Qiao and Ding greedily pounced on the helpless Hong Lao while not being in motion.
Shi Lingqing smiled and looked around. She glanced at the gigantic Niu Yingxiong and then slapped her hand out.
A palm print made of blood-red flames shot out and heavily hit Jiu Zhangling. Jiu Zhangling's broken body was blasted into the air. Shi Lingqing lightly drank, and her slender fingers danced like playing the qin.
Countless thumb-sized fireballs whizzed out, raining down on Jiu Zhangling.
Jiu Zhangling's thick black carapace was beaten into a mess. Fire burst, carapace shattered, and large pieces of flesh splattered. Jiu Zhangling's body danced in the air, but after the time it took to make a cup of tea, his body was blasted to pieces.
"You're really sturdy. You're truly an expert in cultivating supernatural powers," Shi Lingqing said, smiling. She stopped her hand proudly and looked at her fair and delicate hands that emitted a dazzling radiance.
"However, what does having strength matter?" Shi Lingqing laughed brightly. She spun around in place, took a satisfying deep breath, and said excitedly, "Wisdom is the true power... Killing doesn't require my own hands."
Wu Tie endured the waves of weakness surging within him, stood up slowly, leaning on his long spear.
Shi Lingqing's powerful strike was indeed terrifying, but his defense from the tight-fitting armor was truly formidable.
The strike only caused his organs to vibrate slightly, and instead, the bloodsucking bone fragments brought him even greater injury. He widened his eyes, shook his head hard to dissipate the black mist in front of him, and stared straight at Shi Lingqing.
"Are you saying that Qiao and Ding were convinced by you a long time ago?"
"And did you deliberately lure Jiu Zhangling and Hong Lao here?"
Wu Tie asked his biggest doubts. It seemed that everything was Shi Lingqing's calculation. But she didn't seem much older than Wu Tie. Her ability to scheme like this truly made Wu Tie deeply fearful.
Shi Lingqing opened her arms and intentionally showed off her attractive and beautiful figure to Wu Tie. She spun around again and smiled at Wu Tie, thrusting out her chest, "Of course, everything that's happening now is because of my plan."
She smiled and took two steps toward Wu Tie. With a smile on her face, she pointed at Wu Tie, "Hong Lao, I've wanted to deal with her for a long time. Outside, I wouldn't dare. The Longevity Sect's rules are strict. If someone finds out I've done something to the elders of the sect, even if I have support behind me, I'd be doomed for sure."
"And besides, my strength is limited. Although I obtained the Secret to Absorbing Primordial Qi from another means, I'm no match for Hong Lao at all."
"But in this secret realm, it's so hidden... If I wasn't being chased by Luo Lin and them, pushed to a corner and forced to escape with people through the hidden river beside Qian Yu City, how could I have found this place?"
"A secret realm this well-hidden is perfect for plotting against someone."
"What's even better is that Luo Lin and his group are assassins from the Mist Sword. Attracting a powerful expert from the Mist Sword and letting him and Hong Lao die together... I have about a sixty percent chance of this plan succeeding."
"Sixty percent. It's already worth gambling on."
Shi Lingqing stepped forward step by step, extending her hand to gently touch Wu Tie's smooth armor. She stuck out her bright red tongue and licked her moist lips, smiling at Wu Tie as her body trembled uncontrollably.
Excitement and frenzy filled Shi Lingqing's eyes with extremely greedy killing intent.
"A sixty percent chance to take away Hong Lao's cultivation... it's already worth gambling on."
"Not to mention, young master, the secrets on you truly make my mouth water."
"The armor that seems like an ancient treasure, the long spear that seems like an ancient treasure, and the inheritance that seems like that of an ancient mighty figure."
"Oh, oh, an even bigger surprise is your ancient noble physique and the ancient treasure in the main palace... I, Shi Lingqing, indeed have the mark of heaven's will. All of this... will be mine, all of it."
Shi Lingqing laughed until her eyes narrowed into slits. "Young master, can you take off that set of armor so that Lingqing can savor it thoroughly?"
Wu Tie stabbed toward Shi Lingqing.
Shi Lingqing's body ignited with flames. She split into several afterimages and quickly retreated dozens of meters backwards. Before Wu Tie could see her movements clearly, she suddenly rushed back forward and landed a hook punch on Wu Tie's chin.
Shi Lingqing's speed was too fast. Amidst the surge of flames, her explosive power was astonishing. Her casual strike contained the strength of tens of thousands of pounds. Her cultivation no longer belonged to the Foundation Establishment realm; it had reached a higher level.
The heavy hit sent Wu Tie flying. He rose more than a hundred meters into the air, forcefully swung his head, and abruptly stopped in mid-air.
An invisible force field fully supported Wu Tie's body.
Shi Lingqing praised in envy, "Could this be... the legendary bloodline talent? How fortunate you are! You can possess supernatural powers even while at the Foundation Establishment realm. Lingqing is truly envious and jealous."
She smiled a few times and softly said, "Young master, why don't we stop fighting? Just like Qiao and Ding, why don't you submit to me? Everything I have can be yours... In the future, if Lingqing wants to gain a higher position in the Longevity Sect, naturally, I'll need a few close confidants."
While lying on top of Hong Lao, Qiao and Ding simultaneously raised their heads, looking at Wu Tie with anger and unease.
On the wounds of Qiao's two shattered thighs pierced by Jiu Zhangling, numerous strips of meat were wiggling rapidly. Half of his thigh had already grown back. Hong Lao's vital life energy was too immense. Qiao's cultivation was one level lower than Hong Lao's, but a bit of life energy was enough for Qiao's body to quickly recover.
As their thighs regenerated, Qiao and Ding also regained their spiritual energy. Unable to resist, Qiao shouted loudly, "Lingqing... what's so good about this kid... why must you treat him like this?"
Shi Lingqing turned her head back, giving Qiao a cold stare.
Qiao immediately shut his mouth, obediently lowered his head, and continued to lie on Hong Lao's neck.
Shi Lingqing chuckled as she looked at Wu Tie. With her enchanting voice, she said gently, "Little young master, perhaps you don't know the charm of a young lady... Why don't you come down and give Lingqing a try? Maybe then you'll understand why Qiao and Ding willingly betrayed the Mist Sword and followed my lead?"
Wu Tie didn't respond to Shi Lingqing.
As the invisible force field violently tumbled, Wu Tie, like a falling meteor, descended from high in the sky and thrust his long spear straight toward Shi Lingqing.
Shi Lingqing coldly sneered, softly cursed something, and clapped her hands like a windmill.
Palm prints made of blood-red flames heavily pounded Wu Tie's spear. The power that erupted was like a hurricane, making Wu Tie fly into the air again over a hundred meters high. Then, Wu Tie plummeted again and again, continuously stabbing at Shi Lingqing recklessly.
Having absorbed some of Hong Lao's vital life energy, Shi Lingqing's strength surpassed Wu Tie's. Confronting Wu Tie head-on wasn't Shi Lingqing's strong point.
However, Wu Tie's armor was astonishingly defensive. No matter how wildly Shi Lingqing attacked, she couldn't do anything to Wu Tie.
Crimson flames surged, and the temperature in the surroundings kept rising. However, Wu Tie merely felt a slight warmth inside his armor.
The dull and monotonous collision continued for a full quarter of an hour. Neither Shi Lingqing nor Wu Tie could do anything to each other. Suddenly, Old Tie's voice came from inside the great hall, "Little lad, did you finally understand how terrifying women can be?"
Wu Tie stabbed down fiercely, and Shi Lingqing swiftly waved her hand. Flames surged, and heat filled the surroundings as she once again grabbed Wu Tie's spearhead. Suddenly, she rushed forward again, smashing Wu Tie's whole body into the ground.
Large pieces of green brick were shattered, and the ground formed a deep pit, in which Wu Tie was extremely disheveled as he lay. After taking a deep breath, he finally leapt up and jumped tens of meters away, standing beside Old Tie in a messy state.
Having just been sent flying by Jiu Zhangling's sword and yet no visible injuries, his voice echoed from the ground, "Li'l pup, do you now comprehend just how amazing women can be?"
Old Tie remained motionless, lying on the ground as if he was dead.
Wu Tie's heart ached immediately. He shouted loudly and leapt up, holding his long spear as he advanced toward Shi Lingqing.
He inexplicably recalled the saying Gray Laozi used to be particularly fond of. He roared at Shi Lingqing, "How can a person of your caliber stoop to thievery?"
Shi Lingqing's previously smiling face suddenly stiffened for a moment upon hearing Wu Tie's words. Then, her face contorted, and her arms spewed forth raging torrents of blood flames. Her clothes were instantly reduced to ash, revealing a crystalline body that was as translucent and radiant as blood jade.
"Stoop to thievery? I want to live!" Shi Lingqing's eyes spewed flames, and she rushed towards Wu Tie like she had gone mad. She knocked away the long spear in Wu Tie's hand with a palm strike and fiercely threw him on the ground. Her palms crazily pounded his chest.
The dull thuds continuously resounded as Wu Tie's body violently trembled, causing the ground to shake intensely. The ground was fractured and shattered, forming a large pit that was several meters deep, but Wu Tie, with no power to resist, lay in the pit and allowed Shi Lingqing to strike and smash him to her heart's content.
"I... I just want to live, to live beautifully, handsomely, and gloriously. Did I do wrong?" Shi Lingqing stomped on Wu Tie's head with all her might, ruthlessly trampling him.
"I don't want to have anything to do with the Longevity Sect... When my grandfather made the decision, in the Longevity Sect's first year in the Azure Flame Domain, he had already joined the Longevity Sect. I wasn't even born back then!" Shi Lingqing shouted sternly, "The figure behind me liked me, what can I do?"
"I'm just a little woman. I just want to live well. Did I do wrong?"
"Killing Luo Lin's sister was the mission given to me by the Longevity Sect. If I don't do it, I'll die... I'm not a legendary saint. Why should I sacrifice myself for those women I don't even know?"
"I just want to live... I was being chased, disregarding danger, and rushed into the Yin River, being washed here... A group of big men wouldn't leave me alone. I just wanted to live... just to survive, I even let these two men who I don't like play with me all day long!"
Clusters of small crystals also grew beneath the ground, and the ground became extremely solid.
The helmet on Wu Tie's head scraped against the ground, making a sharp noise.
Shi Lingqing frenziedly stomped on Wu Tie's head while screaming, "You never gave me a real opportunity for a free choice... Can I be blamed for all of this?"
"You say I'm a thief?"
"Well, a few days ago, when I begged you for help and you were wholeheartedly focused on protecting me from Luo Lin's group, how could I have made this decision?"
Shi Lingqing screamed with tremendous bitterness, "Do you really think it's a joyful thing to strip naked and seduce every man you see?"
"I'm only a few years older than you!"
Shi Lingqing screamed hysterically, frantically using her feet to stomp Wu Tie's head.
On the ground, a whole left shoulder disappeared, and a large chunk of the left chest caved in. Shi Dian slowly and step by step inched closer, still clutching his wooden staff. He was dozens of meters away from Qiao and Ding, and with a wave of his staff, a dark purple smoke flew out, suddenly engulfing Qiao and Ding within it.
(End of this chapter)