Chapter 44: Wang Long Yan VS Cao Youqing |
Throughout the Great Qian, aside from the academy system, there were indeed other sect inheritances. However, these sects were not as powerful as Lingyun Holy Land, nor could they stand on equal footing with the Great Qian.
As a result, they mostly kept a low profile and did not recruit students as widely as the academies.
Over time, the sect inheritances of the Great Qian gradually waned.
Bore Temple was one such sect, which had remained in a semi-hidden state for thousands of years.
The "Evil Vajra" was a traitor of Bore Temple, who had once caused a huge uproar and was still on the Great Qian's official wanted list. Unexpectedly, he appeared here.
"I'm just taking money to eliminate disasters for others," Evil Vajra sneered coldly, "Besides, once you're all dead, who will know it was me?"
He couldn't be bothered to engage with Qian Jingde and threw another punch.
Qian Jingde had no choice but to close in again, blocking Evil Vajra's attack.
Although the ferry was large, it couldn't withstand the relentless bombardment of a Celestial Realm cultivator.
All eyes converged on her.
Her eyes, visible through her veil, were as cold as ice, devoid of joy or anger.
Wang Xiaohan, Qian Xuehan, and others were merely in the Lingtai Realm, insignificant as ants in her eyes, not even worth a second glance.
Suddenly, she moved.
With a mere flicker, she appeared above the ferry, pointing her delicate finger.
"Clang!"
A treasured sword unsheathed in mid-air, transforming into a bolt of lightning that slashed towards Qian Xuehan. The terrifying might instantly enveloped the entire ferry.
Qian Xuehan was drenched in sweat, his face pale.
He couldn't dodge, nor was there any escape.
However, as if he had anticipated this moment, he immediately shouted, "Master Shouzhe, save me!"
As his words fell, a humming sound of a sword resonated out of thin air, and a purple lightning bolt swiftly arrived, spiritedly blocking the sword strike.
In an instant, the sound was piercing, and the lightning dazzled.
Both sword lights shattered almost simultaneously.
The scattered sword qi left marks on the ferry, splintering wood chips flying everywhere, prompting the lower-cultivation members of the Wang and Qian clans to hastily defend with their swords.
Amidst the shattered sword qi, a celestial figure in white gracefully appeared, blocking in front of Qian Xuehan.
Under the sunlight, her ink-black hair fluttered in the wind, her white garments gleaming frosty, her whole being like a celestial atop a snowy peak, exuding an air of transcendence.
With a gentle twist of her wrist, the purple lightning sword qi obediently returned to her hand.
Indeed, this cold and aloof celestial was none other than Ancestor Long Yan of Wang's Clan.
Her gaze remained cold as she stared at her opponent, a trace of seriousness in her brows.
"Phew." Qian Xuehan, having escaped death, wiped his sweat and bowed, "Xuehan thanks Ancestor Long Yan for the rescue."
"So, you are Wang Long Yan," the woman in the sky said, her eyes flashing, "A mere academy dropout, what right do you have to block me?"
This woman was naturally Cao Youqing.
After a secret conversation with Cao Lina, they had planned to ambush Qian Xuehan. Today, since she had come, she would not let Qian Xuehan return alive.
Without waiting for Wang Long Yan to react, she pinched a spell again.
The treasured sword's light flared once more, transforming into dozens of sword shadows that enveloped Ancestor Long Yan and the others.
As a prodigy of Lingyun Academy, she held pride in her heart. These rural ancestors in the early stages of the Celestial Realm were nothing but mere ants to her.
Unexpectedly, Ancestor Long Yan's profound energy began to whirl violently around her, half as cold as ice, half filled with malevolence, quickly forming an icy malevolent cyclone. The mid-grade treasured sword, Purple Lightning, vibrated intensely, manifesting a colossal sword light.
With one slash, it was heart-shaking and soul-stirring, as if even the solid space was cleaved open.
Wherever it passed, Cao Youqing's sword shadows shattered, turning into nothingness.
Xuanbing? Yinsha?
Cao Youqing's eyes flashed with shock and anger, "How is it possible, you've cultivated both Xuanbing and Yinsha? And you've merged them into the power of Ice and Malevolence. No! Why is your sword intent so powerful... could it be, your bloodline... you're also a prodigy?!"
She was a prodigy of the Holy Land, always so strong and proud.
Among her peers, aside from a few great prodigies, who else would she even consider? Yet, she never expected to encounter another prodigy in this remote Changning Garrison!
"Hmph!"
Ancestor Long Yan did not respond, gripping the Purple Lightning sword, she charged forward.
Amidst the sword's hum and lightning flash, the sky was filled with snowflakes carrying the aura of Yinsha.
The Xuanbing sword technique in her hands seemed to have undergone a transformation, becoming even more mysterious and dangerous.
Within the bone-piercing Xuanbing, the poison of Yinsha was carried.
"Wang Long Yan, even if you have prodigy blood, you're still only in the early stages of the Celestial Realm," Cao Youqing regained her composure after the shock, quickly gathering her spirit as she fought and retreated, "With you alone, I'm afraid..."
"Clang!"
After blocking several moves, Cao Youqing was forcefully repelled.
Only then did disbelief and fear appear in her eyes: "Impossible! You can't be this powerful! Could it be you've already reached the Dao Body?"
Although she had restrained her full strength to conceal her identity, the fact that Wang Long Yan could forcefully repel her suggested she was no ordinary prodigy!
Reason and experience told her that the Wang Long Yan she had underestimated was probably not just a prodigy bloodline, but a terrifying great prodigy bloodline.
Like those monstrous great prodigies of the Holy Land, she too was of the great prodigy level!
The strength and terror of a great prodigy were concepts not clearly understood by ordinary people. Only a prodigy of the Holy Land like her could feel the gap and helplessness.
To reach the fourth spiritual body in the Celestial Realm was already a rare feat among prodigies. Prodigious ones had a higher chance of achieving the Zifu Realm, at which point the bloodline would evolve again, reaching the fifth layer of the Dao Body. With the fifth layer of the Dao Body, one could touch the threshold of the heavenly powers.
But what about a great prodigy?
They awaken the fifth bloodline and achieve the Dao Body in the Celestial Realm, already touching the edges of the heavenly powers. Even if just a hint of the heavenly powers is integrated into their techniques, the power can be greatly enhanced.
"Damn it! How could I encounter a great prodigy in such a rural place?"
Cao Youqing retreated again and again, already far from the ferry. Amidst her annoyance, the thought of retreat sprouted.
It wasn't that she feared Wang Long Yan or doubted her ability to win.
It was just that even if she was only in the early stages of the Celestial Realm, a great prodigy was not easy to deal with. To suppress Wang Long Yan, she would have to go all out, and it would likely take more than a moment.
And once she went all out...
As Cao Youqing fought and retreated, her mind in turmoil, Wang Shouzhe emerged from the cabin, his expression grave: "Old Brother Xuehan, I didn't expect it to be as you predicted, someone so bold and insane to attempt to kill you on Wang's territory."
Previously, Wang Shouzhe thought Qian Xuehan was being paranoid, suffering from persecution delusions due to long-term oppression. Out of caution, Wang Shouzhe cooperated with Qian Xuehan to try a fishing tactic.
"Master Wang Shouzhe," Qian Xuehan rushed up, crying bitterly, "You must stand up for your junior~~~ My stepmother is inhumane, to do such a crazy thing, if not for Master Wang Shouzhe's righteous help, your junior would have been dead~~~"
Junior?
Wang Shouzhe's mouth twitched twice, Qian Xuehan's shamelessness was indeed unique.
They were of similar age, with Qian Xuehan even a year older. Yet, he unabashedly played the junior, calling himself such.
The other "Xue" generation of the Qian Clan must be infuriated to the point of spitting blood, right?
However, Wang Shouzhe's mood wasn't great either. He had underestimated some women's stupidity and madness. The struggle for power between brothers had escalated to such high-end forces for assassination.
Moreover, they even wanted to drag the Wang Clan down with them.
Imagine, if Qian Xuehan really died on Wang's territory, could the Wang Clan clear their name even with many explanations?
Even if some rational people understood that the Wang Clan would not do such a self-damaging act.
Alas, the world is full of irrational people.
No matter what, the incident had made cooperation between the Qian and Wang Clans impossible. The most likely outcome was that from now on, the Qian and Wang Clans would be at odds, unable to truly reconcile.
After all, if the current legitimate eldest son died in your house, what else is there to say?
In the end, it was because the Wang Clan was more united internally, and he had a harmonious relationship with his stepmother Gongsun Hui, that he almost forgot not all stepmothers were like Gongsun Hui, underestimating some people's ruthlessness and madness.
"This matter, without Brother Xuehan saying, my Wang Clan will not let it go either."
Wang Shouzhe's expression was stern, and with a swipe on his storage ring, he took out a treasure.
With a shake of profound energy, the treasure soared into the sky, exploding into a giant mushroom cloud of fireworks.
Even in broad daylight, it was as thunderous and bright as lightning.
"A Sky-Piercing Cannon!" Qian Xuehan was stunned, "I didn't expect the Wang Clan and the garrison town to have such a good relationship, to even possess a 'Sky-Piercing Cannon.'"
Actually, this Sky-Piercing Cannon was obtained by Wang Shouzhe from the previous town guard. Initially, Xiahou Dehong was afraid of Wang Shouzhe's troublemaking abilities, fearing a big commotion before his departure, so he gave him a Sky-Piercing Cannon.
However, Wang Shouzhe's cannon had never been used, and with the current strength of the Wang Clan, its usefulness was diminishing. Therefore, taking this opportunity, he simply used it up.
With the explosion of the Sky-Piercing Cannon!
Evil Vajra was the first to panic.
As a notorious fugitive wanted by the Great Qian, the last thing he wanted was to face the official forces.
He dared to make a move this time because the mission was extremely simple. He didn't even need to kill anyone, just to hold back the Qian Clan elders.
And how powerful was his teammate? A seventh-layer Celestial Realm prodigy! Beating Evil Vajra was as easy as an adult beating a child.
In the original estimate, it would only take a dozen breaths to complete the mission, and then he would be free as a dragon returning to the sea.
But unexpectedly, there were no issues on his end, but his prodigy teammate ran into trouble.
Run, run, run!
Evil Vajra feigned a punch and then used his movement technique, his body enveloped in a golden light as he started to flee.
Having survived under the Great Qian's pursuit until today, how could he be simple?
"Qian Elder, you must capture Evil Vajra," Wang Shouzhe shouted, "Just hold him for a quarter of an hour."
"Ha ha ha! If it were anywhere else, it wouldn't be easy to entangle him," Elder Qian Jingde laughed heartily, "But here on the An River, unless he's a Basalt cultivator adept in water, no one can escape easily."
Immediately, he activated the Purple Sun Extreme Yang Art again, his body radiating a bright purple light as he chased after Evil Vajra, stubbornly entangling him. Despite Evil Vajra's constant roaring, he couldn't shake off Elder Qian's entanglement for a while.
More anxious than Evil Vajra was naturally Cao Youqing.
She was not a notorious fugitive like Evil Vajra. If her true identity was exposed, it would likely cause a huge uproar.
Unfortunately, Wang Long Yan was extremely powerful, and she couldn't possibly try to conceal her identity and escape the entanglement at the same time. After several attempts and hesitations, time kept slipping away.
Suddenly!
In the distant sky, several powerful auras suddenly surged.
Those auras, either as solid as mountains or as explosive as fire, all exuded formidable might. Even from such a distance, they could make any ordinary Basalt cultivator tremble with fear.
Clearly, these were Celestial Realm powerhouses rushing through the air.
Apart from the Celestial Wang Clan, Changning Garrison had three other Celestial Realm cultivators: Garrison Lord Wei Wenxun, Changning Xu Clan's Ancestor Xu Beichen, and Celestial Lei Clan's Ancestor Lei Yuanzhou.
Among them, Lei Clan's Ancestor was the oldest, with the most profound cultivation, having recently broken through to the fourth layer of the Celestial Realm, entering the middle stage.
Moreover, with the Lei Clan no longer restrained by the Huangfu Clan and with the strong support of the Wang Clan, their development was quite good. They were actively cultivating potential clan members, trying to nurture a second and third Celestial Realm cultivator.
Among the swiftly arriving auras, one was particularly strong, obviously Lei Clan's Ancestor Lei Yuanzhou.
Seeing this, Cao Youqing's heart sank, and a fierce look flashed in her eyes from behind the veil.
That damned Wang Long Yan, clinging so tenaciously, did she really think Cao Youqing was a vegetarian? Even with a great prodigy bloodline, she was only in the early stages of the Celestial Realm. If it weren't for her need to hide her identity, why would she be at such a disadvantage?
With the enemy reinforcements imminent, she could no longer care about anything else.
If she didn't get serious now, she might really be left behind today!
At that moment, her gaze turned sharp, and her aura suddenly changed.
"Sizzle sizzle sizzle~~"
Suddenly, as if some seal was unlocked, streaks of purple lightning burst forth from her body, even altering the color of her profound energy subtly.
In an instant, her entire being seemed to be dyed purple by the lightning, her elegant dress fluttering without wind, terrifying and powerful energy spreading out.
The entire sky seemed to be tinged purple in that moment.
"Wang Long Yan, you forced my hand!"
Cao Youqing's eyes were cold, and with a sweep of her sword in the air, a sword intent suddenly swept across the sky.
"Boom~~!"
A massive thunderous roar suddenly exploded.
Between heaven and earth, a blazing lightning bolt streaked across.
The sky suddenly brightened and then darkened, with layers of clouds gathering and bursting with thunderous energy spreading wildly in the sky. The terrifying might permeated the air, causing hearts to tremble even before it approached.
Where the might reached, even the turbulent waters of the An River shook violently, suddenly stirring up waves.
"This is... the Purple Sky Thunder Sword! The ultimate technique of Lingyun Holy Land's Purple Sky lineage!" Qian Xuehan was so shocked he almost leapt up, his expression bitter, "It's over~ It's over~ This woman is most likely Cao Youqing, the prodigy of the Cao Clan in the Holy Land. Cao Clan, you're truly ruthless!"
Lingyun Holy Land, Purple Sky lineage?
Wang Shouzhe's eyes narrowed slightly.
Today's Wang Clan was no longer the small and insignificant ninth-rank clan of the past. Over the years, he had spared no effort in collecting various intelligence, and he was naturally not completely ignorant of Lingyun Holy Land.
The Purple Sky Elder of Lingyun Holy Land was an old Zifu cultivator, rumored to have reached the later stages of the Zifu Realm. It was said that he had closed himself off in seclusion long ago, vowing not to emerge until he attained divine powers.
However, Wang Clan's intelligence was limited to this, rather rough. Information about prodigies like Cao Youqing in the Holy Land was still a blank slate for the Wang Clan.
After all, Lingyun Holy Land was too far away, and with the current strength and status of the Wang Clan, it was difficult to have any interaction with Lingyun Holy Land.
Yet, Wang Clan had unexpectedly "interacted" with Lingyun Holy Land so soon, and it was such a negative interaction.
Ancestor Long Yan, seeing this lightning, also changed her expression.
She had anticipated that this woman had hidden her strength, but she never imagined it was hidden so deeply!
This sword intent was complete and contained a hint of the heavenly laws, resonating with heaven and earth. This was not something ordinary late-stage Celestial Realm powerhouses could achieve, only exceptional talents could possibly do so!
Without time for further thought, she willed her body to manifest ice crystal-like scales, which quickly formed into a lightweight yet mysteriously aura-emitting thin armor.
This armor was naturally the mid-grade treasured armor, Xuanbing Li Jiao Armor, given to her by Binglan.
At the same time, she twisted her wrist, and with a sweep of the Purple Lightning sword, a similarly domineering and chilling sword intent instantly swept across.
In an instant, the temperature between heaven and earth dropped sharply, as if it went from late summer to deep winter in a moment.
Amidst the spreading lightning, countless snowflakes fell.
In just a brief moment, a layer of frost formed on the ferry where Wang Shouzhe and the others were, and even the surging river surface began to show floating ice, as if it could freeze at any moment.
In the blink of an eye, as Wang Long Yan's sword struck, the domineering thunderous sword intent arrived.
Both sword intents collided in mid-air.
"Bang~~!"
The sword intents shattered, and the broken sword intents instantly turned into shockwaves sweeping out.
Ancestor Long Yan's face paled, and she was blasted backward, flying hundreds of yards before finally stopping.
Under the impact of the force, her internal profound energy churned, and a trickle of blood uncontrollably seeped from the corner of her mouth.
"How is it possible? She actually blocked it?"
Cao Youqing was shocked beyond belief.
She knew the power of her sword all too well; a typical Celestial Realm cultivator would be either dead or crippled under its strike. Even if the opponent was a great prodigy, but still only in the early stages of the Celestial Realm, how could they only suffer a minor injury?
Cao Youqing didn't know that the Purple Lightning sword in Ancestor Long Yan's hand, as well as the Xuanbing Li Jiao Armor on her body, were both mid-grade treasures.
The Purple Lightning sword was already very close to a high-grade treasure in quality, providing a significant boost to attack power.
The Xuanbing Li Jiao Armor was made from the scales shed by the Xuanbing Li Jiao during its advancement to the sixth rank. The defensive power of the scales of dragon-kind was naturally extremely strong, and even more so after processing. Although the defense of this mid-grade treasure was not as good as a high-grade treasure, it was definitely top-notch among mid-grade treasures.
Combined with Ancestor Long Yan's own understanding of the Ice and Malevolence Sword Intent, as well as the enhancement from her five-layer bloodline, she barely managed to block Cao Youqing's Purple Sky Thunder Sword.
To be honest, it was far from easy.
However, even so, it still far exceeded Cao Youqing's expectations.
In the moment of Cao Youqing's stupor, aboard the ferry, Wang Shouzhe had already found an opportunity and swiftly administered healing to Ancestor Long Yan.
Ancestor Long Yan's injuries were not severe to begin with, and with this aid, she quickly recovered substantially.
Taking a breath, she immediately charged at Cao Youqing again, Purple Lightning sword in hand, and with a flick, another sword was unleashed.
The sword dominated the sky, and the intense aura of Ice and Malevolence once again swept across the river's surface.
Cao Youqing, however, grew increasingly alarmed as she fought. She had never imagined that Wang Long Yan would be so difficult to deal with. Despite going all out, she still couldn't break free from the entanglement.
Defeating her in a short time seemed as difficult as reaching the heavens.
Meanwhile.
The Celestial Realm cultivators from Changning Garrison arrived swiftly, and they were already descending from the sky.
The leading Celestial Realm cultivator, clad in imposing armor, hadn't even landed before he bellowed thunderously: "Who dares to cause trouble in our Changning Garrison?"
His voice boomed like thunder, echoing across the sky.
Cao Youqing nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Truly, a tiger fallen on flat ground is bullied by dogs! She, a prodigy of the Holy Land, was being insulted as a "villain" by a bumpkin from a rural area!
However, as angry as she was, she also understood that at this point, no matter how capable she was, Cao Youqing could no longer turn the tide.
With several Celestial Realm cultivators arriving together, plus an extremely troublesome Wang Long Yan, if she didn't escape now, she might end up buried in the An River!
Run!
She made a split-second decision, repelled Wang Long Yan with a sword strike, then bit her tongue and sprayed a mouthful of blood onto her treasured sword.
The next moment.
"Boom~~!!"
A thunderous explosion sounded, and she instantly turned into a bolt of lightning, whistling away, passing through the midst of the arriving three Celestial Realm powerhouses, and racing towards the horizon.
Her speed was truly as fast as lightning, leaving no time for anyone to react.