Helping each other with countless me.

Chapter 573 Ambush
In Youzhou City, in the residential area of ​​senior officials of the Law Enforcement Bureau, lies Liu Ruyan's private residence and martial arts training ground.

In the early morning, there was still a slight chill in the air.

Liu Ruyan was wearing a black tight-fitting training outfit, which perfectly outlined her graceful and proud figure.

She held an unsharpened, jet-black longsword, her movements as swift as lightning as she leaped and bounded across the field.

Without using any spiritual power, relying solely on her physical strength and superb swordsmanship, she engaged in combat with three of the latest model fighting robots.

The blades flashed, accompanied by the clanging of metal against metal; the movements were fierce and sharp, yet possessed a strange beauty.

Sweat soaked her hair, sliding down her fair and slender neck. Her training clothes clung tightly to her heaving chest and waist, adding to her wild allure.

Finally, with a swift lunge, she precisely struck the core sensory areas of the three robots with the back of her blade, ending the battle with a series of urgent alarms.

She was slightly out of breath, her chest heaving. She casually stuck the long knife aside and picked up a towel to wipe away her sweat.

The morning light shone on her, as if gilding her with a layer of gold, and her sweat glistened like pearls.

Just then, a petite figure floated in as if it were weightless.

"Director Liu, you're in quite a mood, so...enthusiastic so early in the morning?"

Mei Ling'er smiled charmingly, her voice sweet to the point of being cloying. Dressed lightly, her eyes sparkled as she openly sized up Liu Ruyan's sweaty figure, her gaze bold and provocative.

Liu Ruyan paused, her eyes instantly turning sharp and cold as she swept over.

Mei Ling'er seemed oblivious, swaying her hips as she approached, almost touching Liu Ruyan, her breath sweet as orchids.

"Director Liu is truly dashing; Ling'er admires him immensely!"

Before she finished speaking, Liu Ruyan moved! So fast that she left only a blur!
Mei Ling'er felt an irresistible force strike her, and in the midst of the dizziness, her back slammed against the cold wall.

Liu Ruyan braced one hand against the wall beside her ear, while her other hand had somehow regained its grip on the black knife, the cold hilt even gently pressing against her lower abdomen.

Liu Ruyan's tall figure loomed over you with an intense sense of oppression, the smell of sweat mingling with her unique, chilling aura.

Those sharp eyes stared intently at Mei Ling'er, as if they could see through her every thought.

"A little demon from the Hehuan Sect."

Liu Ruyan's voice was slightly hoarse from exercise, yet it was incredibly cold.

"My time is precious. I'll give you three seconds to explain why you're here, or... let me help you 'calm down'."

Mei Ling'er's charming smile froze. She could feel the threat emanating from the hilt of the knife in her lower abdomen and the undisguised, almost tangible killing intent emanating from Liu Ruyan.

She had no doubt that if she tried any more tricks, the other party would actually take action.

"Oh dear, Director Liu really doesn't know how to be gentle with women at all!"

Mei Ling'er immediately backed down, raising her hands in surrender, and her smile became much more "honest".

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you. I've found a clue about the 'Starlight Man'!"

Liu Ruyan raised an eyebrow, but did not let go of her, signaling her to continue.

Mei Ling'er honestly recounted how she "discovered" the traces of the Starlight People and roughly located them in the old apartment area. Of course, she concealed the specific details of how she used her divine sense to track them, only saying that it was a special secret technique of her sect.

Liu Ruyan listened quietly, her eyes deep.

However, unbeknownst to anyone, as she listened to Mei Ling'er's narration, several wisps of tiny, almost imperceptible black sparks had already silently permeated the surrounding air. They were like tiny, living spirits, sensing everything around them.

In the distance, under the shadow of a large tree, Qin Keqing, concealing herself with optical camouflage and anti-psychic detection devices, was carefully observing the situation in the training ground with a high-precision telescope.

She saw Mei Ling'er approach Liu Ruyan and then saw Liu Ruyan pin her against the wall, and she was secretly pleased with herself, thinking that her plan was going smoothly.

Unbeknownst to her, the faint thermal radiation generated by her device during operation, as well as the subtle fluctuations in her emotions due to her focused observation, were keenly observed by the black sparks that filled the air.

"Qin Keqing?"

Liu Ruyan sneered inwardly.

"As expected, they want to use the Hehuan Sect to find the Starlight People first; they're quite eager to claim credit."

She didn't sense any deeper malice, assuming it was just a common competitive tactic among colleagues. Feeling somewhat relieved, she temporarily put the matter aside and returned her attention to the information provided by Mei Ling'er.

After Mei Ling'er left, Qin Keqing, thinking she had succeeded, quietly withdrew as well.

Liu Ruyan returned to her super luxurious villa, which had a top-notch security system.

After taking a hot shower to wash away the sweat and fatigue, she came out wearing only a towel, drying her wet hair, revealing her smooth shoulders and neck and her straight, slender legs.

However, the moment she stepped out of the bathroom, her whole body suddenly stiffened!
A figure appeared in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window in the living room, seemingly out of nowhere.

The man stood with his back to her, hands behind his back, looking out the window. He was enveloped in a hazy yet dazzling starlight, as if he had draped the Milky Way over his body, making him appear mysterious, ancient, and majestic.

Liu Ruyan's heart suddenly clenched, but her extreme composure, honed by years of combat, prevented her from crying out.

Her muscles tensed instantly, and her spiritual energy quietly circulated within her body. Beneath the bath towel, a short blade as thin as a cicada's wing, wreathed in black flames, slid into her palm.

She was always cautious, and even in the most private and relaxed moments at home, her weapon was never out of her sight.

"Starlight People?"

Liu Ruyan's voice was so calm that it was completely unwavering, even carrying a hint of scrutiny.

"Trespassing is not a friendly way to visit someone's home."

The figure shrouded in starlight slowly turned around.

The starlight faded slightly, revealing a blurry but seemingly quite young face.

His gaze swept openly over Liu Ruyan's alluring figure, which was covered only by a bath towel. His eyes held pure appreciation, but no lewdness, as if he were admiring a fine work of art.

"Director Liu, I apologize for disturbing you."

Li Zhongren's voice was calm, revealing no emotion.

"I came here because the clue you just got about me is itself a trap."

He succinctly explained that Mei Ling'er was being followed, and that the other party might be trying to use him to set a trap for Liu Ruyan.

After listening, Liu Ruyan's beautiful eyes flashed with a sharp light, and she interrupted him.

"This is just your guess. You've deduced that Zhang Yunze and his group are plotting against me based solely on tracking them? Starlight Man, isn't your imagination running a little too wild?"

Clearly, while Liu Ruyan is fiercely opposed to evil and ruthless towards her enemies, she is not easily manipulated. This Starlight Man's inference lacks empirical evidence, and his motives seem somewhat far-fetched.

Li Zhongren seemed to have anticipated her reaction and did not argue.

He just waved his hand gently.

In an instant, endless starlight surged from his body, instantly enveloping the entire spacious living room!

The walls, ceiling, and floor all disappeared, replaced by an endless, dazzling Milky Way. Liu Ruyan felt as if she were in the cosmos.

This was not an illusion, but a temporary soul perception domain constructed by Li Zhongren using his supreme divine soul power, combined with a trace of the essence of the Hehuan Sect's investigation of "wheel tracks" that he had "learned" from Mei Ling'er!
In this galaxy, countless blurry "trajectories" began to appear, the imprints of thoughts and emotions left behind by different people in this place. Among them, a pink trajectory belonging to Mei Ling'er, who had just left, was clearly visible.

Immediately afterwards, Li Zhongren's gaze turned to a certain direction in the distance, which was the place where Qin Keqing had hidden earlier.

In the starry sky, a dark purple "track" that was extremely hidden, yet filled with coldness, greed, jealousy, and undisguised killing intent, clearly emerged!
The malice was so intense it almost solidified, just like Qin Keqing's aura!
This malice wasn't directed at the Starlight People, but rather at Liu Ruyan herself!
Liu Ruyan's pupils suddenly contracted, and the calm on her face was finally shattered, turning into utter shock!
She was not only shocked by Qin Keqing's blatant malice, but also by Li Zhongren's miraculous methods!
He clearly only had the spiritual energy fluctuations of the fourth level of Qi Refining, yet his understanding and application of power had reached such an unbelievable level!

He was able to learn the secret techniques of the Joyful Union Sect from the moment Mei Ling'er tracked him. Even though they weren't as profound as the Joyful Union Sect's techniques and couldn't track him over long distances, his control and learning ability were still terrifying! No wonder he could draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth at the fourth level of Qi Refining!

Liu Ruyan took a deep breath, completely abandoning all her contempt and doubt. If it weren't for her Black Flame talent, she knew she would be no match for this person.

"I understand."

Liu Ruyan's voice regained its composure, but with a hint of solemnity.
"Thank you for letting me know. Now, you can talk about your purpose."

The starry sky surrounding Li Zhongren slowly dissipated, and the living room returned to its original state.

“My purpose is simple: I don’t want to get involved in your official power struggles, I don’t want to be made a scapegoat, and I don’t want to offend the Great Xia Empire. Therefore, I choose to come directly to you to resolve the issue.”

Liu Ruyan fell into deep thought, her fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on her arm. After a long while, a resolute glint flashed in her eyes.

"Alright! Since they want to play, let's go big."

She looked at Li Zhongren.

"The special envoy hasn't left Youzhou City yet. Perfect, let's turn the tables on him!"

"As for you"

Liu Ruyan changed her tone.

"Since you don't want to be enemies with the Empire and have demonstrated sufficient value and sincerity, I can apply for a 'Special Security Advisor' position for you. This would be an officially recognized non-staff position with certain privileges and resources, and it would also be my way of rewarding you for your reminder. What do you say?"

She looked at Li Zhongren; this was both an attempt to win him over and a way to bind him to her.

The Great Xia Empire's consistent strategy towards such unfathomable independent cultivators is to incorporate them into its system as much as possible, even if only nominally.

Li Zhongren nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on his face under the starlight.

"can."
-
Dividing line

Hours later, a convoy of three black SUVs drove out of the law enforcement bureau and headed straight for the old apartment area in the west of Youzhou City.

Inside the lead car, Liu Ruyan drove herself, her face cold and stern.

In the passenger seat, Mei Ling'er appeared to be curiously looking around, but in reality, she was secretly pleased with herself, thinking that everything was under control.

In the back seat were two of Liu Ruyan's trusted team members, their expressions solemn.

Meanwhile, about two kilometers behind the convoy, another inconspicuous gray sedan followed at a leisurely pace.

Inside the car, in the driver's seat was Lou Shenghua, a physical cultivator; in the passenger seat was Zhang Yunze, a sword cultivator; and in the back seat were Qin Keqing, an illusion cultivator, and the mysterious black-robed man.

Zhang Yunze frowned as he looked at the convoy that was faintly visible ahead. His suspicious nature prompted him to speak again.

"Men in black, is the plan truly foolproof? The Starlight Man is also in that area. Our ambush on Liu Ruyan will certainly cause a great commotion. If the Starlight Man intervenes, or if Liu Ruyan launches a desperate counterattack to lure him out, the situation could easily spiral out of control and turn into a chaotic melee. How can we ensure the outcome then?"

The man in the black robe let out a low, hoarse laugh, and the shadow beneath his hood swayed slightly.

"Director Zhang is worried that cultivators have keen spiritual senses and a beast-like intuition for danger. If we set up an ambush at the destination in advance, given Liu Ruyan's cultivation level and the mystery of that Starlight Man, it is very likely that she will sense something amiss, leading to the plan being exposed."

He paused, his voice carrying a hint of confidence that he was in complete control.

"Therefore, we won't wait for them at the finish line. Instead, we've already chosen an excellent 'hunting ground' along the long journey from the starting point to the destination. We'll follow them from a distance, just like ordinary surveillance, which is the least likely to trigger that mysterious sense of crisis. We'll wait until the time is right."

The black-robed man's voice was filled with chilling killing intent.

“I will instantly create a barrier to isolate the inside from the outside. Then, I will strike with lightning speed, giving her no chance to react or call for help. By the time the Starlight Man notices something is wrong, it will all be over. We will be colleagues who ‘just happen’ to arrive only to find that Director Liu has unfortunately been poisoned by the ‘Starlight Man’.”

Zhang Yunze's eyes flickered, and he slowly nodded.

"The malice of tracking is far more difficult to detect than the murderous intent of an ambush. That makes sense. I hope your barrier is reliable enough."

"rest assured."

The man in black robes said confidently.

"Beneath the Northern Darkness Barrier lies even a Golden Core Grandmaster. You cannot even peek into it for a short time, let alone send a message."

He glanced at Qin Keqing deliberately.

"Including certain online tricks."

Qin Keqing chuckled, seemingly unconcerned, but a cold glint flashed in her eyes.

The convoy drove into the edge of an abandoned industrial area, the only way to the old town. There were dilapidated factories and ruins everywhere, and few people were around.

right here!

Inside the gray sedan, the man in black robes suddenly raised his hands, forming a strange and complex hand seal, and a cold, all-consuming aura suddenly erupted!

"Northern Darkness Devours the Heavens, form a seal!"

Without a sound, a huge gray barrier, imperceptible to the naked eye yet distorting light, descended suddenly like an inverted giant bowl, completely enveloping the lead vehicle where Liu Ruyan was located and the surrounding area of ​​nearly a hundred meters!

The light within the barrier dimmed instantly, as if dusk had arrived prematurely, and the signal strength of all modern communication devices dropped to zero in an instant!

"what happened?!"

"Signal interrupted!"

"There's an ambush!"

The team members inside the vehicle exclaimed in surprise and instantly went into battle mode.

Liu Ruyan slammed on the brakes, her eyes icy cold, and immediately looked at Mei Ling'er in the passenger seat.

Mei Ling'er was also stunned and panicked. She tried to start the live broadcast equipment, but found that all signals were completely blocked and she could not make any contact with the outside world at all!
She then truly realized that she might have become bait and was in great danger!

"Tsk, I got tricked!"

Mei Ling'er gritted her teeth, her usual charming smile vanished, replaced by the vigilance and coldness befitting a disciple of the Hehuan Sect.

However, there was simply no time for them to think or communicate.

Ripples spread across the edge of the barrier as four figures suddenly burst in like ghosts, launching a ferocious attack without a word!
"Liu Ruyan! Prepare to die!"

Lou Shenghua roared, his body swelled up a size, his skin gleamed with a metallic sheen, and he charged forward like a human tank, throwing a punch that caused the air to explode!

Zhang Yunze pointed his sword, and the flying sword at his waist transformed into a sinister and vicious emerald light, directly slashing towards Liu Ruyan's vehicle.

Qin Keqing's figure flickered, instantly splitting into several indistinguishable phantoms, while simultaneously unleashing a mental attack to disrupt the judgment of the other team members present.

The black-robed man hovered in mid-air, maintaining the operation of the barrier with both hands. He exuded a strong aura of evil from the Northern Darkness, constantly suppressing and eroding the space within the barrier, making Liu Ruyan feel that her spiritual energy circulation had become somewhat sluggish!
The four of them joined forces, launching a sneak attack and showing no mercy. Clearly, they intended to completely annihilate Liu Ruyan with overwhelming superiority in the shortest possible time!

(End of this chapter)