Nine Evolutions of the True Spirit
chapter-287

Chapter 287: Ambushed in The City

After bidding farewell to Enlightened Master Liang Xuan-Feng, Lu Ping made his way back to his rented cave-dwelling. Chilian Ying was still in the Melodious Inn, waiting for the cultivation forum that Enlightened Master Mei was holding after the ceremony. The forum would be beneficial for her preparation in breaking through to the Core Forging Realm.

“Little Lu, I’m about to condense my Golden Core. When I become an Enlightened Master, I’ll help you handle all the things you’re too weak to do!”

Lu Ping had laughed when she had told him that as she was leaving the inn. Whilst she may seem brazen and careless, she was actually incredibly sharp. Although Lu Ping couldn’t figure out why she insisted on following him around, she didn’t look like a spy planted by his side on behalf of Maiden Pavilion. She was likely staying around because of her own will.

Thinking about Chilian Ying, Lu Ping couldn’t help but be curious about the relationship between her and Enlightened Master Mei. She wasn’t Enlightened Master Mei’s disciple, yet she was still given the same privilege as if she was one.

Enlightened Master Liang Xuan-Feng had warned Lu Ping not to get too close to Enlightened Master Mei, which was surprising. However, he quickly noticed something unusual about Enlightened Master Mei, making him suspect that Enlightened Master Mei was also a former Enlightened Master from Zhen Ling Sect, prompting him to try and dig more into the matter.

In response, Enlightened Master Liang dismissed Lu Ping’s further questions, and warned, “Knowing too many things brings you no good! Just remember, don’t get too close to her, and don’t ever mention your identity, or anything about Zhen Ling Sect.”

After warning Lu Ping, Enlightened Master Liang murmured to himself, “Those freaks, all of them! I still thought she would help me in the mission, who knew she’s also going into closed-door cultivation to break through into the Avatar Realm. I guess that means I’m back to being alone then.”

Lu Ping had wanted to ask more questions, but Enlightened Master Liang didn’t give him the chance, he just turned around and disappeared.

Lu Ping shook his head helplessly and pondered on the information he had just learned.

Before he left the North Ocean, Enlightened Master Jiang Xuan-Lin had just broken through to the Avatar Realm; his teacher, Enlightened Master Liu Xuan-Ling, was also preparing for her advancement.

From the news he had just learned from Enlightened Master Liang Xuan-Feng, Xuan Ling Sect’s Enlightened Master Feng Xu-Dao had also broken through to the Avatar Realm. After his breakthrough, the newly advanced Great Ancestor Feng challenged Great Ancestor Jiang to a fight but he was defeated. Once again, the entire North Ocean was stunned by Great Ancestor Jiang’s prowess!

Grandmaster Alchemist Yan Wu-Jiu was also preparing for a breakthrough, which was why he had entrusted Luan Yu to Lu Ping’s care.

Melodious Inn’s Enlightened Master Mei was also going into closed-door cultivation for a breakthrough.

Junior Martial Uncle Enlightened Master Liang Xuan-Feng was also on a mission that was part of the preparation for his breakthrough.

It seemed that all the high-level cultivators he knew were striving to enter the Avatar Realm at the same time. Lu Ping couldn’t help but wonder if it was all a coincidence, or if something really was happening that pressured all of them to speed up their cultivation progress?

If something were to happen, it would be a huge event that would change the history of the cultivation world. Otherwise, these high-level cultivators wouldn’t have become so pressured.

Thinking of the North Ocean, Lu Ping couldn’t help but think of Hu Lili, who had lived up to his expectations. She had now been accepted as a direct disciple by her teacher, Enlightened Master Xuan-Chen.

Because of Yuan Zhan and Leng Qian’s actions of abandoning Hu Lili, Enlightened Master Xuan-Chen had made a huge fuss in the Yuan Clan and Leng Clan. Strangely, the Enlightened Masters from the two clans didn’t return to their clans to stop her. Rumor had it that Enlightened Master Liu Xuan-Ling had stopped the Enlightened Masters on Tian Ling Mountain.

Enlightened Master Liu Xuan-Ling’s involvement wasn’t a surprise as she and Enlightened Master Xuan-Chen were martial sisters under the tutelage of the same teacher.

However, as Enlightened Master Liang wasn’t concerned about the matter, he didn’t know what happened afterwards and couldn’t tell Lu Ping. In Lu Ping’s view, the Yuan Clan’s actions had not only harmed him, they had also suggested that the clan might one day harm the sect for its own benefits.

But because there was no evidence to prove anything, there was nothing he could do, besides caution Enlightened Master Xuan-Chen and Enlightened Master Xuan-Ling. Otherwise, Enlightened Master Xuan-Chen wouldn’t be the only one that stormed the Yuan Clan and Leng Clan!

As Lu Ping was deep in thought, he inadvertently let his guard down. After all, this was Qian Yuan City, the Northern League’s home base, no one would expect anything to happen here. Hence, Lu Ping wasn’t as cautious as when he was out in the wild, so he didn’t notice the street starting to empty.

Soon the only sound left on the street was his footsteps. Suddenly, Lu Ping came to his senses and he stopped to look around, only to see a ripple of light covering the entire street.

Lu Ping quickly spread out his divine revelation, discovering that it was confined within the light dome. Suddenly, he lifted up his left hand, summoned the Golden Scale Sword, and swiftly slashed to the side.

Dang—

A masked man suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Although the man had managed to parry the Golden Scale Sword with his mystic instrument, the strong power in the attack still injured him, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood. The man’s eyes were filled with shock as he didn’t expect that he would be noticed, or worse still killed with just one attack!

Immediately afterwards, the Golden Scale Sword turned around and slashed backwards. Dozens of sword lights flew towards the street behind him, forcing three cultivators to move out from the shadows to defend themselves.

These cultivators were dressed the same, their faces were covered by a cloth mask and their clothes were made from common hemp fabrics.

Three more cultivators also rushed out from the sides. Just as they summoned their weapons, three whip-like shadows flashed out and ruthlessly smacked their weapons out of their control!

The cultivators tried to regain control of their weapons, when they suddenly saw the shadows lunging towards them, forcing them to jointly cast a shield mystic instrument in front of them.

The shadows hit the same location on the shield, causing it to bend on the first hit, crack on the second, then finally shatter on the third. The main cultivator controlling the shield was heavily injured, and one of the shadows, that was white in color, struck him hard.

Blood spurt out of the cultivator’s mouth, turning into blood shards. His body froze and smashed into pieces as he fell to the floor as a dead man.

The assailants eventually realized that the shadows were actually monster snakes.

The other two cultivators were still in shock, when the blue snake and green snake slithered towards them from the sky.

On the other side of the battlefield, Lu Ping effortlessly killed two of the three cultivators. The final cultivator was still putting up a fight, but he hadn’t noticed that a huge brick had been raised up behind him.

Bang—

The brick collided with the cultivator’s back, causing him to crash to the ground.

Lu Ping suddenly felt a murderous killing intent. This time, it was coming straight from behind him!

Lu Ping hurriedly cast the [True Origin One Essence Sword Art] with the Golden Scale Sword and slashed backwards, while his left hand was discreetly moving as it was controlling something.

“Oh? A mystic treasure? This flying sword will be mine now!”

Dang—

Lu Ping took several steps back. His face had gone slightly pale from the loss of arcane energy and the impact from the masked man’s attack.

This masked man was a Second Layer Core Forging Realm Enlightened Master. He wasn’t a heavily wounded one like Enlightened Master Jin Li, but one that was at his full strength!

“What? How did you not die from my attack?”

The masked man said in a hideous voice, “How is this possible! No, I can’t let you live to take your revenge, you must die here today!”

He recalled his spear, which was also a mystic treasure. Just as he was about to strike again, he heard two cries coming from the other side.

After Lu Ling killed the first cultivator, the remaining two had just been killed by Lu Qin and Lu Hai. The masked-man’s eyelids pulsed with rage, as he said, “You must die!”

The masked man injected his true energy into the spear, causing it to light up with spiritual light and look like a thunderbolt. He raised the spear and aimed it at Lu Ping’s neck, there was no way Lu Ping could escape from this deadly strike!

Strangely, Lu Ping wasn’t terrified, and was instead smiling happily!

The masked man was stunned, as a bad feeling emerged in his heart. He suddenly noticed what was happening, just as a flying sword cut open the light that was covering the street!

Crack—

Without the light dome covering the energy waves, the vibrant true energy from the masked man and his spear immediately spread out to other parts of the city. Almost a third of the city immediately sensed the energy waves and knew that there was an Enlightened Master making a scene inside of the city!

“Which son of a bitch is fighting in the city?”

An angry shout came from far away. Clearly, such reckless actions in the middle of the city had pissed off the Enlightened Masters in the Northern League, and the one who spoke was clearly not a good-tempered Enlightened Master!

“You’re lucky, but only this time.”

The masked man knew it was now impossible to kill Lu Ping, so he turned around and disappeared into the depths of a dark alley.

Lu Ping quickly kept the snake trio and Dabao back into the spirit pet pouch. It was Dabao who had knocked the other cultivator unconscious with a brick, and who had also collected the cultivators’ interspatial pouches while the masked man was attacking Lu Ping.

Initially, Lu Ping wanted to take the unconscious cultivator away to interrogate him, but unfortunately, he left the Tome of Thousand Millets inside the cave-dwelling, and it would bring too much suspicion by carrying an unconscious cultivator in the city.

Hence, Lu Ping killed the cultivator whilst he was in his sleep, and left the alley.

A red light flew down from the sky and landed on the street. The Enlightened Master was a muscular and bearded middle-aged man, who had a gloomy face and a pair of furious eyes. After his arrival, several other Enlightened Masters appeared at the scene to inspect the surroundings.

Lu Ping had already blended into the crowd on a busy street. The Enlightened Masters’ divine revelation swept the entire city, but Blood Condensation Realm cultivators like himself generally didn’t raise any suspicions from them.

A few moments later, Lu Ping was back at his cave-dwelling in Qian Yuan City.

Right after the Northern League cleared the bodies and cleaned the empty street, two slender cultivators moved out of a small building in the alley right beside the empty street.