Chapter 94: The Killing Intent of Fuzhou City

At that moment, ripples stirred in the underground palace, and another wooden boat glided in from outside the hall.

Three women—Shu Wan’er—stood atop the boat, poised gracefully, their gazes sweeping over the two boats already arrived.

Upon seeing Li Muxian and the others, their faces all showed a hint of wariness, yet no trace of fear remained.

Yet Shu Wan’er paid no heed to Li Muxian and the rest; she steered the boat to a stop before the middle-aged man in brocade robes and spoke coldly:

“Hand over the Qilin blood, or today Fuzhou City will be erased from the capital of Da Li.”

At these words, Han Meiyan on the nearby boat suddenly narrowed her eyes, surprised by Shu Wan’er’s blunt approach.

Li Muxian, however, wore a look of confusion and turned to look at Li Yuanling.

At that moment, Li Yuanling’s eyes were filled with shock; she unconsciously opened her mouth and murmured:

“So the so-called divine artifact is actually Qilin blood!”

As she spoke, she turned to Li Muxian and recounted everything she knew about the legends of Qilin blood, detail by detail.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere within the underground palace had changed drastically.

Almost immediately after Shu Wan’er finished speaking, shadowy figures emerged abruptly from the dark corners of the palace, landing all around and surrounding the three wooden boats within.

At the same time, a deep voice echoed from above the palace:

“If you want the Qilin blood, see if you have the ability to take it.”

No sooner had the words ended than the shadowy figures around the palace, bathed in the flickering candlelight, became streaks of afterimages and surged forward.

In midair, blades and swords flashed with icy brilliance, radiating unhidden, lethal intent as they charged toward the three boats.

Seeing this, Li Muxian frowned slightly; he had assumed Fuzhou City would at least haggle with the three women.

But he had never expected these martial artists to act so cleanly and decisively.

After their secret of the Qilin blood was exposed to their faces, Fuzhou City had clearly made an instant decision—completely shedding its disguise.

They didn’t even bother pretending anymore; one word out of place and they launched a murderous strike, aiming to kill everyone present on the spot.

“Still, given the Qilin blood’s reputation in the martial world, their actions are understandable.”

Li Muxian shook his head lightly; five grim-faced martial experts had already rushed forward and landed atop the boat where he and Li Yuanling stood.

They struck with deadly intent—swordlight and knife-light surged with violent qi, sharp and piercing, slicing through air with lethal intent, all aimed directly at their vital points.

Clearly, they intended to cut Li Muxian and Li Yuanling down on the spot—no quarter given.

…

Far above, in the underground space, a massive black iron ship hung suspended in midair, slowly drifting toward the palace center, dragged by iron chains.

Tu Yao, vice-marshal of Fuzhou City, stood in a black robe, arms crossed behind his back, gazing quietly at the water surface of the underground palace.

Beside him, the gray-robed elder Sheng Shi’an sat cross-legged, his body bound in chains of black iron, eyes lowered toward the same direction.

Yet his gaze remained fixed solely on Li Muxian, and he spoke slowly:

“Test their abilities first; they’ll soon be forced to reveal who’s behind them.”

Hearing this, Tu Yao nodded slightly, then turned his attention away.

He shifted his gaze to the five on the other two boats, eyes narrowing slightly:

“That man and woman fought cautiously earlier—hard to tell their origins. But the three women’s movement style resembles Baiyun Sect’s ‘Lingbo Step.’”

At these words, the gray-robed elder Sheng Shi’an frowned slightly and said:

“Behind those three must be the Lingbo Immortal. She’s famed in the martial world for her movement arts and excels at tracking.”

“With their current strength, none would dare openly storm Fuzhou City. If I’m not mistaken, the Lingbo Immortal has likely already infiltrated the city.”

Tu Yao frowned, scanning the underground palace below—but detected no hidden figures.

The gray-robed elder Sheng Shi’an raised his eyes to him and shook his head:

“Their movement is too refined, their trail too elusive. How could you spot them from this distance? Right now, we must deal with another threat. As for the Lingbo Immortal, I suggest leaving her to Wei Bing.”

Hearing this, Tu Yao fell silent for a moment, then gestured with his hand.

In the next instant, a figure flashed into view, arriving beside him and bowing in readiness.

“Go inform Vice Marshal Wei Bing—the Baiyun Sect’s Lingbo Immortal may have arrived in Fuzhou City. Have him keep watch on all movements within.”

The figure immediately replied and vanished in a flash.

Only then did Tu Yao turn back to gaze at the water in the palace center, his voice now chilling:

“We truly underestimated the martial world. We’ve only just acquired the Qilin blood, and already multiple experts have arrived. Once word spreads, these people are harder to shake than cats drawn by the scent of blood.”

The gray-robed elder Sheng Shi’an’s eyes flickered slightly as he slowly shook his head:

“That’s precisely why Su Zhangqing must dispose of the Qilin blood quickly. Alone, Fuzhou City cannot withstand the weight of the entire martial world.”

With that, the gray-robed elder Sheng Shi’an fell silent, continuing to gaze at the wooden boat below where Li Muxian stood.

But soon, his cloudy eyes suddenly contracted, and the black iron chains wrapped around his body began to writhe.

…

Meanwhile, facing the Fuzhou City assassins’ attack, Li Yuanling’s martial qi surged instantly.

Golden afterimages shimmered across her body; golden rays glowed between her fists, as she prepared to test her fists and feet against these attackers.

Yet before she could strike, as she merely raised her head to look at the assassins, she suddenly noticed:

The five men’s terrifying, murderous aura had been abruptly erased—as if wiped clean—every trace of killing intent vanished in an instant.

Li Yuanling’s delicate brows furrowed as she glanced at the five.

Their bodies still stood on the boat, their blades and swords frozen mid-air.

Two of the gleaming blades were barely half a foot from her throat and heart—yet they did not strike further.

Moreover, the intense sense of danger she had felt moments before had vanished entirely.

In that moment, Li Yuanling finally realized something; she spun her head sharply—and saw Li Muxian calmly raising an eyebrow at her.

“You did this? I didn’t even see you move.”

Li Yuanling slowly retracted her martial qi; though she knew Li Muxian was powerful, this was absurdly fast!

She frowned, reached out, and gently pinched the tip of one sword, giving it a light push—the assassin immediately collapsed.

(End of Chapter)