"Chen'er!"
Ling Zhongheng cried out, shouldering his great saber and leaping down beside Ling Chen.
At that moment, the three men led by Liu Zhou had closed in.
"Young Master Ling, seeing you in person is even better than hearing your reputation."
"Elder Liu, why waste breath on them? Just take them down." Qin Chengfeng clamored from the side.
Liu Zhou waved a hand, raised his chin slightly, and cupped his fists.
"I am Liu Zhou from the Qingzhou Qin Family. I trust Young Master Ling understands why we are here."
"Damn it!"
Before Ling Chen could speak, Ling Zhongheng spat in disgust.
"I was wondering who it was, and it turns out to be trash from the Qin Family. How dare you tail us in secret with malicious intent? Do you really take your grandfather here for someone who can no longer lift a blade?"
"Brute."
Liu Zhou shook his head in disdain, his eyes locked onto Ling Chen.
"Young Master Ling, our young master Yan is in your hands. Today, Liu bears no ill will toward you; I merely wish to ask Young Master Ling to accompany us on a trip."
Civility before force was Liu Zhou's usual approach. Although this place was desolate and rarely visited, heaven knew if an ambush was hidden here. He would test the waters first; if there were truly only the two members of the Ling Family, then even with wings, Ling Chen would not be able to escape his grasp.
Watching Liu Zhou's forced smile, a cold glint flashed in Ling Chen's eyes. He had long anticipated that the Qin Family would send people, but he hadn't expected them to track him all the way here.
Still, seeing Liu Zhou's unbridled demeanor, his cultivation must not be low—most likely a genuine Great Nascent Soul Master. He wondered if Grand Uncle's sword could still strike from such a distance.
He would stall for time.
"Senior Liu is too polite. Yet junior and senior seem to be strangers—I wonder how senior plans to deal with me."
"Naturally, taking you to trade back our Young Master Yan."
Zhang Ke couldn't help jumping out. How could he let such a golden opportunity to earn merit fall to anyone else?
"Ling Chen brat, let me tell you, if our Young Master Yan is missing even a single hair, you will pay with your dog's life!"
"Such arrogance!"
Ling Chen let out a cold snort, his expression unchanging.
"It seems the so-called Qingzhou aristocratic clans don't learn their lesson very well. Killing a seventh elder wasn't enough, and there are always people in a rush to throw their lives away."
"Audacious!" Zhang Ke rebuked angrily.
"For daring to kill an elder of the Qin Family, your Ling Family is courting its own destruction. If you know what's good for you, obediently get on your knees and seal your own cultivation, and perhaps you can avoid some physical suffering."
A Qi Condensation brat and a Golden Core brute were completely unworthy of concern. Since Liu Zhou was timid and dawdling, he, Zhang Ke, would take charge. Once he captured Ling Chen and rescued the young master, he would naturally be able to dig out the location of the spirit mine.
Liu Zhou, who had always been at odds with Zhang Ke, didn't intervene at this moment. Since he was so eager to seize the credit, he would let him have it. If there really was an ambush, Zhang Ke would be the one to die. And if there were truly only the two men before them, he, Liu Zhou, could suppress them with one hand at any moment.
"Kill!"
With a roar, Zhang Ke impatiently lunged at Ling Chen. With his Late Golden Core cultivation, as long as he suppressed Ling Zhongheng, taking Ling Chen would be as easy as reaching out and taking something.
He was close.
Ten steps.
Three steps.
One step!
Zhang Ke reached out a large hand, grabbing for Ling Chen's throat.
At that exact moment, the great saber in Ling Zhongheng's hand suddenly swung, rolling waves of saber Qi shattering outward, slashing straight at Zhang Ke's face.
"Presumptuous!"
Zhang Ke flew into a rage, his Golden Core cultivation erupting as he transformed his palm into a fist and smashed it toward Ling Zhongheng.
The next instant, a miserable scream suddenly rang out.
Blood splattered as Zhang Ke stared in horror at his own arm—it was already completely severed and empty.
"You!"
Before the words could finish, the great saber in Ling Zhongheng's hand slashed down once more. Powerful and heavy, utterly peerless.
"No!" Zhang Ke let out a sky-ward roar.
"Save me! Liu Zhou, save—"
As the words fell, his head hit the ground.
"What worthless trash, daring to lay a hand on my young master."
Ling Zhongheng spat in disgust, propping himself on his great saber with both hands, exuding the imposing aura of a man holding off a thousand.
Ferocious!
Ling Chen couldn't help swallowing hard. He remembered that his third uncle had only broken through to Late Golden Core not long ago; this killing power was simply absurd.
Opposite them, even Liu Zhou, a Mid Nascent Soul cultivator, was struck dumb with shock, his brow deeply furrowed.
Such a strong saber strike!
He reckoned that killing Zhang Ke wouldn't be difficult, but doing it as cleanly and decisively as Ling Zhongheng was by no means easy.
Saber intent!
This fellow had definitely comprehended saber intent. What on earth was the background of the Ling Family? Not only did they have a Natal Sword Cultivator holding down the fort—killing an Early Nascent Soul expert with a sword from afar—now they also had a brute who comprehended saber intent.
"Third Uncle, Third Uncle." Ling Chen lowered his voice and called out twice.
"Third Uncle, you're actually this powerful. That fellow named Liu Zhou..."
"Don't panic."
Usually such a chatterbox, Ling Zhongheng suddenly became stingy with his words, lowering his voice.
"Listen to me, Chen'er. Hand that Nascent Soul brute over to Third Uncle, and then you run back to the city immediately. Don't look back under any circumstances."
Don't let that single saber strike look so majestic; the price was equally heavy. Having only broken through to Late Golden Core not long ago, Ling Zhongheng was already somewhat drained. If Liu Zhou hadn't harbored misgivings and given him a window to recover, he probably would have had to flee for his life alongside Ling Chen right now.
A silent standoff.
Ling Zhongheng used the moment to regulate his breath, while Liu Zhou observed in secret.
A full quarter of an hour passed.
Liu Zhou finally sensed something was wrong. If there really were an ambush, the Ling Family's reinforcements should have struck by now. That meant...
"Take them!" Liu Zhou ordered.
He and Qin Chengfeng split into two paths—one to block Ling Zhongheng, and the other to sprint toward Ling Chen.
"Run!"
Ling Zhongheng roared, the great saber in his hand sweeping through the air as rolling waves of saber Qi filled the world, as if capable of destroying and cleaving everything in two. A deep fissure abruptly tore open across the earth.
"At your wit's end. Die!"
Liu Zhou sneered. Though Ling Zhongheng's saber intent was strong, his cultivation was ultimately limited. Suppressing him would be a breeze.
As for Ling Chen?
A mere Qi Condensation Completion brat was nothing more than an ant before Qin Chengfeng, who was in the Early Golden Core stage.
Victory was within his grasp!
"Qin Chengfeng, seize Ling Chen, but spare his life. If he resists stubbornly or refuses to submit, you may break his limbs—consider it collecting some interest."
"Rest assured, Elder Liu, that brat won't get away."
Qin Chengfeng laughed heartily, transforming into a residual shadow as he gave chase to Ling Chen. In his heart, he felt a measure of relief; thankfully, he had listened to Liu Zhou earlier and not acted rashly, or else he would have been the one to die.
Now capturing Ling Chen and forcing out the location of the spirit mine would be his greatest merit!
The battlefield instantly split apart.
Liu Zhou and Ling Zhongheng clashed fiercely. He didn't seek to kill, only to stall, and relying on his Mid Nascent Soul cultivation, he appeared entirely at ease.
On the other side, Ling Chen didn't dare delay, running wildly while the mocking laughter of Qin Chengfeng echoed from behind from time to time.
"Run! Keep running."
"And here I thought your Ling Family was so cautious. To dare venture out with just two people is truly courting death."
"Let me tell you, once I catch you, the very first thing I'll do is sever your heel tendons, and then torture you slowly. If you know what's good for you, stop right now."
"Stop your ass."
Ling Chen looked back and cursed angrily, running even faster.
"This won't do. If this keeps up, I'll be caught sooner or later."
"Should I fight him to the death?"
As soon as the thought arose, Ling Chen quickly suppressed it. Qin Chengfeng was already in the Golden Core stage, and the gap was too vast. Even if he pulled out all the stops, he was definitely no match for Qin Chengfeng.
Unless...
Ling Chen suddenly thought of something, a resolute flash crossing his eyes.
His figure suddenly paused, and he spun around fiercely.
"Huh?!" Qin Chengfeng let out a soft exclamation.
"Run! Why aren't you running anymore?"
"Run your grandmother's."
Ling Chen took a heavy breath and crooked a finger.
"Weren't you going to catch your grandfather? Come on, then."
What did this mean?
This completely baffled Qin Chengfeng. Could this brat still have something to rely on?
No.
Impossible.
This brat's cultivation had been crippled before; even now, he was just a Qi Condensation piece of trash. No matter how many trump cards he had, he was absolutely no match for him.
All bark and no bite, putting on a front!
After a brief hesitation, Qin Chengfeng saw through Ling Chen's little trick and sneered.
"A petty thief playing ghosts. Let's see how you escape my grasp."
He surged forward abruptly.
Qin Chengfeng closed the distance in a single bound.
At the same time, he clearly saw the corners of Ling Chen's mouth hook up into a bloodthirsty smile.
"I was just afraid you wouldn't come!"
In that split second, a crack of thunder suddenly rang out.
Rumble—