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Lian Rou grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed; her illusionary movement technique had never been so easily seen through before! Her opponent's calm, water-like eyes seemed to be able to see through all illusions.

Unable to gain the upper hand after a prolonged assault, Lian Rou gritted her teeth, abruptly retreating as all her illusions merged into one. She transferred the curved blade to her left hand, grasped one end of the colorful ribbon with her right, and forcefully channeled her inner energy into it!

"The Spirit Serpent Coils!"

The soft silk ribbon instantly stretched taut, like a living serpent, whistling sharply through the air. It was no longer coiling around, but piercing straight into Wanwan's heart like a spear! At the tip of the ribbon, faint glints of energy emanated, revealing Lianrou's refined inner strength.

At the same time, Zhu Mei, who had just neutralized her own poison needle reflection, seized the opportunity. She took a deep breath, a strange blush flashing across her face, and formed a complex hand seal in front of her chest, releasing a sweet, metallic scent.

"Sky Spider Venomous Hand!"

Zhu Mei let out a sharp cry and thrust both palms forward! It wasn't a direct palm strike, but rather a torrent of dark green mist erupting from the Laogong acupoints in her palms! This mist condensed and wouldn't dissipate, rapidly writhing and deforming in the air, vaguely transforming into a gigantic, poisonous spiderweb covering the entire area in front of the hall, accompanied by a nauseating stench and a sizzling, corrosive sound, descending upon Wanwan!

This poison net is not pure true qi, but is condensed from the various highly poisonous true qi that Zhu Mei has painstakingly cultivated. It not only contains highly poisonous qi, but also has a strong sticky and corrosive power. Once covered, even those with profound skills will find it difficult to escape the poisonous hand!

The two, one at a distance and the other close, one focused and the other enveloped, cooperated perfectly, determined to capture Wanwan in one fell swoop!
Sun Qiniang and Ouyang Xu were on tenterhooks. Such an attack would have been difficult for either of them to withstand.

Faced with this combined attack from above and below, a near-fatal strike, Wanwan's eyes finally showed a change. Not panic, but a kind of... eager excitement?

"Om-!"

A demonic aura, far more powerful and condensed than before, suddenly erupted! Centered on Wanwan, the air seemed to thicken and distort! The ribbon "spear" that shot towards them suddenly slowed down upon entering the aura's range, as if sinking into a quagmire, and the aura condensed at its tip was rapidly worn away and disintegrated by the distorted force field!
The dark green poison net covering the top, upon touching the edge of the Heavenly Demon aura, seemed to be grabbed by an invisible hand, suddenly shrinking inward, then violently twisting and deforming, no longer able to maintain its net structure. The highly poisonous true energy within was frantically stirred and decomposed by that strange aura!
"break!"

With a shout, Wanwan Qing pointed her right hand like a sword, her fingertips swirling with extremely pure black demonic energy, and precisely pointed at the tip of the already exhausted ribbon!

"Oh!"

With a muffled thud, Lian Rou felt an irresistible, subtle yet immense force surge along the ribbon. Her hand split open, blood instantly staining the hilt of her knife. Her entire right arm ached and went numb, and she could no longer grip the ribbon. The ribbon drooped limply like a dead snake. She let out a muffled groan, staggered backward from the force, and a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of her mouth.

At the same time, Wanwan spread her five fingers with her left hand and made a grasping and guiding motion towards the dark green poisonous gas above her head, which was in chaos due to the Heavenly Demon aura!
"Back to you!"

The ball of true energy containing terrifying poison was forcibly compressed and condensed by Wanwan using her profound skills, turning into a fist-sized dark green ball of energy, which shot back towards Zhu Mei at an even faster speed than it had come!

Zhu Meihua's face paled. She never expected that her most prized "Heavenly Spider Ten Thousand Poison Hands" would not only be broken, but also so easily thrown back at her! This poisonous gas was formed from her original true energy and was connected to her aura. Now, the backlash was even more dangerous! She screamed and desperately dodged to the side, while clapping her hands repeatedly in an attempt to neutralize it.

However, the dark green cloud of energy came too fast! Although she avoided a direct hit, her left shoulder was still grazed by the edge of the cloud!

"laugh--!"

Like a red-hot iron branding the snow, a large hole instantly corroded through Zhu Mei's purplish-black clothing on her left shoulder, revealing her snow-white skin underneath. However, that skin turned black and purple at a visible speed, and the blackening spread rapidly to the surrounding area! A piercing pain and a tingling, itchy sensation followed!

“Ah~!!”

Zhu Mei let out a shrill scream, hurriedly circulating her internal energy to expel the poison. At the same time, she frantically pulled out various antidote pills from her bosom and stuffed them into her mouth. Her face instantly turned deathly pale, and cold sweat poured down her forehead. Clearly, she was seriously injured and suffering greatly from the backlash of her own poisonous energy.

In the blink of an eye, Wanwan, with her absolute strength, shattered the combined attack of the two masters and severely injured one of them!
Lian Rou clutched her chest, staring at Wan Wan, whose breathing was steady as if she had merely warmed up, her eyes filled with disbelief and horror. This woman's martial arts were simply unfathomable! She was probably not far behind her father! What kind of monster was she?!
Zhu Mei was both shocked and furious. The excruciating pain in her shoulder and the fear of the spreading poison drove her almost mad. She stared intently at Wanwan and shouted, "You dare to hurt me?! My father will never let you get away with this! The Yin Kui Sect and the Heavenly Dao Alliance, just wait to bear the wrath of my Great Chu!"

Lian Rou also took a deep breath, her brown eyes filled with a hint of stubbornness and threat: "And my Western Turks! If this princess is harmed here, my father will surely lead his army eastward and crush your Central Plains martial arts world!"

Faced with their threats, Wanwan finally smiled. Her smile was like the first melting of snow, like spring flowers in full bloom—breathtakingly beautiful, yet it sent a chill down the spines of both Zhu Mei and Lian Rou.

"Ha ha……"

Wanwan chuckled and shook her head, as if she had heard something utterly ridiculous: "The wrath of the Great Chu? The iron cavalry of the Western Turks?"

She walked slowly forward to the two men who were retreating in pain and fear, her tone carrying a condescending pity: "Do you think this is still the era of warlords ruling over their own territories, where you can swagger around as you please?"

"The rise of the Heavenly Alliance is an inevitable trend. Those who follow it will prosper, and those who oppose it will perish. Let alone a mere pseudo-Chu princess or a Turkic princess, even if Zhu Jie and Commander Yun himself came, what would they amount to in front of the Alliance Leader?"

Wanwan's voice suddenly turned cold: "As for threatening me? Judging from your current disheveled state?"

Before she finished speaking, Wanwan's figure blurred, and she appeared in front of Zhu Mei, who was trying to expel the poison, as if by teleportation. Zhu Mei was shocked and hurriedly used her Five Poison Black Claw to grab Wanwan with her intact right hand, but Wanwan lightly touched her wrist pulse with a finger, and a soft, yin energy penetrated into her arm, causing her entire arm to go limp and fall down.

Wanwan moved with lightning speed, her fingers striking several major acupoints on Zhu Mei's chest. She then used a surge of pure demonic energy to forcefully suppress the restless toxins and internal energy within Zhu Mei's body. Zhu Mei groaned, her body stiffening, unable to move. Only her eyes remained fixed on Wanwan, filled with resentment and a deeply hidden fear.

On the other side, seeing that the situation was not good, Lian Rou mustered her inner energy and used the Illusionary Movement Technique to try to escape out of the hall.

"Want to go?"

Without even looking, Wanwan swung her palm out from mid-air! A condensed black palm print arrived first, accurately striking Lianrou's vital point on her back!

"Pfft!" Lian Rou was struck as if by a heavy hammer, her body trembled violently, her forward momentum came to an abrupt halt, she spat out a mouthful of blood, her vision went black, and her protective true energy instantly dissipated. Wanwan moved again, appearing behind her like a ghost, and similarly pointed out several fingers, sealing her acupoints.

The two "princesses," who had been so arrogant and domineering just moments before, now lay limp on the ground like birds with broken wings, unable to utter a single word except for their eyes.

Wanwan looked down at the two lying on the ground. Zhu Mei's eyes were filled with resentment, while Lian Rou's were filled with fear and unwillingness.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you."

Wanwan said calmly, "You're still somewhat useful. Take you away and keep a close eye on you."

Sun Qiniang and Ouyang Xu then snapped out of their shock and quickly replied, "Yes, Miss!"

The two men's awe of Wanwan had reached its peak. With a wave of her hand, she effortlessly subdued experts like Zhu Mei and Lian Rou. This skill and composure already possessed the air of a grandmaster.

As soon as the two shouted, several trusted disciples came in and carefully carried the immobile Zhu Mei and Lian Rou away.

Once the hall was quiet again, Wanwan walked to the window, looking thoughtfully at the darkening sky outside.

The arrival of Zhu Mei and Lian Rou, though unexpected, brought new variables and...opportunities. Perhaps, this could be used to extend their reach towards the pseudo-Chu and the Western Turks?

Wanwan's lips curled into a calculating smile. This game of chess was becoming increasingly interesting. And she was no longer a pawn to be manipulated on the board, but one of the players.

A figure in a green robe appeared in her mind. Wanwan composed herself and instructed Sun Qiniang and Ouyang Xu: "Strengthen security. Today's events must not be spread outside. Also, carefully interrogate Zhu Mei and Lian Rou's attendants to find out their specific purpose for this trip and the details of their previous agreement with Anlong."

"Yes!"

Sun Qiniang and Ouyang Xu bowed and accepted the order, their attitude even more respectful than before.

………………

As dusk settled in the southern suburbs of the city.

Compared to the hustle and bustle of Chengdu, this place is much more tranquil. A spacious villa is built against the mountain and by the water, with white walls, green tiles, and upturned eaves, nestled among lush bamboo groves and ancient trees.

This place was originally Anlong's private property used for escaping the summer heat and for banquets. Now, in order to please Yi Huawei, Sun Qiniang ordered people to carefully renovate and decorate it, removing many of the overly extravagant decorations and adding a touch of elegance, making it Yi Huawei's temporary residence.

When Wanwan arrived at the villa as dusk fell, the sky had completely darkened. The distant mountains, like dark eyebrows, were hidden in the vast night. Only the lanterns hanging throughout the villa swayed in the cool evening breeze, spreading out clusters of warm light.

Wanwan had deliberately changed back into her signature crimson dress, its fiery hem standing out vividly in the night. Her cloud-like hair was simply tied loosely with a red ribbon, a few strands falling beside her cheeks, making her skin appear even whiter and more translucent. Her bare feet moved silently across the slightly dew-dampened cobblestone path. She had dressed up carefully, her eyes carrying a subtle hint of anticipation and coquettishness.

Walking along the winding corridor, Wanwan stepped barefoot onto the cool, smooth wooden floor without making a sound. Her gaze swept over the black-clad guards standing along the way. These guards had a deep and imposing aura and sharp eyes, clearly elite soldiers. They all bowed to her when they saw her, but none of them uttered a sound.

The courtyard is exquisitely laid out, with winding corridors and a pond fed by flowing water. Although the lotus flowers in the pond have passed their peak bloom, a few late-blooming lotuses still stubbornly bloom, swaying gently in the evening breeze. Artificial hills are scattered among the trees, and pavilions dot the landscape. Wind chimes hanging from the eaves are occasionally stirred by the wind, producing clear, ethereal sounds. The air is filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees, and a faint hint of sandalwood.

The deeper she went, the more serene the environment became. She stopped in front of a wide expanse of water.

Before us lay a sizable pond, its shimmering water reflecting the last crimson rays of the sunset and the rising stars. In the center of the pond stood an octagonal pavilion with upturned eaves, connected to the shore by a winding stone bridge.

At this moment, the pavilion is brightly lit.

The pavilion was surrounded by sheer gauze, as thin as a cicada's wing, which blocked some of the night breeze without completely obstructing the view. Two rows of maids dressed in simple, elegant dresses stood quietly outside the pavilion, each carrying a beautifully crafted silk lantern. They stood like two rows of silent jade sculptures, illuminating the interior of the pavilion as bright as day, yet in a soft and gentle way.

Inside the pavilion, a polished sandalwood chessboard sits in the center. Two figures sit facing each other, playing chess.

To his left sat Yi Huawei, still dressed in a simple blue robe, his posture upright and relaxed. The candlelight and lantern light illuminated his face, making the thin mist seem even thinner than in the daytime, vaguely revealing his calm and composed features. One hand rested casually on his knee, while the other held a lustrous white jade chess piece, as he gazed intently at the chessboard, seemingly deep in thought.

Shi Feixuan, dressed in a plain white Taoist robe, was sitting opposite him.

The wide sleeves of her robe cascaded down, accentuating her slender figure and ethereal气质. Her cascading black hair was simply tied back with a wooden hairpin, revealing her smooth, full forehead and long, jade-like neck. Her face was exquisitely beautiful, without any makeup, yet her features were like a painting, as if she embodied the essence of heaven and earth. Especially her eyes, clear as a mountain spring, yet seemingly containing endless starlight, were now intently focused on the chessboard, her expression serene and tranquil, as if she had transcended the mundane world.

On the chessboard, black and white pieces are scattered, covering most of the board. The black pieces seem to move haphazardly, here and there, without any apparent order, yet they subtly occupy several seemingly insignificant key points, like a dragon lurking in the abyss, ready to strike. The white pieces, on the other hand, are meticulously arranged, upright and dignified, occupying a large share of the corners, their shape solid, conveying a sense of balance and harmony.

Yi Huawei picked up a black stone and, without hesitation, placed it on a star point slightly to the right of the center, off the main battlefield. This placement created a strange connection in the seemingly scattered black stones, as if an invisible net was slowly tightening, yet its true intention remained elusive.

Shi Feixuan's delicate brows furrowed almost imperceptibly as she intently examined the chessboard. She extended her slender fingers and picked up a white piece, her fingertip almost the same color as the alabaster-white stone. She placed the piece slowly, finally placing it in the lower right corner with a safe "small knight's move," both securing her own corner and subtly observing the seemingly weak connection of the black stones in the center.

Without hesitation, Yi Huawei picked up another stone and, with a "snap," placed it next to the black stone from before in an extremely bold position. He almost completely disregarded the weakness of his own formation, forcibly creating a connection with another isolated stone in the center, seemingly aiming to build up influence in what appeared to be White's territory! (End of Chapter)