Best Actor – Qingfeng

These two were truly patient!

They just hung back, unhurried, like falconers taming a hawk, wearing down Shangguan Yunzhu’s stamina and spiritual energy with a dull blade.

‘Are they really not afraid that the Tianyuan Sect will send another immortal north to find them?!’

‘Although the Tianyuan Sect is not a top-tier sect, it is a genuine immortal sect of the Three Teachings. How can its foundation be underestimated?’

‘If Martial Aunt Xuan and her team fail to return on time, an immortal from the sect will surely follow their trail! And yet Qingfeng’s group is still dawdling here, indecisive. They must have a death wish!’

‘When all is said and done, isn’t this fake gentleman just lusting after the ice beauty’s body?’

‘Tsk, despicable!’

Lu Qiancha reapplied her disguise, and her form twisted—the handsome senior brother of Tianquan Peak appeared once more.

She then locked her spiritual sense onto Shangguan Yunzhu, activated a technique, and cast [Wind Whisper Spell], directly transmitting her voice into Shangguan Yunzhu’s ear.

“With the direction you are facing as the Li position, retreat to the Qian position, a distance of ten feet.”

Shangguan Yunzhu, who was struggling to defend against the bombardment of magical artifacts with her flying sword, was suddenly jolted.

‘This voice, is it Senior Brother Qiancha?’

‘How could he be here?!’

Although she was puzzled, Shangguan Yunzhu subconsciously followed the instructions, retreating close to the ground on her flying sword.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two sinister streaks of light grazed the spot where she had been hovering and slammed into the snow, sending a shower of ice shards into the air!

“Retreat again, Dui position, six feet.”

Lu Qiancha’s voice carried a hint of barely perceptible urgency.

Shangguan Yunzhu did not hesitate, and her sword light shifted again!

Another sneak attack of magical light grazed past her back!

Then, Lu Qiancha’s voice continued to pour into her ears, “Don’t daze off! Look for an opportunity to counterattack! Control your expression, don’t show any weakness! There is a hidden killing formation at the base of the cliff. Lure them over and use the formation to defeat them. Kan position, three feet; turn to Kun position, five feet.”

Shangguan Yunzhu’s originally somewhat dim eyes quickly brightened again.

She pursed her cherry lips and hummed in her heart in response.

Soon, in the eyes of the four pursuing black-clothed assassins, as well as Qingfeng and Qiong Gong watching from above, the figure that had been in such a sorry state suddenly changed!

Her steps were as nimble as a butterfly flitting through flowers, and her sword light moved as if by instinct.

‘Could it be a breakthrough in the middle of a battle?’

Their combined attacks were mostly dodged by her, and the flying sword, which had been purely defensive, now found an opening to launch a counterattack.

This shift in momentum greatly reduced the pressure on Shangguan Yunzhu.

Guided by the voice, she moved as if on thin ice, approaching the area that hid the deadly trap.

Finally, she reached the base of the cliff.

‘Next…’

Lu Qiancha’s voice transmission continued, “Kan position, advance three; Li position, retreat nine! Follow my instructions. You have already reached the edge of the formation. When I say ‘retreat quickly,’ immediately flee with all your might. Don’t hesitate for a moment!”

Shangguan Yunzhu hummed in her heart.

Her slender fingers moved rapidly, and the several blazing flying swords circling her emitted a clear hum, weaving a tight, impenetrable sword net!

Her long dress fluttered in the firelight of the snowy plains, her posture as graceful as an immortal’s.

In the air, Qingfeng watched the nimble and fairy-like Shangguan Yunzhu below, his eyes filled with a deep obsession.

“General Qiong, we absolutely cannot let Yunzhu escape this time!”

“Rest assured, Fourth Prince. Last time, we were unprepared for her teleportation talisman,” Qiong Gong replied in a deep voice. “Her spiritual energy is almost depleted. When she retreats to the edge of the mountain wall, this humble general will attack and force her. At that time, Your Highness can immediately appear and block the ‘fatal blow’ for her.”

“At that time, this humble general will use the aphrodisiac poison. Only then can the plan be considered a success.”

“Thank you for your trouble, General Qiong.” Qingfeng nodded lightly, a hint of coldness in his eyes as he looked at the figure in the distance.

Qiong Gong spoke again in a deep voice, “Fourth Prince, for the aphrodisiac poison to take effect, there must be a trace of affection in her heart to act as a catalyst. If the Sixth Princess only feels hatred for you, the poison will surely fail. At that time, we will have no choice but to kill the Sixth Princess on the spot. I hope Your Highness is aware of this.”

Qingfeng’s fists suddenly clenched, his knuckles turning white.

A flash of extreme anger crossed his eyes, but he said nothing.

Below, under Lu Qiancha’s precise guidance, Shangguan Yunzhu danced as if on the edge of a blade.

Her figure flickered, and she had already led her pursuers halfway around the invisible border of the formation, successfully separating herself from the four black-clothed men on the yin and yang sides of the formation!

At that moment, a black-clothed man’s foot suddenly stepped into the range of the killing formation.

Lu Qiancha, who had been watching from the side, had a glint in her eyes, and the words “Retreat quickly!” shot into Shangguan Yunzhu’s ear.

The firelight from the flying sword beneath Shangguan Yunzhu’s feet exploded.

Her graceful body shot backward, causing the incoming streaks of light to miss their mark.

And the four black-clothed men, focused solely on capturing their prey, how could they possibly notice the killing intent beneath their feet?

They plunged in without hesitation!

Hum—!

A terrifying giant claw, condensed from pure destructive energy and imbued with the power of the law of tearing, emerged from the void without any warning and swept across with a violent force that could crush everything.

Rip—!

Like a hot knife through butter!

The four powerful black-clothed men, along with the light of their protective magical artifacts and their shocked expressions, were instantly torn into eight neat pieces of mangled flesh by this single claw.

“Vicious girl! How dare you set up such a killing formation to harm my men!!”

A roar filled with rage, heartache, and disbelief tore through the sky.

Qiong Gong’s burly figure, wrapped in a heavy spiritual pressure, broke through the clouds.

The heavy iron long saber in his hand stirred up a murderous aura of a thousand jun and, like a collapsing mountain, chopped directly at the head of the barely-steady Shangguan Yunzhu.

Shangguan Yunzhu’s heart leaped in shock.

Her sword fingers danced, attempting to block Qiong Gong with her flying swords.

Clang! Clang! Crack!

The flying swords were directly shattered by the tyrannical force of the saber.

The saber’s momentum only paused for a moment before it continued its descent towards Shangguan Yunzhu, carrying its remaining power.

It was about to cleave her in two.

In the nick of time!

A green shadow, as graceful as the wind and carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees, suddenly flashed and appeared between Shangguan Yunzhu and the life-threatening long saber!

It was Qingfeng!

“Idiot!”

Seeing who it was, Qiong Gong was so angry he could have exploded.

He cursed inwardly!

What time was it to be playing the hero saving the damsel?!

Didn’t he notice that something was wrong?!

‘A killing formation appeared out of nowhere in this desolate mountain. Are your eyes just for decoration?! It’s obvious there’s an expert helping in the shadows!’

Although he was so angry he could have exploded on the spot, Qiong Gong could only endure the shock to his internal organs and forcefully divert the saber’s momentum, which had been pushed to its limit!

Boom!

The saber’s slash cut diagonally, carving a terrifyingly deep gash, several zhang deep, into the ice cliff!

“Fourth Prince! Stop acting! Kill her quickly!!” Qiong Gong was so frustrated that the veins on his forehead bulged.

He almost shouted the words, his voice a bit hoarse from forcefully retracting his power.

However, to Qingfeng, who was immersed in his “hero saves the beauty” role, these words had a completely different meaning—

General Qiong was giving him a secret signal.

He was reminding him that he should show his deep affection for Yunzhu, take her side, and denounce him.

This would give him an opportunity to release the aphrodisiac poison!

Understanding the “true meaning,” Qingfeng was instantly invigorated.

His eyes filled with grief, indignation, and deep affection as he sternly rebuked Qiong Gong, “Qiong Gong! You beast in human form! I only regret that I was blind before, not knowing you harbored such malicious intent, allowing you to harm Yunzhu! Had I known, on that flying boat, I would have had Martial Aunt Xuan grind your bones to dust!!”

He scolded with such righteousness and sincerity.

“Idiot!”

Qiong Gong couldn’t help but curse out loud.

He already looked down on Qingfeng, who had spent forty years and still couldn’t win over a woman.

Now, his dissatisfaction with him had reached its peak.

“Hmph!”

Q Qingfeng’s expression also gradually turned cold, and he began to fight with Qiong Gong with his immortal sword.

Qiong Gong was grinding his teeth in anger, but he had to hold back at every turn.

After all, Qingfeng was their most important chess piece.

If he died, not only would it be difficult to explain to his superiors, but all the arrangements made on him would also be wiped out.

Shangguan Yunzhu didn’t quite understand what kind of melodrama these two snakes in a nest were putting on, but she did not waste this good opportunity.

She swallowed a few Spirit-Recovering Pills to replenish her spiritual energy.

After fighting for a long time, Qingfeng became dissatisfied.

He transmitted his voice to Qiong Gong, “General Qiong, why haven’t you released the aphrodisiac poison yet?!”

“Aolai Nation expletive, I told you a long time ago, stop acting! Just kill Shangguan Yunzhu!”

Qiong Gong no longer cared about the Fourth Prince.

He cursed loudly, causing Qingfeng to fall silent for a long while.

By the time these two finally teamed up and prepared to attack Shangguan Yunzhu, Lu Qiancha had already obtained the objective of her trip—the Origin Returning Fruit.

However, Lu Qiancha, having obtained the Origin Returning Fruit, had no intention of turning around and leaving.

On the contrary, she intended to see things through to the end.

Although Qingfeng, who was fighting with Shangguan Yunzhu, was at the same realm as her, he was being completely suppressed.

Several times, he was almost turned into a sieve by her flying swords.

Qiong Gong, who should have been the main force, was forced into the role of a firefighter!

Just as he was about to gather his strength to deliver a heavy blow to Shangguan Yunzhu, he caught sight of Qingfeng about to be hit by a sword out of the corner of his eye.

He had no choice but to angrily withdraw his saber to rescue him, blocking the fatal blow with a ‘clang’.

The two of them were somehow producing an effect of 1+1 < 1.