"No..."
The Cyan Cloud Sparrow opened its massive beak, swallowed the despairingly screaming Zhou Chengfeng whole, and then let out a satisfied burp.
Someone so devoid of humanity had to die.
Keeping him alive would only invite disaster.
Next, the Cyan Cloud Sparrow devoured several more experts from the Zhou Family, only stopping when it was full.
The Zhou Family’s estate was also destroyed.
The Cyan Cloud Sparrow approached Su Mo holding a Storage Ring and said respectfully, "My lord, this is the Zhou Family’s treasure. I present it all to you."
Su Mo glanced inside.
The Storage Ring contained a full eighty million Spirit Stones, all sorts of Spiritual Elixirs, and over a hundred Spiritual Soldiers!
’I have no use for these things, but the Xiao Family can certainly use them!’
Therefore, Su Mo accepted it without the slightest hesitation.
After presenting the Treasure to Su Mo, the Cyan Cloud Sparrow respectfully asked, "My lord, are we heading to the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion next?"
"That’s right."
Su Mo nodded. "Since we’re already in the Imperial City, we might as well wipe out the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion while we’re here."
The Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion was the backer for both the Zhou Family and the Famous Sword Manor.
If the Heaven-Suppressing King were to find out that Su Mo had annihilated his two subordinate powers, the Famous Sword Manor and the Zhou Family, he would surely come after him.
Revenge would be a secondary concern.
More importantly, the Heaven-Suppressing King was wildly ambitious and would never tolerate anyone in the Desolate Empire being more powerful than himself.
Meanwhile, at the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion.
All the experts had gathered in the main hall, their expressions exceptionally grave as they looked toward the young man on the head seat, as if facing a formidable enemy.
This young man was none other than the Heir of the Celestial Calming King.
While the Heaven-Suppressing King was in seclusion, all matters of the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion were handled by his heir.
A Black Armored Soldier rushed in, flustered, and announced, "Reporting to the Crown Prince! That man is heading toward our mansion!"
What!
Everyone in the hall was shocked.
’So it’s true. Is his next target really our Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion?’
Although they had long suspected it, hearing that Su Mo was truly coming to destroy the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion still filled them with uncontrollable fear.
"It must be because we sent Zhao Xu to help the Zhou Family annihilate the Xiao Family. That’s what angered him, and now he wants to destroy us."
"We should have never gotten involved with the Zhou Family’s affairs in the first place!"
"Sigh... What are we going to do?"
"Everyone, calm down!"
The Heir of the Celestial Calming King forced himself to remain calm. "Our Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion is not the Zhou Family, nor is it the Celestial Slaughter Hall. We are not some power that Su Mo can destroy just because he feels like it."
Compared to the Zhou Family and the Celestial Slaughter Hall’s branch in the Desolate Empire, the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion had a much deeper foundation, boasting nearly thirty experts at the Grand Martial Artist Realm.
This was a level of power that not even the Royal Family could match.
Furthermore, they had an incredibly powerful Clan Protection Array. Even a Martial Monarch expert might not be able to breach it.
The Heir of the Celestial Calming King commanded, "Men, activate the Clan Protection Array!"
WHOOSH!
The Clan Protection Array activated.
But even with the Clan Protection Array active, everyone was still deeply worried.
An old man asked in a low voice, "Crown Prince, should we notify His Majesty, the Heaven-Suppressing King? Although he has not yet broken through to the Martial Monarch Realm, he should be at the level of a Half-Step Martial Monarch by now."
The Heir of the Celestial Calming King’s face was filled with hesitation.
His father, the Heaven-Suppressing King, was at a critical juncture in his attempt to break through to the Martial Monarch Realm. Disturbing him now would cause all his efforts to be for naught.
The Heir of the Celestial Calming King said hesitantly, "Let’s wait and see. If it turns out we truly cannot hold him off, then we will immediately notify my royal father."
Hearing this, the crowd finally calmed down somewhat.
With the Heaven-Suppressing King’s power as a Half-Step Martial Monarch, combined with their own strength and the mansion’s Clan Protection Array, they could surely hold off Su Mo.
They might even be able to kill him!
Just as their hearts were filled with anxiety, a Black Armored Soldier ran in. "Reporting to Your Highness, the Crown Prince! That man is here!"
What!
’He’s here so soon?’
The Heir of the Celestial Calming King shouted in alarm, "Everyone, come with me to face the enemy! Also, mobilize the entire Black Armor Army!"
WHOOSH!
Everyone rushed out of the main hall.
Sure enough, Su Mo had already arrived. He stood before the gates of the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion, no more than two hundred meters away.
"A Clan Protection Array? Heh, this thing can only stop amateurs. It can’t stop me."
Su Mo looked at the Grand Array enveloping the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion with utter disdain.
Having studied the Nine Dragon Supreme Array Manual, he saw through the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion’s Clan Protection Array with a single glance and identified several flaws.
A single strike would be enough to make the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion’s Clan Protection Array collapse.
He wouldn’t even need to bother with properly breaking it.
However, just as Su Mo was about to make his move, the Communication Stone in his robes suddenly lit up. Chu Tianxiong’s voice emerged from it: "Elder Su, the situation with Qu Luo’s Tomb has changed. It will now open in five days. Please come to the Beast Taming Sect immediately."
"So soon?"
Su Mo asked in surprise.
Chu Tianxiong replied awkwardly, "Elder Su, we don’t know the specific reason either. We suspect something has gone wrong inside Qu Luo’s Tomb."
"Alright, I’ll head to the Beast Taming Sect immediately!"
Su Mo turned and instructed the Cyan Cloud Sparrow, "Little Queque, return to Qingyang City at once and bring my family."
"What about the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion? Aren’t we going to destroy it?"
the Cyan Cloud Sparrow asked.
Su Mo said indifferently, "Let them live a few more days."
Compared to destroying the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion, Qu Luo’s Tomb was far more important. It determined whether Su Mo could successfully advance to the Warrior Realm.
Therefore, he had to hurry to the Beast Taming Sect first.
According to his original plan, he would have had plenty of time to kill the Heaven-Suppressing King. But now, he only had five days.
Five days...
It would take two days to travel from the Imperial City back to Qingyang City, and another three days to get from Qingyang City to the Beast Taming Sect. That added up to exactly five days.
He couldn’t afford to waste a single moment.
The Cyan Cloud Sparrow remarked, "That Heaven-Suppressing King fellow is really lucky. He managed to escape a calamity."
If the Heaven-Suppressing King came out of seclusion and learned he had just had one foot in the grave, he would likely break out in a cold sweat on the spot.
Su Mo shook his head, frustrated.
’If I just had half a day more,’ he thought, ’I could have wiped out everyone in the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion and torn off the Heaven-Suppressing King’s head to kick around like a ball.’
’What a pity!’
As he was leaving, Su Mo shot one last, cold glance at the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion.
HISS!
The moment they met Su Mo’s gaze, everyone from the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion felt a cold sweat drench their backs.
In an instant, they all felt their strength drain away.
A single glance was that terrifying, subjecting them to immense pressure. If he had actually attacked, they would all have died.
The Heir of the Celestial Calming King cried out, "Quick! Go and notify my royal father!"
However...
SCREECH!
The Cyan Cloud Sparrow let out a piercing cry and, with Su Mo on its back, flapped its wings and soared into the sky.
Huh?
’He’s... leaving?’
’He was radiating killing intent just a moment ago. Why did he suddenly turn around and leave the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion?’
The Heir of the Celestial Calming King said in alarm, "I know! He’s gone to get reinforcements!"
’A powerhouse of his caliber must have many experts at his command. If he calls them here to swarm us, we won’t be able to stop them at all.’
’What are we going to do?’
An elder pointed in the direction Su Mo was flying. "Crown Prince, look! It doesn’t seem like he’s going for reinforcements. It looks like he’s leaving the Imperial City."
’Leaving the Imperial City?’
The Heir of the Celestial Calming King looked up. He saw Su Mo, riding the Cyan Cloud Sparrow, was indeed flying away from the Imperial City. It didn’t look like he was summoning reinforcements.
There would be no need for him to leave if he were just getting help.
’Is he really gone?’
Seeing Su Mo truly depart from the Imperial City, everyone at the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion let out a collective sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground.
That was fucking terrifying.
If Su Mo hadn’t been called away on urgent business, many of them would be corpses right now.
Thank god he finally left.