Grey and white stone chips scattered with each strike of the sword edge, breaking and reforming again and again, reminding one of the ancient Eastern phrase 'perseverance pays off.'
Her breathing grew rapid, sweat and strands of hair sticking to her forehead. Hexia dodged the swiftly descending giant palm once more, kicking off the azure and crimson arm while flipping backward. The sword edge drew a mournful, crescent arc in the air, severing the tattered golden-red ribbon that fluttered incompletely.
Afterward, the gold covering the Godly General seemed to gradually dim, returning to a dull, earthy hue. At the same time, Hexia leapt once again, her longsword and body spinning together. Her flowing hair and the hem of her skirt formed a brief but splendid vortex in the air.
The longsword plunged into the bronze giant eyeball, sparking electric light and debris. Letting go of the longsword, Hexia then rapidly retreated as the colossal Godly General fell like decaying rock, smashing heavily onto the ground, paralyzed and broken.
"That should be enough, right? Even with the AI provided by the Academy, convincing the other party still requires showing sufficient strength. Otherwise, it's like a child flaunting gold in the marketplace—adults only care about the benefits, totally indifferent to your thoughts."
She hovered silently in the air, one hand holding the sword, its blade draping along her snow-white sleeve, gazing down at the silent, masked man below.
"Heh heh... heh heh heh... hahaha, are you mocking me!?" he pressed a hand to his forehead, his voice twisting before turning into a teeth-gritting growl.
If the girl before him had pleaded in a coquettish, frail manner, he might have softened, but her stubbornness made Gu Qianlou feel a complete loss of face, as if all his actions had been as ridiculous as those of a clown.
Look, Gu Yongrong's daughter. It's been only 20 years since you went out, and you could easily ruin the thing you take pride in, with such ease and flair. What was the meaning of all those years of painstaking effort? The turmoil back then not only ruined Jielou City's reputation but also dragged your sister into it. What was the value in that?
To kill a person is to aim at the heart. Perhaps Hexia just wanted Gu Qianlou to realize the current situation could not continue, but what she didn't know was that not everyone takes advice willingly. To some stubborn conservatives, this was seen as a challenge to their authority, an overthrow of everything, and an ultimate humiliation.
"Very well, you want to prove you're right, don't you? Then I shall oblige." He did not stand by as a mere spectator; instead, he leapt straight up, his broad black robe whirling in the air, and the golden mask amidst the sleeves transformed instantly into a flaming red.
The scarlet sword light erupted from the sword scabbard, meeting Hexia in the sky. The Magic Power bursting forth from the deep red sword edge sent the girl flying, and the heat it contained spread like a fire toxin, suffocating Hexia.
As the blue radiance flowed through her eyes and the burning on her body extinguished in an instant, Gu Qianlou, who was in pursuit, suddenly transformed again. The fiery mask changed into a yellow base with white patterns, and his longsword flew out from his hand, tracing complex Magic Power patterns in the high sky.
In the complexity of these yellow, circuit board-like patterns, the longsword hovered in the center, layer upon layer of light points converging upon its form, creating a series of effects.
Penetration·Cleaving Gold·Piercing Magic·Utmost Speed
"Exhaustive Tower's Secret·Instant Kill Formation!"
Like a beam of bright yellow laser light, the sword edge thrust forth at a speed that pushed the limits of sight, piercing through Hexia in midair.
As the blood-stained girl fell from the sky, everyone present gaped as if they had much to say, but at that moment, no words came out. Both the Sword Guardians and the Godly Generals felt a chill and sadness.
After all, the girl was Gu Yongrong's daughter, Gu Qianlou's closest living relative, and one of the future hopes of Jielou City. If she were to fall ...
The golden sword edge, having pierced Hexia, reversed and returned to Gu Qianlou's hand. The mask on his face shifted again, turning into a shade of azure-blue. He, too, rushed toward the falling girl as if to catch and seize her.
However, a spiraling snow-colored blade light intercepted him midway, with Feng Jianxue blocking his way.
"Cough cough..." Hexia knelt on the ground, clutching her right shoulder where a bloody gap had appeared, her body trembling.
Gu Qianlou ultimately showed some mercy, not striking directly at the center of her chest.
Protectors from the Sword Guardians quickly came to aid the gravely injured girl. At that moment, Ge Lianfeng looked around, spotted the nearby Ancestral Shrine, and suddenly made a decision.
"Take the princess to the Ancestral Shrine; it'll be safer there. We can also set up better defenses."
The Sword Guardians surrounded Hexia, helping her towards the dust-covered Ancestral Shrine. Though its exterior was that of an ancient double-tiered building, it had been constructed with the highest-grade protection materials and security measures, making it exceptionally sturdy.
Whether Godly Generals or Sword Guardians, all true descendants of Jielou City, could easily gain entry to the Ancestral Shrine. Once inside and the protection measures activated, it would be difficult for anyone outside to breach it.
Half a minute later, Hexia felt the wound on her shoulder begin to heal. Only then did she allow herself a small sigh of relief as her gaze swept around her.
The Ancestral Shrine's decorations were far from lavish—in fact, they had a somber simplicity. Flanking the great hall were statues covered in a layer of dust, their original azure and crimson pigments faded and dull. Based on their mythological significance, they likely represented the sun, moon, stars, wind, rain, thunder, lightning - the deities of all eight directions.