Chapter 55: An Ambush on the Road

Passing through a grove of withered trees, the atmosphere grew inexplicably oppressive.

The cart, pulled by a thick-skinned ox, creaked loudly, its noise grating all the more sharply against the surrounding silence.

Wang Qingxiao walked at the front, his heavy sword still slung across his back. Yet his broad shoulders were taut, and his gaze swept every shadowy corner ahead.

Lin Shixuan kept pace beside him, her fingertips brushing silently against the charm pouch at her waist. Her expression was calm, yet laced with vigilance.

Bai Yuening brought up the rear. Her sword remained sheathed, but her right hand hovered near its hilt, spiritual energy coursing within her, ready at any moment to unleash a thunderous strike.

“This place is suspiciously quiet,” someone murmured.

“Not even a single insect chirps. Classic spot for an ambush.”

“Have the big guy in front slow down. Don’t let him charge blindly in.”

Bai Yuening’s eyes narrowed; she didn’t need Ye Ming’s warning to sense the unnatural stillness.

She was about to speak when Wang Qingxiao suddenly halted.

He raised an arm, halting the group. “Stop. Something’s not right.”

No sooner had his words fallen than streaks of cold light shot forth from both sides of the withered woods without warning!

With a furious roar, Wang Qingxiao did not retreat but advanced. His heavy sword finally left its scabbard with a thunderous ring and cleaved forward with overwhelming force.

Most of the deadly projectiles aimed at him and Lin Shixuan were scattered by the sheer aura of his strike.

They were oddly shaped throwing darts, wholly black with edges gleaming a ghostly blue—clearly laced with deadly poison.

Yet the ones targeting Bai Yuening were even more concentrated—five in total, coming from cunning angles that left no room for her to dodge.

Her sword flashed out, the blade tip precisely intercepting the first three darts. At the same time, she twisted her waist, barely evading the fourth.

But the fifth was already upon her throat!

At that instant, a translucent, pale golden shield of light materialized before her.

The dart struck the shield, rippling it with waves before sliding harmlessly to the ground.

Lin Shixuan had, at some unknown point, moved to Bai Yuening’s side. In her left hand, a golden shield talisman was burning away, while her right hand deftly drew several more talismans from her pouch, gaze icy and fixed on the direction of the attack.

“Thank you,” Bai Yuening whispered, sword at the ready.

“Impressive teamwork, these two!” Ye Ming praised, then analyzed quickly: “Careful—seven of them, faces covered, lowest cultivation is probably at the ninth layer of Qi Refining…”

“The leader’s cultivation is nearing the eleventh layer, and it’s clear they’re here for you!”

There was no need for further warning; the seven shadows burst forth like wraiths.

Two each engaged Wang Qingxiao and Lin Shixuan, while the remaining three, including their leader, lunged straight for Bai Yuening.

Their intentions could not be plainer—they meant to split the field and focus their lethal force.

Wang Qingxiao was quickly entangled by two agile foes who avoided direct confrontation, ceaselessly harassing him with poisoned weapons and insidious palm strikes. He bellowed in rage, but even his mighty sword could not break free at once.

Lin Shixuan too was pinned by two attackers. Her talismans required a moment’s respite to invoke, but the relentless assault left her only able to rely on body-lightening and low-grade shield charms, unable to offer effective support.

The true killing blow was reserved for Bai Yuening.

The three masked cultivators coordinated seamlessly—sword, claw, and palm striking from different angles, their spiritual energy cold and vicious, sealing off all her routes of retreat.

The leader’s aura was especially fierce. In his hand, a snake-shaped short sword thrust straight for her heart with blinding speed.

Bai Yuening urged her Flowing Light Sword Technique to its utmost, her body following the sword’s movement as the blade became a stream of light, darting and parrying within the tight confines.

Sword tip and snake-blade clashed in quick succession, sparks flying with every strike. Each impact sent numbness up her arm and churned her blood.

Her opponent’s cultivation far surpassed hers, his spiritual power concentrated and deep.

“Left! The one with the claws has poisoned needles between his fingers!”

“Step low to the right—avoid his dirty kick! Hmph, what a scoundrel!”

Bai Yuening adjusted her moves as Ye Ming directed, narrowly dodging the treacherous attacks.

“The one behind, using palm strikes—he cultivates a frost technique. His wind slows you—don’t let it graze you!”

Gritting her teeth, Bai Yuening’s sword wove a seamless defense, but the gulf in cultivation could not be bridged by skill alone. Under the combined assault, she quickly found herself pressed to the limit.

Her skirt was sliced open by the claw wind, and her arm was grazed by the snake sword’s energy, blood welling from the wound.

“Don’t get distracted!” Ye Ming barked. “Find a way to regroup with the others—they’re focusing all their firepower on you!”

Bai Yuening knew the danger was critical. She knocked aside the snake sword, and despite the palm wind behind her, forced her way toward Wang Qingxiao.

“Senior Brother Wang!” she called out clearly.

He had already noticed the deadly pressure on her side. With a furious stamp, he roared, “Get out of my way!”

Earthen light blazed around him. He took two palm strikes head-on, grunted from the impact, but his heavy sword swept out with unstoppable force.

His two assailants, unprepared for such ferocity, tried to retreat but were too slow. The sword’s aura exploded, and they were hurled back as if struck by a giant hammer, vomiting blood as they crashed through several dead trees and lay motionless.

With a stride, Wang Qingxiao blocked Bai Yuening’s path, holding his sword horizontally to intercept the snake-shaped blade.

A metallic clang rang out, rattling the eardrums. Wang Qingxiao staggered, the ground cracking under his feet, but he did not yield an inch.

The masked leader, forced back by the recoil, stared in shock and doubt.

Such strength!

Meanwhile, Lin Shixuan finally found an opening, launching a series of talismans.

“Binding Vine Talisman!”

“Mire Talisman!”

Spiritual charms shot precisely to the feet of the two pursuing Bai Yuening. Instantly, the ground turned to mire, and countless spiritual vines burst forth, twining upward.

Though not strong enough to completely restrain two ninth-layer cultivators, it greatly slowed them.

Bai Yuening’s pressure eased at once.

“Senior Sister Lin, the one on the left!”

Catching the opportunity, Bai Yuening gathered chilling sword light at her blade tip, targeting the claw-user momentarily bound by vines.

Lin Shixuan understood her intention, instantly adding a Sharp Gold Talisman to Bai Yuening’s sword.

The sword light flared intensely.

The cultivator had barely broken free of the vines when a streak of cold light pierced toward him.

He tried to dodge, but was half a beat too slow.

The sword tip struck his shoulder with precision, rendering one arm useless.

As he screamed, Wang Qingxiao’s heavy sword, wreathed in wind and thunder, forced the leader further back, leaving him no chance to help.

In a heartbeat, the tide of battle turned.

The remaining palm-user, seeing the disaster, feinted and tried to escape into the withered woods.

“Trying to run?” Ye Ming snorted coldly.

Almost simultaneously, Bai Yuening and Wang Qingxiao reacted.

Wang Qingxiao drove his sword into the ground, sending a powerful shockwave along the earth, making the fleeing man stumble.

Bai Yuening flicked her wrist—her sword flew from her hand, a streak of light plunging straight for his back.

Sensing the deadly wind at his back, the man spun and raised his palm to block.

At that instant, Lin Shixuan’s last talisman arrived—not an attack charm, but a Blinding Light Talisman.

A searing white light exploded, robbing him of sight in an instant.

He instinctively shut his eyes and cried out.

In that fleeting moment of weakness, Bai Yuening closed in, her fingers forming a sword, spiritual energy condensing at her tips. She struck fiercely at his lower dantian.

The cultivator’s body convulsed violently; he spat blood as his spiritual energy scattered, collapsing boneless to the ground.

Seeing this, the masked leader realized the battle was lost. Fury and venom flashed in his eyes as he hurled a black orb.

The orb hit the ground and erupted into a dense black mist, obscuring all sight and sense.

“Beware the poison fog!” Lin Shixuan warned, quickly invoking a Cleansing Wind Talisman to disperse the smog.

When the haze cleared, the leader was already gone—along with the two whom Wang Qingxiao had hurled aside, their fate unknown.

Only the two grievously wounded by Bai Yuening remained. Seeing escape was impossible, they gritted their teeth; black blood welled from their lips, and they died instantly.

Poisoned themselves to death.

Wang Qingxiao checked the bodies, his expression grim. “Deathsworn—no identifying marks on them.”

Lin Shixuan approached Bai Yuening, glancing at her wounded arm, and handed her a cleansing pill.

“Sister Bai, your wound… this chill seems difficult to expel.”

Bai Yuening swallowed the pill and shook her head. “I’m fine. Thank you, Sister Lin.”

She circulated her energy to dispel the invading chill, her gaze cold as it lingered on the corpses.

Wang Qingxiao returned, frowning at Bai Yuening. “Sister Bai, were these people after you?”

Though straightforward by nature, he wasn’t foolish—their intent had been obvious.

Bai Yuening was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Perhaps…”

If they were sent by Zhu Yu sect…

All because she’d refused their overtures, they’d resorted to murder outside the sect?

She didn’t elaborate. Wang Qingxiao and Lin Shixuan exchanged a glance, seeming to understand, and did not press further.

They were not ignorant of the inner sect’s intrigues.

Wang Qingxiao patted his heavy sword, his tone resolute. “If the enemy comes, we’ll meet them head-on.”

“If I catch him next time, I’ll drive his head into his chest!”

Lin Shixuan spoke softly, “We must be even more cautious on this journey.”

After this ordeal, an unspoken bond had formed between the three.