The Alliance Leader's body was a husk. His true essence, scattered. His meridians, shattered into dust. He lay crumpled on the ground, a testament to the price of offending a god. The remaining seven thousand disciples of the Divine Sword Manor stood frozen, their swords feeling like lead weights in their hands. They didn't dare move. They didn't dare breathe. They only stared at the lazy, indifferent figure of Lu Feng. The leader's final words echoed in the chilling silence. "The Regent King... allied with a Foreign Tribe... one hundred thousand soldiers..." Regent King. The name struck Lu Feng like a bolt of black lightning. It was a title he hadn't heard in three long years. A title that tasted of poison, betrayal, and a father's dying breath. A memory, sealed away by years of feigned servitude, tore through his mind. The grand imperial palace. The smell of bitter herbs. His father, the Emperor, pale and gaunt on his deathbed, his life force draining away. And his own uncle, Lu Tian, kneeling by the bed, his face a mask of false grief. The Emperor had used his last ounce of strength to point a trembling finger at his own brother, his eyes screaming a truth he could no longer speak. Lu Tian. The man who had smiled while serving his brother poisoned tea. The man who had consolidated power with sickening speed after the Emperor's death, naming himself... Regent King. An aura of absolute zero radiated from Lu Feng. The very air began to crystallize. A terrifying, murderous killing intent, so pure and dense it was almost visible, washed over the entire mountain. The seven thousand disciples collapsed to their knees, not from a command, but from the sheer, soul-crushing weight of his rage. They choked, clutching their chests, feeling as if a million blades were pressed against their souls. Xue Feng, standing beside him, shivered. Though her eyes saw only darkness, her senses screamed at her. The world had turned into a storm of ice and swords. She felt the terrifying power emanating from the man beside her, a power that could annihilate nations. Hesitantly, she reached out, her small, delicate hand finding his sleeve. "Lu Feng..." Her touch was the only warmth in a world of ice. The murderous aura around him didn't vanish, but it recoiled slightly, focusing its intensity away from her. He glanced down, his cold eyes softening for a fraction of a second as they rested on the blind swordswoman who had trusted him completely. Suddenly, the sky roared. A streak of brilliant silver light descended from the heavens, landing fifty feet before Lu Feng. The light faded to reveal a breathtaking figure in gleaming silver armor, her divine sword strapped to her back. Her face was as beautiful as it was severe. It was the War Goddess. Behind her, a hundred more figures landed silently, all clad in the black armor of the Dragon God Hall's elite guards. Each one of them radiated the aura of a seasoned expert, their collective presence enough to make any Martial Sect tremble. The War Goddess took three steps forward, then dropped to one knee, her fist striking her chestplate with a sharp metallic clang. Her voice was clear and filled with unwavering loyalty. "My Lord! I have come on your command!" The remaining disciples of the Divine Sword Manor gaped in sheer terror. The War Goddess! The legendary commander of the Dragon God Hall's armies, a Grandmaster in her own right, was kneeling to... their errand-servant? Lu Feng's voice was flat, devoid of emotion. "Report." "The intelligence is confirmed, my Lord," she said, her head bowed. "Your uncle, the Regent King Lu Tian, has seized full control of the Imperial Army. He has signed a secret treaty with the Northern Wolf Tribe, promising them half the empire's territory in exchange for their cavalry." Each word was a hammer blow. Betraying his family wasn't enough. Now he was betraying his country. "A combined force of one hundred and fifty thousand is marching as we speak," the War Goddess continued, her voice tight with fury. "Their target is the Dragon God Hall. They mean to wipe us from the map while you are away." Silence. The wind howled, carrying the stench of blood and fear. One hundred and fifty thousand soldiers. An army led by a royal traitor and a savage Foreign Tribe. It was a force capable of crushing the entire martial world. Any other leader would be planning a defense. Calling for a retreat. But Lu Feng was not any other leader. He was the Sword God. Defense was a word he did not understand. Retreat was an act he had never known. He simply laughed. A cold, soft laugh that held no humor, only the promise of absolute destruction. The sound made the War Goddess and her elite guards shudder with a mixture of fear and excitement. They knew that sound. It was the sound that preceded the fall of kingdoms. Lu Feng slowly raised his right hand. A black and gold token materialized in his palm, pulsing with an ancient, overwhelming power. It was carved with the image of a celestial dragon coiling around a divine sword. The Dragon Order. The ultimate symbol of authority in Jianghu, a command that no martial artist dared to defy. The War Goddess’s eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. She understood. Lu Feng's gaze swept over his kneeling subordinates, over the terrified disciples, and looked towards the distant capital. His voice, though quiet, boomed like a divine decree across the heavens. He raised the Dragon Order high. "Summon the ten great sects and the lords of Jianghu—" "—march on the capital with me to punish the traitor!"

Chapter 11: The Royal Traitor