Chapter 69

In the Stacked Green Pavilion of the Cuiyu Mountain Villa, a pair of lovers were bidding a reluctant farewell.

"Lin, do you really have to go?" Sima Rou tightly held Nan Gong Lin's hand, her eyes full of reluctance.

"This is a task entrusted by my elder brother. For the sake of the Nan Gong family, I dare not refuse." Although Nan Gong Lin was already over forty, he still exuded a graceful and handsome demeanor, radiating the charm of a mature man. Compared to the "Romantic Prince" Xiao Wuqing, he was no less impressive. "Rou, you must remember, no matter how much I play along with her, deep in my heart, I will always love only you."

"Lin, just thinking about you having to deal with that neither male nor female monster from the Shangguan family makes me... " Sima Rou, speaking with sorrow, couldn't help but shed tears.

"Rou, you are so good to me." Nan Gong Lin's large hands tightly held Sima Rou's delicate, white hand, his expression moved.

The daughter of the governor of Nanzhong Province, Sima Rou, was beautiful with fair skin, wearing a white silk robe and a plain long skirt that reached the ground. A green jade belt was casually tied around her waist, her slender figure barely able to be held. Her tearful, melancholic expression made Nan Gong Lin's heart race, almost losing control and wanting to carry her upstairs to "punish her on the spot."

"Sister Rou." A gentle and pleasant voice suddenly came from the doorway, breaking the sorrowful and romantic atmosphere of the farewell.

"Sister Ziyuan." Sima Rou's face lit up with joy upon seeing a purple-clad girl enter.

Nan Gong Lin turned to look and saw the girl in a light purple robe, with arched eyebrows, a slightly upturned nose, a face like white jade, and a complexion as fresh as morning glory. Her hair was tied with a golden band, shining brilliantly in the sunlight. Her hair, with a hint of brown, was tied into a long ponytail that hung behind her. Her right sleeve revealed a white, delicate hand holding a beautifully sheathed sword, exuding a noble and cold demeanor with a touch of martial valor.

Nan Gong Lin's heart pounded, the girl before him was as beautiful as a celestial being, radiating an aura that said "do not approach." For a seasoned womanizer like him, she was full of allure and the desire to conquer.

Even the beautiful Sima Rou, who was considered a beauty in his eyes, was overshadowed.

The purple-clad girl, seeing Nan Gong Lin and Sima Rou deeply engaged in a farewell, was taken aback. Realizing she had come at an inappropriate time, she apologized, "Sister Rou, I will go and pay respects to Auntie first, and come back to talk to you later."

Without waiting for Sima Rou's response, she turned and left the pavilion.

Watching the slender back and the swaying long ponytail of the purple-clad girl, Nan Gong Lin suppressed his desire and asked nonchalantly, "Rou, who is this...?"

"Lin, this is my best friend, and she is of noble birth. Don't even think about her." Sima Rou said in a coquettish tone.

"Rou, what are you saying? Don't you understand my feelings?" Nan Gong Lin denied repeatedly, "I was just curious. In this Nanzhong Province, is there anyone more noble than the governor's daughter?"

"Her father is the city lord of Nantian City, the largest city in Nanzhong Province." Sima Rou explained, "Not to mention, her master is the grand elder of the Nantian Sword Sect, a Lingzun-level powerhouse."

"To be taken under the wing of a Lingzun, she must indeed have great fortune." Nan Gong Lin nodded slightly, "Your friend must have exceptional cultivation potential."

"Not just exceptional, she is a once-in-a-thousand-years Yin-Yang Body." Sima Rou's tone was filled with envy, "Her cultivation of cold-natured techniques progresses at an incredible rate, and she will surely become a Lingzun in the future."

"Really that powerful?" Nan Gong Lin was stunned. In his mind, Lingzun was the pinnacle of existence, and the Seven Sages would never appear in the secular world unless under special circumstances.

"Moreover, the Yin-Yang Body has another benefit." Sima Rou said mysteriously, "It is said that the first man to have relations with a Yin-Yang Body woman can greatly advance in cultivation, even breaking through a major cultivation realm."

Nan Gong Lin's heart was greatly shaken. He was a womanizer who disliked cultivation, and at over forty, he had only managed to reach the peak of the Earth Wheel realm with the vast cultivation resources of the Nan Gong family, and could not make any further progress.

In a prestigious family like the Nan Gong family, being the head of the second branch without the strength of the Heaven Wheel realm made him feel inferior to his elder brother. Hearing that there was a method of dual cultivation that could help him break through his bottleneck, it was a perfect combination of career and interest, and he couldn't help but be excited.

"Lin, don't even think about Ziyuan. The Lingzun of the Nantian Sword Sect protects her closely." Sima Rou seemed to see through Nan Gong Lin's thoughts, "I think they will likely arrange a Heaven Wheel-level partner for her within the sect, and through dual cultivation, add two more Lingzuns to the sect."

"Rou, do you not trust me?" Nan Gong Lin laughed dryly, feeling somewhat dejected.

"How could I? Lin, take care on your journey. I wish you success." Thinking of her beloved being forced to pursue a woman he didn't like, Sima Rou's tears fell like rain, her heart aching, feeling like a heroine in a romance novel.

"Rou, I will miss you..."

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In the ruins of Leiyin Valley.

"Mr. Xu, you only said you hired us Qingyun Gang to move goods." A gray-clad man respectfully sought the opinion of the white-clad man, "These people..."

"Add three hundred spirit crystals, and kill them all." The white-clad man licked his lips, his slightly red eyes flashing with a cruel light.

"These women are quite attractive. Do you mind if my men have some fun before killing them?" The leader of the gray-clad men spoke respectfully but with a very explicit content, "My men are rough and have been pent up for a long time, they need an outlet."

"Lord Guan," the white-clad man, Mr. Xu, spoke with an unchanged tone but a colder demeanor, "Your men are your responsibility, but if you ruin my plans, you know the consequences..."

"Mr. Xu, rest assured, I will not let any of them escape from this ancient site." Lord Guan and Mr. Xu thus openly declared the fate of Zhong Wen and the others in front of them.

Seeing the other side so dismissive of them, Zhong Wen and Nan Gong Ling exchanged a glance, almost simultaneously thinking of how to use this opportunity to play the role of a pig eating a tiger and outsmart the enemy. However, Shen Dachui, hearing the disrespectful words, was furious and directly threw a punch, which transformed into a spiritual tiger in the air, shattering their plan.

"Heaven Wheel expert!" Lord Guan exclaimed, clearly not expecting this unremarkable old man to be a great expert.

"This is getting more interesting." Mr. Xu grinned, his expression somewhat sinister, "I'll take care of this old man, you deal with the others."

"Old Shen, that white-clad man is yours." Zhong Wen, seeing no chance to play it smart, decided to face the challenge head-on, "We'll help you after we deal with the others."

"I can handle it alone, just be careful yourselves." Shen Dachui, with the dignity of a Heaven Wheel expert, faced the much younger Mr. Xu, knowing his opponent was no ordinary person, but unwilling to lose his composure.

As they spoke, both sides chose their targets and engaged in battle.

Liu Qiqi faced two Earth Wheel cultivators, her long sword performing the "Whirling Wind and Falling Goose Sword Technique," her body surrounded by a flow of light and sword shadows. With the Star Spirit-level technique "Heavenly Sword Aura" enhancing her, each sword strike carried a sharp, piercing sound. The two opponents, despite their numerical and cultivation advantage, were flustered and unable to respond.

Zheng Yueying faced one Earth Wheel and three Human Wheel cultivators. She used the "Cloud Step" and the "Eighteen Wave-Cutting Saber Techniques," the momentum of her attacks like surging waves, each wave more powerful than the last, giving the impression of invincibility. More remarkably, as she fought, she sang a bold and cheerful tune, each line making her aura more overwhelming.

In ancient times, the Taihang Mountains region was home to an organization that could almost rival the Seven Great Sects, but with a very loose structure: the Taihang Knife Knights.

This was a loose alliance of independent and free-spirited knife experts who had no ambition to rule the world. They always hummed loud and beautiful mountain songs, wandering through the world, upholding justice and traveling far and wide.

Later, a genius among the Taihang Knife Knights combined mountain songs with techniques, inventing a method to enhance strength by humming specific tunes:

The Taihang Song Formula!

Using this technique, a knife expert single-handedly broke into one of the Seven Great Sects of ancient times, the Fire Emperor Sect, rescued a besieged close friend, and escaped unscathed.

This battle shocked the entire cultivation world at the time, and from then on, the name of "First Knife of Taihang" Qu Xiaoyao was known throughout the land.

After thousands of years, in the ruins of the ancient sect "Leiyin Valley," the once powerful knife techniques of the Taihang Knife Knights reappeared.

The green-clad girl sang the bold and cheerful mountain songs of the knife knights with a clear and pleasant voice, adding a unique charm. Combined with her fairy-like appearance, graceful posture, and overwhelming knife techniques, the visual and auditory experience was truly breathtaking!

However, her opponents could not appreciate any beauty, only feeling the fierce and overwhelming knife techniques growing stronger and stronger, struggling to hold their ground, hoping the waves would pass quickly.

Leng Wushuang also faced two Earth Wheel cultivators alone. In the chaos, she dared not use the "Deadly Sword Technique" and instead used the same method as with the fat swordsman, occasionally striking a cold sword. Her deep cultivation and the cold nature of the Tai Su Yin Yin Gong made the two opponents very uncomfortable.

Nan Gong Ling strategically targeted the weaker opponents, the Silver-grade "Light Splitting Sword Technique" in her hands was highly flexible, making it hard to defend against. She moved among six to seven Human Wheel-level gray-clad men, often taking a life with each strike.

The most surprising was Shen Xiaowan, a Human Wheel cultivator with a cute and innocent appearance but immense strength. Her small fists swung with great force, facing four Human Wheel opponents, not only holding her own but also overwhelming them. One opponent, accidentally hit by her fist, immediately suffered broken bones and cried out in pain.

Seeing his men being slaughtered, Lord Guan was greatly distressed and wanted to help, but was met with Zhong Wen's smiling face.

"Lord Guan, since we are all going to be left in the ruins, why not start with me?" Zhong Wen said.