Shi Wenliang charged forward in one step, then suddenly slashed down with the blade hidden in his sleeve. The strike was sinister and vicious, like a venomous snake, aiming for Lin Shuguang's hands and feet as if to sever his tendons.
At that very moment, Lin Shuguang tossed out the three Heavenly Dragon True Fate Banners.
In an instant, his aura rose violently. A cold, ruthless light swirled in his eyes, yet his expression remained unchanged from beginning to end, utterly unaffected by Shi Wenliang's cultivation.
All the acupoints throughout his body trembled in unison. His chest and abdomen heaved, and a straight line of white vapor shot from his mouth. In Shi Wenliang's eyes, it was as though Lin Shuguang had opened his mouth and spat out thunder.
Shi Wenliang never could have imagined that Lin Shuguang's physical vitality would be so terrifying. The breath of white vapor burst from Lin Shuguang's mouth like thunder; if it struck a low-level cultivator, it would be enough to shake them to death.
The white vapor was as swift as thunder. It slammed into the blade hidden in Shi Wenliang's sleeve, and the domineering force that came through made Shi Wenliang's entire face change.
"This guy's strength has grown even stronger! What are those banners?"
He clearly remembered that Lin Shuguang's strength had surged only after he tossed out those three banners. Greed flashed through his eyes at once, and he thrust out his hand before counterattacking again, trying to force Lin Shuguang back and seize the Heavenly Dragon True Fate Banners.
Yet at the same time, a fierce gale erupted for no apparent reason. Shi Wenliang's charging figure suddenly became sluggish.
Lin Shuguang's Slaughter Blade came crashing down.
The blade struck the blade hidden in Shi Wenliang's sleeve. Another burst of tremendous force came through, and the sleeve blade he treasured as dearly as his life exploded on the spot, countless cracks appearing across its blade.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The instant the sleeve blade exploded, Shi Wenliang was shaken back again and again. His internal organs felt as if they had been torn apart, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
The sleeve blade had shattered until only the hilt remained. Even his entire arm was trembling, and he could barely keep hold of the hilt.
This reaction caused Shi Wenliang's expression to change drastically. It was as if someone had poured a basin of cold water over him from head to toe, leaving him chilled to the bone. He stared at Lin Shuguang in disbelief and shouted:
"Who are you, really?"
At this moment, Shi Wenliang no longer felt that he had any chance of winning.
His heart was filled with incomparable shock.
Only now did he understand. No wonder the Ninth Prince had originally told him merely to use knockout powder to put Lin Shuguang to sleep. Other people would naturally take action after that.
He had not understood it before. He had kept thinking that if he could deal with Lin Shuguang alone this time, wouldn't that make the Ninth Prince regard him more highly?
But he had never imagined that Lin Shuguang would be even more difficult to deal with than he had expected.
The development of this probing attack had already exceeded his control. The extreme shock and alarm twisted Shi Wenliang's expression almost into a knot.
Just then, Lin Shuguang slowly spoke.
He stood there quietly, like a volcano concealing surging magma, as though it might erupt the very next moment.
His expression indifferent, he said, "Aren't you planning to run?"
"Gulp—" Shi Wenliang's throat bobbed.
He made his decision immediately. "Lin Shuguang, actually, we can talk. I was indeed sent by the Ninth Prince, but I'm not his subordinate."
Thump! Thump! Thump!
As he quickly said those words, Shi Wenliang's heart pounded several times. He knew very well that if he could not give Lin Shuguang the answer he wanted, his head would definitely be chopped off today.
"I didn't know about the grudge between you and the Ninth Prince before. I only received his instructions to come and knock you unconscious... You and I have no enmity to begin with. If not for the Ninth Prince's order, I wouldn't even have known you. Lin Shuguang, there really is no grudge between us."
"Where is Gu Changhe?" Lin Shuguang ignored Shi Wenliang's earnest persuasion, his expression utterly cold.
Shi Wenliang was quick to catch on and immediately sold out the Ninth Prince. "He's in the Demon Cave. He received an imperial command back then, so his true body can't leave the Demon Cave. Lin Shuguang, as long as you let me go, I guarantee I won't tell anyone about this... As for the Ninth Prince, I'll just say the mission failed. Besides, the emperor is far away, and even if he wants to beat me, he can't reach me. What do you think of that suggestion?"
"Not very much."
At Lin Shuguang's indifferent reply, Shi Wenliang suddenly saw nothing but a vast whiteness. His soul nearly fled his body, and he hurriedly spoke at the fastest speed of his life: "Lin Shuguang, you can't kill me! The Ninth Prince sent other experts besides me. I heard they're even at the Nirvana Realm. You can beat me, but can you beat someone in the Nirvana Realm? Without my help, you still won't escape death."
"Buzz—"
A sheet of icy-cold Saber Intent halted at Shi Wenliang's throat. The howl of the splitting wind blew his hair into disarray.
Next came a hurried breath.
Shi Wenliang abruptly opened his eyes and saw Lin Shuguang firmly gripping the blade pressed against his throat. "Brother, go easy."
Feeling the chill coming from the blade's edge, Shi Wenliang did not even dare swallow, terrified that if his throat bobbed once, his head would be gone.
Lin Shuguang bent down and asked in a low voice, "You said just now that Gu Changhe also sent an expert in the Nirvana Realm?"
"Yes, I did. I already told you, I'm not one of the Ninth Prince's people. I was surprised when he came to ask me to handle this matter. It's just that he clearly didn't trust me, which was why he sent someone in the Nirvana Realm to handle the more confidential matters... To tell you the truth, I still don't know what the Ninth Prince wants to obtain from you. But everything I said is true. The Ninth Prince is truly furious. He wants to capture you, and he even said he wants you alive."
Lin Shuguang let out a cold laugh.
The Ninth Prince, Gu Changhe, wanted to capture him for no other reason than to reclaim the Nine Demon Scroll. Little did he know that after refining the Divine Bone, Lin Shuguang had already found a way to break the seal on the Nine Demon Scroll.
He simply had not used that method yet, in order not to alert the enemy.
After pondering for a moment, he looked at Shi Wenliang. "Repeat Gu Changhe's instructions word for word."
Shi Wenliang wore a bitter expression. "Brother, could you move that blade away a little first? I'm afraid..."
Lin Shuguang looked at him coldly without saying a word.
Left with no choice, Shi Wenliang could only admit defeat. "All right, all right. I can't beat you, so I'll do everything you say. The Ninth Prince—yes, that bastard Gu Changhe—he told me that your cultivation was only at the Spirit Transformation Realm. He told me not to kill you, but to act in secret and knock you unconscious without alerting the Black Prison, then hand you over to that lord... Bah, to hell with that 'lord.' He's just a traitor named Mo Changxiong.
"This fellow is a powerhouse of the Fourth Heaven of the Nirvana Realm. He was a disciple of the Taiyi Immortal Sect back then, but later defected to the Great Gan Dynasty. After that, he followed Gu Changhe in committing evil and wreaking havoc. After all, he's in the Nirvana Realm. You may be able to kill me, but you definitely can't beat Mo Changxiong.
"Listen to me. Let me go, then find experts from the Black Prison to help you kill Mo Changxiong. That would be like cutting off one of Gu Changhe's arms—enough to make his heart ache."
Lin Shuguang fell into thought.
A black pill was held out to him. "Eat it."
Shi Wenliang looked at the pill, his expression turning ugly. After a long pause, he said, "Maybe not. This pill looks like cow dung. I don't want it."
"I wasn't bargaining with you. Eat it." Lin Shuguang's expression was indifferent.
Shi Wenliang held the pill and sniffed it. It really did carry a foul stench. Yet after smelling it, his blood and qi began to churn. His face twisted with disgust. "Brother, this isn't some spring, spring... This medicine is too potent. There's really no need for this. It'd be fine if I didn't take it. As long as you don't kill me, I'll do anything."
Lin Shuguang: "..."
What the hell is wrong with this guy? Maybe I should just kill him!
Before you continue