Even so, Yang Sheng was still a ninth ranked expert. At the most crucial moment, his wrist flicked, reversing the downward trajectory of the lance and perfectly intercepting the opponent. If his opponent didnât dodge, the lance would tear straight through his intestines.
He had seen his opponent. That person had a face that couldnât be more ordinary, a face that wouldnât even get a second look from him normally. That was also why he hadnât noticed the person before.
He noticed that even though the person was moving rapidly, there wasnât the slightest change in his expression. Martial Supervisor Yang Sheng immediately knew that wasnât the manâs true appearance, but rather a mask. However, the workmanship needed to produce such a thin and natural looking mask was insane. Anyone who had a mask like that was definitely extraordinary.
As if to prove his point, that person didnât even avoid his strike and instead reached out to grab his lance.
Yang Sheng thought to himself, Is this person mad? Youâre going to grab my blade with your bare hands? Wonât your hand be completely crippled?
He harrumphed. He slightly adjusted the angle of the lance to the side, aiming to stab straight through the other partyâs palm. However, he had witnessed just how sinister the timing of the other partyâs strike had been, so he didnât dare to look down on him. He secretly held back a bit.
The other partyâs hands crossed, and his hands clamped down on the lance like hawk claws; however, they were also like water snakes swimming along his lance. He almost instantly arrived in front of Yang Sheng.
Yang Sheng was shocked. He couldnât be bothered to do anything else and just gave up on his lance. He used the force to fly backward. He was really thankful that he hadnât underestimated his opponent just then and saved a bit of strength. Otherwise, his opponentâs arms would have already stabbed through his chest.
But even though he had pulled back quickly, the force made his internal organs shake violently. In the end, he wasnât able to use all of his strength. There were even several bloody scars left on his body.
â¦
Zu An watched the entire scene from the peak above. This Golden Token Sevenâs claw technique is pretty crazy.
He could also tell that Golden Token Seven had actually held back. Otherwise, with such a great ambush, there was no way Yang Sheng would have been able to get away with just a few bloody scratches!
Golden Token Sevenâs main objective this time was just to confirm some things; it wasnât to start a rebellion. That was why there was no reason for him to kill anyone.
â¦
Yang Sheng was shocked and furious. After he created some distance, he immediately ordered his troops to get into formation. With their assistance, he finally managed to barely stop Golden Token Sevenâs assault. But the valley was already a complete mess.
Zu An looked at the places where the black-clad individuals were hiding. He frowned when he saw that they still didnât have any intention of acting.
It was almost the time he had agreed on with Golden Token Seven to act. He didnât want those black-clad individuals to reap the benefits after he interfered.
He suddenly thought of something and looked toward the black-robed elder he had tossed aside. How did this guy plan to signal his subordinates?
He searched the elderâs body. Sure enough, there was something resembling a noise arrow on him. As such, Zu An took it and fired it downward. A shrill noise tore through the valley. When the black clad individuals received the signal, all of them charged out murderously.
Golden Token Seven jumped in fright. He had thought that Golden Token Eleven came to help him, but when he saw those individualsâ outfits and how ruthless they were in their assault, he knew it wasnât Zu An.
With the addition of the newcomers, the escort troopâs formation was completely ruined. Flesh and blood flew everywhere. Only the sealed carriage remained untouched.
More than ten black-clad individuals rushed forward soon afterward. The guards around the carriage tried to stop them, but they were clearly outmatched and were cut down.
The black-clad individuals smashed open the carriageâs door. Just as they were about to say something, however, a vicious wave of sword energy slashed out. The black-clad individuals at the very front were instantly chopped into pieces.
âSword ki!â Golden Token Seven was still paying attention to what was happening. He immediately recognized an attack from Yi Commanderyâs City Lord Liao Ling.
âThe previous intelligence stated that he was at the peak of the seventh rank. I didnât expect him to actually have broken through,â he muttered. He was now worried. Even though Golden Token Eleven was cunning, his cultivation was a bit lower than Golden Token Sevenâs own. How was he going to seize the saintess from the city lordâs hands?
He wanted to help, but Yang Sheng was no easy opponent. He was being held up by the Martial Supervisor and his subordinates.
A middle-aged man slowly walked out of the carriage just then. His features were square and upright, and his figure seemed to exude a grand pressure. His strike was a sword that had been nurtured by the worldâs just ki!
Golden Token Seven felt more and more worried. The man wielded a monarchâs sword, a sword of just ki. Its power was a bit greater than that of other experts! Even he would find it a bit tricky to deal with, so what could Golden Token Eleven possibly do?
The black-clad individuals near the carriage all held their blades up in front of them. They arranged themselves into a simple formation, then charged at their opponent.
âThe Devil Sectâs Five Elements Formation!â Golden Token Sevenâs expression darkened. Some of his suspicions had now been verified.
Just then, Liao Ling moved. A cold glint flickered. Countless afterimages covered everything within a zhang of him. Then, the afterimages all combined into one, returning to his original body. It was almost as if he never had moved from his original spot.
However, the black-clad individuals all clutched their throats as blood flowed out of them uncontrollably. One after another, they collapsed powerlessly.
Liao Ling didnât even give those people a look and instead looked at Golden Token Seven. He frowned slightly. The other black-clad individuals nearby all began to hesitate, shaken by the city lordâs power.
âMiss Qiu, your sect seems to have only sent these people here to save you. I fear they were doomed to be disappointed,â Liao Ling said. He didnât assist Yang Sheng and instead stood right in front of the carriage without moving.
A moving and charming sigh came from inside the carriage. âCity Lord Liao, just the fact that you suffered from an ambush here means that things are clearly not that simple.â
Liao Ling remained silent for a bit. A while later, he said with a bitter expression, âYouâre right. We might not be able to keep you here. However, Miss Qiu, please do not rejoice too soon. I will kill you before you are rescued.â
âYou dare to kill me?â Qiu Hongleiâs voice carried a shred of mockery.
âCorrect. King Yan and the others might feel apprehension toward your master, thus being unwilling to kill you, but I am different. What I cultivate is the power of grandeur. As long as my own heart is free of guilt, I will not feel any misgivings.â
Liao Lingâs sword thrust straight at the carriage. He had already known that since the Devil Sectâs people had managed to lay an ambush, that meant their original plans were a complete failure. Once the Devil Sectâs experts surrounded them, how could their small numbers possibly do anything?
In that case, he might as well kill this Devil Sect evildoer. After all, she was rumored to be the last disciple of the witch Yun Jianyue, someone who might even inherit the sect master position. Killing her now was the same as eliminating a great future enemy.
The expression on Qiu Hongleiâs beautiful face changed. Why is this guy acting as soon as he says he will? Is he not going to speak reasonably at all?
Suddenly, a figure flashed in front of her. It was extremely fast, to the extent that even Golden Token Seven, Yang Sheng, and the others who were watching all turned around.
Did Yun Jianyue herself come? That was the thought on the minds of those present.
Only Liao Ling knew it wasnât her, because he could see who the other person was. There was suddenly another man in the carriage. Even though he had a mask covering his face, Liao Ling could tell he was quite young.
Hmph, as long as he isnât Yun Jianyue, he wonât be able to receive this sword! That was the conviction of a sword master in his sword. Within a range of three feet, he was the one who decided all life and death. Even though he didnât know how the other person had suddenly appeared in the carriage, once his sword thrust out, it wouldnât stop halfway.
Since the other party had stopped in front of Qiu Honglei, that meant it was most likely someone from the Devil Sect. His sword strike was enough to nail both of them together.
âNeigh~!â The steeds up ahead struggled restlessly. Even though the sword wasnât aimed at them, their animal instincts made them feel a strong sense of danger and killing intent.
Meanwhile, the carriage could no longer handle the devastating power of the sword ki. It was instantly sliced into pieces, exposing the two people inside. The swordâs ki was blinding, and those who were fighting in the distance all covered their eyes.
Golden Token Seven felt a bit of helplessness. Liao Lingâs grand sword ki was formidable. If he were attacked by that sword from a distance beyond one zhang, he would have eighteen ways to deal with such an attack. If it were within a zhang, he would only have three ways. If it were within three feet, he could only do everything he could to dodge the strike. Even though he was confident he could survive, he would most likely be injured.
Golden Token Eleven is finished! Golden Token Seven thought, feeling regret. He shouldnât have involved him and led him to his death.
Judging from their previous interaction, Golden Token Eleven was clearly a colleague who excelled more in his resourcefulness; cultivation wasnât his strong point. Someone who could become a golden token envoy purely because of their wit definitely had a bright future.
Hmph, why am I comparing my own weak points to his strong points? At such a distance, he couldnât save Zu An even if he wanted to.
Then, the sword ki completely scattered.
Golden Token Eleven might already have been hacked to pieces by the sword ki, Golden Token Seven thought.
Weâre finished⦠Now that Qiu Honglei has died, Yun Jianyueâs wrath will ensure that none of us here will be able to survive. Why is a bookworm like Liao Ling even more of a reckless brute than a soldier like me?! Yang Sheng thought.
Sigh⦠Someone that beautiful ended up dying here⦠the ordinary soldiers thought.
But soon afterward, their eyes widened in disbelief. The bitter sounds of slaughter also came to a standstill. The clamorous valley entered a strange state of peace as they all looked in the carriageâs direction.
What they imagined hadnât happened. A young man sat casually at Qiu Hongleiâs side, while Liao Lingâs vicious sword tip had stopped three inches in front of the two of them, clasped in place by that young manâs two fair fingers. The sword couldnât advance in the slightest.
Amid the tattered carriage, a beauty in a black dress stood next to a masked young man in green clothes. It was an unexpectedly beautiful scene.
Meanwhile, the sword master whose clothes were as white as snow instead became the best backdrop for the scene.