Star Martial Era: From Mortal to Emperor

Chapter 65 Blood Shadow Appears Suddenly

"We won! We won!"

The human soldiers on the city wall erupted in thunderous cheers. Looking at Lin Chen's tall, upright figure, their eyes were filled with admiration and gratitude. This young man had once again saved them, saved Qingyang City.

Su Zhennan let out a long sigh of relief, his tense nerves finally relaxing. He staggered, and Su Qingyue quickly supported him, only to find that his legs had gone numb from the long battle.

Master Xuanchen also landed on the city wall, looking at Lin Chen with eyes full of satisfaction: "Good lad, you really didn't disappoint me."

Lin Chen sheathed his sword and stood there, about to speak, when his expression suddenly changed.

He sensed a cold and eerie aura approaching silently. This aura was completely different from the Black Raven Legion's sinister energy; it was more covert and more deadly.

"Watch out! There's an ambush!" Lin Chen shouted.

Before the words were even finished, dozens of black figures darted out from the shadows of the city wall like ghosts. They were dressed in black bodysuits, their faces covered with black cloth, and they held sharp short knives in their hands, their target being the wounded and fallen Black Crow King.

"It's the Blood Shadow Legion!" Daoist Xuan Chen's expression changed drastically. "What are they doing here?"

The Blood Shadow Legion moved with astonishing speed. Before anyone could react, they had already rushed to the Black Crow King's side and helped him up.

One of the men in black, who was in the lead, gave Lin Chen a cold look, his voice hoarse and ghostly: "Lin Chen, we'll remember you. In three days, the Blood Shadow Legion will raze Qingyang City to the ground and take your head."

After saying that, he waved his hand, and dozens of members of the Blood Shadow Legion, along with the Black Crow King, transformed into streaks of black shadow and disappeared into the distant woods.

"Chase!" Su Qingyue shouted, and was about to lead her people to give chase.

"Don't chase them!" Lin Chen quickly stopped her. "The Blood Shadow Legion excels at assassination and tracking. If we chase after them, we'll only fall into their ambush. Besides, since they dared to show up at this time, they must have already laid traps around the area."

Su Qingyue stopped and gritted her teeth in resentment.

Just then, the sound of orderly footsteps and horns came from afar.

A force of several thousand people, carrying the banner of the Martial Arts Alliance, sped towards Qingyang City. Leading them was a middle-aged man in a purple robe, his face dignified; he was none other than Li Xuanfeng, the Grand Elder of the Martial Arts Alliance.

"Elder Su, Daoist Xuanchen, we are late!" Li Xuanfeng landed on the city wall and clasped his hands in greeting to Su Zhennan and Daoist Xuanchen.

Seeing the main force of the Martial Arts Alliance arrive, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Qingyang City was finally safe.

However, when Li Xuanfeng's gaze fell on Lin Chen, it turned icy cold: "Lin Chen, do you know your crime?"

Lin Chen was taken aback: "What crime have I committed?"

"You dared to awaken the mark of the first Martial Emperor, triggering the power of the Star Martial Core, which has alarmed the powerful figures deep within the Evil Clan!" Li Xuanfeng said sternly. "If it weren't for you, the Evil Clan wouldn't have sent the Black Crow Legion and the Blood Shadow Legion, and Qingyang City wouldn't have suffered such great losses! I think you are the jinx of the human race!"

"Elder Li, you're wrong!" Daoist Xuan Chen immediately stepped forward to defend Lin Chen. "If it weren't for Lin Chen, the seal would have been broken long ago, and millions of people in Qingyang City would be dead! He's a hero of the human race, not some jinx!"

"A hero?" Li Xuanfeng sneered. "Xuan Chen, you're too naive. The power of the First Martial Emperor isn't so easily controlled. If he loses control, the consequences will be unimaginable. I think we should immediately take him back to the Martial Alliance headquarters, keep him under strict surveillance, and abolish his Star Martial Core to prevent future trouble!"

"How dare you!" Su Zhennan roared, stepping in front of Lin Chen. "Lin Chen is the benefactor of the Su family and the savior of Qingyang City. Anyone who dares to touch him is making an enemy of the Su family and the entire Qingyang City!"

"Elder Su, you're protecting him!" Li Xuanfeng's face darkened. "I'm doing this for the safety of the entire human race!"

"Enough!" Master Xuan Chen interrupted their argument. "Now is not the time to argue about this. Although the Black Crow King is seriously injured, the Blood Shadow Legion has already announced that they will attack Qingyang City in three days. Our most important task now is to prepare our defenses and meet the Blood Shadow Legion's attack."

Li Xuanfeng snorted coldly and stopped talking, but his eyes were full of hostility as he looked at Lin Chen.

Lin Chen stood silently to the side, saying nothing. He could sense the malice emanating from Li Xuanfeng, and he could also sense the divisions within the Martial Arts Alliance. He knew that although this battle was over, the real crisis had only just begun.

Night fell again.

The streets of Qingyang City were bustling with activity. Soldiers were reinforcing the city walls, doctors were treating the wounded, and citizens were spontaneously bringing water and food to the soldiers. Despite the fierce battle, the city was filled with hope and vitality.

Inside the Demon-Suppressing Tower, Lin Chen sat cross-legged, regulating his breathing and healing his injuries. The Star Martial Core slowly rotated, and silver star power continuously repaired his damaged body.

Su Muyue sat beside him, watching him quietly, her eyes filled with worry.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Lin Chen opened his eyes and smiled at Su Muyue.

"Don't take Elder Li's words to heart," Su Muyue said softly. "We all know you are a hero."

"I won't take it to heart." Lin Chen shook his head. "I'm just wondering, how did the Blood Shadow Legion know we were here? And how did they enter Qingyang City so quietly?"

Su Muyue's expression changed: "You mean, there's a traitor within our ranks?"

Lin Chen nodded, his expression grave: "That's right. The Blood Shadow Legion couldn't have appeared out of thin air at the foot of the city wall. Someone must have tipped them off and opened a secret passage for them. Moreover, this traitor must hold a high position, otherwise they wouldn't know our deployment."

Just then, Lin Chen felt a sudden burning sensation between his brows. The mark of the first Martial Emperor lit up again, and a blurry fragment of memory flooded into his mind.

That was a battlefield from a thousand years ago, where the first Martial Emperor, wielding the Star Sword, fought fiercely against a figure shrouded in black mist. Blood rained down from the sky, the earth cracked open with countless fissures, and countless human and demon soldiers fell in pools of blood.

Finally, the First Martial Emperor used all his strength to seal the shadowy figure deep underground, in what is now the Sealed Land of Qingyang City. At the moment of sealing, the First Martial Emperor left behind these words: "A thousand years later, the seal will break, and the Evil Lord will be reborn. Only the one who inherits my bloodline, wielding the Sword of Stars, and gathering all nine relics of the Martial Emperor, can seal the Evil Lord once more and save humanity."

The memory fragments end here.

Lin Chen suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes filled with shock.

It turns out that the seal from a thousand years ago could only last for a thousand years. And now, it has reached the thousand-year mark. The ultimate goal of the evil race is not to break the seal on Qingyang City, but to release the sealed evil lord!

As a direct descendant of the first Martial Emperor, he is the only one capable of preventing the Evil Lord's rebirth.

Lin Chen clenched his fists. He finally understood the weight of the responsibility on his shoulders. He not only had to protect Qingyang City, but also collect the nine Martial Emperor relics to prevent the Evil Lord from being reborn and save the entire human race.

Outside the window, the blood moon hangs high.

In the darkness in the distance, pairs of scarlet eyes were fixed intently on Qingyang City.

Three days later, the Blood Shadow Legion will arrive as scheduled.

But an even bigger storm is brewing.