Chapter 20: Swords in the Shadow II
Three swords struck the oncoming attack. Soon, a great battle ensued. Wang Ling was in the middle of this bout and with his current strength, it would be impossible to keep his life if he joins them.
He felt a hand suddenly touched his shoulder. A great force pulled him away from the battlefield. Wang Ling turned to look at the person who took him out of the battlefield and like he had thought, it was an expert that was hid himself in the shadows.
There were four people who appeared. They were all pinnacle sky root stage. They were clad in all black and only their eyes could be seen through the slits of their clothes. Of the four hidden expert, three were battling while the other one was beside Wang Ling protecting him from any more sneak attack.
The man beside Wang Ling did not join the fight. He only looked at the fight without concern for his companions. It was the confidence he held from his companions.
Worries were not needed if the skill on your side can back up the confidence you have. The three hidden experts on Wang Ling's side were skilled. Their sword skills superb and coordination stellar.
The three was capable of fighting the five attackers with their great coordination. Although their number was lacking and possesses similar cultivation with the attackers.
Through their superior coordination. They managed to suppress the attackers easily.
By the side, Wang Ling was rubbing his neck. He thought that he would meet his end today. Thankfully, the hidden experts assigned to him managed to react quickly.
Watching the fight, he knew that the people on his side was superior. They managed to quickly suppress the attackers after all. With the appearance of his four protectors, everything should be over and his worries should disappear.
However, something felt amiss. This group of attackers ambushed him here as if they knew he would come here. It was his first time coming to this place. So how did they know to prepare an ambush here?
Also, the Hundred Orchid Street he was in was supposed to be a place where hundreds of people congregate to socialize with one another. It would be unlikely that the streets would be unoccupied only today.
Adding this fact, there was that hint of scent of fresh blood being spilt. There were no traces of a battle occurred here, so the most likely case was that either there was a massacre that silently occurred or every commoner who came here was abducted and taken to a place where they wouldn't be able to interfere with the ambush.
[However, that's also a problem.
If they wanted to ambush me then the act of clearing this street wouldn't have been needed.
They could have just blended with the crowd and strike at me when I had my guard lowered while taking a stroll.
Creating casualties is nothing but a waste and a stupid mistake, unless… they needed the lives of people!?]
His mind was working nonstop as to make the current situation have more sense. This ambush was clearly not prepared thoroughly and contained a lot of holes.
He turned to look at the one beside him and asked.
"Are you from the manor?"
The man who was beside him nodded his head respectfully.
"Where were you watching me from? Did you see any anomalies surrounding this place?"
Wang Ling asked two questions at once. He had more questions but kept it to himself for now.
The man clack in black pointed to one direction but did not utter a word. The man pointed at four different places, one of which was the roof of a two story building.
Wang Ling found the action rather inefficient and said.
"Speak, you don't have to follow what you were thought. If you speak to me there's no punishment so be at ease."
Wang Ling was well versed with these kind of people who hid themselves in the dark. They were master of stealth with an indifferent attitude to worldly matters. They require orders to move and would move accordingly to these orders as if they were decreed by the heavens.
The man clad in black nodded his head and heeded Wang Ling's instruction to speak.
"We have not seen a single anomaly around."
"How about on the way here?"
"None."
Wang Ling was put into deep thought. In the end he was unable to make any conjectures as to what is the plan of these people and instead asked about Wang Yue's situation.
"Master Sun have two energy palace stage cultivators around her. From what we could tell about her usual actions, she should be heading back to the manor as of now."
Wang Ling nodded but he was still sure that unless a nascent soul cultivator emerges, nothing bad would happen to Wang Yue.
"Is there any energy palace stage cultivator around? Clearly you four are not the only ones here, how many are there in the shadows who are stronger than you?"
"Two, one late-energy palace stage cultivator and the other one is a pinnacle-energy palace stage cultivator. They are both from the « Main House » so please don't worry for your safety young master."
Wang Ling nodded his head. He was confident about the thoroughness of Butler Sun, the other party will not let him suffer a loss or get injured that easily.
At this moment, Wang Ling's eyes showed a ferocious glint. Something was amiss but he can't quite understand what it was.
Watching the fight. Wang Ling activated Ocean's Lull and gained access to the five-meter radius field of vision. He was not sure what might happen next but he was sure that the plot of these black garbed men was not done yet.
Danger still lurks in shadows. A sudden sword in the shadow just might struck him if he was unprepared. While he was watching, a death occurred on the side of the enemy.
One of his hidden protectors had managed to behead one of the attackers. Seeing this made Wang Ling smile at first but as soon as the blood hit the ground, his face darkened.
Du-dun!
He felt his blood tingle and the hellish qi inside his body began growing in strength. As if a tonic has miraculously descended from above. His hellish qi trembled in delight as if it was attracted by some force.
[What was that?]
He turned to look at the blood noticed that it was quickly evaporating. The blood that was on the ground was started to be absorbed by the soil. Soon enough, the blood completely disappeared.
No one seemed to notice such a thing. His hidden protectors were too focus in the battle to even notice such a thing had occurred. Streaks of black line appeared on Wang Ling's forehead.
With one of the attackers dying, the three hidden protectors from his family began to easily kill the enemy. One, two and soon the death of the attackers numbered three.
Only two attackers were still alive. The two were showing resistance but their resistance were futile in the face of flawless coordination. However, the more Wang Ling observed the fight the more he understood the situation.
As soon as the fourth attacker died, Wang Ling screamed.
"Get out of there, don't kill them, this is a trap. Run! Big trouble will happen once that person's blood is spilled. Capture him but don't inure him! We're getting out here and don't dawdle or else your life will be reaped."
Wang Ling didn't even hesitate and turned to run so he can save himself.
The hidden protectors saw his action and found it odd. They thought that the young master they were protecting was an idiot and a disgrace for running like this.
It might seem dishorable of him to turn tail now but it was something necessary. He was only a weak early-earth root stage cultivator, honor can go to hell but he will not follow.
[Shit! There's a formation hidden in the ground. That's why there was no blood seen on the ground and only the smell lingers.
I don't know what kind of formation this is but I'm pretty sure it's not going to be any sinister than the [Blood Devil Sacrifice Formation].]
Wang Ling finally understood why they didn't need to plan ahead to ensure this ambush would succeed. These people were without a doubt [Devil Cultivators] who worships the evil god and treats lives as nothing but supplement to increase their strengths.
He had meet a lot of people like them in the past. Although there are a number of people who cultivates devil arts who acts righteously, Wang Ling mostly encountered those who leans on the sinister path.
Wang Ling can be considered a Devil Cultivator. He cultivates the Hell Dominator Body after all. The only difference is that he aims to become the God of devils while others wishes to be Kings.
The Blood Devil Sacrifice Formation he just mentioned was a[Formation]that make use of the blood of people as sacrifice so a certain area will receive the 'blessing of the devil'. This blessing of the devil does not have any use to normal cultivator, but for devil cultivators, their strength will rise up when they are inside the formation.
Actually, blessing of the devil even weakens those who does not possess the qi of devils. The blessing of the devil was such a sinister thing that even in the previous era people feared it and avoided any confrontation with any devil sect.
Wang Ling knew that these kind of formation had a time limit to them but if that time limit would be enough to eradicate his protectors making him defenseless.
Those who were fighting followed Wang Lin's instruction and spared the remaining enemy. They captured the last attacked not harming him out bit. But as soon as they got their hands on him, the attacker bit his tongue off as he committed suicide.
The attacker then proceeded to have his blood drip on the ground. The moment it did, red light began to emerge from the ground. Wang Ling's face became uglier by the second.
[This is getting shittier and shittier.
I need to get out of here fast.]
"Hey, you, call out the two energy palace stage cultivators. A formation has been set up we will die if we don't leave now. Also, call for Butler Sun if you can. We will be needing his help soon enough."
The protector by his side nodded his head and took out a talisman. The protector did some hand seals and another two protectors came out of the shadows and appeared before Wang Ling.
However, the moment they appeared, the bright red light that was on the ground shot up to the sky. The two hundred meter radius was enveloped in an instant and the whole Hundred Orchid Street became a sacred ground for devil cultivators.
It was at this time that Wang Ling felt his hellish qi started to churn.
"Hoho, the descendant of that vile Wang Shu Qing has brains. You have gained my respect young man, for you to notice that there's actually a formation set up here that's something no everyone can do.
"Devil Blood Sacrifice is a formation exclusive to our sect and has the power to call upon the blessings of the beloved devils. You won't be able to get out of here young man."
A voice colder than ice and more sinister than a snake chimed in Wang Ling's ears. A figure stood in front of him and the protectors beside him, this figure exuded the aura of an energy palace cultivator.
The man wore all red and had. His aura was sinister and his face was even more so, with his pale skin, sunken cheeks, and dilated eyelids the man in front of Wang Ling screamed danger.
[His strength is stronger than these two. If they fight him together, will they win?]
He could feel his hellish qi resonating with the blessing of the devil. But because his strength was only early-earth root stage, it would be a dream come true if he can actually stand a chance with the figure in front of him.
"Hey, can you call Butler Sun over? This guy is not simple and I fear he's not alone."
People wearing the same thing as the pale man appeared. There were ten people in total, two of them had the strength of a pinnacle-root stage cultivation while the others were early-sky root stage.
However, with the blessing of the devil. Their strength had risen by a lot. Those who were pinnacle-sky rot stage became comparable to a half-step energy palace, late- sky root to pinnace-sky root stage, middle-sky root stage to late-sky root stage, and early-sky root to middle-sky root stage.
The protector beside Wang Ling nodded his head and said.
"Yes, but I need time to call upon the master (Butler Sun)."
"How long?"
"Three minutes."
Wang Ling knew that it was not looking good. The time needed was too long, but he had no choice but to comply. He needed to presence of Butler Sun after all.
"Go and do it now, we don't have time. Everyone, go and protect him, we need to call upon Butler Sun so stand your guard for three minutes."
Wang Ling was just talking, when the vile and sinister man ordered his men.
"Go and capture the son of Wang Shu Qing. Cutting a limb is no problem just don't kill him."
However, as soon as he said these words, Wang Ling's eyes showed a very dangerous and murderous glint. He took out the practice sword he always uses and held it in one hand. He focused his mind and then positioned himself.
[You people are not the only one who gained a buff from the blessing of the devil.]
Boom!
Wang Ling's intent to kill soared up to the sky. Wang Ling was ready to reap their soul and send those who wanted to die to the devil they love so much.