Chapter 202
Chapter 202: You Wish to Stop Me?
The temperature in the courtyard suddenly soared, filling the air with an intense, scorching heat. Even the plants around them withered instantly under the invisible blaze.
At that moment, the terrifying aura Murong Xiao Ya had barely managed to suppress erupted like a violent storm, sweeping outward in every direction.
Hu Rui An and the others paled and immediately retreated, quickly distancing themselves from Murong Xiao Ya. Yet among them, Wu Shang did not move back. Instead, he was irresistibly drawn forward by an unseen force, unable to resist, and found himself right in front of her in the blink of an eye.
Murong Xiao Ya stared fiercely at Wu Shang with eyes ablaze in bloody flames. Her voice was icy, filled with chilling murderous intent as she asked: “You just mentioned Han Chui Yuan. Tell me, where are the people from the Han Residence now?”
Heat radiated from her body like an inferno, forcing Wu Shang to desperately channel his martial Qi just to withstand the intense scorching sensation. Even worse, beneath her overwhelming power, Wu Shang felt as small and fragile as a boat tossed by raging waves, ready to be shattered into dust at any moment.
Wu Shang struggled painfully and stammered: “Murong…young lady… you misunderstand…I truly don’t know where the Han Residence people are.”
At his words, Murong Xiao Ya’s delicate, pale face darkened with anger, and the blood flames in her eyes surged even stronger. Her voice rang coldly: “I have no patience for your nonsense. Tell me, where are the people of the Han Residence? I intend to slaughter every last one!”
Her gaze bore into Wu Shang, golden-red lines appearing across her skin, glowing brightly. Wisps of flame began weaving from thin air behind her. It felt as if the entire courtyard was about to ignite.
At that very moment, Li Mu Sheng shook his head slightly. In an instant, his figure vanished and reappeared next to Wu Shang. He gently grasped Wu Shang’s shoulder and gave a slight push. Instantly, Wu Shang felt the suffocating Qi holding him vanish, the mountain-like pressure disappearing completely. He floated gently backward, landing safely outside the courtyard.
Seeing this, Hu Rui An and the others swiftly rushed over to check on Wu Shang. After confirming he was unharmed, they anxiously turned their gaze back to Murong Xiao Ya and Li Mu Sheng, now confronting each other fiercely.
“Will your highness be alright?” Wu Shang asked, still trembling with fear and worry.
Hu Rui An and the others exchanged uneasy looks. They knew Li Mu Sheng was strong in martial dao, but the oppressive aura from Murong Xiao Ya was even more terrifying and clear to them. They vividly recalled the endless Sea of Fire engulfing Prefecture City and the terrifying golden-red flames that seemed capable of burning all things. This dread seeped into their souls, filling them with despair.
Certainly, Hu Rui An and Shen An Ran had witnessed Li Mu Sheng punch Jue Sheng of Deer Slaying Manor across the room. Yet, they felt clearly now that Murong Xiao Ya’s aura was even more formidable than Jue Sheng’s. Anxiety and worry tightened around their hearts.
Was Li Mu Sheng taking too great a risk in confronting Murong Xiao Ya head-on?
“I cannot let your highness be endangered. I’ll go back and explain everything clearly to Murong young lady. Once she understands, it should be fine,” Wu Shang suddenly said, gritting his teeth as he moved to return to the courtyard.
Yet, Hu Rui An quickly grabbed his arm, brows knitted tightly, and warned: “Don’t move. That place isn’t somewhere you can go now.”
Meanwhile, within the courtyard, which felt as if molten lava were flowing everywhere, Murong Xiao Ya’s blazing eyes, swirling with golden flames, fixed fiercely on Li Mu Sheng. A faint, almost invisible struggle flickered deep within her gaze as she asked: “Your highness, do you wish to stop me?”
Yet, as soon as the words left her lips, that tiny struggle vanished completely, replaced entirely by burning blood flames and murderous intent.
Li Mu Sheng narrowed his eyes slightly, calmly meeting her gaze, and replied: “Murong young lady, something is wrong with your current state.”
“Your highness, you overestimate yourself. Do you truly believe you are invincible now?” Murong Xiao Ya retorted harshly. The golden-red patterns spreading over her skin rapidly covered every inch of her body. Beneath these lines, molten lava seemed to bubble furiously, sparks of flame emerging to scorch the air, leaving countless fine cracks.
Under her feet, the paving stones had crumbled into fine dust, now heated by intense temperatures into glittering red crystal sand, swirling in fiery rings stirred by her formidable Qi.
In that instant, Murong Xiao Ya completely succumbed to the murderous rage consuming her reason. Her crimson hair danced wildly behind her, forming a fierce Vermilion Bird phantom from the steaming flames. She stepped forward fiercely, golden ripples spreading from beneath her foot. Countless blazing trails, like fiery serpents, twisted through the distorted air, whipping forth in waves of crimson flame toward Li Mu Sheng.
Boom!
Countless streams of flame, resembling blazing fire drakes, instantly swallowed Li Mu Sheng. The explosion of scorching heat and wind tore through even the clouds above Mei Residence, leaving a massive swirling gap in the sky. A dazzling pillar of golden-red fire shot upward, accompanied by countless flaming serpents drifting across the heavens, shaking the very sky above Prefecture City.
The courtyard, along with several nearby buildings, instantly transformed into a vast Sea of Fire.
At the very moment Murong Xiao Ya unleashed her fury, Hu Rui An sensed intense danger. He immediately led Shen An Ran and Wu Shang away at their utmost speed. Now, even as they fled, they glanced back to see only the scorching flames of gold and crimson—Murong Xiao Ya and Li Mu Sheng were nowhere to be found.
“Your highness…” Shen An Ran stared blankly at the fiery devastation behind her, eyes wide in shock. Slowly, an icy, murderous rage and grief took hold of her, making her body tremble lightly.
Hu Rui An and the others looked equally grim. They were powerless to even approach the Sea of Fire, let alone aid Li Mu Sheng.
Within that flaming inferno, Murong Xiao Ya stood, blood flames flickering intensely in her eyes, silently gazing at the burning zone where Li Mu Sheng had vanished. Her face, traced with glowing red-gold lines, remained emotionless amid the roaring blaze, feeling only the thrill and satisfaction of destruction.