Druid Fairy

Chapter 169 Ambush
Royal Treasury.

This place is the foundation of the knowledge and power of the Great Yu Dynasty. Ordinary princes and princesses are not allowed to set foot here without special permission.

Holding a token, Li Mengze slowly entered, led by an indifferent old eunuch, completely shutting out the surrounding noise and light.

The dome was not adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, but with countless luminous pearls that emitted a clear glow. Underfoot was a ground paved with black jade, and walking on it, not a sound could be heard.

Rows of towering ebony bookshelves were neatly stacked with countless jade slips, animal skin scrolls, and ancient books.

The air was filled with the scent of books and faint fluctuations of spiritual energy.

You have three days.

The old eunuch's voice was hoarse as he said, "Three days from now, wherever you go, you must leave. Remember, you can only look, not make copies, and you cannot take any books with you. As for choosing treasures, someone will take you to the Treasure Pavilion after you have finished browsing."

After saying that, he stood silently at the doorway like a statue, and then fell silent.

Li Mengze took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and respectfully placed the token on the jade platform at the entrance. The token flashed with light, and an invisible restriction quietly dissipated.

Without any delay, he went straight to the area where geographical records were kept.

"Blood Maple Forest".

As his divine sense probed into the jade slip, lines of ancient text flooded his mind.

The Blood Maple Forest, located deep within the "Lost Mountains" bordering the Great Qian Dynasty and our country, is perpetually shrouded in blood-red miasma. The maple leaves within, constantly imbued with this malevolent energy, turn a deep crimson, hence the name.

According to records, this place is the site of an ancient battlefield between sects, and also the place where successive dynasties disposed of 'filth'...

Upon seeing this, the text on the jade slip suddenly became blurry, as if a section had been forcibly erased by an invisible force.

Further down, you'll find completely different content.

[...Whenever the fate of the nation changed or a great calamity struck, the emperor would hold a 'national pacification ceremony' here to appease heaven and earth and pray for peace and prosperity for the country.]

"Filth? A national festival?"

Li Mengze frowned. The record seemed detailed, but in fact it ended abruptly at the most crucial point, deliberately covered up.

This made him even more certain of his father's guess—that the so-called "nutrients" and "harvest" were probably hidden in the secrets of the erased "filth" and "ritual".

He suppressed his doubts and began to investigate the second-tier spiritual materials required for the [Nine Yang Refining Spirit Array].

This time, the information was much clearer.

"Earth Core Fire Essence is produced from the lava core beneath the Blackfire Mountains. Note: The Blackfire Mountains were the main battlefield of the 'Crimson Flame War' three hundred years ago, where thirteen Foundation Establishment cultivators and tens of thousands of Qi Refining cultivators perished, and the resentment and evil aura still lingers to this day."

"Nine Heavens Divine Iron occasionally appears in Thunder Valley. Note: Thunder Valley was once home to an ancient thunder cultivation sect, which was later destroyed. The valley is constantly filled with lightning and thunder, and countless fragments of magical treasures and lingering obsessions remain in the void."

"Ten-thousand-year-old warm jade has a chance of being found in the 'Burial Pit of Immortals' in the extremely cold icy plains. Note: Burial Pit of Immortals..."

As Li Mengze examined each clue, a chill ran down his spine.

Without exception, all the sources of second-tier high-grade spiritual materials point to ancient battlefields or forbidden areas filled with death.

The father's suspicions were confirmed once again.

This world is indeed "cultivating" the resources that support the upper-level cultivators in a bloody way.

He memorized this information before heading to the other side of the secret vault—the area for cultivation techniques and supernatural abilities.

Three days passed in a blink of an eye.

Before leaving the secret vault, Li Mengze arrived at the Treasure Pavilion.

He chose a protective magic item for himself called "Fuxin Jade," which could resist attacks on the soul, and was just what he needed.

For his younger brother Li Mengjin, he chose a sword technique manual called "Divine Split Sword". This sword technique can create illusory clones, which are both real and illusory, like flowers in a mirror and the moon in the water. It can be used for both offense and defense.

What was given to her younger sister, Li Mengyue, was a precious pearl containing a wisp of "Moonlight Essence." This object was extremely pure and clean, capable of nourishing her soul and greatly enhancing the healing power of her Moon Goddess Spring.

Returning home laden with treasures, Li Mengze declined the invitations from Prince Yong and Elder Zhao to stay. He needed to return as soon as possible to personally deliver these important intelligence and treasures to his family.

…………

At Prince Yong's residence, a team of elite guards composed of cultivators in the mid-to-late stages of Qi Refining were already fully prepared for action.

“Nephew,” Prince Yong personally saw him off, patting his shoulder with concern in his tiger-like eyes, “you have brought fame to the capital this time, but you have also offended people you shouldn’t have. That girl from the Wei family has been spoiled by her mother since she was a child, and she is vindictive. Take my token and mobilize this team of ‘Tiger Guards’ to protect you. Remember, when you’re out there, survival is the most important thing.”

Li Mengze was grateful and bowed respectfully, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness."

He did not refuse, which may be the key to whether he can leave the capital alive.

The convoy slowly drove out of the city gate and headed towards the official road.

On a road that must be passed through, called "Soul-Breaking Slope".

Dressed in a black outfit and wearing a hideous demon mask, Wei Ling'er stood on the cliff, coldly watching the approaching convoy below.

Behind her stood a dozen or so men dressed in black, their auras chilling, their eyes devoid of any human emotion, like a group of demons crawling out of hell.

"Have you all remembered?" Wei Ling'er's voice was icy cold. "When you make your move, leave no survivors, especially that guy surnamed Li. I want him to die a horrible death! After you're done, leave immediately and don't leave any trace."

"Yes, sir," the leader of the men in black replied hoarsely, holding a strange, long, curved sword that resembled a snake, with faint black energy swirling around its blade.

They were assassins secretly trained by Princess Zhaoyang, specializing in dirty work that couldn't be done in the open. In their eyes, there were no princes or nobles, no alchemical geniuses, only mission targets.

"They're here." Wei Ling'er licked her lips, her eyes gleaming with bloodthirsty excitement.

'Li Mengze, your death is near!'

The convoy drove onto a narrow, sloping road with steep mountain walls on both sides. The terrain was treacherous, making it an excellent ambush location.

"Murderous!"

Almost simultaneously, Li Mengze, who was inside the carriage, felt a sense of foreboding.

He grabbed the "Fu Xinyu" beside him and instantly pushed his divine sense to its limit.

"Stop the car! There's an ambush!"

Almost the instant he shouted it out!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

On the mountain walls on both sides, several huge rocks that had been placed beforehand suddenly rolled down, hitting the front and back of the convoy precisely and instantly blocking their escape route.

"Form the array! Protect the alchemist!"

The Tiger Guard captain roared, and a dozen guards instantly drew their swords, forming an impenetrable circular battle formation to firmly protect Li Mengze's carriage in the center.

"Boo! Hah! Hah!"

A rain of poisoned arrows filled the sky, like black locusts, swarming in from all directions.

“Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!”

The Tiger Guards brandished their longswords, their blades flashing in a continuous barrage, deflecting the rain of arrows. But then, a dozen ghostly black figures silently slid down the mountainside, charging into the battle like cheetahs hunting their prey!
These black-clad assassins were all at least at the seventh level of Qi Refining, and the leader even had one foot in the eighth level of Qi Refining!

Their moves were ruthless and unpredictable, each strike aimed at vital points, and their teamwork was impeccable, clearly indicating that they were seasoned veterans.

Although the Tiger Guards were elite, they were caught off guard by the unexpected attack. In the first exchange, two Tiger Guards had their throats slashed by the strange curved blade. They fell into pools of blood before they could even scream.

A gap suddenly appeared in the battle formation!
"kill!"

The leader of the assassins' eyes flashed with ferocity as he charged straight at the carriage where Li Mengze was!

"Don't think about it!"

The Tiger Guard Captain's eyes were bloodshot as he swung his sword to meet the attack head-on.

"Qiang!"

With a loud bang, the Tiger Guard Captain felt a chilling, immense force, which forced him to stagger backward, his tiger's mouth splitting open and bleeding profusely.

"Pathetic." The leader of the assassins sneered, his figure blurring as he tried to bypass him.

at this time!

Without warning, the ground beneath his feet suddenly turned into quicksand!
Caught off guard, the leader of the assassins was instantly plunged halfway into the hole, his movements momentarily halted.

"Huh?" He was startled.

Before he could react, countless thick vines and thorns burst forth from the ground around him, like venomous snakes that had come to life, and frantically coiled around his limbs!
"Little tricks!"

The leader of the assassins roared, his body radiating a surge of black energy, and he was about to shatter the vines.

However, it was this fleeting pause that gave the Tiger Guard Captain a chance to catch his breath.

"Go to hell!"

Tiger Guard Captain seized the opportunity and slashed fiercely at his neck with his blade.

At the same time, Li Mengze jumped out of the carriage. He was not flustered at all, and several dark pills appeared in his hand.

He flicked his finger, and the pill shot precisely at the few men in black who were charging at the front.

The pill exploded in mid-air, releasing a large cloud of foul-smelling, pungent green toxic mist.

The men in black inhaled the poisonous mist and immediately felt dizzy and their magical power became sluggish.

"It's poison! Hold your breath!"

The assassins retreated, their eyes showing horror for the first time.

They never expected that this seemingly frail alchemist was actually an expert in using poison!

This eerie quicksand, these wildly growing vines, this insidious poisonous fog...

All of this has an inexplicable eeriness about it!
Several miles away from Broken Soul Slope, on an inconspicuous little hill.

Li Pingcan sat cross-legged with his eyes closed. His consciousness had already taken in the entire battlefield situation through the omnipresent fungal carpet network.

From the moment his son stepped out of the capital, his [Fungus Lord Domain] was locked in place.

"You want to kill my son? I'll let your men taste what nature's wrath is all about first!"

He had a thought in his mind.

"Buzzing—"

A huge hornet's nest near Broken Soul Slope instantly caused an uproar.

Tens of thousands of killer bees, each the size of a thumb, swept towards the location of the black-clad assassins, blotting out the sky!

"Ah! What the hell is this!"

"My eyes! Help!"

The black-clad assassins were instantly overwhelmed by the swarm of bees. They brandished their weapons, trying to drive the bees away, but these killer bees were fearless and relentlessly stung their vulnerable areas, such as their eyes and necks, which were not protected by armor.

The screams of agony rose and fell.

The formation was thrown into chaos instantly!
On the cliff, Wei Ling'er was dumbfounded.

Quicksand? Vines? Poisonous fog?

Now a swarm of killer bees has appeared?

This...what is going on?

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" She trembled with rage, screaming, "Attack! All of you, attack! Kill him! Regardless of the cost!"

The last few assassins behind her exchanged a glance upon hearing the order, a resolute glint in their eyes.

They slapped their chests, their blood and qi surged in reverse, and strange blood-red patterns appeared on their skin. Their aura increased several times in an instant!
"It's a blood sacrifice technique! They're going to fight to the death!" the Tiger Guard captain exclaimed in horror.

"Protect the alchemist and evacuate!"

Li Mengze shook his head, his gaze serene and terrifying as he looked at the surging aura of the assassins.

"Need not."

He uttered two words softly, then leaped out of the carriage. His expression was calm, and with a flick of his wrist, a dozen pills the size of longan leaves flew with a whooshing sound, precisely towards each of the guards!
Although the Tiger Guards were startled, they remained calm. Out of absolute trust in Prince Yong and this alchemy prodigy, they swallowed the pill without hesitation!
"Roar!"

As soon as the pill entered his stomach, an unimaginable surge of intense heat erupted within him, like a dormant volcano bursting forth!
A dozen or so Tiger Guards simultaneously let out a low, suppressed roar. Their muscles bulged and rippled at a visible speed, making their armor creak and groan.

Beneath their skin, veins bulged like dragons and snakes, a faint crimson-gold radiance flowed across their bodies, and their eyes burned with raging golden flames!

Originally at the late stage of Qi Refining, his aura surged at this moment, breaking through the bottleneck and reaching the terrifying peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining!
"What...what kind of pill is this?!"

Standing on the cliff, Wei Ling'er was dumbfounded, her heart filled with turmoil.

The leader of the assassins was also greatly shocked. He had never seen such a domineering pill that could instantly enhance a cultivator's cultivation level!

This is simply an unprecedented demonic technique!
Before he could think any further, the strange curved blade in his hand, gleaming with a deadly cold light, slashed towards the Tiger Guard captain who had just been knocked back by him!
"Die!"

At this moment, the Tiger Guard Captain's eyes were bloodshot, feeling an unprecedented explosive power within his body. Instead of retreating, he advanced, letting out a deafening roar. Without dodging or avoiding, he actually used his standard-issue longsword to fiercely slash back at the deadly curved blade!

"Qiang——!!!"

A deafening clang, several times louder than before, suddenly erupted!

Before the leader of the assassins' incredulous eyes, his magical curved sword, which could cut through iron like mud, was actually severed in two by the opponent's long sword!

An unparalleled force rebounded, and the leader of the assassins screamed as the bones in his entire arm shattered inch by inch. He was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the mountain wall!

"kill!!!"

With this shift in momentum, the tide of battle turned in an instant!

(End of this chapter)