“However, I didn't come here today to settle old scores with you.”
“Settling old scores is so boring. If we're going to calculate anything, we might as well settle the final account.”
With that, she tilted her head and ordered the guards behind her, “Go, bring out all the miscellaneous disciples at the stern.”
Several Nascent Soul guards immediately moved. Their figures flashed as they broke through the remaining dim light of the protective barrier, landing directly on the stern of the flying vessel.
Dozens of miscellaneous disciples were huddled at the stern. Some were in charge of meals, while others were responsible for sweeping and cleaning; they were all low-level disciples in the Qi Refining stage.
The group huddled close together, whispering words of comfort to their fellow disciples.
The guard commander swept his gaze over them and said, “We do not kill the innocent. Form a line, and we will escort you away one by one.”
The miscellaneous disciples looked at each other.
One of the braver ones stood up first, and only then did the rest hurriedly rise to their feet.
The guards stood on both sides, escorting the people off the flying vessel in batches.
One young miscellaneous disciple was so terrified her legs gave out, so a guard simply picked her up by the back collar. With a few leaps, he brought her to a distant hilltop to reunite with her previously evacuated fellow disciples.
Shen Qingci watched this scene through the water mirror.
She knew Aunt Shuyan was always sensible in her actions. She would never show mercy to those who deserved to die, nor would she touch a single soul who shouldn't.
In less than half a cup of tea's time, the stern was completely cleared.
The guard commander clasped his hands toward Shen Shuyan from afar and retreated to his original position.
Shen Shuyan nodded, her divine sense turning back to the flying vessel, the smile on her face still gentle and placid.
“Alright, the area is cleared.”
“Next, I can let loose.”
She raised her hand to toss the talismans into the air, her fingers intertwining to form the “Ten Thousand Talismans Convergence Seal.” Spiritual light spread from her fingertips, and ripples of talisman runes surged outward from beneath her feet.
“Thirty thousand Mystic talismans, heed my command... Rise!”
The rushing air blew away her hair ribbon, letting her long hair cascade over her shoulders.
Thirty thousand Mystic-grade High-rank talismans flew out from Shen Shuyan's storage ring, tightly enveloping the entire flying vessel to form a spherical cage of talismans.
Only narrow gaps remained between the talismans, with spiritual light weaving back and forth within the cracks.
Seeing that the deadly move was complete, Fu Mingyuan fished out an Earth-grade Mid-rank cone-shaped magical treasure.
The body of the cone was pitch-black, carved with nine spiral threads, and a speck of dark red condensed at its tip.
Spiritual energy poured in, lighting up the spiral threads one by one.
He raised his hand and threw it. A black light slammed into the wall of the illusion corridor.
With a dull boom, the first layer of the illusion shattered into white mist. The Calamity-Breaking Cone surged forward, breaking through the second and third barriers in quick succession...
A gap was torn through the illusion corridor. If he broke through two more layers, the real clouds lay just outside.
A look of joy appeared on Fu Mingyuan's face, and his body did not slow down.
The Wind-Chasing Boots on his feet lit up, and six top-grade spirit stones grew scorching hot simultaneously.
The speed of this Earth-grade Mid-rank magical treasure was fast enough to catch up to an ordinary Void Refining stage cultivator.
He transformed into a beam of light and dashed straight out of the gap.
Several Nascent Soul elders stared at the disappearing light, completely stunned on the spot!
The personal disciples looked at one another.
Master fled?
He abandoned them and escaped on his own???
Shen Shuyan glanced at the streak of light, her lips curving slightly.
She split off ten thousand talismans to pursue him. The talisman papers sliced through the clouds, leaving faint golden trails, and she then shot a glance at the guards behind her.
Twenty Nascent Soul guards charged straight toward the flying vessel.
Before long, continuous cries for mercy echoed from the flying vessel.
Without even turning her head, Shen Shuyan locked her divine sense onto Fu Mingyuan as the ten thousand talismans tightened their perimeter.
High in the sky, the ten thousand talismans ignited simultaneously.
A massive explosion erupted, and the shockwave swept in all directions, instantly crushing the vast sea of clouds into white mist.
Several hilltops below were flattened on the spot, with shattered stones, flames, and torn talismans flying everywhere.
The Floating Light Dragon-Prisoning Array was still active, suppressing the spiritual energy of all enemy cultivators within.
The smoke gradually cleared.
Fu Mingyuan was suspended in mid-air, the spiritual light of his Black Scale Armor mostly dimmed.
Several plates on his left shoulder armor were shattered, his robe was burned to tatters, and his hair was in complete disarray.
He coughed up several puffs of black smoke. “Cough, cough, cough...”
Tsk, he's still breathing.
Shen Shuyan watched from afar, assessing the situation.
An Earth-grade Low-rank armor could withstand such an explosion; this old fellow's assets were indeed quite substantial.
Fu Mingyuan panted heavily, reaching out to tear off the small sword hanging around his neck.
He had carried the two-inch shortsword close to his body for hundreds of years. The moment the red string snapped, the sword shattered.
A beam of sword qi soared straight into the sky, forcing the clouds to part. A blurry figure materialized in mid-air—it was precisely the Body Integration stage sword qi sealed within the shortsword.
Fu Mingyuan gripped the remaining two sword qi, barely standing upright as he wiped the black ash from his face. “Why must you be so relentless, Fairy?”
“If you want the Azure Cloud Sect, I can simply yield it to you.”
Shen Shuyan did not speak, only staring at the illusory figure of the sword qi, her heart itching with anticipation.
A deadly move left behind by a Body Integration cultivator was not something one could easily witness.
Fu Mingyuan continued, his tone softening further, “It was my lack of foresight. I originally thought your family's Eldest Young Lady was merely playing around. Had I known your esteemed house was determined to have it, I would never have stood in your way.”
“Jinglian and I are fellow disciples; there is no need to become mortal enemies. Once this matter is settled, I will voluntarily abdicate and hand the position of Sect Master over to Jinglian. The Azure Cloud Sect will never oppose the Shen family.”
“I can make a Heavenly Dao oath.”
Shen Shuyan looked at him.
Though his words sounded sincere, his eyes kept darting toward the crack in the illusion.
He was still looking for a chance to escape.
She sneered, “Useless trash, if you want to fight, stop talking nonsense!”
Her hands formed hand seals once more.
Seven hundred Earth-grade Low-rank talismans drifted and spread out behind her, a faint silver light glowing from their edges.
The talismans ignited simultaneously, the resulting blast of air lifting her into the sky.
Seven hundred streams of talisman force twisted into a single rope, heavily crashing into the Body Integration sword qi.
The sword qi slashed down!
Screeech!
Two forces clashed in mid-air, instantly whipping up a wild tempest across the sky.
The torrent of talisman force was ripped apart from the center by the sword qi, and the talisman papers were entirely reduced to ashes. The sword qi's residual momentum remained unabated, crashing heavily into the hilltops below that had already been flattened.
The entire mountain split down the middle, sending shattered rocks flying in all directions, with dust and smoke billowing hundreds of zhang high.
Shen Shuyan was forced back dozens of steps by the impact, her soles plowing two scorched tracks in the empty air.
She steadied herself and lowered her head to look at her arm.
The sleeve of her entire right arm was shredded to pieces, and a shallow cut was sliced across her forearm. Drops of blood dripped down from her fingertips, and she raised her hand to lick it.
Sweet~
Shen Shuyan looked up, her gaze locking onto the spiritual light floating in mid-air, her lips slowly curving upward.
“Hahaha...”
“Again!”
Her fingers flew with rapid speed, and heaps of Earth-grade Low-rank talismans continuously shot out from her storage ring—exactly one thousand three hundred of them, leaving not a single one behind.
The talisman papers spread out wide above her head, blotting out half the sky.
“One thousand three hundred Earth-grade talismans. Is that enough for you to slash?”
She pinched a hand seal with one hand, causing the talisman array to buzz and tremble.
Sheets of talisman light lit up in succession, and the surrounding drifting clouds were directly dispersed by the talisman force, leaving only a blinding blaze in the sky.
Shen Shuyan crushed the last useless talisman beneath her foot and charged straight toward the Body Integration sword qi.
Her long hair was whipped straight by the fierce wind, her eyes burning with a blazing fighting spirit.
“Come at me again!!!”
One thousand three hundred streams of talisman force clashed with the sword qi...
On the other end of the water mirror...
Rate on N.U.
