Chapter 5381After leaving the southern gate of the Divine Capital, the honor guard marched toward the Three Palaces.After about two hours, they arrived at a formidable valley ahead—the very location Liu Kun had chosen for his ambush, the “Valley of Broken Souls.”The valley was flanked by sheer cliffs, with only a narrow passage in between, offering only a sliver of sky.Liu Kun reined in his horse and signaled to his deputy.The deputy understood, stepped forward, and shouted to the troops, “The valley ahead is narrow. An ambush is imminent. All hands, advance!”The soldiers immediately raised their weapons and vigilantly surveyed their surroundings.Liu Kun urged his horse to the side of the imperial carriage and feigned concern, saying, “Your Highness, the Broken Soul Valley is a dangerous place. Please exercise extreme caution within the carriage and do not look out.”Wu Yue, who was inside the carriage, felt a pang of anxiety. She had heard that despite its dangers, the Valley of Broken Souls was rarely visited by bandits. Liu Kun was so nervous; could there be something fishy going on? She replied calmly, “Thank you, Prime Minister, for your concern.”Just then, a sudden clapping of gongs echoed from the cliffs on either side of the valley. Immediately, countless black-robed monks leaped from the cliffs, weapons in hand, charging towards the honor guard.Each of these monks possessed a powerful aura. The lowest among them was at the eighth level of the Earth Immortal Realm, while the leading few had reached the ninth level, the same level as Zi Yuan.“Oh no! They’re from the Evil Path Hall!”noveldramaLiu Kun feigned panic and shouted, “Protect the princess! Repel these bandits!”The soldiers of the State Defense Corps immediately engaged the black-robed monks.For a moment, the valley was filled with the flashing of swords and the roar of spiritual energy clashing.The black-robed monks attacked fiercely, clearly well-prepared. Though the soldiers of the State Defense Corps were well-trained, they quickly fell victim to the enemy’s surprise attack, with casualties mounting. “Prime Minister, the bandits are too strong! We can’t hold them back!” the deputy generalshouted anxiously. Liu Kun’s face was grave. He glanced at his trusted men and whispered, “Protect the princess! I’ll go and fight the bandits!” With that, he channeled his spiritual energy, emitting the aura of a first-level human immortal realm, charging towards the leading black-robed monks.The trusted men understood his intention and quietly approached the imperial carriage. Taking advantage of the chaos, they violently smashed open its compartments. Shocked,Wu Yue was about to retrieve the jade talisman for communication when one of the trusted men covered her mouth, forcibly abducted her, and fled deeper into the valley. “The princess has been abducted!” a soldier shouted. Liu Kun, enraged, exchanged a few blows with the leading black-robed monks.He then deliberately exposed himself, receiving a palm strike on the shoulder. He stumbled back a few steps, a trickle of blood oozing from the corner of his mouth. “Damn it! How dare they abduct the princess!”he shouted to the soldiers, “Follow them! We must rescue the princess!” However, the black-robed monks held the soldiers tightly, preventing them from pursuing.The leading black-robed monk sneered, “Prime Minister Liu, don’t waste your energy! We’ll take the princess away first. If you want her, have Wu Hao exchange her for the Sacrificial Manual!” With that, he led the black-robed monks in a feint, retreating deeper into the valley, quickly disappearing into the dense forest.Liu Kun looked at the direction where the black-robed monks left, with a barely perceptible smugness flashing in his eyes. Then he turned to an anxious look and said to the soldiers, “Quick, clean up the battlefield, return to the Divine Capital immediately, and report this to the Lord!”The soldiers did not dare to delay, and quickly cleaned up the battlefield, carried the wounded, and hurriedly followed Liu Kun back to the Divine Capital. Along the way, Liu Kun deliberately pretended to be in a state of disarray, coughing from time to time, looking like he was seriously injured.The abducted Wu Yue was soon taken to a secluded cave. When the monk who covered her mouth let go, Wu Yue immediately asked, “Who are you? Are you really from the Evil Dao Temple?”