Chapter 75: The Great Battle Begins (3)
“Young, but speaks with such a big tone. If the path I, Xiao Sha, want to take is blocked, I will fill it with corpses. You can be the first!”
Xiao Sha’s arrogance remained. He drew the large bow on his back with his backhand and shot three arrows like lightning. His movements were smooth, his speed terrifying, almost creating afterimages.
“Hmph!”
Cheng Hong Ling snorted coldly. She took a step forward, her beautiful figure disappearing from her original spot like a ghost, easily dodging the three arrows. Although the Wave Butterfly body technique was not enhanced by ice, it was still astonishingly fast.
After dodging the three arrows, Cheng Hong Ling attacked towards Xiao Sha instead of retreating, leaving behind afterimages.
“Such light and graceful steps, but still unable to escape my ears.”
A smile tugged at Xiao Sha’s lips. He shot several arrows in a row towards a certain direction. He was a warrior, and although he could not use his spiritual sense to detect his opponent, his senses were sharp. Any gust of wind or rustle of grass around him could not escape his ears or eyes.
“How about this!”
Cheng Hong Ling dodged the arrows again. Cold qi surged from her feet, making the ground ice over with every step. Not only did her speed double, but the sound of her footsteps almost disappeared.
Xiao Sha’s thick eyebrows furrowed slightly. Just as he was about to focus and listen, a faint fragrance of a young girl reached his nostrils.
Cheng Hong Ling almost flashed in front of Xiao Sha, her Blue Scale Sword slashing ruthlessly towards his neck without hesitation. Before the sword even reached, the killing intent on it had condensed into a sharp edge, emanating a heart-pounding aura. This was the benefit of her mastery of killing intent: invoking fear and deterrence!
“Killing intent? Is that useful against me? I’ve killed more people than you, you little yellow-haired girl, have ever seen!”
Xiao Sha casually raised the arrow in his hand to block the Blue Scale Sword.
“Clang…”
A metallic collision sound erupted. Xiao Sha’s arrow was clearly not forged from ordinary metal, as it managed to block the strike of the Blue Scale Sword.
With her sword attack unsuccessful, Cheng Hong Ling decisively retreated.
As the two began to exchange blows, many people from the HongHua Sect started to gather nearby to watch.
“Who do you think will win?”
“Of course, it’s Hong Ling! In my impression, she has never encountered an opponent she couldn’t defeat.”
“Not necessarily this time. I’ve heard of Xiao Sha. He’s an Altar Master of the Juexian Cult, and many Immortal Sects have been destroyed with his involvement. It’s also said that he single-handedly destroyed several sects. Although Hong Ling’s talent is astonishing, she is still too young and may suffer a disadvantage.”
“You’d better pray she wins, otherwise, the sects that Xiao Sha destroyed single-handedly might have our HongHua Sect’s name added to the list.”
…
Several high-level figures watched with great concern.
“Good sword!”
Xiao Sha casually broke the wobbling arrow in his hand and exclaimed. Then, he lifted his strong right foot and stomped down viciously, roaring, “Break for me!”
“Boom!”
The earth shook and the mountains trembled. The hard Mystic Ice on the ground cracked under this stomp, and then shattered like glass, flying everywhere. This showed how terrifying the physical strength of a warrior was.
“Mountain Pushing Palm!”
Xiao Sha roared again. He pulled back his arms, his muscles bulging like a coiled beast. The next moment, his thick palms pushed forward fiercely!
“Boom!”
Two huge palm prints surged forward like a tide. The shattered Mystic Ice, propelled by the force, turned into “flying arrows” shot from a bow, letting out terrifying whistling sounds as they shot towards Cheng Hong Ling, dense and unavoidable!
Cheng Hong Ling narrowed her beautiful eyes. Her powerful spiritual sense surged out of her body, transforming into a thick shield to protect her front.
“Clink, clink, clink…”
The Mystic Ice fragments struck the spiritual sense shield, emitting crisp collision sounds, and then all fell down.
Cheng Hong Ling’s expression remained unchanged. Her delicate body floated up lightly, easily dodging the two huge palm prints. However, at this moment, she seemed to smell a strange odor from the palm wind.
“Is it my imagination?”
Cheng Hong Ling slightly furrowed her willow-like brows.
“I didn’t expect you to not only have astonishing cultivation talent, but your spiritual sense strength also surpasses cultivators of the same realm. You truly are a genius.”
Xiao Sha praised with his hands behind his back.
“Do you know what? I hate it the most when people comment on me!”
Cheng Hong Ling replied expressionlessly, then bit her jade finger and began to write on the Blue Scale Sword with her essence blood. Although this move consumed a lot of True Qi, she knew that if she continued to hold back, she might not have the chance to use it later.
As the talisman was completed, dark clouds quickly gathered above Cheng Hong Ling’s head, covering the sky and the sun. Streaks of purple lightning roamed within, eager to be unleashed.
“Sky Thunder Sword? It seems you’re prepared to fight to the death!”
Xiao Sha said calmly, then mocked, “Unfortunately, no matter how fast your movement technique is, how good your sword is, or how sharp your moves are, what’s the use if you can’t hit anyone?”
Cheng Hong Ling remained unfazed and charged forward like lightning. However, as soon as she moved, she felt her legs go soft, and a feeling of powerlessness spread through her limbs and bones.
“What’s going on?”
Cheng Hong Ling stopped in surprise and then entered an internal observation in her original position. The situation within her body was clear at a glance: the True Qi in her meridians was rapidly dissipating, even in her Qi Sea.
“This is… Xieqisan?”
Cheng Hong Ling’s face immediately changed drastically.
“Surprise? Unexpected? To deal with you, I’ve used everything I’ve accumulated over the years! The purity is astonishing, and the quantity is more than enough. Just one whiff, and you won’t be able to get out of bed for three days!”
Xiao Sha laughed mockingly.
“Despicable person! Is this what you call using martial arts to discuss the Dao?”
Cheng Hong Ling scolded. Although her cultivation was profound, she was still too young and unable to deal with schemes and tricks.
“Warfare is about deception! Deception is also a Dao!”
Xiao Sha said shamelessly.
“Don’t celebrate too early. In the face of absolute strength, any scheme is futile!”
Cheng Hong Ling gritted her teeth and continued to attack towards Xiao Sha.
“Unfortunately! You don’t have absolute strength right now!”
Xiao Sha said contemptuously.
…
On the other side, Qi Huang had lightly flown to the foot of the back mountain. On the cliff there, hundreds of Juexian Cult cultists were climbing upwards with all their might. The leading Altar Masters were powerful, like walking on flat ground, and their speed was astonishing.
“This damned Bi Xin, why did he suddenly lose contact? Now we don’t even know about the HongHua Sect’s troop movements. How are we supposed to attack later?”
The leading Sect Master Pan grumbled angrily.
“Yes, I don’t know if Altar Master Xiao can restrain Cheng Hong Ling. If our movements are too big and alert her, we might all die.”
Another Sect Master also complained.
“Do you think Bi Xin might have had an accident? How about we retreat first and make plans after we figure out the situation.”
The Sect Master at the very back was very cautious.
“Sect Master Yang, what are you joking about? Retreating at this time means failing the mission. How will we explain it to Altar Master Xiao when we get back?”
Sect Master Pan retorted.
Just then, Sect Master Yang inexplicably clutched his left chest, a look of pain on his face. He groaned, “What… what’s going on?! Why does my chest suddenly hurt so much?”
“Stop acting! Your acting is too bad! So timid, how can you achieve great things?”
Sect Master Pan said disdainfully.
“Yes, you became an Altar Master by backdoors, didn’t you? You shrink back at the slightest difficulty. I’m truly ashamed to be associated with you.”
Another Sect Master also mocked.
“Act? What acting? My chest really hurts!”
Sect Master Yang spoke with difficulty, and his body quickly curled up like a shrimp due to the pain. Then he fell towards the abyss below.
“Is he… is he acting?”
Someone asked doubtfully.
“Acting what? Try acting for me, will you?”
Sect Master Pan retorted angrily, then warily became vigilant.
“Ah! My chest hurts too! Save me!”
Just then, another Sect Master let out a painful groan and also fell off the cliff.
“It’s hair! I saw it! It’s hair! Everyone be careful and vigilant!”
Sect Master Pan’s eyes widened in rage, and he shouted a reminder.
“You know too much!”
Just then, a clear female voice came from above.
Sect Master Pan looked up and saw a peerless maiden floating in the air. On her fair forehead was a pink lotus-shaped clone mark, and her cold gaze was directly at him.
Chapter 75: The Great Battle Begins (4)
“Surprise? Unexpected?”
Qi Huang said condescendingly, a blank expression on her face as she teased.
“That… that’s Cheng Hong Ling’s clone. Why did she suddenly wake up?”
“This damned Bi Xin, why didn’t he notify us? I’m going to tear him into eight pieces when I get back!”
“If the clone appears here, will the main body be far behind?”
“This clone of Cheng Hong Ling… is she powerful? How about we take this opportunity to eliminate her and solve the problem once and for all!”
…
The remaining high-level figures of the Juexian Cult discussed among themselves, with some even eager to try.
“Escape!”
Sect Master Pan did not hesitate for a moment and fled downwards in panic, because he already knew the terror of this clone from Bi Xin.
“Thinking of escaping now, it’s too late.”
Qi Huang sneered, her powerful spiritual sense suppressing them like the collapse of the nine heavens.
“Ah!”
The high-level figures below were either crushed into bloody pulp on the spot or lost their footing and fell into the valley. Screams of agony echoed all around, startling flocks of birds.
Qi Huang scanned the area below with her spiritual sense. After confirming there were no survivors, she continued to float down the mountain. These ten or so people were merely the vanguard sent to assassinate her. The main force of the Juexian Cult was still behind them, and she had to eliminate them completely today.
At the foot of the mountain, over a thousand Juexian Cult members were divided into four groups, surrounding the HongHua Sect from the east, west, north, and south. Some came from their own province, while others came from other provinces. This showed how much importance the Juexian Cult’s higher-ups attached to this mission.
In the eastern group, a strong, dark-skinned middle-aged man was leisurely drinking tea, occasionally looking towards the direction of the mountain summit, appearing as if he were simply touring. This person was Lei Zhen, also an Altar Master of the Juexian Cult, whose strength was comparable to Xiao Sha’s. He was originally in charge of affairs in other provinces, and the only reason he appeared here was by the appointment of the Cult Master.
“Altar Master, why haven’t Altar Master Xiao and the others responded yet? This efficiency is too poor!”
A young Sect Master under Lei Zhen couldn’t wait and complained first. They were waiting here for Cheng Hong Ling’s demise, and then they would charge in and eliminate all the disciples of the HongHua Sect. This was the pre-arranged plan.
“If he weren’t useless, why would he be assigned to a desolate place like Yongning Prefecture? A mere HongHua Sect with a hundred disciples, and the strongest among them is just a yellow-haired girl who has just entered the Huashen realm. Yet, it caused the Holy Cult to mobilize such a large force, bringing our members from other provinces to support him!”
Another middle-aged Sect Master next to him shook his head disdainfully.
“You two, that’s not how you should put it.”
The last elder-level high-ranking official had a different opinion. He said, “The weaker the HongHua Sect is, the more advantageous it is for us, isn’t it? We can just go through the motions, get credit, and leave. Why not?”
“Heh heh… Sect Master Ding, you’re one to talk. Are we all here just to earn some merit? Who isn’t here for those dozens of female cultivators?”
“Yes! I heard your youngest son has cultivation talent, right? You got your wish, what about us? If we don’t take this opportunity to find a few more female cultivators to have offspring, those offspring will only become inferior people like us in the future.”
…
The two Sect Masters condemned him.
Sect Master Ding smiled noncommittally, but the smugness on his old face was undeniable.
“This Xiao person, isn’t he planning to monopolize those dozens of female cultivators all to himself, and then notify us to clean up his mess?”
Lei Zhen put down his teacup and stood up.
“It must be so. As the saying goes, nothing is done without a purpose. That Xiao person isn’t stupid. Why would he arrange for us to be here to collect easy credit while he goes to the front line? It’s just that he wants to monopolize those dozens of female cultivators.”
The youngest Sect Master next to him deduced.
“Heh heh, you underestimate him! With Cheng Hong Ling there, only a fool would focus their attention on other female cultivators.”
Lei Zhen chuckled without speaking.
“Altar Master, you mean his target is Cheng Hong Ling? But the order above clearly states that we must kill this woman. Does he dare to disobey?”
Sect Master Ding asked in disbelief.
“She is a member of the Immortal Alliance, so she must be killed. But if we can succeed in taming her and making her a member of the Juexian Cult, then there’s no need to kill her.”
A trace of greed appeared on Lei Zhen’s face, clearly showing his interest.
“Altar Master Lei is wise. Cheng Hong Ling’s talent is so astonishing, and her offspring are guaranteed to be cultivators. Whoever obtains her can change their family’s destiny. Therefore, it’s worth taking any risk for her.”
“Moreover, this girl is stunningly beautiful, and she is known as one of the ‘Twin Beauties of Yue Concealment’ in the Xihui Dynasty along with the Saintess of Shuiyu Valley. Even if the offspring she gives birth to cannot cultivate, they will undoubtedly be handsome and beautiful men and women, and can be superior even in the mortal world. Therefore, this woman is simply flawless. I think that Xiao person has this very plan.”
…
The two Sect Masters made their deductions without hesitation.
“Be patient, everyone. Wait a moment longer. If that Xiao person still doesn’t send us a message, we will directly storm the HongHua Sect.”
Lei Zhen made a decision and said without hiding anything, “This time, no one will snatch Cheng Hong Ling from me. Whether it’s the main body or the clone, I want it all.”
…
About a hundredzhang away from the camp, Qi Huang was quietly floating in the air, her spiritual sense having clearly probed the enemy’s situation.
“You? Dare to say you want it all!”
Qi Huang sneered contemptuously. The hair on her head suddenly grew, like a black flood, rolling towards the Juexian Cult camp ahead. However, as they gradually dispersed, they quickly became imperceptible to the naked eye, each one hidden within the natural environment. Because they were too small, they couldn’t make any sound.
In the blink of an eye, these hairs infiltrated the great camp of the Juexian Cult and began to silently attack the cultists like venomous snakes, striking vital points almost simultaneously. The temples were the heart.
“Ah…”
A moment later, wails of agony echoed throughout the camp.
“What’s going on?”
Lei Zhen finally sensed something was wrong. Just then, a strand of hair quietly stabbed towards his left chest from behind.
“Clang…”
Lei Zhen was also formidable. His strength was high, and his five senses were sharp. He managed to dodge this attack by sideways movement, but his other subordinates were not so lucky. From the Sect Masters to the low-level cultists, no one could dodge this attack. They were all pierced in vital spots, and death was only a matter of time.
“What the hell is this? Hair?”
Lei Zhen suddenly drew the long saber at his waist, guarding himself, and roared, “Who is it? Come out! What kind of hero attacks from the shadows!”
“Heh heh, I don’t want to admit it, but I’m indeed not much of a hero right now!”
Before the voice fell, a slender figure appeared in the open space in front of Lei Zhen. Her long hair gently fluttered, a pink lotus mark on her fair forehead, and her green Wide-Sleeved Flowing Immortal Dress fluttered in the wind. From afar, a refreshing fragrance wafted out.
“You… you are a clone?”
Lei Zhen was first confused, then his face changed drastically: “You are Cheng Hong Ling’s clone?”
“It’s me, surprise? Unexpected? You said you wanted it all, so I came.”
Qi Huang said with a smile that was not a smile.
“You were in a coma, weren’t you? Why did you suddenly wake up?”
Lei Zhen tried his best to calm himself and asked. He had learned from Xiao Sha’s informants that this woman was exceptionally terrifying, even more difficult to deal with than the main body. Although he didn’t know if it was true, the strange attack just now had made him wary, so he planned to stabilize the opponent first.
“To give you a surprise!”
Qi Huang said with a playful laugh.
“What do you want?”
Lei Zhen did not expect her to speak so nonsensically, and he was momentarily flustered.
“What do I want? It’s very simple. Today, I want all of your Juexian Cult’s lives!”
Qi Huang narrowed her clear and bright phoenix eyes.
“Presumptuous! Just a yellow-haired little girl! As everyone knows, clones only have eighty percent of the main body’s talent. How strong can you be? I don’t believe you can really be stronger than the main body.”
Lei Zhen took a deep breath, preparing to fight with all his might.
