The county magistrate was old and not a martial artist, while the princess was skilled in martial arts and wore armor.
Even if someone attacks suddenly and there's no time to react or defend, the short knife shouldn't be able to penetrate.
But the short knife pierced his abdomen, all the way down to the hilt.
Without uttering a word, Qin Zhaoqiong's inner energy surged violently and became uncontrollable, causing her to suffer internal injuries and fall straight backward.
Seeing that something was wrong, Meng Jian immediately helped her up and noticed at a glance that her complexion was off.
At this moment, he couldn't care less about etiquette. As he shouted, he pressed his right palm against the man's chest, trying to protect his heart.
But as soon as the true energy was exhaled, it was like a stone sinking into the sea, having no effect whatsoever.
"Chen Fang, save him!"
The matter was of utmost importance, and Chen Fang no longer cared about hiding his identity. As soon as he made contact, his expression changed drastically. "I can't hold out for long."
Yin Zhe heard this and was anxious, so he became even more ferocious in his attacks.
However, Yan Wujiu abandoned the strategy of maneuvering and chose to engage in close combat.
The closer you are, the denser the gold threads become, and naturally, the more dangerous it is.
The reason for this is simply to keep the other party occupied for a short while.
The short sword was coated with a life-giving poison, which he had personally developed and prepared.
Once it comes into contact with true energy, it will become irritable and unruly, and in an instant it will collide with the internal organs, causing internal injuries.
It was only because Qin Zhaoqiong had an incredibly solid foundation and her internal meridians were far more resilient than those of other martial artists of the same level that she did not die immediately.
However, it won't last long. A Divine Martial Realm expert might be able to delay things, but even a fourth-rank expert with lower cultivation would be helpless.
The fact that the eldest princess has a third-rank expert protecting her when she travels shows that the empress values her highly. Could there possibly be a second one?
Therefore, Yan Wujiu risked getting close to her to delay Yin Zhe and eventually wear down the princess!
The golden threads surrounding Yin Zhe were dense and numerous, like a ball of yarn, and its attack was as fierce as a storm.
No matter how careful Yan Wujiu was, he couldn't withstand the omnipresent golden threads. His white clothes were stained with blood, but he didn't retreat an inch and clung on desperately.
In such a battle, let alone the Imperial Guards, even fourth or fifth-rank officials couldn't get involved; a mere brush against them could be fatal.
Just as Chen Fang's expression grew increasingly grim, a gust of wind swept in.
Despite the life-or-death struggle between two third-grade cultivators at such close range, he actually intervened, and the tornado went straight for Yan Wujiu without disturbing Yin Zhe in the slightest.
They were all acquaintances, and Yin Zhe seized the opportunity to cooperate, using Jin Si to dodge the tornado and dart towards the opponent's face like lightning.
"Sister Yin Zhe, I'm not too late, am I?"
What time is it? Can't you see that the Princess is poisoned?
"Don't make me slap you across the face, save people!"
This really isn't Liu Yan's fault.
Yao Guang was faster than a galloping horse, and finally learned from the imperial guards left along the way that the princess had set up camp in this area.
Afterwards, the Sixth Princess and her entourage changed horses and galloped all the way. They sensed from afar that a third-rank cultivator was making a move, and rushed over in a hurry, without even having time to assess the situation.
After cursing, Jing Yinzhe noticed that the princess was not in a good condition and dared not tease her anymore.
"Can you manage alone?"
The person opposite him was not the one he had encountered before; it was a sorcerer who had truly entered the third rank.
"Go quickly!"
Liu Yan dared not delay and could only trust Yin Zhe's methods, so he flashed to the Princess's side.
Meng Jian did not recognize this person, but since Yin Zhe had spoken, he figured he must be another Xuanji Guard from the capital.
Liu Yan crouched down. "I'll do it."
Chen Fang's face was pale at this moment, and upon hearing this, he dared not let go. "Quick, I can't hold on any longer!"
Liu Yan quickly covered the princess's body with his palm and infused her with his "power," causing her to immediately frown.
The princess's true energy had completely spiraled out of control, rampaging wildly within her body and causing considerable injury.
Chen Fang's true energy acted like a river embankment, firmly protecting his heart meridian and preventing it from invading.
However, her true energy was incredibly resilient, and the destructive power of the waves it formed was terrifying. Even a fourth-grade cultivator couldn't stop it with all his might and could only desperately pour in his true energy, but he couldn't continue for long.
"Let go, I'll do it."
This time, sensing another force, Chen Fang dared to let go, breathing heavily.
The consumption of true energy is one thing, but the most crucial thing is that the output in a short period of time is too large, and now my meridians are in severe pain.
Upon taking over, Liu Yan first protected his heart meridian, and then instead of gradually calming it down, he used his "power" to suppress the unruly surge of true energy in one fell swoop.
On the other side, the Hidden Serpent's offensive, now unburdened, became increasingly fierce.
She was furious that the princess could still be injured even under her secret protection.
The golden threads seemed to have a life of their own, becoming more agile than before. Not only were their every move aimed at killing, but they also concealed the principles of deception and reality.
Yan Wujiu was exhausted and had lost all his previous confidence.
How could that be?
He clearly calculated that there was a Divine Martial Realm warrior guarding the Princess, but there was only one. How could another one suddenly appear out of nowhere?
Upon catching a glimpse of the approaching procession in the distance, with the Sixth Princess among them, he guessed that the hidden agents left behind in the county government office had most likely been killed.
To overlook even one Divine Martial Realm martial artist would mean a major blunder in the entire plan, something almost impossible for a third-rank sorcerer, unless…
Unless a sorcerer of the same level provides cover, it is absolutely impossible!
Could it be Chu Xinglan? How could that be? She would never leave Fengjing.
Sizzle!
The sound of tearing cloth rang out, and Yan Wujiu, momentarily distracted, was struck squarely by a golden thread.
Fortunately, he was able to shift positions within the area covered by his "power," and managed to maneuver at the critical moment, thus avoiding fatal damage.
His right arm was slashed open, and blood gushed out immediately. It was the deepest injury he had sustained since the start of the battle.
Yan Wujiu knew that things were hopeless. Despite his long and meticulous planning, this dignified third-rank sorcerer had ended up losing everything.
No, at least he stabbed him once. He personally prepared the poison, so even a third-grade cultivator would be helpless against it.
He had already considered retreating, but Yin Zhe was now determined and even abandoned the golden threads around his body used for defense.
They adopted a reckless, all-or-nothing attitude, determined to kill him on the spot, making it increasingly difficult to deal with them.
The next moment, three golden threads pierced through Yan Wujiu's body.
One wound was on the left shoulder, another on the outside of the thigh, and yet another between the chest and abdomen; the injuries were severe in an instant.
The sound of whistling gongs rang out nearby, and countless needles, thinner than a human hair, shot out.
Besides mostly enveloping the hidden creatures, they also circled around the Imperial Guards below.
Unable to remain hidden, he could only resort to a defensive move.
At the same time, Yan Wujiu, having endured three blows, finally unleashed his last hidden move.
"Oh no, the dam has breached!"
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