Chapter 994: Absolutely Beautiful Painting

As a ninth-rank master, he flicked his wrist in a moment of crisis, sweeping his long spear upwards from its hanging position. It perfectly blocked his opponent's path, posing a risk of disembowelment if the attack wasn't dodged.

By this time, he had clearly seen his opponent's face. It was so ordinary it wouldn't typically warrant a second glance, which explained why he hadn't noticed them earlier. He noticed that even at such high speed, the opponent's face remained impassive. He immediately realized this was likely not their true face, but a mask. Such a mask, thin as a cicada's wing and showing no discernible flaws, was a true masterpiece of craftsmanship. Anyone who possessed such an item was certainly no ordinary person.

As expected, the person neither dodged nor retreated, but instead reached out and directly grabbed the spear shaft. Yang Sheng thought, "Is this person insane, attempting to grab a bare blade with their empty hands? If I just twist the spear, their hand would be ruined, wouldn't it?" He let out a cold snort, slightly angled his long spear, and thrust it directly towards the opponent's palm. However, having witnessed the opponent's cunning timing earlier, he dared not show any contempt and secretly held back some of his strength.

The opponent's hands crossed, clamping firmly onto the long spear like eagle talons. Then, like a water snake, they glided directly along the shaft, reaching him almost in the blink of an eye. Yang Sheng was greatly alarmed. Disregarding all else, he immediately released his long spear and used the momentum to retreat violently backward. Fortunately, he hadn't underestimated his opponent earlier and had held back some strength; otherwise, the opponent's hand might have already penetrated his chest. Despite his swift evasion, the residual effects of the struggle prevented him from unleashing his full peak strength, resulting in several deep bloody gashes on his body.

Zu An, observing from the mountaintop, witnessed all of this and thought, "Gold Badge Seven's claw technique is truly impressive." He also realized that Gold Badge Seven had actually held back; otherwise, in such a prime opportunity for a sneak attack, Yang Sheng would not have been left with just a few bloody gashes. Gold Badge Seven's main objective this time was to abduct someone to verify certain matters, not to instigate a rebellion, so delivering a killing blow was naturally out of the question.

At this moment, Yang Sheng was both shocked and enraged. After creating some distance, he began to command his soldiers to form a defensive formation. With their assistance, he barely managed to fend off Gold Badge Seven's assault, though the entire valley had already descended into chaos. Zu An glanced towards the hiding places of the black-clad figures. Seeing no intention from them to attack, he couldn't help but frown. The timing he had discussed with Gold Badge Seven was approaching, and he had no desire for the black-clad figures to reap the benefits once he made his move.

Suddenly, an idea struck him. He looked towards the black-robed elder who had been cast aside, wondering how the elder had originally planned to signal his subordinates. After fumbling around on the elder for a while, he indeed found something resembling a signal flare. He immediately took it out and launched it downwards. The signal flare's sharp, piercing cry ripped through the valley, and the hidden black-clad figures, receiving their cue, charged out. Gold Badge Seven was also startled, initially thinking these were reinforcements summoned by Gold Badge Eleven. However, observing their attire and ruthless attacks, it was clear they were not government agents.

With their sudden entry, the escort team's formation was utterly broken. Bloody, chaotic fighting erupted everywhere, yet only the carriage remained eerily quiet. Soon, a dozen or so black-clad figures charged towards the carriage. The guards nearby attempted to intercept them but were quickly overwhelmed and cut down. The black-clad figures forced open the carriage door. Just as they were about to speak, a sharp sword qi suddenly shot out, instantly tearing the foremost attackers into pieces.

"Sword qi!" Gold Badge Seven, who had been secretly observing this area, immediately recognized it as Liao Ling, the City Lord of Yijun, making his move. "Previous intelligence indicated he was a peak seventh-rank, but I didn't expect him to have broken through recently," he worried. "Although Gold Badge Eleven is quite clever, their cultivation seems a bit weak. How could they abduct someone from him?" He wanted to go and help, but Yang Sheng, surrounded by his numerous subordinates, was no easy opponent and kept Gold Badge Seven firmly encircled.

At this moment, a middle-aged man slowly emerged from the carriage. With a dignified countenance, he seemed to emanate an aura of noble righteousness. "He cultivates his sword with the righteous qi of heaven and earth!" Gold Badge Seven's worry deepened. "Such a sword is a gentleman's blade, a sword of righteousness. Its power is several degrees stronger than that of masters at the same level. It would likely take me considerable effort to defeat him, so what chance does Gold Badge Eleven have?"

At this moment, the remaining black-clad figures near the carriage all held their sabers horizontally in front of them, forming a simple combined attack formation as they charged towards their opponent. "The Demon Sect's Five Element Formation!" Gold Badge Seven's heart sank. Some of his suspicions seemed to be confirmed.

Just then, Liao Ling moved. A cold light flashed, leaving countless afterimages within a ten-foot radius. In the next second, these afterimages converged back into his original form, as if he had stood perfectly still the entire time. Yet, the black-clad figures were all clutching their throats, blood gushing out uncontrollably as they collapsed powerlessly to the ground. He didn't even spare these men a glance, instead looking towards Gold Badge Seven's direction with a slight frown. The nearby black-clad figures, deterred by the power of his single sword strike, all hesitated, afraid to advance.

"Miss Qiu, if your sect has only sent these people to rescue you, I'm afraid they will return empty-handed." He did not go to assist Yang Sheng, but instead guarded the carriage without moving an inch. From inside the carriage came a soft, charming sigh: "City Lord Liao, since you've been ambushed here, you must surely understand that the situation is far from simple."

Liao Ling fell silent, and after a long pause, he spoke bitterly: "Indeed, it seems we won't be able to hold onto you. However, Miss Qiu, you celebrate too soon. Before you can be rescued, I will kill you."

"You dare to kill me?" A hint of sarcasm laced Qiu Honglei's voice.

"Yes, Prince Yan and the others are wary of your master and dare not lay a killing hand on you. But I am different; I cultivate the qi of vast righteousness. As long as I feel no shame before heaven and earth in my heart, I will disregard all else." After speaking, he thrust his sword directly into the carriage. Clearly, he had realized that since the Demon Sect had laid an ambush here, their deceptive plan had utterly failed. With so many Demon Sect masters present, how could their small group possibly stop them? It was better to simply kill this Demon Sect enchantress. After all, rumors claimed she was the closed-door disciple of that demonic woman, Yun Jianyue, and might even inherit the position of sect leader in the future. Killing her now would mean eliminating a major future enemy for the imperial court.

Qiu Honglei's beautiful face subtly changed. "This guy just attacks without any regard for martial ethics?" Just then, a figure suddenly appeared before her. Its speed was so astonishing that even Gold Badge Seven, Yang Sheng, and others fighting in the distance turned their heads. "Could it be Yun Jianyue has arrived?" was the thought on everyone's mind. Only Liao Ling knew it wasn't, for he had clearly seen the opponent: a man had suddenly appeared in the carriage, masked but clearly quite young.

"As long as it's not Yun Jianyue, this sword cannot be stopped!" Such was the swordsman's confidence in his blade; within three feet, life and death were his to command. Although he didn't understand how the opponent could suddenly appear inside the carriage, once his sword was drawn, he never looked back. Since the opponent was blocking in front of Qiu Honglei, it proved he was most likely also a member of the Demon Sect. This single sword strike would be enough to pin them both together.

The horses in front struggled uneasily, sensing danger and killing intent through their animal instincts, even though the sword was not aimed at them. The entire carriage compartment could no longer withstand the rampant sword qi; it was instantly sliced into fragments, revealing the two people inside. The sword qi of this strike was so dazzlingly brilliant that people fighting in the distance instinctively covered their eyes.

Gold Badge Seven's heart sank. Liao Ling's vast righteousness sword qi was incredibly powerful. Had the opponent launched this strike from more than ten feet away, he would have had eighteen ways to counter it. If it was within ten feet, only three methods remained. If it was within three feet, even he could only dodge its sharpness. While he could save his life, he would most likely be injured. Gold Badge Eleven was doomed! He felt some regret, thinking he shouldn't have involved the other party and caused them to lose their life for nothing. From their previous interactions, Gold Badge Eleven was clearly a colleague inclined towards strategy, with cultivation not being his forte. To have risen to the Gold Badge rank purely by intellect, one could imagine how bright his future had been. "Why did he have to pit his weakness against someone else's strength?" At this distance, even if he tried to save him, it would be too late.

The next instant, the sword qi dissipated. "Gold Badge Eleven has probably been shredded by the sword qi," Gold Badge Seven thought.

"It's over. If Qiu Honglei dies here, none of us present will survive Yun Jianyue's wrath. How can Liao Ling, a scholar, be more stubborn than me, a mere warrior!" Yang Sheng thought.

"What a pity for such a charming and beautiful woman," the ordinary soldiers thought.

But soon, everyone's eyes widened. The fierce, ongoing fighting stopped almost simultaneously, and a strange calm fell over the noisy valley as everyone looked towards the carriage. What they had imagined did not happen. The young man sat casually beside Qiu Honglei, while Liao Ling's gleaming sword tip, held gently by the young man's two jade-like fingers, had stopped three inches before them, unable to advance another millimeter. The dilapidated carriage, the pitiable beauty in a black dress, and the masked young man in green robes, ironically, formed a picture of exquisite beauty. And the swordsman in white, like snow, was the perfect embellishment for this painting.