“Is it Nian Jiu?” The fiery avatar of Lord Huolie, which was descending and coalescing, trembled inwardly at the sight, gnashing his teeth in fury. “Who dares to be so bold as to oppose my Yingshan Clan?”
To assassinate the prodigious Young Master Xueying was to slap the Yingshan Clan in the face!
The Yingshan Clan would never let this go!
Under normal circumstances, few factions would be foolish enough to attempt such a thing. Yet the assassination had occurred, and even involved the notorious fiend Nian Jiu.
Nian Jiu was originally a nine-headed demonic serpent native to the Black Demon Swamp. Due to ancient cultivation techniques, he possessed a unique talent for division, allowing him to split into nine distinct avatars! As long as one avatar survived, the other eight could be swiftly regenerated even if destroyed. Relying on this ability, Nian Jiu often took on assassination contracts.
After all, few were willing to risk their lives for such tasks—only death warriors or experts like Nian Jiu with extraordinary methods dared to do so.
“Protect the Young Master!”
The two Blackflow Cloud Beasts instantly transformed into humanoid forms, and ninety-eight armored soldiers materialized around them. One of the transformed beasts remained clad in black armor, while the other donned dark golden battle gear. Together, the hundred warriors instantly formed a massive battle formation. Rumbling filled the air as dark clouds swirled around the central carriage, with the soldiers dispersed within, their armor glowing as their powers merged into one.
“Daring to assassinate Young Master Xueying? Such audacity!” roared the dark-gold-armored captain, his clawed weapons bared, his voice shaking the heavens.
“Huolie Army’s Shadow Guards? Hah! Who would have thought—out of the three Shadow Guard units, one has been guarding this whelp all along!” The six gaunt youths laughed maniacally as they charged forward. “Let’s see how strong you really are!”
“Attack!” commanded the dark-gold-armored captain. The roiling dark clouds vaguely took the form of a massive four-legged beast, with the captain embodying its claws, each strike ferocious and unrelenting.
“What? A full unit of Shadow Guards has been protecting Ying Shan Xueying all this time?” Qian Ganxue, watching from a distant tavern, paled in disbelief. “Such favoritism! To keep those Shadow Guards waiting in a pocket realm all this time?”
This was the worst possible scenario.
A full unit of Shadow Guards.
The captain possessed the strength of the fifth level of the Divine Palace, while the other members were all at the Unity Realm. Combined, their battle formation could unleash power equivalent to the seventh level of the Divine Palace, rivaling even some weaker Chaos Realm experts.
…
Ying Shan Liehu’s legs trembled slightly as he tried to reassure Dongbo Xueying beside him. “Fear not, my son. They won’t harm you.”
The maidservant Yan Yu clenched her fists, ready to lay down her life for her young master at any moment.
In truth, they were merely True Gods—utterly insignificant in a battle of this magnitude.
In reality, whether it was the assassin Nian Jiu, the Shadow Guard unit led by the Blackflow Cloud Beast captain, Tian Yizhi, Lord Huolie, or even the fiendish master observing the situation from afar—all were tense, their hearts gripped by the unfolding crisis.
Only one person appeared nervous on the surface but remained utterly calm within.
Dongbo Xueying.
“An assassination attempt?” Dongbo Xueying mused as he watched from the carriage. “Hmm, this assassin can split into six avatars instantly. Though only at the Unity Realm, he can still perform such a feat—likely not through void techniques but ancient cultivation methods.”
“Still, quite impressive. Each avatar seems to possess the strength of the sixth level of the Divine Palace, and with their combined attacks, they can unleash power equivalent to the seventh level.”
“Ah…”
“So, one of my Blackflow Cloud Beasts is the Shadow Guard captain, and the other is a regular guard? And ninety-eight more have been waiting in a pocket realm all this time? Lord Huolie truly values me.” Dongbo Xueying sighed inwardly. “I always thought Elder Tian and his squad were my only guards. Turns out, there’s a hidden force as well. Elder Tian and his nine personal guards only match the sixth level of the Divine Palace, while a full Shadow Guard unit is far stronger.”
A dual-layered defense.
Dongbo Xueying continued observing the fierce battle between the Shadow Guards and Nian Jiu. Despite their relentless assaults, the fiend couldn’t break through. “The techniques of the Heart Realm Continent are indeed superior. These battle formations far surpass those of the Chaos Void.”
In the Chaos Void, a Unity Realm expert at the fifth level of the Star Tower, even with ninety-nine others, could never achieve power equivalent to the seventh level.
Yet the Heart Realm Continent made it possible. Their battle formations were even more refined than the innate joint attacks of the Destruction Fiends.
…
“Qian Ganxue, I didn’t expect a full Shadow Guard unit to be protecting him at all times. I can’t break through. This mission is likely a failure,” Nian Jiu transmitted.
“No!”
Qian Ganxue’s eyes burned with desperation.
He had mobilized his forces, even resorting to death warriors, but his true trump card was Nian Jiu. Yet even the fiend’s full power—equivalent to the seventh level of the Divine Palace—had failed.
“That coward Nian Jiu! Rumor has it he has nine avatars, yet he only ever uses six at most. The other three are hidden gods-know-where.” Qian Ganxue’s gaze turned manic.
“I can’t hold back now.”
“Failure means death.”
“It’s all or nothing.”
Though he had pinned most of his hopes on Nian Jiu, Qian Ganxue had prepared a final, desperate measure—a venom painstakingly crafted by a Chaos Realm expert over two hundred thousand years, costing six million cosmos crystals. Even the most basic secret treasures were worth only ten million cosmos crystals.
This venom was nearly unstoppable—any Unity Realm expert touched by it would almost certainly perish.
“Nian Jiu, you might get caught in the crossfire, but with your avatars, it won’t matter.” Qian Ganxue produced a black flute and blew into it.
Hum—
An invisible soundwave, tinged with a faint green hue, rippled toward Dongbo Xueying. The venom was visible—such was the trade-off for its lethal potency within his limited budget.
“What?” Lord Huolie’s newly formed avatar, fighting alongside the Shadow Guards against Nian Jiu, spotted the approaching venom and paled.
The avatar, lacking any treasures or weapons, only matched the strength of one of Nian Jiu’s avatars—barely enough to influence the battle.
“Venom?” Nian Jiu’s eyes gleamed with delight.
“Disaster!” The Shadow Guards recoiled in horror. The venom exuded an overwhelming aura of death—contact would mean certain doom.
Boom—Splash—
Despite their frantic attacks, the venom remained unaffected, continuing its deadly advance. After all, it was worth six million cosmos crystals.
“What do we do?”
The venom was too fast to evade, and teleportation was impossible. Should they flee and abandon the young master?
“Hahaha!” Nian Jiu laughed wildly as he pressed his assault. Without the Shadow Guards, killing the defenseless Xueying would be child’s play.
“What now? What now?” Lord Huolie’s avatar was frantic. He had already summoned the Yingshan Matriarch, but even she couldn’t arrive instantly—she needed time to arrange for a Chaos Realm expert skilled in ultra-long-distance teleportation. And in battles of this level, a single breath could see hundreds of exchanges.
“Hold the line at all costs! Buy time—delay is our only hope!” the avatar commanded the Shadow Guards.
“Yes!” Some responded willingly, others reluctantly, but none dared disobey their lord’s order.
They would fight to the death.
To stall the venom for as long as possible!
…
Inside the carriage, Ying Shan Liehu and the maidservant Yan Yu were dazed, barely comprehending the chaos. They only saw Lord Huolie’s avatar and the Shadow Guards fighting desperately, their actions tinged with tragic resolve.
Dongbo Xueying alone remained serene. His gaze settled on Qian Ganxue, who was blowing the black flute in the distance.
“This venom is intriguing. Ordinary attacks can’t disperse it,” Dongbo Xueying mused. A long spear—his secret treasure weapon—materialized in his hand.
An imperceptible ripple spread outward, permeating the surroundings.
“Go.”
The space around the green venom distorted. Though it had been flying toward Dongbo Xueying, in the blink of an eye, it instead enveloped Qian Ganxue.
“What—?” Qian Ganxue’s eyes widened in terror. The venom was indiscriminate—he had only controlled its direction, not its lethality.
Sizzle—
The venom corroded his body instantly, reducing him to a pool of green liquid. Death was immediate.
The venom spread, but fortunately, the area had long been evacuated. Spectators and servants had fled far away—even a hundred thousand miles felt unsafe in such a battle.
…
In the distance, a black-clad figure observed coldly. He was the avatar of the fiendish master, concealed by treasures as he lurked in Huolie City, biding his time to strike against Lord Huolie.
“Qian Ganxue proved useful after all, procuring such venom.” The black-clad figure smirked—until his expression froze.
The venom had inexplicably reversed course, killing Qian Ganxue instead.
The black-clad figure frowned. Space had seemed undisturbed—how had this happened?
“Another hidden expert protecting Xueying? The Yingshan Clan is going all out for him!” he muttered through gritted teeth.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage