Ruochen was, he couldn't possibly kill an Earth Extreme Realm martial artist.
"Prince Huo Xing, do you dare to face me in single combat, a battle to the death?" Zhang Ruochen emerged from Demon Wind Valley, standing halfway up the mountain, looking down at Prince Huo Xing below.
Prince Huo Xing recovered from his shock and said coldly, "Zhang Ruochen, this prince has a thousand elite Tiger Might soldiers. One charge, and they'll cut you to pieces. Why would I fight you one-on-one?"
Knowing he was no match for Zhang Ruochen, Prince Huo Xing naturally wouldn't agree to a solo duel.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head slightly. "You have a thousand elite Tiger Might soldiers. Do you think I have no allies?"
Looking at General Hong Ye's severed head on the ground, Prince Huo Xing's heart tightened. His confidence wavered. "Zhang Ruochen, who exactly are your allies?"
Duanmu Xingling and Huang Yanchen walked out of Demon Wind Valley. Huang Yanchen stood atop the Golden-Horned Leopard, exuding a sharp, cold aura.
"Prince Huo Xing, do you know what punishment awaits you for arbitrarily mobilizing troops to attack academy students?" Duanmu Xingling said.
Duanmu Xingling and Huang Yanchen owed Zhang Ruochen a great favor. Naturally, they would step in now to help him deal with Prince Huo Xing.
Seeing Duanmu Xingling and Huang Yanchen, Prince Huo Xing understood everything.
These two female demons were Mysterious Ranking martial artists with unfathomable cultivation. General Hong Ye's death must have been their doing.
But he couldn't understand how Zhang Ruochen, merely a prince of a lower commandery, had earned their favor—enough to make them kill an Earth Extreme Realm expert.
Though alarmed, Prince Huo Xing wasn't afraid. He cupped his hands slightly. "Greetings to both senior sisters. This matter is between me and Zhang Ruochen. I hope you won't interfere. Surely you don't wish to offend the Four Directions Commandery?"
Huang Yanchen laughed coldly. "A mere Four Directions Commandery has threatened me twice today. Do you believe I could kill you, and even the Four Directions Commandery King wouldn't be able to do anything to me?"
Prince Huo Xing wasn't sure of Huang Yanchen's identity. If he were at the Western Academy, he might have feared her.
But now, with a thousand elite Tiger Might soldiers by his side, he felt fearless. He didn't believe Huang Yanchen would dare kill him.
Prince Huo Xing straightened his back proudly. "The Four Directions Commandery is a mid-rank commandery. Even ten Cloudwu Commanderies combined couldn't match it. Not just a Mysterious Ranking martial artist—even a Heavenly Extreme Realm martial arts legend would have to think twice before making an enemy of the Four Directions Commandery."
Hearing this only made Huang Yanchen angrier. With a "shua," she drew her sword and walked toward Prince Huo Xing. "Then I'll kill you and see what the Four Directions Commandery does to me."
Seeing the murderous coldness in Huang Yanchen's eyes, Prince Huo Xing's heart pounded. "Senior Sister Huang, think carefully. Offending a mid-rank commandery prince for the sake of a lower commandery prince is a very foolish thing to do."
Prince Huo Xing was certain Huang Yanchen wouldn't dare kill him, so he felt emboldened. But today, he was gravely mistaken. He had no idea that Huang Yanchen was the princess of the Thousand Waters Commandery.
Huang Yanchen had always had a fiery temper. A mere mid-rank commandery prince threatening her repeatedly had pushed her over the edge.
"Xiu!"
Before the thousand elite Tiger Might soldiers could even see her shadow, Huang Yanchen's sword had already pierced Prince Huo Xing's heart, running straight through his body.
"You... you dare..."
Prince Huo Xing died unable to believe Huang Yanchen had actually killed him.
"Bang!"
Prince Huo Xing's corpse crashed heavily to the ground from the back of his beast mount.
"You dare kill His Highness the Prince! Soldiers, with me—kill this female demon!" A man who had reached the middle stage of Mysterious Extreme Realm roared and charged at Huang Yanchen first.
He was Zhao Guanglie, the deputy battalion commander of the Tiger Might Elite Fourth Battalion.
"Shua!"
Huang Yanchen's sword rose and fell. A blood-drenched head flew through the air. In an instant, Zhao Guanglie became a headless corpse, collapsing into a pool of blood.