The golden phantom opened its eyes, and the entire mountain range trembled violently.
The cyan assassin's curved blade stopped in mid-air, unable to advance even an inch. The eight Heavenly Origin Realm assassins surrounding Chu Yunfei were also pinned to the spot by the oppressive force, making even breathing difficult.
The mere presence of that illusory figure instilled a deep-seated fear in everyone present.
The blue-faced assassin recognized the illusory figure.
Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty, Ling Zhantian!
There has been no news of Ling Zhantian appearing in public for many years.
Blood Baleful Intent Tower originally had reservations about accepting this mission.
However, their employers repeatedly assured them that Ling Zhantian could not leave the capital, which is why they accepted the mission to intercept and kill Ling Xueyao.
Who would have thought that Ling Xueyao was carrying a jade pendant that sealed Ling Zhantian's power?
"It was merely a pre-emptive attack; it could never possibly lock me down!"
The blue-faced assassin suppressed his fear and poured all his Divine Sea Realm spiritual power into his scimitar.
The crimson blade emitted a piercing hum and finally moved forward an inch.
The phantom figure in the dragon robe didn't look at him, but simply slowly raised his right hand.
A single finger is used to point out the point from a distance.
Without any earth-shattering display, only a golden beam the size of a thumb appeared in the void.
The blue-faced assassin, however, sensed the approach of death.
The golden light had already locked onto his soul; no matter which direction he fled, he would eventually be struck.
"Not good! Blood Escape!"
In his horror, he didn't hesitate to burn his life essence, and his body exploded into a thick cloud of blood mist.
The blood mist split into nine figures, which flew away in different directions.
This secret technique will shorten one's lifespan by decades.
He was willing to pay any price as long as he could save his life.
The golden beam of light did not change direction and shot directly into one of the blood shadows.
The eight blood-red figures that had been fleeing in other directions stopped simultaneously.
The blue-faced assassin reappeared, looking down at his chest.
His protective spiritual power was not broken, and there were no visible wounds on his body, but his soul in his sea of consciousness had been completely wiped out by that finger.
"How is that possible...?"
A hoarse voice came from behind the mask.
The next moment, the Blood Baleful Intent Tower assassin, a Divine Sea Realm Third Level cultivator, fell from the sky and crashed heavily into the mountains.
He was completely lifeless.
The eight assassins at the Heavenly Origin Realm witnessed this scene firsthand, and their fighting spirit completely collapsed.
That's a powerful expert at the Divine Sea Realm Third Level!
Faced with the decisive blow from the Great Qian Emperor, they didn't even have a chance to escape.
The assassin in charge took a half-step back in terror. If that dragon-robed phantom could strike again, they would all die here.
The illusory image of the dragon robe behind Ling Xueyao slowly turned around.
He seemed to want to see his daughter's appearance clearly, but the power sealed in the jade pendant had been exhausted. His golden figure began to dissipate from his feet, eventually turning into points of light and merging into the night.
The oppressive aura dissipated.
Ling Xueyao, freed from the array's restraints, fell forward.
Chu Yunfei used his Divine Movement Art to traverse the battlefield and caught her in his arms before she landed.
Ling Xueyao's face was pale, with wounds on her abdomen and shoulders. Her internal condition was even worse. Affected by the strange blood-fiend power of the formation, coupled with the activation of the jade pendant earlier, she had exhausted her remaining spiritual power.
At this moment, her breath was extremely weak.
She barely opened her eyes and grabbed Chu Yunfei's collar.
"The jade pendant can only be used once; they'll realize it soon. Stop fighting, leave this place first, and wait for Elder Shen to find us..."
Before she could finish speaking, she fainted.
Chu Yunfei picked Ling Xueyao up in his arms and glanced around.
The eight assassins were still in shock.
If he hadn't been injured, Chu Yunfei wouldn't have minded taking the opportunity to keep them all here with Little Purple. However, he had just used his spiritual power repeatedly, and his internal injuries were already nearing their limit.
Ling Xueyao was also severely injured.
If they continue fighting, a single misstep could cost them both their lives.
" Little Purple, come back!"
Chu Yunfei gave a shout, Purple-Gold Lightning Python transformed into a streak of purple light, wrapping around his wrist once more.
The Divine Movement Art at its peak was activated at full power.
He carried Ling Xueyao and broke through the encirclement, his feet lightly touching several protruding rocks, covering hundreds of feet in the blink of an eye.
The eight assassins finally came to their senses.
The assassin in charge glanced at the corpse of the Divine Sea Realm expert, then looked at Chu Yunfei, who was about to disappear into the forest, his eyes filled with struggle.
The mission failed, and Lord Qingmian perished.
Even if they escape back to Blood Baleful Intent Tower now, they will face the cruelest punishment.
Only by bringing back the bodies of Ling Xueyao and Chu Yunfei will they have a chance to survive.
"The emperor's illusory figure has vanished, Ling Xueyao has lost consciousness, and Chu Yunfei is also seriously injured. Everyone, give chase! We cannot let them leave the Black Wind Mountain Range alive!"
Eight assassins leaped into the mountains and forests in pursuit.
The Black Wind Mountain Range have a complex terrain, with strong winds that can disturb one's consciousness blowing all year round. Chu Yunfei, carrying a person, still moved at an astonishing speed, his figure constantly shifting between rocks and dead trees.
If it weren't for the bloodstains he left behind revealing his location, the assassins behind him would have been completely shaken off long ago.
Chu Yunfei looked down at Ling Xueyao in his arms.
Her breathing grew weaker and weaker, and her lips had lost all color. The kick from the Divine Sea Realm expert had injured her abdominal meridians, and coupled with the corrosive effects of the Blood Baleful Intent Soul-Locking Formation, she needed to find a safe place to heal as soon as possible.
"You brat, head southeast."
Xiao Long's voice echoed in his mind, "The gale over there is stronger, and it can conceal one's aura. However, there is a force deep inside interfering with my perception; there may be danger within."
Chu Yunfei had no other choice.
Eight assassins at the Heavenly Origin Realm were hot on their heels, and once their speed slowed down, they would quickly regroup and surround them.
He changed direction and rushed towards the canyon on the southeast side.
The closer you get to the depths of the Black Wind Mountain Range, the fiercer the surrounding winds become.
Small stones were swept into the air and struck the protective spiritual energy, producing a series of rapid sounds.
The light grew dimmer, and numerous broken stone tablets were scattered on the ground.
The assassins behind Chu Yunfei gradually lost track of his exact location and could only rely on the bloodstains on the ground to continue their pursuit.
Before long, they saw the stone tablets and hesitated slightly.
"We're near the depths of the Black Wind Mountain Range, we can't pursue them any further!" An assassin recognized the terrain, his voice tightening. "It's said that Divine Sea Realm expert went in decades ago and never came out again."
The leader, Heavenly Origin Realm Fifth Layer expert, gritted his teeth and shouted, "If we let them return to the imperial city, we'll all die anyway. Chu Yunfei is already severely injured and is carrying an unconscious person; he definitely won't last much longer. Keep chasing!"
Chu Yunfei's speed has begun to decrease.
The increasing amount of bloodstains along the way indicated that his injuries were rapidly deteriorating.
The canyon ahead gradually narrows.
Every time Chu Yunfei activated the Divine Movement Art, he experienced intense, stabbing pain in his chest and abdomen. His vision began to blur, and all he could hear was the howling wind.
But he still didn't stop.
This road has come to an end.
A nearly vertical black mountain wall appeared in front of the canyon, with mountain peaks extending out on both sides, completely blocking all paths.
Chu Yunfei scanned the area but found no cave where he could hide.
The sound of assassins chasing after them could be heard from behind.
" Chu Yunfei, you can't escape!"
The voice of the Heavenly Origin Realm Fifth Layer assassin pierced through the gale, "Put down Ling Xueyao, hand over your storage ring and the spirit sword in your hand, and I might give you a quick death. Continuing to struggle will only make your death more gruesome!"
Chu Yunfei did not respond.
He held Ling Xueyao tightly, stepped on a protruding rock on the side of the mountain wall, and quickly climbed upwards.
Once we get over this mountain, we'll have a chance to shake off our pursuers.
He landed on a dusty black stone slab.
Click.
A soft thud came from beneath my feet.
Chu Yunfei looked down and saw that the dust had been blown away by the strong wind, revealing an ancient pattern that had long been blurred.
Before he could see clearly, the entire stone slab suddenly dented downwards.
The nearby mountainside subsequently cracked open.
An irresistible suction force surged from the depths of the crack, forcibly pushing the spiritual power within Chu Yunfei's body back into his dantian, and rendering the Divine Movement Art ineffective at that moment.
He held the unconscious Ling Xueyao tightly, his body uncontrollably plunging into darkness.
There were no rocks beneath their feet, nor could they see the bottom of the abyss; only an impenetrable darkness rapidly engulfed the two.
Above the abyss, the eight assassins who had been pursuing them abruptly stopped.
The leader looked down and saw two enormous, blood-red eyes slowly opening in the depths of darkness.
Immediately afterwards.
A low, rumbling sound of chains being dragged echoed from the bottom of the abyss.