Jinxiu Prefecture.
Adjacent to Zijing Prefecture, but the customs and traditions were vastly different.
Here, spring lasted all year round, the scenery was beautiful, forests formed dense canopies, and birds sang amidst fragrant flowers everywhere.
The night was like ink, the moon like a hook.
The evening wind howled, and the trees rustled.
In the dense forest, a figure moved as swiftly as the wind, its speed like lightning.
"Damn it, you despicable and shameless bastard!"
Ling Lan, the saintess of the Feng Sect, gritted her teeth, enduring the bone-piercing pain in her body and the increasing weakness. She couldn't help but curse in a low voice.
She had been ambushed and drugged by a villain.
Not only had her cultivation declined, but her body was also getting hotter, her mouth dry, her breathing rapid, and her consciousness began to blur.
It was evident that the poisoner was incredibly vile, having mixed it with an aphrodisiac.
Ling Lan had already taken the sect's sacred antidote, but it had no effect. All she could do now was to find a hidden place to hide and evade her pursuers before the poison fully erupted.
Otherwise, if she fell into their hands, the consequences were unimaginable.
She looked around and spotted a small mountain valley.
Without hesitation, she rushed in and hid in a crevice in the rock, covered by thick vines, concealing her presence.
Not long after.
More than ten shadowy figures entered the valley, each exuding an aura of Golden Immortal realm or higher.
The leader was the most powerful, possessing the cultivation of the Supreme Immortal realm. She was a beautiful woman with a slender waist and voluptuous hips.
Such a formidable lineup was indeed powerful, no wonder Ling Lan had to flee in desperation.
Of course, if she hadn't been poisoned, Ling Lan wouldn't have been in such a sorry state. Now, she had lost the ability to resist.
"Spread out and search. See if that little slut Ling Lan is hiding nearby."
The woman issued orders, her gaze inadvertently drifting over the vine-covered mountain wall, a cold smile curling at the corner of her lips.
"Yes, Protector Meng Ji!"
The subordinates took their orders and scattered, searching the valley in all directions.
Ling Lan, as the saintess of the Feng Sect, indeed possessed profound concealment techniques, successfully evading the search.
"Reporting to Protector Meng, no trace of Saintess Ling Lan of the Feng Sect has been found."
A subordinate reported the search results.
Meng Ji was displeased and snorted angrily, "What kind of saintess is she? Just a slut who knows how to seduce men. Rest here for a while, build up your strength, and then we'll drag that slut out."
Although she had sensed Ling Lan's hiding place, Meng Ji was not in a hurry, preferring to play a game of cat and mouse.
Of course, the main reason was that the longer the time dragged on, the deeper Ling Lan's poisoning would become, making her easier to deal with.
"Rest? That won't do. The young master's orders are to capture Ling Lan alive at all costs. If we fail, we'll all be punished. You know the young master's methods."
A subordinate at the Profound Immortal realm couldn't help but retort. Resting at this moment was utter foolishness.
If Ling Lan escaped, the punishment would be severe.
The others chimed in, believing that continuing the pursuit was the correct course of action. Ling Lan, being severely poisoned, shouldn't have escaped far. Delaying would be problematic.
"Are you teaching me how to do my job?"
Meng Ji looked at the Profound Immortal, her eyes icy cold.
The Profound Immortal was not intimidated. He had always looked down on this protector who had climbed her way up through her body. He said in a deep voice, "I am merely trying to complete the young master's task..."
However, before he could finish, he was sent flying horizontally.
Meng Ji directly slapped him away and then swiftly closed in, stomping him to the ground with a kick in mid-air.
Bang!
The rocky ground immediately developed a large pit, with mud and stones splashing.
The unfortunate Profound Immortal was in a terrible state, his face disfigured, several ribs broken, and he coughed up blood incessantly.
To make an example of him, Meng Ji deliberately struck with great force.
The others immediately fell silent, not daring to utter another word.
"Insubordination is punishable. If there's a next time, you die!"
Meng Ji snorted coldly and then released her foot.
The Profound Immortal was clearly still defiant, saying stubbornly, "If Ling Lan escapes, you will be solely responsible."
Meng Ji sneered, her fingers clenching, "Trash like you only holds me back. How could the person I want to capture escape my grasp?"
Hearing these words, Ling Lan felt a sense of foreboding.
With her sharp mind, she immediately sensed that something was amiss and quickly realized she might have been exposed.
Otherwise, Meng Ji wouldn't have been so calm and composed.
"This woman is so insidious!"
Ling Lan gritted her teeth, guessing the other party's intentions.
With the situation as it was, she had no choice but to fight with all her might.
The subordinates dared not defy Meng Ji any further and gathered to rest, having already decided to shift the blame to Meng Ji if the mission failed. The young master's punishments were always vicious, so let this woman bear the brunt of it alone.
"I'll risk it."
Ling Lan seized the opportunity, decisively unleashing her body's potential to suppress the poison, disregarding the damage to her foundation to briefly recover fifty percent of her strength.
Boom!
The stone wall exploded, and vines flew everywhere.
She suddenly burst out of the crevice and launched an attack.
A ball of azure gale instantly formed, tearing through the void and striking towards Meng Ji.
"Oh, the little mouse isn't hiding anymore and dares to resist!"
Meng Ji revealed a playful expression and retreated rapidly, dodging the attack.
"You really knew my hiding place. Such deep scheming."
Ling Lan's face turned pale, her hands glowing with even more intense immortal light. She sent several more gusts of wind towards Meng Ji.
Meng Ji dealt with them with ease, sneering, "Heh, you are already at the end of your rope. All your struggles are in vain."
But Ling Lan clearly wasn't planning to fight Meng Ji head-on. She employed a feint, using the gale to entangle Meng Ji, and then turned to attack the more than ten subordinates.
Moreover, her attacks were ruthless killing blows, showing no mercy.
Screams erupted one after another, wind blades flew, and blood splattered.
Ling Lan was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, reaping a heavy toll.
These people were no match for Ling Lan's single move. The Profound Immortal, who was originally the second strongest in the group, was already heavily injured and lying on the ground. No one could stop Ling Lan, and soon they all lay in pools of blood.
"You're courting death!"
Meng Ji's face contorted, her face turning green with rage.
Although she disliked these subordinates, their deaths meant she couldn't escape responsibility and would inevitably face the young master's punishment.
She had thought she was playing cat and mouse, but unexpectedly, she had overplayed her hand and gotten herself into trouble.
Meng Ji was furious. She forcefully broke through the surrounding gale and ferociously lunged at Ling Lan.
"Bitch..."
Her claws moved like the wind, her fingers glowing with a dark, cold light. Her palm wind carried a foul odor, forcing Ling Lan to retreat step by step.
After her brief burst of power, Ling Lan's aura began to wane, and she could no longer resist. A claw struck her chest, leaving several bloody gashes, and she spat out a large mouthful of blood.
"It's just that you're a little bigger than me, but in other ways, you can't compare to me."
Meng Ji looked at Ling Lan's exposed fair skin with envy, unable to understand why the young master was so fixated on obtaining this woman. Wasn't she good enough?
She tackled Ling Lan, pinning her down, and began to tear and beat her.
"Huh, what's going on down there? One woman tackling another? Is the local custom in Jinxiu Prefecture so unrefined?"
A voice filled with surprise echoed from the sky above.