Druid Fairy

Chapter 210 Hidden Assassination
Inside the Honglu Temple where the Daqian delegation stayed.

Qian Tianjue sat upright in the main seat, the warm smile on his face long gone.

"Elder Xuan, your soul..." Qian Tianjue's voice was calm, conveying a sense of warmth.

"Your Highness," the old man, known as Elder Xuan, said in a hoarse voice, "that girl's Taiyin Sacred Body is far more terrifying than the intelligence reports. Its divine power is described as pure and holy, making it the nemesis of those of us who cultivate yin and evil techniques. My divine sense only probed it slightly, and it was like ice and snow meeting the scorching sun, instantly being devoured by its purifying power. My soul's origin has already fallen, and without thirty-five years of quiet recuperation, I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to recover."

It wasn't a crushing defeat on the level of strength, but an absolute restraint on a certain level, like a mouse encountering its natural enemy, unable to even muster the thought of resistance.

"It wasn't a complete loss."

Qian Tianjue stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the heavily guarded palace. "At least, you've proven two things."

"First, Li Mengyue does indeed possess the Taiyin Sacred Body, and she can already begin to utilize its divine power. If I can capture such a physique and refine its essence using secret methods, it will be enough for me to break through my bottleneck and even glimpse the legendary 'Imperial Path Ultimate Realm'!"

"Secondly," a greedy glint flashed in his eyes, "her reckless use of divine power must indicate her inner weakness and cowardice. She is warning us, and also protecting her master who is currently in seclusion. Subsequent events proved that Li Mengze was indeed at his most vulnerable moment in refining the Dao Fruit!"

Upon hearing this, the other experts from the Great Qian Dynasty inside the hall all quickened their breathing.

Such a divine opportunity, not to mention in the countries of the Eastern Region, but even in the real immortal sects, would be enough to drive countless geniuses mad and stir up a bloody storm!
“Your Highness, what shall we do next…” A military officer from the delegation stepped forward and made a “kill” gesture, “Should we gather all our forces and launch a night attack? I am willing to be the vanguard and retrieve the Dao Fruit for Your Highness!”

"Fool." Qian Tianjue scolded without turning his head, "That Qingxu Daoist is unfathomable. In the Golden Palace, I could sense his faint aura staring at me. Moreover, the Duke of Zhenguo is also a veteran of the battlefield. The capital is probably now filled with a net of heaven and earth. A direct attack is simply the worst strategy."

He turned around, a smug, knowing smile playing on his lips: "The most effective way to deal with a fortified city is never to force your way through the gates, but to hollow out its foundation from within."

His gaze fell upon the man in black who seemed to be completely hidden in the shadows.

“Shadow Ghost,” Qian Tianjue’s voice rang out, “I’ve heard that there’s no place in this world you can’t infiltrate, no person you can’t assassinate.”

The man in black, known as "Shadow Ghost," was of average height, with a bloodless face and eyes like those of a lurking venomous snake. His voice was so hoarse it was like two pieces of sandpaper hitting the ground: "Whom does Your Highness wish to die?"

“No, I don’t want anyone to die.” Qian Tianjue shook his head, his eyes flashing with an eerie light. “I want you to destroy something.”

He took out a map from his pocket and slowly unfolded it over Manhattan. At the top of the map, the layout of the entire capital was clearly shown, with one place in the core area of ​​the imperial city, called "Tiangongfang," circled in vermilion.

"According to intelligence from our inside sources, that Qingxu Daoist is preparing to empty the Great Yu Kingdom's treasury to set up a city-protecting array called the 'Ziwei Guardian Array' in the capital. The core material supporting the array's core is a rare treasure formed from the essence of the earth, a treasure that is only seen once every ten thousand years. Tonight at midnight, this treasure will be transported to the Heavenly Craft Workshop via a secret passage and then ascend and descend."

Qian Tianjue pointed his finger at the location of the Heavenly Craft Workshop, his eyes revealing murderous intent: "Infiltrate it and completely defile it!"

"There are no tortoise-shell cities here; the treasures within are mine to take at will!"

The Shadow Demon chuckled, its body seemingly boneless, transforming into a wisp of black smoke that stained the ground covering it, leaving only a chilling voice echoing within the hall.

"Your Highness, please await good news."

…………

Meanwhile, in the western suburbs of the capital, the former site of the three major camps of the Royal Guard has been completely transformed into the most secret location of the entire Great Yu Dynasty.

The high walls, densely covered with electric fences, and the interior of the walls inscribed with countless warning and defensive runes by Master Xu, formed the prototype of the "Immortal Slayer Guards."

On the training ground, three thousand strong men, shirtless, under the scorching sun, were undergoing the most brutal physical training.

Each of them was a battle-hardened elite carefully selected by the Duke of Zhenguo from the Zhenguo Army.

On the other side, in a secret room converted from a warehouse, Li Mengjin was sitting cross-legged.

Hundreds of jade slips floated in front of him, these were the basic inheritances of alchemy, talisman, and weapon crafting left by Li Mengze before he went into seclusion.

Li Mengjin didn't use any profound techniques; instead, he imprinted all the basic knowledge into his thinking, combined it with his own understanding of swordsmanship, and refined it.

He knew very well that it was a pipe dream to train three thousand mortal soldiers into warriors capable of fighting against cultivators in a short period of time.

Other cultivation methods are extremely slow for them.

What he did was to take a different approach, to make these soldiers obey orders without question, to make them fearless and daring, and to wield the sword of "breaking the law"!

Li Mengjin's intentions were obvious.

"When three thousand warriors, each carrying a 'Pill of Loyalty and Blood,' draped in 'Diamond Talismans,' and wielding 'Spell-Breaking Crossbows' capable of piercing spiritual energy shields, formed a battle formation, they fused their blood and will with their power."

What he wants is not the strength of an individual soldier, but the destructive power of the collective!
"Dong dong dong."

There was a knock on the door of the secret room, and Li Yuanhu's burly figure walked in, a look of excitement on his face.

"These bastards are all good! They've got guts!" He took a big gulp of water and said in a muffled voice, "But... isn't our training a bit too slow? By the time they've made a name for themselves, those bastards from Daqian will probably be coming to our door."

Li Mengjin opened his eyes and handed over a jade slip: "Brother Yuanhu, starting tomorrow, the training method shall be based on this."

Li Yuanhu took the jade slip.

The Jade Slip Ritual did not contain any profound cultivation methods, but rather a series of incredible combined attack formations and detailed explanations of the combat prowess of various talismans and magical artifacts.

The most crucial element is a battle formation called the "Burning Blood Returning to Origin Formation." This formation allows all the soldiers' blood and killing intent to be channeled into the leader at the formation's core through a special incantation, enabling him to unleash a devastating attack.

However, the cost is that each launch greatly depletes the soldiers' vitality.

This isn't training troops at all; it's creating a group of... suicide soldiers—those whose brilliance lasts only a moment, yet is enough to burn everything to ashes!
“This…” Li Yuanhu’s voice was somewhat hoarse.

“Brother Yuanhu,” Li Mengjin said with an undeniable resolve, “you should understand one thing. If an enemy stronger than us wants to win with the weak, they must pay a price.”

“Their lives matter. But the lives of us brothers, and the millions of people in the capital, matter even more so.”

Li Yuanhu remained silent for a long time. Finally, he nodded emphatically, a tragic red light flashing in his eyes: "I understand."

He turned and walked out of the secret room, his tall figure appearing heavy in the afterglow of the setting sun.

…………

At midnight, the night was as dark as ink, and even the stars and moon were obscured by thick, dark clouds.

The entire capital was shrouded in deathly silence, broken only occasionally by the crackling of the torches held by the patrolling Golden Scale Guards.

The Heavenly Craft Workshop, as the most important place for the royal family to manufacture military equipment and magical artifacts, is now under the strictest defenses.

The newly formed "Immortal Slayer Guard" had its most elite battalion of 500 men, under the command of Li Yuanhu, who held a prestigious rank, completely surrounding the area.

The four purple areas in the courtyard were temporarily equipped with four "starlight sensing arrays" set up by Daoist Qingxu. Any object carrying spiritual energy that approaches would instantly trigger an alarm. Inside the secret room.

The Duke of Zhenguo and several senior royal array masters stood solemnly by his side, waiting for the Imperial Advisor to arrive at dawn the next day and place it in the center of the array.

"General Yuanhu, do you think this kind of battle is a bit of an overreaction?"

An old array master stroked his beard, looking at the heavily guarded area with sentries every three steps and patrols every five steps, and couldn't help but laugh, "This Heavenly Craft Workshop is as solid as a rock. In addition, with the Grand Preceptor's array protection, not even an assassin, let alone a fly, can get in."

Li Yuanhu didn't speak, but his tiger-like eyes suddenly scanned every dark corner of Shengguo.

He didn't understand any formations, but he trusted Li Mengze's judgment.

Just then, a shadow on the outer wall of Tiangongfang began to wriggle and move without warning, as if it had come to life.

The shadow ghost's figure slowly "seeped" out from the thin shadow, without making a sound or causing any fluctuation of spiritual energy.

He glanced sharply at the star-studded magic circle above the wall, a cold smile playing on his lips.

The "Shadow Codex" he cultivated was an ancient demonic tradition that emphasized the interaction with the yin and yang energy of heaven and earth. It was not spiritual power, but rather a more bizarre "shadow power".

In his eyes, such a magic array that could only sense fluctuations of spiritual energy was useless.

His body once again transformed into an almost invisible phantom, clinging to the corner of the wall like a silent venomous snake, easily bypassing a patrol of soldiers, and stealthily making its way towards the brightly lit secret room in the center.

Listening to the Waves Pavilion, under that century-old pine tree.

Li Mengjin suddenly opened his eyes, and a sharp glint flashed in his calm, still eyes.

Just now, his sword heart, which was in harmony with the wind and rain, keenly sensed that the naturally flowing wind within the capital city, when it blew through the Tiangongfang area, showed a faint and sharp... stagnation.

It's as if someone has spilled a drop of ink that doesn't belong to this work of art onto a perfect painting.

"coming."

Without alerting anyone, he swayed and, as if bathed in the night breeze, vanished without a trace.

Outside the secret chamber of the Heavenly Craft Workshop, the Shadow Ghost had already infiltrated the last line of defense.

He could clearly sense the immense power of the earth within the secret chamber, as well as the faint life forms of those old men.

He took out a small bottle made of black crystal from his pocket. Inside the bottle, a viscous, ink-like liquid, coated with a liquid exuding maximum malice and corrosiveness, was slowly writhing.

This is the "Nine Netherworld Soul-Eating Suffocation," a single drop of deadly poison he refined by collecting the Nine Netherworld Fiends and countless vengeful souls, sensing the passage of time. This poison is extremely vile, capable of corrupting magical artifacts and defiling the souls of people.

Even a single drop of interruption could completely turn that core into a pile of waste rock.

He took a deep breath, his entire aura seemingly merging completely with the darkness beneath his feet, preparing to unleash his final stealth attack.

Just then, a cold voice appeared in front of him without warning.

"You cowardly rat hiding your head and tail, are you looking for death?"

Instantly, the hairs on the Shadow Ghost's body stood on end!

He turned around abruptly and saw Li Mengjin's figure appear silently just three feet away, staring at him with the same look he had when looking at a dead man.

"you!"

The Shadow Ghost was overwhelmed with shock. He couldn't understand how the other party had discovered his "Shadow Codex," which was flawless!

There was no time to think, and the reaction was incredibly fast. His body exploded instantly, transforming into an identical black shadow that shot off in all directions. At the same time, the crystal bottle containing the "Nine Nether Soul Devourer" was swiftly and ghostly pounced on the door of the secret chamber by the black shadow within!

A feint to the east while attacking the west, a siege of Wei to relieve Zhao!
Even if the opponent can stop his true form, they absolutely cannot protect that treasure at the same time!
However, he was facing Li Mengjin.

Then I saw him slowly raise the sword in his hand.

"Buzz!"

An invisible sword intent, centered on him, suddenly spread out!

This sword intent was no longer merely sharpness, but had transformed into a domain.
In this realm, the wind no longer flows, the rain no longer falls, the light is distorted, and the sound is extinguished.

The whole world seemed to have been pressed on pause.

The black shadow that shot out from the road suddenly stopped in mid-air, as if it had fallen into a transparent amber bowl and could not move.

The crystal bottle that was about to smash into the door also mysteriously hovered in mid-air.

"This is the Sword Domain!"

For the first time, the Shadow Demon's hoarse voice carried a fear from the depths of his soul!

He never dreamed that this seemingly young commander of the Golden Scale Guards was actually a peerless swordsman who had already touched upon the birth of the "Dao" and comprehended the rudimentary form of the Sword Domain!
"Got you."

Li Mengjin's gaze was precisely locked onto one of the most solid black figures.

He took a step forward, ignoring the distance in space, and instantly appeared in front of the dark figure. The "Shadow Fang" in his hand moved slowly, but in reality, it was as fast as lightning. He thrust out a sword.

This sword strike, seemingly ordinary and devoid of any dazzling special effects, contained an unwavering will to cleanse everything and sever all wind and rain.

"No!"

The Shadow Demon let out a desperate roar. His proud shadow body was as fragile as paper in the face of this pure sword intent.

"Pfft!"

The Shadowfang Longsword pierced the Shadow Demon's heart without any resistance.

A surge of powerful sword energy erupted within his body, instantly shredding his internal organs and soul into dust.

The drop of "Nine Nether Soul Erosion" was completely absorbed by the aftershocks of Li Mengjin's sword energy the instant it lost control, leaving not even a trace.

(End of this chapter)