The five assassins from the White Face Clan launched their attacks at the same time. Sharp blades emerged from hidden sheaths, intent on seeing blood. Sword intent surged as five rays of sword energy pierced and crisscrossed in the sky. But none of them hit Peng Lingxi, they didn't even graze her gray clothes.
Instead, a giant turtle shell that was partially covered by moss appeared. It blocked all of the attacks without a scratch as if nothing had happened. The assassins expected some kind of protective treasure but they weren't prepared for such a strange sight. The strongest one at the Lesser Realm of Spiritual Formation reacted the quickest and launched another series of sword strikes. But it was poking a block of iron with a chopstick, it was utterly useless.
Peng Lingxi, who was hiding inside Tortoise Can Fly, smiled thinly. She had realized the situation was abnormal as soon as the White Face Clan appeared. She had been prepared to escape almost immediately. It was a good thing that her master gave her this tortoise shell. It was an amazing spiritual treasure.
She used her spiritual energy to control the Tortoise Can Fly and zoomed away from the central plaza. After a short flight, she arrived at the front entrance of the House of Paradise. There, she was surrounded by a small number of guards and some members of the house. With them, maybe she could figure out a way to deal with those powerful assassins.
---
On the western edge of Thousand Flower City…
"Watch out!"
"They are attacking again!"
"Hold the line!" Zhou Ziyun shouted.
In front of her, two lines of fighters consisting of city guards and Zhou Clan members resisted the crazed attacks of expert sword cultivators. These six survivors of the purge of the Mount Xiong Sect were not ordinary. Each one could be considered a genius of their generation. Their sword and their bodies were akin to a single weapon, intent on taking her life.
However, it was just the six of them versus over a hundred elite fighters on Zhou Ziyun's side. Even if they chopped off heads like killing chickens, it would still a long time to get to her and that was assuming she would simply stay there to await death.
Zhou Ziyun had been fighting on the front lines when the ambush happened. However, she had only been a few steps away from backup. She only had to block the first few strikes before her people formed a living shield around her. Thus, the plan to assassinate her couldn't be achieved in a short time.
"Everyone! Retreat slowly, maintain the defense line!"
"Yes, Miss Zhou!"
"Yes, clan head!"
"Everyone, pull back!"
---
On the southern side of Thousand Flower City, Wu Qianyu's situation differed greatly. She had charged ahead to fight the bandits by herself. While she was killing them as easily as chopping vegetables, she had strayed far from the defensive line of city guards. When the Four Devils of Ping Nan Province launched their sneak attack. She was two whole city blocks away from the nearest ally.
Although she followed Chen Wentian's instruction to retreat, there was no way she could so easily. She was already surrounded.
"Hehe, looks like Miss Wu Qianyu has nowhere to run. Today, we'll finally get our revenge!"
The one who spoke was known as Head Chopping First Devil. He had an ugly face and misshapen body. He wielded a heavy cleaver that was two meters long and half a meter wide. It was a slab of metal capable of beheading giant beasts. But instead of beasts, Head Chopping First Devil enjoyed chopping the heads of people. The cleaver was covered in blood from top to bottom, evidence of the lives it had already taken.
"Bastard!" Wu Qianyu muttered and stabbed her sword toward this detestable foe.
Her sword energy shot out like a spear, a ray of purple light carrying the sword intent cultivated by Dugu's Tenths Sword as well as her own Dao based on pain, the Sorrowful Sword Style!
Pang!
The first devil was surprisingly swift with his weapon. The huge piece of metal moved to block, shielding his body from the sword strike. He suffered no bodily damage but his eyes still widened in shock.
"Ahh!" He howled and curled up in pain for a brief moment, "Careful! Her sword energy is strange!"
Wu Qianyu tried to take advantage of the moment but was intercepted by another devil.
"Big brother, leave her to me!"
It was the second devil, known as the torture madam. The woman was tall and slender. She could be considered beautiful in the past but now her aura was one of sadistic evil. Her weapon was a long chain with a three-pronged claw on one end and a dagger on the other. She spung the chain around at let loose, launching both ends at Wu Qianyu.
Wu Qianyu hurriedly blocked. But the chain moved strangely in midair. She was forced to adjust and blocked the dagger end with all her might. This left her open to the three-pronged claw which caught her left shoulder, instantly tearing through her battle robe and sinking into her flesh.
"Ahh!" Wu Qianyu yelped.
She tried to pull away but this only let the claw sink deeper.
"Hahaha, we got her!" The third one, Long Tongued Third Devil, licked his lips. Just as his name suggested, his tongue was huge and abnormally long like a beast, "I got first dibs!"
He swung a pair of maces at Wu Qianyu.
Wu Qianyu grimaced and slashed her sword at the third devil.
"Ahh!" Long Tongued Third Devil shouted in anguish as jagged pain erupted up and down his arms.
He clumsily dropped his maces on the ground and almost fell to his knees. He stared in shock at his hands as if they had been burned. "What… what happened?"
Wu Qianyu tried to land another hit but the third devil was dragged away by the first.
"Careful! Her sword energy can cause you pain. Don't get distracted. Resist it with your spiritual energy and expect the pain!"
Wu Qianyu was expressionless but, in her heart, she was shocked. These four people were very strong. That first devil, especially, was also experienced. He was able to deduce the effects of her Sorrowful Sword Style so quickly.
"Alright, big bro, we can handle a little pain. Attack her together!" Sword Collector Fourth Devil said.
He eyed the purple sword in Wu Qianyu's hand with greed-filled eyes. It would be the perfect addition to his vast collection.
"Take her down! We can share the spoils slowly!" Head Chopping First Devil roared.
"Hehe, I can't wait!" Torture Madam Second Devil squealed.
The situation turned in an instant and became several times more dangerous. The four devils' auras rose sharply as they showcased their full strength. Wu Qianyu fought back with everything she had. Her painful Dao of the sword was used to the full extent but it started to have less and less effect.
When the four devils defended against her attacks, they would resist with all of their spiritual energy. This had the effect of negating much of her painful Dao in a head-on collision. The remaining pain that was left over wasn't enough to affect them once they were ready for it.
In this sense, Wu Qianyu's Dao was good in a surprise attack or against weaker foes. It was lacking when comparing strength against strength.
Chen Wentian observed the fight silently. He could reach out and use his soul within the Purple Jade Sword to kill these people instantly. But doing so would reveal that he had such an ability. He also felt that Wu Qianyu could still fight. Such difficult situations were important for her cultivation. He shouldn't interfere unless it was absolutely necessary.
Her ability and affinity with pain was still in its infancy. There was plenty of room to grow. It also didn't necessarily have to be combat-oriented. There were plenty of immortals in the world who weren't good at fighting but amazing at other aspects. After all, seeking the Great Dao was finding the truth of the world and of oneself. It wasn't just about killing everything in one's way.
---
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