World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 414: I, Fei Lianzi, Never Had A Dream (I)

—Now that everyone has fully understood the contents of Emergency Plan Sixty-Eight, Captain Qin's proposal will be put to a vote. Those in favor, raise your hands.

Twelve hands rose slowly. All eyes then turned to Chi Ling, who held veto power.

With a grim expression, Qin Yishen voiced his concern in a deep tone.

—I am willing to bear all consequences of proposing this plan. Chief Chi Ling, I know you're biased against me, but at a time like this, we have to prioritize the safety of the civilians.

Chi Ling didn't seem to hear Qin Yishen's appeal. While several senior Special Investigation Unit members gave her puzzled looks, she slowly raised her right hand.

"I approve."

Qin Yishen smiled faintly. He did not seem surprised.

"The proposal passes. Execute it immediately," Chi Ling ordered. Afterward, she sat down and placed her right hand on a point of the desk. The surface lit up.

The row of folders that had always sat before Chi Ling slid to the center of the desk, and one of them flashed with three colors. She grabbed and opened it, revealing a strip of green talisman paper.

An old man in the room asked in astonishment, "Chi Ling, you keep such an important item on your desk?"

"The old trick of hiding things in plain sight still works," Chi Ling replied calmly. "Even the most secure safes in this building have been broken into more than once. But no one would touch my dull paperwork that sits where anyone can reach it."

Qin Yishen's mouth twitched. He then quickly recovered his tense, urgent composure.

Chi Ling swiftly held the green talisman, took out a lighter from the side, and ignited it.

The talisman hissed faintly. In the flame, the image of the Longhu Mountains' Grand Celestial Master formed briefly and then vanished.

The talisman left no ash. A trace of profound Dao Rhythm appeared and faded.

Chi Ling said, "The seals have been lifted. Notify those fifteen ancient cultivators to get involved. The sooner the better!"

Mou Yue, who was one of the fifteen attendees, issued a firm reply.

—Yes, Chief!

She ended the conference feed and quickly activated the communication devices placed at the fifteen ancient cultivators' confinement sites.

Meanwhile, Chi Ling sighed and closed her eyes on the chair to rest. The others also sat down and arranged follow-up attack plans, making sure the fox fiend wouldn't reach the town before the ancient cultivators arrived.

Barely two minutes later, Mou Yue's projection reappeared, seemingly suppressing anger.

—Chief, the fifteen ancient cultivators say they are mere punished criminals who are serving penance in the mountains. They cannot leave at will.

The video conference immediately exploded with debate as everyone wondered what the ancient cultivators intended. The elderly men in military uniforms remained calm. Chi Ling watched Qin Yishen, who looked back at her with an enigmatic half-smile.

She stood up again. "Put them through. I will personally ask them to take action. If they want an apology, I will apologize."

—Chief?

"Do it."

—Yes, ma'am.

Mou Yue's projection vanished again.

The Special Investigation Unit, which had returned to full operation, carried out her orders with extreme efficiency. Soon, the projections of fifteen composed-looking ancient cultivators appeared in the meeting room.

Chi Ling breathed in lightly, stepped away from her desk, and took two steps forward.

***

By the lake in the mountain forest.

Two powerful spiritual perceptions repeatedly searched the area. Seemingly unbothered, Huai Jing and Xiaomiao walked on toward the distance.

"Why haven't those two ancient cultivators left yet?" Huai Jing muttered under his breath. "Aren't they afraid of being exposed at a critical moment?"

"They have probably already prepared substitutes and remain at their confinement sites," Xiaomiao replied softly. "Has the signal been restored?"

Huai Jing glanced at his phone. The signal bars were still empty. "Not yet."

"If those ancient cultivators are released, how long will it take before they arrive?"

"Not long," Huai Jing replied. "Rebirth Realm Cultivators who have mastered the Rainbow-Light Flying Technique will travel very fast, not to mention the two ancient cultivators hiding nearby."

Xiaomiao frowned slightly and scanned for places to hide.

Fighter jets flew past, spreading a continuous rumble from all directions. On several nearby hills, faint bursts of fire began to flicker.

A few minutes later, Huai Jing looked up at the western sky, where a streak of rainbow light tore through the clouds.

Surprised, he said, "That was fast. Another Tribulation Realm ancient cultivator has arrived."

Xiaomiao's tone lowered with worry. "Big Sister..."

Huai Jing's expression also turned grim. He took out his purple-gold alms bowl and, in front of Xiaomiao, unleashed a spell. Clear water appeared inside the bowl, and images formed on its surface, showing Xi Lian and her surroundings.

The rainbow light shot in and, above the bloody fox fiend, materialized into an ancient cultivator in white robes with gray hair.

"Wretched beast! How dare you act with such arrogance under the clear heavens! Do you think the Daoist sects have no one who can stand against you?" he shouted so loudly it echoed dozens of miles away.

He swung his treasured sword, and talismans formed in midair. In an instant, he struck the bloody fox with a storm of lightning bolts.

Watching lightning swallow Xi Lian, Xiaomiao clenched her fists, and her lips trembled.

The ancient cultivator's arrival had offset several aerial squads' attacks. Changing targets, the fox furiously pursued the Mount Mao ancient cultivator.

The ancient cultivator fought and retreated, scattering lightning to try to lure Xi Lian back toward the mountain lake.

Soon, another rainbow light shot in from the horizon—a second ancient cultivator had arrived.

The two attacked in unison yet still failed to fully stop Xi Lian. They adopted a hit-and-run strategy, but Xi Lian, whose only driving force now was her killing instinct, ensured that the tide of battle remained against the ancient cultivators.

A third ancient cultivator arrived, then a fourth.

One by one, ancient cultivators rushed to the scene and joined the battle. With their combined strength, they gradually pushed Xi Lian onto the defensive.

More rainbow lights followed.

In the Special Investigation Unit's command hall, staff who did not know the full truth breathed easier. Some even applauded in celebration. Seeing allied reinforcements arrive one after another was stirring enough to move the hearts of those who had no idea what had happened earlier or why Xi Lian had turned into a devil.

"Despicable! Shameless!" Xiaomiao exclaimed through clenched teeth, her worry deepening.

At that moment, Xi Lian returned to the lake. Ten ancient cultivators, including the two who had been hiding nearby, had surrounded her. Six were at the Tribulation Realm, while four were at the Rebirth Realm.

They launched a coordinated assault. Within a few minutes, Xi Lian suffered heavy injuries, yet her ferocity only grew. She unleashed waves of devilish qi that forced the ancient cultivators to retreat embarrassingly at times.

What infuriated Huai Jing most was that the ancient cultivators constantly projected their voices across dozens of miles, shouting proclamations in modern Hua language and a faint archaic accent.

"Everyone! This fiend beast has caused countless casualties. She has to be killed!"

"Though we cherish life, we cannot look on while evil spreads. Purging devils and protecting the Dao has always been our righteous duty!"

"Haaa. Fiends and devils harm people. They cannot be spared. Though we should have perished from this world long ago, we likely survived this long for this very moment."

Their words moved listeners to "sigh" and "weep."

In the woods, Huai Jing stomped his feet in rage and cursed.

"Those ancient criminals are all hypocrites! Wait until you're all gathered! The Buddha will go into god mode and wipe you all out!"

Xiaomiao stared at Huai Jing. In a serious tone, she said, "Buddhist Master, if you're not confident, don't take the risk. Big Sister certainly does not want others dragged in..."

"Of course, I am not fully confident about this, but killing a few of them is still possible," Huai Jing gripped the golden hand bone in his palm. "I planned to just save whoever I could and avoid fighting them, but I didn't expect those ancient cultivators to be so shameless!

"If worse comes to worst, have your brother give me extra compensation later. I'm just going to use this golden body part! Listen very closely to them, Xiaomiao! Do they sound human to you? They are all utterly shameless. If their forefathers knew, they would be so angry they would spit blood!"

As Huai Jing cursed, two more rainbow lights tore across the sky.

The presence of twelve ancient cultivators pressed down on the area, their oppressive weight spreading all over the place.

A peak Tribulation Realm sword cultivator shouted, "Everyone, strike fast and finish this quickly. Let us form an exorcism formation and disperse this fiend's soul!"

"Agreed!"

"Let's do it!"

"Haaaa. I suppose we have no other choice."

The twelve ancient cultivators immediately launched a fierce assault downward, beating the bloody fox until she could barely raise her head. Seizing the opportunity, they began setting the final killing formation. Within a radius of several hundred li, streams of primal qi surged toward the spot, affecting even the local qi meridians.