Ambush

As Shuobing's words fell, a "humming..." sound filled the air. Above the surrounding sky, a sword diagram spanning several mu emerged like dark clouds, instantly obscuring the White Gazing Moon, which Shuobing favored. At the same time, hundreds of Flying Swords whistled down, denser than rain on banana leaves.

With the Sword Diagram's appearance, the space around Shuobing was sealed. Seeing the rain of Flying Swords, Shuobing didn't hesitate. Its form flickered, and it immediately ducked beneath the Flying Shuttle.

Just as Shuobing's form disappeared, the Flying Swords struck the Flying Shuttle, emitting "clanging" metallic sounds. The metallic sounds lasted only a few breaths before a "boom" echoed, and the Flying Shuttle was pierced, shrinking rapidly as it exploded!

"Woo..." A strange, sharp cry came from beneath the Flying Shuttle. A blue object, about ten feet long, shot out like a meteor, tearing through the sky and hurtling towards the Sword Diagram.

Before the blue object could get close, several Flying Swords pierced into it.

The blue object erupted in light, and a "rumbling" sound shook the surrounding space, cracking it. Bolts of Thunder, flashing with ice flames, madly surged towards the Sword Diagram.

"Hum hum..." As the Thunder landed on the Sword Diagram, the diagram trembled violently. All the Flying Swords instantly vanished, and the power of confinement rapidly receded.

"Swoosh..." Seeing this, Shuobing's form turned into a stream of light and shot towards a certain direction!

Just as Shuobing was about to break through the Sword Diagram's blockade, a light "snap" sounded. A spot of red light, like an egg, suddenly appeared in the sky. As soon as it emerged, it emitted brilliant radiance, which then condensed into a Flying Sword. Disregarding spatial distance, it flew directly towards Shuobing's face!

The Flying Sword's light was sharp. The silver light on Shuobing shattered, and the surrounding thousand zhang of space filled with shimmering sword shadows!

Shuobing waved its hand, and a Jade Shield, several feet in size, was unleashed. Numerous Runes were engraved on the Jade Shield. With a breath of Immortal Spiritual Energy sprayed by Shuobing, it grew rapidly. "Pfft..." The Flying Sword struck the Jade Shield, and countless cracks suddenly appeared. Shuobing's body trembled violently, and it was forced to retreat in defeat!

"Which Immortal Friend dares to ambush this County Governor in Yunmeng Marsh..." Shuobing stopped proudly in mid-air, looking at the blurred face of a male Immortal revealed as the sword light receded. It said calmly, "You truly do not take my Azure Jade Gate seriously."

The male Immortal stood firm, not answering Shuobing. Instead, he opened his mouth and spat out a pillar of sword energy, several zhang thick, which shot towards the sky. With a "boom," it struck the Sword Diagram above their heads. The Sword Diagram flashed with sword brilliance again, sealing the surrounding space.

After doing all this, the male Immortal turned his gaze to Shuobing and said, "Why aren't you running anymore?"

"Under this County Governor, only petty thieves flee. Why would this County Governor flee?" Shuobing looked at the male Immortal, its tone still calm.

"Hahaha..." The male Immortal laughed, as if seeing the funniest thing in the world. Then, he raised his hand and pointed at Shuobing, saying, "Do you think this is Helan Que? Do you think this is the Azure Jade Gate?"

"It seems you were prepared. Speak, what is it you want?"

"What do I want with you?" Seeing Shuobing's arrogance, the male Immortal was somewhat enraged. "I just want to take your life!"

"If you wanted to take this County Governor's life, you wouldn't be standing here talking to me, and no one would be guarding the other areas, would they?"

"Eh? You can see other Immortals in the Sword Diagram space?"

"Why would this County Governor need to see?" Shuobing said disdainfully. "This County Governor can figure it out by thinking with a single strand of hair."

"You..." The male Immortal was furious. Sword light flashed around him, seemingly about to attack, but the sword light only traveled a few zhang before abruptly retracting. He laughed, "Do you think I'll fall for your trick? If I attack, you can use that opportunity to escape?"

"So you're not an idiot either!" Shuobing laughed. "Since that's the case, hurry and state your purpose! What do you need this County Governor to do? If it's simple and doesn't harm the interests of my Azure Jade Gate, this County Governor might agree..."

"Heh heh, I knew Immortal County Governor was so easy to talk to. I wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble!" The male Immortal chuckled and asked, "I'll ask you just one question: what is your purpose in coming to Helan Que?"

"Alas, Fellow Immortal, you should have said so earlier!" Shuobing sighed again and replied, "My purpose in coming to Helan Que is to find some good things in Yunmeng Marsh, to show filial piety to my master and the Sect elders, and to find opportunities to obtain more cultivation techniques and elixirs, so I can step into the True Immortal realm sooner! Do you perhaps have nobler aspirations?"

"Immortal County Governor is so cunning!" the male Immortal laughed. "Does Immortal County Governor think I've been busy for so long, trapping you, just to chat about ideals? Immortal County Governor, stop avoiding the important and dwelling on the trivial. Quickly answer my question, and we can all go home, wash our feet, and sleep."

"Alas..." Shuobing looked at the male Immortal and sighed again, getting straight to the point. "Since Fellow Immortal has put it this way, this County Governor understands your intentions. Whether this County Governor answers or not, you won't let this County Governor survive, will you?"

"Alas..." The male Immortal also sighed. "Clever female Immortals don't live long. Shuobing, you're so clever, it's as if fate envies your beauty. Don't blame me for being ruthless. However, I still don't understand. Since you know I won't let you go, why are you still talking to me so much?"

"It's very simple, Fellow Immortal. Firstly, this County Governor doesn't know your intentions. If I can exchange my life for a small price, wouldn't that be better than anything?" Shuobing laughed. "Secondly, if I don't know Fellow Immortal's question, how would this County Governor know that Captain Zhuo leaked my whereabouts?"

"Ah?? You... How do you know?" The male Immortal was greatly shocked.

"Idiot!" At this moment, on the other side of Shuobing, in a position corresponding to the male Immortal, another male Immortal who looked exactly the same revealed his form, shouting angrily, "She's bluffing you!"

"Damn it!" Hearing this, the male Immortal became furious. He raised his right hand, and the Flying Sword in his hand shot out, transforming into a rain of swords that stabbed towards Shuobing.

Seeing the sword rain approaching, Shuobing sneered, "To practice your clone to this extent and still have the nerve to show your face?"

With that, Shuobing lightly waved its sleeve. "Boom boom boom!" In the surrounding mu of space, tens of thousands of Ice Balls suddenly appeared, precisely blocking all the Flying Swords.

On the other side of Shuobing, the male Immortal who had just appeared slapped the top of his head. With a "boom," blue Sword Qi shot towards the sky. He growled with a hint of ferocity, "My clone might be a bit foolish, but his swordsmanship is not!"

"Roar..." The male Immortal clone with red sword light was furious. Its entire body erupted in sword light, and in an instant, it transformed into a Flying Sword over a hundred zhang long, madly stabbing towards Shuobing. The space vibrated, and the Sword Diagram also trembled. Countless silver-white rays of light appeared beside Shuobing!

"Kill!" The male Immortal with blue sword light performed the same action. However, within the Sword Diagram space, it ignored distance. Sword Qi capable of shattering ten thousand-foot mountains surged like a fierce wind, making Shuobing's silver light sway unsteadily.

Seeing this, Shuobing's expression changed. It hastily swung the Ice Shield it had previously unleashed. As Shuobing solemnly performed several complex Immortal Arts, the "boom" of the Ice Shield suddenly enlarged, protecting Shuobing. The chilling aura it emitted even created a separate space within the Sword Diagram space!

"Boom boom..." Almost simultaneously, red and blue sword pillars struck the Ice Shield space respectively! The Ice Shield space shook violently. At the same time, thousands of Golden Light Feathers suddenly appeared. Within these feathers were many Golden Humanoid Figures, several feet in size. Each wore armor and looked similar to the two male Immortals. They raised their Flying Swords and stabbed towards the Ice Shield!

"Crack crack crack..." The Immortal Artifact that Shuobing prided itself on emitted cracking sounds, shattering piece by piece!

However, at the very moment the Immortal Artifact shattered, Shuobing let out a light chuckle. From the silver radiance, a pair of transparent, jade-colored Ice Wings suddenly extended. The Ice Wings flickered slightly, and the fragments of the Immortal Artifact fell into the Ice Wings. As the Ice Wings glowed with a strange brilliance, Shuobing flapped its wings again. Its form suddenly disappeared, and the nearby Golden Light Feathers were swept away, revealing an Invisible Passage!

The male Immortal with blue sword light roared furiously, "Chase them!"

"Hum..." The male Immortal with red sword light didn't stop and also disappeared. Where the Golden Light Feathers had been swept away, countless Sword Hairs seeped into the void like mercury.

The male Immortal with blue sword light opened its mouth, and a stream of blue sword light, several zhang thick, shot out again. "Boom boom," the Sword Diagram vibrated. Above the sky, countless Immortal Spiritual Energies poured down like rain. The surrounding space churned with Sword Hairs, and layers of barriers, like bronze walls and iron ramparts, frantically formed around them.

"Puff puff puff..." With sounds like drumming, the barriers were pierced with large holes. Shuobing's form appeared at the edge of the Sword Diagram. It glanced back with a hint of disdain, then opened its mouth again. A stream of clear energy was sprayed out, instantly extending over a hundred zhang. Then, Shuobing waved its hand, and "crack crack crack," the bronze walls and iron ramparts turned into shattered ice, falling piece by piece.

"Hmph, with such schemes, you still want to ambush this envoy?" Shuobing snorted disdainfully and turned into a stream of light, rushing into the passage. However, just at this moment, a yellow sword light suddenly burst out from within the shattered ice. With lightning speed, it pierced into Shuobing's humanoid silver form!

"Boom boom boom," where the sword light struck, the silver form was annihilated, and countless Runes tumbled and shattered.

"Hahaha..." Behind Shuobing, the two male Immortals stopped and laughed to the sky. "Whose scheme was better?"

However, before the male Immortals could finish laughing, they both cried out in unison and retreated rapidly, clutching their chests.

Looking at the yellow sword light, a third male Immortal revealed his form. His eyes held disbelief as he looked at where Shuobing's wings had retracted. A rhombus-shaped Immortal Artifact was being put away. At the sharp tip of this Immortal Artifact, an azure light pillar still flickered with murderous intent.

"You... you..." The male Immortal's yellow sword light was extremely dim. He said, covering his chest. Behind Shuobing, the other two male Immortals also spoke in unison, sounding very strange.

"Do you think cultivating two clones makes you so great?" Shuobing sneered. "You still want to set up a maze here to lure this County Governor into a trap? Truly frogs in a well..."