Chapter 231: Trap

"Whoosh!"

A beam of light shot up from East City, piercing the sky and disappearing into the clouds.Then came the second, and the third...Beams of light rose from various directions, illuminating East City.

Li Weiyi retreated, his first layer of enchanted battle armor shattered. His face and hands, exposed beyond the armor, bore bloody sword marks.In contrast, Jiang Ning remained immaculate, her entire body unblemished.Eight against one, yet victory remained elusive.

He raised his sword, gazing at the distant, suddenly rising light beams, momentarily lost in thought. The ominous premonition in his heart grew stronger.By all accounts, Qi Xiao and Shi Shishi had been gone for a long time; they should have found Zuoqiu Ting—Zuoqiu Hongting—in East City by now!Yet, Zuoqiu Hongting still hadn't arrived, which was highly unusual.

Using her "Pavilion and Palace" and "Twin Wings" combat intentions, Jiang Ning repelled the seven Phoenix-Wing Moth Emperors, then forced Li Weiyi into a shadowy corner with a single sword thrust. "I admit, your combined strength with the 'Seven Little Ones' is formidable. Killing you would come at a significant cost. However, while the Seven Little Ones' current attack power can threaten me, it poses absolutely no threat to Ge Xiantong."

"What if their combat power increased by another level? For instance, if they all reached the same level as Qi Xiao or Chen Wenwu?" Li Weiyi asked.

Jiang Ning dared not imagine the combined might of seven Pure Immortal Bodies from the Seventh Sea; even she might have to retreat. The Phoenix-Wing Moth Emperors were more resilient and harder to wound.If he truly had seven such helpers, the situation would be entirely different!

She hesitated. "Are you confident you can raise them to that level within three days?""Probably," Li Weiyi replied.

Jiang Ning suddenly sighed. "It's too late. The light pillars have already risen. I won't hide it from you any longer... The south is a dead end. If you hope to escape back to South City and use the power of the Nine Li Tribe and the Zuoqiu Clan to fight Ge Xiantong, you'll face certain death.""You don't have those three days!"

"What do you mean?" Li Weiyi asked.

Jiang Ning explained, "Tonight, it's not the Imperial Court, the Far West Ash Region, and the Snow Sword Tang Court attacking the Thundercloud Sect and Dragon Gate. Instead, it's five major forces joining hands to eliminate the Zuoqiu Clan.""Dragon Gate's feigned defeat and Thundercloud Sect's determined but ultimately breached defense are all part of the plan."

It was like a sudden clap of thunder on a clear day.Li Weiyi's expression changed dramatically, and he grew worried for Li Ling, Yin Jiu, and Shi Shishi. "Is it because the Zuoqiu Clan has the support of the Nine Li Tribe and the Vermilion Gate, combined with their home advantage and strong momentum, that you decided to unite and deal with them first?"

"Bang!"The two continuously changed their moves and positions.

Wishing to convince him, Jiang Ning patiently explained, "Why is the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival held in Qiuzhou's capital city? Why would the Zuoqiu Clan agree to use Qiuzhou's capital as a battlefield?""Because this Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival isn't a struggle among various heroes; it was organized solely for Zuoqiu Hongting. At least, that was the initial intention!""Of the three young Heavenly Scions, Ge Xiantong belongs to the Imperial Court, and Luan Sheng Lin You belongs to the Far West Ash Region. Neither is the 'Hidden Dragon' that Du'e Temple is searching for.""Only by proving her capabilities at the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival and completing this trial can the Zuoqiu Clan gain the support of Du'e Temple. As for what level she needs to reach to be recognized, only Du'e Temple truly knows.""The others are either disruptors, seeking fame, aiming for rewards, or simply wishing to defeat Zuoqiu Hongting so that Du'e Temple will support them instead.""Do you understand now why I opposed your participation in the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival from the very beginning? I didn't want you to be used by Zuoqiu Hongting, to become a mere pawn on her path to becoming a Heavenly Scion."

Li Weiyi said, "Zuoqiu Ting still has considerable charisma! If she wanted to use me, as Zuoqiu Hongting, it would actually be harder for me to refuse.""Besides, with my strength when I participated in the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, how could I even qualify to be used by her? Wait! Luan Sheng Lin You, Tang Wanqiu, Ge Xiantong, even you yourself came to East City, and Yuwen Tuozhen and his group are indeed slaughtering Dragon Gate cultivators. Aren't you afraid your headquarters would be destroyed, all just to lure Zuoqiu Hongting into a trap?"

Jiang Ning replied, "Among the five factions, no more than ten people know about this plan. The subordinates are genuinely fighting and killing.""If it wasn't sufficiently real, if we didn't go all out, if we didn't pay a price, how could Zuoqiu Hongting, who knows Qiuzhou's capital city like the back of her hand, fall for the trap?""On New Year's Eve, we tried to directly defeat her, but she withstood it! Each faction had its own hidden agenda, internal conflicts, and subtle calculations. She exploited these to gradually gain momentum."

Li Weiyi said, "By luring her into taking the initiative, you can bind all five factions to the war chariot. No one can try to shirk responsibility or hinder each other. If Dragon Gate and Thundercloud Sect still wished to remain uninvolved, then, having lost their defensive strongholds, they might genuinely be annihilated by you tonight. This isn't five against one; it's a gamble involving six parties.""Only when everyone loses their strongholds and has no retreat can there be temporary unity."

Jiang Ning stared deeply at him. "Regardless, with the light pillars risen and the signal for an all-out assault on the Zuoqiu Clan across the city, South City is destined to become a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood tonight. If the Zuoqiu Clan can hold out until dawn, that would be remarkable!"

Li Weiyi quietly said, "Perhaps you have still underestimated Zuoqiu Hongting."Since Qi Xiao and Shi Shishi hadn't found Zuoqiu Hongting to come and rescue him, it indicated that Zuoqiu Hongting had already sensed something amiss and had likely returned to South City much earlier.

A tall, black-clad figure, back against a wall, stood in the shadow beneath an eave just ten zhang from the two. It was completely merged with the darkness, without any detectable presence.

"The Imperial Court has two people watching you: one is Feng Yin, Fengzhou's top expert, whose speed is only slightly inferior to mine. The other is Zhen Yuyan, a master of tracking, an imperial guard with exceptional lineage.""They won't attack you, but they'll follow you until dawn tomorrow when Ge Xiantong arrives."

Knowing her plan had failed and she couldn't severely wound him, Jiang Ning prepared to let him leave.She believed that once he understood the Zuoqiu Clan and the Nine Li Tribe were past their prime, Li Weiyi would have no other option but to withdraw from the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival.

"The turbid currents of this world surge ever forward. You cannot stop them either!"Jiang Ning retracted her sword back into her ancestral field.

In the darkness beneath the eave, ten zhang away, the tall figure subtly smiled, then swiftly darted out, fixating on the two who had ceased their fight. Its right hand drew a circle, and the air seemed to liquefy, ripples spreading outward.From its sleeve, a blinding array of concealed weapons shot forth, like a ball of fire, launching from the circular ripples.As the fiery mass flew, it produced a rattling sound.Upon closer inspection, it was an innumerable shower of flaming scales, like a sky full of sparks, filling the street and moving with meteor-like speed."Golden Scale Fire Rain," Jiang Ning exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock.

In a rush, there was no time to unleash her Dragon Soul or combat intentions. She could only form a hand seal, conjuring a thick defensive barrier with her spiritual energy.Li Weiyi pulled out his ghost banner, stepping forward and spinning it rapidly, using the flag as a shield to form a vortex.

The Golden Scale Fire Rain was not only fast but also terrifyingly penetrative, breaching Jiang Ning's spiritual energy barrier and Li Weiyi's ghost banner before striking them."Boom! Boom!"Jiang Ning wore her provincial governor's robe, while Li Weiyi had his corpse armor and two enchanted battle armors.Both were forced back, sustaining only minor injuries.Li Weiyi's two enchanted battle armors were completely destroyed, riddled with holes. This immediately activated the protective blood mist and crimson scriptures within his corpse armor, and his gaze swept the surroundings.Jiang Ning swung her sword at the shadow beneath the eave, but the assailant had already vanished.

"Swish! Swish..."The sound of rushing wind continuously echoed.Seven figures charged from seven different directions, their faces devoid of expression, their eyes burning with flames."They're Death Cinders among the Ash Spirits..." Jiang Ning warned.

"Boom!"One of the figures, still far off, was struck by Jiang Ning's sword, exploding into sparks that covered an area of ten zhang.Everything within that ten-zhang radius was utterly reduced to dust, forming a small ash-strewn zone.The magical light screens on the buildings lining the street were extinguished, and the sparks surged inside. Buildings collapsed with a roar, burning amidst the ashes.Jiang Ning and Li Weiyi used their movement techniques, swiftly dodging.

"Rumble!"The other six Death Cinder figures surrounded them, transforming into six spheres of fire.These flames then disintegrated into dust and sparks, obliterating everything nearby."Bang! Bang!"The two burst out from the swirling dust and sparks, falling to the ground and each spitting out a mouthful of blood.Jiang Ning was more severely wounded than Li Weiyi.Earlier, amidst the flames, she had stood in front, using her provincial governor's robe to absorb the brunt of the attack.

"How are you?"Li Weiyi climbed to his feet, crouching low, cautiously scanning his surroundings. He waved his hand, and the seven Phoenix-Wing Moth Emperors rose into the air, searching for traces of the assailant.Jiang Ning suppressed her injuries. "I'm fine!"

"See? Your kind of cooperation is riddled with holes. Given the slightest chance, you'll go to any lengths to kill your allies.""Big Phoenix found him! Leave him to me; we can't have any more contact, or you won't be able to explain yourself when you go back!"

With these words, Li Weiyi stepped on a dragon shadow and appeared on a rooftop dozens of feet away.He extended a hand, gathering the seven Phoenix-Wing Moth Emperors, and pursued the figure into the night.

Feng Yin and Zhen Yuyan, each employing their movement techniques, arrived beside Jiang Ning, one after the other."I'm fine! You have your mission, go!" Jiang Ning said.The two top-tier imperial experts bowed respectfully and then went after Li Weiyi.

Dragon roars echoed through the night sky, one after another, incredibly high-pitched.Li Weiyi's heart felt cold and heavy. He pushed his speed to the absolute limit, catching up to the tall, black-clad figure on the inner city wall. The masked figure produced a two-foot-long wooden staff.

"Bang! Bang!"A sword against a staff, the two figures clashed fiercely on the city wall.The intensity far surpassed his previous encounter with Jiang Ning, with killing intent and battle spirit permeating the air. Li Weiyi put his full power into every sword strike, determined to kill the opponent.The seven Phoenix-Wing Moth Emperors accompanied Li Weiyi, not attacking, but solely tasked with preventing the black-clad figure from escaping.

Seizing an opportunity, Li Weiyi charged his power, unleashing five combat intention spirit projections. Five Li Weiyis appeared simultaneously, and with an overwhelming momentum, a sword strike capable of cleaving the sea surged forward.The black-clad figure's eyes suddenly changed, no longer concerned about revealing their identity.Raising the staff above their head, a profound and peerless power was unleashed, pulling down a wisp of dark cloud from hundreds of meters high, like a tornado connecting heaven and earth.Scriptures appeared on the staff, and when it was swung, vast waves of cloud mist surged out with it."Whoosh!"The Yellow Dragon Sword tore through the cloud mist, colliding with the wooden staff.A surge of sword energy shot straight forward, and with a 'snap,' it shattered the mask on the black-clad figure's face, leaving a line of blood on his handsome features.

The black-clad figure turned and fled, leaping down from the city wall and disappearing into the darkness.

"Was that Long Ting?"From that fleeting glance, Li Weiyi couldn't be certain.However, what he could confirm was that the person's face had a line of blood, not sparks beneath the skin, meaning it was definitely not an Ash Spirit. If Long Ting hadn't transformed into an Ash Spirit...Then why would he want to kill Zhu Huan?

Li Weiyi exhaled slowly, then turned around.Feng Yin and Zhen Yuyan appeared one after another.