Volume 9, Chapter 616 – She Alone Slaughters Through Four Nations (Part 3)

Because Qi Huang was going to impersonate the National Preceptor of the Western Radiance Dynasty, she took extra care to disguise herself before setting out. She even put on a robe specially made from the pelt of a Nine Nether Demon Cat, looking very much like a thief sneaking about.

Her Divine Sense had already reached the late stage of the Heavenly Tribulation Realm. Her speed was as swift as chasing the wind and racing with lightning. By coincidence, or perhaps because their paths overlapped, she soon discovered that several dozen li ahead on her left was another group of cultivators. Their appearances were also tightly concealed, and they were flying north at high speed.

“Who are these people? What are they skulking around for?”

Qi Huang grew curious and brought out the Shadow-Retaining Mirror to observe.

“Peak Master, should we first look for the army of the Beiling Kingdom, or head toward the army of the Gaosheng Kingdom?”

At that moment, a relatively small-framed figure within the group spoke up. From the voice, it was an old woman.

“It’s her!”

Qi Huang immediately recognized the speaker. That old woman was an elder of Poyun Peak who had once come to the imperial palace.

Judging from her words, this group must be the self-proclaimed “delegation” from Poyun Peak, who had volunteered to share her burden. The plump, elderly man leading them could only be Wen Da, the Peak Master of Poyun Peak.

Qi Huang had little fondness for Poyun Peak. Back when she was still serving as an Imperial Consort by decree, this Peak Master had once sent people to Honghua Sect to kill her.

She had refrained from retaliating for the sake of the bigger picture, but deep down she had never been pleased. She therefore watched with a sharper eye, continuing to peer through the Shadow-Retaining Mirror.

“Let’s go find the army of Beiling Kingdom first. Their strength is greater. As long as we take care of them, Gaosheng Kingdom will naturally be frightened into compliance.”

Wen Da made his decision.

“Peak Master is wise! This is what it means to win without fighting.”

A skeletal-looking elder chimed in with flattery.

“We must force these two nations to surrender quickly, then go see how things stand with the National Preceptor. This time, the trouble must be completely resolved.”

Wen Da’s tone was firm.

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“Trouble? What trouble?”

Qi Huang was baffled. Could the trouble they referred to be herself?

“Peak Master, I do not understand. Since you wish to resolve the matter with the National Preceptor, why complicate things? We could seize this chance to set up an ambush midway and kill him directly.”

The sycophantic elder immediately asked.

“Kill me? Why does Poyun Peak want me dead?”

Qi Huang was both startled and enraged. She truly could not understand why they would harbor such killing intent toward her. After all, her identity as National Preceptor had nothing to do with Poyun Peak, and in some sense, they were supposed to be allies.

“An ambush? Elder Kong, do you know his true strength?”

Wen Da asked back.

“Indeed. Without knowing her strength, on what basis would you dare ambush her? Are you not afraid of being counter-killed?”

Elder Feng followed up with a question.

“Uh… I was careless in my thinking.”

Elder Kong admitted awkwardly.

“Those two nations are not only bait I tossed to him, they are also touchstones. If he fails, it proves his ability is limited and not worth fearing. If he succeeds by luck, I will personally send him on his way. If he makes those two nations yield with ease, showing strength greater than mine, then we must plan more carefully.”

Wen Da laid out his plan in detail.

“Could he truly be stronger than you? Impossible, surely. You are one of the only three Divine Realm experts in the Western Radiance Dynasty!”

Elder Kong clearly did not believe it.

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“How do you know he really belongs to the Western Radiance Dynasty?”

Wen Da countered.

“Uh… Peak Master is truly thorough.”

Elder Kong’s old face showed admiration.

“Peak Master, did I hear wrong just now? Weren’t we going to pressure Beiling and Gaosheng into ending their war? Why do we also intend to kill the National Preceptor?”

At this point, a younger cultivator asked. His status seemed lower, so he was not yet aware of the matter.

Qi Huang also perked up her ears, eager to learn why Poyun Peak wanted her life.

“Steward Cui, mind your own duties. Do not ask what you should not.”

Elder Feng glared at him in displeasure.

Steward Cui looked as though he wanted to speak but held back, a trace of resentment flashing in his eyes.

“Tell him. He is one of us anyway.”

Wen Da casually ordered. He had no wish for small matters like this to harm unity.

“Peak Master is wise.”

The gloom instantly vanished from Steward Cui’s face.

Elder Feng sighed and shook his head, then explained the reasons: “That National Preceptor once saved Lin Ran in the imperial palace, causing us of Poyun Peak to lose all face. That is his first crime! Lin Ran is a disciple Poyun Peak painstakingly raised and also the Empress of the Western Radiance Dynasty. Yet because of him, Lin Ran has grown distant from us. That is his second crime. Therefore, this National Preceptor must die.”

“This…”

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Steward Cui faltered, as though he felt this reasoning went too far.

Qi Huang never imagined they would use such flimsy excuses against her. This was truly the saying: if one wishes to condemn, one will always find a charge!

‘Originally I had thought to spare your pathetic lives. But since this is the case, there will be no negotiations. Straight to hell you go.’

Her expression turned icy. In an instant she vanished, and the next moment she appeared right before the Poyun Peak group.

“Who goes there?”

Wen Da was horrified. A dignified Divine Realm cultivator, and yet he had not noticed her approach.

The other six elders reacted as if facing a mortal enemy, weapons drawn at the ready.

“Who goes there? Peak Master Wen Da, you’re amusing indeed. Were you not just discussing how to kill me? If you don’t even know what I look like, how will you kill me?”

Qi Huang sneered.

“You are…”

A bad premonition arose in Wen Da’s heart.

“Peak Master, he is the National Preceptor! He is the National Preceptor Li!”

Elder Feng cried out in alarm.

“So you are the National Preceptor Li?”

Wen Da’s expression hardened. He scrutinized Qi Huang once more and said, “No wonder I could not detect your presence, you’re wearing clothing made from Nine Nether Demon Cat fur.”

“So that’s why!”

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The other Poyun Peak elders breathed a sigh of relief. If she could evade their Divine Sense entirely without any concealment, then he truly would have been a terrifying figure.

“I wear this robe merely because I enjoy games of cat and mouse. It does not mean I need it. Even if I were not wearing it, you still could not detect me.”

Qi Huang declared coldly.

“Hah, such arrogance! I had intended to test your weight before deciding your fate, but since you’ve delivered yourself to my door, eager for reincarnation, then today I shall oblige you.”

Wen Da dropped his pretense. A cruel light shone in his eyes as his Divine Sense erupted without warning, pressing down toward Qi Huang. His figure flashed forward, red sword in hand, leaving dazzling arcs of light behind like a sudden sunset burning across the sky.

“Kill!”

The other Poyun Peak elders swarmed as well, streaking like meteors toward Qi Huang.

Steward Cui hesitated again and again, then finally forced himself to rush forward too.

“Overestimating yourselves!”

Qi Huang curled her lip in disdain. Her hair suddenly surged outward, filling the sky, piercing forward like countless rays of death.

Having reached the late Heavenly Tribulation Realm, her Boundless Demonic Hair had advanced beyond all comparison with before, both in speed and toughness. For cultivators of the Incarnation Realm, it was simply impossible to follow, and even Wen Da himself could not catch its trajectory.

SWOOSH!

With a perfectly synchronized tearing sound, the six Poyun Peak elders were skewered like frogs on a roasting spit. Only Steward Cui was spared, not because his cultivation was deep, but because Qi Huang deliberately held back.

She had noticed earlier that he was clearly forced into the charge. At least he still possessed a trace of conscience.

Steward Cui was petrified, his courage shattered. Unable to gather his Divine Sense to maintain flight, he stumbled back in retreat.

Qi Huang flicked her will, and her countless strands of hair danced wildly, slicing the six elders of Poyun Peak into fragments of flesh. Blood poured down like a torrential rain, staining the skies crimson.