“Damn it!”
No matter how fiercely Gu Changtian struggled, it was futile. He could only shake the small banner harder, releasing more colourful clouds to protect himself. The exotic flower in his hand continued forming, pinning his hopes on severely injuring Yue Honghai first.
Since injury was inevitable, facing two opponents afterwards would surely be better than three!
“Shhh!”
The sound of a flying sword slicing through the void pierced the colourful clouds. Masses of mist parted as easily as tofu under a knife.
“Sword cultivator!”
Gu Changtian’s heart nearly stopped. He could only twist his body desperately.
On the other side, Yue Honghai’s mind cleared. He saw Gu Changtian and the flower in his palm already at his chest.
Fortunately, Gu Changtian had slowed by half a beat to dodge the sword aiming for his neck. So Yue Honghai forcibly twisted too, causing the flower that should have struck his heart to land on his left shoulder instead.
“Boom!”
The flower entered his body. Yue Honghai felt the fragrance unstoppable, breaking through layers of demonic power resistance. In an instant, it spread throughout his body. His figure softened, and he could not hold back a mouthful of blood.
Under this full-force strike, Yue Honghai was gravely injured!
“Shhh!”
The Silver Feather Azure Glow Sword broke through the protective clouds. Though Gu Changtian avoided a vital neck hit, it directly severed his left arm.
“Aaaah!”
Gu Changtian let out a long scream of agony. He ignored finishing Yue Honghai and frantically shook the banner. Boundless colourful clouds surged to shield him. His figure turned into a streak of light, fleeing towards the remembered courtyard wall.
But before he could escape ten zhang, the peach blossom killing qi eroded over half his protective clouds.
“Fellow daoist, you have come from afar as a guest. We have only just met. How can you leave so soon?” Shen Ying’s charming voice carried ruthlessness. “Why not stay, share a cup of wine, then sleep eternally beneath the peach trees? Would that not be wonderful?”
“Sleep with your grandmother!”
After falling into the trap, Gu Changtian had immediately schemed. Feigning retreat while advancing, he aimed to surprise and cripple Yue Honghai, then escape calmly. He had not expected the opponents to be deeper schemers. With an ambush already set, they had still held one person in reserve.
All he wanted was to abduct a little girl whose cultivation was not even thirty years old. How could three grand masters guard her side?
This made no sense!
He had been very cautious, silently observing in Tonglin County for three days without detecting anomalies before acting.
But grand masters of this level, unless they revealed themselves, were hard for him to discover!
Capsizing in a gutter, nothing more.
Now gravely wounded, Gu Changtian lost all earlier composure and cursed loudly.
He was a cultivation genius, an elder of the Colourful Clouds Between Flowers Sect, a figure at the pinnacle of the cultivation world. How could he die here?
Gu Changtian shook the banner. Endless colourful clouds surged to protect him while strands spread out, attempting to break the array.
However…
Lu Zheng flicked his finger lightly. The Silver Feather Azure Glow Sword whooshed through the air.
“Aaaah!”
The sword qi within Gu Changtian’s body resonated with the external flying sword. He cried out in pain again.
Next, Yue Honghai, gravely injured yet roused to ferocity, charged forward. Raising the water-tempered steel whip in one hand, he boomed into Gu Changtian’s protective clouds.
“Boom!”
One whip struck, sending Gu Changtian and his clouds flying back.
In the next instant, with clouds greatly depleted by Shen Ying and Yue Honghai together, the Silver Feather Azure Glow Sword faced no obstruction. It flashed past.
“Clang!”
The flying sword circled Gu Changtian’s neck. One strike decapitated him.
Gu Changtian’s divine soul emerged from his body, attempting to flee into the underworld in a blink.
“Clear and Subtle Jade Palace, Great Seal to Subdue Spirits, Open!”
A bolt of Great Seal Subduing Thunder struck down. Gu Changtian’s soul was instantly obliterated by more than half.
“Clang!”
The flying sword turned back, piercing his soul body. Sword qi exploded in all directions, directly shredding his divine soul. Soul scattered, spirit extinguished.
“Buzz!”
Hundreds of strands of destiny light entered his account simultaneously, without delay.
A grand master no less than the Lushui River God or even Chu Jin perished completely.
…
The mist dispersed. Besides Lu Zheng and Yue Honghai, Shen Ying appeared pulling Liu Qingyan along.
Shen Ying withdrew the peach seeds. Roots calmed the earth, restoring the courtyard to its original state.
Yue Honghai also stowed his steel whip and serrated blade. However, freshly wounded by Gu Changtian, the exotic flower’s power still entangled his demonic force. The strike near his heart meridian left him seriously hurt. His face remained pale, breath unsteady.
Now the benefit of taking Yue Honghai as guardian became clear.
Without him, Lu Zheng would have faced Gu Changtian head-on. Though stronger with more methods, who could withstand unexpected trump cards?
What if careless and ambushed by an unforeseen ace?
Yuan Jing’s daily examples were not lost on Lu Zheng.
This way was perfect: Yue Honghai, thick-skinned and tough, tanked as main target, drawing attention and damage. Shen Ying handled support and control. Lu Zheng dealt DPS.
Thus, the two of them could hide on the side. No, thus everyone performed their roles. Was this not wonderful?
“Hahaha! Refreshing!” Yue Honghai laughed loudly.
“Senior Brother! Sister Qingyan! Sister Shen! Mr Yue!”
Wang Xiaowan, watching from outside the array, now entered. Seeing Yue Honghai unsteady, she tried to support him.
But Yue Honghai waved her aside.
“A mere minor wound. Hardly worth mentioning!” He casually pulled out a wine gourd and took a big swig.
“Do not push yourself. That man’s attainment was strong. That exotic flower alone is enough to trouble you,” Lu Zheng said speechlessly. He patted his gourd, producing a porcelain bottle.
Tossing it to Yue Honghai, Lu Zheng said, “This is Three Essences Origin Replenishing Pill refined by Qingyan. Specially for healing. Replenishes qi, restores origin, aids cultivation. Three pills inside. Should suffice for your recovery.”
Yue Honghai held the bottle, dumbfounded.
Working as guardian, getting injured, and still receiving healing pills? That even aided cultivation?
Was there such good fortune in the world?
When Yue Honghai let Lu Zheng imprint a restriction on his divine soul, he had prepared to serve as ox or horse.
Instead, not only was he unharmed, but well fed with fine wine and meat. Not only did he not treat himself as slave, others called him “Mr Yue”.
His duties? Occasionally watching over the neighbouring Liu, Du families, and Benevolent Heart Hall. He had acted only twice, against weaklings crushable with one finger. Daily, he cultivated or listened to opera, leaving him embarrassed.
Now finally acting once, with non-fatal wounds, he even got pills.
This life was far more comfortable than in the East Sea!
Yue Honghai could not help envisioning his wonderful future.
