Chapter 70 Ambush and Kill Chu Chunqiu

Shen Lian led Zhang Meng, Li He and others to retreat quickly. Although they had won the ambush, they had also suffered considerable losses.

"Brother Shen, where are we going now?" Zhang Meng asked.

Shen Lian did not stop and said, "Let's proceed to Misty Gorge and meet up with Lin Feng and the others as planned."

The group sped through the ancient tree area, the fallen leaves rustling under their feet.

Shen Lian activated the [Combat Power Detection] and found that there were no powerful combatants within a radius of several dozen feet, only some low-level demonic beasts moving around in the distance. However, he dared not be careless, as Chu Chunqiu still had at least twenty people under his command, including many experts at the peak of the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm. Not to mention that Chu Chunqiu himself was at the peak of the fifth level of the Heavenly Realm and had mastered the Overlord Spear Technique.

Half an hour later, the group arrived at Misty Gorge, where the entrance was shrouded in mist.

Just as Shen Lian and the others arrived at the mouth of the gorge, Lin Feng, Chen Yun, and the others rushed out.

"How is the situation?" Shen Lian asked.

Lin Feng stepped forward, his expression grave: "The enemy scouting on the west side has been repelled, with three of them killed, but Tang Xue on our side sustained minor injuries."

Shen Lian nodded and asked, "Any news from Qin Lie and Lin Qing'er?"

Chu Wen said, "They have already arrived at Eagle's Beak Cliff and laid an ambush, just waiting for Chu Chunqiu and the others to take the bait."

Zhang Meng clenched his fist and said, "That Chu Chunqiu is arrogant and must be waiting for Wang Man's report. Now that no news has come back, I'm worried he might become suspicious."

Li He sneered: "So what if he's suspicious? He's lost more than a dozen men. If we join forces with Qin Lie and Lin Qing'er, we might be able to put up a fight."

Shen Lian laughed and said, "Everyone head to Eagle's Beak Cliff, and we'll capture Chu Chunqiu and the others there."

Everyone sprang into action and headed towards Eagle's Beak Cliff. Shen Lian activated [Combat Power Detection] to check if there were any powerful beings around.

Soon, Shen Lian and the others arrived at Eagle Beak Cliff.

The group did not rush forward. Qin Lie and Lin Qing'er had set up many traps in the area, and they dared not act rashly.

"Brother Qin!"

Shen Lian looked ahead and shouted loudly.

Several figures then appeared ahead, led by Qin Lie and Lin Qing'er. Qin Lie was dressed in a light blue outfit, with his Azure Dragon Blade slanted behind his back. He nodded slightly when he saw Shen Lian.

Lin Qing'er was dressed in white, exuding a cool and aloof aura.

Qin Lie said in a deep voice, "Brother Shen, you really have a lot of guts, daring to team up with me to ambush Chu Chunqiu here."

Shen Lian looked at Qin Lie and said, "It's just for self-preservation. Chu Chunqiu and Xiao Chen are joining forces to clear the area today. If we don't join forces, we'll only be defeated one by one. Although Brother Qin and Miss Lin are not weak, if Chu Chunqiu and Xiao Chen join forces to attack, I'm afraid the two of you will not be able to escape unscathed, right?"

Lin Qing'er looked at Shen Lian with her beautiful eyes: "What do you plan to do?"

"Chu Chunqiu is arrogant. We just need to lure him in. As long as we show weakness, he will underestimate us and act rashly," Shen Lian said after a moment of contemplation.

"How do I show weakness?" Lin Qing'er asked, gently stroking the jade flute in her hand.

Shen Lian looked around at everyone. There were now fourteen people gathered at Eagle Beak Cliff: himself, Chen Yun, Lin Feng, Chu Wen, Zhao Ming, Zhang Meng, Li He, Tang Xue, Qin Lie, Lin Qing'er, and two peak third-level martial artists under Qin Lie's command.

Although they were still outnumbered by Chu Chunqiu's side, their side had two peak fourth-level experts, Qin Lie and Lin Qing'er. After days of battle, their own, Lin Feng, Chen Yun, Chu Wen, and others had all improved their combat strength, making them capable of fighting.

Shen Lian looked at Chu Wen, "Brother Chu, take Liu Yong and Wang Hu and proceed down the mountain path as planned. When you encounter Chu Chunqiu's troops, feign a rout. Remember, only defeat them, never win. Fight and retreat, leading them to the open area below the cliff platform before withdrawing. Once we've lured Chu Chunqiu here, we can join forces and surely capture him."

Chu Wen nodded: "Understood."

"Brother Qin, Miss Lin," Shen Lian said to Qin Lie and Lin Qing'er, "You two don't need to show yourselves in a hurry. Wait until Chu Chunqiu's main force enters our encirclement, then you can break out from both sides of the cliff top and cooperate with us to attack from both sides."

Qin Lie laughed and said, "Of course! I've been wanting to see Chu Chunqiu's Overlord Spear again for a long time!"

Lin Qing'er nodded slightly: "Brother Shen's arrangements are thorough, and Qing'er will certainly cooperate."

"The rest of you," Shen Lian said, looking at the others, "Chen Yun, Lin Feng, Zhao Ming, Zhang Meng, Li He, Tang Xue, and Su Qing, the seven of you will follow me and ambush behind the boulders on both sides of the open ground. After Chu Wen and the others retreat, we will first use crossbows and hidden weapons to attack, and once the enemy's formation is thrown into disarray, we will then charge out."

Everyone agreed in unison and went to make their own preparations.

Half an hour later, Chu Wen set off with Liu Yong and Wang Hu. They descended the narrow mountain path, their figures quickly disappearing into the thick fog.

Shen Lian and the others lay in ambush behind the boulders on either side of the open ground, holding their breath and focusing intently. Time passed second by second, and the only sounds from the cliff top were the whistling of the wind blowing through the rocks and the occasional roars of demonic beasts in the distance.

About an incense stick later, hurried footsteps and the sound of clashing weapons came from the mountain path below.

"They're here!" Lin Feng whispered.

Shen Lian activated the [Combat Power Detection] and indeed sensed more than ten auras rapidly approaching. One of these auras had reached the peak of the fifth level of the Heavenly Realm, and it was none other than Chu Chunqiu!

In addition, there were four peak fourth-level auras, six mid-fourth-level auras, and several peak third-level auras. Chu Chunqiu had indeed brought most of his main forces.

"Get ready," Shen Lian said in a low voice.

Everyone gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes fixed intently on what lay ahead.

Before long, Chu Wen and his two companions emerged from around the bend in the mountain path, looking disheveled and injured, their clothes torn. Liu Yong had been shot in the left shoulder with an arrow.

"Halt!" A loud shout rang out, followed by a burly figure leaping out of the thick fog and landing on the open ground.

This man was about twenty years old, eight feet tall, with broad shoulders and a thick waist. He was dressed in black tight-fitting clothes and held a twelve-foot-long spear in his hand. The spear was completely black, and the tip of the spear gleamed coldly.

It was none other than Chu Chunqiu, the genius of the Chu family!

Behind him, more than ten martial artists rushed out and surrounded Chu Wen and his two companions.

These martial artists were all quite powerful, with the weakest being at the peak of the third level of the Heavenly Realm. Among them, four martial artists at the peak of the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm stood beside Chu Chunqiu, clearly his capable assistants.

"Run, why aren't you running anymore?" Chu Chunqiu sneered, pointing his spear at Chu Wen. "Hand over the jade talisman, and I'll spare your lives."

Chu Wen gritted his teeth and said, "Chu Chunqiu, what kind of skill is it to rely on your superior numbers?"

"Hmph, the excuse of the weak." Chu Chunqiu scoffed. "In this rookie competition, strength is everything. You piece of trash, do you even deserve high scores?"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly frowned, as if he had noticed something, and his gaze swept over the boulders on both sides of the open space.

"Not good, an ambush!" Chu Chunqiu reacted extremely quickly, brandishing his spear and then shouting, "Retreat!"

But it was too late.

"put!"

At Shen Lian's command, dozens of crossbow bolts, along with throwing knives, caltrops, and other concealed weapons, shot out from behind the boulders on both sides, raining down on Chu Chunqiu and his group like a storm.

clang!clang!clang!

Chu Chunqiu brandished his spear, deflecting all the crossbow bolts aimed at him, but his men behind him were not so lucky.

Three martial artists at the peak of the third level of the Heavenly Realm were hit by arrows and fell to the ground on the spot, while two martial artists at the mid-stage of the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm were cut by flying knives, and their formation was thrown into chaos.

"It's a trap! Everyone, retreat quickly!" shouted a fourth-level martial artist.

However, the mountain path they came from had been blocked by Lin Feng and Zhao Ming with huge rocks, giving them no chance to retreat.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Chu Wen, Liu Yong, and Wang Hu retreated to the location where Shen Lian and the others were.

"Shen Lian!" Chu Chunqiu's gaze locked onto Shen Lian, who had emerged from behind the boulder, a flash of killing intent in his eyes. "So it was you who did this!"

Shen Lian stepped forward, sword in hand, and stood shoulder to shoulder with Chen Yun, Lin Feng, and the others: "Chu Chunqiu, your clearing plan ends here."

"You think you can compete?" Chu Chunqiu sneered, his spear trembling. "Today I'll show you just how vast the difference is between the peak of the fifth level and the fourth level!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than several more figures rushed out, none other than Xiao Chen and his men!

Chu Chunqiu had already instructed Xiao Chen to lead men to provide support from the rear, and they would arrive to assist as soon as they heard the commotion.

Xiao Chen's face was pale, and his chest was bandaged, clearly indicating that his injuries had not yet healed. Seeing Shen Lian, his eyes were filled with venomous hatred as he said, "Shen Lian, today I will take your life!"

In this way, Chu Chunqiu's side increased to eighteen people. Although they lost three people at the third level of the Heavenly Realm, they still had four at the peak of the fourth level and six at the middle level of the fourth level. In addition to Chu Chunqiu himself, their strength was still formidable.

Shen Lian's heart sank slightly, and he shouted, "Brother Qin, Miss Lin, it's time to show yourselves!"

"Hahaha!" A long laugh echoed from the cliff top. Qin Lie, carrying the Green Dragon Blade on his back, leaped down. "Chu Chunqiu, your opponent is me!"

Lin Qing'er, dressed in flowing white robes and holding a jade flute, gracefully descended from the other side of the cliff.

Chu Chunqiu frowned. Qin Lie and Lin Qing'er were both at the peak of the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm, but the two of them together were enough to restrain him. Shen Lian's side still had more than ten people, among whom Shen Lian, Lin Feng, Chen Yun and others were not weak. Although his side had the advantage in numbers, they were surrounded and the terrain was unfavorable. The outcome of this battle was hard to predict.

"What a Shen Lian!" Chu Chunqiu gritted his teeth and said, "You actually managed to persuade Qin Lie and Lin Qing'er to cooperate with you!"

"Chu Chunqiu, if you and Xiao Chen are joining forces, why can't we?" Qin Lie drew his Azure Dragon Blade, which emitted a series of buzzing sounds. "Today, we will seek justice for those contestants you eliminated!"

Knowing there was no way to resolve this peacefully, Chu Chunqiu brandished his spear and said, "Then come and try me! Attack!"

A great battle erupted instantly!

Chu Chunqiu charged straight at Qin Lie, his spear like a black dragon emerging from the sea, thrusting towards Qin Lie.

Qin Lie dared not be negligent. He met the attack with his Azure Dragon Blade, and the clash of blades and spears produced a deafening metallic clang!

Both were power-type martial artists. When they clashed head-on, their energy surged wildly, causing the surrounding rocks to fly everywhere.

Lin Qing'er faced off against Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen was injured, which greatly reduced his strength, but he was still a fifth-level expert and not to be underestimated. He brandished his long sword.

Lin Qing'er held the jade flute to her lips and played a tune that produced sound waves that transformed into invisible blades, cutting through the air and forcing Xiao Chen to retreat repeatedly.

Shen Lian led the others to attack Chu Chunqiu's men. He faced a burly man wielding twin hammers, whose strength was at the peak of the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm.

"Mountain-Splitting Strike!" Shen Lian slashed down with his longsword, the force of the strike as heavy as a mountain.

The burly man crossed his two hammers and raised them to the ground. With a loud clang, the man staggered back three steps, his arms numb from the impact.

Shen Lian pressed his advantage relentlessly, unleashing the "Tiger-Taming Stance" stance, his body pouncing like a tiger, his longsword unleashing a series of slashes, followed by the "Wave-Slicing Style" and the "Mountain-Splitting Style".

The burly man barely managed to withstand seven or eight moves before finally revealing a weakness. Shen Lian cleaved him in the chest with a single strike, sending him flying backward and rendering him unable to fight.

On the other side, Lin Feng faced off against a sword-wielding martial artist at the peak of the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm.

Lin Feng had just mastered the "Demon-Subduing Blade Technique" and was looking for someone to test his skills on. At this moment, he unleashed his full power, and his sword technique was fierce and domineering, forcing his opponent to retreat step by step.

After more than ten moves, Lin Feng severed his opponent's longsword with a single strike and then kicked him away, decisively defeating him.

Chu Wen, Zhao Ming, Zhang Meng, Li He, and others also displayed their abilities and engaged in fierce battles with the enemy.

After defeating two people in succession, Shen Lian turned his attention to the main battlefield.

Qin Lie and Chu Chunqiu had exchanged more than thirty blows. Chu Chunqiu's Overlord Spear Technique was indeed remarkable, with the spear thrusts as fierce as a storm, forcing Qin Lie to defend.

Meanwhile, on Lin Qing'er's side, Xiao Chen was already at his limit, with several more wounds on his body, and signs of defeat were already visible.

"We must deal with Xiao Chen first!"

With a thought, Shen Lian shot toward Xiao Chen like lightning.

Xiao Chen was dealing with Lin Qing'er's sonic attack when he suddenly felt a gust of wind coming from behind him. He hurriedly turned around and struck with his sword.

clang!

As the swords clashed, Xiao Chen, whose injuries had not yet healed, was struck by Shen Lian's full-force strike, causing his blood and qi to surge and forcing him to retreat several steps.

Lin Qing'er seized the opportunity and played an even higher pitch on her jade flute, which condensed into an invisible sound wave and attacked Xiao Chen fiercely.

The sound wave slammed into Xiao Chen's chest, sending him flying. Shen Lian seized the opportunity to close in, placing his long sword against Xiao Chen's neck: "Hand over the jade talisman."

Xiao Chen's face turned ashen as he gritted his teeth and pulled out a jade talisman from his robes.

Shen Lian took it and deducted the points from it.

"Get lost." Shen Lian sheathed his sword. "Crush the jade talisman and withdraw from the competition."

Xiao Chen glared venomously at Shen Lian, then glanced at Chu Chunqiu in the distance, before finally crushing the jade talisman and choosing to withdraw.

As soon as Xiao Chen was eliminated, the morale of his subordinates plummeted, and they were quickly dealt with by Chen Yun, Lin Feng, and others.

Chu Chunqiu was both shocked and furious to see Xiao Chen eliminated. He launched a fierce attack, forcing Qin Lie back, and turned to try to break through, but Lin Qing'er blocked his way with her sonic attack.

"Chu Chunqiu, you lose!" Shen Lian drew his sword and walked towards Chu Chunqiu, surrounding him with Qin Lie and Lin Qing'er.

Chu Chunqiu coldly looked at Shen Lian and the other two: "You think you can make me admit defeat? You're dreaming."

Chu Chunqiu took a step forward, the martial arts mark between his eyebrows lit up, and his aura surged. He rushed straight towards Shen Lian.

"Overlord Spear Technique!"

Chu Chunqiu roared and charged straight at Shen Lian with his spear.

"Watch out!" Qin Lie and Lin Qing'er shouted at the same time.

Shen Lian's mind went on high alert, knowing that Chu Chunqiu's attack was no small matter, and he quickly pushed the "Tiger Subduing Stance" footwork to its limit.

boom!

Chu Chunqiu unleashed a powerful shot, shattering a boulder behind him into dust.

"Chu Chunqiu, how dare you be so presumptuous!" Qin Lie roared in anger upon seeing this, and his Azure Dragon Blade transformed into a streak of azure light, slashing towards Chu Chunqiu's back.

Chu Chunqiu parried with his spear, and the sound of swords and spears clashing echoed throughout the room.

Shen Lian, Qin Lie, and Lin Qing'er surrounded Chu Chunqiu, staring at him menacingly. The three of them were cautious and dared not underestimate Chu Chunqiu.

"Hmph, so what if the three of you team up? Do you think I'm some kind of trash like Xiao Chen?" Chu Chunqiu said, holding his gun.

Qin Lie said, "Chu Chunqiu, don't overestimate yourself, and don't underestimate us. You won't be leaving easily today."

"Then you guys should give it a try!"