69: fancy

At this moment, a shadow, almost completely merged with the darkness, was silently gliding along the tall courtyard wall of the Chen family mansion.

He was Elder Demon You Ying.

A King of Assassins who had lived for over a thousand years, whose name was enough to make any Sect in the Great Feng Dynasty wary.

His aura was suppressed to the extreme, as if he had completely vanished from this world.

Even when Divine Sense swept over, it would only perceive it as an ordinary shadow, without any discovery.

"Clan Protecting Grand Formation? It has some tricks indeed."

Elder Demon You Ying’s gaze fell on the pale golden light shield that enveloped the entire Chen family mansion.

He could sense that this Grand Formation was of no low grade.

It was enough to withstand the repeated attacks of an ordinary Middle Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator.

If it were any other Late Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, attempting to infiltrate without alerting the owner would be an almost impossible task.

But in the eyes of Elder Demon You Ying, this was merely a slightly troublesome lock.

He did not choose to forcibly break the Formation, as that was the most foolish approach.

Like a patient hunter, he slowly moved around the Chen family mansion, his crimson eyes reflecting countless subtle energy flow trajectories.

In his perception, although this Grand Formation was integrated, it ultimately operated by Spiritual Qi.

As long as it operated, there would inevitably be nodes of energy flow.

There would be a one-in-ten-thousand-moment weakness.

And what he had to do was seize that momentary flaw.

Soon, he stopped.

He found it.

Just in the shadow behind a rockery, every thirty-seven breaths, there would be an extremely brief circulation gap in the Formation's spiritual power.

This gap was so short that even the Divine Sense of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could not capture it.

But in the eyes of him, a Late Nascent Soul Stage Assassination Grandmaster.

It was as clear as a lamp in the dark night.

"A parvenu who rose by sheer Luck, is he even worthy of me personally making a move?"

Elder Demon You Ying sneered inwardly, with a hint of offended indignation.

If not for the unknown employer offering an exorbitant price that even he could not refuse.

Coupled with Chen Xu's arrogant provocation of destroying one of his strongholds from a hundred miles away.

He would not have bothered to come here.

Killing a junior who had just entered the Core Formation Stage was not an honor for him, but an insult to his status.

But since he was prepared to act, he would make this ignorant young man die in despair and terror.

Only then could he wash away the shame of his Shadow Concealment Tower.

Only then could he maintain the prestige of his King of Assassins.

Timing it perfectly, Elder Demon You Ying's figure became even more illusory, like a drop of ink falling into water, silently merging into that Formation node.

Without causing the slightest energy fluctuation, he successfully passed through the Clan Protecting Grand Formation and entered the inner courtyard of the Chen family mansion.

The entire process was smooth and flawless.

The patrolling guards within the mansion, the highest Cultivation of whom was merely Foundation Establishment.

In his eyes, they were no different from puppets.

He could even clearly sense that deep within the mansion, Daoist Yu Qing's Foundation Establishment Perfection aura was vigilantly monitoring the surroundings.

"Laughable defenses."

Elder Demon You Ying curled his lips in disdain.

His figure moved rapidly through the shadows of the pavilions and towers, like a fish in water.

Those so-called overt and covert sentries were merely blind men before him.

Soon, he arrived at the back courtyard of the mansion.

Then, he saw his target.

Chen Xu.

He saw the young family head leisurely reclining on a lounge chair.

On the small table beside him, there was a pot of steaming clear tea.

He was dressed in a simple green robe, his black hair loose, his expression serene.

As if he was admiring the strange Blood Moon in the sky.

At his feet, a small golden beast that looked like a puppy was curled up, sound asleep, completely oblivious to the earth-shattering killing intent from the outside world.

No guard, no escorts, not even a Magic Treasure had been summoned.

He was just sitting there alone in the courtyard.

A hint of disdain and mockery flashed in Elder Demon You Ying's eyes.

"Stupid, arrogant, conceited... A junior who just entered the Core Formation Stage, daring to be so overconfident, does he really think that after surviving a spectacular Lightning Tribulation, he is invincible?"

He did not act immediately.

For top hunters, the moment of a fatal blow was certainly beautiful.

But what he enjoyed more was the prey's state of ignorant confusion before death.

Then, he silently merged into the shadow of a large tree not far behind Chen Xu, admiring Chen Xu's back, as if admiring a work of art about to be shattered.

He was waiting.

Waiting for the most perfect moment.

Perhaps the moment Chen Xu picked up his teacup, or the moment he yawned and was most relaxed.

He wanted to emerge from the shadow behind Chen Xu at his most comfortable and unguarded moment.

To pierce his heart with his Demonic Blade, which was poisoned with 'Soul Transformation Poison', and shatter his Golden Core, so that he wouldn't even know how he died.

This, was the art of assassination.

He moved through the shadows, from tree shadows to wall shadows, and then to the shadow cast by the lounge chair, constantly changing positions.

Searching for the best attack angle.

He was getting closer and closer to Chen Xu, even smelling the faint tea fragrance in the air.

The killing intent in his eyes also grew stronger and stronger.

In the courtyard, it was silent.

Only the little golden beast occasionally let out one or two soft snores.

Chen Xu maintained that posture, motionless, as if he had really fallen asleep.

Elder Demon You Ying's patience had reached its Peak. He decided not to wait any longer.

It's now!

However, just as he was about to burst out from the shadows and launch this fatal blow.

The young man lying on the chair suddenly spoke faintly: "Aren't you tired from circling for so long?"

"If you don't come out soon, the tea will get cold."

Boom!

A thunderous roar seemed to explode in Elder Demon You Ying's mind!

He was discovered?!

How was this possible!

Under the dual blessings of his 'Blood Moon Barrier' and his unique secret technique 'Shadow Escape', let alone a junior who had just entered the Core Formation Stage.

Even a well-known Middle Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator.

It was absolutely impossible for them to discover his whereabouts before he launched his attack!

Was it a coincidence? Or... a trap?

After a moment of horror, what surged in Elder Demon You Ying's heart was boundless rage!

He was played!

He, the dignified King of Assassins, was being played like a monkey by a greenhorn!

"Courting death!"

With that, he no longer concealed himself, and his figure suddenly burst out from the shadow behind Chen Xu!

Without any warning, it was as if that shadow had come alive.

Transforming into a Yama King holding a sharp blade!

A short blade, entirely pitch black, appeared in Elder Demon You Ying's hand.

On the blade, wisps of grayish-black Qi lingered.

That was the 'Soul Transformation Poison' that could even corrode the Divine Soul of a Nascent Soul!

Chirp~!

The short blade sliced through the air without making any sound.

Yet, it carried a Law of power that could tear apart the Divine Soul and freeze all things.

It directly stabbed towards Chen Xu's back!

This strike, gathering all of his Late Nascent Soul Stage Cultivation, was his Peak strike as an Assassination Grandmaster!

Fast! Accurate! Ruthless!

He was confident that with this strike, even a Cultivator of the same stage would surely die on the spot!

However, just as that Demonic Blade, which could make any Nascent Soul Cultivator change color, was about to touch Chen Xu's green robe.

An unexpected change occurred!

Chen Xu was still lying on the chair, without even turning his head.

He merely gently tapped the small table with his finger.

Thump~.

A soft sound.

Centered on the lounge chair beneath his feet, countless intricate golden Formation patterns suddenly lit up on the ground!

Buzz—!

Golden light shot up into the sky, yet instantly converged.

A colossal three-dimensional Formation instantly took shape, enveloping the entire back courtyard.

The moment this Formation appeared, Elder Demon You Ying's fatal blow.

Just happened to stab against a seemingly fragile golden light curtain behind Chen Xu.

There was no earth-shattering boom, nor any explosion from the collision of spiritual power.

Elder Demon You Ying's Demonic Blade, capable of tearing mountains and corroding the Divine Soul, stabbed into the light curtain, but it was like stabbing into a mass of extremely viscous cotton.

All the power he had infused into the Demonic Blade was rapidly dissolved and absorbed the moment it touched the light curtain... like a mud ox entering the sea, failing to even stir up a ripple.

"This... what kind of Formation is this?!"

Elder Demon You Ying was greatly horrified, and without thinking, he wanted to retreat.

But, it was too late.

"Welcome."

A voice with a playful smile came from behind him.

Elder Demon You Ying suddenly turned around, only to see that Chen Xu had already stood up at some point, and was turning to look at him.

A cat-and-mouse smile hung on his face.

"My Purple Mansion Heaven Locking Formation, is it hospitable enough?"

As Chen Xu's words fell, Elder Demon You Ying discovered in horror that the space around him had become incredibly stagnant.

His proud speed was suppressed to its limit at this moment; every inch he moved felt like carrying a mountain.

What made him even more terrified was... his connection with the Blood Moon in the sky was forcibly severed by an irresistible force!

"My Barrier!"

Elder Demon You Ying cried out in alarm.

He could feel that his meticulously constructed Blood Moon Barrier.

Was being frantically devoured and assimilated by this golden Formation!

The blood-red color in the sky was rapidly fading at a visible speed, replaced by the majestic Divine Might emanating from this golden Formation.

"You thought your Barrier enveloped my mansion?"

Chen Xu slowly walked towards him, with each step, golden Dao patterns lit up beneath his feet.

As if he was the absolute Dominator of this Grand Formation.

"Wrong."

Chen Xu's lips curved slightly.

"It was my Formation, from the very beginning, waiting for you to fall into its trap. It devours not only your Barrier, but also you."

Boom!

Elder Demon You Ying only felt a sharp pain in his Sea of Consciousness.

His Divine Soul imprint left in the Blood Moon Barrier was instantly crushed into dust by the Formation's power!

"Pfft~!"

He suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and his aura instantly weakened significantly.

He looked at Chen Xu in horror, at the constantly appearing and disappearing profound Dao patterns around him.

Fear appeared in his eyes.

How was this an ordinary Clan Protecting Grand Formation!

This was clearly a deadly trap!

His Domain, his escape techniques, his Laws... within this Formation, they were suppressed by at least ninety percent!

Everything he was proud of had become a joke!

He went from a high and mighty hunter to a trapped beast in a cage, with its teeth and claws pulled out!

"You... you are not Core Formation!"

Elder Demon You Ying's voice was hoarse, filled with disbelief: "Who exactly are you?!"

How could a Cultivator who had just entered the Core Formation Stage set up such a terrifying Formation?

How could he possess such incredible means?

This completely overturned his thousand years of Cultivation knowledge!

"Who I am, you can slowly guess when you go to Hell."

Chen Xu had already walked in front of him, the playful smile on his face gone.

Replaced by a coldness.

He slowly raised his hand.

Clang—!

A clear sword cry echoed through the night sky.

myriad ages azure cloud sword slowly unsheathed.

On the sword body, it was no longer merely a pure azure glow, but a faint layer of purple-gold Dao charm that lingered.

An invisible sharp Qi instantly locked onto Elder Demon You Ying.

At this moment, Elder Demon You Ying only felt his Divine Soul pierced by this Sword Intent.

His entire body ached and felt cold.

He looked at the sword, and at Chen Xu, who stood holding the sword, his eyes like a god looking down at an ant.

Only endless coldness remained in his heart.

Chen Xu raised the sword in his hand, its tip pointing distantly at Elder Demon You Ying's glabella, his voice flat: "Now, it's my turn."

Elder Demon You Ying looked at Chen Xu in front of him in horror.

The sword had not yet been thrust out, but the purple-gold Dao charm lingering on the sword's edge, and the sharp Qi it emitted, already made his Divine Soul, as a Late Nascent Soul Stage Assassination Grandmaster, sting with pain, like thorns in his back.

In his thousand years of Cultivation, he had never felt such an absurd sensation.

He felt like a naked Mortal, with a giant beast's claw tip pressed against his throat.

The opponent hadn't even exerted force, yet the cold breath of death had already permeated his limbs and bones.

Run!

This was the only thought in Elder Demon You Ying's mind.

He could not die here!

He still had great revenge to exact, and ambitions unfulfilled!

"Roar!"

The desire to survive overwhelmed fear and horror.

Elder Demon You Ying let out a roar.

His gaunt body suddenly swelled, and countless black Demonic patterns appeared under his skin.

His eyes completely turned blood-red.

He actually burned his Nascent Soul Origin without hesitation!

The extremely pure Nascent Soul power turned into fuel, in exchange for a terrifying surge of Devilish Qi in an instant.

"Thousand Shadows Demonic Kill!"

Accompanied by his hoarse roar, his body suddenly exploded.

Transforming into a thousand identical black Demonic shadows.

These Demonic shadows were not simple illusions; each one exuded a Nascent Soul Stage aura indistinguishable from the main body, and each held a pitch-black Demonic Blade, with mad killing intent flickering in their eyes.

For a time, the entire back courtyard, enveloped by the "Purple Mansion Heaven Locking Formation," was completely filled with these thousand Demonic shadows.

They came from all directions, from the sky and the ground, from every corner, every angle.

Simultaneously launching a frantic assault towards Chen Xu in the center of the Formation!

This was his ultimate life-saving Demonic Technique, and also his trump card he had once used to besiege and kill Cultivators of the same stage.

A thousand indistinguishable Clones attacking at the same time was enough to make any opponent flustered.

As long as a flaw was exposed, the main body's fatal blow would follow.

He refused to believe that under such a saturated attack, this strange Formation could still protect Chen Xu!

As long as he could break through the Formation, even if only a tiny crack appeared.

He could seize the opportunity to escape!

Facing this scene that could make any Nascent Soul Cultivator's scalp tingle, Chen Xu, standing still, merely smiled faintly!