The guards could only stop, thousands of them exchanging glances: "We can't pursue further. The area ahead belongs to the Grand Imperial Preceptor. If we rashly enter, we'll be blown to smithereens by hidden explosive talismans. Retreat!"
Seeing no one was pursuing, Mingzhi Tian felt strange. Could they be playing hard to get, trying to lure him back into a trap? He dismissed the thought; the best course was simply not to go back.
Suddenly, Mingzhi Tian stepped on a thin piece of paper, which felt a little rough underfoot. He picked it up to examine it.
Before he could clearly make out the strange black runes on the thin paper, a sudden series of earth-shattering explosions roared!
"Boom, boom, boom, boom...!!"
The guards watched the sky fill with smoke and shook their heads: "He's dead. Completely annihilated. Let's report back to the King."
...
After the smoke dissipated, everything was eerily calm...
The Cloud-Piercing Arrow returned to its owner, Yanran Qingcheng, who, without looking back or even glancing at the Divine Cultivation King, went back to her room.
Ouyang Nifeng and Ren Xingyao, knowing she had gone out today, rushed out and directly to Yanran Qingcheng's room. The guards dared not stop them, as long as they didn't leave the premises.
The three women gathered. Ouyang Nifeng asked, "How is it? Where is my husband?"
Yanran Qingcheng replied, "Husband has safely escaped. We must stay behind."
They naturally understood her meaning. Ren Xingyao also felt relieved, "As long as husband is alright, that's all that matters."
Ouyang Nifeng scoffed, "What nonsense are you talking? I believe my husband will return to save us."
Yanran Qingcheng shook her head, "It's useless. I only wish my husband wouldn't return, because the Divine Cultivation King is too powerful, and I've already agreed to marry him. The wedding might be held tomorrow."
Ouyang Nifeng was stunned. "What? You b*tch! I can't believe as soon as my husband leaves, you're already thinking of marrying someone else."
Ren Xingyao interjected, "Sister Qingcheng isn't that kind of person. She has her reasons."
Yanran Qingcheng said, "Of course not. It's all for husband."
Ouyang Nifeng asked, "Do we have to marry that old man too?"
Ren Xingyao mused, "But the Divine Cultivation King looks quite young."
Ouyang Nifeng pinched her. "If you're so eager to get married, why don't you marry him in my place?"
Ren Xingyao pouted. "You know that's not what I meant."
Yanran Qingcheng shook her head slightly. "I don't know what the Divine Cultivation King is thinking. If he truly wants all three of us, we can't do anything about it."
...
The Longevity Art circulated. Mingzhi Tian recovered from being essentially turned into minced meat and awoke.
"Pant... pant... pant..."
When he opened his eyes, he saw two paper figures. They were extremely thin, as if a poke from a finger would tear them apart, yet they possessed consciousness and looked at Mingzhi Tian with disbelief.
Tudou said, "Tongluo, you think... after being blown up like that, why didn't he die?"
Tongluo shook his head. "Perhaps he cultivated some kind of technique, like the undead. Tudou, let's quickly go call Master."
Tudou nodded repeatedly and pointed at Mingzhi Tian. "Hey, you! Wait here. Don't you dare leave until Master arrives."
Mingzhi Tian watched the two talking, cute paper figures walk away, completely bewildered.
He looked back towards the opposite cliff and decided not to return for now. He would wait until his injuries healed. There might be a dwelling ahead, and it would be impolite to disturb someone's territory without reason. He would apologize later.
A moment later, a spatial rift tore open, and a woman with a slender figure, her long black hair streaked with a single white lock, stepped out.
Dressed in a talisman-covered coat, she looked down at Mingzhi Tian from a condescending height. "Heart Control Talisman, Stabilize!"
A thin piece of paper flew out and instantly stuck to Mingzhi Tian's chest, rendering him immobile.
Mingzhi Tian inwardly thought, "This talisman is so powerful."
The woman looked at the two thin paper figures. "Tudou, Tongluo, is this the extraordinary person you spoke of?"
"Yes, yes, yes..."
The woman first inspected the scene, discovering that only a small portion of the explosive talismans had detonated, while a large portion remained unfired.
These hidden explosive talismans were meant to deal with cultivators who manipulated spiritual energy. For thousands of years, no martial cultivator had ever come here. Today, she had encountered one, and she wondered, "Are you a martial cultivator?"