Lingxiao Immortal Clan.

However, they could understand why the place had such powerful concealment methods, since no one in this world likes their cultivation site to be exposed.

However, their inability to see through the situation in Blackrock Valley made them wary.

Furthermore, the formation in Blackrock Valley is the same as the one recorded in the Shadow Tower's intelligence, indicating a higher grade and stronger foundation.

Moreover, there is a fifth-grade high-quality spiritual vein with abundant spiritual energy in Blackstone Valley, which is more than enough to keep the formation open for a long time.

Therefore, the three assassins at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage were unsure of what to do for a while.

What are your thoughts on this?

The most powerful of the three assassins, a veteran at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, asked the other two questions.

"It would be a real shame to give up now, and I'm not willing to do so. Besides, I'm currently in dire need of resources, so I've decided to pull off this one."

One of them gritted his teeth and said.

"Since you're willing to do it, I'll do it too."

Seeing that someone else was willing to do it, the other man felt more confident and also agreed.

"Alright, let's do this job."

The most senior cultivator, who had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, nodded in agreement.

Then, they used all their concealment techniques to quietly approach Blackrock Valley and launch a surprise attack.

But right now.

But a mysterious and extremely subtle spatial rift inexplicably appeared behind them.

Immediately afterwards, more than a dozen figures emerged from within.

They were none other than Ling Pengyun and Yan Siyi, along with Ling Chengxia, Ling Chengmie, and others, who lived in Black Stone Valley not far away.

"Gentlemen, these are probably the three Shadow Tower assassins hired by the Autumn Leaf Merchant Alliance to break into Blackstone Valley, right?"

"I beg you all to die!"

Ling Pengyun, the leader, looked at the three Shadow Tower assassins at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage with a smile on his face, appearing particularly amiable, but his words contained murderous intent.

Immediately afterwards, he summoned the Black Dragon Armor and put it on, and took out his natal magic weapon Hunyuan Axe, Black Dragon Armor, Five Elements Magic Beads, Netherworld Blade, as well as the Soul Illusion Flying Needle and Soul Illusion Treasure Realm that he had obtained from the Soul Illusion Old Daoist in his early years.

"Soul Illusion Treasure Realm - Soul Illusion Mist".

"Soul Illusion Flying Needle".

"Primordial Axe - Body Strengthening Technique...Primordial Overlord Body Technique"

"The Five Elements Magic Beads - The Five Elements Thunder Dragon Combination's Innate Great Divine Power!"

"Netherworld Blade - Netherworld Domain!"

Ling Pengyun continuously made hand seals and wielded the Netherworld Blade in his hand.

Immediately afterwards, the Netherworld Blade unleashed an extremely powerful spatial force, spreading in all directions and dispelling all the power of heaven and earth.

Moreover, the surrounding area was covered by a special space, forming a unique small space.

Ordinary people simply cannot break through this place and leave the outside world.

The three Shadow Tower assassins were also trapped.

Moreover, the Five Elements Magic Beads burst forth with spiritual light, releasing boundless Five Elements Thunder Power, and ultimately transformed directly into a powerful Thunder Dragon over ten feet in size.

Its body is covered in incredibly tough scales that shimmer with the light of the five elements and are constantly crackling with lightning. Its body is serpentine, and it has long dragon horns on its head, exuding a majestic aura.

Moreover, his aura had reached the early stage of the Void Refinement realm, as if a Void Refinement dragon had personally arrived here.

Roar! ! !
It then soared into the air and pounced on the three assassins. The dragon horn on its head became a medium for casting spells, from which powerful lightning bolts shot out continuously.

The Soul-Illusion Flying Needle followed closely behind, shooting out.

Meanwhile, the Soul Illusion Treasure Realm, a magical artifact of the Illusion Path, emitted countless powerful Illusion Path mists containing the power of ice.

Moreover, Ling Pengyun had already reforged it into an ordinary spiritual treasure, and in addition, Ling Pengyun's divine sense was extraordinary, having already touched upon some of the power of the Void Refinement Realm.

Therefore, the Soul Illusion Mist he activated was no weaker than the one the Soul Illusion Old Daoist had used before, and could easily trap ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, causing them to lose their way in the illusion.

In addition, Ling Pengyun activated a secret technique for strengthening his physique, causing his physical strength to surge.

Then, like a ferocious beast, he swung his powerful fifth-grade top-quality Hunyuan Axe and pounced, as if he were determined to kill the three assassins.

After all, this matter is of great importance.

If this matter can result in the elimination of those three assassins, it will serve as an opportunity to let the world know that the Lingxiao Merchant Alliance has extraordinary backing, enough to intimidate even powerful alliances like the Qiuye Merchant Alliance.

It could even indirectly boost the Lingxiao Merchant Alliance's business in Hunyuan Immortal City in the future.

Conversely, if this matter fails to succeed, then the whole thing will be difficult to accomplish, and Ling Pengyun's identity may also be exposed.

Therefore, no matter what, those three assassins must die today.

"Mandarin Duck Hot Pot!"

"My innate divine power...Moonlight Mandarin Ducks!"

"go."

Yan Siyi had exhausted all her methods.

She immediately brought out her natal spirit treasure, the Mandarin Duck Fire Cloud Pot, which she had spent countless resources in her early years and which her family and husband, Ling Pengyun, had long since reforged to a fifth-tier top-grade item.

Although this pot is designed to represent the perfect state of a divine being.

Yan Siyi's cultivation level was still at the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage, and she had not reached the Perfect Nascent Soul stage as the false rumors were circulating outside. She was somewhat different from the Mandarin Duck Fire Cloud Pot.

But no matter what, the Mandarin Duck Fire Cloud Pot is, after all, his natal magical treasure.

In addition, besides being more powerful, natal spirit treasures also have the advantages of being connected with one's mind and requiring less energy to activate.

Therefore, even with her late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, Yan Siyi could perfectly unleash the power of the Mandarin Duck Fire Cloud Pot.

As she continuously channeled spiritual energy into the Mandarin Duck Fire Cloud Pot, the Mandarin Duck Fire Cloud instantly transformed into countless beautiful and incomparable Mandarin Duck Treasure Fires.

Moreover, they quickly coalesced into a small, silver-red mandarin duck that appeared to be no bigger than a fist.

Its eyes are intelligent, and every hair on its body is distinct. Not only can it breathe out a large amount of precious fire to fight enemies, but it also has a strong physique. It flaps its wings and charges around like a real mandarin duck. Its power is extremely strong, and it has reached the perfect level of the Nascent Soul stage.

This method is what Yan Siyi has spent countless efforts on over the past few hundred years.

It is a natal supernatural power that was modified from the Chaoxia Moonfire Dragon supernatural power that he obtained from the Chaoxia Immortal Sect in his early years.

Although it cannot compare to the exquisite and sophisticated top-level divine abilities of Ling Pengyun, it can still be ranked in the upper-middle level among those of the same level. Its power is relatively strong, which is enough to fight enemies of higher levels.

However, this method also has its drawbacks. Its attribute is yin, which is gentle and more suitable for female cultivators.

If a male cultivator practices this technique, its power will be greatly reduced.

Secondly, this technique is extremely difficult to master. Not only does it require the divine soul of a true high-level Mandarin Duck Demon Beast as the spiritual source, but it also needs the assistance of the boundless moonlight energy between heaven and earth.

Both the moon's essence and the high-level mandarin duck demon beasts are rare and valuable.

If you calculate carefully, Yan Siyi spent at least several thousand fifth-grade spirit crystals to master this technique, almost exhausting all the profits she had earned over the past few hundred years by relying on that old-fashioned fifth-grade high-quality spirit chef.

In addition, Yan Siyi and Ling Pengyun's offspring, Ling Chengmie and others, also used some powerful methods.

In an instant, a barrage of attacks erupted, surging towards the three Shadow Tower assassins.

Moreover, Ling Pengyun and the others used the Netherworld Blade to catch the three assassins off guard.

Furthermore, they were located not far behind the three assassins.

The two sides were no more than half a mile apart.

Moreover, their attacks were incredibly fast. Therefore, even though the three assassins were highly experienced and had extremely quick reflexes, they couldn't dodge the numerous attacks in time and had to take them all.

"not good?"

"How come so many high-level cultivators appeared behind us without us even noticing? And the male cultivator leading them is only at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, yet he unleashed strength comparable to the Void Refinement stage? Could he be a potential Void Refinement cultivator from a major sect?"

"Furthermore, isn't the late-stage Nascent Soul female cultivator beside that person our target for this trip? Why hasn't she reached the Perfect Nascent Soul stage as rumored?"

"Could it be that this whole thing is a hoax, and the Lingxiao Merchant Alliance's true backer is that extraordinary male cultivator? But he simply doesn't want to reveal his identity?"

"..."

The three Nascent Soul cultivators from the Shadow Tower subtly sensed something amiss, their expressions changed drastically, and they guessed some possibilities.

This incident made their legs go weak.

If they had known, they wouldn't have come here.

After all, under normal circumstances, they would not dare to be enemies with a powerful Void Refinement cultivator like Ling Pengyun.

Most importantly, such beings are extremely rare, and most are associated with powerful forces.

Under such circumstances, even if they escape this time, they may still face repercussions later.

This is tantamount to a dead end.

In an instant, they were filled with immense fear.

"Fellow Daoists, it's all a misunderstanding. We are willing to offer up our entire fortune as an apology. In addition, we have many properties in the outside world, which we are also willing to offer."

"..."

They even begged for mercy repeatedly.

In addition, they were not idle, constantly employing various powerful methods for defense.

Moreover, they were not ordinary people, but assassins from the Shadow Tower. Having carried out assassinations for many years, they had accumulated a considerable fortune.

In fact, each of them possessed two or three top-grade fifth-tier spiritual treasures.

However, those magical treasures were completely inconsistent with their methods, so their origins were obviously unknown, and they were very likely stolen from other cultivators.

Even so, those spiritual treasures were still top-grade fifth-tier spiritual treasures.

Indirectly, the three assassins who had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage also unleashed their exceptional strength.

But alas... they encountered Ling Pengyun, a man with unique methods.

Their methods were like thin paper, easily shattered in the face of Ling Pengyun's formidable abilities.

They were quickly blasted into mincemeat.

However, Ling Pengyun preserved their souls, as they were treasures.

'You ants dare to negotiate with me? Besides, didn't I take all the profits from you?'

Ling Pengyun sneered, then summoned the souls of the three assassins he had deliberately left behind into his hands, and carefully used special soul-searching techniques to investigate the so-called industry they mentioned.

During this time, the souls of the three assassins were particularly resistant to the soul-searching technique.

However, Ling Pengyun's soul-searching technique was extremely powerful, and his spiritual sense was also strong.

Therefore, their rejection had no effect.

Furthermore, they were not the core assassins of the Shadow Tower, but merely part-time and dispensable. Moreover, they had no powerful backers or strong soul-binding protection.

Indirectly, Ling Pengyun quickly discovered all their memories.

Judging from my memory, two of the three assassins were rogue cultivators at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, and the other was the leader of a minor Nascent Soul power.

Moreover, they didn't know each other.

If it weren't for the assassination plot orchestrated by Shadow Tower, they probably wouldn't have been able to get together.

Moreover, they have one thing in common: although their spiritual treasures and guardian spirits are quite good.

But... they don't have any businesses under their control.

Indirectly, they lack a stable source of income.

Even obtaining cultivation resources on ordinary days is somewhat troublesome.

Clearly, what they said when they begged for mercy was a lie.

This also reflects the reality for most independent cultivators or powerful figures from small factions.

But then again, if they had their own businesses and assets, they probably wouldn't be helping Shadow Tower with assassinations.

After all, this kind of work is extremely dangerous, and if something goes wrong, one could very well lose their life like this.

Therefore, even though everyone knows that the Shadow Tower offers good treatment, only some relatively poor cultivators are willing to work for it.

'I initially thought these three people had some real business, but it turns out it's nothing special.'

'Even a few mosquitoes are still meat.'

Ling Pengyun felt a little regretful. After noting down the locations of the properties owned by the three men, he also collected the land deeds and other items from them. He then handed them over to Yan Siyi, intending to have Ling Wantong of the Lingxiao Business Alliance arrange for someone to handle them.

Immediately afterwards, they began to take stock of the profits gained from the three assassins.

The most valuable items they possessed were naturally those top-grade fifth-tier spiritual treasures.

Since each of them owned two or three of these items, they had a total of seven.

These items are quite valuable, with each one worth at least ten thousand fifth-tier spirit crystals.

If you add in all the other miscellaneous things they carry.

In total, they possessed nearly 70,000 to 80,000 fifth-tier spirit crystals.

'That's barely acceptable.'

Ling Pengyun chuckled inwardly, then noticed that the quality of those fifth-tier top-grade spiritual treasures was extremely ordinary, not as good as the Soul Illusion Flying Needle and Soul Illusion Treasure Realm he had obtained from the old Daoist Soul Illusion.

It is even less comparable to his Black Dragon Armor, Five Elements Magic Beads, and other natal spiritual treasures.

In addition, such a thing might be extremely precious to others.

But for a fifth-tier top-grade weapon refiner like him, it was nothing special.

Then, seeing that most of those spiritual treasures were of the five elements, he decided to refine them into his two natal spiritual treasures, the Five Elements Magic Bead and the Black Dragon Armor, to temper their foundation.

In addition, Yan Siyi, her eldest son Ling Chengxia who had just entered the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and her youngest son Ling Chengxia had all performed well.

He then gave each of them a top-grade fifth-tier spiritual treasure as a reward.

As for the other Nascent Soul cultivators in the family, although they performed reasonably well, their achievements were not as great as those of Yan Siyi and others because their cultivation levels were mostly in the early or middle stages of the Nascent Soul realm.

Therefore, Ling Pengyun only gave them some of his own crafted fifth-grade mid-to-high-grade spiritual treasures or high-grade cultivation resources as rewards.

Even so, it still filled them with immense joy.

After all, such things are rare items for them, and are difficult to obtain on ordinary days.

Moreover, although they participated in the battle to eliminate the Shadow Tower assassins, they were only assisting and faced very little pressure and danger.

Upon closer examination, such benefits are practically free.

"Following Patriarch Pengyun to kill those three assassins was absolutely the right thing to do, and Patriarch Pengyun's reward is truly a blessing from heaven; such a reward is truly easy to obtain."

The cultivators were all deeply moved, and their respect for Ling Pengyun grew even stronger. They repeatedly expressed their gratitude. (End of Chapter)