"No matter the cost, we must keep the National Teacher here. I intend to give him a proper reception."
Ji Xia's cold voice echoed through South Qing Street. "General Ji, Meng Gui, Yin Ding, An Ding, Hei Ding—five of you, stop the National Teacher. He hasn't yet tasted Tai Cang's strong liquor. How can he leave?"
"Yes!"
The command was swiftly acknowledged. In a few agile leaps, the five warriors positioned themselves around Zhou Qing, standing guard with weapons in hand.
More than eight hundred Yin soldiers spread out, surrounding the entire exit of South Qing Street. The Cang Guard archers, stationed on rooftops, readied their bows, nocking arrows and locking down all of Zhou Qing's possible escape routes.
Ji Xia slowly took two steps back, crouching in front of Jing Yu's house. He turned to the young girl standing beside him. "Go serve a pot of tea for the National Teacher."
Jing Yu still had traces of tears on her face from hearing about the cruel fate of the children, yet she nodded and hurried inside.
After a short while, she rushed back, her expression flustered and innocent. "Your Majesty, there is no tea in the house…"
Ji Xia's face darkened as he sighed in exasperation. "Then just bring some water."
He glanced toward Zhou Qing, who was surrounded by the others, and with a sardonic smile, murmured, "Seeing Zhou Qing, the National Teacher, unable to escape, is far more satisfying than drinking tea."
Zhou Qing fixed his gaze on Ji Xia, then surveyed the surrounding Yin soldiers, seemingly realizing something. "You must be Ji Shang's son, then? I've heard Ji Shang's son is a wastrel, a fool, but seeing you today, I realize the rumors were false."
"However, why do you think I want to leave? Do you truly believe you can stop me? The power of a True Realm cultivator is beyond what you ants can even dream of!"
Zhou Qing's form became blurry, vanishing into thin air.
Ji Shaoqing, her red hair flying, rose from the ground like a vengeful Valkyrie. Her spiritual energy surged, forming threads that spread out in all directions.
One of the threads suddenly trembled. With a smile, Ji Shaoqing flicked her sword, and a massive sword aura shot out, slashing toward the thread.
The sword aura roared past, revealing Zhou Qing's figure from the void. He raised a hand, black smoke swirling around him—but instead of attacking Ji Shaoqing, his palm shot out toward Ji Xia, who was a dozen or so feet away!
A massive black smoke hand appeared in the air, its aura pulsing with spiritual power. As it passed, buildings crumbled and the earth cracked.
Ji Xia took a sip of the water in his cup, unfazed. Three Yin generals stepped forward, their long blades raised to intercept the black smoke hand. Ice formed rapidly over their blades, emanating a cold aura.
Together, they struck out with their swords, the chill increasing until the air around them froze, forming a giant ice sword that cleaved toward the smoke hand.
Meng Gui, cloaked in black, raised his five fingers, a burst of black flames igniting between them. He hurled the flames toward the ice sword, colliding with the smoke hand.
The flames were quickly dispelled by the massive hand, but the aura around the hand weakened significantly.
As the ice sword came crashing down, it cut the smoke hand in half, causing it to dissipate!
"Four eighth-stage experts! A nine-stage expert—Tai Cang's foundation is not weak!"
Zhou Qing laughed manically, black smoke swirling around him. "Although my Dark Dust Manifestation technique isn't suited for battle, a True Realm cultivator is still a True Realm cultivator! What do you think, even with four eighth-stage cultivators and one nine-stage, you can stop me? I want to leave—you can't hold me back!"
Hundreds of Yin soldiers closed in from all sides, their powerful auras condensing on their spears, creating ripples in the air.
Ji Shaoqing leaped into the air, her spiritual energy flowing without end, surging into her sword. She flickered across the battlefield, her sword energy spreading in all directions, sealing off all of Zhou Qing's escape routes.
The three Yin generals and Meng Gui joined the assault, their long blades and fire combining in a deadly wave!
Together, they sealed off every potential escape route for Zhou Qing.
The archers on the rooftops bent their bows, arrows glowing with blue light. The air vibrated as the arrows shot through the sky.
Everyone understood that a few arrows wouldn't matter, but if hundreds of them descended upon him, even a True Realm expert would have a hard time escaping!
Seeing his escape cut off, Zhou Qing roared, activating his Dark Dust Manifestation technique at full force.
A massive ghostly figure appeared from the swirling dark dust, dwarfing Zhou Qing and enveloping his entire body.
The arrows arrived, and the ghostly creature opened its massive mouth, swallowing the oncoming projectiles. The arrows that came from the sides were blocked by the creature's smoky body.
Seeing this, Ji Shaoqing and the others unleashed a barrage of blades, sword energies, ice blades, and black flames, mingling with the storm of arrows to form a ferocious attack, striking the flat ghost creature from the side.
The ghost let out a painful cry. Already weakened by numerous arrows, its side defense collapsed under the combined onslaught!
A few stray arrows flew into the black smoke just as the creature was about to break apart.
Zhou Qing's fur stood on end, and the black smoke recoiled, forming a black shield to block the incoming arrows.
But the hastily formed shield was weak, and the final arrow pierced through it!
"Dust to dust!"
Zhou Qing roared, trying to transform into smoke to evade the arrow, but the strain of using his Dark Dust Manifestation technique had depleted his spiritual energy. The transformation slowed considerably.
Just as the arrow was about to strike, it pierced his right shoulder, spraying blood!
A True Realm cultivator, under the combined onslaught of five Tai Cang experts and over a hundred archers, was finally wounded!
Zhou Qing looked at the blood on his shoulder, his face growing increasingly red with rage. His eyes were filled with fury as he prepared to counterattack, but before he could, Ji Shaoqing's strike arrived first.
Sword energy rained down, ice blades grew cold, and black flames burned, forcing Zhou Qing off the rooftop!
"As long as you haven't reached the legendary Spirit Master stage, and can't communicate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to fly, you'll die once you hit the ground!"
Ji Shaoqing's flawless face was filled with a killing intent, yet there was also a hint of excitement in her eyes.
Today, they would hunt down a True Realm cultivator!
Even though Zhou Qing was only newly ascended to the True Realm and his cultivation technique was not suited for sudden battles, he was still a True Realm cultivator!
To reach the True Realm was to transcend the mortal world.
On the battlefield, a True Realm expert, if used wisely, could rival hundreds of elite soldiers. They were the most terrifying strategic asset.
But now, Zhou Qing, the National Teacher, was being forced to the ground, where hundreds of Yin soldiers were waiting with their spears!
Ji Xia took the teacup from Jing Yu's hands and poured himself a cup of water. He stared at the disheveled Zhou Qing, his eyes flickering with an unreadable light.
The moment Zhou Qing landed, over ten Yin soldiers with long spears appeared in front of him, each one carrying immense power.
Zhou Qing waved his hand, and black smoke coalesced into a huge black fog blade. His spiritual energy exploded, and the blade cut through the spears, shattering them.
The blade didn't stop, and it cut down the Yin soldiers holding the spears, slicing them in half.
As Zhou Qing prepared to relax, the three Yin generals charged from above, followed by more spears thrusting at him!
With a surge of his spiritual energy, Zhou Qing manifested a black smoke toad, which opened its mouth and swallowed the incoming attack. Its long tongue wrapped around Yin Ding and Hei Ding, pulling them into its maw.
Yin Ding swung his ice blade, trying to save the two generals, but Zhou Qing's black smoke blade knocked him back.
In the confusion, Ji Shaoqing struck with a massive sword energy, cutting into the toad's head. The creature instantly dissipated, and Yin Ding and Hei Ding fell, their heads severed from their bodies.
"You want to kill me?"
Zhou Qing's manic laughter echoed through the air. The Yin soldiers were swept away by his fury, yet more kept charging.
But at last, Zhou Qing, overwhelmed by the relentless assault from the remaining three experts and over a hundred Yin soldiers, began to falter.
"Can we capture him alive?" Ji Xia stood up, his brow furrowed at the deaths of the two Yin generals.
"Your Majesty, the strength of a True Realm cultivator is unpredictable. Capturing him alive is risky—if there's any sudden change…"
"Can or can't you?" Ji Xia interrupted sharply.
"I can!"
Meng Gui nodded and pulled out a jade dagger. "He's exhausted his spiritual energy. This dagger should work."
As Zhou Qing struggled to fend off the oncoming attack, Meng Gui threw the dagger, striking it deep into Zhou Qing's thigh.
Zhou Qing felt a numb sensation spreading from the wound, quickly entering his spiritual wheel.