SFS Chapter 161 Netherworld God-Slaying Talisman
Chapter 161 Netherworld God-Slaying Talisman
Chapter 161 Netherworld God-Slaying Talisman
Li Qingyi suddenly stretched out her left hand and pressed it firmly against Hongzhong's shoulder.
"No need," he said in a low voice.
At the same time, his right hand had already taken out the Netherworld God-Slaying Talisman from his storage ring.
"In the end, I couldn't keep her." Li Qingyi sighed inwardly, without feeling the slightest bit of reluctance.
If the red core burns, the immortal foundation will fight desperately.
They might be able to hold off one or even two people for a moment, but they themselves would surely die, and they might not even be able to create a chance for the other to survive.
Instead of doing that, let's use this last trump card and solve the problem once and for all!
The three of them stopped what they were doing the moment they saw the dark purple talisman in Li Qingyi's hand.
They fled in three directions.
"To surround them as one pleases, to leave as one pleases?" Li Qingyi raised her eyes, her gaze as cold as ice sweeping over Beifeng and his companions. "There's no such thing as a free lunch."
A flash of magic from his fingertips.
The Netherworld God-Slaying Talisman shattered instantly.
There was no earth-shattering burst of light, only a pure black light that silently and rapidly spread outward from Li Qingyi's center for a moment.
Where the darkness swept past, space itself seemed to distort slightly.
The three figures in mid-air froze instantly in the next instant.
"No!"
Before they died, they uttered only one word.
It then turned into ashes.
The night sky returned to silence, with only the rustling of the mountain wind through the treetops.
Hongzhong watched this scene with disbelief in his eyes.
"This is... the Purple Mansion?"
The three are at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, with Beifeng being a veteran Earth-level killer from Tingyu Pavilion.
Before even the thought of resistance could fully arise, it was completely annihilated, leaving no trace of its remains!
"Hoo—" Li Qingyi exhaled a long breath of stale air.
Our biggest deterrent trump card is gone.
It will no longer work to rely on flashing talismans to scare away powerful enemies.
However, at least the immediate predicament has been resolved.
Suddenly, Li Qingyi thought of something, and with a swift movement, rushed towards the location where the three had disappeared, her divine sense scanning every inch of space like a comb.
"Hold!"
A moment later, Li Qingyi couldn't help but curse under her breath, her face turning dark.
The three of them were so dead that not even a trace remained.
Including their belongings —
"Young Master, are you... alright?"
"It's nothing." Li Qingyi waved her hand, not wanting to dwell on that painful memory, and instead asked, "Hongzhong, which area are you specifically in charge of at Tingyu Pavilion? Which branch do you manage?"
Hong Zhong shook his head: "I am merely a low-level assassin, promoted based on missions, and have no fixed management responsibilities. I am only at the beck and call of higher-ups within the organization—regional managers like Lord Xuanji."
Li Qingyi nodded.
His accumulated contributions should be enough to advance to the Xuan level, but he needs to complete specific advancement tasks.
There's clearly no time for that right now.
He had briefly considered taking over the Zhenyanglou business immediately.
But then I thought, if the news of the sudden deaths of the Lord of Zhenyang Tower and the Lord of Qingling City spread, the Foundation Establishment forces in Qingling City and even the surrounding areas that coveted them would surely take action.
With only the ninth level of Qi Refining, even with Hong Zhong's help, he would probably be powerless to snatch food from the tiger's mouth and might even end up getting burned.
Moreover, there are more important things to do right now.
Forget it, one must take things one step at a time. I can clean up this mess after I break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.
"Let's go to the capital!" Li Qingyi said decisively.
Hong Zhong was taken aback: "But Young Master, the Imperial City is now—"
"I have a way to get in," Li Qingyi interrupted her, her tone confident.
Hong Zhong said no more, nodded in agreement, and once again rode the escape light, speeding towards the imperial city with Li Qingyi.
Li Qingyi couldn't help but sigh that Hong Zhong was truly a model worker at Tingyu Pavilion.
They work even harder than this cheap young master.
Should we try to turn China into our own people?
But the thought only flashed through his mind before he suppressed it.
Hongzhong's loyalty is rooted in his worship and obedience to that mysterious pavilion master.
This kind of loyalty, which stems from personal charisma, is by no means easy to reverse or deepen, and rash attempts may backfire.
For now, maintaining the status quo and making good use of the loyalty "bestowed upon us by the Pavilion Master" is the wise thing to do.
About thirty miles from the imperial city, Li Qingyi signaled Hong Zhong to land at the edge of a secluded mountain forest.
"Young Master?"
"Find a secluded spot to protect me," Li Qingyi instructed briefly. "I need to perform some divination to see what lies ahead."
A knowing glint flashed in Hong Zhong's eyes.
She never expected that the young master of the pavilion would be able to perform such extraordinary divination techniques at such a young age.
"As expected of the person chosen by the Pavilion Master." She thought to herself, her opinion of Li Qingyi rising even higher.
The two quickly found a natural cave. Hong Zhong set up a simple concealment array outside, released his divine sense, and was on full alert.
Inside the cave, Li Qingyi sat cross-legged with her palms facing upwards, adjusted her breathing, and sank her mind into the depths of her consciousness.
It has a distinctly fortune-telling or charlatan feel to it.
Deep Blue, give me the simulation!
[Simulation begins, 60 spirit stones consumed, 7 spirit stones remaining.]
[The imperial city is under martial law, its defenses formidable. You and Hongzhong have arrived outside the city, but have no foolproof plan. Before dawn, you linger outside the city.]
[Thinking of Qin Xiyue, clinging to a sliver of hope, you wrote a secret letter, spent some money, and entrusted a seemingly clever mortal child to smuggle it into the city, intending to deliver it to Qin Xiyue, who was staying at an inn.]
You waited anxiously at the agreed location until the sun was high in the sky, but there was no reply. You knew that this method was probably not going to work; either Qin Xiyue would not receive the message, or her own situation was also limited.
Over the next two days, you tried several methods: disguising yourselves as guards of specific caravans, attempting to infiltrate through underground waterways or abandoned array nodes, and even considering creating small-scale chaos to attract attention—but all ended in failure. The imperial city is now as impregnable as an iron fortress, completely isolated from the outside world.
So you decided—
First: Taking a desperate gamble, he publicly declared himself to be Li Xuanyi, the third prince who had been living among the common people, and used this identity to legitimately request entry into the city.
Second: Abandon the direct assault on the imperial city and instead search for other clues that may be related to the mystery or the truth.
"Choose one! Let's see what he's made of! I want to see just how much this prince's status really means!"
You've decided to stop hiding.
Carrying the red flag, you swaggered towards the main gate of the imperial city. Facing the heavily armed guards and the familiar high-level detection array, you loudly proclaimed, "I am the Third Prince, Li Xuanyi! Open the city gates immediately and welcome me in!"
Upon hearing this, the people and merchants queuing near the city gate for inspection were in an uproar and began to discuss it.
Many of the onlookers reacted with surprise and scrutiny, while some even let out undisguised sneers.
However, the golden-armored commander who had fought you before rushed over upon hearing the news.
He stared at your face, his expression devoid of mockery, but rather his brow was furrowed and his eyes filled with suspicion and uncertainty.
He did not immediately order the passage, nor did he take any action. Instead, he quickly reported to his superiors through some secret method.
You stood silently at the city gate, under the watchful eyes of countless people, the atmosphere subtle and tense.
About half an hour later, the golden-armored commander seemed to have received clear instructions. He gave you a deep look, and actually stepped aside to let Hong Zhong pass as well, without stopping him.
You exchanged a glance with Hongzhong and secretly communicated, instructing her to immediately search for Xuanji's whereabouts upon entering the city. Hongzhong nodded slightly.
You then followed the golden-armored commander, passing through the still heavily guarded streets, and headed deeper into the imperial city.
The golden-armored commander seemed oblivious to Hong Zhong's quiet departure, simply leading the way in silence.
Finally, you are led into the majestic and imposing imperial palace, passing through numerous halls and corridors, until you arrive at a secluded yet magnificent palace in the depths.
There, you met Li Wuyai, the current emperor of the Xuan Kingdom.
Li Wuyai, dressed in casual clothes, had a dignified yet weary expression.
The moment you stepped into the hall, his gaze was fixed on you.
That look was extremely complex, containing scrutiny, shock, a fleeting pain, and deep doubt.
Without any proof, a deep-seated resonance within him allowed him to confirm your identity almost instantly.
You had a long conversation. Li Wuyai acknowledged your identity and showed concern in his words, inquiring about your experiences over the years.
You then took the opportunity to explain your purpose, frankly stating that you were there to investigate the mystery of the Zhao family's downfall in Zichuan.
However, Li Wuyai reacted coldly to this.
He made it clear that the Zhao family's affairs were extremely complex, involving a power struggle between high-level cultivators and even immortal sects, and were beyond your current ability to intervene.
Speaking like a father, he firmly demanded that you stop investigating, stay in the capital, and that he would ensure your safety and grant you the treatment due to a prince.
[You have no real attachment to the identity of a prince; your main purpose in revealing your identity was to gather intelligence and gain access to certain situations. The Emperor's refusal has thwarted your plans.]
That night, Li Wuyai held a large-scale welcoming banquet in the palace under the pretext of "the Third Prince returning from his tribulation".
The event was grand, and members of the imperial family, high-ranking officials in the capital, and even some prominent figures among the city's cultivators were invited.
You are forced to attend, to find yourself amidst this glitz and glamour.
During the banquet, you met several of your nominal brothers, many of whom were familiar faces.
Among the officials, many took the initiative to approach and strike up conversations, their words mostly consisting of flattery and probing.
You have absolutely no interest in this; you find these social engagements tedious and boring. Your indifference, in turn, makes some people think you…
"Unfathomable."
Among them, Li Xuance is the most hostile towards you. You have no interest in playing the game of vying for the throne with him.
You left the palace immediately and began searching for Qin Xiyue within the imperial city. To your surprise, Qin Xiyue was not in the imperial city.
That night, you waited at a temporary lodging. Around midnight, Hongzhong quietly returned to report to you.