Journey to the head

The word "death" had barely been uttered when Wei Zhaixing's Starry Sky Robe shone brightly, Xiao Tianci's Ink Rainbow Sword Sheath floated in mid-air, and the glass light shield and the robe's barrier overlapped.

The next instant, the shadowy domain trembled violently, and the shadow swords, imbued with corrosive power, eroded the double defenses like a torrential downpour, hissing as they struck.

The starlight at his collar vibrated. Without thinking, Xiao Tianci took a step forward, his sword momentum like a dragon. With a loud bang, the tip of the sword sent the pitch-black dagger-shaped magic weapon, which was hidden in the shadows and completely undetectable, flying.

Ying Rongling frowned. Xuanji Zi Wei Zhaixing's divination skills are indeed remarkable. Despite being far inferior to me in cultivation level, he was able to predict my movements in the blink of an eye. Even my Shadow Prison, which can suppress divine sense detection, could not play its due role.

I was somewhat skeptical when I first saw the intelligence, but now I have to admit that these two are indeed quite skilled. Their magical artifacts are no ordinary items either; they were able to temporarily block my corrosive arrows—

A soft buzzing sound!
A long needle, seemingly forged from starlight, had already pierced her brow. Before the look of shock and anger could even appear on her face, and before the protective shield of the magic artifact could extend, the long needle had already pierced through her skull!

On the other side, Xiao Tianci slashed diagonally with his longsword, and a crimson light emerged from the dark light. In an instant, sword energy that could burn rivers and boil seas and cut off water was unleashed. Wherever it passed, the shadows vanished instantly, like snow falling into boiling water.

This sword energy, like a crimson rainbow, illuminated most of the shadowy prison. But upon touching the edge, just as it had at the beginning, the sword energy pierced directly through the shadows and shot off to an unknown destination. The shadowy space remained completely unharmed.

"Be careful, she's alright!" Wei Zhaixing put on a new tortoise shell. Where his gaze focused, Ying Ronglingjun was still standing in the same spot, but beside her, a body formed from a shadow was collapsing.

"Moreover, her innate supernatural power in this space is unusual and cannot be neutralized by attack; the only solution is to kill her!"

"The renowned Twin Stars of Cangzhou are indeed extraordinary in their methods," Ying Ronglingjun sneered. "But after all, they haven't reached the Nascent Soul stage yet, so their Golden Core is far too arrogant!"

"With your skills, you wouldn't even be able to touch me!"

Before she could finish speaking, she had completely disappeared into the shadows.

"Be careful!" Many brilliant orbs of light shot out from Wei Zhaixing's hand, hovering in the upper part of the space like a galaxy, illuminating most of the space and dissolving much of the darkness. Only the shadows truly condensed by the Shadow Fusion Spirit Lord's spiritual power remained, baring their fangs and claws, appearing particularly conspicuous.

The next instant, Wei Zhaixing clenched his fist, the starlight around him dimmed, the hazy light distorted, and the Star Enclosure Robe barrier protected his body. The starlight left on Xiao Tianci also trembled.

Right beneath his feet, in that small patch of shadow, Ying Ronglingjun leaped up with unparalleled smoothness, wielding a mirror and a dagger. The mirror emitted mottled, strange light, while the pitch-black dagger stabbed towards Wei Zhaixing.

The mirror was filled with bizarre and dazzling light. As the mottled light swept across it, Wei Zhaixing felt his soul sway, the world darkened, and the secret technique he was maintaining, the Star Enclosure Shield, immediately loosened, along with the Star Enclosure Robe barrier.

The dagger, imbued with the power to corrode bones and devour souls, was like a hot knife cutting through grease, already aimed at Wei Zhaixing's throat!
But someone was faster than her!
The inky rainbow leaped suddenly in mid-air! Her expression froze on her face as her head flew into the air, and the dagger was knocked away once more.

Rahu's Fierce Sword - Flying Light!

Teleporting through the air, Xiao Tianci appeared on the other side of the Shadow Prison. At this moment, the starlight at his collar vibrated again, and he immediately drew his sword to protect himself. The scabbard emitted a crystal-clear light, blocking the shadows that were like spears and arrows. Then, he slashed through the oncoming shadows with his sword and stood beside Wei Zhaixing again.

Both of them noticed that in a corner of the prison, a shadowy body quietly collapsed, and Shadow Fusion Spirit Lord emerged from the shadows, looking over with a gloomy expression.

She was completely unharmed.

Wei Zhaixing pressed one hand against the tortoise shell, the scorched cracks on the shell telling him that Shadow Fusion Lord had paused his attack.

All the information he had gathered since the start of their encounter flashed through his mind.

This Shadow Spirit Lord displayed three supernatural powers.

First, there's her innate divine power, Shadow Prison, which cannot be blocked by conventional means. Once swallowed, the only way to escape is to kill her or be killed by her.

Secondly, there's the Shadow Concealment Technique. She can completely blend into any shadow and move freely between them. It's likely that she relied on this ability to hide among the shadows of the cultivators registering on the mountain, infiltrating before the grand formation was activated. Furthermore, she could use this ability to launch attacks from within the shadows at any time.

Thirdly, there is a kind of shadow substitute. The Shadow Fusion Lord can create a shadow body and transfer the damage he receives to the shadow substitute, thus remaining unharmed after being attacked multiple times.

She possesses at least three top-grade magical treasures: a dagger that can blend into the shadows and has extremely strong corrosive properties, a round mirror that can bewitch the soul, and a defensive magical treasure.

She also demonstrated some secret techniques for manipulating shadows to attack.
This is a formidable enemy, proficient in almost every method: infiltration, assassination, guerrilla tactics, survival, and escape!
How could someone like that be a rogue cultivator! Not to mention anything else, just those three top-grade magic treasures, which rogue cultivator could produce them?

Who exactly has their eyes on Qingzhou and the Yunshan Sect?

Wei Zhaixing's heart sank.

Thinking about it this way, the three Nascent Soul cultivators who attacked Quyang County must be no ordinary people either. There might even be experts who are preparing to ambush them halfway. Xiang Kong, Wudi Daoren and Ye Xiao are all in danger. The Nascent Soul cultivators in Qingzhou will also be entangled. Moreover, the whole prefecture is in turmoil, and it will be a long time before reinforcements arrive!
However, she couldn't use all her methods at the same time. In front of Xiao Tianci's longsword, her defensive magic weapon was always a step behind.

Unfortunately, due to the suppression of my cultivation level, my Blazing Armor Strategy can only be calculated one step in advance. Being forced to defend passively like this will inevitably lead to defeat if I hold out for too long.
A flurry of thoughts flashed through Wei Zhaixing's mind, and he taunted, "Lord Yingrong, your methods are indeed skillful, but I'm afraid the burden you bear is extremely heavy."

"Not to mention the ever-expanding Shadow Prison, even a natal divine power would consume a lot of energy to maintain such a space."

"And your constant merging with the shadow means you're constantly consuming a lot of spiritual energy."

"Your ability to use a shadow body to take your life is so amazing, it must have come at a high price, and there must be a limit to it!"

"If you cannot kill us before your spiritual power is exhausted, or if we see through the secret of the substitution, you will probably be the one who dies here today."

However, Ying Ronglingjun only sneered. With a flick of her wrist, a pure white jade bottle appeared in her palm.

"You're right, my spiritual power is about to run out, but..."

She had already swallowed a pill brimming with spiritual energy. Xiao Tianci was shocked; it was actually a Primordial Spirit Pill!
The Shadow Realm trembled violently, and the spiritual pressure on Shadow Fusion Spirit Lord surged up instantly, restoring all his spiritual power in the blink of an eye!

"Xuanjizi is exceptionally intelligent and shrewd; Zhuoleizi's swordsmanship is astonishing and difficult to defend against. The Twin Stars truly live up to their name. It's just a pity that such bright young people are about to perish here today!"

The shadows roared, and she vanished without a trace. The tortoise shell in Wei Zhaixing's hand cracked and splintered, rapidly spreading new patterns. Both of them tensed up.

The test is over; now it's time to decide life or death!
The dazzling sword circle lit up again, slashing through and sweeping away the shadow arrows that surged like a tidal wave. At the same moment, Shadow Spirit Lord emerged from the shadow beneath Xiao Tianci's feet, dagger in hand, but the Mountain-Piercing Needle was already like a beam of starlight, piercing towards her eyeball.

Even though Ying Ronglingjun parried with his defensive magic treasure, the Mountain-Piercing Needle, bestowed upon Heming Zhenjun, was made of extraordinary material, comparable to a spiritual treasure in terms of sharpness. The needle's energy pierced through the defensive magic treasure, causing Ying Ronglingjun to close his eyes and cry out in pain, his movements slightly halted. Wei Zhaixing had already released the tortoise shell in his hand. His golden core trembled, his divine powers surged, and countless illusory stars instantly appeared from his body. Within this shadow realm, Wei Zhaixing, dressed in snow-white robes, moved without wind, and countless miniature stars transformed into myriad star orbits, revolving endlessly around him.

In this miniature sea of ​​stars, he instantly found his target and reached out to swipe heavily across a dark, lifeless star.

Supernatural Power: Shifting Stars and Changing Constellations!
A star suddenly rose above Ying Ronglingjun's head, radiating an ominous red light that stained her entire body with a bloody hue.

In an instant, she felt an extremely cold sensation bind her soul, and a sense of terror surged into her heart. Then, a sword gently touched her head!

Boom! The entire Shadow Prison trembled. Xiao Tianci effortlessly pierced through Shadow Fusion Spirit Lord's body with the unstoppable power of his Wind, Fire and Thunder Sword.

Shadow Spirit Lord disappeared into the shadows, then emerged from another shadow. She still used Shadow Substitute to absorb the damage, but this time, as soon as she appeared, she couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood, which contained charred fragments of internal organs.

Her shadow clone didn't work completely; she still absorbed some of the force of that sword strike!

"I have lit the death star in your life." Wei Zhaixing gasped for breath. "With the death star already set, how could you possibly emerge unscathed?"

Xiao Tianci's eyes lit up, and he gently trembled his longsword, about to unleash his flying light again. However, as soon as he moved, he felt a pain in his chest and spat out a mouthful of black blood!

Wei Zhaixing's eyes widened as he was about to touch the tortoise shell again when he felt a sharp pain in his internal organs. He coughed, and black blood choked him.

This is a potent poison! When was it?
Ying Ronglingjun slowly straightened up, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, and coldly looked at the two people whose bodies were trembling.

"How does my secret technique, Shadow Corrosion and Bone Rot, taste?"

Wei Zhaixing understood. She actually had a method of poisoning in the shadows, which then affected their own bodies. Just now, in order to activate her supernatural power, she had to interrupt her plan to burn the armor, and she seized this opportunity to manipulate the shadows and poison the two of them!

The poison of the shadow continued to corrode their bodies. Xiao Tianci gritted his teeth, his longsword pointing diagonally, as if he intended to suppress the poison and strike again. Then his body stiffened, and Wei Zhaixing was also taken aback.

Ying Ronglingjun waved his hand to his lips and swallowed another innate spiritual pill!
Her spiritual pressure surged once more, her injuries fully healed, and she sneered with confidence, "I dared to accept this mission because I have absolute confidence. My lord has more than any elixirs or miraculous medicines in her possession; guess how many I have?"

The turmoil on Biluo Peak was palpable, with the General Staff and Intelligence Departments in a flurry of activity. Wang Yu, who had received messages from Wei Zhaixing and Ding Shu Zhenren, was rapidly mobilizing his combat force, drawing upon the strength of his partner and subordinate sects, and requesting assistance from allies in the Chongming Alliance, sending experts to Qingzhou to quell the riot.

As a result, their own internal defenses were weakened, and they could only seek help from the Xuanwei Sect, the Spirit Beast Sect, and the Qinglian True Sect for defense.

After hastily issuing the order, Wang Yu immediately arrived in front of Linle Courtyard, where Wu Yan was indeed there.

"Xiaoyan, the situation is critical. Qingzhou is in turmoil, and Zhaixing and Tianci urgently need rescue. Your speed is amazing, so you might still be able to make it!"

After explaining the situation in a few words, Wu Yan cheered herself up, glanced again at the courtyard shrouded in layers of formations, and then flashed into the sky.

In fact, Wang Yu was also worried. The distance to Liangyi Mountain was more than 10,000 miles. Even if Wu Yan's cultivation had improved and she had the spatial secret technique to speed things up, it would still take at least an hour.

The enemy came prepared, and the soldiers they sent were certainly no ordinary men. Even with their extraordinary abilities, such as Zhaixing and Tianci, a full hour was too long to wait.

Perhaps by the time Wu Yan arrives, the battle will already be over!
Wu Yan was enveloped in a layer of spatial fluctuations. Just as this hazy escape light rose, a burst of light suddenly shot up from Lin Le's courtyard, and the layers of arrays began to twist.

Wu Yan's heart tightened, and she immediately stopped.

After a moment of silence, a beam of distorted spiritual energy shot into the sky, slamming into the formation and lifting the formation barrier high!

Then, all sorts of profound powers swept across the area in turn: the fire of the sun, the divine wind of samadhi, the cool moonlight, the sharp golden energy, and the power of bewitching thoughts.
Interspersed with various supernatural powers, in the blink of an eye, those formations were torn to shreds, and the entire courtyard exploded!
"Brother Le!" "Lin Le!"

Wu Yan and Wang Yu shouted and rushed into the courtyard. A whirlwind spun, scattering the dust, and a figure stood in the center, smiling slightly at Wu Yan and Wang Yu.

It was Lin Le!

"Sister Yan, Senior Uncle Wang, I've emerged from seclusion."

"Brother Le, how are you?" Wu Yan grabbed his hand anxiously, looked him up and down, and seeing that he seemed fine, she tried to probe him with her spiritual energy to see if he was injured.

Lin Le shook his head and said seriously, "Yan-mei, I'm fine. I've already suppressed the inner demon with the Mirror Palace Binding Ape Technique. It will gradually wear down after that."

"I just saw you using your escape technique, about to rush out. Then I heard a series of noises from Biluo Peak, with airships rising and falling with a roar, and disciples being mobilized. What happened?"

Seeing that Lin Le was lucid, Wang Yu finally felt relieved. He hurriedly told Lin Le about the events in Qingzhou, and Lin Le's expression changed.

"Yanmei, it's extremely urgent, you must go right now!"

Despite her deep reluctance, Wu Yan could only nod, grit her teeth, and ascend into the air. With a flash of hazy light, she was gone in the blink of an eye.

"Senior Uncle Wang, what has happened since I went into seclusion? Is the sect leader in the mountains?"

Wang Yu quickly recounted the major events that had occurred since he went into seclusion. Just as he was talking about how Lu Qian had taken Jiang Qingfeng, Jiang Baitao, and Yu Jiao out to sea, and how the Nascent Soul cultivators in the sect had also left the mountain gate with their own missions, leaving everyone in dire straits, Lin Le suddenly swayed, put his hand to his forehead, and frowned deeply.

"Uncle Wang, suppressing my inner demons has greatly depleted my soul, and I urgently need to rest."

Wang Yu nodded and called over a disciple to escort Lin Le to a quiet room to rest.

Once the door was closed and Lin Le was alone, he slowly released his hand from his forehead.

His eyes were bloodshot, and a terrifying black aura pierced through his brow.

He smiled slightly: "Now that they're all gone, I'm free." (End of Chapter)