I Want That Face of Yours

After dealing with the corpses of the three men, Yang Lingrui prepared to leave this place.

But the moment he turned around, an intense sensation of being watched struck him from behind, accompanied by an extremely powerful oppressive force.

This pressure brought back the unpleasant memories he had experienced in the Su Family courtyard.

Late-stage Qi Gathering!

"Truly, one wave barely settles before another rises."

A surge of irritation rose in Yang Lingrui's heart.

He had thought his actions were cautious enough. He had not revealed his wealth, had avoided the potential troubles of the third day, and had chosen to slip away in the dead of night.

Yet, despite all this, he had still been targeted by someone with ill intent.

He truly wished his realm was higher, so he could slaughter these scheming rats clean.

Clap, clap, clap...

A burst of applause rang out, accompanied by a soft chuckle.

"Hehehe, what a splendid fight! I had assumed those three were the mantis stalking the cicada, but I never expected you to be the true mantis in disguise."

As the words fell, a scholar-like cultivator emerged from the forest.

He wore a pale blue robe and had a slender build. His voice was clear, and every gesture exuded a refined elegance.

However, across half of his face lay a dark purple scar, glaringly conspicuous.

As Yang Lingrui turned, several talismans slipped silently into his sleeve. He asked, "Senior, could it be that you have also taken a liking to the Spiritual Treasure on me?"

"Oh, no, no, no. Do not misunderstand. If we are talking about Spiritual Treasures, I have them as well."

As he spoke, the man summoned a painting brush. He sketched a few strokes in the empty air, and a bird formed of ink flew out from his hand.

Ink Manipulation Art!

Yang Lingrui recognized this technique as one of the two most common arts used by Confucian cultivators.

"All my life, I have only ever enjoyed writing and painting. Your Spiritual Treasures are naturally useless to me."

The scholar grasped the brush and slowly pointed it at Yang Lingrui. "To speak the truth, I have had my eye on you ever since you entered Wangyue City. I must admit, when it comes to the appearance of men, you rank among the top three I have ever seen. Such fine skin truly makes me envious."

As he spoke, he raised his other hand and stroked his scarred cheek. "You must have seen it by now. Across my entire body, the only flaw is this blemish on my face. I have spent so much effort and sought out many physicians, but nothing cures it. It is truly a sickness in my heart."

"Therefore, I do not want any of the treasures you carry. You may even take the belongings of those three."

"I only want that face of yours."

Whoosh-

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The moment the scholar's voice fell, Yang Lingrui hurled out three Fire Talismans. He immediately turned, slapped a Divine Movement Talisman onto himself, and sprinted away at full speed.

The scholar's expression shifted slightly. He drew a stream of water in the air, instantly extinguishing the flames flying toward his face.

"Hmph."

He snorted coldly, painted a pair of wings onto his legs, and shot forward like an arrow from a bowstring.

Although Yang Lingrui reacted extremely fast, his opponent was a genuine seventh-layer late-stage Qi Gathering cultivator, a full three realms above him. Even with the boost of the Divine Movement Talisman, he was soon caught up to.

The scholar's face turned cold as he blocked Yang Lingrui's path, ready to strike.

But as he looked up, his expression changed drastically. His pupils contracted, and he forcibly halted the technique he was about to release.

"Wait! Do not be hasty!"

The reason for his panic was that Yang Lingrui had raised a wind blade, aiming it directly at his own face with a resolute gaze.

The scholar was flustered. He had searched for so many years to finally find such outstanding skin on a cultivator with a low realm. Naturally, he refused to watch it be destroyed.

"Do not act rashly, this matter can be discussed slowly!"

He tried to placate Yang Lingrui, saying, "I will not take it by force. You can name your own price."

Hearing this, Yang Lingrui put on an expression of thoughtful deliberation.

Seeing hope, the scholar continued, "I have plenty of Spirit Crystals here. Put down that wind blade first, do not hurt yourself."

"Three hundred? Five hundred? A thousand?"

"I can afford any of these prices. Just speak your mind."

While speaking, he made a show of putting away his painting brush and slowly walked toward Yang Lingrui.

Yang Lingrui seemed to be genuinely considering the matter, paying no attention to the distance between them gradually closing.

"A little closer."

The scholar thought to himself.

"A little closer."

Yang Lingrui thought exactly the same.

Both harbored their own thoughts until they were exactly three zhang apart.

"How about this. Let us not make a decision now. I will return to the Yang Family with you, and wait for you to discuss it with your elders..."

Swish-

The scholar had been speaking the previous second, but in the very next instant, an ink arrow shot directly from his mouth, aimed straight at Yang Lingrui's throat.

This technique came with sudden and extreme speed. Fortunately, Yang Lingrui was already prepared, tightly gripping the golden talisman in his hand.

"Vajra Indestructible!"

Bang!

A golden light suddenly erupted, and the ink arrow collapsed and dissipated after violently colliding with it.

"A Vajra Talisman!"

The scholar was greatly shocked. Earlier, he had secretly watched Yang Lingrui's battle with the three men.

The Spirit Shield Talisman and Divine Movement Talisman could still be explained, but where did this Vajra Talisman come from?

Could it be that the Yang Family ancestor who refined talismans had already broken through to the late stage?

Buzz!

While the scholar was still reeling in shock, his heart suddenly flared with sharp warning.

An intense sense of threat emanated from the blooming golden light, sending a freezing chill through his body. He raised his brush and stabbed it fiercely forward.

Boom-

The fierce, severing power of the Mountain-Splitting Talisman transmitted from the brush tip. The scholar's eyes narrowed, and he abruptly surged his spiritual energy, causing Spiritual Ink to spread out before him and form a massive shield.

"Go!"

The scholar shouted loudly, forcefully deflecting the fierce power of this talisman technique.

By now, the situation had completely slipped from his control.

He had assumed that with his own realm, combined with his Spiritual Treasure brush, he could easily handle Yang Lingrui.

He never expected it would actually come to the point where he had to use his true abilities against his enemy.

First a Vajra Talisman, and now a Mountain-Splitting Talisman!

What kind of background did this Yang Family actually have?

The scholar was secretly alarmed, and he made up his mind: this kid absolutely could not be allowed to live!

He absolutely could not let him return alive!

By a stroke of coincidence, Yang Lingrui was thinking the exact same thing.

The opponent had already seen that he possessed two late-stage Qi Gathering talismans. Therefore, he absolutely could not let him escape.

But right now, he still needed to create an opportunity. A plan formed in his mind, and Yang Lingrui opened his mouth to shout.

"Senior! Do you truly intend to keep fighting me?"

Yang Lingrui's aura suddenly shifted, taking on an utterly confident demeanor. He chuckled lightly, "If we continue to fight, I am afraid it will be Senior's turn to cherish his own life."

Hearing this, a flicker of apprehension crossed the scholar's eyes.

But after a brief moment of thought, he narrowed his eyes and carefully studied the golden light slowly dissipating around Yang Lingrui.

Yang Lingrui's sudden change in attitude was simply too drastic, making the scholar find it highly suspicious.

In the current situation, it could only be considered a stalemate where neither could overcome the other. As long as he kept his guard up, even if Yang Lingrui pulled out another Mountain-Splitting Talisman, he would be able to block it.

Besides, how many more could he possibly have?

As long as he waited for the talismans to run dry, the ultimate victor would still be himself.

Suddenly, the scholar caught sight of something on Yang Lingrui's face-the corner of his mouth had slightly twitched for a fraction of a second.

That was a reaction one would only make in a state of extreme mental tension. Although Yang Lingrui concealed it with lightning speed, the scholar still keenly detected it.

This proved that Yang Lingrui was not truly as confident in victory as his words suggested, but was rather forcing himself to act calm!

Discovering this detail, the scholar's heart settled completely.

"Hehe, what a remarkably bold kid. Even though he is already at death's door, he can still put on such a grand bluff. I was nearly fooled by him!"

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