116: Seventh Elder: I will fight you (one more chapter to go)

The news spread as planned, and the entire Black Ridge City began to stir.

Under the peach blossom tree, Shen Li looked at the Peach Blossom Maiden's true form, which exuded a hint of Evil Qi, but his gaze was distant.

"I heard you recently consumed a human?"

No one responded. A dry wind blew through the delicate petals, and the peach blossoms emitted a faint fragrance.

Wang Teng, standing nearby, explained,

"According to what the Shen Family said, this Living Spring Water Vein can wash away some Evil Qi... When it was transported here, you were in seclusion, so I took the liberty of planting it by the Living Spring Water Vein."

"Let the water slowly wash away the Evil Qi."

Shen Li nodded, not commenting. Spiritual Qi shot out, forcing the Peach Blossom Maiden to reveal a faint form.

A beautiful face with skin like congealed fat and features like peach and plum blossoms quietly appeared before Shen Li.

She wore a pink gauze skirt, through which her flesh could vaguely be seen. As she moved, she created waves of flesh-colored ripples.

It made one's heart sway involuntarily.

A peach blossom petal on her brow complemented the crescent moon on Shen Li's brow, enhancing each other.

A rich, cloying scent entered his nostrils, and the figure, shaped like a ripe peach, slowly leaned closer.

A blush of peach appeared on her face, emitting a seductive murmur.

"Lord City Master...."

"Ah!!!!"

Shen Li's expression was calm, and the crescent moon on his brow was as cold and hard as a blade. Without any need for a magic seal, a moon blade shot out, severing several branches of the Peach Blossom Maiden's true form!

He said calmly,

"Too enchanting. Cultivate anew."

The Peach Blossom Maiden's watery eyes suddenly turned venomous, and she hissed,

"My cultivation was hard-earned! Why do you destroy my cultivation?! Why?! Why?!"

"Ah!"

The moon blade struck again, and the Peach Blossom Maiden's quality dropped from ninth-grade superior to middle-grade.

Her figure also became ethereal.

Shen Li folded his hands into his sleeves.

"Very rebellious. Indeed, she has been too deeply corrupted by the Yao Race."

The Peach Blossom Maiden's soul body seemed to be covered in ancient frost. At this moment, she dared not speak further, suddenly kneeling on the ground, prostrating herself.

Before... she felt a deathly stillness.

That silence that returned to death.

What was that? A very bizarre and unpredictable sword technique, a spell... or something else?

The person in front of her was so ruthless... was this how he intimidated her?

Shen Li said calmly,

"You seem much more obedient."

"As for why... I destroyed your Dao?"

"Do I need to explain to you?"

Seeing this, Wang Teng yawned.

"Just oversee her training. We don't need to worry too much when we leave; some of the shop owners are still here. She won't cause any trouble."

"So be it."

Shen Li shook his head, no longer paying much attention.

On the outer city wall, two thousand five hundred Yuting Guards stood in Formation, awaiting orders.

Shen Li walked onto the city wall. Second Master Shen, seeing Shen Li arrive, said in shock,

"These two thousand five hundred Tao Soldiers are of good quality. Although they haven't been graded, they lack no resources, and their weapons are excellent!"

"You must have put a lot of effort into them, right?"

Shen Yan looked at the cold iron armor, his fingernails digging into his palms.

Was the gap between him and Shen Li truly that great?

"With such capabilities, you truly are... Alas, the Shen Family was not thorough enough in their considerations. After this matter is concluded, I will return to the Shen Family and transfer five hundred Kuteng Tao Soldiers here for you, along with resources!"

Second Master Shen looked down at the city, sighing.

"Three Grandmasters, two thousand five hundred Yuting Guards, one Refining Qi, one Qi Refining Eighth Layer, two Qi Refining Third Layer, and the rest are Qi Refining Second Layer Cultivators."

"Such a Formation is already formidable."

"Hmm? There's also a bronze Puppet comparable to a Refining Qi Cultivator."

"The foundation is truly extraordinary."

Shen Li smiled and nodded.

"This can be said to be all the strength we can mobilize."

"It's a bit weak; I hope Uncle doesn't laugh at me."

Second Master Shen pointed at Shen Li and laughed heartily.

"If this is still weak, then your peers of this generation might as well just crash and die."

The Shen Family Disciples behind him exchanged glances... for a moment, they couldn't find a reason to refute.

But the look in their eyes towards Shen Li quietly showed some admiration.

When you are a peer to others, excellence only brings jealousy.

When you make others look up to you, that jealousy turns into admiration.

On the dusty road, the Yuting Guards marched straight through.

Cold Evil Qi dispersed, startling the martial artists and Cultivators nearby, who quickly cleared a path.

Their eyes filled with awe.

"They are...?"

"The Shen Family City Master is making a big move!"

"So many Tao Soldiers, yet they usually don't show themselves?"

"Fortunately, we've always been very well-behaved!"

"Should we follow and see?"

"Let's go!"

....

In Yanmo Mountain.

A martial artist leaped over several crawling Yao Beasts, then strode directly into a cave!

Inside the cave, the air was thick with the stench of blood. These years of accumulated blood had lost their metallic smell, replaced by an even more nauseating, putrid odor... like rotten meat and blood clots left for years.

It was utterly disgusting.

But the martial artist who arrived here showed no change in expression. He cupped his hands towards a bloody altar and said,

"Seventh Elder!"

Blood-red Yao Beast intestines were violently torn apart.

Boiling Yao blood dripped onto the stones beneath the altar, making sizzling sounds.

With an unwilling roar, the Yao Beast slumped to the ground, lifeless.

A blood-stained large hand ripped off a spine, then tossed it aside. The pile of bones beside it was already a small mountain.

Seventh Elder, his hands covered in Spiritual Qi, seemed agitated. He turned like a tiger or wolf, staring at the martial artist, and said grimly,

"What is it?"

The martial artist's heart skipped a beat, but he still braced himself and said,

"A few days ago, another stronghold was wiped out!"

"And recently, Immortal Sect Cultivators have been frequently appearing around Yanmo Mountain."

"We don't know why, but we've always kept to ourselves. Recently, these Immortal Sect Cultivators seem to have formed an Alliance, constantly hunting down members of our Luan Xiu Alliance!"

"We truly don't understand!"

"Useless! Useless! All of you are useless!"

Pairs of blood-red, cruel eyes opened. In the shadows, Yao Beasts and Puppets stirred restlessly.

Seventh Elder said in a sinister tone,

"What exactly happened? Why are people dying again and again?"

"What are you all doing?!"

The martial artist quickly knelt on the ground and said in a deep voice,

"Seventh Elder, please understand! The weakest Immortal Sect Cultivators who attacked us this time were all Qi Refining Third Layer."

"Our brothers are all martial artists... Even some of the Immortal Masters we had as retainers were instantly targeted and then jointly surrounded and killed as soon as they left the Luan Xiu Alliance's Formation range!"

"We truly had no way to fight back!"

Bang!

The martial artist's head instantly shattered. Seventh Elder said savagely,

"Incompetence is incompetence! Why so much nonsense!"

"If you can't fight back, then die! You came here to beg this Elder for forgiveness?!"

After slightly dispelling the anger in his heart, Seventh Elder took a deep breath.

The rotten, foul smell entered his nostrils, like some kind of miraculous tonic.

He kept muttering to himself,

"What exactly is going on? Did Qingchi Mountain issue a bounty?"

"No, none of the major markets have issued bounties, and it's not just Qingchi Mountain alone that's besieging our Evil Cultivator Alliance this time!"

"Damn it, they've always been rivals. Why have they allied this time?"

"There must... there must be some oversight!"

"Something crucial must have caused them to unite... a person... or a thing..."

"What could it be...?"

Before he finished speaking, a violent sound exploded, and then the entire Yanmo Mountain Formation began to shake!

Rolling clouds transformed into a colossal palm that slammed down. The Inner Sect Disciple of Piao Miao Immortal Sect said loudly,

"Heretical Cultivators! You possess a supreme treasure but are unworthy of it!"

"Hand it over quickly! We can still grant you a complete corpse!"

Seventh Elder, meanwhile, looked utterly bewildered.

What the hell were they talking about?

What supreme treasure?

Why didn't he know about it?

It was already good enough if he didn't cause trouble. Now others were coming to attack him?

Bullying an honest man?

The anger in his heart boiled even more furiously!

"I'll fight you all!"