novelaction Chapter 358 Secret Plot
Chapter 358 Secret Plot
The sudden turn of events caused the man in the splendid robes to change his expression. He hurriedly tried to activate his flying sword magic weapon, intending to cut the wooden vines and recall the magic weapon.
Unexpectedly, these wildly growing wood-attribute vines were incredibly tough, and even with his exceptionally sharp flying sword and magic weapon, he couldn't break free from their restraints for a while.
No matter how he made hand seals, the flying sword magic weapon emitted faint sounds and the sword body trembled violently, almost pushing it to its limit, but it was still firmly entangled by countless vines.
"Who dares to meddle in my affairs and even make a move in secret? Show yourself to me!"
After several unsuccessful attempts, the man in brocade robes felt a little uneasy. His tone was not defiant, but he seemed to be trying to bolster his courage. As he spoke, he also used his divine sense to search his surroundings.
Suddenly, a sharp aura came from above the two of them, with a powerful magical energy that made everyone present feel a sense of pressure.
Looking up, a simple and ancient-looking third-tier flying boat magical artifact had appeared in the sky above.
On the spirit boat, a man dressed in white stood quietly, his gaze calmly looking down.
Although there was no immediate action, it made everyone present hold their breath.
These two uninvited guests, in particular, sensed a great danger and were filled with apprehension.
"Who are you, and why did you suddenly attack?"
"Could it be that you are the helper hired by the Han family?"
Seemingly sensing that the man in white was not someone to be trifled with, the two below did not make any rash moves. After exchanging glances and signals, it was the man in the brocade robes who took the initiative to ask.
"You two have misunderstood. My surname is Lin, and I am not a member of the Han family."
In the sky, Lin Changsheng sat atop the flying boat, smiled calmly, and spoke in a seemingly gentle manner.
"Hmph, since you're not a member of the Han family, you'd better mind your own business and avoid getting into trouble."
At this moment, another slightly older man in a cloth shirt snorted and reminded him in an unfriendly tone.
As he spoke, the man's gaze swept over the magically enhanced vines not far away, his eyes flickering.
He then transmitted his voice to his companion: "This person's magical power is profound, and his realm surpasses that of the two of us. Try to hold him off for now and wait for Elder Li's support."
The elegantly dressed man on the other side nodded imperceptibly.
"Hehe, although I am not a member of the Han family, I am a guest elder of the Liuyan Sect. It is probably inappropriate for you two to so openly coerce families within my sect's territory."
"I observe that the magical energy within your two fellow Daoists seems to originate from the same lineage, unlike ordinary rogue cultivators. Although you tried your best to conceal it when you fought, you could not escape my detection."
Lin Changsheng glanced at the two of them, as if he could see through their thoughts, and smiled meaningfully.
It appears that Lin Changsheng's cultivation level is at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, but his divine sense has already surpassed that of ordinary Golden Core cultivators. Naturally, the content of the previous exchange between the two could not escape his perception.
"Hehe, who was I back then? Just a guest elder of the Willow Smoke Sect..."
Upon hearing the words "Guest Elder," the young man in brocade robes seemed rather disdainful, but his words were interrupted by the older man in cloth robes, who then said:
"However, since we have encountered you today, we will take this opportunity to give face to your Liuyan Sect. My brother and I will now depart."
As he spoke, the latter winked repeatedly.
Upon seeing this, the man in brocade robes seemed to understand something, and then looked down at the flying sword magic weapon that was trapped by Lin Changsheng's magic.
After a few breaths, seeing that Lin Changsheng still refused to return the flying sword and magic weapon, the man in the brocade robes changed his expression slightly.
"Does Elder Lin think that the guest elders of the Willow Smoke Sect are of such high status that no one can match them?"
Then, the older middle-aged man in the cloth shirt spoke with the same profound meaning and confidence.
"Hehe, I, Lin, know my own worth perfectly well. But you are clearly Golden Core cultivators from other sects, yet you pretended to be rogue cultivators and infiltrated the Yan Kingdom. This makes me a little curious. I wonder what your intentions are?"
Lin Changsheng looked at the two calmly, but then said something surprising, directly exposing their disguised identities.
Upon hearing this, not only did the two people opposite him change their expressions slightly, but Han Feng and the other high-ranking members of the Han family below also showed unusual expressions.
"You're talking nonsense! We two are clearly just ordinary cultivators who have undergone tribulation!"
Before the older, middle-aged man in the cloth shirt could speak, it was the younger, finely dressed man who lost his composure and vehemently denied it.
At the same time, he secretly and anxiously transmitted his voice to the one before him.
"Senior brother, this person has actually seen through our identities. Let's just go all the way and kill him to silence him!"
Lin Changsheng, on the other hand, ignored the weak and feeble explanation, only slightly raising the corners of his mouth and showing a hint of mockery in his eyes.
"Hehe, Elder Lin, there's no need to test our identities. My brothers and I often travel between various immortal cities, and over the years we've offended quite a few powerful forces. If our true identities are exposed, we'll inevitably face retaliation from our enemies."
"Our decision to leave was not out of fear of Elder Lin, but because we felt it was unnecessary to provoke a powerful force like the Willow Smoke Sect."
"But if Elder Lin continues to press us, we won't be able to care about anything else."
Despite having his identity exposed to his face, the middle-aged man in the cloth shirt remained calm and showed no sign of panic.
"real identity?"
Lin Changsheng smiled lightly, a mocking expression on his face, and then spoke bluntly:
"You two fellow Daoists have a good plan. Your Senior Brother Li is on his way here. When the three of you join forces, I, Lin, alone, will probably not be able to resist you, thus avoiding the risk of the news leaking out."
"It's just a pity that you two overestimated your abilities. Before your Senior Brother Li arrives, I will have already taken you two down."
At this point, the two people opposite could no longer hold back, and their expressions changed drastically.
"You... were able to detect our telepathic communication!"
Before he finished speaking, Lin Changsheng, who had been standing on the spirit boat, suddenly exuded a powerful aura, his magic power surged, and his robes fluttered.
It is like a real, lush green that bursts forth from within.
Within a radius of a hundred feet, countless trees and plants grew rapidly and wildly, coalescing into thick vines that resembled flexible tentacles, extending towards the two people below.
The young man in splendid robes had to resort to his sharp third-tier magic weapon again to resist the vines because his flying sword was bound by them.
Having learned from his previous experience, he dared not confront the vines head-on. Instead, he skillfully maneuvered his magical artifact among the vines, waiting for an opportunity to stab at their roots.
Under his urging, the flying sword artifact pierced through several vines, but as a pale green aura spewed out from the broken branch, the vine gate, which had been split in two, twisted and turned on the ground, and in an instant grew rapidly into two brand new vines.
The man in the cloth shirt on the other side encountered the same situation.
Even metal-based magical artifacts, known for their sharpness, would find it difficult to cut down these rapidly growing vines, thanks to the advantage of elemental counteraction.
On the contrary, the growth of a large number of wood-type plants continuously compressed the space for the two to dodge.
After only a dozen breaths, the two were horrified to discover that not only could they not break through the endless vines and vegetation, but the space around them was also gradually shrinking, almost trapping them inside.
Left with no other choice, the two simultaneously resorted to defensive measures, activating their defensive magic shields to resist the attacks from the wooden vines while racking their brains to find a way out of their predicament.
From the outside, a dense forest suddenly appeared in front of the Han family's land, and it was constantly growing, instantly blocking out the sky and becoming lush and verdant.
Suddenly, flames flashed in the woods, clearly indicating that the two trapped inside were trying to use the flames to break the spell.
But after only a few breaths, the fire gradually died down as the rapidly growing vines surged and pressed down on it.
"This person's mastery of wood-attribute magic is extraordinary, simply terrifying!"
The middle-aged man, dressed in a cloth shirt, was utterly despondent and had almost given up struggling.
Another young man in splendid robes looked at the wooden vines that covered the protective barrier, his expression gloomy, unable to resist.
Surrounded by endless wooden vines, he felt that his opponent's methods were terrifying, and a sense of powerlessness gradually rose in his heart.
‘Crack! ’
'Click! '
Two faint cracking sounds came one after another. The protective magic shields around the two people finally failed to hold, and they were surrounded and bound by the wooden vines that spread from all directions, turning them into two wooden dumplings in the blink of an eye.
"what--"
"Ah-"
Next, from within the two bundles of wooden dumplings, a chilling sound of bones cracking could be faintly heard, accompanied by the two people's shrill screams.
Faced with this result, the Han family's high-ranking members, who were inside the great formation in the Han family's territory below, looked at each other in shock.
Apart from Han Feng, the highest-ranking cultivator among them was only a pseudo-core cultivator.
Either of those two Golden Core cultivators could have put the Han family at risk of extermination.
But now, those two were forcefully suppressed by Master Lin in less than twenty breaths, suffering a fate worse than death.
At this moment, they witnessed firsthand that the usually gentle and calm Master Lin actually possessed such formidable strength!
"Thank you, Master Lin, for once again saving my Han family from this predicament."
Han Feng clasped his hands together and bowed deeply to Lin Changsheng.
Their eyes were filled with longing for Lin Changsheng's formidable strength.
Only now did he truly realize that there are differences even among Golden Core cultivators.
He still has a long way to go, and he must not become complacent and slack off in his cultivation just because he has achieved the Realm of True Person and become the Golden Core Ancestor of his family.
"It is too early for Fellow Daoist Han to offer a solution now."
Lin Changsheng chuckled softly, his gaze naturally drifting towards a certain direction in the distance.
……
the other side.
A beam of light pierced through layers of clouds, leaving a long trail in the sky.
"Hmm? Their auras are rapidly weakening!"
"Such a pure wood-attribute aura. This person can fight two against one. It seems we're in for some trouble."
Amidst the clouds, a strange old man, who appeared to be over sixty but had a ruddy complexion and an unusually robust physique, muttered to himself with a look of surprise.
As he spoke, he dared not delay and used his magic power to rush towards the Han family's territory at full speed.
However, during the journey, he did not forget to activate a precious communication talisman, which transformed into a swift stream of light and flew towards the Willow Smoke Sect.
Before long, the strange old man appeared in the sky above the Han family's land.
From afar, one could see a strangely shaped flying vessel hovering silently in the air.
Above the spirit boat, a man in white stood with his hands behind his back, seemingly having been waiting for a long time.
"It seems that you were the one who made the move earlier."
The burly old man's gaze was unpredictable, and he glanced down at his companions, who had been wrapped up like two bundles of rice dumplings.
Amazed, they also realized that only by defeating the person in front of them could they break the opponent's spell and rescue their companions.
However, the fact that the other party was able to capture two early-stage Golden Core cultivators in such a short time is enough to show that their methods are extraordinary and they are not ordinary cultivators.
“Fellow Daoist must be Elder Li of the Ziyun Sect. Although I do not know why your Ziyun Sect would send an elder to cause trouble in Yan Kingdom, since we have run into each other, as a guest elder of the Liuyan Sect, I cannot stand idly by.”
Lin Changsheng laughed heartily and spoke slowly.
"Humph, I don't know what it means."
The burly old man's eyes flickered, but he refused to admit it.
He just cursed his two companions, whose fates were unknown, as "useless" in his heart!
Not only could they not hold back Liu Yanzong's mere guest elder, but their true identity was also discovered by the other party.
'call! '
Thinking of this, the burly man's face darkened, and a rich and powerful aura of blood and qi emanated from his body, faintly emitting a low rumble.
"Late Stage Third-Order Body Refinement!"
Lin Changsheng also looked surprised.
Unexpectedly, this person, like him, not only possessed the cultivation level of the mid-stage Golden Core realm, but also the late-stage third-order body refinement realm.
In an instant, a golden broadsword over ten feet long appeared in the hand of the burly old man, his entire body seemingly surrounded by a precious aura.
Judging from its appearance, it is a natal magic weapon that has been nurtured for many years, and it looks quite extraordinary.
He remained silent, wielding his natal magic weapon and channeling his qi and blood to almost perfectly combine its power with his own body refinement level.
The sharp, powerful energy rushed towards him, making Lin Changsheng feel a faint sense of threat.
Clearly, unlike the previous two, this Elder Li of the Ziyun Sect is quite capable. Although his cultivation level is mid-Golden Core, his true strength is equivalent to a late-Golden Core True Person.
Lin Changsheng remained calm and composed, his expression unchanged. After gently stroking the storage bag, three streaks of light flew out one after another.
Two people and one beast, along with three puppets, instantly appeared in front of them.
It was the corpse-refining puppet that hadn't been used for a long time.
"This murderous aura... how could it be a late-stage third-tier puppet!"
The burly old man froze, shocked to sense the three terrifying auras before him, each no weaker than a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.
"You are a third-tier puppeteer!"
Seeing Lin Changsheng's skillful manipulation of the late-stage third-tier puppet, he seemed to have a guess in his mind, and immediately used another third-tier protective magic item.
They withstood the relentless attacks of the three corpse puppets in a head-on confrontation, and a tremendous battle ensued.
boom!
boom!
A dense aura of malevolence and an incredibly powerful flow of qi and blood emanated from the battle from time to time, leaving the onlookers below in awe.
Although the burly old man possessed the third-tier Body Refinement Realm, he couldn't gain the slightest advantage against the three-headed Corpse Refinement Puppet.
Their prized attack methods were no match for the equally tough corpse puppets; in fact, they were at a disadvantage.
boom!
Another confrontation.
The old man was repeatedly slapped around like a ball by the three corpse puppets, but thanks to his protective magic weapon, he was not seriously injured.
Instead, he used the force to temporarily break free from the entanglement of the three corpse puppets, escaped, and his figure transformed into a red light, flying towards Lin Changsheng's location.
At the same time, the phantom of the precious sword, which had extended to several meters long, slashed toward Lin Changsheng, who was caught off guard, with a heavy yet sharp aura!
"Heh heh, the guest elder of the Willow Smoke Sect is nothing special. Relying on the power of the puppet, he is so careless. Do you know that in the past hundred years, every Golden Core cultivator who has been in my close combat has become a ghost under my blade, without exception!"
The old man seemed to see Lin Changsheng being cleaved in two by the sword energy, and a look of triumph appeared in his eyes, his smile unusually excited.
But what he saw next left him speechless.
A layer of light red blood energy also emanated from Lin Changsheng's body. In the distance, it seemed as if a phantom of an ancient giant ape flashed by. Then, suddenly, a hand reached out and the ancient giant ape stretched out its powerful arm, steadily supporting the several-zhang-long phantom of the blade.
"You...you're also at the third level of Body Refinement?!"
The old man looked as if he had seen something incredible, his face filled with disbelief.
A tremendous clamping force emanated from the treasured sword, his natal magic weapon, in his hand.
Before he could think further, Lin Changsheng delivered another heavy punch, slamming it into his chest.
The protective magic treasure around his body instantly emitted a dazzling spiritual light and was shattered on the spot.
The burly old man was sent flying more than ten feet away, and his aura immediately weakened.
The three-headed corpse puppets followed closely behind, surrounding him once again.
"This person is unfathomable; this elder is no match for him..."
The old man's face was extremely ugly. He made a decisive move and activated his secret technique, transforming into a streak of light and disappearing into the distance.
However, just as Lin Changsheng was about to get up and fly away, he suddenly sensed something and turned around to look back.
A short, stocky middle-aged man flew over in a hurry, and whether intentionally or unintentionally, he landed right in front of Lin Changsheng, blocking his way.
"Such a commotion has been caused within my jurisdiction."
"What happened?"