Lu Ping lowered his head deeply, he spoke with a voice full of reverence.
"The Almighty Angel…"
The blonde girl remained seated on the steps, her posture relaxed, as if the world itself had slowed to accommodate her presence.
"Five years ago, you had a chance," she said, her fingers idly brushing along the edge of the sword. "Ma Hongjun was right before you… vulnerable, exposed."
Lu Ping's body trembled slightly. His lips parted, the instinct to explain rising immediately.
"I—"
She continued, her tone unchanged, cutting off his words as though they had never mattered.
"His death at that time would have meant nothing."
"Killing a piece of filth?" she added softly. "There are countless such people in this world."
Her gaze seemed to drift somewhere distant.
"But now…" she continued, her voice gaining a subtle edge, "he is no longer insignificant."
"He stands as the Acting Sect Master of the Tang Sect. He has become their pillar—the one holding together their scattered remnants, the one sustaining their resistance."
Her fingers tightened slightly around the cloth in her hand which was wiping the sword.
"Their survival… their movements… their so-called guerrilla tactics… all revolve around him."
Then her eyes settled on Lu Ping once more.
"As one blessed by me… You will kill him."
There was no force in her tone, yet it was absolute.
Lu Ping lowered his head deeply, pressing his forehead almost to the ground.
"I will complete this task," he said firmly.
-----
Not long after, Lu Ping rose and followed his team, his figure disappearing into the distance and the forest grew quiet again.
'Qian Renxue' in Julia's body remained seated where she was, her gaze lingering in the direction he had left.
Her voice returned, softer now, as if speaking to herself.
"Ning Fengzhi…"
There was a faint, thoughtful pause.
"With the backing of Sea God, has your ambition begun to grow?"
A subtle, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips.
"Trying to place your bets on both sides… using your daughter's ties with Shrek Academy, while relying on the vast information network of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan…"
"Your appetite has certainly increased."
Her tone held neither praise nor criticism.
"For someone born in this world, such calculations might be considered shrewd."
She tilted her head slightly, as though contemplating something deeper.
"But there is a fundamental difference…between my divinity… and theirs."
At that moment, the blur that had concealed her face began to fade and what lay beneath was both beautiful and deeply unsettling.
Half of her face was covered with countless pupils layered upon one another, shifting, observing, alive.
They slowly receded, withdrawing back beneath her skin as though they had never been there.
---------
Ma Hongjun led the group of Tang Sect members at full speed through the forest, their movements sharp. Dry leaves cracked beneath their feet as they advanced, heading straight toward their target—the Spirit Hall branch in the remote Crania Town.
The plan was simple—destroy the branch before reinforcements could arrive, then vanish once more into the wilderness.
However, just as they crossed a narrow stretch between two dense clusters of trees—
Rustle—
Another group emerged ahead of them.
Ma Hongjun's eyes narrowed instantly. His instincts screamed danger, but hesitation was not an option.
"Everyone—attack!" he shouted. "Godly Zhuge Crossbow!"
The command was executed without delay.
Each member of the Tang Sect pulled out a compact black box, barely a foot long, yet filled with deadly precision.
Pew! Pew! Pew!
A storm of arrows erupted.
The air was filled with sharp whistles as dozens of bolts shot forward, each one capable of piercing through the flesh of a Soul Sage. The sheer volume of arrows turned the space between the two groups into a lethal killing field.
The next moment two men from Lu Ping's group stepped forward in perfect coordination, slamming the heavy shields they carried into the ground.
A faint hum followed by a blue dome expanded outward, enveloping their entire formation.
TING! TING! TING!
The arrows struck the barrier one after another—only to be deflected.
The Tang Sect members froze for a split second, disbelief flashing across their faces.
One of the shield bearers let out a cold snort.
"Hidden weapons?" he said with disdain. "Tools for scum and cowards."
He tapped the shield lightly.
"You think such toys can break the defense of a Level 7 soul guide?"
The arrogance in his voice was unmistakable.
Behind him, the rest of Lu Ping's group had already moved.
From beneath their robes, they drew out long-barreled soul guides—sleek, metallic, and far more refined than anything the Tang Sect had encountered before.
The blue dome flickered… then vanished and in that instant—the attack started
Swish!
Swish!
The attacks tore through the air like streaks of light.
Unlike the Tang Sect's hidden weapons, these laser strikes seemed to burn though the ground and trees.
The formation of the Tang Sect collapsed instantly.
"Aaagh—!"
Cries of pain echoed through the forest.
Several members were thrown off their feet, their bodies torn apart by the sudden onslaught. Others scrambled to regain footing, only to find the battlefield already slipping out of their control.
Ma Hongjun's expression changed.
"What… is this…? There are weapons more powerful than made by Brother San"
His heart sank, while he had faced his pursuers carrying soul guide weapons those were not as powerful as the ones he was facing now.
He never knew that such powerful soul guides existed.