Cangshu Bai hurriedly tore up a talisman, shedding his disguise. He held Mu Ran's face again and said, "Ranran, look at me again."
His eyebrows were like distant mountains dusted with snow, his eyes like cold stars dipped in the night, his nose straight and sharp, and his lip line clear and distinct. His skin had the cold pallor cultivated by years of Daoist practice, yet it didn't seem plain; rather, it made those eyes looking at her shine astonishingly bright.
This was the face she knew so well.
Mu Ran hugged him. "Jinzhi!"
Cangshu Bai stroked the long hair at the back of her head and dropped a light kiss on her temple.
Mu Ran couldn't be bothered to ask him just how many things he was hiding from her. She quickly pulled him to stand up. "This is Zhenyue Mountain City. There are many masters here. You can't stay here long, let's go!"
However, the commotion they made here was so great that the masters sitting in the city couldn't possibly not have noticed.
The silver ring on Mu Ran's hand burned hot, and she let out a muffled groan from the pain.
Cangshu Bai's eyes suddenly darkened. Without waiting for the silver ring to tighten another fraction, he raised his hand to cover her wrist. His knuckles gathered thick spiritual energy, and with a crisp sound, the magical artifact that imprisoned people shattered, silver pieces flying everywhere.
But at the moment the silver ring shattered, the sound of tearing through the air suddenly arose in the distance.
The auras of several Nascent Soul and above cultivators in Zhenyue Mountain City swept over like dark clouds pressing down on the city. Their robes fluttered fiercely, their sword light was cold, and in an instant, they completely surrounded the two.
Cangshu Bai backhandedly protected Mu Ran behind him, tossing his wide sleeves to block all sights and sharp edges.
The leader had flamboyant red hair, wore a red robe, and had a stunningly beautiful appearance. It was none other than Cangshu Qihua.
He glanced at Cangshu Bai and Mu Ran, and smiled with great interest, "When did the guard of Zhenyue Mountain City become so lax? Any stray cat or dog can sneak in."
Cangshu Bai gently pulled Mu Ran behind him. When he looked up, a layer of cold sternness covered his handsome brows and eyes. The spiritual energy around his body surged like mountains and seas. Even though he was surrounded by strong enemies, he didn't show the slightest intention of retreating.
He said, "I have no intention of making enemies with Zhenyue Mountain City. I came here only to find my wife."
Mu Ran looked at the dense dark figures around her, feeling panicked. She had heard of the great name of Zhenyue Mountain City, and this red-haired man who came out now must be the second young master of the mountain city.
Besides Cangshu Qihua and the several Nascent Soul and above cultivators present, there were also the two great masters Cangshu Taotian and Cangshu Linfeng in the mountain city. If they appeared...
She looked again at Cangshu Bai's lonely back and secretly gripped the hem of her clothes tightly.
Cangshu Qihua sneered, "Since you've come, and even killed one of our elders, yet you say you have no intention of offending us. Doesn't that sound hypocritical?"
Then, he cast a seemingly casual glance at the Red Plum White Jade Umbrella, "It seems that my stupid and ignorant third brother died by your hands."
Cangshu Qihua's words acted as a signal. As soon as his voice fell, dozens of attacks arrived right before their eyes.
The spiritual energy in Cangshu Bai's palm suddenly exploded out. A pitch-black long spear broke through the void and appeared. The spear body circulated with dark gold patterns, and the cold gleam on the spear tip was as piercing as frost. The moment it appeared, it shocked the surrounding spiritual energy into a crazy reverse flow.
He said in a low voice, "Han Yu."
In the void, monstrous water waves suddenly surged. A silver-blue stream of light swooped down from the clouds, instantly unfurling a ten-thousand-zhang-long body.
Han Yu shed its mortal form and revealed its true dragon body. Its scales reflected the cold light of the sky, its dragon claws were as sharp as divine weapons, its dragon whiskers fluttered fiercely, and its dragon roar shook the clouds. Its huge body hovered beside Cangshu Bai, protecting him and Mu Ran tightly.
One person and one dragon instantly started the battle.
Cangshu Bai spun around holding the spear. The black spear swept across like a black dragon swinging its tail. With one thrust, several cultivators were smashed flying. Wherever the spear tip passed, magic shields cracked and magic artifacts shattered completely.
His movement technique was as fast as a ghost. His black clothes fluttered amidst blood light and spiritual light. Every thrust carried the force to pierce through mountains and seas. Blood splashed onto the spear body and was shaken off by the piercing spiritual energy.
The dragon opened its mouth and spewed out a torrent of biting cold ice. Wherever the dragon's tail swept, cultivators flew backward like broken-stringed feathers, wailing ceaselessly.
In less than half an incense stick's time, more than half of the besieging cultivators had fallen. The remnants retreated, and spiritual energy was in a mess everywhere.
He knew in his heart that he had to end the battle quickly, otherwise if it dragged on until other masters arrived, the situation would become uncontrollable.
Cangshu Qihua stood in mid-air, watching this scene, a trace of a smile appearing on his stunningly beautiful face.
"It seems that if I don't personally take action, I won't be able to keep you."
The red robe suddenly danced wildly, and his red hair soared into the sky like raging fire.
Cangshu Qihua gathered blood-colored spiritual light at his fingertips. The aura around him skyrocketed. A flaming long sword appeared in his hand. The killing intent locked onto Cangshu Bai like substance. With a movement of his figure, he pounced straight over with the momentum of burning mountains and boiling seas.
Cangshu Bai's eyes turned sharp. He protected Mu Ran more tightly behind him. The black spear broke the sky and lay horizontally in front of his chest. The dark gold patterns on the spear body all lit up.
The dragon roared, shaking the sky. Han Yu flicked its ten-thousand-zhang-long dragon body. The icy spiritual energy crashed heavily into Cangshu Qihua's raging flames. Under the intertwining of ice and fire, a deafening roar erupted between heaven and earth. Air waves swept in all directions, lifting all the surrounding ruins completely.
Cangshu Qihua's eyes met Cangshu Bai's, and the playfulness finally faded from his face.
The spiritual energy surging on Cangshu Bai's body was as thick as an abyss, its sharpness as piercing as a broken mountain. He was like a long spear truly ground out from a sea of corpses and blood, able to pierce the clouds and split the sea with one thrust.
That steady determination, that strong oppressive force, actually made him, in a trance, think of that eldest brother Cangshu Linfeng who always pressed down on his head.
Hostility appeared between Cangshu Qihua's brows and eyes, "I'll just use your blood to sacrifice to my Flame God Sword."
Cangshu Bai's eyes were as cold as ice, "You can certainly try."
Spear shadows and firelight instantly collided. Earth-shattering loud noises tore through the sky. One person, one spear, and one dragon officially fought to the death with Cangshu Qihua.
Burning winds rose from all sides, and chill overflowed everywhere. The people around with low cultivation bases couldn't intervene at all and could only cast their gazes on that woman without any cultivation base.
But as soon as they moved, the dragon had already noticed.
The huge head turned, and a trace of fierce hostility swept past the cold vertical pupils. Opening its mouth, an ice-blue dragon breath swept out. Wherever the cold air passed, the ground instantly froze into thick ice ridges. Those few approaching cultivators didn't even have time to let out a scream before they were frozen into stiff ice sculptures and shattered with a bang.
Mu Ran's face turned slightly pale, but she gritted her teeth and didn't retreat half a step. She knew that if she panicked now, Cangshu Bai would be completely distracted.
But she also acutely sensed that there was a dangerous aura not far away.
On the mountain peak, Cangshu Linfeng's white clothes fluttered fiercely in the wind.
Cangshu Fenming said behind him, "Eldest Young Master isn't going to help?"
Cangshu Linfeng looked at the black-clothed youth below who carved out a bloody path in the heavy encirclement and didn't fall to a disadvantage even when facing Cangshu Qihua. His fingertips couldn't help but stroke his own sword.
"A rare master, a suitable opponent."
Cangshu Fenming reminded, "Eldest Young Master is also a person of Zhenyue Mountain City."
Cangshu Linfeng chuckled, "Bullying the few with the many, even if I win, it won't be honorable."
He wasn't in a status like Cangshu Qihua, who needed to desperately accumulate military merits to gain the recognition of others and have the qualifications to compete for the next City Lord of Zhenyue Mountain City.
He was Cangshu Linfeng, a man born to stand at the absolute pinnacle of Zhenyue Mountain City. From the moment he drew his first breath, he wielded a glory that others could never grasp even if they spent a lifetime striving for it. He had no need to curry favor, no need to scheme, and he certainly disdained the use of dirty tactics like a group ambush to secure a victory and bring honor to his name.
