Chapter 446: Sneak Attack

Ji Li was no longer angered by Lu Sangjiu’s outburst. In his eyes, all her fury was nothing more than impotent rage.

’They have no plan. They’re done for.’

Having gotten the answer he wanted and thoroughly dampened Lu Sangjiu’s spirits, Ji Li didn’t linger and promptly departed.

Lu Sangjiu’s Divine Sense quickly returned to her body, and she opened her eyes.

The last bolt of the Heavenly Tribulation beside her was dissipating, and the aura emanating from her body was steadily rising... Body Integration Realm!

In her past life as Gu Huang, she had been considered a peerless genius, yet it had still taken her several hundred years to reach the Transcendance Tribulation Stage.

But now? In less than ten years, she had gone from a mere mortal to the Body Integration Realm. No one would believe it if she told them!

Fortunately, she was experienced, so she wouldn’t be left with vast power she didn’t know how to wield just because she had advanced too quickly.

Feeling the abundant power coursing through her, Lu Sangjiu clenched her fists. Just as she was about to get up and find Xie Ningyuan, she suddenly sensed imminent danger!

It was a pure, instinctual feeling. She saw nothing and heard nothing, yet every hair on her body stood on end. It was terrifying!

Acting on pure instinct, she instantly activated all of her defenses!

The next moment, a loud BANG! exploded beside her ear, and her body was sent flying like a kite with a broken string!

For a moment, Lu Sangjiu felt as if every bone in her body had been shattered. And that was with her defenses at full power. Without them, she would likely be a corpse by now.

After hitting the ground, Lu Sangjiu struggled to get up, but she was too slow. The next attack was already upon her!

But before it could strike, Xie Ningyuan’s figure appeared in front of her just in time!

His aura was still unstable; he must have just successfully completed his Tribulation Crossing.

Thankfully, he was just in time to block the fatal blow for Lu Sangjiu!

Lu Sangjiu wasted no words, immediately pouring Elixir Pills into her mouth. She had to heal as quickly as possible so she could help Xie Ningyuan.

Although she hadn’t seen her assailant, the technique used was clearly that of a Buddhist Practitioner.

That made the attacker’s identity abundantly clear... He Guang!

Previously, when Lu Sangjiu had contacted Duan Xingyun and the others, they had said they’d found traces of He Guang and were continuing to track him. They were also gathering forces to capture him.

That was why Lu Sangjiu and Xie Ningyuan had wanted to go help, but when Xie Ningyuan suddenly triggered his Heavenly Tribulation, they had been forced to divert here.

She had thought they were going to miss the final confrontation with He Guang, but unexpectedly, he had appeared right before them.

’Was this another case of luring the tiger from its mountain, or did they simply let He Guang escape?’

But it was obvious that since He Guang had chosen to strike just as they finished their tribulations, he must have made arrangements in the area. Calling for help would be impossible.

As Lu Sangjiu swallowed the Elixir Pills, her mind raced through these possibilities.

Even though she suspected it was hopeless, she still tried to use a Communication Talisman.

Unfortunately, just as she’d expected, the Communication Talisman failed to activate.

By this point, Xie Ningyuan had already dispersed their opponent’s killing blow. He stared coldly ahead. "Since you’re here, why not show yourself?"

"Are you not ashamed to resort to a sneak attack against two juniors?"

A light chuckle echoed, and a young man in a kasaya appeared a short distance away.

This was the first time Lu Sangjiu had seen He Guang. He looked nothing like the sinister, cunning man she had imagined. On the contrary... he was handsome and appeared benevolent.

He possessed the air of worldly compassion common to most Buddhist Practitioners. He had long, black hair, a smile in his eyes, and a golden mark on his forehead.

He looked so young and handsome that one couldn’t help but feel a favorable impression at first glance.

Yet this was the very man whose hands were stained with the blood of countless lives, the culprit who had thrown the entire Spirit Void Realm into turmoil for his own selfish desires!

He gazed at Xie Ningyuan from a distance, his voice tinged with appreciation and admiration. "I saw you the day you joined the sect. Even then, I felt you were certain to be the disciple with the greatest aptitude for enlightenment the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect has seen in thousands of years."

"It seems my judgment was sound. You truly do have great aptitude. You even managed to change the ironclad rule that a Buddhist Practitioner cannot be intimate with a woman, all on your own."

"I’m rather curious. How exactly did you manage that?"

Xie Ningyuan stared at him coldly. "Is that why you came looking for me? What, have you developed worldly feelings for some woman as well?"

He Guang chuckled. He seemed to be in no hurry to attack them now. Instead, his tone was gentle, as if he were catching up with an old friend.

Anyone who didn’t know better would never guess that this same man had just launched a deadly sneak attack that had nearly killed Lu Sangjiu.

He shook his head at Xie Ningyuan. "There is no woman in this world worth me gambling away my entire cultivation for."

"I simply feel that life might be more enjoyable if one didn’t have to control their worldly desires. Now that you’re here, it’s only natural that I ask."

His words were nauseating.

Lu Sangjiu frowned. ’It’s like hearing a eunuch ask how to regrow his family jewels just so he can go have some fun.’

’Doesn’t that just mean he wants to go around ruining women?’

’Appearances really are deceiving. No matter how handsome or disarming he looks, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s a piece of trash.’

However, Xie Ningyuan was more than willing to drag out the conversation to buy Lu Sangjiu more time to recover.

He might not lose to He Guang in a one-on-one fight, but he certainly wouldn’t be able to capture him.

No matter how powerful he might have been in his past life, he no longer had those memories. Having just broken through to the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, he hadn’t yet adapted to its corresponding power and Cultivation Techniques. He couldn’t fully utilize his new cultivation at all.

Furthermore, he was only at the Early Tribulation Crossing, while He Guang, despite having dissipated a portion of his cultivation, was still nearly at the Late-stage Tribulation. He was essentially one of the top combatants on the continent.

Thus, on one hand, Xie Ningyuan needed Lu Sangjiu’s help. On the other, he had to ensure she had the strength to protect herself. Otherwise, forget capturing their opponent; He Guang would likely exploit the weakness and lead him around by the nose.

So, in response to He Guang’s question, he didn’t offer a sharp retort. Instead, he simply said, "Oh? You really want to know?"

"How about we make a deal? You let us go, and I’ll tell you."

He Guang watched him with a beaming smile. "That deal isn’t very fair to me. After all... even if I don’t let you go, I can just perform a soul search on you and find out anyway, can’t I?"

Xie Ningyuan’s expression remained unchanged. "Are you certain you can kill us? And even if you could, are you certain you can capture me alive?"

"It might not be easy for me to kill you, but you can’t stop me from self-destructing."

The smile on He Guang’s face faded slightly. "After working so hard to reach the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, with Ascension just a single step away... are you really willing to throw it all away?"

"Besides, your woman is right here. Are you truly willing to let her fall into my hands, to be tortured by me to a fate worse than death?"