Mu Yunxuan gathered profound energy and emitted a white barrier around him, blocking the sharp blades formed by the tree leaves. However, the power of the leaves was much greater than they had imagined. The leaves, originally twisted into a dragon-like shape, instantly scattered and transformed into countless sharp blades, converging into a formidable force that crashed against Mu Yunxuan's barrier.
"Yunxuan," Su Zimo heard the sound and rushed out of the bedroom.
Su Zimo quickly transformed into an ice-cold snow whip, dancing rapidly with shimmering white light, leaving only a continuous afterimage. The leaves fell softly around her.
But after the leaves landed, they shot back with even more terrifying speed.
"Yunxuan, this is a barrier. We must break through it quickly! Otherwise, our cultivation will be drained!" Su Zimo felt her own cultivation rapidly diminishing. The consumption of profound energy to resist these leaf blades was too significant.
Mu Yunxuan understood her intention and shouted, "Mo'er, step back!"
Upon hearing this, Su Zimo immediately distanced herself from him.
"Boom!"
A powerful energy erupted from Mu Yunxuan, destroying the tree leaves that were attacking them. The leaves vanished within a golden glow.
Mu Yunxuan soared into the air, quickly scanning the surroundings. Suddenly, a sword appeared in his hand, pointing towards a particular tree. A golden light flew out, producing a resounding boom as it knocked down a tree. Following the same pattern, he swiftly toppled several more trees. The mischievous leaves instantly lost their power, becoming harmless and slowly drifting to the ground.
Mu Yunxuan's figure flickered and flew towards a tall tree ahead.
Su Zimo followed his gaze and caught a glimpse of a clothing corner behind the tree.
She pointed her toe and flew toward that direction.
A shadow swiftly darted away. Although he was escaping rapidly and had his back turned to Su Zimo, she still recognized him.
Jun Lintian.
After evading Su Zimo, Jun Lintian quickly fled from Mu Yunxuan's sword. While climbing over the wall, he nearly stumbled. Su Zimo's eyes narrowed as she caught a glimpse of the fleeting figure.
"Yunxuan, it's Jun Lintian," Su Zimo shouted, feeling extremely puzzled. Her guess was correct. Indeed, Jun Lintian's cultivation had become increasingly powerful. His barrier was capable of swiftly draining others' cultivation.
Upon hearing this, a cold gleam flashed in Mu Yunxuan's eyes. He swiftly flew up to the top of the wall, and with lightning speed, a hidden weapon flew out.
"Hiss!" The hidden weapon pierced Jun Lintian's body.
A coldness flashed through Jun Lintian's eyes as he disappeared from the spot with incredible speed.
Mu Yunxuan exerted force on his foot and swiftly pursued.
Suddenly, a noise came from behind. Su Zimo turned around abruptly and caught sight of a red figure flying past.
Immediately after, a hidden weapon flew towards her. Su Zimo quickly dodged it, and the hidden weapon embedded itself into a crimson wooden pillar, emitting a powerful echo.
Su Zimo's eyes slightly chilled, and she lightly pointed her toe as she flew towards the red figure once again.
Yafu felt a dizzy spell and swiftly flipped half her body on the rooftop. When she saw Su Zimo, a hint of surprise flashed in her beautiful eyes. How could she be so fast?
Her gaze instantly turned fierce as she glared at Su Zimo. "Su Zimo, let go of me!"
She remembered that the previous Su Zimo would be frightened and intimidated by her gaze.
Su Zimo pressed her foot against Yafu's abdomen, and a sinister smile curved on her red lips. "Let go? You're thinking too much. I, Su Zimo, never let go of anyone who wants to kill me."
Upon hearing this, Yafu almost spat blood in anger.
When did this initial Su Zimo become so terrifying?
"Who do you think you are...? Let go of me, or else the Lord will...!"
Su Zimo chuckled, "You have become fish on the chopping board. Who gave you the courage to speak to me in such a manner?"
Su Zimo sneered. In her understanding, was she still the same Su Zimo from before?
Su Zimo exerted force on her foot, causing Yafu to grimace in pain, her face turning red.
"If I don't teach you a lesson, you'll think I'm the same easy-to-bully Su Zimo as before."
"You're just..." Yafu subconsciously retorted.
Su Zimo glanced at her indifferently, calm and unaffected. However, it made Yafu instantly shut her mouth.
With a cold smile, Su Zimo provocatively looked at Yafu.
"Su Zimo, you're quite impressive!" A sinister smile appeared on Yafu's beautiful face. Her lips, redder than most people's, slightly curled up. "Offending me, Yafu, even if you have the Cloud City's Holy Lord as your backing, you won't have peace."
After today's humiliation, if Su Zimo managed to escape, she wouldn't let any of the people Su Zimo cared about have peace.
Su Zimo directly ignored her words, her gaze coldly fixed on Yafu.
Under her intimidating gaze, Yafu opened her mouth but hesitated to speak.
"Tell me, what kind of cultivation technique has Jun Lintian been practicing recently?"
Su Zimo coldly sneered and asked, not thinking that she hadn't seen through Jun Lintian's intentions. He wanted to kill her, even though he was a prince. He resorted to such sinister methods. If he had the ability, he should face her head-on instead of using sneaky tactics.
"Why should I tell you?" Yafu's confidence surged as she saw Su Zimo pleading.
Su Zimo raised an eyebrow, smiling mischievously as she asked, "Not going to tell me?" Before Yafu could respond, Su Zimo took out a pill and stuffed it into Yafu's mouth.
Yafu tightly closed her teeth, refusing to cooperate.
Su Zimo smirked, bending down and using one hand to pinch Yafu's cheeks, forcing her mouth open. With her other hand, she placed the pill inside Yafu's mouth.
The pill quickly dissolved as soon as it entered Yafu's mouth.
Once Yafu regained control of her mouth, she looked at Su Zimo in shock, her voice filled with desperation and anger. "Su Zimo, what did you make me swallow?"
Su Zimo's lips curved into a sinister smile as she didn't answer.
Releasing her foot from Yafu's abdomen, Yafu felt a sudden relief in her breathing.
Suddenly, Yafu felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. Not only was her stomach in agony, but every inch of her body was filled with pain. For Yafu, this pain was even more terrifying than death itself.
"Daring to intrude in Cloud City. It seems you're here to test your courage."
"Ah...! It hurts!" Yafu couldn't help but cry out in pain.
"Sister-in-law, are you okay?"
Mu Yunhan, Zimo, Jincheng, and Su Li brothers rushed over upon hearing the news.
"Do I look like I'm in trouble?" Su Zimo bent down, clutching the agonized Yafu, and dropped her in the courtyard.
Yafu held herself in pain, rolling on the ground.
She screamed and yelled, causing Su Zimo's ears to ring. She rubbed her ears and looked around.
Squatting down, Su Zimo tore off a piece of white lining from Yafu's clothes, crumpling it into a ball and stuffing it into Yafu's mouth.
Standing up, she clapped her hands in disdain.
Zimo's lips twitched. This woman could also be like this.
Jincheng had a tender expression. She still had such mischievous side.
Su Zimo looked at Yafu, rolling on the ground in pain, her once neatly arranged hair now disheveled. Su Zimo's eyes remained icy cold.
If she could, she really wanted to kill Jun Lintian and Yafu. She understood Jun Lintian's character too well. If she couldn't have him, he would rather destroy him.
If Jun Lintian wasn't the prince of Haoyue Kingdom, she would have acted long ago. However, she didn't want to become enemies with the entire kingdom.
A deep coldness flashed in Su Zimo's eyes.
Lowering her head once again, Yafu was now in tears and snot, and Su Zimo showed a look of disgust.
Bending down, Su Zimo pulled the cloth out of Yafu's mouth and said coldly, "Go back and tell Jun Lintian to stop, or else don't blame me for being impolite. If you dare to provoke me again, I, Su Zimo, won't mind killing all of you."
"Kill me if you dare!" Despite being in excruciating pain, Yafu shouted defiantly, her eyes burning with fury.
Su Zimo's hand moved with the Xuanbing Snow Whip. After two swishes, the white whip danced through the air, causing Yafu's hair to break and fall like a waterfall.
"Su Zimo, you're inhuman!" Yafu looked at her scattered hair, crying in pain.
"Are you saying that you, who want to kill me, are humane?" Instantly, two flames burned in Su Zimo's eyes.
"That's because you deserve to die! You, a useless woman, why can you occupy the prince's heart? How much effort did I put in, only to become a substitute? Shouldn't you be the one to die?" Yafu yelled at Su Zimo fiercely.
Su Zimo sneered and said, "A woman like you, who is hypocritical and deceitful, deserves such an outcome. You just ingested my poison, and no one but me can provide the antidote every month. Otherwise, your intestines will rot and you'll die. Of course, you can choose not to believe me."
After speaking, Su Zimo didn't even glance at Yafu.
Su Li walked over and asked, "Mother, why keep her alive? Allowing her to return will only make them more relentless."
Su Li disagreed with her mother's decision.
"Li'er, your mother has her reasons for keeping her alive."
Su Zimo raised her eyes and looked at Mu Yunhan, saying, "Yunhan, have someone escort her out of Cloud City. Whether she survives and returns to the Sanwang Mansion will depend on her luck."
"Alright, sister-in-law." Mu Yunxuan didn't ask further and turned around to summon two guards to escort Yafu away.
Mu Yunxuan then returned to the courtyard.
"Where is Jun Lintian?" Su Zimo asked when she noticed that he was empty-handed.
"He escaped. There were people waiting for him outside Cloud City," Mu Yunxuan said in a deep voice.
Su Zimo furrowed her brows. It wasn't surprising that Jun Lintian managed to escape, considering his recent increase in strength.
"Did anything happen here after I arrived?" Mu Yunxuan asked, looking at the scattered hair on the ground.
Su Zimo recounted what had happened with Yafu.
"Jun Lintian has been significantly improving his strength lately. He might come back in the future," Mu Yunxuan said with a frown.
"Big brother, it seems like Jun Lintian has obtained some treasure. He has been practicing every night, and his cultivation has greatly increased. This visit to Cloud City was probably to test his own strength and possibly for other purposes," Mu Yunxuan speculated.
"No matter his intentions, we must make sure he never returns," Su Zimo said firmly.
As the sky grew darker, Mu Yunxuan furrowed his brows.
"Zimo, Jincheng, increase the patrol intensity. The forces from Modu City will arrive soon."
"Don't worry! Everything has been arranged," Jincheng nodded and replied gently.
"By the way, if you see Mo Wuya, inform me immediately. We must avoid a confrontation tonight," Su Zimo reminded.
"Understood!" Jincheng nodded again and turned to Su Zimo.
Outside Cloud City, after escaping from Mu Yunxuan, Jun Lintian found a secluded place to heal his injuries.
"My Lord, are you alright?" Yafu didn't expect to encounter Jun Lintian. She thought he had already escaped. Was he waiting for her here? Excitement flashed through Yafu's mind.
Looking down at Jun Lintian who was adjusting his breath, Yafu took a few steps back in shock. If the pain she experienced earlier was understandable due to Su Zimo's poison, this time she was astonished by Jun Lintian's eyes. Instead of the elegant Jun Lintian she knew, his face was covered in darkness, and even his lips turned black.
In the midst of Yafu's shock, Jun Lintian had already recovered through his slow breath adjustment. As the black glow disappeared, Jun Lintian's face gradually returned to normal.
With a cold and ruthless look in his eyes, Jun Lintian opened his eyes suddenly, not even sparing a glance at Yafu. He was filled with anger. Today, he had exerted all his strength, yet he was still injured by Mu Yunxuan. If it weren't for the assistance outside, Mu Yunxuan would have caught up to him.
What did this indicate? It meant that Mu Yunxuan's strength far surpassed his own! It was even stronger than he had imagined.
Jun Lintian felt a sense of frustration in his heart. He thought that with his recent cultivation progress, he would be invincible and free-spirited upon arriving in Cloud City. He never expected Mu Yunxuan to push him to such an extent.
Jun Lintian lowered his gaze, concealing the darkness in his eyes.
"How did you escape?" His cold words made Yafu's heart ache. Couldn't the Lord ask if she was hurt first and show some concern for her?
"Lord, Su Zimo let me go," Yafu reluctantly confessed. She decided to be honest because it was difficult for Jun Lintian to trust anyone, especially someone like her who had escaped death. He was particularly cautious of her.
Jun Lintian raised his eyes sharply, coldly looking at her with a burst of anger.
"You said you wouldn't be discovered. Your cultivation is much higher than Su Zimo's, yet look at your miserable state."
Upon hearing this, Yafu felt a surge of unwillingness. She still wanted to settle the score with Su Zimo. She never expected Su Zimo's white silk to be so powerful.
"Tell me, what happened?" Jun Lintian asked again.
Reluctantly, Yafu recounted what had happened, leaving out the part about Su Zimo poisoning her. If the Lord found out about the restriction on her, he would definitely drive her out of the mansion and the Qiuyue Pavilion.
"Go back." After listening, Jun Lintian said coldly with just two words.
Jun Lintian stood up. So what if Mu Yunxuan's cultivation surpassed his own? He held the position of the Lord and dared not truly kill him. After all, Mu Yunxuan didn't want to become enemies with the entire Qiuyue Kingdom.
After walking a distance, Jun Lintian shook his hand abruptly, suddenly realizing that today was the fifteenth day, and this fifteenth day was quite special—it was the day when Modu City attacked Cloud City. "Damn it," Jun Lintian growled in a low voice. Why didn't he remember this earlier? Now it was too late. The people from Modu City could kill Mu Yunxuan tonight.
Yafu asked, "Lord, is there something else?"
"We arrived too early today, fortunately, Mu Yunxuan didn't dare to kill me. Otherwise, I would truly be in a dire situation."
Didn't dare? Yafu caught a glimpse of Su Zimo's expression in Jun Lintian's eyes. Did she look like someone who didn't dare?
Recalling Su Zimo's indifferent gaze, she suddenly became somewhat certain that Su Zimo was capable of killing them. Moreover, even if Su Zimo and Mu Yunxuan didn't dare to kill the Lord, it didn't mean they wouldn't make his life difficult.
The Lord knew he couldn't gain any advantage from them, yet he was unwilling to suffer. She was the same—her emotions clouded her judgment. Yafu smirked sarcastically.
After a while, Yafu asked with a gloomy tone, "Lord, don't you want revenge?" Yafu bit her lip, a flicker of darkness flashing in her eyes.
Jun Lintian didn't turn around, his voice gloomy as he said, "Am I the kind of person who doesn't seek revenge? Not only do I want revenge, but I also want them to know that I'm not someone they can provoke."
"Lord, Su Zimo and Mu Yunxuan are powerful. We can't confront them openly."
Jun Lintian's spirit shook when he heard this. He stopped and asked, "Do you have a solution?"
Yafu revealed a chilling smile... even Jun Lintian trembled inwardly when he saw it. Indeed, women were more ruthless when it came to being ruthless.
The night gradually grew dark, and the security in Cloud City became even more vigilant.
The lights were brighter than usual, and every guard was on high alert.
Mu Yunxuan had his father take Nalan Wenhao and his family to the Transcendence Pavilion to prevent them from being affected by the killing intent.
As for Su Zimo, Su Li, and Su Qi, they insisted on staying behind to help.
Thinking about the master-disciple relationship between Mo Er and Mo Yuntian, Mu Yunxuan didn't force them. He hoped to use Mo Er to clarify all the misunderstandings and make the people from Modu City stop bothering the Mu Family. It wasn't that he didn't dare to kill Mo Wuya, but he wanted the truth to be exposed to the world.
The night grew darker, and in the Cloud Palace, the faces of everyone became increasingly solemn. The atmosphere this year was even more tense than before. Tonight was destined to be an unusual night.
Suddenly, a tranquil night was pierced by a streak of red light. A powerful aura permeated the air, causing the leaves along the way to fall.
Mu Yunxuan stood up abruptly, his tall and imposing figure exuding a breathtaking aura as he said coldly, "Mo Wuya has arrived."