In the span of moments, he grasped many details clearly. The two people in the carriage were coming to Falling Parasol for him. But what identity did they have that they would attract assassinations from so many cultivators? Even more importantly, a person who could launch an assassination of such scale would know that he, Zhang Yi and the others were in the alley.

Falling Parasol was at a remote part where the eastern and southern districts of the city met. The closest turret would have a hard time finding disturbances here so if the people who wanted to assassinate the carriage riders did not have to wait to Falling Parasol to act.

The more cultivators present at a place, the more uncontrolled factors there were.

So there was only one possibility. The mastermind behind this assassination had planned for him, Zhang Yi and the others.

In the simplest of terms, this person wanted to eliminate them and the people in the carriage in a one-off attempt in Falling Parasol.

Armies were valued for their speed, and sometimes, success and failure were just the difference of an hour. Ding Ning, in the eyes of everyone in Changling, was only a low level cultivator with some fame but not fully grown. However, he had experience that other people could not imagine.

At this time when he did not know who was in the carriage, he shouted determinedly, “Assassins!”

The moment he shouted, a rushed roar sounded in the quiet air as though someone had poured a bucket of water from the second floor.

Ding Ning’s eyes contracted slightly. From the sound, he knew this was the “Long Wind Armor Piercing Bow.”

The Long Wing Armor Piercing Bow was copied from the Chu Dynasty’s “Chu Wind Heavy Bow.” While the seal scripts on the machine were not as refined as the Chu Dynasty and the arrows that could be used were twenty percent lighter than the “Chu Wind Heavy Bow,” these bows were better in terms of speed, and the power was enough to pierce the defensive power of realm five cultivators.

Armor piercing bows like this were important weapons stored by the Bureau of the Army. In the armies during war, a hundred people would be outfitted with one bow among them. Important weapons like this would always be tracked … to have this weapon appear in a street assassination, this showed the assassins were not ordinary nobility and the people in the carriage were not ordinary people!

The moment that pressuring sound occurred, the sharp metallic light finally showed its true appearance.

The building could not withstand the vibrating power of the bow and shattered.

A heavy black crossbow slide out from the shadows of the building.

At the same time, the arrow, a hundred pounds heavy with four metal tail feathers, spun through the air like lightning towards the carriage that just entered the alley!

Bang! The heavy arrow hit the carriage cabin but the cabin did not tear easily like paper. The entire carriage gave off a muffled deep metallic ring. The surface wood was destroyed and revealed a silver white layer.

This layer of silver metal looked extremely thin so the carriage had not appeared to be any heavier than ordinary carriages. However, this metal interlining had astounding toughness. Not even the armor-piercing arrow could break through it. However, the momentum of the arrow caused the carriage to fly upwards.

With a boom, the carriage was thrown into the wall of the noodle shop where Ding Ning and the others frequently ate at. Half of the wall collapsed. The carriage continued to slide and brought along stones and tiles to hit the smoke-stained stove.

“Junior Sect Brother, what happened?” Zhang Yi came out from the gates behind Ding Ning at this time, and exclaimed in shock when he saw a terrifying scene he had never seen before.

“An assassination attempt. I fear we are also involved. You and Junior Sect Brother Shen Yi go protect Cave Master. Do not come out!”

Ding Ning knew that Zhang Yi could easily become sentimental so after speaking rapidly, he shouted harshly, “Do not be so needlessly sentimental on me, I am able to deal with this!”

After Ding Ning’s shout, Zhang Yi instinctively turned and went back in, almost crashing in Shen Yi who was coming out.

At this moment, another urgent roar came through the cold air.

Zhang Yi had become more and more trusting of Ding Ning over the last while. But when he heard the roar and turned to look, he gritted his teeth and shouted to Shen Yi, “Go and hide Cave Master!”

At the same time, he decisively turned back to Ding Ning.

What had given off that urgent roar was a light green sword light!

That green sword light was on the distant eaves one moment, and above this alley the next. The urgent roar reached his ears like thunder. The primal energies of the universe behind the sword light had been dragged into straight lines that looked like wisps of white smoke in the air.

This was undoubtedly a flying sword only realm five cultivators could manipulate.

From the distance this sword flew, this cultivator had practiced the art for many years. They would not be a cultivator who just reached realm five, and their mental power was far stronger than ordinary people.

Zhang Yi did not ponder if he was a match for this flying sword. He just felt the murderousness flying sword head towards Ding Ning. He only thought that Ding Ning would not be able to block this flying sword. As the senior sect brother, he had to protect Ding Ning.

“Do not rashly act!”

Ding Ning sensed his intention and a hint of irritation appeared. Facing this flying sword, he took half a step back, and pulled hard on Zhang Yi’s sleeve as he shouted.

Clang!

A clear ring!

A snowy white sword light charged out of the collapsed wall of the noodle shop, creating a hole in the roof of the shop. Dust sprayed into the air. The white sword light caught up to the light green sword light and they battled a dozen rounds in the air without, creating strange light explosions without any sparks.

The person in the cabin was also a realm five cultivator.

Zhang Yi’s body froze slightly. Before he even had time to take a breath, the buildings in the alley violently shook with a large rumble. The noodle shop exploded into earth and dust, while the back wall of the tailor’s shop exploded.

A tall man, giving off bloody red light like a demonic god, flew over wielding an enormous azure axe larger than his body. He swung his sword deep into the carriage embedded in the noodle shop.

In this moment, the tall man was flying through the spraying smoke and dust, his body at the center of the alley. When his hands swung the axe backwards to his limit, his entire body was bathed in the golden sunlight. The azure axe reflected the light of the sun and appeared bright and ferocious.

Zhang Yi, whose sleeve was held by Ding Ning, stopped breathing. He felt cold all over.

The flying sword of the person in the cabin was outside and could not make it back in time. If this axe swing connected, the tough metal layer of the carriage would not be able to stop it.

“Who are you? Do you want to die?” A calm shout sounded at this time.

The carriage driver, who had flown out along with the two horses and who Ding Ning hadn’t sensed the presence of a cultivator from, suddenly appeared in front of the carriage.

This forty-something carriage driver in old robes had previously looked wan and haggard, afraid of the cold. But at this time, his body shone with unusual and graceful light. The primal energies of the universe coming from his feet even formed a white cloud.

Facing the tall cultivator with the axe who was flying towards him with his presence at an indescribable peak, he only threw one punch.

A straight line appeared in front of his punch. Compressed air shot forward and formed a giant sword of wind with the invisible power behind the wild wind.

This punch was a sword.

“You are Qiu …”

In the air, the tall cultivator with his giant axe in midswing saw this punch and shouted in shock.

Yet he had no time to make any changes.

Clang! A muffled sound.

The straight and intangible sword hit his giant axe. His giant axe was immediately thrown backwards. The violent vibrations and momentum passed along the axe hilt, flowing along his arms into his body and wounding his heart and lungs in a flash.

The tall cultivator vomited a spray of blood. As the giant axe flew out of his hand, his body also flew backwards into the dust that he had just charged out of.

“Vacuum Killing Sword, Qiu Zaixing. A Spirit Void Sword Sect disciple that left the mountain in the third year of Yuanwu.”

The two flying swords were still struggling on the eaves with countless sword lights jumping and flashing about in a pretty way. Yet they contained countless dangers. Praise came from the entrance the carriage had come from.

A yellow-robed youth dressed like a scholar slowly walked in holding a fan.

“Qiu Zaixing …”

Zhang Yi swallowed, his mouth tasting bitter. He had never heard of Qiu Zaixing’s name. However, a disciple of Spirit Void Sword Sect described as having left the mountain would naturally be a true direct disciple that had passed the sect test. Direct disciples were innately different from other cultivators that were recommended or went through other avenues to join the sect . There were only a dozen or so direct disciples that left the mountain each year in Spirit Void Sword Sect.

Even without the other’s terrifying punch, Zhang Yi knew that a cultivator with such an identity was vastly powerful.

Yet the direct disciple of Spirit Void Sword Sect was just a guard for the people in the carriage. How noble were the people in the carriage?

He could not imagine it.

Hearing the other shout his identity, Qiu Zaixing’s expression was calm. He looked at the yellow robed youth and said in a sympathetic tone, “You think you can escape after attacking here?”

Translator Ramblings: Poor Ding Ning, this is … three assassinations he’s involved in now?