Ling Tian Sword God
Chapter 46 - 45 Conspiracy_1

Chapter 46: Chapter 45 Conspiracy_1

In her line of sight, Xiao Muyu held her Treasure Sword, her dress fluttering gently. Her long, raven-black hair cascaded to her waist, a charming smile playing on her lips. She glanced at Ling Chen and said, "Ling Chen, you’re late. This Night Wolf King is now my prey."

Ling Chen halted his mount and shook his head. "This Night Wolf King is ferocious. Hunting it down won’t be an easy feat."

"That remains to be seen!" Xiao Muyu thrust her sword forward, its sword light converging to a point, as if a single droplet of water was condensed on the tip of the blade, aiming towards the Night Wolf King’s belly.

Rain Spirit Sword Technique: Dripping Water Pierces Stone!

SHLICK!

The sword light instantly pierced the Night Wolf King’s skin, gouging a large hole in its stomach.

With a mournful howl, the Night Wolf King flew back over ten meters, crashing into trees along its path and leaving a trail of destruction.

"A fine strike!" Ling Chen’s eyes sparkled. He hadn’t expected such a seemingly gentle strike to possess such formidable piercing power. Just as Prince Tai had said, Xiao Muyu’s strength was truly impressive, and she was indeed a formidable opponent.

Xiao Muyu glanced at Ling Chen, who was standing in the distance, and flashed a smile that revealed her bright eyes and pearly teeth. "This ’Water Dripping Through Stone’ is the most powerful offensive technique in the Rain Spirit Sword Technique. Even a single drop of water can penetrate gold and shatter stone; it is utterly unstoppable."

"Indeed, its power is astonishing." Ling Chen nodded. Just as he was about to say something more, his gaze suddenly shifted. He saw that the Night Wolf King, which he thought had been felled by a single sword strike, had actually climbed back to its feet and was charging at Xiao Muyu with bloodshot eyes.

Xiao Muyu had just turned when the Night Wolf King pounced, its massive body rearing up menacingly.

WHOOSH!

At that moment, a sharp Arrow pierced through the air, ruthlessly striking the Night Wolf King’s existing wound and exploding.

With a horrific scream, the Night Wolf King finally collapsed heavily on the ground, its breathing ceasing completely.

Xiao Muyu heaved a long sigh of relief. That had been extremely perilous. If Ling Chen hadn’t shot and killed the Night Wolf King, she likely would have been counterattacked by the beast. While it might not have cost her life, she certainly would have been severely injured.

"You don’t need to thank me." Seemingly noticing Xiao Muyu’s grateful gaze, Ling Chen raised his hand, pre-empting her thanks. "If you really want to thank me, how about we make a trade instead?"

A smile touched Ling Chen’s lips, clearly indicating this was premeditated.

"What kind of trade?" Xiao Muyu was somewhat surprised. She was curious about what deal Ling Chen wanted to propose here in the Royal Hunting Ground.

"There are numerous competitors in this hunting ground. Our individual strength is insufficient, making it difficult to succeed alone. Why don’t we cooperate and aim for first place in this hunt together?" Ling Chen analyzed, then coaxingly said, "If we do manage to secure first place, the one hundred thousand taels of gold and the title of first place go to you, and the Void Spirit Pill goes to me. How about it?"

For most people, participating in the hunt was undoubtedly to gain fame, with rewards being secondary. However, Ling Chen was pragmatic and didn’t care for empty reputation. He only valued things that were useful to him. As for vanity, he didn’t care for it at all. Moreover, one hundred thousand taels of gold was a huge sum of wealth, its value not inferior to a Void Spirit Pill. It was just that items like the Void Spirit Pill often had a price but no market, making them exceedingly rare.

This deal seems very much in my favor. Xiao Muyu thought. One hundred thousand taels of gold and the title of first place – who would refuse such an offer? Xiao Muyu was no exception. The Void Spirit Pill was useless to her, as she had already broken through to the Martial Master Realm.

"So? This should be a win-win. You certainly won’t lose out," Ling Chen said with a smile. Given these conditions, any rational person wouldn’t refuse, he thought.

"Alright, I accept." Just as Ling Chen had expected, Xiao Muyu finally agreed, consenting to cooperate.

"Then let’s give it our all and strive for first place!" Ling Chen extended his palm, a smile on his face. With Xiao Muyu’s help, his confidence in winning first place greatly increased.

"If we can hunt a Second-Rank Mid-Tier Exotic Beast or higher, then first place will be practically guaranteed. I just don’t know if such a high-level Exotic Beast even exists in this hunting ground." Ling Chen scanned his surroundings, a keen glint in his eyes.

"An Exotic Beast of Second-Rank Mid-Tier or higher would require an expert at the Third-Level Martial Artist realm or above to handle. If we encountered one, we’d probably be lucky to escape with our lives." Xiao Muyu shook her head, merely smiling at Ling Chen’s bold idea, then continued, "It’s said that there is indeed a Second-Rank Mid-Tier Exotic Beast in this hunting ground, known as the Dragon-patterned Leopard. Rumor has it that it possesses a trace of the bloodline of the ancient god beast, the Blue Dragon, and it resides in the deepest part of this hunting ground. Whoever can hunt down this Dragon-patterned Leopard will essentially be the champion of this hunt."

"However, among the sixty-nine young experts here, I doubt anyone can accomplish it." The Dragon-patterned Leopard is incredibly strong, Xiao Muyu thought. I reckon I’m no match for it. Even the Crown Prince, the strongest among this group, would likewise be no match for the Dragon-patterned Leopard.

"No one can handle it alone, you mean by themselves, right?" Ling Chen’s eyes flashed. He then changed the subject, "But if we team up, then it might not necessarily be the case."

"Team up?" Xiao Muyu’s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. That’s right. If Ling Chen and I can cooperate, couldn’t others think of teaming up as well? The Dragon-patterned Leopard is powerful, but it can’t withstand a large group.

While she was still pondering, Ling Chen had already leaped onto his horse, his body radiating an invigorating aura.

"Let’s go. Target... the Dragon-patterned Leopard."

HYA!

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ling Chen spurred his horse forward, galloping towards the depths of the hunting ground, taking the lead.

Xiao Muyu muttered, "This guy... has he already set his sights on the Dragon-patterned Leopard as prey? What a crazy idea." She gave a wry smile. The Dragon-patterned Leopard is the Exotic Beast King of this Royal Hunting Ground. It’s hard to say if the two of us are its match; we might even end up losing our lives here. Ling Chen’s cultivation is still only at the warrior level. Even with me, trying to kill a Second-Rank Mid-Tier Exotic Beast is an extremely dangerous undertaking. But since we’ve already agreed to cooperate, I can only brace myself and give it a try. If things look bad, we should still be able to retreat in time. She then spurred her own horse to follow.

「...」

Meanwhile, several miles away, a few people in black were gathered, seemingly discussing something.

"Where is Ling Chen now?" the leader of the people in black asked.

"We spotted him a short while ago. He and Xiao Muyu are heading towards the deepest part of the Royal Hunting Ground," one of the people in black reported.

"Good. What about Qing Mo? Has he been released yet?" the leader asked again.

"He has been released from the Sky Prison. I estimate he’s about to enter the depths of the hunting ground by now. I’ve already told him the mission assigned by the Prince, and promised him that if he completes this task, he will be pardoned."

"Well done." The leader of the people in black nodded, a cold sneer playing on his lips.

This Qing Mo was an expert of the Third-Level Martial Artist Realm. He had committed numerous major crimes in Wind Country, and it was only after Prince Tai personally intervened that he was captured and imprisoned in the Sky Prison.

"My lord, your plan to use a borrowed knife to kill—using Qing Mo to eliminate Ling Chen—is truly brilliant. Even if things go awry, it won’t be traced back to us," one of the people in black said with a grin. He knew how ruthless Qing Mo was. If Ling Chen and Xiao Muyu fell into his hands, they would surely suffer a fate worse than death.

"This is all the Prince’s plan," the leader of the people in black said, shaking his head, a murderous glint in his eyes. "After Qing Mo kills Ling Chen, we must immediately dispose of Qing Mo to leave no loose ends. After all, there are many eyes watching from outside the hunting ground."

"Furthermore, you must keep a close watch on Ling Chen. Once Qing Mo kills him, retrieve his body immediately. Don’t let any Exotic Beast devour it. The Prince specifically wants his corpse."

"Yes, sir!" The people in black acknowledged the order and then dispersed into the forest.