Slay the Approaching Enemy

Li Yang and his companion finalized their plan and once again executed their escape technique.

When the technique ended, they relied on the Thousand Mile Travel Talisman and their movement skills to sprint wildly, as if they had long had a destination in mind.

Those who harbored ill intentions toward them were truly patient, tailing them for a full two days and two nights.

Though they occasionally lost track of Li Yang and his companion, they quickly recovered and picked up the trail again.

Of course, this was also partly because Li Yang and the other had deliberately left a few traces behind.

Li Changshou: "Almost there. We've gone deep into the Chaotic Miasma Treasure Forest. Martial Uncle Jiu Jiu's Immortal Sense definitely can't reach here."

Relying solely on their cultivation at the Ninth Stage of Spirit Transformation and the First Stage of Void Refining, the two had sprinted for two days and two nights before truly escaping the range of Martial Uncle Jiu Jiu's Immortal Sense.

Li Yang replied: "Along the way, I probed with my Spirit Sense at the Ninth Stage of Spirit Transformation and detected nothing, so this guy has a way to evade Spirit Sense detection.

But using the passive detection method you taught me, Senior Brother, I found that there are five people following us."

Li Changshou gently rubbed the Triple-Eyed Spider Silk between the fingers of his left hand, consolidating the information from this period and the latest updates.

"Five people, each wearing gray linen robes and bamboo hats, their figures and faces clearly obscured, with strong movement skills.

The long knives at their waists should be killing tools, and they exude a fierce aura all over—likely used to living on the edge of a blade.

Preliminary judgment: four in the Return to Void realm, around the seventh or eighth stage, and one in the Returning Dao realm, around the third stage.

Considering the possibility that they might be hiding some of their cultivation, a revised judgment: the four Return to Void cultivators are actually around the sixth stage of Returning Dao, with priority given to the seventh stage.

As for the one in the Returning Dao realm, his cultivation should be at the Ninth Stage of Return to Dao, capable of brief Sky Riding. It's possible he's already become an Immortal, and the likelihood is high.

Junior Brother, in this situation, what do you think we should do?"

Li Yang also made his own judgment based on the information gathered over these days, then compared it with Li Changshou's.

Compared to the original story, there were more of these people, and their cultivation levels were higher. This was likely due to his own presence and the fact that his senior brother had displayed a cultivation of the First Stage of Void Refining.

So this assassin organization was also a cautious and steady bunch, operating on the principle of using full force like a lion hunting a rabbit, aiming for a single fatal blow.

Li Yang quickly calculated in his mind, then said: "Senior Brother, let's treat all five as Immortals and take them out with the fastest, most powerful methods."

Both of them were old hands at this, naturally having ways to deal with ordinary Immortals—at least, average Origin Immortals weren't enough to make them afraid.

"You and I will each send out fifteen Origin Immortal clones, with the other clones used for misdirection. Also, Junior Brother, you're skilled in formations, so I'll leave that to you."

"Alright, Senior Brother. I'm not good with poison, so I'll leave the ambush to you."

"Fine. I'll use poison first, try to catch them off guard, then you trap them with formations, and finally we strike together!"

The two exchanged words quickly, soon settling on a plan.

It didn't even disrupt their movement or the setup of formations and traps—their minds were working at full throttle.

"Senior Brother, the hostility has turned into killing intent. These guys are about to make a move."

"Alright, get ready."

Li Changshou took out a paper effigy and swiftly cast a spell.

"Five Elements Rotation, thick virtue transforms life, heavy turbidity flows unhindered, Earth resides in the center!"

Li Yang gripped a 'Golden Pill' and moved to a large tree.

"Five Elements Rotation, vitality bursts forth, supple and stretching, Wood dwells in the east!"

In an instant, the two vanished using Earth Escape and Wood Escape.

And the traps they had set were quickly deployed during the escape.

"Hmph, these two are like rats—fast runners."

The five assassins swiftly arrived at the spot where the two had disappeared. The leader snorted coldly and carefully probed the area.

"They went that way. Chase!"

With that, the five figures also vanished into the poisonous miasma forest.

Just as Li Yang and his companion's techniques ended, a sharp sound of breaking air rang out. But before the sound arrived, the bone-chilling killing intent had already reached them.

"Thud!"

"Thud!"

Without surprise, both Li Yang and Li Yang's chests were pierced through, and even their heads flew off.

The leading assassin pulled his sword from where it had stabbed into Li Changshou's heart, letting the wind blow through the front curtain of his bamboo hat as he casually wiped the blood clean.

"As expected, one at Spirit Transformation, one at Void Refining. Easy pickings. This money... shit!"

His words suddenly halted as he looked down sharply at his feet.

The decapitated 'Li Changshou' had actually raised a hand and grabbed his ankle!

The same happened to the other assassins. They all reacted, trying to retreat quickly.

But for some reason, their vision suddenly blurred, and all their strength seemed to drain away. Their mana and aura became inexplicably sluggish, completely unresponsive!

Looking at the corpse's belt, there was a small flask that had been opened...

The flask wasn't emitting some particularly deadly poison, but rather the 'Soft Immortal Powder' that could bring even an Immortal down—independently developed by Senior Brother Li Changshou, generously contributed, and with results that everyone praised.

"Poison! We've been set up!"

The five assassins were all veterans who lived on the edge of a blade. They acted decisively, biting their tongues hard in an attempt to stay alert.

But the effect of the Soft Immortal Powder was too potent. They couldn't even muster the strength to bite through their tongues, and their vision was growing hazy and dim.

Just then, streams of light flickered around them before vanishing, and the five assassins faintly heard a voice.

"Heaven Swapping Array, rise!"

A formation spanning over a hundred zhang instantly sealed off this area from the outside world!

Then, Li Yang and Li Changshou emerged from the ground. With a wave of their hands, a handful of paper figures and fifteen Golden Pills transformed in the wind, puffing twice as they all took human shape, then charged fiercely at the five assassins.

Before these clones could reach the assassins, Li Yang formed a hand seal.

"Myriad Spears Array, rise!"

In an instant, streams of light surged within the formation, then shot toward the five assassins.

Li Changshou saw it clearly—each one was a spear condensed from Geng Metal Qi.

Such thick spears, moving at such speed—if they struck a person, they'd be scattered all over the place, wouldn't they?

Sure enough, countless spears charged forward. Before the five assassins could even react or utter a single word, they were instantly torn to pieces.

Even the bamboo hats on their heads, which could have passed for a stylish accessory, shattered into dust and ash. Their faces and forms were never seen before they were reduced to a mess of flesh.

At that moment, thirty clones reached the five assassins and began their work in orderly fashion.

Each assassin had three 'Golden Pill' clones and three paper figure clones assigned to them.

Li Yang's 'Golden Pill' clones all formed seals to set up immortal-grade arrays, preventing the assassins' Divine Souls from escaping.

As for Li Changshou's paper figure clones, one pulled out a small, smoking black banner to lock the Three Souls and stabilize the Seven Spirits. Another gathered all the shredded flesh and spat out true fire to burn it clean.

The last one muttered incantations, using a Soul-Suppressing and Ghost-Destroying Curse, utterly obliterating the five assassins' souls.

Seeing this, Li Changshou stepped forward and tossed out a thumb-sized Treasure Pearl. The pearl spun gently, absorbing faint traces of pale green light, leaving not a single shred of residual soul behind.

Li Yang said, "Not enough, Senior Brother. Watch me."

With that, Li Yang formed a seal.

"Blazing Fire Array, rise!"

In an instant, the hundred-zhang space became scorching hot.

"Ice Seal Array, rise!"

As soon as the words fell, the temperature in the hundred-zhang space plummeted, and everything turned to powder.

Looking at the ground, it was spotless—nothing left at all.

This left Li Changshou wanting to scatter someone's ashes, but there simply weren't any to scatter.

Still, Li Changshou was quite satisfied and decided he would do things this way from now on.

Li Yang didn't hesitate at all. "Senior Brother, one last step."

"Good!"

The thirty clones immediately sat cross-legged and began chanting scriptures rapidly.

Ten clones recited the Daoist Scripture for Ferrying Souls, ten recited the widely circulated Rebirth Mantra of the Western Teachings, and ten recited the Daoist 'Disaster Aversion and Blessing Mantra.'

After finishing their respective scriptures, the two recalled their clones. Li Yang then reached out and summoned a Poisonous Insect.

"Senior Brother, look at this—"

"Bang!"

Li Changshou didn't hesitate. Before the Poisonous Insect could even reach them, a Sword Qi utterly annihilated it.

"The matter is settled. This place is not safe to stay. Let's go!"