80: Chapter 80 Xia Jin's Ambush: Only One Chance

The massive commotion caused by Xia Jin immediately alerted the three Earthly Immortal Realm existences, including Lu Tiancheng, deep within the Great Qian Imperial Palace.

Lu Tiancheng, sitting cross-legged on a stone pillar, suddenly snapped his eyes open, his gaze falling in the direction of the Duke Zhen Mansion.

"What is going on? To cause such a huge disturbance within Tianyu City, who dares to be so audacious!" A faint sense of foreboding rose in his heart. Without much hesitation, his somewhat withered body slowly rose.

"Forget it, at this critical juncture, it seems it would be safer for this old man to personally take a trip!"

As he spoke, Lu Tiancheng simultaneously looked toward the two figures, one black and one white, sitting quietly on the opposite stone pillars.

Those two were likewise alerted by the massive commotion from the Duke Zhen Mansion; they opened their eyes at the same time, with a faint blood-red light flashing deep within their pupils.

"Mm! It would indeed be safer for you to go. Emperor Lu Hao cannot be lost; otherwise, the three of us won't be able to find a 'blood meal' to replace him anytime soon!"

Lu Tiancheng nodded slightly, and his figure vanished instantly from the spot.

Only a few breaths later, Lu Tiancheng's figure was already standing in the Void Realm above the Duke Zhen Mansion. He squinted his eyes, looking down at the mansion which had now been completely reduced to rubble, and his expression couldn't help but darken.

"Who on earth could actually harness the intent of thunder to raze the entire Duke Zhen Mansion to the ground!" Lu Tiancheng's gaze fell upon the broken wood that had been turned into charcoal; beneath the firelight, one could faintly see flickering electrical arcs.

The vast Divine Sense of the Earthly Immortal Realm spread out instantly, and suddenly, his expression changed.

"There really is a lingering trace of Emperor Lu Hao's Qi here!?"

He took a light step forward as if the space itself were being compressed, and his figure appeared within the wreckage of the only wing in the backyard that hadn't been completely destroyed. There, three women lay unconscious on the ground, their clothes tattered and barely covering their bodies; they were the two secondary wives of Duke Zhen Zhao Wuji and his newly taken concubine, Lady Jia.

With a casual wave of Lu Tiancheng's hand, three wisps of Spiritual Qi were channeled directly into the women's foreheads. "Wake up!"

Within a breath, the three women's eyelashes fluttered violently, and they woke up one after another.

"This... why did I just faint!?" One of the women, in a daze, glanced at her surroundings, and a look of terror immediately appeared on her face.

"Ah!!"

With a scream, she frantically grabbed the scattered fragments of silk bedsheets nearby, wrapping them tightly around her body as she curled into a ball, shivering uncontrollably.

The remaining two women also regained their senses and hurriedly huddled together in a panic.

"Speak! What exactly happened here just now? Where is Emperor Lu Hao?!"

The terrifying pressure of the Earthly Immortal Realm descended, making the three women feel as if they had fallen into an ice cellar. The woman with a tear mole at the corner of her eye looked at Lu Tiancheng and said tremulously, "Immortal... Immortal Master, have mercy. This humble one... this humble one isn't quite sure what just happened. Tonight, His Majesty graced us... just... just as the business was finished... suddenly a figure burst into the room... and then we knew nothing more."

"What a waste!! Lusting after beauty to the point of doing it in a Duke's home!!" A cold light flared in Lu Tiancheng's eyes. "However, to dare strike within Tianyu City, this rat is bold enough!"

He closed his eyes, extending his powerful Divine Sense to its full extent, frantically searching for the residual fluctuations of Qi in the space.

Soon, he opened his eyes.

An aura he had never seen before was surging toward the border of Great Qian at an incredible speed!

Within that aura, a trace of Emperor Lu Hao's Qi was faintly mixed in.

"Rat, do you think you can escape from the palm of my hand?" Lu Tiancheng gave a cold laugh, and his entire being instantly transformed into a streak of light, tearing through the sky as he gave chase toward the northwest!

Wherever he passed, the clouds parted automatically, leaving behind a long trail of air currents.

At this time, Xia Jin followed his pre-planned retreat route without a moment's pause.

Soon, he arrived at a hidden mountain hollow where there was a cave he had prepared in advance. He quickly ducked inside and threw the heavily injured and unconscious Emperor Lu Hao onto the ground. Next, he hoisted up a male corpse he had prepared earlier, which was of a similar build to Emperor Lu Hao.

"Hmph! I wonder which of those three old ghosts will come out of the Great Qian Imperial Palace this time? It would be best if it's the one called 'Lu Tiancheng'! That way, this Prince will have the chance to complete the System's first mission!" Xia Jin gave a cold laugh.

He then carried the body double and sped off along another route in the opposite direction of the cave. Soon, he arrived at a valley filled with thick mist.

This was a place he had specifically chosen; with the mist for cover, it might increase the success rate of his sneak attack.

Xia Jin found a conspicuous large blue rock and threw the body double onto it, then immediately hid in the shadows of the forest at the edge of the valley.

"Based on the timing, if they really are chasing me, they should be arriving soon! I hope that when the time comes, this Prince's great gift can be delivered!"

"Demonic Heart Crossing!!"

Taking a deep breath, Xia Jin's eyes suddenly turned blood-red, and a violent power surged from the depths of his heart, instantly circulating through his entire body. Although he did his best to restrain his aura, his inner power was climbing frantically, becoming nearly twice as powerful as before!

"Seven Styles of Jiji!"

At the same time, he drew a long saber from behind his back and began swinging it continuously on the spot.

Once!

Twice!

Three times!

The seven-fold Saber Intent slowly condensed, held back but not released. The Saber Intent faintly radiating out definitely exceeded the limits of the Spirit Wandering Realm.

This was one of Xia Jin's trump card techniques—the Seven Styles of Jiji! When the seven styles merged into one, it had the power to annihilate the Divine Soul!

"No, this is still not enough! There is only one chance; if it doesn't succeed in one go, I'm afraid I'll only be able to run!" At this moment, Xia Jin's skin had unknowingly begun to turn from its original bronze color to red, and one could even see wisps of steam rising from his body.

The boost from Demonic Heart Crossing, combined with the restrained seven-fold Saber Intent, was also a massive burden on his body.

"Shenxiao Lightning Technique!!"

With another thought from Xia Jin, wisps of pure and overbearing purple lightning spread from his palm, directly coiling around the blade and slowly merging with the seven-fold Saber Intent.

Even under Xia Jin's deliberate suppression, the ground beneath his feet began to melt continuously.

Indeed, the mountain rock beneath his feet was actually melting like ice and snow, and his whole body began to sink slowly.

"If it weren't for the Nine Turns Creation Sutra being able to mask my current aura, those old ghosts would have probably discovered me before they even left Tianyu City!" The veins on Xia Jin's forehead bulged, and he couldn't help but feel a bit fortunate.

Ten breaths passed,

Xia Jin's crimson eyes stared fixedly at the sky in the direction of the valley entrance.

"Why hasn't anyone come yet? Could my plan have failed?" Xia Jin's heart couldn't help but turn cold. He was already nearing his limit; if he didn't quickly disperse his current state, he feared his own body would be the first to give out.

However, just as he was about to give up.

Suddenly, an aura far exceeding the Tongshen Realm came racing toward the valley where he was located.

"Finally... I've waited for you!"