122: You call this a trap? This is like giving me a gua sha treatment!
Royal Capital, West District, a remote narrow alley.
This was a gathering place for all sorts of unsavory characters, a breeding ground for shadows.
Deep in the alley, a teahouse named 'Forget Worries' had its main door tightly shut, without a single light on.
However, in the teahouse's underground secret chamber, it was brightly lit.
Three shadowy figures were sitting around a table, the atmosphere oppressive.
"Ghost Smoke failed."
One of the shadowy figures with a hoarse voice spoke; his codename was 'Poison Scorpion', skilled in using poison and setting traps.
"He didn't even send out a signal; he was probably killed instantly."
"How could a mere Condensing Essence Realm brat kill Ghost Smoke instantly?"
Another tall, burly shadowy figure, codenamed 'Iron Ox', retorted with a muffled voice; he was a Late Stage of the Meridian Opening Realm expert who primarily cultivated his Physical Body.
"The intel was wrong! That Li Qing is definitely not in the Condensing Essence Realm! He must be a Spirit Transformation Realm expert hiding his cultivation!"
"No, the intel said he was an Innate Divine Strength possessor!"
Sitting in the main seat was the commander of this operation, 'Blood Blade'.
He was also the strongest among the three, at the Peak of the Meridian Unblocking Realm, just one step away from stepping into the Spirit Transformation Realm.
"Whose Innate Divine Strength is this fierce?"
Blood Blade's voice was icy.
"The mission must be completed. Ghost Smoke's failure has already damaged 'Shadow Kill's' reputation. We have no way back."
Poison Scorpion nodded.
"I've already figured out his route. Tomorrow he's going to the next round's venue for the martial selection; he will definitely pass through Vermilion Bird Avenue."
"There, I've prepared a big gift for him."
"What big gift?" Iron Ox asked curiously.
"An absolute killing Formation."
A cruel smile appeared on Poison Scorpion's face.
"I bribed seven shops on both sides of Vermilion Bird Avenue and set up the 'Seven Star Soul Locking Array'."
"Once he steps into the Formation and it activates, it will be a heaven-encompassing net; he won't be able to fly away even if given wings!"
"By then, even if he truly is a Spirit Transformation Realm cultivator, he'll be worn down to death inside!"
"Good plan!" Iron Ox clapped his hands.
Blood Blade also nodded slightly.
"Good. Iron Ox, you're responsible for the frontal main assault, hold him off."
"I'll provide support from the side, looking for the moment his strength wanes, and deliver a single, fatal blow!"
"Understood!"
The three finalized their plan, their eyes all gleaming with a bloodthirsty light.
It was as if they could already see Li Qing being brutally killed by them in despair, the one thousand Spirit Stones and the spirit breaking pill within easy reach... The next day, early morning.
Li Qing walked out of Tiantian Garden.
His destination today was indeed the Central Martial Arena in the direction of Vermilion Bird Avenue.
His match ended very quickly; the other matches were still ongoing.
Due to the large number of participants, each arena needed to determine its top ten.
This process would take about three days.
He planned to go to the martial arena to check the situation.
His expression was calm, his steps unhurried, as if the slaughter of last night was just an illusion.
However, the moment he set foot on Vermilion Bird Avenue, his steps paused slightly.
In the air, there was an extremely faint aura of Formation fluctuations.
Ordinary Martial Artists couldn't detect it at all, but for Li Qing, whose Divine Soul was connected to his dragon turtle avatar, this fluctuation was as obvious as a bonfire in the night.
Interesting.
A Formation again?
Pretending to be completely unaware, he continued walking forward.
The pedestrians and vendors around seemed completely normal.
But Li Qing could clearly sense at least seven hidden, icy killing intents, firmly locking onto him from the shops on both sides of the street.
When he walked onto the stone-paved road at the center of Vermilion Bird Avenue.
Bzzzt!
An invisible, transparent light curtain instantly rose from the ground, completely enveloping a hundred-meter radius!
The pedestrians on the street seemed to be pushed away by an invisible force; not a single one noticed anything unusual here.
The Formation was activated!
"Brat! Today is your day to die!"
A furious roar sounded as Iron Ox's hill-like figure charged out from a rice shop. In his hands, he held a door-sized mountain-splitting axe, bringing down a force of immense weight directly overhead!
At the same time, from the upper floors of the shops on both sides, dozens of crossbow bolts shimmering with green light poured down like a torrential rain, sealing off all of Li Qing's possible escape routes!
These crossbow bolts were all coated with Poison Scorpion's unique lethal poison, a single drop of blood meant instant death!
"Die!"
Poison Scorpion, hidden in the shadows, revealed a ferocious smile.
With such a heaven-encompassing net, let's see how you dodge!
However, facing this absolute killing situation, the expression on Li Qing's face remained as unperturbed as ever.
He didn't even glance at the giant axe overhead or the sky full of poison arrows.
He simply, lifted his foot.
Then, he lightly, stepped down again onto the stone-paved road beneath his feet.
THUD!!!
A dull, terrifying roar, even more intense and terrifying than the one on the arena yesterday, erupted violently!
This time, he held nothing back.
Five hundred thousand jin of terrifying Great Strength was unleashed without reservation through the earth!
"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
The entire light curtain of the 'Seven Star Soul Locking Array' couldn't hold on for even a single breath under this pure, ultimate violence.
Like glass struck by a heavy hammer, it instantly became covered in cracks, then with a 'Boom!', shattered completely!
That violent shockwave spread madly along the ground!
"Pfft!"
Iron Ox, who had just leaped into mid-air holding his giant axe, was violently shaken by this force transmitted from beneath his feet.
His body instantly lost control, and he spewed a mouthful of blood!
He felt as if his internal organs had been shattered into pieces!
As for those poison arrows shot at Li Qing, they were shattered into dust mid-air by an invisible force, turning into a cloud of powder!
"What?!"
Poison Scorpion and Blood Blade, hidden in the shadows, felt their eyes were about to pop out!
One stomp!
Just one stomp!
Their meticulously arranged 'Seven Star Soul Locking Array', enough to trap and kill a Spirit Transformation Realm cultivator, was... just stomped to pieces?!
What the hell kind of power is this?!
"Seeking death!"
Li Qing mentally snorted, taking a step forward from within the cloud of dust.
His first target was Iron Ox.
Iron Ox was now severely injured on the ground. Looking at Li Qing walking towards him like a demon god, his eyes were filled with terror.
"No..."
He had just wanted to beg for mercy.
But Li Qing had already thrown a punch.
Boom!
Iron Ox's Physical Body, comparable to metal and stone, was like paper in front of Li Qing's fist.
His upper body was directly blasted into a mist of blood.
Instant kill!
"Quick! Retreat!"
Blood Blade was scared out of his wits. In that instant, he realized they had provoked a terrifying existence.
The task they accepted this time had been deceived by the surface information!
Whose good guy at the Middle Stage of the Condensing Essence Realm instantly kills someone at the Meridian Opening Realm?!
The Seven Star Soul Locking Array was directly stomped to pieces with one foot!
This wasn't something they could handle!
He turned around, wanting to flee.
But Li Qing's speed was faster than his.
A black shadow flashed, and Li Qing was already blocking his path.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Blood Blade looked at the calm face before him, his scalp tingling.
"Your Excellency! We are from 'Shadow Kill'!"
"If you kill us, the 'organization' won't let you go!"
"Oh? Is that so?"