Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation

Chapter 428 - 247: Shangguan Qingying: Little Thief, Have You Seen Enough?

At that moment, Zhao Wanyi and her sister were being frantically besieged by more than a dozen Golden Core Cultivators. They struggled to hold their ground, their situation dire.

These assailants were cloaked in thick gray robes, and the Magical Treasures they wielded were all of a uniform design. Their Divine Techniques also originated from the same school.

More than a dozen Zhao Family Golden Core Cultivators were present, but each was tied down by twice their number of assassins, unable to break away.

Meanwhile, the Zhao Family’s other Nascent Soul True Monarch, Zhao Qinghong, was locked in a fierce battle with a small, masked Nascent Soul elder whose eyes glinted viciously. The fight was a stalemate, leaving him no opportunity to help the others.

Blood soaked the ground, where nearly a hundred Cultivator corpses lay strewn about. Most were Foundation Establishment and Pseudo Core Cultivators from the Zhao Family.

Clearly, the Qin Family had spared no expense this time, seeking to kill Zhao Wanyi and her sister in one fell swoop while simultaneously weakening the Zhao Family’s effective strength as much as possible.

’These bastards, they actually launched an operation of this scale?’

Shangguan Qingying was both shocked and furious, and a deep sense of fear washed over her.

’If their ambush had succeeded, not only would Zhao Wanyi and her sister have faced a terrible fate, but even Elder Zhao Qinghong might not have been spared.’

At that point, the Zhao Family would truly not be far from complete collapse.

"Thankfully, we made it in time. Should I go over and provide support?"

Ling Changqing breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the enemy only had one Nascent Soul True Monarch. As long as he and Shangguan Qingying joined the fray, they could break the siege instantly.

From a great distance, Shangguan Qingying waved her hand, flinging Ling Changqing directly toward Zhao Wanyi and her sister. She herself moved to help Elder Zhao Qinghong against his enemy.

Although Shangguan Qingying’s action seemed cold, from the perspective of the entire family, the importance of a Nascent Soul True Monarch far outweighed that of Zhao Wanyi and her sister. Therefore, she had to prioritize helping Zhao Qinghong.

Ling Changqing didn’t mind. They were just a dozen or so Golden Core Masters. If he went all out, he was confident he could take care of them all by himself.

SWOOSH!

As a pure Water Element Power surged forth, an invisible Spiritual Energy Vortex quietly materialized.

The vortex carried an unparalleled tidal force, freezing the movements of the more than ten Golden Core Masters for a brief moment.

Seizing this opportunity, the Blood Shadow Sword vanished in a streak of light. When it reappeared, it was already slashing at an early stage Golden Core Cultivator, shattering several layers of his Body Protecting Treasure Light and effortlessly severing his arm.

Before the man could even scream, Ling Changqing appeared at his side. His palm became a fist, leaving a trail of afterimages as it slammed viciously into the man’s forehead.

Two nearby accomplices struggled free from the vortex’s restraint and rushed to help, but Ling Changqing was too fast. They were a step too late.

CRACK!

The unlucky bastard didn’t even make a sound as his head burst open like a rotten watermelon. His lifeless body crumpled to the ground, and his Divine Soul was seized and devoured by the Era Star Palace.

"Huh? Junior Brother Ling is here?!"

Zhao Wanyi and her sister were both shocked and overjoyed. They immediately launched a full-force counterattack, forcing back their attackers and moving closer to Ling Changqing.

"You bastard!"

Enraged, the two Golden Core Masters who had failed to rescue their comrade unleashed their Flying Swords, attacking with full force. But Ling Changqing gave a light stomp, and his figure vanished.

Two Daoist Soldier Puppets appeared, equipped with heavy armor, giant shields, and sharp axes. They effortlessly blocked the two men’s attacks.

For Rank Four Daoist Soldier Puppets, suppressing two Golden Core Masters was a simple task. In the blink of an eye, the tables turned, and the two assassins were beaten into a steady retreat.

Ling Changqing had already reappeared behind a cultivator at the Golden Core Peak. Another two Daoist Soldier Puppets emerged, and the Blood Shadow Sword followed, striking from the shadows without a sound.

Pale with fright, the man was forced to abandon his assault on Zhao Wanyi and her sister to defend himself, but it was already too late.

With a series of explosive bangs, the multiple layers of defensive light around his body shattered. The Blood Shadow Sword slashed upward at a wicked angle, severing one of his thighs and sending blood gushing forth.

The man let out a blood-curdling shriek. Under the fierce assault of the Daoist Soldier Puppets, he was completely overwhelmed and pushed into a desperate, wretched state.

"Junior, don’t you dare be so arrogant!"

Seeing how vicious Ling Changqing was, four nearby Golden Core Masters had no choice but to change their target. Shouting angrily, they moved to besiege him, and the pressure on Zhao Wanyi and her sister instantly decreased.

However, Ling Changqing’s speed was unbelievable, nothing like that of a late stage Golden Core Cultivator. As he flickered between positions, he effortlessly dodged their attacks and, with a single slash, beheaded the crippled Golden Core Peak Master.

He spun around abruptly, and his Blood Shadow Sword unleashed thousands of sharp Sword Qi strands, enveloping the four furious Golden Core Masters in pursuit. Immediately after, he hurled several Third Grade high rank Thunder Talismans at them.

Amidst an unending series of rumbles, the four men’s Defensive Magical Artifacts all shattered. They were then dismembered by two Daoist Soldier Puppets as if they were melons being sliced. Just as before, their Divine Souls were instantly devoured by the Era Star Palace.

In the blink of an eye, Ling Changqing had finished off six Golden Core Masters.

The remaining Golden Core Masters were deeply shaken. They all simultaneously abandoned Zhao Wanyi and her sister, unleashed their trump cards, and charged toward Ling Changqing with all their might.

Hundreds of Divine Techniques rained down at once, mixed with the bombardments and slashes of a dozen Magical Treasures. They hammered against Ling Changqing’s Body Protecting Treasure Light until it flickered, on the verge of collapse.

He activated the Supreme Profound Oceanic Soft Water Technique again. A massive, dark vortex appeared once more, briefly immobilizing the remaining Golden Core Masters.

The four Heavy-Armored Daoist Soldier Puppets seized the opportunity, swinging their sharp axes and cutting down the cultivators one by one.

Ling Changqing fearlessly met their attacks head-on. The Blood Shadow Sword hummed rapidly, unleashing hundreds upon thousands of fierce, raging Sword Qi strands that swept across the battlefield, battering his opponents into a wretched state.

’Where did this kid come from? How can he be this ferocious?’

Some of the Golden Core Masters were already thinking of retreating. ’If I’d known this mission would be so absurdly difficult, I never would have taken the job.’

But at this point, it was too late to retreat unscathed. Given Ling Changqing’s methods, he would never let them escape.

With the four Heavy-Armored Daoist Soldier Puppets relentlessly attacking and Ling Changqing providing support from the shadows, they had lost all hope of escaping with their lives.

Meanwhile, Shangguan Qingying and Zhao Qinghong had joined forces against the old Nascent Soul True Monarch. Under their fierce, coordinated assault, they quickly pushed him to his absolute limit.

Stealing a glance toward Ling Changqing’s battle amidst the chaos, the grim-faced old man finally understood that today’s assassination mission was doomed to fail.

The dozen or so Golden Core Masters had already been slain by Ling Changqing and his Daoist Soldier Puppets. Not a single one was left alive, though of course, Zhao Wanyi and her sister had also contributed significantly.

"Patriarch, I’ll lend you a hand!"

Having cut down the last assassin, leaving only the masked Nascent Soul elder on the field, Ling Changqing flicked his wrist and sent two Quasi Rank Four Demon-Slaying Thunder Talismans hurtling down.

Caught off guard, the old man was struck squarely, and his Body Protecting Treasure Light fluctuated violently.

At the same time, the invisible, dark vortex reappeared, ensnaring the masked Nascent Soul elder.

Normally, an attack of this level wouldn’t pose a substantial threat to a Nascent Soul True Monarch. However, with Shangguan Qingying and Zhao Qinghong already suppressing him with their full power, the old man had no attention to spare and fell right into the trap.

"You brat! How dare you humiliate me like this?!"

But Ling Changqing had already ducked behind a Heavy-Armored Daoist Soldier Puppet, emerging completely unscathed.

Then, at his command, the four Heavy-Armored Daoist Soldier Puppets also swarmed forward, trapping the old man in a chaotic melee.

A dozen breaths later, the Nascent Soul elder shrieked in agony and fled in a desperate hurry amidst a sudden explosion of bloody light, leaving two severed legs and a pool of blood behind.

After suffering such a grievous injury, it was unlikely the old man would ever fully recover in his lifetime.

"Elder Qinghong, are you all right?"

Shangguan Qingying let out a sigh of relief as she asked gently.

Zhao Qinghong nodded. "It’s a good thing you arrived in time, Patriarch. Otherwise, this situation would have been impossible to resolve."

"Junior Brother Ling, we owe you a great debt for this!"

Zhao Wanyi and her sister walked over, their beautiful eyes glistening as they spoke with utmost sincerity.

Earlier, they had been leading a patrol in the Marketplace. Less than ten breaths after receiving Ling Changqing’s Early Warning, the horde of assassins had suddenly launched their attack.

But that brief moment of Early Warning was just enough time for them to prepare, preventing them from being thrown into complete disarray.

Without it, the two of them would have truly been doomed today.

Ling Changqing smiled. "It was only my duty. There’s no need for thanks."