Slaying Four Golden Bodies Alone

With the arrival of the Imperial Concubine, the East Courtyard of the Baosu Marquis Residence had already been completely refurbished.

Lin Longyue had already taken a shortcut and stood in front of the main East Courtyard.

The sound of horses' hooves came from afar, first a few very faint and distant sounds, then quickly becoming as dense as a sudden rain.

The cavalry and honor guard leading the way had arrived at the gate of the mansion, and then the magnificent carriage with its canopy slowly drove into the mansion.

The imperial carriage came to a steady stop in front of the main hall steps. Yunhe Commandery Princess Consort Chun stepped out of the carriage.

Today she wore a moon-white gown, her hair was styled in a high bun, and she wore a tassel hairpin with a thumb-sized pearl at the tip. The tassels were made of extremely fine gold thread and hung down beside her temples, swaying gently with her steps.

She stood on the steps, tilted her head slightly, glanced at the newly replaced plaque under the eaves of the East Courtyard, and a very faint smile appeared on her lips.

Lin Longyue was already kneeling on the ground, with a large group of people kneeling behind her.

"Your humble servant, Lin Longyue, respectfully welcomes the Imperial Concubine's arrival."

Consort Chun stepped forward slowly, extended her hand, and offered a slight helping hand.

"Longyue," Consort Chun said gently, "I have come to disturb Your Highness's seclusion, but His Majesty has specially decreed that Your Highness need not leave your seclusion... I will have to trouble you again for this trip."

Lin Longyue lowered her eyes and said, "Your Majesty flatters me; I am unworthy of such praise."

Consort Chun smiled slightly and said no more.

That night, Consort Chun stayed in the warm pavilion behind the main hall of the East Courtyard.

Outside the Marquis's residence, however, a different scene unfolded. Many commoners, eager to see what the favored imperial concubine looked like, gathered on the long street outside the residence. Even though they were blocked by soldiers and yamen runners and could not get close, they still gazed into the distance and waited.

Chen Lingxi stood amidst the commotion.

"The Total Perception isn't over yet; we can explore it further."

He gazed at the armored soldiers' camp in the distance, and then at the Baosu Marquis Residence behind the camp, its outline clearly visible in the lamplight, his eyes showing no emotion.

He waited there outside the Marquis's residence.

Until Liu Que from the Marquis's residence came out to make purchases.

Chen Lingxi secretly followed Liu Que until he was far away from the Marquis's residence before revealing herself.

"Chen Lingxi?" Liu Que's eyes showed doubt. "You're back?"

Chen Lingxi had been absent from the Marquis's residence for several days, which Liu Que naturally noticed. His current inquiry must be because Lin Longyue had given some instructions.

Chen Lingxi greeted Liu Que and presented her with a letter, "The person Miss instructed me to serve sent me to deliver a message. Since I happened to run into the steward, I will not return to the Marquis's residence and will simply hand the letter over to him."

Liu Que took the letter. Since Lin Longyue had given him instructions earlier, he had no doubts. He nodded and said, "The Marquis's mansion is heavily guarded now. People have to be checked at every turn to enter and leave. It will indeed be quite troublesome for you to go back."

I will take this letter back to you.

Liu Que left, Chen Lingxi quietly left the city.

--

The next day, before dawn, Yuan River Prefecture was already bustling with activity again.

Consort Chun carriage left the city to visit several nearby mountains to see the snow.

Lin Longyue slept very restlessly last night.

That unexpected letter made her uneasy, and she couldn't sleep all night.

"Tomorrow at Shenshi (3-5 PM), on the banks of the Yuan River, at the Salt Shoal."

"To go or not to go?"

Lin Longyue frowned in thought.

A few breaths passed, and she suddenly coughed, followed by a few gasps.

"His Silver Bone Major Accomplishment, yet he's so weak."

Lin Longyue took a deep breath; "While the Imperial Concubine is out of the city, let's go and see her."

He then frowned slightly. "If I leave the manor alone, trouble is bound to arise."

As she pondered, she thought to herself, "I should take the guest retainers from my household with me. If there's an opportunity, perhaps..."

With this in mind, Lin Longyue no longer hesitated. She immediately selected several guest ministers, but did not arrange for a carriage; instead, she rode out of the mansion on horseback.

Along the Yuan River, the water is thinner in winter, revealing large areas of grayish-white riverbed, hence the name "Salt Shoal".

Lin Longyue reined in her horse and dismounted.

A northerly wind swept down from the river, causing a few strands of her tied-up long hair to fall loose and cling to her pale cheeks; even makeup couldn't conceal her weariness.

She walked to the old locust tree, looked around, and found the riverbank deserted.

She took a deep breath, about to speak.

Just then, she suddenly sensed something.

That was a gaze.

Looking at her from a great distance behind her, she appeared calm and serene, yet she exuded a powerful aura that made the Qi and Blood in her body tremble involuntarily.

She turned around abruptly and saw that person.

The tall, masked figure with a long sword at his waist stood on a protruding river rock about ten paces away from her.

His back was straight as a pine tree, and his aura was deep and profound, as if the cold wind blowing across the river, the snow covering the ground, and the omnipresent desolation between heaven and earth were nothing more than a backdrop to him.

He stood with his hands behind his back, the hem of his robe fluttering Subtle Insight in the wind. His dark eyes, piercing through the distance of more than ten steps, landed on Lin Longyue's face, as calm as two bottomless ancient wells.

Lin Longyue's heart skipped a beat.

"Senior," she bowed and said, "Longyue greets Senior."

Chen Lingxi nodded slightly.

Lin Longyue straightened up, remained silent for a few moments as if considering her words, then raised her head and said, "I have already met Consort Chun. The Consort is very kind and has bestowed upon me several pills."

As she spoke, she reached into her bosom and took out a wooden box.

She opened the wooden box, revealing several pills neatly arranged inside.

As soon as the box was opened, a rich medicinal aroma wafted out.

From an ordinary perspective, it is indeed a rare and precious elixir.

"The Imperial Concubine said that these pills can help me strengthen my foundation and cultivate my vital energy, so that I can reach the Silver Bone Perfection as soon as possible," Lin Longyue said in a low voice.

Chen Lingxi only glanced at the pills in the wooden box before looking away.

He raised his head and looked at the forest behind Lin Longyue.

The depths of the pine forest were dark and indistinct, making it difficult to see clearly. Only a few faint, extremely faint spiritual lights could be seen flickering within, appearing and disappearing like will-o'-the-wisps.

A slight smile appeared on Chen Lingxi's lips.

The smile was faint, yet it sent a chill down Lin Longyue's spine. "You came here alone; it's truly appropriate to bring a few guards."

Then, he raised his head and looked towards the pine forest, his voice rising a few decibels.

"Since you're here, why not show yourself?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Longyue's expression changed drastically. "Senior..."

Chen Lingxi continued to gaze at the distant woods.

She pondered for a few moments, then finally nodded gently.

Immediately afterwards, a figure slowly emerged from the pine forest.

The man was tall and slender, dressed in a plain white scholar's robe, with an extremely handsome face and exquisitely sculpted features.

A sword hung at his waist, its scabbard entirely silver-white. He moved with ease, and a faint golden light emanated from his body.

It was none other than Zhao Qinglou, a guest advisor at Silver Peace Court.

After Zhao Qinglou, two more figures emerged from the pine forest.

Both men were guest retainers of the Silver Peace Court; one was a short, stout middle-aged man, and the other was a tall, thin old man.

Three Golden Body!

Lin Longyue's face was pale. She clasped her hands and said, "Senior, I left the manor alone. They were merely guards protecting me..."

Chen Lingxi suddenly smiled and said, "I came here today because I really wanted to invite you to take a stroll up the mountain, and also..."

He suddenly looked up at the sky, where Twin Luminous Mirrors shone.

"And I also want to see what I can do."

Lin Longyue's breath hitched.

As Chen Lingxi spoke, he suddenly raised his right hand, his index and middle fingers joined together like a sword, and gently flicked his fingers towards the Yuan River!

A purple light burst forth from his fingertips.

Immediately afterwards, Yuan River exploded!

The explosion was extremely violent.

A column of water over ten feet high was blasted into the river surface, the column containing silt, water plants, ice shards, and a very faint trace of blood.

The crimson color diffused within the water column, turning it a pale red.

"Why didn't this one appear in the river?" Chen Lingxi asked after pointing.

Before the pine forest, the pupils of the three Golden Body guest elders simultaneously contracted.

Zhao Qinglou reacted the fastest.

His right hand was already on the hilt of the sword at his waist, and golden light suddenly shone brightly around him, with Purple-Tempered Golden Wheel rising from behind him.

But Chen Lingxi's movements were even faster.

With a flick of his sleeve, his robe billowed in the wind, and an arrow flew out from his sleeve.

The Spiritual Arrow pierced the sky!

The arrow was so fast that ordinary people could only see a blurry blue afterimage streaking through the air.

Where the arrow passed, a visible white streak was torn through the air.

The short, stout Golden Body guest elder was the first to be targeted.

His hands were still tucked into his sleeves, seemingly not yet realizing what was happening, when the Spiritual Arrow was already in front of him.

His pupils contracted sharply, Golden-Body Astral Shield suddenly flared up around him, enveloping him from head to toe in a thick golden light. His Golden-Soup Blood Qi surged like mercury through his meridians.

But then a flash of blue light appeared at the tip of the Spiritual Arrow.

That Golden-Body Astral Shield, capable of shattering ordinary swords and blades, was like a thin sheet of paper before this azure light, and was silently pierced through.

The arrow pierced his brow, emerging from the back of his head with a fine mist of blood, before his body collapsed with a thud.

In the blink of an eye, the golden Golden Body died!

The remaining two were both greatly surprised.

The tall, thin guest elder let out a sharp shout, and threw out both fists at once. Golden light surged from the tips of his fists, and the fist energy pierced the air, emitting a humming sound like a heavy jar.

The old woman slammed her snake-headed wooden staff on the ground, then sprang up and charged straight at Chen Lingxi!

At that moment, Zhao Qinglou drew his longsword.

He thrust out his sword with fierce momentum and chilling Sword Qi. The air within several feet around him was stirred up wildly by the sword strike, and withered grass and snowflakes were swept up by the sword wind and danced wildly in the air.

He moved with lightning speed, his body following the movement of his sword, and he was already close to Chen Lingxi.

Chen Lingxi casually extended a finger.

Right index finger.

On that finger, a faint bluish-green glint first appeared, as thin as a silkworm thread, yet incredibly sharp!

Azure Edge Method!

Immediately afterwards, another purple light shone from his fingertips. The purple light was as fine as a cow's hair, but it was more solid and sharper than the green light.

Purple True Treasure Aura!

Azure and purple light intertwined at his fingertips, like two slender serpents, one azure and the other purple, emitting a chilling, eerie light.

Then, he met Zhao Qinglou's longsword with his fingers!

Clang.

A crisp, resonant clang of metal clashing echoed across the riverbank.

Zhao Qinglou felt an overwhelming force pouring down from the tip of his sword, as if an invisible mountain had crashed into him.

He flew backward like a kite with a broken string, his eyes filled with horror.

He was a master of the Golden Body Great Accomplishment, his Purple-Tempered Golden Wheel was indestructible, and the Soaring Firmament Sword in his hand was forged from meteorite iron from outer space and nurtured with his Qi and Blood and qi for more than ten years. It could cut through iron like mud and was incomparably sharp.

But this person is only a fingertip...

Who exactly is this person?

Zhao Qinglou didn't have time to think it through.

Because Chen Lingxi had already closed in and drawn his sword!

The moment the Gold-Slaughtering Saber was drawn from its sheath, the world was suddenly illuminated.

The long sword flashed, radiating lightning and light, as it pierced the air.

At this moment, the tall, thin Golden Body old man had already entered a space of two zhang around him.

The old man reached out to grab Chen Lingxi, his entire hand turning a pale gold color.

Gold-Transforming Force.

But Chen Lingxi didn't even glance at him.

Chen Lingxi's blade was already slashing towards Zhao Qinglou, and he had closed in to within three zhang of Zhao Qinglou.

A murderous glint flashed in the Golden Body man's eyes. He pushed his Gold-Transforming Force to its limit, and his pale golden hand, like a red-hot iron clamp, struck towards Chen Lingxi.

At that very moment.

The Spiritual Arrow had somehow returned.

The Golden Body old man was completely focused on Chen Lingxi and did not notice the Spiritual Arrow that was silently approaching from behind.

His Gold-Transforming Force had already struck within three feet of Chen Lingxi's heart, and a smug smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

Then, his smile froze on his face.

The Spiritual Arrow pierced the back of his head.

Fresh blood gushed from the finger-sized hole between his eyebrows, spreading a dark red stain on his graying beard and hair.

Another one has died.

At that moment, Chen Lingxi's longsword was already slashing towards Zhao Qinglou.

On the blade, three colors shone brightly—lightning, azure, and purple qi. The three intertwined and twisted, condensing on the blade into a nearly tangible three-colored blade.

With a single stroke, it fell.

Zhao Qinglou's pupils suddenly contracted.

He parried with his sword, the blade gleaming with an intense purple-gold light, the Purple-Tempered Golden Wheel spinning wildly, the surrounding air churning and hissing.

He had given it his all and dared not hold back any further.

Swords clashed.

Click.

The longsword broke.

The blade's momentum did not cease.

The blade continued its advance, slicing through the protective Golden Broth, the skin, and the ribs, cutting all the way from his right shoulder to his left rib.

Blood gushed out.

Zhao Qinglou died.

All four Golden Body perished at this point.

And all of this happened in the blink of an eye.

The riverbank returned to silence.

Lin Longyue stood motionless.

Chen Lingxi his sword without uttering a word, stepped forward, raised his right hand, and gently pressed it on the back of Lin Longyue's neck.

Lin Longyue felt a numbness at the back of her neck, and then everything suddenly went black.

Chen Lingxi looked at Lin Longyue, a slight smile appearing on her lips, "Let's see what this Treasure Qi really is."