They arrived at the burial mound.
The rain had not subsided; instead, it grew even heavier.
Shen Qingqing walked at the very front, clutching a glowing locating jade talisman in her hand, seemingly searching the area with great care.
She glanced back at Ning Xian and Fang Xuan, who were only a few paces behind, a flash of uncontrollable malice crossing her eyes.
"Over here... I think I've found something."
She was the first to rush toward a hollow in the ground.
Fang Xuan, holding the black sword wrapped in cloth, followed unhurriedly behind Ning Xian.
As the rain drew within a foot of his body, it was deflected by an invisible barrier of spiritual power, leaving the corners of his robes perfectly dry.
He seemed to step casually, yet his foot landed exactly on a piece of bluestone that looked somewhat out of place in this area.
Instantly, starting from that bluestone slab, dark red lines spread out, tracing an array that covered the entire hollow.
The pattern glowed with a dark crimson light, and a powerful binding spiritual force erupted, completely enveloping the three people within the array's range.
Shen Qingqing laughed cruelly and suddenly retreated several steps to stand at the edge of the array, holding a bronze ancient mirror engraved with runes.
"Spirit-Locking Mirror, activate!"
She poured the spiritual power from her body frantically into the ancient mirror.
This was the hidden card Shen Chen had given her.
The Earth-Binding Spirit-Locking Array, paired with the Spirit-Locking Mirror—a black-grade artifact specifically designed to suppress spiritual power!
Under this dual suppression, even a cultivator at the early-stage Golden Core Realm would find their spiritual power circulation sluggish and their strength greatly reduced!
Not to mention the two people before her: Ning Xian, a waste who had lost all her cultivation, and Fang Xuan, who had only recently reached the Void Core Realm and had an unstable foundation!
In her eyes, this was already a guaranteed killing blow.
Shen Qingqing finally stopped hiding her true nature.
"Ning Xian! Didn't expect this, did you? Today, this place shall be your grave!"
Her gaze then fixed intensely on Fang Xuan. "Junior Brother Fang, do you know fear now? If you are willing to get on your knees and beg me, swearing to be loyal to me alone from now on, being my most obedient servant..."
"Perhaps I might spare your life and only take the blood of this bitch Ning Xian!"
She expected Fang Xuan to be terrified right now, his spiritual power suppressed and his strength nearly gone, leaving him with no choice but to submit!
But Fang Xuan simply stood where he was; even his posture while holding the sword hadn't changed.
Because of this, Shen Qingqing's smile gradually froze on her face.
Why... wasn't he panicking at all?! Was he faking composure, or...
Before she could think further, Fang Xuan stopped looking at her and turned toward the silent Ning Xian beside him.
Ning Xian had been keeping her eyes lowered, but now she slowly raised them, her cold gaze reflecting the blood-red light of the array.
This dismissive attitude completely enraged Shen Qingqing.
"How dare you act so arrogant when death is at your door! I'll kill you first, you bitch!"
Shen Qingqing shouted sharply, and with a flash of light, a cold, slender sword appeared in her hand.
She poured most of her spiritual power into the Spirit-Locking Mirror to maintain the suppression while thrusting her sword directly at Ning Xian's heart.
In her view, Ning Xian was currently no different from a mortal, and this one strike would be enough to take her life.
But facing this fierce thrust, Ning Xian simply tilted her body slightly.
Immediately after, she pressed her fingers together like a sword and lightly swept them across the incoming blade.
A sharp, piercing intent suddenly erupted along the length of the sword.
Shen Qingqing let out a shrill scream of agony as a sharp pain shot through her wrist, nearly making her drop the slender sword.
A bloody gash deep enough to show bone appeared out of thin air on her wrist, and blood gushed out instantly.
How was this possible! Her spirit bone was gone, and her cultivation was supposed to be destroyed!
Why! Why could this woman easily wound her even when she had nothing left!
Why was she, Shen Qingqing, despite using every possible means, still inferior to this waste she looked down on the most!
Ning Xian did not continue to look at her; after a few strands of sword intent, Shen Qingqing was already unable to parry, her body covered in wounds.
But ignoring the stinging pain of her injuries, Shen Qingqing screamed at the hidden evil cultivators:
"What are you still hiding for? Attack! Kill her! Kill Ning Xian first! Whoever takes her life will be heavily rewarded!"
The seven or eight evil cultivators looked at each other, their eyes flashing with feral light, as they slowly closed in on Ning Xian and Fang Xuan within the array.
They had the advantage in numbers, and under the suppression of the array, their chances of dealing with a waste and a severely weakened Void Core cultivator seemed very high.
The leader of the group smirked at Ning Xian, then glanced at Fang Xuan, who seemed unable to move under the array's suppression, feeling smug in his heart.
According to the plan, they would first cooperate with Shen Qingqing to kill Ning Xian, and then... take advantage of the chaos to finish off Shen Qingqing so he could steal the spirit bone for himself!
Perfect!
He licked his lips and pointed his heavy blade at Ning Xian. "Brothers, move out!"
The evil cultivators shouted in unison, each wielding their weapons and surging with spiritual power as they lunged at Ning Xian from different directions!
The flashes of blades and swords instantly swallowed Ning Xian's thin figure!
A cruel, satisfied smile appeared on Shen Qingqing's face, as if she could already see the gruesome scene of Ning Xian being hacked to pieces.
However, in the next instant—
The two evil cultivators charging at the front had just raised their weapons when their bodies suddenly froze.
Then, before their horrified eyes, a thin red line mysteriously appeared across their necks.
"Pshhh—"
Blood sprayed out like a fountain, and two heads rolled onto the ground, their faces still frozen in the ferocious expressions they had while lunging forward.
"What the hell is that?!" The other evil cultivators were scared out of their wits, their offensive coming to a sudden halt as they looked around in shock and suspicion.
Only the leader's pupils constricted violently.
Is it that kid holding the sword? He wasn't suppressed by the array?!
He whipped his head around to look at Fang Xuan.
He saw that Fang Xuan had raised his head at some point, and his eyes, under the dark red light of the array, were so calm it made one's heart turn cold.
"Are you done playing?"
"Since you're done playing... it's my turn."
Before his voice even faded, the ancient sword, which emitted a heavy and ferocious aura, revealed its true form for the first time in this place of slaughter.
As soon as the sword left its scabbard, the dark red light emitted by the Earth-Binding Spirit-Locking Array actually flickered violently.
The Spirit-Locking Mirror suspended in mid-air also made a cracking sound, its light blinking erratically.
When his little brother wanted to stand tall, no one could suppress it; forget a black-grade artifact, even a heaven-grade one would be blown away...
Rate on N.U.
