Chapter 122: One Punch, One Down

Chapter 122: One Punch, One Down

As the trio approached, the four people in front stood up.

Among them, Lu Yunfang was at the sixth layer of Qi Refinement, while the other three consisted of two at the seventh layer and one at the eighth layer.

However, Chu Ning noticed that all four of them, including Lu Yunfang, wore looks of caution as if they didn't recognize the newcomers.

This piqued Chu Ning's curiosity.

It was understandable if Lu Yunfang didn't recognize him since he had altered his appearance with an illusion technique.

But for Lu Yunfang to be unfamiliar with the other two as well, it seemed unlikely that they belonged to the Yin Demon Sect.

Just as Chu Ning was pondering this, the red-robed middle-aged man beside him, a ninth layer Qi Refinement cultivator, flashed with a red light and vanished.

At the sight of this red light, the apprehensive expressions on Lu Yunfang's group of four instantly turned to delight, and they bowed respectfully to the red-robed man.

"Greetings, Senior Brother!"

Chu Ning's heart stirred, and as Lu Yunfang's group bowed, he swiftly mirrored their actions, his face reflecting the same delighted expression.

The red-robed man, with a small beard, glanced at Chu Ning with a hint of surprise, having noticed his reaction.

Chu Ning, having finished the greeting, now wore an obvious look of relief.

"So it's a fellow sect member. For a moment, I thought you were disciples of Qingxi Sect."

Hearing Chu Ning's words, a smile appeared on the bearded man's face.

"Rest assured, they will come. From the southwest direction toward the array formation site, this place is a must-pass."

"Let's verify their identities first."

At this moment, the tall and thin eighth layer Qi Refinement cultivator who had arrived with the bearded man spoke up.

Chu Ning's heart sank as he quickly racked his brains for an escape plan.

The bearded man nodded and scanned Chu Ning and Lu Yunfang's group with his gaze before slowly saying,

"Take out your tokens."

As the bearded man spoke, Lu Yunfang was the first to reach into her storage bag and produce an object—a bamboo plaque, one that Chu Ning had seen numerous times before.

The other three promptly followed suit and presented their bamboo plaques.

Of course, Chu Ning couldn't possibly have such a token, so he reached for his storage bag, his spiritual power locking onto the small black dagger within.

"Someone's coming?"

Chu Ning's eyes flickered slightly as he sensed the approaching footsteps.

With the most sensitive spiritual sense among them, he could already make out the sound of two people walking swiftly in their direction.

His spiritual sense soon identified two figures heading their way.

At that moment, the bearded man, the most powerful cultivator among them, seemed to sense something as well and quickly spoke up,

"Put your things away."

Hearing this, Lu Yunfang and the others immediately kept their bamboo plaques.

Chu Ning, too, halted his movement.

The next moment, two figures appeared, and as Chu Ning laid eyes on them, his gaze flickered with recognition.

He knew both of them—the male disciple was Tan Zhang, an eighth layer Qi Refinement cultivator whom he had encountered several times in Lingfu Pavilion.

The female disciple was someone he had met twice—once when he returned to the sect to claim his reward at Baibao Pavilion and again when he left through the mountain gate. She was a seventh layer Qi Refinement cultivator.

As Chu Ning spotted them, they also noticed him and his group.

Tan Zhang's eyes swept the group before landing on the bearded man.

"Oh? Senior Brother Xu!"

From their tone, it was clear that they were acquainted.

However, Chu Ning wasn't surprised. After all, the disciples assembled for this mission primarily practiced wood attribute techniques, mostly from Lingfu Pavilion and Baiyi Hall.

Of course, there were also disciples from other halls, such as the Enforcement Hall and the External Affairs Hall, but they were relatively fewer in number.

Within Baiyi Hall, most disciples were from the Spirit Plant Room and the Spirit Beast Room.

Given that these individuals were at the eighth and ninth layers of Qi Refinement and often stayed within the sect, it was only natural that they would recognize each other.

Indeed, the bearded man, Xu Rusheng, smiled and greeted Tan Zhang and Lin Lan,

"It's Junior Brother Tan and Junior Sister Lin. What a coincidence to meet several fellow pavilion disciples here."

The fact that Xu Rusheng was also from Lingfu Pavilion gave Chu Ning's heart a sinking feeling.

He blamed himself for spending too little time in the pavilion, causing him to fail to recognize the man.

This wasn't good news. Since Xu Rusheng was from Lingfu Pavilion, he likely had acquired quite a few talismans for this mission.

Upper-grade elementary talismans were a given, but he might also have intermediate talismans, considering his ninth layer Qi Refinement cultivation.

If a conflict were to break out, it would be rather troublesome.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Xu," Lin Lan said, addressing the bearded man.

Tan Zhang scanned the group with a curious gaze and asked Xu Rusheng,

"Senior Brother Xu, which hall are these fellow disciples from? They seem unfamiliar."

Xu Rusheng shook his head and smiled,

"We just met as well, and we haven't been introduced yet."

He then introduced himself,

"I'm Xu Rusheng from Lingfu Pavilion. Why don't we all introduce ourselves?"

"Lingfu Pavilion, Tan Zhang," Tan Zhang spoke up first.

The tall and thin eighth layer Qi Refinement cultivator beside him continued, "Enforcement Hall, Yu Jiehui."

"Lingfu Pavilion, Lin Lan," the female disciple beside Tan Zhang introduced herself.

The rest of the group introduced themselves as well.

Apart from Lu Yunfang, who was from the Spirit Plant Room, the other two seventh layer Qi Refinement cultivators were from the Spirit Beast Room.

As for the eighth layer male disciple, he was from the Transmission Hall.

Hearing their introductions, Chu Ning couldn't help but marvel at the extent of the Yin Demon Sect's infiltration.

It was said that many hidden disciples had already been purged, yet here they were, encountering more hidden members within the various halls of Qingxi Sect.

He wondered if these individuals had been planted from the start or turned later on.

As expected, a look of realization crossed Tan Zhang's face upon hearing Chu Ning's words.

"No wonder you look unfamiliar, Brother Li. You must have been outside the sect," Tan Zhang said, his expression clearing.

Chu Ning nodded slightly.

"Brother Xu, why have so many of you gathered here?" Chu Ning asked, his eyes narrowing as he studied Xu Rusheng's every move. A fleeting glint of murderous intent in the latter's eyes sent a chill down his spine.

Tan Zhang's words had clearly convinced Xu Rusheng that he wasn't a member of the Yin Demon Sect, prompting this hostile reaction.

"Are you waiting for more people to arrive?" Tan Zhang continued, his curiosity apparent.

But before he could finish, a voice whispered into his ear, "Be careful, Brother Tan. They are members of the Yin Demon Sect."

Tan Zhang's eyes widened in shock as he turned a wary gaze towards Xu Rusheng.

In the same instant, Xu Rusheng's hand burst forth with a dazzling green light, striking towards Tan Zhang.

At such close range, Tan Zhang had no chance to dodge, especially without any prior warning.

However, thanks to Chu Ning's timely warning, Tan Zhang was prepared.

A protective shield, also shimmering with a green light, materialized around his body, blocking Xu Rusheng's attack.

Although the shield shattered soon after, Tan Zhang remained unharmed.

He quickly backed away, creating distance between himself and Xu Rusheng, while simultaneously erecting another layer of protection around himself.

As he spoke, he activated another defensive talisman, causing the shield to shimmer with magical power.

Judging by the fluctuations, it seemed to be a mid-grade defensive talisman.

However, Xu Rusheng didn't press his attack after the initial strike. Instead, he smiled and said, "Your reaction is quite impressive."

Tan Zhang remained silent, his eyes fixed on Xu Rusheng with a guarded expression.

Lin Lan, the disciple from Lingfu Pavilion, furrowed her brow, confusion clouding her round face. "Brother Xu, why did you attack Brother Tan?" she asked.

"Sister Lin, retreat quickly! They are members of the Yin Demon Sect!" Tan Zhang exclaimed urgently.

Lin Lan's face paled as she heard these words, and she immediately backed away, positioning herself beside Tan Zhang. She, too, activated a defensive talisman, creating a protective shield around herself.

Xu Rusheng still didn't rush to attack, but instead studied Tan Zhang with a curious expression.

"Hmm, how did you know?" he asked.

Tan Zhang, of course, didn't answer, and Xu Rusheng merely smiled without pursuing the topic further.

Instead, he said, "Brother Tan, you can see the situation we're in. It's seven against two, and our cultivation levels are higher than yours. You have no chance of winning, not even with your talismans. Remember, I'm also from Lingfu Pavilion, so I have just as many talismans as you."

"What do you want?" Tan Zhang asked coldly.

"Join us," Xu Rusheng replied casually.

"There are more of us in this spirit realm than just the few of us here. The sect has arranged for many people to be present. Join us and help the sect with our task, and I promise not to harm you," Xu Rusheng offered.

Tan Zhang gritted his teeth in anger. "You want to force me to join the Yin Demon Sect? You must have some trick up your sleeve," he accused.

"Smart boy!" Xu Rusheng laughed. "All I need to do is plant the Yin Demon Poison in you, Brother Tan. Rest assured, this poison can't be detected by any Golden Core cultivators, let alone those at the Perfecting Qi Refinement stage here."

"Yin Demon Poison... Once it's planted, even Golden Core cultivators can't remove it directly. Only the sect master, with his secret techniques, can do so," Tan Zhang said, his face twisted in disgust.

"Impressive knowledge, Brother Tan," Xu Rusheng acknowledged with a nod.

"It's true that Golden Core cultivators can detect it, but only our sect master can remove it with his secret methods."

"Let's go, Sister Lin!" Tan Zhang called out, and in the next moment, he activated several talismans.

More than ten beams of light, a mixture of golden and white, shot towards Xu Rusheng and Chu Ning.

At the same time, Tan Zhang and Lin Lan used the Wind Riding Technique to flee at high speed.

"Attack!" Xu Rusheng commanded, activating a talisman of his own to block the incoming spells.

Then, he gave chase, closely followed by the rest of his companions.

Naturally, their speeds varied according to their cultivation levels.

Chu Ning waited until everyone had set off before bringing up the rear.

Moving silently, he soon caught up with Lu Yunfang, the last person in their group.

She turned to look at him, surprise registering on her face at his proximity.

Before she could react further, a fist hurtled towards her.

With their focus on pursuing Tan Zhang, and Lu Yunfang lagging behind, she hadn't even activated her protective shield.

The punch landed squarely on her body.

Even without the enhancement of the Thunderstep Shocking Fist, it was more than enough to take down someone at the sixth layer of Qi Refinement.

"Pfft!"

Before Lu Yunfang could utter a sound, her body went limp and collapsed.

Chu Ning reached out with his spiritual power to gently lower her to the ground, ensuring that she didn't make a sound.

In the next instant, he flashed forward, pursuing the two seventh-layer Qi Refinement disciples from the Spirit Beast Room.

With the Thunderstep Shocking Fist activated, his speed increased dramatically, and in the blink of an eye, he was right behind them.

His right fist shot out, delivering another Thunderstep Shocking Fist towards the left disciple's back.

Like Lu Yunfang, this disciple hadn't bothered to erect a protective shield.

Just as this disciple was about to shout, he saw Chu Ning raising a fiery fist and rushing towards him.

As his heart filled with dread, he didn't even have time to cry out before his spiritual power swiftly surged, creating a defensive shield around his body.

However, Chu Ning's speed was too fast.

So fast that he could only manage to use a spell shield and didn't even have time to activate his artifact.

But how could a Qi Refinement Level 7 disciple's spell shield withstand Chu Ning's attack?

The Chizi Bracelet's flames easily shattered his spell shield, and the Heaven-Shaking Fist landed on his body without hindrance.

"Pfft!"

As expected, it was a one-hit kill.

However, because the opponent had used spiritual power protection, the clash naturally made a bit more noise.

Finally, it attracted the attention of the few people in front.

The tall and thin Enforcement Hall disciple at the eighth layer of Qi Refinement, Yu Jiehui, turned his head and saw Chu Ning with a look of bewilderment.

However, his reaction was not slow. In an instant, he activated a defensive artifact.

But at the same time, Chu Ning's attack was already underway.

Several elementary high-grade talismans, along with two intermediate low-grade talismans, were all activated! Chu Ning's move was akin to a Foundation Establishment cultivator's spell attack.

With so many spells bombarding him, even though Yu Jiehui's defensive artifact seemed rather strong, it couldn't hold up.

The defensive shield was shattered in the blink of an eye.

The next moment, several spells pierced through Yu Jiehui's body.

The Enforcement Hall disciple at the eighth layer of Qi Refinement collapsed backward, his eyes wide open, filled with disbelief and confusion.

He didn't even have time to cast any spells.

In just a few breaths, four people had died at Chu Ning's hands.

At this moment, the tall and thin Yu Jiehui had finally regained his wits.

His originally expressionless face turned ashen, and as he activated a spiritual power shield, a long sword appeared in his hand.

As he swung the sword, a dim green light slashed towards Chu Ning, seemingly with considerable power.

Even though the opportunity for a sneak attack was gone, Chu Ning felt a bit regretful.

However, he didn't panic.

At this moment, he still faced the bearded Xu Rusheng and the tall and thin Yu Jiehui, just like in the beginning.

But he was no longer alone; he now had two helpers.

Indeed, Xu Rusheng, who was at the front, and the fleeing Tan Zhang both noticed the commotion behind them.

Xu Rusheng turned around, his usually smiling face now clouded with uncertainty.

He was about to join forces with Yu Jiehui to deal with Chu Ning, but he suddenly became vigilant and quickly dodged, avoiding several spell attacks coming from the front.

The attackers were none other than Tan Zhang and Lin Lan.

Upon seeing the situation at the back, the two of them were overjoyed and no longer tried to escape. Instead, they joined forces, and several talismans flew towards Xu Rusheng.

Previously, they knew that with Xu Rusheng, a Qi Refinement Level 9 cultivator, in pursuit, their chances of escape were slim.

Tan Zhang and Lin Lan chose to flee because, in that situation, they had no chance of survival.

But now, the tide had turned, and they saw a glimmer of hope.

As the three of them were about to engage in a head-on confrontation, Chu Ning, at the back, had already blocked Yu Jiehui's sword attack.

He didn't even need to activate the Earth Spirit Hand Bracelet or use intermediate-grade middle-grade talismans. He merely activated several defensive true talisman spells from within his talisman ring.

Before entering the Spirit Realm, he had replaced all the talismans in his ring with defensive ones.

Chu Ning was well aware that the leader, Xu Rusheng, a Qi Refinement Level 9 cultivator, was the tricky one.

He didn't believe that Tan Zhang and Lin Lan could defeat him, and he even thought that they would have a hard time restraining him.

It was a battle that required swift and decisive action!

After consecutively casting several true talisman spells to block Yu Jiehui's attacks, Chu Ning raised his right hand.

More than ten fire blades shot out from Chu Ning's hand, rushing towards Yu Jiehui.

At the same time, a fork-shaped high-grade artifact appeared in Chu Ning's hand. As he infused it with spiritual power, it, along with the fire blades, struck Yu Jiehui.

Without the element of surprise, Chu Ning didn't easily engage in close combat with his opponent.

After all, he didn't know if these Yin Demon Sect disciples had any other secret techniques up their sleeves.

Although he didn't use the Thunderstep Shocking Fist, Chu Ning's consecutive attacks with two high-grade artifacts still made Yu Jiehui's expression grave.

A shield appeared in his hand and blocked the incoming attacks. As he infused it with spiritual power, the shield turned dark and thick, successfully blocking Chu Ning's two waves of attacks.

"Oh?"

Chu Ning was slightly surprised by this.

While the shield couldn't activate a spell shield to protect his entire body, its frontal defensive capability was indeed impressive.

Chu Ning didn't use the intermediate-grade offensive talismans he had in hand. These were consumables, and he couldn't draw them himself yet.

However, a longbow appeared in Chu Ning's hand.

With a swift activation of the Greenwood Sword Technique, the Divine Timber Longbow transformed into a green light and struck Yu Jiehui's dark shield.

Under the onslaught of three high-grade artifacts, the dark shield finally seemed to falter.

Especially with the Greenwood Sword Art, the green light on the dark shield grew brighter and brighter.

Yu Jiehui's face changed drastically, and he quickly took out a pill and popped it into his mouth.

From a distance, Chu Ning clearly saw that it was the same pill with a dense blood-evil aura that he had seen before on several Yin Demon Sect disciples.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end