"An honest person doesn't resort to insinuations. You might not be a stranger to the name Xu Xing. I've already made inquiries about this place, so there's no point in being secretive. Do you, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, think you can stop me?"
As the horse-faced man spoke, a thin whip appeared in his hand.
Although the cultivation of the woman within the formation felt indistinct to him, he had already gathered information about the situation here. He guessed that this must be the maid named Ling'e.
Since Zhao Fenglou had yet to appear and had sent this woman out instead, it meant his grievous injuries were still unhealed. In that case, he would simply beat him until he came out. If Zhao Fenglou fled, he wouldn't be able to take all these mortal relatives with him in time, and he would then wash the Zhao Manor in blood.
At this moment, it was quiet both inside and outside the manor. Ling'e, when she had made her move against Li Yan's group, had cast a spell to put all the mortals in the Zhao Manor and the surrounding streets into a deep sleep.
The thin whip in the horse-faced man's hand suddenly lashed out at the empty space before him. The tip of the whip, like a venomous snake, shot out with a whistling sound.
"Clang!"
The sound of metal clashing rang out in front of the horse-faced man, followed by a shower of sparks that exploded in the dark night. With just one strike, the entire Zhao Manor shook as if hit by an earthquake, the ground trembling violently.
Inside the grand formation, Ling'e, holding the bronze lamp, turned pale. She knew the gap between herself and a Golden Core cultivator, but she still wanted to use the formation's defense to see if she could contend with him for a bit.
But with just a single strike, she almost lost her grip on the lamp. An immense, formless force traveled from the lamp, making her feel suffocated and her limbs weak.
If not for the fact that this formation was manifested from Zhao Fenglou's soul and all his final cultivation, and was not just some array of Formation Plates and flags she had set up, it would have been annihilated in an instant.
"Clang! Clang! Clang..."
Once the horse-faced man began his assault, his momentum was like a tidal wave!
Inside the grand formation, trickles of blood seeped from the corners of Ling'e's mouth. Her body was forced back continuously in the air, the light around her flickering wildly.
But she was still holding on with all her might. Unless it was the last resort, she certainly didn't want to unleash her final attack. If she died and failed to kill Xu Xing, everyone in the Zhao Manor would be doomed.
Although she had put the nearby mortals to sleep earlier, it was only because she intended to kill Li Yan's group and then wake them up again.
Now, Xu Xing's reckless attacks immediately alerted the city guards patrolling at night.
"Who goes there?"
With a sharp cry, a squad of soldiers came rushing over. They too saw someone fighting in mid-air. It was just that in this world, masters of the martial world could also leap to great heights. And because of the Wind Beasts, mortals on the Wind God Continent were not unaccustomed to seeing martial arts masters flying about.
"A bunch of ants, get lost!"
Xu Xing had attacked seven or eight times in a row but still couldn't break the grand formation, which made him increasingly furious.
According to the information he had, Zhao Fenglou was likely still in seclusion purging the poison, as no one had seen him for many years. Only a Foundation Establishment cultivator was guarding the Zhao Manor.
Now that he had found his target, he couldn't even break the formation of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Xu Xing was already burning with rage. Hearing the soldiers shouting at him, killing intent instantly flooded his eyes.
'A group of ant-like existences dares to scold me.'
Xu Xing flicked his finger, and a ball of fire shot out from his fingertip. When it first flew out, it was only the size of a fist, but it grew in the wind, instantly transforming into a fire dragon with bared fangs and brandished claws.
The fire dragon circled and danced, then flew towards the soldiers rushing along the street below. Before the fire dragon even reached the soldiers, the houses along its path seemed to burst into roaring flames, a crimson light soaring into the sky.
"Now is the time!"
A glint flashed in Ling'e's beautiful eyes inside the formation. She knew her magical power could not withstand his next attack, and she saw Xu Xing mercilessly attacking mortals.
Ling'e had lived in this city for many years. Whether it was the soldiers or the neighbors, there were many she knew.
Seeing the fire dragon sweep down, she was anxious but helpless. The gap between her and Xu Xing was too vast. It was impossible even to use the formation to stall for time.
Therefore, there was no "fighting for three hundred rounds." She had only one chance. After this one strike, whether it succeeded or failed, everything would be over.
On the jade-like hand Ling'e used to hold the bronze lamp, a sliver of light suddenly rose and then flared. With a "whoosh," a green flame shot up from the white wick.
Then, a phantom suddenly walked out from the wick. It was a man in a green robe, his features somewhat blurry.
At the same time, the magical power in Ling'e's body began to fluctuate violently. A look of extreme pain appeared on her face, but not only did she not stop circulating her magical power, her eyes showed a look of decisiveness.
As her magical power circulated at high speed, the formless formation around her also surged towards Xu Xing in waves. She was going to use self-detonation to activate the "Blood Soul-Seizing Lamp" and deliver the final blow.
"Zhao Fenglou? This is..."
The approaching Xu Xing saw the green-robed phantom walk out of the grand formation. He was first stunned, then burst into a fit of wild laughter.
"Hahaha... This is the power of your soul. You really couldn't cure my 'Golden Silk Pill Miasma' poison. This is perfect. I can conveniently extract your soul and refine your spirit. It will save me a lot of trouble!"
As Xu Xing spoke, his face became even more sinister.
As the green-robed phantom walked out of the grand formation, his form began to solidify. He paid no heed to Xu Xing's words, instead turning his head to look at Ling'e within the formation, her face contorted in pain.
"You, why must you go through this?"
A long-lost voice echoed in Ling'e's mind. In that instant, a smile fought its way onto Ling'e's face, which had been twisted by extreme pain, even as streams of blood flowed from her mouth.
She was burning her own Essence Blood to make Zhao Fenglou's soul more substantial, which would allow him to unleash a stronger attack.
Secondly, she wanted to see a more realistic Zhao Fenglou one last time—the man who had long since vanished but appeared in her dreams every night.
The moment Zhao Fenglou launched his attack, it would be accompanied by her own self-detonation. She would also unleash all her "Moth Poison Powder" at Xu Xing, staking everything on this one move.
Therefore, while she burned her Essence Blood, she was also enduring the pain, waiting to see Zhao Fenglou one last time, waiting for him to attack.
Self-detonation was easy for a cultivator, but waiting for the process of self-detonation was the most agonizing part.
A trace of pity flashed in Zhao Fenglou's eyes. He spun around abruptly and pointed a finger at the lunging Xu Xing.
Three breaths of time had passed from when Xu Xing unleashed his "Fire Dragon Art" to when Zhao Fenglou pointed his finger.
And because of Zhao Fenglou's appearance, although Xu Xing heard the scorching "crackle" of his "Fire Dragon Art," his attention was completely focused on Zhao Fenglou. He had to capture this man's soul and not let it dissipate. He would use his soul as oil to truly light a "sky lantern," to make Zhao Fenglou howl day after day, unable to live, unable to die.
The moment he saw Zhao Fenglou appear outside the formation, the thin whip in Xu Xing's hand shot out, transforming into a golden chain that instantly wrapped around Zhao Fenglou.
"Hmph, Zhao Fenglou! My name is the Golden Silk Soul Master, yet you leave behind your soul to fight me. You truly don't know life from death."
Feeling a power from the golden chain that made his soul tremble with fear, Zhao Fenglou couldn't help but frown. He knew what his opponent's famous immortal art was. But his Golden Core had already been shattered to pieces, and only his soul could be held together by this art.
His outstretched index finger blurred, bypassing the golden chain and pointing at Xu Xing with even greater speed. The tip of his finger even left a long, phantom trail of faint green light as it attacked.
He had to complete his attack before the "Soul-Hooking Whip" touched his body. In that instant, his soul power would also be completely consumed, and he would dissipate into nothingness.
Zhao Fenglou allowed the golden chain to wrap around his body. In the formation, Ling'e struggled to keep herself from collapsing, maintaining her magical power at the brink of explosion. Ever since Zhao Fenglou's figure appeared, her gaze had not left him for a single moment. All her pain seemed to have been swept away by the wind.
Just then, an invisible force suddenly imprisoned all three of them, locking them firmly in place. Their magical power vanished in an instant, and a leisurely voice rang out.
"Immortals and mortals walk different paths. For abusing your divine abilities, you shall be executed!"
As this voice sounded, three other figures suddenly appeared above their heads. The one who spoke was a burly, formidable man.
Zhao Fenglou's soul was the most sensitive to the outside world. The aura he had mustered was already formidable, but as the man spoke, he felt a fear that came from the depths of his soul. His aura rapidly diminished under the pressure of that irresistible power.
He struggled to raise his head and met the burly man's gaze. At this single glance, Zhao Fenglou felt as if his soul was about to disintegrate. He was utterly shocked.
His soul only had one chance to appear, which was why he had sealed it himself using a secret art. Therefore, he had no idea what had been happening in the outside world and certainly didn't recognize Li Yan's group of three. When he was summoned by Ling'e, he knew it was time for him to unleash his final attack.
Instantly restrained, Zhao Fenglou was overcome with despair. He didn't know if these three were friend or foe, but he was certain he didn't recognize them.
"A Nascent Soul cultivator!" he muttered to himself.
Just then, a voice called out.
"Senior!"
Within the formation, the surging aura around Ling'e was also suppressed by a gentle force, and she could no longer continue burning her Essence Blood . At the same time, a cool sensation spread through her mouth, as if someone had flicked a medicinal pill into it, instantly healing many of her internal injuries and allowing her to speak again.
The voice that sounded felt somewhat familiar to her. When she saw the three figures floating in the air, she couldn't help but cry out in alarm.
But Li Yan only glanced at her before his gaze fell upon Xu Xing. Xu Xing was still frozen in his forward-lunge posture, the golden chain that had flown from his hand also imprisoned by an invisible force.
But he could still turn his head. A quick glance around revealed, to his astonishment, that although the flames he had unleashed had swept through the entire street, not a single house below had been burned. It was as if they were protected by an invisible layer of power.
The soldiers who had rushed over were also standing frozen in place, none of them dead, their faces filled with terror as they looked up. At this point, even the most foolish among them knew that these people who could command fire like a dragon were definitely cultivators.
Xu Xing's eyes darted around rapidly. He knew he had encountered a high-level cultivator.
"Senior, my master is..."
But before he could finish, a ball of fire suddenly erupted from his body, instantly engulfing him. Xu Xing didn't even have time to scream before he, along with his unfinished words, vanished completely from this world.
Zi Kun and Qian Ji showed looks of disdain. Trying to spout nonsense in front of Li Yan was practically a dream. For those he deemed deserving of death, Li Yan would never give them a chance to speak; he would simply exterminate them.
'Why attack mortals!' Li Yan thought to himself, his Divine Sense having perceived the sleeping elderly, children, and women in the houses, as well as the terrified soldiers below.
Then, with a wave of his large sleeve, the fire dragon on the street vanished with a whimper, and the soldiers immediately fainted in unison.
Fortunately, Xu Xing had only acted for a very short time. Only the nearby patrolling soldiers had heard the commotion. In the space of five or six breaths, everything had returned to calm. Otherwise, Li Yan would have had to go to some trouble to erase the memories of more people.
At the same time Li Yan killed Xu Xing with a wave of his hand, the restraints on Zhao Fenglou and Ling'e's bodies also vanished, and they instantly regained their freedom.
"Many thanks, Senior, for your assistance!"
Zhao Fenglou immediately knelt in mid-air. Although Li Yan hadn't said much, everything that had just happened clearly showed his stance.
Just then, with a flash of light, Ling'e flew to Zhao Fenglou's side and bowed deeply to Li Yan's group of three. Then, she looked at Zhao Fenglou.
"I had not intended to intervene. The grudges between cultivators should be resolved by you all. But this man slaughtered mortals!" Li Yan said faintly, as if explaining to them, or perhaps just speaking to himself.
"Regardless, I must thank you, Senior. This junior no longer has the strength to repay Senior's great kindness. I can only wish that Senior and your two fellow Daoists have a limitless immortal path, smooth and untroubled!"
Although Zhao Fenglou had lost his physical body, he could still sense the cultivation of Qian Ji and Zi Kun . His words were filled with endless melancholy and sincere gratitude. As for Li Yan's cultivation, he didn't even need to sense it. A cultivator who could obliterate Xu Xing with a wave of his hand was, at the very least, a supreme expert of the Nascent Soul realm.
"Alright, you don't need to waste any more time!" Li Yan waved his hand at him.
Zhao Fenglou certainly understood what Li Yan meant. He had just undone the seal, and his soul could no longer be re-condensed and returned to the bronze lamp. He would either have dissipated in that last attack, or he would have had a chance to enter the Great Dao of Reincarnation. Now, he had the best possible outcome: he could be reincarnated.
As for whether he would be human or demon in the next life, or if he would have a Spirit Root and walk the immortal path again, Zhao Fenglou didn't care. He was already very content.
"Why did you have to do that just now?" Zhao Fenglou looked at Ling'e, who was still holding the bronze lamp.
"Without your rescue back then, there would be no me today. You've already let me live for many extra years!" Ling'e stared at Zhao Fenglou without blinking. She knew this was the last time they would see each other and couldn't bear to waste a single breath.