Trap

"Whoosh!"

A beam of light rose in the east of the city, shot straight into the sky, and crashed into the clouds.

Then came the second, the third...

The beams of light rose from different directions, illuminating the eastern part of the city.

Li Weiyi retreated, his first layer of Magic Tool Battle Robe was shattered, and his exposed cheeks and hands were marked with Sword Qi and bloodstains.

In contrast, Jiang Ning was impeccably clean and tidy.

Even with eight against one, they were still no match.

He drew his sword, gazing at the beams of light that had suddenly risen in the distance, momentarily lost in thought, as the ominous premonition in his heart grew stronger.

Logically speaking, Qi Xiao and Shi Shishi have been gone for a long time, and should have already found Zuoqiu Ting... Zuoqiu Hongting is in the East City!

But Zuoqiu Hongting hasn't arrived yet, which is very unusual.

Using the Battle Intent of "palaces and pavilions" and "twin wings," Jiang Ning repelled the Seven Phoenix Wing Moth Emperors and forced Li Weiyi into a corner in the shadows with a single sword strike. "I admit, you and the Seven Little Ones are already very strong together. If I want to kill you, I will have to pay a heavy price. However, while the Seven Little Ones' current attack power can threaten me, it absolutely cannot threaten Ge Xiantong."

"What if their combat power were to increase by another level? For example, to reach the level of Qi Xiao and Chen Wenwu?" Li Weiyi said.

Jiang Ning couldn't imagine what kind of combat power seven Pure Immortal Body from the Seventh Sea would possess when they joined forces. Even she would probably have no choice but to retreat. This was because the Seven Phoenix Wing Moth Emperors were more tenacious and harder to injure.

If we really had seven such helpers, things would be completely different!

She hesitated. "Are you confident you can raise them to that level within three days?"

"It should be possible," Li Weiyi said.

Jiang Ning suddenly sighed, "It's too late. The pillar of light has already risen. I won't hide it from you anymore... The south is a dead end. If you pin your hopes on escaping back to the South City and using the power of the Jiu Li Tribe and the Zuoqiu Courtyard to fight against Ge Xiantong, you will face certain death."

"You don't have three days!"

"How so?" Li Weiyi asked.

Jiang Ning said, "Tonight, it's not the Imperial Court, the Far West Ash Region, and the Xue Jian Tang Ting attacking the Lei Xiao Sect and the Dragon Gate, but rather the five major forces joining forces to destroy the Zuoqiu Courtyard."

"The feigned defeat at Dragon Gate and the desperate defenses of the Lei Xiao Sect were all part of the plan."

A sudden thunderclap on a clear day.

Li Weiyi's expression changed drastically, and he felt worried for Li Ling, Hidden Nine, and Shi Shishi: "Is it because the Zuoqiu Courtyard has the support of the Jiu Li Tribe and the Zhu Clan, and has the advantage of home ground, making them very powerful, that you joined forces to deal with them first?"

"Bang!"

The two constantly changed tactics and positions.

Jiang Ning wanted to persuade him, so she patiently asked, "Why is the Qianlong Lantern Festival held in Qiuzhou City? Why is the Zuoqiu Courtyard willing to use Qiuzhou City as a battlefield?"

"Because this Qianlong Lantern Festival wasn't a competition among heroes, but rather an event hosted solely for Zuoqiu Hongting. At least that was the initial intention!"

"Of the three Young Son of Heaven, Ge Xiantong belongs to the Imperial Court, Phoenix-born Unicorn-young belongs to the Ash Region of the Far West. Neither of them is the hidden dragon that the Du'e Temple is looking for."

"Only by proving her abilities at the Qianlong Lantern Festival and completing this trial can the Zuoqiu Courtyard Zuoqiu Hongting gain the support of the Du'e Temple. As for what level she needs to reach to gain recognition, only the Du'e Temple itself knows."

"The rest of them include troublemakers, people who want fame, people who are there for the reward, and people who want to defeat Zuoqiu Hongting and get the Du'e Temple to support them."

"Now you understand why I opposed your participation in the Qianlong Lantern Festival from the very beginning. I didn't want you to be used by Zuoqiu Hongting and become a pawn in her path to the throne."

Li Weiyi said, "Zuoqiu Ting still has a lot of personal charm! If she wanted to use me, given Zuoqiu Hongting's status, it would actually be harder for me to refuse."

"Besides, with my strength when I participated in the Qianlong Lantern Festival, how could I be qualified to be used by her? No! Phoenix-born Unicorn-young, Tang Wanqiu, Ge Xiantong, and even you have come to Dongcheng. Moreover, Yuwen Tuozhen and the others are indeed killing Dragon Gate martial artists. In order to lure Zuoqiu Hongting into a trap, you are not afraid at all of the headquarters being taken down?"

Jiang Ning said, "Of the five factions, no more than ten people know about this plan, so the people below are naturally fighting and killing for real."

"If we can't be convincing enough, if we don't go all out, if we don't pay a price, how could Zuoqiu Hongting, who knows Qiuzhou city like the back of her hand, possibly fall for our trap?"

"On New Year's Eve, we wanted to crush her directly, but she held on! Each faction had its own agenda, conflicts, and ulterior motives, and she used this to gradually gain power."

Li Weiyi said, "By luring her into taking the initiative, you can tie all five forces to the same chariot, preventing anyone from cheating or making excuses, and hindering each other. If the Dragon Gate and Lei Xiao Sect still want to stay out of it, then without their defensive strongholds, they might really be wiped out by you tonight. This is not five against one, but a game involving all six parties."

"Only when everyone loses their strongholds and has no way out can they temporarily unite as one."

Jiang Ning stared intently at him. "No matter what, once the pillar of light rises, the signal for the entire city to attack Zuoqiu Courtyard is given. Tonight, the South City will be a mountain of corpses and Sea of Blood. If Zuoqiu Courtyard can hold out until dawn, that will be quite impressive!"

Li Weiyi said quietly, "Perhaps you still underestimate Zuoqiu Hongting."

Since Qi Xiao and Shi Shishi failed to find Zuoqiu Hongting to rescue him, it means that Zuoqiu Hongting had already sensed something was wrong and most likely had already rushed back to South City.

A tall, imposing figure in black stood with his back against the wall, only ten feet away from the two people, in the shadows under the eaves, completely blending into the darkness, with no aura emanating from him.

"Two people in the Imperial Court are watching you. One is Feng Yin, the strongest expert in Feng Prefecture, whose speed is second only to mine. The other is Zhen Yuyan, a master of tracking, Imperial Guards."

"They won't attack you, but they'll follow you until Ge Xiantong arrives at dawn tomorrow."

Jiang Ning knew her plan had failed and that she couldn't seriously injure him, so she prepared to let him go.

Because she believed that, knowing that the Zuoqiu Courtyard and the Jiu Li Tribe were doomed, Li Weiyi had no other choice but to withdraw from the Qianlong Lantern Festival.

"The torrent of this turbulent world surges ever onward. You cannot stop it!"

Jiang Ning sheathed his sword and returned to his ancestral home.

In the darkness beneath the eaves, ten feet away, the tall figure smiled slightly, swiftly flashed out, and stared at the two who had stopped fighting. He drew a circle with his right hand, and the air seemed to liquefy, creating ripples.

Then, a large number of extremely dazzling hidden weapons shot out from his sleeve, like a ball of flame, flying out from the circular ripples.

The flames made a whooshing sound as they flew out.

Upon closer inspection, they were countless fiery scales, like Mars filling the sky, filling the streets with the speed of shooting stars.

"Golden Scale Fire Rain"

Jiang Ning's eyes widened in surprise, and she shouted loudly.

In the rush, there was no time to release the dragon soul and Battle Intent, so he could only form hand seals and use his magic energy to create a thick defensive barrier.

Li Weiyi pulled out the Ghost Flag, strode forward, and spun rapidly, using the flag as a shield to form a vortex.

The Golden Scale Fire Rain was not only fast, but also had terrifying penetrating power, piercing through Jiang Ning's magical energy barrier and Li Weiyi's Ghost Flag, and falling on them.

"Bang! Bang!"

Jiang Ning wore the Provincial Governor's Official Robe, while Li Weiyi wore Corpse Cloth Soft Armor and two Magic Tool Battle Robe.

The two men stumbled backward, both sustaining only minor injuries.

Li Weiyi's two Magic Tool Battle Robe were destroyed, with several holes punched through them. He immediately activated the blood mist and crimson scriptures within the Corpse Cloth Soft Armor to protect himself, and surveyed his surroundings.

Jiang Ning swung his sword at the shadows under the eaves, but the attacker had already left.

"Swish! Swish..."

The sound of wind breaking rang out one after another.

Seven figures rushed in from seven different directions, each with a blank expression and eyes burning with flames.

"It's the Death Ember within the Ember Spirit..."

Jiang Ning gave a reminder.

"Boom!"

One of the figures was still far away when Jiang Ning struck him with his sword, causing him to explode into Mars that covered an area of ten feet in radius.

Everything within a ten-zhang radius was completely destroyed into dust, turning into a small Ash Region.

The Light Veil on the buildings lining the street were extinguished, and Mars flew in. The buildings collapsed with a roar, burning in the ashes.

Jiang Ning and Li Weiyi used their movement skills to quickly dodge.

"Boom!"

The other six figures of Death Ember surrounded them, transforming into six balls of flame.

The flames then turned to ash and Mars, destroying everything nearby.

"Bang! Bang!"

The two emerged from the dust and Mars, crashed to the ground, and each spat out a mouthful of blood.

Jiang Ning was more seriously injured than Li Weiyi.

Earlier, in the flames, she stood in front, using her Provincial Governor's Official Robe to withstand the attack.

"How about it?"

Li Weiyi got up, crouched down, and vigilantly observed his surroundings. He waved his hand, and Seven Phoenix Wing Moth Emperors rose into the air, searching for the attackers.

Jiang Ning suppressed her injuries. "I'm alright!"

"See? Your cooperation is riddled with holes. Given the slightest opportunity, you'll stop at nothing to destroy your allies."

"Great Phoenix has found him! Hand him over to me. We can't have any more contact, otherwise you won't be able to explain yourself when you go back!"

Li Weiyi left those words behind, stepped on the Dragon Shadow, and appeared on the rooftop a dozen feet away.

He stretched out a hand, gathered the Seven Phoenix Wing Moth Emperors, and chased after them into the night.

Feng Yin and Zhen Yuyan each used their movement techniques to arrive at Jiang Ning's side, one after the other.

"I'm fine! You have your missions, go!" Jiang Ning said.

The two top-ranking martial arts experts from the Imperial Court clasped their hands in a salute and followed Li Weiyi.

The Dragon Roar echoed through the night sky, one sound after another, incredibly high-pitched.

Li Weiyi felt a chill run down his spine. He unleashed his speed to the limit and caught up with the tall, black-clad figure on the inner city wall. The black-clad figure wore a mask and took out a two-foot-long wooden stick.

"Bang! Bang!"

With a sword and a staff, two figures clashed fiercely on the city wall.

This fight was far more intense than his previous encounter with Jiang Ning, filled with killing intent and fighting spirit. Li Weiyi was giving his all with every sword strike, determined not to kill him.

The Seven Phoenix Wing Moth Emperors accompanied Li Weiyi, and did not attack, but only prevented the figure in black from escaping.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Weiyi gathered his strength and released five divine images of Battle Intent. At the same time, five Li Weiyi appeared, unleashing a powerful sword strike that cleaved through the sea.

The black-clad figure opposite him suddenly changed his expression, no longer caring about revealing his identity.

He raised the stick above his head, releasing a mysterious and unparalleled power that pulled down a wisp of the dark clouds hundreds of meters in the sky, like a tornado connecting heaven and earth.

Scriptures appeared on the staff, and as it was swung, a vast expanse of mist surged outwards.

"Whoosh!"

The Yellow Dragon Sword cleaved through the clouds and collided with the wooden stick.

A Sword Qi shot forward, and with a snap, shattered the mask on the black-clad figure's face, leaving a line of blood on his handsome face.

The figure in black turned and left, leaping off the city wall and disappearing into the darkness.

Is it the Long Ting?

Having only glanced at it briefly, Li Weiyi was unable to confirm anything.

But what is certain is that the person's face was slashed with a line of blood, not Mars revealing the skin beneath; it was definitely not Ember Spirit. If Long Ting hadn't become Ember Spirit...

Why did he kill Zhu Huan?

Li Weiyi let out a long breath and turned around.

Feng Yin and Zhen Yuyan appeared one after the other.