Chapter 25: Sword Severing the Emperor's Edict

"Defeated? And even crippled?" The young man in purple frowned upon seeing Baili Hui's miserable state. Although their relationship was competitive and not particularly close, he knew well the strength and power of Baili Hui. The fact that Baili Hui was effortlessly defeated by Chu Xiaotian left him in shock. Realizing that Chu Xiaotian could just as easily overpower him, the young man felt a wave of fear and silently vowed not to provoke Chu Xiaotian ever again.

The veiled woman noticed the sword intent Chu Xiaotian unleashed but failed to perceive the supreme suppression and mental intimidation. Indeed, Chu Xiaotian's victory over Baili Hui, a fifth-level Lingyuan realm practitioner, was thanks to the amplification of his sword intent, coupled with supreme suppression and mental intimidation, leaving Baili Hui unable to exert even half his strength.

"My arm?! You dare to cripple me? I'll kill you!" Baili Hui, his face twisted in rage and fear, stopped the bleeding and saw his severed arm. In a fit of fury, he decided to use his ultimate safeguard.

He took out an imperial edict from his robe and threw it into the air. As it unfolded, a powerful aura emanated from it, and a virtual image of a figure emerged. This was none other than the virtual image of the Emperor of the Northern Yan Kingdom, not the actual person but an embodiment of his will, capable of unleashing the power of a ninth-level Lingyuan practitioner!

Facing the Emperor's wrath, Chu Xiaotian simply responded with his sword. What was an Emperor to him? If Baili Hui intended to kill him, why shouldn't he retaliate?

"You seek death!" The Emperor's edict easily parried Chu Xiaotian's initial attack, then struck down with a palm, intent on annihilating Chu Xiaotian. However, Chu Xiaotian's sword intent surged, rapidly climbing to an astonishing 15%, unleashing a fifteenfold amplification along with supreme suppression and mental intimidation.

"Great Sword Technique!" Chu Xiaotian's next slash was mountainous, swift like a rainbow, and overwhelming. The sword strike shattered the Emperor's attack and hit the virtual image, dispersing it completely.

The virtual image of the Emperor dissipated into specks of light, and the edict crumbled. The surrounding crowd was left utterly speechless and stunned. Chu Xiaotian, a mere third-level Lingyuan realm practitioner, had just shattered an imperial edict — an act beyond belief.

As the edict disintegrated, the virtual image attempted to utter a threat but was cut off by another of Chu Xiaotian's swift strikes, leaving the spectators in shock. This young man had just defied the Emperor's will, an act that put him at odds with the royal family and marked him as a formidable adversary.

The veiled woman's eyes sparkled with surprise and intrigue behind her veil. Even though she possessed the power to shatter an imperial edict, she admitted it wouldn't have been as effortless as Chu Xiaotian made it seem.

The young man in purple beside her was thoroughly petrified, his mind racing with thoughts of apology and submission, fearing for his life after witnessing Chu Xiaotian's incredible feat.

Meanwhile, in the Northern Yan Kingdom's royal palace, the real Emperor, Baili Xiong, sensed the destruction of his edict. The news struck fear into the hearts of the court officials. Someone had dared to defy the Emperor's will, an act tantamount to declaring war against the entire kingdom. The trembling courtiers remained silent, fearing the Emperor's wrath.

"Come forth!" Emperor Baili Xiong demanded, pulling up the image from the shattered edict to identify Chu Xiaotian. However, neither he nor any of the court officials recognized the young man who had dared to defy the Emperor.

"Fools!"