289: ambushed halfway

[One month later,]

[You have become a captain of the guards in the City Lord's Manor—for this, you even privately gifted the guard commander ten thousand Spirit Stones.]

[The cultivation you reveal at this moment is already the Early Golden Core Stage—this is also one of the reasons you could take this position.]

[As a guard captain for this month, you have not gained nothing.]

[At least, you have gained some understanding of the backgrounds of the four major forces in the city.]

[For example, the overall strength of the Cao Family itself is almost the same as that of the Ji Family of the Tianyu Immortal Dynasty on the Shattered Star Continent.]

[The City Lord, Cao Ruide, is rumored to be at the Late Nascent Soul Stage; he stays in seclusion all year round, and it is rare for ordinary people to see him.]

[Therefore, all matters in the city, large and small, are managed by his daughter, Cao Qingyi—and her cultivation is already at the Early Nascent Soul Stage.]

[On this day, Cao Qingyi summoned all Golden Core Cultivators to gather at the main hall of the City Lord's Manor.]

[Over a hundred Golden Core captains stood neatly in front of the hall.]

[Under each of these captains, there are more than ten Foundation Establishment Cultivators following orders, each managing a part of Tianyang City's defense: city defense, patrols, manor guards...]

[This is the first time you have seen Cao Qingyi.]

[She is dressed in a Cloud-patterned Immortal-staying Dress, her black hair half-tied, with a White Jade Hairpin dangling a tassel. Her face seems formed from moonlight, and her eyes are like autumn waters containing mist, as she stands on the steps before the hall—]

[She truly deserves her reputation as the number one beauty of Tianyang City.]

[Cao Qingyi's gaze swept across the crowd, finally stopping on you.]

[You suddenly felt a majestic Nascent Soul Divine Sense envelop your body, carefully probing every part of your bones and meridians.]

[With her strength, she naturally cannot detect your true cultivation. Not to mention her, even a Mahayana venerable would be unable to detect it.]

["Is he a newcomer?" Cao Qingyi's tone was indifferent.]

[The guard commander, Zhan Peng, took a step forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Reporting to the Young Lord, this person was personally recruited into the manor by me a month ago."]

[This commander, Zhan Peng, is at the Early Nascent Soul Stage and is in charge of all the guards in the City Lord's Manor.]

["Is his background clear?"]

["His background is clean, coming from the Shattered Star Continent. I asked about the local customs there, and everything he said matches..." Zhan Peng paused slightly, then continued via voice transmission:]

["I have also sent people to check on his family; they indeed migrated from that continent. Their strongest cultivation is only Foundation Establishment, and they are currently in the city."]

[The "family" he spoke of are naturally Mr. and Mrs. Yang, Lulu, and Yu'er—]

[Currently, they reside in the city as your elders and relatives. Moreover, their low cultivation happens to make them the most natural "hostages."]

[With a Golden Core Cultivator like you working hard and Foundation Establishment relatives in the city as hostages, it seems perfectly reasonable to anyone.]

[Cao Qingyi nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over the crowd again, and with a wave of her hand, twenty command tokens flew and landed in front of some people:]

["You twenty will accompany me on this trip. The rest of you, stay at your posts; do not make any mistakes."]

[Everyone took their command tokens and responded in unison—you were one of them.]

[Cao Qingyi looked at Zhan Peng and nodded slightly: "While I am away, Tianyang City will depend on you."]

[Zhan Peng nodded solemnly: "Rest assured, Young Lord!"]

[Cao Qingyi gave Zhan Peng a meaningful look, casting a glance that said "act according to plan"—]

[Zhan Peng nodded slightly; the two seemed to be communicating some important matter via voice transmission.]

[While you looked at the command token in your hand, you thought to yourself:]

[You have just arrived, yet she is willing to take you along?]

[Could she not be afraid that you have ulterior motives?]

[Furthermore, a rare and obscure item like a "destiny stone" is useless to ordinary people; it is ten to one that it is in Cao Qingyi's hands.]

[Following her this time is the perfect opportunity.]

[However, Cao Qingyi's thoughts might be different from yours—]

[If she leaves the city, leaving you behind would instead be a hidden danger. Only by bringing you along can she observe you at all times.]

[Those who can travel with her are either about to be tested or used as disposable pawns—]

[The ones she truly trusts are likely those who stayed in the city.]

[A moment later,]

[A spirit boat cut through the thick clouds in the sky, trailing a long streak of light.]

[In the pavilion on the third level of the spirit boat, Cao Qingyi sat quietly with her eyes slightly closed, seemingly resting her mind.]

[You twenty Golden Core guards stood around the deck, silently on watch.]

[The direction of this trip is the imperial capital of the True Spirit Immortal Dynasty.]

[After flying for ten days,]

[Suddenly—]

[A light barrier, like a giant bowl turned upside down, firmly covered the area for a hundred miles!]

[Such an Imprisonment Formation was clearly set up specifically for Nascent Soul Cultivators.]

[Almost simultaneously,]

[Twenty streaks of light flashed and intercepted the spirit boat.]

[The newcomers all had their faces covered with Magical Artifacts, making their true appearances invisible and their cultivations difficult to discern.]

[However, with your Divine Sense, you had already seen through their reality—except for the leader, the rest were all Golden Cores.]

[But that leader gave you a strange feeling—both familiar and unfamiliar.]

[Although you perceived a Nascent Soul aura emanating from him, that aura was unstable and seemed intentionally revealed; he had clearly used a secret technique to mask his true cultivation.]

[This indicated that his strength was definitely more than what met the eye.]

[You were already aware of these circumstances, so you did not alert the enemy.]

[You were just curious—how could the other party set an ambush here so precisely?]

[Such a large Imprisonment Formation could never be formed in an instant; it must have been prepared in advance.]

[Unless... they already knew Cao Qingyi's itinerary.]

[Cao Qingyi had set out immediately after gathering her people.]

[Only those traveling with her would know the route and the time.]

[This meant there was an insider in the team.]

[Just then,]

[Cao Qingyi's figure flickered, and she was already standing on the deck.]

[She looked at the leader, her expression calm: "Why does Your Excellency block my path?"]

[The leader gave a cold laugh, his voice hoarse: "Leave that item behind, and I can spare your lives."]

[Cao Qingyi's eyes narrowed, and she spat out only one word:]

["Attack!"]

[Before her voice had even faded,]

[Her figure suddenly turned into a streak of light, rushing straight towards the light barrier of the sealing formation!]

[In an instant,]

[She reached the light barrier and raised her hand to sacrifice her Lifebound Treasure—the natal artifact.]

[The bone-chilling cold of the natal artifact surged out, and the surface of the light barrier instantly froze with thick ice, which then began to crack and spread.]

[Just as the light barrier was about to break—]

[The spreading ice actually melted rapidly, and the light barrier restored itself, as good as new!]

[The leader stood in the air, looking down at Cao Qingyi, his voice indifferent: "In my presence, you still want to leave?"]

[Before his voice had even faded,]

[A pressure far exceeding that of a Nascent Soul crashed down—he was actually a Deity Transformation Grand Expert!]

[Cao Qingyi's whole body stiffened, cold sweat broke out on her back, and she looked up coldly: "Just who... is Your Excellency?"]

["Hand over that item, and I will spare you from death!" the person said indifferently.]

["In your dreams! Is Your Excellency not afraid of the True Spirit Immortal Dynasty investigating?" Cao Qingyi said coldly.]

["Hmph, ignorant junior." The other party snorted coldly, saying no more, as his Law Domain silently unfolded—the surrounding air seemed to freeze, and the wind and clouds stopped.]

[With a casual wave of his hand, a surge of Primordial Spirit power, like an invisible cone, pierced straight toward the center of Cao Qingyi's forehead.]