Chapter 486 - 424: Chunying

Chapter 486: Chapter 424: Chunying

The wails, at times high-pitched and sharp, at others low and hoarse, stirred a restless agitation in one’s heart, causing their Qi and Blood to churn violently.

Xu Zhongyong gritted his teeth and forced himself to endure. Every moment felt like an eternity; he wished he could just end it all with a single slash of his blade.

Just then, the sound abruptly changed, becoming melodious and pleasant.

It was as if a gentle, captivating woman were softly singing. A light breeze seemed to caress the ears, bringing unparalleled comfort to both body and mind.

Xu Zhongyong lifted his head and saw the bewitching woman walking gracefully toward him. She wore only a wisp of light gauze that looked as if it might drift away at any moment.

"Come here, darling!"

The bewitching woman gave a dazzling smile, her allure utterly captivating.

Xu Zhongyong froze, his mind falling into a trance. He forgot where he was or what he was there to do. Only a single thought remained...

Du Zhen struggled to hold on for a while, then suddenly felt the pressure on him lighten. He breathed a silent sigh of relief and immediately checked on the others, only to find Xu Zhongyong was gone!

Glancing around, he saw that Xu Zhongyong had somehow left the group and was using his Water Manipulation Skill to swim toward the woman, his face completely blank.

"Xu Zhongyong, get back here!"

Du Zhen bellowed.

Xu Zhongyong snapped out of it, his mind clearing. He was stunned to find himself standing before the bewitching woman, and the color drained from his face in terror.

What was more terrifying was that his limbs refused to obey him. He couldn’t even move a single finger.

"Very good. So obedient."

The bewitching woman sighed softly, a green light glinting in her emotionless eyes. She reached out, plunging her fingers into the top of his head.

SQUELCH...

Xu Zhongyong’s eyes rolled back into his head. As if his very essence and blood had been drained away, his body rapidly collapsed, turning into a desiccated corpse in an instant.

The bewitching woman licked her lips and nodded in satisfaction. Suddenly, she glanced toward Di Tutan, raised a slender eyebrow, and muttered to herself, ’They’re here?’

"Die, you witch!"

Du Zhen shot forward, hurling his Gold-Slaying Saber in a vicious slash.

Chang Jianqiu, Wang Jingchen, and Shi Shouxin reacted as well, unleashing their own artifacts.

The four artifacts struck the bewitching woman one after another, producing a series of metallic clangs.

The bewitching woman was nowhere to be seen; what they had struck was merely an illusion.

"Mirror Image Form!"

Du Zhen’s breath hitched as he blurted it out.

"I remember on the ship, this woman was standing with two other cultivators. Now that I think about it, those two are probably Foundation Establishment cultivators as well."

Chang Jianqiu said, his expression grim.

Hearing this, a chill ran down everyone’s spines.

A single Foundation Establishment cultivator had trapped the five of them and effortlessly killed one. If three appeared at once, it was likely no one here would survive.

Du Zhen’s face fell. "Let’s head back for now," he said in a grave tone. "We’ll wait for Fellow Daoist Zhao to return."

Though he didn’t say it outright, Chang Jianqiu and the others all knew the mission would likely have to be aborted.

...

’I hope they don’t run into any Foundation Establishment cultivators.’

Zhao Lin thought to himself as he tracked the Divine Sense imprint to the edge of the Fudong Rift Valley, gazing into the bottomless, dark abyss.

After swimming for another ten-odd zhang, he suddenly sensed a figure up ahead, swimming rapidly toward him.

Based on the body outline from his echolocation, the approaching figure appeared to be Xu Zhongyong.

’Why is he alone?’

Suspicious, Zhao Lin formed a Fan Fall Seal with his hand, a signal to alert the other person that a fellow sect member was present.

"Brother Zhao! Brother Du and the others are surrounded! They’re in mortal danger, you have to save them!"

Xu Zhongyong rushed out of the darkness, speaking in a frantic hurry without bothering to respond to the Dharma Seal.

"How many are there? Where?"

Zhao Lin asked, sizing up Xu Zhongyong with a frown.

"Seven of them! Over there!"

Xu Zhongyong pointed behind him, urging, "They can’t hold on much longer!"

"Got it!"

Zhao Lin agreed without hesitation. He drew his Moon-Cutting Saber and used his Water Manipulation Skill to head in the direction Xu Zhongyong had pointed.

Xu Zhongyong hurried to follow, a flash of triumph glinting in his eyes as he lowered his head.

With a flick of his sleeve, a snow-white blade dropped into his palm.

"Are we almost there?"

Zhao Lin suddenly turned back and asked.

"Almost! Just up ahead!"

Xu Zhongyong jumped, answering quickly.

"Just as I thought! A damned cur from the Earth Dark Sect!"

Zhao Lin roared, slashing forward with the Moon-Cutting Saber.

"Xu Zhongyong" froze for a second, then felt a surge of delight. ’I don’t know which unlucky bastard just did me a huge favor,’ he thought.

He revealed the snow-white blade, secretly forming a spell with his hand.

But to his surprise, Zhao Lin twisted his wrist, and the Moon-Cutting Saber swung back in a lightning-fast arc.

"Are you crazy?!"

"Xu Zhongyong" cried out in alarm. In his haste, he only had time to conjure a protective layer of Ripple Armor.

The Moon-Cutting Saber slammed into the Ripple Armor. "Xu Zhongyong" was thrown backward, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

The figure then wavered and reverted to its true form, revealing the bewitching woman.

Zhao Lin was not the least bit surprised. He brought the Moon-Cutting Saber down again.

In truth, Zhao Lin knew something was wrong from the first moment he saw "Xu Zhongyong."

For one thing, the story of four people being surrounded with only him escaping was suspicious in itself.

When he displayed the Fan Fall Seal and "Xu Zhongyong" failed to respond, his suspicion deepened.

Zhao Lin immediately tried to sense the Divine Sense imprint he had placed on Xu Zhongyong and found it was gone!

The imprint from the Divine Seal Skill lasted for twenty-four hours and could be sensed as long as the person was within a hundred li.

Xu Zhongyong was right in front of him, yet he couldn’t sense the Divine Sense imprint. There was only one possibility: the real Xu Zhongyong was already dead, and the one before him was an impostor!

He further deduced that to possess such cunning and skill, the fake Xu Zhongyong was very likely a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

That was why Zhao Lin hadn’t attacked immediately. Instead, he waited for a chance to distract her before launching a surprise attack.

Struck by the Moon-Cutting Saber, "Xu Zhongyong" revealed her true form—it was none other than the bewitching woman named Chunying!

Seeing her ruse exposed, Chunying flicked her wrist. The silver cord wrapped around it uncoiled, extending into a long, thin whip.

The Moon-Cutting Saber let out a clear hum as it slashed down at the silver whip.

The silver whip was incredibly nimble. It flicked through the water, dodging the blade and wrapping itself around the hilt of the Moon-Cutting Saber.

Zhao Lin refused to get entangled. He reversed the blade’s direction and slashed viciously toward Chunying.

’She’s already injured. A direct confrontation is the best tactic.’

Chunying’s expression changed. She hurriedly cast two defensive spells in an attempt to block the Moon-Cutting Saber.

With a series of CRACKS, both defensive spells were shattered by the Moon-Cutting Saber.

Chunying saw how powerful Zhao Lin’s artifact was. She was already severely injured; she wouldn’t last much longer if the fight continued.

Her figure flickered, and she instantly conjured three identical images of herself.

The three figures were identical, and each fled in a different direction.

’Mirror Image Form?’

Sensing the fluctuations of water-elemental Spiritual Power, Zhao Lin recognized the magic she was using. He immediately recalled his Moon-Cutting Saber and gave a sharp cry, "Ice Blade Skill, divide!"

An ice blade instantly materialized and split into three, each shooting toward one of the figures.

The Mirror Image Form was, after all, an Illusion Technique. No matter how realistic, the illusions couldn’t withstand a spell. Struck by the Ice Blade Skill, they instantly dissolved into motes of silver light and vanished without a trace.

Left with no choice, Chunying had to turn back to block the attack, her speed slowing as a result.

Zhao Lin pushed his Water Manipulation Skill to its limit, transforming himself into a streamlined droplet that sliced through the water straight toward her.

Panic filled Chunying’s eyes. Gritting her teeth, she desperately gathered her remaining Spiritual Power and conjured five illusions.

The six figures scattered in all directions—some darted sideways, some shot toward the surface, and others plummeted into the abyss below.

At her peak, she could have created eight illusions. But times had changed; this was the best she could do by mustering every last bit of her strength.

Zhao Lin sent out an ultrasonic pulse to scan them but found he couldn’t distinguish the real one from the illusions. His body blurred, leaving behind an afterimage.

When he came to a stop, a clone stood beside him.

Zhao Lin and his clone each unleashed three ice blades, sending them hurtling toward the six versions of Chunying.

At first, Chunying thought Zhao Lin was also using the Mirror Image Form and paid it no mind. But when she saw her illusions being shattered one by one by the ice blades, she finally realized the gravity of the situation.

She shrieked, "The Thunder Shadow Clone! How do you know the Thunder Shadow Clone technique?"

Zhao Lin remained silent. His Moon-Cutting Saber arrived in an instant, giving Chunying no room to breathe.

Utterly terrified, Chunying knew that if she continued to fight, death was certain. Her figure wavered and then suddenly vanished into thin air.

’A water escape technique?’

Zhao Lin’s eyes narrowed. He recalled his clone and sent out an ultrasonic pulse in all directions.

In less than half a breath, the returning pulse revealed Chunying hiding several dozen zhang away, her body curled into a ball.

’Does she think she can hide that easily?’

Zhao Lin sneered inwardly and used his Water Manipulation Skill to swim toward her.

Chunying suppressed her aura, shielded her Divine Sense, and didn’t dare to take a breath, praying Zhao Lin wouldn’t discover her.

Afraid to use any magic, her body slowly sank toward the abyss.

When he was less than twenty zhang away from Chunying, Zhao Lin formed a hand seal and unleashed a Water Demon Fist.

Spiritual Qi coalesced, forming a giant fist of water that shot silently toward Chunying.

Hearing the sound of rushing water, Chunying sensed something was wrong. She turned to see a giant fist hurtling toward her...

She only had time to let out a shriek before the heavy blow landed, the blood she spat out instantly dyeing the seawater red.

Zhao Lin closed in, his Moon-Cutting Saber drawn once more!

"My lord, spare me! I am willing to surrender."

Chunying gritted her teeth, using all her strength to force herself into a kneeling, prostrate position as she pleaded through sobs.

As she spoke, she held out her hands, binding them with her own silver whip to show she had given up all resistance.

Zhao Lin looked down on her and asked, "You’re a dignified Foundation Establishment cultivator, yet you’re willing to surrender to a mere Qi Refining Realm cultivator like me?"

"Yes. We of the Earth Dark Sect admire the strong. For you to have such power in the Qi Refining Realm, my lord, means you are truly one of the strong. I, Chunying, am willing to hand over my Primordial Spirit and become your eternal slave."

Chunying raised her head with a fawning smile, her fair face looking all the more delectable.

"I am also proficient in the art of dual cultivation. I am certain you will be satisfied, my lord!"

Chunying continued, her clothes now in tatters. She was practically naked, revealing her enchanting curves.

Zhao Lin gave a noncommittal smile. "Besides Ji Zhang, what’s the name of the other Foundation Establishment cultivator? What kind of magic does he specialize in?"

Chunying’s eyes flickered. "You must mean Matsuo, my lord? He specializes in the single-saber style, and also..."

She trailed off, saying no more.

The implication was clear: she wanted his guarantee that he would not kill her.

But Zhao Lin didn’t press for more. The Moon-Cutting Saber flashed, a silver arc that severed Chunying’s neck.

Chunying’s head flew into the water as her body collapsed limply.

A snow-white blade slipped from between her fingers and drifted down.