Xing Wanxing turned his head and discovered the silhouette of a young girl on a distant eave. He recognized her as Li Ling. His eyes turned cold as he gathered the surging magical power from his six spring sources within him.
With a heavy stomp, he struck the ground so forcefully that his foot sank into the earth, sending out a circular wave of energy. Countless shattered stones flew up from the ground.
“Swish! Swish! Swish…”
A palm shot out, and the airborne debris raced through the air, their sharp whistling sounds seeming capable of tearing apart the night’s darkness. Li Ling stepped away from the eave. Riding on the Blue Mist Light Trace, she moved through the void.
Her movements were exquisitely nimble, allowing her to avoid every one of the flying stones. She landed gracefully in the center of the street. In a clear, melodious voice she said, “Why do I feel that you two don’t really look like the Buddha Deliverance Bandits?”
Xing Wanxing narrowed his eyes, murderous intent flashing in them.
“Is that so? Wait ‘til Buddha Lord recites a passage of ‘Romance of the Winds’ for you, or perhaps you recite one for me.”
Six Springs burst forth; the magical power within him overflowed to the surface and transformed into a layer of protective, grayish mist. As he approached a Chihuo Diao Chong insect, his power sent it tumbling violently to the ground.
Xing Wanxing knew full well that Li Ling was not a martial cultivation practitioner but a Spirit Sense Master following the path of the divine mind. She was not good in close combat, and her body was relatively fragile. With that in mind, he stomped the ground again and instantly launched himself several zhang forward, closing the distance between them.
“Activating Six Springs and daring to fight me head-on—who gave you such nerve?”
While Li Ling slowly retreated, she formed hand seals. Suddenly, her brow glowed in an unusual manner, and beneath her forehead it was as though a miniature world of light lay hidden there.
“Hua—” Seven streaks of bright light flew from her brow, extending nearly ten zhang into the night.
The ambient temperature on the street of Burial Immortal Town visibly rose. The seven light streaks danced wildly on the street. A wooden pillar that supported a house was sliced through, instantly severed and leaving burnt traces.
Over twenty Earth Wolf King Army soldiers who were searching the town quickly converged and charged with their weapons. In an instant, four or five of them fell—severed hands, broken waists, decapitated heads—all with fresh blood spilling over the ground.
“It’s a Spirit Sense Master. What a fearsome display of Light Whip-Sword!”
“Retreat! Retreat quickly!” …
All the soldiers panicked and began to fall back in terror. In martial arts cultivation, even a one-rank difference meant a vast gap in strength. They clearly saw that even Xing Shiye, who had activated Six Springs, was in grave danger before this young girl, and he was handling her with great difficulty.
Even other martial practitioners who had activated their spring power fell as if they were chopping melons. How young was she? This must be a cultivator whose talent surpasses even the highest heavens!
Quietly leaping from a beam, Li Weiyi planned to slip away. Suddenly, on the street an unexpected change occurred. High above an ancient apricot tree growing over an old well, among its branches there appeared a graceful figure with a tail.
She waved her hand, and countless fine needles, as thin as cow hair, flew out. These flying needles were forged from the hair of a Demon-Slaying Stone Monkey, light as nothing. When propelled with a special technique, they made almost no sound at all, able to catch one completely off guard.
Of course, that such delicate needles could be thrown out with killing power showed the strength of the caster’s magic. With Li Ling’s perceptive abilities, nearly a hundred of those cow-hair needles entered within ten zhang of her before she sensed danger.
Unable to tell from where the threat would come, she instinctively retreated rapidly and then burst through the door of a dilapidated house to hide.
“Sss, sss!”
The flying needles struck the stone road, earthen walls, and beams. The stone slabs on the street cracked open, the earthen walls collapsed, and the beams were riddled with holes. Li Weiyi had just jumped down from a beam.
Before he could move, he heard a loud bang as a door was smashed open, and a young girl’s figure dashed in. For an instant, their eyes met, and neither spoke a word. Li Weiyi wanted to escape from the back courtyard.
But Xing Wanxing, with his short, stout and plump figure, moved with unexpected speed. He leapt over the earthen wall and with a resounding thud landed in the center of the back courtyard, clutching a short knife about one chi long. Footsteps echoed from all directions.
Over thirty martial arts cultivation practitioners of the Earth Wolf King Army, who had also activated their Spring Power, surrounded the dilapidated house. Out of fear of the seven streak Light Whip-Sword emanating from Li Ling’s brow, no one dared to rush in. This was the fierce aura that she had created!
“Hua!”
Yan Qingqing flew out from between the high apricot tree’s branches. Her magical power flowed over her body as she drifted like a leaf onto the wide and tranquil street of Burial Immortal Town, moving steadily forward.
She had a full, ample figure, a fiery red tail that swayed with her long strides, and two canine ears that added a hint of playful charm to her already alluring beauty.
“Cang Li’s little sister, the Mourning Lantern Guide of the Nine Li Tribe… Eh, it seems my Stone Monkey Flying Needle must have hit you!”
Yan Qingqing’s voice was always coquettish and girlish, with a soft smile on her face. She waved her hand, sending streams of magical energy to collect the flying needles on the ground—only to find that one was missing. One needle, that was all it took!
Standing in the back courtyard, Xing Wanxing said, “Enough talk. Let’s attack together, hack her with our swords to death. We must leave this place as soon as possible.”
Yan Qingqing was an eighth-disciple of Stone Nine Chamber and a pinnacle expert of the Spring Surge Realm who could activate Seven Springs. Yet Xing Wanxing did not address her as “Senior Sister” nor show any particular respect.
After all, his most outstanding trait had never been his cultivation or martial prowess, but his ability to earn money—a quality that Stone Nine Chamber prized above all. A flicker of displeasure flashed in Yan Qingqing’s eyes, but she smiled and replied, “Why are you in such a hurry, little junior? The flying needle has a poison.
Once her body gradually turns to stone and stiffens, wouldn’t it be much easier to deal with her? Besides, such an important figure—such a delicate beauty—don’t you think it’s too ruthless? Did you perhaps do something shameful and now wish to silence her?”
Xing Wanxing fully understood that Yan Qingqing’s covert following had been instructed by Stone Nine Chamber. Luckily, the Silver Giant Coffin contained no treasures. Otherwise, the one struck by the Stone Monkey Flying Needle might have been him.
Xing Wanxing said, “It’s not that I wish to destroy beauty without reason, but it appears this little girl has discovered our secret. Isn’t it obvious how critical this matter is? If word leaks out and arouses the suspicions of the Nine Li Tribe, you and I surely won’t survive before our Master.”
Yan Qingqing’s smile faded. Pretending to be Buddha Deliverance Bandits attacking the Cang Li Tribe, with the aim of inciting turmoil in Li Prefecture, involved many important figures behind the scenes. If any slip occurred, she could not imagine what fate would befall her and Xing Wanxing. …
Inside the abandoned house. Li Ling fixed her cold gaze on Li Weiyi and said sharply, “Did you hear that? All those who know of this matter must be silenced.
Do you think you can be an exception?” Earlier, when she had suddenly burst through the door, Li Weiyi had been startled. Yet she remained unnaturally calm.
This confirmed his earlier suspicions that Li Ling had been trailing him to Burial Immortal Town and already knew exactly where he was hiding. Li Weiyi felt at a loss for words and whispered at the lowest volume, “You could have easily escaped elsewhere, come in here intentionally so I’d be dragged along?
I saved the Cang Li Tribe back then; you’re not repaying me with such ingratitude.”
“I had no other choice.”
Sitting on a low earthen stone couch full of dust and cobwebs, Li Ling didn’t mind its filth. She continued, “That lady outside has a high cultivation—at least Seven Springs activated. Her Flying Needle Strike is silent and unpredictable.
If she remains out there, she only needs to launch another wave of flying needles, and I’d be done for.” Li Weiyi felt completely numb. Stone Nine Chamber’s two disciples here—one with Six Springs and the other with even Seven Springs—while he himself was just a mortal barely into the Three Springs stage.
What kind of high-end situation had he stumbled into? Even more frightening, that woman with Seven Springs was of a deformed, canine-like race whose combat strength far surpassed that of a normal mortal at the same level. Li Weiyi said, “If you stay out there, one of us is bound to die.
If we hide in here, we both are doomed.” Li Ling stared deep into Li Weiyi’s eyes and shook her head, “I am the Mourning Lantern Guide. I possess a unique ability to sense omens, both auspicious and inauspicious, which allows me to lead the coffin-bearing teams through the Departing Spirit Fog Domain safely.
Here with you, I sensed a glimmer of hope.”
“I think your excuse is too far-fetched,” Li Weiyi replied, not buying her mystical talk at all.
“You’ve followed me into Burial Immortal Town—your intentions can’t be pure, can they?”
Knowing that nothing he said would convince her, Li Ling stopped explaining further and said bluntly, “Yes, I deliberately dragged you along. But right now, aren’t we like grasshoppers on the same boat? Only by finding a way to overcome this crisis do you stand a chance to take revenge later.”
Could she really drop the act? Li Weiyi was well aware that outside, over thirty martial arts experts were closely surrounding this place. Every escape route had been blocked; it was a dead end.
Stone Nine Chamber’s two disciples certainly wouldn’t care about fairness. No living creature tonight would get out of Burial Immortal Town. Fearing that Li Weiyi might lose his composure and fight her to the death, Li Ling explained further, “You underestimate the perception of a Seven Springs martial artist.
I can locate you, and so can she. Moreover, she belongs to the canine-like deformed race, blessed with highly sensitive senses. You really think she doesn’t know where you’re hiding?”
“If I die or manage to escape, the first person she will kill has to be you.”
“I came here to escape; in doing so, you still have a sliver of hope.”
Not wanting to quarrel further, Li Weiyi asked, “Were you really hit by her Stone Monkey Flying Needle?” Li Ling’s delicate and demure face grew somber as she replied, “Fortunately, it was only one needle.” Li Weiyi said, “Then let’s take advantage of the fact that your body still isn’t fully petrified.
We split up and fight our way out—grabbing that sliver of hope.” Li Ling stared intently at Li Weiyi.
“What’s wrong?”
“Cunning!”
“Where am I being cunning?”
Li Weiyi retorted. Li Ling explained, “If we charge out now, every enemy will surely focus their assault on me, allowing you the chance to slip away.” Li Weiyi hadn’t thought of it that way, but he had to admit…
What she said was quite logical and well thought out.
“Surrounded on every side, a coordinated attack is our only chance,” Li Weiyi said.
Li Ling spoke frankly, “The stone poison carried by a single Stone Monkey Flying Needle is very mild. I’ve already taken a secret medicine that can temporarily suppress it. But those outside don’t know that.
If we catch them off guard the moment they break in, wouldn’t we have a much better chance?” Li Weiyi felt this little girl was full of schemes. He would have to be extra cautious of her in the future.
She continued, “Once I unleash my full power, the stone poison will spread rapidly. Until then, I will do everything I can to severely injure or kill the two most powerful martial artists among them, leaving the others for you to handle. Once we escape, I am bound to end up petrified.
At that time, you must take me back to the Cang Li Tribe.”
“Do you really think I would do that?”
Li Weiyi asked. Li Ling replied, “If you do take me back, I’ll devote my life to you.” What a ridiculous proposition…
Could she really believe her own words?
(End of Chapter)