Above the Black Wind Mountain Range.
Two experts at the Divine Sea Realm engaged in a primal and violent battle in the night sky.
Each collision caused the mountains below to tremble violently, and countless peaks collapsed and shattered in the terrifying aftershocks.
However, as the fight progressed, the golden-masked man's expression gradually became serious.
He raised his hand again to block the palm strike coming at him, and his body was knocked back dozens of feet. His wide sleeves burst open on the spot, revealing an arm covered with bluish-black lines.
He glanced at the bloodstains on his wrist, and his gaze behind the mask darkened.
Both being at the Divine Sea Realm Seventh Level, he originally thought that even if he couldn't suppress Shen Qianyue, holding him back would be no problem at all.
Unexpectedly, after learning that there was an ambush ahead, Shen Qianyue completely abandoned defense and aimed straight for vital points with every attack, even at the cost of injury.
The masked man steadied himself, his voice now laced with sarcasm. " Shen Qianyue, is it worth it to sacrifice yourself for someone who is destined to die?"
Shen Qianyue did not respond.
He pointed his right hand and pointed heavily into the empty space in front of him.
Hundreds of black spiritual energies condensed into chains, surrounding the golden-masked man from all directions. The chains swept across the sky, emitting a piercing whistle, sealing off all escape routes.
The golden-masked man pushed his palms outwards, and the gray mist condensed into a ferocious beast that opened its mouth and bit the oncoming chains.
The two forces were locked in a stalemate in the air for a moment, and then several nearby mountain peaks could not withstand the aftershocks and broke off at their waists.
Rocks tumbled down, and dust billowed into the sky.
The man in the golden mask used the recoil to retreat, but he wasn't particularly panicked.
His mission was never to kill Shen Qianyue.
As long as we stall the enemy until the people lying in ambush ahead deal with Ling Xueyao, the mission will be complete.
"You talk so much, it seems the people lying in ambush ahead are quite strong."
Shen Qianyue finally spoke, his voice devoid of any emotion. "You've mobilized two Divine Sea Realm for Her Highness the Princess; the Blood Baleful Intent Tower is truly willing to invest heavily."
The man in the golden mask sneered, "So what if you guessed it? The Cloud-Chasing Boat has already flown hundreds of miles away. Even if you kneel down and beg me to let you pass, you won't make it in time to collect her corpse."
The murderous intent in Shen Qianyue's eyes suddenly vanished.
Seeing this subtle change, the man in the golden mask felt a sense of unease.
Shen Qianyue too calm.
This calmness is not a sign of giving up, but rather more like having already made a decision.
The next moment.
Shen Qianyue suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood.
The blood did not fall; instead, it hovered in front of him and was ignited by a cluster of black flames.
boom!
His aura surged once more, and a deep rumble emanated from his body. The already terrifying pressure was now faintly touching the threshold of the Divine Sea Realm Eighth Level.
The smug look on the masked man's face vanished.
"Burning essence blood?"
He was both shocked and furious, and couldn't help but shout, " Shen Qianyue, have you gone mad! You know how many years it takes to cultivate to the Divine Sea Realm Seventh Level. Once your essence and blood are depleted, at best your cultivation level will drop, and at worst your foundation will be completely destroyed!"
"Your Majesty saved my life."
Shen Qianyue raised his head, the burning blood reflecting off his hood. "I am ordered to protect the princess. As long as she is alive, the princess cannot be harmed."
He took a step forward, and large ripples spread across the void beneath his feet.
"Since you won't let me leave, then I'll stay here forever."
The man in the golden mask felt a chill run down his spine.
He finally understood.
Shen Qianyue was still holding back some of his previous frenzied attacks.
This taciturn royal retainer had been probing him from the very beginning, trying to determine whether he was hiding his true cultivation level.
After confirming that the two were in the same realm, Shen Qianyue prepared to trade his own martial arts future for his life.
"You're not qualified to drag me down with you!"
The masked man roared and tore off a string of bone beads from his chest. The twelve bone beads swelled in the wind and transformed into twelve skeletal puppets, surrounding Shen Qianyue.
Each puppet exuded an aura approaching that of the Divine Sea Realm.
Shen Qianyue didn't even glance at the puppets. He clenched his fist, and black spiritual energy condensed into a long spear.
He braved the attack of twelve puppets and went straight for the golden-masked man's forehead.
A skeleton puppet's claws tore open his back, blood splattering everywhere. Shen Qianyue didn't stop; he swung his spear backhand and smashed the puppet's head. Then, he swept the spear across, severing the other three puppets in half at the waist.
The masked man retreated continuously, a sense of regret rising in his heart for the first time. When he accepted the mission, he thought that stalling Shen Qianyue would be the easiest thing to do.
Now it seems that if this mission is not handled carefully, it could really cost you your life in the Black Wind Mountain Range.
The two collided again, and the terrifying shockwave swept across dozens of miles. The monsters in the forests below fled in terror, but before they could run far, they were crushed into blood mist by the aftershocks.
Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away...
The Cloud-Chasing Boat had pushed its speed to the limit, the white jade boat trembling continuously, and the array runes flickering on and off.
Ling Xueyao stood beside the control array, frequently turning back to look behind her.
Shen Qianyue was nowhere to be seen there; only faint, unsettling fluctuations could be felt.
Her fingers were clenched so tightly they turned white, and worry weighed on her eyes.
Shen Qianyue was an elder who watched her grow up.
Now that the opponent is left alone to fight against an assassin of the same realm, how could Ling Xueyao not be worried?
But she knew even better that if she turned back now, it would only render Shen Qianyue's desperate efforts meaningless.
" Elder Shen won't be defeated easily." Ling Xueyao said, as if to Chu Yunfei, but also as if to comfort herself. "He is the most skilled in direct combat by Father Emperor's side. Among those of the same realm, few can suppress him."
Chu Yunfei did not offer any words of comfort.
"That assassin reacted strangely when we left, deliberately exposing himself and intercepting us, yet he didn't seem to care at all about our departure. His purpose was too obvious. He was stalling Senior Shen; there's probably an ambush ahead."
Ling Xueyao's expression darkened slightly, clearly indicating that she had also considered this point.
" The Cloud-Chasing Boat is still a day's journey from the imperial city, and there are many points along the way where we can change direction. The Blood Baleful Intent Tower wants to pinpoint our route in advance and precisely send out an expert on par with Elder Shen to ambush us; someone must have leaked our itinerary."
She took out a communication jade talisman and tried to send a message to the imperial city, but the talisman did not respond, "The surrounding space is being interfered with."
Chu Yunfei narrowed his eyes.
Suddenly, Xiaoxiao Dragon's voice rang out in his mind.
"You brat."
"There are people ahead, and quite a few of them: twelve at the Heavenly Origin Realm, and another whose aura is very well concealed; he should be at the Divine Sea Realm."
Chu Yunfei's heart sank.
The Cloud-Chasing Boat had only flown for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea when the two groups of assassins seamlessly coordinated their attack.
As expected, this ambush was by no means a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Chu Yunfei suddenly spun the array plate in the center of the magic array, and the Cloud-Chasing Boat drew an arc in the sky and turned sharply to the left.
Ling Xueyao stumbled and had to grab the gunwale to steady herself. Just as she was about to ask a question, more than a dozen blood-red beams of light suddenly lit up the night sky ahead.
The intertwined blood and light transformed into a giant net of spiritual energy covering dozens of miles, completely sealing off all paths of the Cloud-Chasing Boat.
A person dressed in a gray robe and wearing a blue mask stood in mid-air, without any magical artifacts beneath their feet, yet their body remained steadily suspended ten thousand meters in the air.
Behind him were twelve assassins dressed in black, each wearing a white mask without facial features. The intense pressure of the Heavenly Origin Realm gathered together, even suppressing the nearby gale.
Ling Xueyao's pupils contracted sharply when she saw the assassin wearing a blue mask.
Another Divine Sea Realm!
" The Blood Baleful Intent Tower actually sent two Divine Sea Realm cultivators to kill me. The price they offered must be astronomical."
Ling Xueyao gripped the communication jade talisman tightly, her cool voice revealing no panic. "You've indeed planned meticulously to hold off Elder Shen and lay an ambush here beforehand. But if I die in the Black Wind Mountain Range, can the Blood Baleful Intent Tower withstand the royal family's retaliation?"
The blue-faced assassin let out a low laugh.
"Your Highness, there's no need to use the royal family to pressure me. After tonight, the world will only know that the Cloud-Chasing Boat crashed in the Black Wind Mountain Range. By the time the Emperor of Great Qian receives the news, Your Highness's remains will have long been devoured by the mountain monsters."
His gaze swept over Chu Yunfei in front of the control array, a hint of contempt appearing in his eyes.
"As for this new prince consort, it's an unexpected bonus. Someone else also wants him dead. Taking his body back will give the Blood Baleful Intent Tower an extra reward."
"In my lifetime, I have survived more than ten assassination attempts. Each time, the assassins felt victory was assured." Ling Xueyao's eyes were icy, her royal princess aura fully revealed. "But in the end, it was always me who left alive."
The man in the blue mask shook his head, a hint of pity in his eyes.
"It's a pity Shen Qianyue isn't here this time."
(P. S.: The title has been changed to: The Saintess Breaks Off the Engagement at the Start, and I Awaken the Divine Cauldron of Heavenly Mandate; the cover has also been changed.)