After clearing the level, the fairies were reborn!

About three miles away, a dozen figures were flying through the air at great speed, leaving trails of various colors in their wake.

They were dressed in uniform, flying fish robes, with embroidered spring knives at their waists, and the hems of their robes were embroidered with cloud patterns and auspicious beasts, clearly the official uniforms of a certain imperial court.

The one they were chasing was a woman dressed in black.

The person was dressed in a tight-fitting night suit and wielded a short, black blade. He flew on the blade, and the black fabric was almost invisible in the shadows of the forest, but his slender and shapely figure was still visible.

Her face was veiled, revealing only a pair of cool, clear eyes. Her eyes remained calm and sharp even as she sped along. Her movements were as agile as a swallow as she weaved through the dense forest, trying to use the complex terrain to escape her pursuers, like a cheetah stalking in the night.

But her pursuers were equally well-trained, working in groups of three, flanking her in a fan shape, their teamwork impeccable, gradually cornering her.

"Stop right there! Don't run away!"

Leave your things behind!

Xu Ze originally didn't want to get involved.

He was new to the area and knew nothing about the situation in the Central Plains. If he rashly intervened in the imperial court's pursuit, he might get into unnecessary trouble.

But just as the woman brushed past him...

His system suddenly displayed a notification.

[Instance Name: Great Xuan Dynasty]

[Perfect completion condition: Complete the level within the time limit.]

[Time remaining: 29 days, 23 hours, and 59 minutes]

After seeing the woman in black.

The storyline of the third instance is like intricate gears getting stuck together, and a massive machine begins to operate.

Seeing the countdown triggered, Xu Ze knew that this woman was not a passerby, but someone closely related to the main storyline.

Therefore, he couldn't just ignore it.

Having made up his mind, Xu Ze no longer hid it.

He took a deep breath, and his mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation erupted like a volcano, spreading throughout the vast, dense forest.

"boom--"

A vast, overwhelming pressure spread out from him, sweeping across the entire forest.

The branches and leaves of the towering ancient trees rustled and moved without wind, causing the pebbles on the ground to tremble slightly.

The aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator shone brightly and terrifyingly in this relatively remote edge forest, like a torch in the night.

Xu Ze originally thought that this oppressive aura would be enough to intimidate the pursuers.

In Beiju Luzhou, the Nascent Soul stage is already the pinnacle of combat power. Even city lords are respected by ordinary cultivators who would bow and give way.

But the situation developed in a way that completely surprised him.

The dozen or so pursuers dressed in flying fish robes did indeed pause for a moment and their flight speed noticeably slowed down the instant they sensed the pressure from the Nascent Soul cultivator.

But instead of stopping immediately and bowing respectfully as Xu Ze had expected, they showed a hint of joy.

"A Nascent Soul stage cultivator?"

"Who goes there? State your name!"

Among the pursuers, a middle-aged man at the head shouted sternly.

He was dressed in a dark purple flying fish robe with four-clawed python patterns embroidered on the hem, clearly the leader of this group, with a cultivation level at the late Nascent Soul stage.

He showed no respect; instead, his tone carried a commanding tone:

"Quickly, capture this woman for us!"

"When the Embroidered Uniform Guard investigates a case, all cultivators throughout the dynasty must cooperate!"

As he spoke, he pulled out a golden token from his pocket and held it high above his head.

The token reflected a dazzling light in the sunlight. The front was engraved with six ancient characters: "Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard," while the back bore the dragon emblem of the Great Xuan Dynasty.

"To see this edict is to see the Emperor himself! This man stole imperial secrets and deserves to die!"

"Since you are a cultivator of our dynasty, it is only right that you assist the court in capturing the wanted criminal!"

The late-stage Nascent Soul commander's voice was loud and clear, carrying an unquestionable authority.

The dozen or so Imperial Guards behind him also revealed their arrogant expressions, even though most of them were at the early Nascent Soul stage.

But they all stood tall and proud, their eyes sharp, showing no respect whatsoever when facing high-level cultivators.

Seeing this situation.

Xu Ze opened his mouth wide.

Good heavens, they've turned the Heavenly Gang upside down!

A Nascent Soul cultivator dares to command someone like me, a Nascent Soul cultivator?

It seems they've never experienced the harsh realities of the cultivation world!

But soon, Xu Ze realized the problem.

The rules of the Central Immortal Continent may be different from those of the cultivation world he is familiar with.

This is the territory of the Great Xuan Dynasty, a highly centralized feudal dynasty.

With imperial power supreme, the imperial court possessed absolute authority.

No matter how strong a cultivator is, as long as they are within the territory of the dynasty, they must theoretically obey the laws of the imperial court.

The "Jinyiwei" was clearly the imperial secret service, directly under the emperor, and wielded immense power.

The tokens in their hands represent imperial power and do indeed grant them the authority to mobilize cultivators within the territory.

But this doesn't mean Xu Ze will buy it.

"Oh."

He chuckled softly, his eyes turning cold.

Seeing that Xu Ze remained unmoved, the Imperial Guards continued to shout at him sternly:

"What are you waiting for? Do you intend to defy the imperial decree?!"

"Make your move quickly! Or we'll take you down with us!"

"So what if you're at the Nascent Soul stage? Within the borders of my Great Xuan Dynasty, if you're a dragon, you have to coil up; if you're a tiger, you have to lie low!"

Some people even started cursing:

"You arrogant rogue cultivator! Do you really think you can do whatever you want just because you're at the Nascent Soul stage?"

"If you don't make a move now, don't blame us for being impolite!"

The smile on Xu Ze's face vanished completely.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the dozen or so Imperial Guards. His eyes were calm, yet they carried a chilling coldness.

"You mean... take me down too?" Xu Ze's voice was soft, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly. "You're not going to be polite to me?"

He took a step forward.

Just one step.

No magical artifacts were used, no hand seals or incantations were performed, and no deliberate release of pressure was made.

Only a trace of sword intent was released.

The ultimate sword intent.

"Om-"

A barely audible hum filled the air.

In the next instant, the space within a hundred feet radius of Xu Ze seemed to freeze.

Time, sound... everything becomes slow and blurry.

Then, the Imperial Guards froze.

Their angry and arrogant expressions were still frozen on their faces, but their eyes were filled with unbelievable terror.

In their final moments, they vaguely sensed countless invisible yet extremely sharp sword energies, like a spring breeze brushing against willow catkins, silently piercing through their bodies.

There was no splatter of blood, no screams or wails.

There were more than a dozen Imperial Guards, including the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator who was the commander in charge of pacification.

Like a pencil drawing erased by an eraser, it disappeared silently from this world.

Not a speck of dust was left behind.

It was as if they had never existed.

Xu Ze slowly withdrew that trace of sword intent, his expression calm as still water.

He looked down at his fingers and gently brushed away non-existent dust.

That made me laugh.

What do you think this place is?

This is the world of cultivation!

Those whose level of cultivation is higher than yours are called seniors, and those whose level of cultivation is lower than yours are called ants!

How dare a mere ant act so presumptuously?

Seeing Xu Ze instantly kill more than ten constables, the woman in black also stopped, staring in shock at the young man before her.

"Mastered sword intent?!"

Sword intent is an extremely rare thing, even in the highest-level Central Immortal Continent.

Not to mention mastering it!

This person is about the same age as me, yet he possesses such strength?!

She was able to reach the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm before the age of one hundred, and was expected to become a deity. She was already listed on the list of geniuses of the Central Immortal Continent.

And this young man in front of me actually possesses such strength and sword intent?