A journey through ancient times, a journey of exquisite divine skills

Chapter 345 Backstabbing the Empress, the Battle for the Box

The Empress and her brother, Liu Lingzhen, entered the pavilion.

The attic was very spacious, and oil lamps were lit all around, making it very bright.

The Empress raised her hand and shot a hidden weapon from her fingertips, accurately hitting an inconspicuous protrusion on the wall.

A soft "click" sounded.

A hidden compartment suddenly opened slowly at the top of the attic.

Then a thick iron chain slowly lowered an ebony box from the hidden compartment.

The creaking sound of the iron chains scraping together was particularly clear in the empty attic.

Liu Lingzhen stared at the slowly descending wooden box, her eyes suddenly narrowing.

But he ultimately suppressed his impulse and remained standing still.

He was clearly still wondering if the box really contained the thing he had been longing for.

The empress took a step toward the wooden box, and the moment she took the box off with both hands...

Her body suddenly swayed violently, a suppressed "uh" escaped from her throat, and the wooden box in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

A stinging crimson line snaked down the corner of her mouth.

Behind her, Liu Lingzhen had somehow acquired a long sword, its blade gleaming with a cold purple light.

It was none other than King Ling's sword—the Purple Cloud Sword.

The sword, a symbol of the power of the Spirit Kingdom, is deeply embedded in the Empress's back.

The Empress endured the excruciating pain, gasping for breath.

The blood on her back quickly soaked through her moon-white dress, spreading out like a dark flower.

Liu Lingzhen's voice came from behind, flat and without any ripples.

I'm sorry.

The Empress was wounded by the Purple Cloud Sword and stood rooted to the spot, unable to move.

But she still managed to turn her eyes to the side, glancing sideways at Liu Lingzhen behind her.

But a bleak smile appeared on her lips.

"Brother Wang's sword strike was even more decisive than I expected."

"Since you know how determined I am, why did you bring me here in the first place?"

There was finally a subtle change in Liu Lingzhen's voice.

The empress's breathing became increasingly rapid, each breath carrying the stench of blood.

"I just... want to make myself... give up on you."

Upon hearing this, Liu Lingzhen turned her head away, refusing to look at her expression.

Then he suddenly drew the Purple Cloud Sword from his hand.

The empress staggered forward a few steps due to the momentum and fell heavily to the ground, her skirt covered in dust and blood.

Liu Lingzhen walked step by step to her side, looking down at her younger sister on the ground.

"Indeed, the person who understands me best in this world is you."

He bent down to pick up the wooden box from the ground, opened it, and looked at what was inside.

"I left my homeland and endured all kinds of suffering overseas, all for this!"

He stood up, turned his back to the Empress, and spoke in a cold, hard voice.

"The bond we formed as siblings in this life, Brother Wang... I will repay you in the next life."

After saying that, he picked up the wooden box and started to walk towards the door.

But would the Empress let him leave so easily?

She gritted her teeth and struggled to her feet, her face as pale as paper, yet an unusual flush rose to her cheeks.

That's a sign that the injury was too severe and that all the body's vital energy had been depleted.

Despite the excruciating pain, she staggered forward, trying to block his path.

Liu Lingzhen noticed the movement behind her, and with a backhand slash, the tip of the Zixiao Sword was aimed directly at the Empress's face, as fast as lightning.

Just as the tip of the sword was about to touch her nose, the sword suddenly stopped.

Liu Lingzhen looked at the person who suddenly grabbed her wrist.

His eyes darkened, and he murmured, "Is this the cultivation technique of the Exquisite Divine Skill?"

A mere Holy Maiden from the Spirit Kingdom has actually cultivated other people's martial arts, and even reached the Great Yuan Realm.

The person who grabbed his wrist was Hua Lingxing.

She said firmly, "I'm sorry, but I have been expelled by the Empress and am no longer one of the Nine Holy Maidens of the Spirit Kingdom."

The Empress, who was standing in front of the Purple Cloud Sword, could no longer hold on and fell to the ground with a thud.

Hua Lingxing glanced at the Empress who had fallen to the ground.

Her voice grew deeper: "Although I am no longer the Holy Princess, the Empress must not be harmed."

Upon hearing this, Liu Lingzhen burst into laughter, her laughter filled with sarcasm: "You think you can stop me with your strength?"

"Even if we can't stop it, we have to stop it!"

Before Hua Lingxing could finish speaking, she unleashed a palm strike with a fierce wind towards Liu Lingzhen.

The two men's palms met, and with a muffled thud, they were both sent flying backward.

Using the momentum of being thrown backward, Hua Lingxing caught the Empress who had fallen to the ground and took her away from Liu Lingzhen.

Just as Liu Lingzhen regained her footing, a sharp sword aura attacked from behind.

He shifted his feet and dodged to the side, then, after clearly seeing the person and sword before him, he asked, "This is... the Exquisite Sword Technique?"

The one who drew the sword was Xiao He.

Her first sword strike failed, and as soon as she landed, she immediately turned around and swung her sword again, only to be kicked in the wrist by Liu Lingzhen.

The sword flew from his hand, tracing an arc in the air.

Xiaohe cried out urgently, "Shui'er!"

Shui'er suddenly appeared from mid-air and caught the sword.

Then, with a swift movement, he thrust downwards at Liu Lingzhen.

Liu Lingzhen dodged to the side, grabbed Shui'er's arm with her other hand, and with a gentle flick, threw her out.

The water droplets in mid-air were caught steadily by Qin Lingxing.

At this moment, Hua Lingxing closed in again and kicked Liu Lingzhen in the ribs.

Liu Lingzhen blocked the attack with her left arm.

Xiaohe then circled behind him and punched him in the back.

Liu Lingzhen touched the ground with her toes and flipped in the air to avoid being attacked from both sides.

The moment he landed, a figure appeared in front of him like a ghost and punched him in the waist.

Liu Lingzhen reacted extremely quickly, slightly bending her right leg to take the punch head-on.

With a soft "crack," several fine cracks appeared on the bluestone slab beneath his feet.

He had barely steadied himself when another man thrust his sword at him with a cunning and treacherous strike.

Liu Lingzhen shifted half a foot to the left to avoid the sword's edge, but her gaze suddenly sharpened as an old man suddenly grabbed the wooden box in her left hand.

The old man who appeared was none other than Song Jiuxian.

Liu Lingzhen sensed the profound energy within him and dared not underestimate it. She suddenly flicked her left hand upwards, and the wooden box flew out of her hand, soaring into the air.

At the same time, he condensed a ball of blue-white light in his right hand and blasted it towards Song Jiuxian with a world-destroying aura.

Seeing the astonishing power of the light, Song Jiuxian dared not be negligent.

He hurriedly channeled all his strength, striking out with both palms to collide with the ball of light.

"boom--"

The shockwave surged, and Song Jiuxian was ultimately slightly outmatched. He was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the wall. He felt a sweet taste in his throat and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Before the wooden box in mid-air could fall, two more figures rushed up.

It was Xiao Lie and Xiao Man who both wanted to take the wooden box.

But Liu Lingzhen was faster than them.

He flashed in front of the two men and kicked each of them.