“What!”
The Western Divine Envoy’s pupils contracted sharply, then he saw Lu Zheng materialize beside him, while his own body was completely rigid, unable to move.
…
In theory, no matter how miraculous an invisibility technique was, if someone got close enough, a cultivator’s sixth sense would alert them to something amiss, prompting them to scan their surroundings and discover the hidden intruder. Moreover, the cultivation of these four Divine Envoys was not weak, so Lu Zheng shouldn’t have been able to get so close.
However, the problem was that they were already engaged in a confrontation with Shen Ying and the Eighteen Heavenly Maidens, while also distracted by manipulating the Four Poles Soul-Locking Token. With spells flying and auras in chaos within Peach Blossom Manor, how could they spare the attention to sense a Taoist skilled in invisibility approaching?
Thus, the Northern Divine Envoy fell into the trap, beheaded by Lu Zheng in a single strike, contributing dozens of strands of luck light.
Then, out of wariness toward Lu Zheng, the remaining three Divine Envoys employed their own techniques. Apart from the Southern Divine Envoy’s main assault, the Eastern and Western Divine Envoys also contributed their efforts.
In their view, the Southern Divine Envoy’s attack had already pinned Lu Zheng down. Next, as long as they continued to hold him off, used the Four Poles Soul-Locking Token to capture Shen Ying’s soul, and then escaped without the interference of the old peach tree’s control over the battlefield, the battle would be over.
In their estimation, Lu Zheng surely wouldn’t dare kill again. If he killed another, it might seem like he gained the upper hand, but Shen Ying would definitely not survive.
So, victory was surely theirs.
But they never expected that Lu Zheng would unhesitatingly have the Eighteen Heavenly Maidens form an array and, together with Shen Ying, launch an all-out attack on the Eastern Divine Envoy!
“Are you insane? Even if we lose another, your lover is done for! We were prepared to lose one more, but not this quickly!”
The Eastern Divine Envoy was overwhelmed by the relentless killing intent of Shen Ying and the Eighteen Heavenly Maidens, leaving the Western and Southern Divine Envoys shocked, enraged, and oddly elated. Shocked that their opponent didn’t follow the expected strategy, enraged that another comrade was killed, but elated that the battle was about to end, and they wouldn’t die.
However, in the next moment, before the Southern Divine Envoy could finish celebrating, Lu Zheng adopted a life-for-life tactic.
“But I’m faster than you!”
The Southern Divine Envoy reacted swiftly, a savage grin on his face, thinking he could kill Lu Zheng. Yet, he ended up losing his own life, dying without ever understanding why Lu Zheng’s body lacked a soul or true spirit, unable to rest in peace.
The situation changed too quickly. The Western Divine Envoy thought the Southern Divine Envoy and Lu Zheng had perished together. But just as this thought crossed his mind, he was immobilized, and another Lu Zheng suddenly appeared beside him.
“What!”
*Crack!*
A single slash beheaded him, blood spraying everywhere!
Lu Zheng didn’t know what was wrong with himself. When facing an immobilized opponent, he just loved to swing his blade and chop off their head.
“Do I have some peculiar fetish?”
Well, now wasn’t the time to think about that!
Seeing the Western Divine Envoy’s head fly, Lu Zheng’s divine sense stirred. While the Four Poles Soul-Locking Token had just absorbed the Eastern Divine Envoy’s soul and was turning to absorb the Southern Divine Envoy’s, he activated a technique from the *Mysterious Secrets of the Golden Palace*. With a grab, he seized the Western Divine Envoy’s soul, then applied three soul-sealing curses, completely locking it down without leaking the slightest trace of aura.
*Buzz!*
The next moment, having absorbed the Southern Divine Envoy’s soul, the mental power within the wooden token surged significantly. However, without the Western Divine Envoy’s control, it could only hover in the air, no longer pulling at Shen Ying’s soul.
…
“Done!”
Lu Zheng breathed a sigh of relief. It was exactly as he had predicted. The thousand-year-old peach tree spirit was too far away. Though it could empower the token with its magic, it couldn’t control it remotely. Thus, by eliminating the Divine Envoys responsible for manipulating the token simultaneously, the curse of the Four Poles Soul-Locking Token could be broken.
In the peach tree spirit’s estimation, its four Divine Envoys were not weak in cultivation, so it was impossible for them to be defeated at the same time. As long as one remained, the token’s enhanced power could capture Shen Ying, and then they could escape using techniques like the Peach Wood Substitute or Peach Wood Escape, with no issues at all.
It was a foolproof plan!
Unfortunately, it never anticipated Lu Zheng, who possessed both invisibility and puppet soul-attachment curses.
…
“Lu Lang~” Shen Ying floated to Lu Zheng’s side.
“Are you alright?” Lu Zheng grasped Shen Ying’s hand.
“I’m fine,” Shen Ying softly shook her head. “Thanks to your help, Lu Lang.”
Lu Zheng smiled. “We’re husband and wife, no need for such formalities.”
*Buzz buzz buzz!*
Streams of luck light began pouring into the jade seal in his mind. Lu Zheng couldn’t distinguish which came from the three opponents, or whether Shen Ying and the Eighteen Heavenly Maidens contributed any. Combined with what the Northern Divine Envoy had provided earlier, a total of 218 strands of luck light replenished the reserves he had depleted over the past few months.
Satisfying!
The Eighteen Heavenly Maidens descended one by one. One held a porcelain bottle, another carried six flying swords, another displayed several wooden tokens, and yet another raised a tree branch. These were the magical artifacts of the four Divine Envoys.
A figure rushed out from the backyard, Xiao Cui, holding a zhi horse. Her strength was too weak, so she could only hide in the backyard, unable to join the fight.
Tao Xin looked at the wooden token floating in the center of the front yard with some fear and apprehension, asking, “Fairy, Young Master Lu, what should we do with this wooden token?”
Though the token had lost its guidance and target, it still emitted powerful mental fluctuations. If mishandled, it could cause a severe backlash.
Lu Zheng turned to Shen Ying. “Shall I help you refine it?”
Shen Ying shook her head. “No, this token can’t be kept. It contains the peach tree spirit’s mental curse. There might be hidden traps. After all, it’s a thousand-year-old demon, so we must be cautious.”
“Then destroy it!”
Lu Zheng nodded. On the other side, the clay puppet Lu Zheng, pierced by two swords from the Southern Divine Envoy, stood up and approached.
“Is this the puppet technique and soul-attachment curse? Truly miraculous. If you hadn’t pointed it out, Lu Lang, I wouldn’t have noticed,” Shen Ying said in surprise.
The Eighteen Heavenly Maidens also marveled at the clay puppet Lu Zheng, identical to the real one.
“A technique bestowed by my sect’s ancestor. It’s indeed extraordinary,” Lu Zheng said. “Aside from not being able to stray too far, it has virtually no flaws.”
“Everyone, stand back.”
Lu Zheng gave the order, then, together with Shen Ying, the Eighteen Heavenly Maidens, and Xiao Cui, retreated to the backyard.
The clay puppet Lu Zheng then approached the Four Poles Soul-Locking Token. Standing before it, the puppet gathered all its true qi and unleashed a powerful Mountain-Splitting Strike, slashing downward.
*Crack!* The wooden token shattered.
*Boom!* The mental backlash directly affected reality, tearing apart the Spring Embroidery Blade made of alloy and the clay puppet Lu Zheng, shredding them with pure mental force!
“Damn!”
Lu Zheng’s real body shuddered, feeling a jolt in his mind.
“Lu Lang!” Shen Ying grabbed him, her face full of concern.
“I’m fine, just a bit dizzy,” Lu Zheng patted her hand. “The soul-attachment curse is miraculous. It can’t affect me.”
The violent mental fluctuations tore the clay puppet apart, then radiated outward in waves of mental shock, dispersing in all directions.
Having retreated far enough and with everyone resisting together, they were unaffected.
As expected, a curse seal flickering with mysterious patterns lingered in the air for a moment before dissipating with the mental shockwaves.
“Damn it, as expected, there was a hidden trap. These thousand-year-old demons are all cunning foxes,” Lu Zheng grumbled.
Shen Ying pinched his arm in mock annoyance, as his comment inadvertently included her and Liu Qingyan in the insult.
