Ambush

He watched Madam Liu's movements. Madam Liu showed immense patience and utter resolve, having lain in ambush for who knew how long. She concealed herself motionless in the woods, entirely unaware that someone else was lurking behind her. From beginning to end, Cultivator Liu never appeared. Qin Sang grew increasingly certain that Cultivator Liu had likely met with disaster. He could not be sure whether the culprit was among those he suspected. Treasures capable of repelling poison were exceedingly rare; it was unlikely to be a mere coincidence that the Liu couple had encountered another enemy possessing such an item. Time slipped by. Still, no one emerged from Flower Immortal Lake. Qin Sang mentally calculated the time. The closing of the Hall of Seven Kills drew ever nearer; waiting endlessly in vain like this was somewhat unwise, as the other party might not even make it out alive. Just as he was inwardly frowning, he suddenly noticed movement on the ancient bridge. Petals fluttered, and someone was walking out from within! "Here they come!" Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly. He noticed the sword qi trembling within the thin mist—Madam Liu was clearly far from calm. Holding his breath, Qin Sang held his ground and fixed his stare on the entrance of the ancient bridge. A figure came flying over from Flower Immortal Lake. Soon, Qin Sang spotted a familiar barrier of light shielding the newcomer, warding off the fierce poison permeating the air. "It really is the bone lotus!" Qin Sang's gaze turned grim as killing intent surged within him. When he discovered that Madam Liu had laid a trap, he had already harbored a suspicion. Someone connected to the Liu couple who could enter Flower Immortal Lake was very likely Xiang Yi and his cohorts. Although he did not know what had transpired between them, Xiang Yi was ruthless and cruel; colluding with Cui Ji and the others to murder the Liu couple was hardly out of character. Xiang Yi, Cui Ji, and the fat man in luxurious robes were all men he intended to kill. Whichever one was in Flower Immortal Lake, running into them in the Hall of Seven Kills meant Qin Sang would never let them leave alive. Flipping his palm, Qin Sang quietly gripped the fire bead. Were it Cui Ji or the fat man in luxurious robes, with his recent great leaps in the Dao of the Sword, Qin Sang could subdue them with his swordsmanship alone. However, Xiang Yi's strength far surpassed the other two. Since the Blood Filth Divine Light had already been used up, Qin Sang decided that to be safe, he would employ the fire bead to slay the foe in a single strike. He had originally reserved the fire bead for crises during his venture into Heaven Tower, yet he had never needed to use it. With his departure from the Hall of Seven Kills imminent, using it to eliminate a formidable foe was well worth the cost. With one hand covertly gripping the fire bead, Qin Sang laid down the restrictions of the Ten Directions Yanluo Banner with the other. Rather than acting rashly, he waited patiently to observe the situation first. The thin mist rippled slightly, betraying Madam Liu's turbulent emotions. At that moment, the figure finally reached the ancient bridge's entrance. Clearly not expecting an ambush outside, he merely took a brief look around before stepping forward without much vigilance. "Cui Ji! It really is them..." Having clearly identified the man who walked out, Qin Sang sneered inwardly. He had not anticipated finding the prime culprit directly. Slaying Cui Ji first would at least vent some of his malice. "It seems Cui Ji came specifically for Flower Immortal Lake, and their transaction was for the bone lotus..." Qin Sang guessed eight or nine tenths of their deal. Just as he was about to stow the fire bead away, his expression froze. To his astonishment, he discovered that Cui Ji had actually broken through to the late stage! Before entering the Hall of Seven Kills, Cui Ji had still been trapped at a bottleneck. Yet after a single excursion into Flower Immortal Lake, he had directly broken through to the late Core Formation stage. *** Clutching the bone lotus in one hand, Cui Ji wore an expression of smug triumph. On the bone lotus, a portion of the petals had been stained purple, while another portion had turned green. Only one intact petal remained; clearly, this rare treasure was nearing the end of its lifespan. Cui Ji felt thoroughly delighted and incomparably thrilled. He had never expected things to go so smoothly. Whether it was due to personally eliminating his rival or not, once he found that spirit herb and ingested it, he had immediately sensed the opportunity for a breakthrough, and everything had fallen into place as naturally as water flowing into a channel. *** Beaming with a broad smile, Cui Ji stepped right into the trap. Bells rang violently in his ears, and countless crimson threads as sharp as blades abruptly materialized around him. His smile instantly froze. Qin Sang snapped his head around, fixing his eyes on the thin mist. "What will Madam Liu choose?" Against Cui Ji and his advanced cultivation, this trap seemed somewhat inadequate. The thought had barely formed when a streak of sword light shot out from the thin mist, swift as thunder and lightning, accompanied by a furious shout: "Die, scoundrel!" Madam Liu struck decisively. The trap she had laid was ingenious: the Red Thread Soul Bell Grand Formation would ensnare Cui Ji to catch him off guard, whereupon she would arrive upon her flying sword to execute him. Yet worldly matters were fickle; no one could have anticipated that Cui Ji would achieve a breakthrough inside Flower Immortal Lake. "Courting death!" Cui Ji roared in fury. The crimson threads lashed out, razor-sharp and capable of slicing flesh. Yet most terrifying of all were the chimes of the bells, which struck directly at the origin soul. Had this been his former self, he truly would have fallen victim to the assault. Now, although Cui Ji's realm was unstable, his cultivation had surged. Forcing himself through the onslaught of the bell chimes, his true essence surged, and he successfully summoned the Purple Nether Pearl. A haze of purple light billowed forth, forming a protective barrier over him. *Swish!* A flash of white light streaked past as a flying knife shot out from the purple haze. Against the flying knife, the crimson threads proved utterly fragile. Severed threads drifted through the air, the bronze bells shook violently, and the ringing diminished sharply. Cui Ji's eyes gleamed like a predatory beast's. The moment he caught sight of the person ambushing him, his expression changed drastically, horror surfacing in his eyes. "It's you! You didn't die!" Yet sweeping his gaze across the area, he discovered Madam Liu was alone. He instantly burst into arrogant laughter: "Haha... So you are the only one left, yet you dare come court death! Fine, Cui will settle this matter today to save himself future trouble." *Whew! Whew!* Beams of purple radiance shot out. Madam Liu flew in upon her sword, tears welling in her eyes and bitter defiance written across her face. Just one step faster, and she could have slain Cui Ji, yet she had fallen short at the final hurdle. Her cultivation was the lowest among the eight, and she lacked Qin Sang's vast array of protective treasures. Facing Cui Ji after his breakthrough, she felt utterly powerless. "The heavens are blind to let this scoundrel break through..." Her eyes turned hollow as she cried out in protest to the heavens. *Bang! Bang!* The radiant beams struck, knocking the flying sword askew and halting Madam Liu's momentum. At that moment, Madam Liu abruptly shifted tactics. She turned on her heel and fled toward the mountains, choosing to retreat into the distance the moment her strike failed. Cui Ji was momentarily stunned, but then a savage grin spread across his face. He immediately drove the flying knife to tear through the spirit formation, breaking free and giving chase at top speed. Seeing Cui Ji closing the distance rapidly, Madam Liu's face filled with panic. She suddenly turned toward Qin Sang's hiding place and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Fellow Daoist, if you do not strike now, when will you?!" Having his hiding spot called out, Qin Sang was not particularly surprised. However, he was certain Madam Liu did not know his true identity; her shout was merely an attempt to divert disaster onto someone else. Cui Ji was currently like a bird startled by the twang of a bow; suddenly learning that a third person was lurking, he would surely assume they were in league. After discovering someone lurking nearby, Madam Liu had managed to remain calm, pretend not to know, and persevere with her revenge. But on second thought, had Madam Liu succeeded and seized Cui Ji's bone lotus, she could have used it to take refuge inside Flower Immortal Lake. With the Hall of Seven Kills about to close, the lurker could not afford to wait her out indefinitely. Nevertheless, to instantly weigh the pros and cons and make such a decision revealed remarkable temperament and cunning—she was by no means a fragile woman merely sheltered by her husband.