44: Chapter 44 Ruan Ning

It was unavoidable!

Spells? Talismans? Magical Artifacts?

Countermeasures flashed through Ruan Ning's mind in an instant. Her fingertips moved slightly as she pinched a Golden Light Talisman.

This single Talisman probably couldn't block it, but it was the only method she could think of, perhaps to buy time to escape.

But just as the Golden Light Talisman's protective shield rose, Senior Brother Li in front of her directly raised his hand and struck out, his Spell landing directly on her Golden Light shield.

With a loud bang, the Golden Light Talisman shield shattered instantly like glazed tile, exploding into golden fragments.

Junior Sister Chen's Flying Sword, carrying a bone-chilling coldness, stabbed directly toward Ruan Ning's back!

The coldness of death instantly seized her. The air seemed to freeze, and even time paused for a moment.

In her fading consciousness, the taste of the immortal brew from the Drunken Immortal Tower inexplicably surfaced in her mind.

And what followed was the smiling faces of the Su Family siblings.

On this long and cold path of Cultivation, that brief time spent together had become the only warm color in her memory.

A faint sigh escaped Ruan Ning's lips, and her tense body and mind strangely relaxed.

Perhaps death, for her, was actually a form of release.

Cultivation is truly meaningless...

Ruan Ning calmly accepted death, but the anticipated sting did not arrive.

A fierce gust of wind suddenly swept in from the side. Junior Sister Chen was caught off guard by the massive impact, spinning in mid-air and flying sideways.

"Who is it!"

Senior Brother Li's expression changed drastically; he could no longer maintain his smile.

Because the arrival was actually a Innate Martial Artist, enveloped in Protective Aura, possessing formidable strength capable of crushing all Early Stage Qi Refining Cultivators head-on.

What made him most wary wasn't the opponent's Realm, but that this person managed to evade the Cultivators' Divine Sense and approach them silently!

Ruan Ning was equally bewildered, subconsciously thinking some Fellow Daoist had come to help.

When she turned to look, it was that familiar handsome face.

And the arrivals were not just one person.

There was also a girl, half a step slower, running over angrily. Under Ruan Ning's confused gaze, she pulled her behind her to protect her.

"Sister Ruan, are you hurt?"

Su Xuanjing asked with concern.

Su Xuanming stared coldly at this Senior Brother Li. His scholarly temperament, now surrounded by Protective Aura, carried a hint of ferocious Aura.

"You guys..."

Ruan Ning was extremely surprised, not only by Su Xuanming's strength but also by their appearance here.

"It seems Sister Ruan is fine. We'll talk about other things later. Is this bad guy your Senior Brother?"

Su Xuanjing scanned Ruan Ning with her Divine Sense and breathed a sigh of relief.

It was good they arrived in time; if they had been half a beat slower, Sister Ruan would have been severely injured even if she hadn't died.

"He is my Senior Brother, but I don't know why he attacked me," Ruan Ning said with a gloomy expression.

As soon as she finished speaking, Junior Sister Chen, who had been punched away by Su Xuanming earlier, with broken bones, still charged toward them recklessly.

Senior Brother Li decisively cast a Spell on himself and fled into the distance without looking back.

Seeing this, Su Xuanming immediately prepared to chase after Senior Brother Li.

After all, the opponent was a Qi Refining Third Layer Cultivator, while Junior Sister Chen was only Qi Refining Second Layer. Dealing with her alongside his sister and Ruan Ning would be more than enough.

But as soon as he took a step, Junior Sister Chen, who rushed over head-on, used some secret technique—her whole body began emitting an eerie bright light.

Red cracks spread across her skin, seeping out wisps of firelight. A crazed smile appeared on her face, followed by a wave of scorching energy spreading out!

Su Xuanming's pupils narrowed, his expression changing drastically. He instantly flashed forward to shield his sister and Ruan Ning.

Boom—

Junior Sister Chen's body exploded like an overinflated ball!

The deafening explosion was earth-shattering. Residents of the nearby Qingyuan County heard the sound, and the blinding light was like the scorching sun falling to the earth!

Senior Brother Li, while fleeing, showed a crazed smile, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It was fortunate he had kept a backup plan; otherwise, he truly would have capsized in the gutter tonight.

Who could have imagined that the person he viewed as an ant was actually a hidden Innate Martial Artist? What was even more outrageous was that this person happened to appear in this location.

He even suspected that Ruan Ning had seen through his scheme and deliberately brought helpers.

However, even a Innate Martial Artist absolutely could not survive such an explosion.

And he knew Ruan Ning's methods well; she didn't possess any Spell capable of blocking magic of this magnitude.

Therefore, these three were surely dead!

The deafening roar finally subsided, and the air was filled with a pungent smell ofburnt (scorched residue) and dissipating spiritual energy.

Out of caution, Senior Brother Li sent his Divine Sense back while fleeing.

The result made the crazed smile on his face freeze instantly.

The three figures emerged from the thick fog completely unharmed, each enveloped by three layers of barriers. The light shields formed by Talismans were covered in web-like cracks, eventually dissipating into specks of spiritual light as their energy was exhausted...

First Grade High Grade Golden Light Talismans!

Nine were thrown at once, an extravagance as if Talismans were free.

Among the Su Family, only Su Yang and Su Xuanjing could do such a thing.

At this moment, let alone Senior Brother Li being stunned speechless, Ruan Ning, as the party involved, felt a mix of emotions because she clearly saw Su Xuanjing throw the Talismans!

Their status as Cultivators was self-evident...

But she didn't have time to think too much. Senior Brother Li's assassination attempt and Junior Sister Chen's self-detonation left her confused and angry.

Su Xuanming and Su Xuanjing were the first to charge toward Senior Brother Li.

Su Xuanjing threw a Lightness Talisman onto both of them, instantly boosting their speed by another notch.

Immediately after, ten more Talismans were thrown out!

The Talismans emitting golden light formed a cage locking down heaven and earth. Golden chains flew out, forcefully dragging the fleeing Senior Brother Li into the cage and blocking his retreat.

At this moment, Su Xuanming arrived. His fist, wreathed in Protective Aura, carried the sound of breaking air and smashed violently into Senior Brother Li's face!

Bang!

Bloody teeth flew out of his mouth. Senior Brother Li was nearly knocked unconscious by this punch.

Su Xuanming's methods were brutal and savage, completely different from his usual scholarly demeanor.

In truth, Su Xuanming also wished he could use a sword like his elder brother, with graceful swordsmanship, heroic bearing, and coolness.

But unfortunately, his talent in the Dao of the Sword was ordinary, and his Aptitude for Spells was equally unremarkable. Furthermore, his cultivation was stuck at Qi Refining Third Layer, meaning he had few Cultivation techniques he could deploy. At this stage, the simple and brutal Martial Artist fighting style suited him best.

Senior Brother Li, thrown to the ground and bound by the Talisman chains, saw Ruan Ning quickly approaching. He immediately shouted: "Junior Sister, there's been a misunderstanding, please listen to what I have to say..."

Ruan Ning's gaze sharpened, and without hesitation, she drew her sword across his throat.

"Hah!"

Senior Brother Li's eyes widened. The Dao technique he was secretly activating was abruptly cut off. He couldn't believe that Junior Sister Ruan was so wary of him, still guarding against him even at this moment.

"Aren't you going to question him?"

Su Xuanming asked, surprised.

Only after confirming Senior Brother Li was completely dead did Ruan Ning breathe a sigh of relief and shake her head: "I understand this person. He wouldn't reveal any information; he would only try to escape or even counter-kill us."

After speaking, she looked at the siblings with a complex expression, as if to say, you two kept this hidden from me for so long.

Su Xuanming gave an awkward smile.

Although he hadn't displayed his Cultivator techniques, the ability to approach Ruan Ning and the others silently had already exposed that he, like Su Xuanjing, was a Cultivator.

Ruan Ning hadn't reacted during the fight, but now that she thought about it carefully, she would realize it.

Martial Artists did not possess the ability to hide from Divine Sense detection; only the Breath Concealment Technique of a Cultivator could achieve that.