300: Qingyi was assassinated

[Inside the City Lord's Manor—]

[Cao Qingyi's bedchamber had long been reduced to ruins. Amidst the debris, multiple forces were clashing violently, and the roar echoed throughout the City Lord's Manor.]

[In the courtyard, over a dozen masked assassins in black were forming an array, coordinating with the person in the center to surround and kill Cao Qingyi.]

[More than ten corpses of the City Lord's Manor guards lay scattered on the ground, the blood seeping from their wounds tinged with a strange purplish-black—all signs of poisoning.]

[Clearly, there was an inside informant in the manor, and this assassination had been long-premeditated.]

[The leading assassin also had a Early Nascent Soul Stage cultivation. After only a few exchanges, Cao Qingyi had already identified the other party's identity.]

["Qiu Tiankuo, you dare to make an enemy of my Cao family? Aren't you afraid I'll report this to the True Spirit Immortal Dynasty?" Cao Qingyi's voice was cold, but her breath was faintly erratic, and her lips were slightly purple, clearly showing she had also been poisoned.]

[As it turned out, the leader was none other than the vice-gang leader of the Flood Dragon Gang, Qiu Tiankuo, who was also at the Early Nascent Soul Stage like her.]

[However, Qiu Tiankuo's Foundation was far less profound than hers. Had she not been heavily poisoned, she would have suppressed him long ago.]

[The cause of this matter was that Cao Qingyi had recently dealt with a business involving the illicit trafficking of Forbidden Drugs, cutting off an important source of wealth for Qiu Tiankuo—at least, so it seemed on the surface.]

[The refining of this Forbidden Drug required a massive amount of the life Origin of young boys and girls. For such a heinous act that incensed both gods and men, Cao Qingyi had naturally led her people to wipe them out without hesitation.]

[Qiu Tiankuo gave a sinister laugh. "Cao Qingyi, this is a personal vendetta between us. Don't try to use the Immortal Dynasty to pressure me. Today is the day you die!"]

[Before he had finished speaking, an object suddenly flew out of his sleeve—it was a bone nail as black as ink.]

[The bone nail was about three inches long, its entire body wrapped in a foul blood-colored Qi, bringing with it a shrill ghostly wail as it shot straight toward Cao Qingyi's forehead!]

["Soul-Slaying Nail!"]

[Cao Qingyi's pupils constricted slightly. Her figure retreated rapidly as she simultaneously formed hand seals, an icy blue radiance surging around her.]

[A solid barrier of cold ice instantly formed in front of her.]

[Ding—!]

[The Soul-Slaying Nail struck the ice barrier, acting like a bone-corroding poison. Black patterns like spiderwebs rapidly spread across the ice layer with a sizzling sound, eroding most of it in an instant.]

[At the same time, the surrounding black-clad assassins all manifested their Magic Treasures—chains, poison banners, flying needles, Yin thunder, and fire Talismans, weaving an airtight net of death that covered Cao Qingyi from all directions.]

[She gave a soft shout, and her Lifebound Treasure, the natal artifact, flew out from between her brows, hovering above her head and scattering thousands of ice crystals.]

[Wherever the cold Qi reached, the ground condensed into frost. Several incoming chains and poison banners were actually frozen in mid-air.]

[But Qiu Tiankuo had clearly come prepared. Seeing this, he sneered and flipped his hand to take out a small crimson banner, unfurling it in the wind—]

[Rolling blood mist surged from the banner's surface, with countless distorted faces faintly appearing within the mist, letting out silent wails.]

[The blood mist and the cold light of the natal artifact touched, producing a piercing sound like a hot iron entering water, as they eroded and wore each other down.]

[Cao Qingyi's face turned a few shades paler. This blood banner was clearly an evil object designed to counter ice-type Magic Treasures.]

[She bit the tip of her tongue and spat a mouthful of essence blood onto the natal artifact.]

[The orb's light surged violently, transforming into an icy blue bright moon. The moonlight poured down, forcing the approaching blood mist back several yards.]

[But at that moment, her body swayed; the poison had already reached her heart meridian.]

[Qiu Tiankuo seized this momentary flaw and manifested the Soul-Slaying Nail again. This time, it split into nine, turning into nine ghostly shadows that blocked all her paths of retreat!]

[A cold light suddenly flared in Cao Qingyi's eyes. Ignoring the poison, she forcibly circulated her entire cultivation to perform her Lifebound Divine Ability. The natal artifact exploded with a ring of ice—]

["Ice Soul Ring!"]

[Everywhere the ring's light passed, all the vegetation in the courtyard was frozen. Three black-clad assassins who couldn't dodge in time were instantly turned into ice sculptures, which then shattered into powder.]

[Most of the Soul-Slaying Nail's nine ghostly shadows were also dispersed by the shock.]

[However, this strike also caused her aura to plummet, and a trail of black blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.]

[Although Qiu Tiankuo was also hit by the ice ring and thick ice condensed on his chest, he relied on his cultivation to endure it. The killing intent in his eyes grew even stronger. "You're at the end of your rope. Let's see how much longer you can hold out!"]

[Just as he was about to activate the blood banner again, he heard Cao Qingyi say coldly, "Do you really think... I came unprepared?"]

[She suddenly raised her hand and slapped a deep blue Talisman onto the ground—"Mystic Underworld Heavy Water Talisman!"]

[The moment the Talisman shattered, the gravity of the entire courtyard suddenly surged tenfold!]

[The ground collapsed with a roar. The figures of all the assassins sank, their movements instantly becoming as sluggish as if they were stuck in a quagmire.]

["It's actually the Mystic Underworld Heavy Water Talisman!" Qiu Tiankuo's expression also changed drastically, and the blood banner in his hand nearly slipped away.]

[This Mystic Underworld Heavy Water Talisman was a high-grade Talisman personally refined by a Spirit Transformation Cultivator, containing a trace of the Law Power within it.]

[Cao Qingyi took the opportunity to drift back. Her fingertips tapped repeatedly, and seven ice spikes condensed from the Void Realm, shooting toward the throats of seven assassins!]

[Puff, puff, puff—the seven men fell to the ground.]

[But she had also reached her limit. Her body swayed, and she could barely stand steadily.]

[Qiu Tiankuo was furious. He violently urged his Qi to break free from the heavy water's restraint. The Soul-Slaying Nail and the blood banner came out together, turning into a red-and-black intertwined malevolent light that lunged straight for Cao Qingyi's heart!]

[At this life-or-death moment—]

[A pressure as majestic as a mountain suddenly descended, enveloping the entire courtyard.]

[In the next instant, a figure appeared silently beside Qiu Tiankuo, as if he had already been standing there.]

[Qiu Tiankuo looked to the side in horror—only to see the newcomer raise a hand and lightly press a palm onto his crown.]

[Qiu Tiankuo's pupils shrank. Before he could even cry out, his head cracked inch by inch, like a shattered piece of pottery.]

[His Nascent Soul tried to escape, but it was locked firmly inside his skull by an invisible force. After struggling for less than a breath, it dissipated and vanished like a bubble.]

[Bang!]

[His stiff corpse fell to the ground, devoid of any life.]

[Witnessing this scene, Cao Qingyi's entire body trembled.]

[She looked up and vaguely saw the newcomer's face—Cao Ruide.]

["Father... you're finally back."]

[Before she finished speaking, her eyes were already wet, and a hot tear rolled down her cheek.]

[The poison she had been suppressing, combined with the backlash from the intense battle, completely erupted at this moment.]

[Her vision went black, and she collapsed softly.]

[Your gaze swept over the remaining black-clad assassins in the courtyard. Their faces were pale, and their eyes were filled with horror.]

["Cao Ruide... he really is in the manor..."]

["Escape—!"]

[Before the words were finished, you flicked your sleeve, and several streaks of light shot out like lightning, piercing through everyone's foreheads in an instant.]

[One corpse after another fell to the ground, their life force cut off.]

[With a slight thought, you waved your hand and collected everyone's qiankun rings.]

[Your Divine Sense swept through them, and you smiled helplessly—these people were all assassins, and their qiankun rings were completely empty, containing only their personal Magic Treasures.]

[To you, these Magic Treasures were merely equivalent to snacks for Qin Han.]

[Then, with a thought, your appearance quietly reverted to its original state.]

[Next, you leaned down to pick up the unconscious Cao Qingyi and turned to walk toward another intact bedchamber.]

["Cao Ruide" was, of course, transformed by you using the Illusionary Form Technique.]

[In the ancestral hall of the City Lord's Manor, his portrait was enshrined year-round. Mimicking his appearance was not a difficult task for you.]