As Long Hua fought off the weapon spirits that were near the base of the black tree—
"…"
"…"
Duanmu Chen and Qiu Lin enter the audience hall with the other members of Dainsfield.
Fearful of the practitioner's strength, and believing there to be an opportunity to be had here, the group had decided to steer clear of the battlefield.
Despite having come into this ruin with over 200 members, there are only around 40 of them here now.
As a means to blend in with the crowd, Duanmu Chen is currently dressed in a white shirt with a pair of light-colored trousers.
Similarly, Qiu Lin is also dressed in a more casual set of clothing, which consists of a white dress shirt with a pair of dark trousers.
"Uh?"
Narrowing his eyes, Duanmu Chen sees a figure seated on top of the dragon and phoenix throne.
Drawing closer to the individual, the Dainsfield group sees the former to be a woman, who looks to be around 20 years of age with deep blue eyes and black hair.
Attire wise, the individual is dressed in a black set of dragon robes, with a mianguan crown.
"Who are you?"
Towards Duanmu Chen's question, the woman stares at the Dainsfield group coldly, and remarks—
"Kept me waiting for a while."
Rising off the throne, nine golden spears—which are all two meters in length, manifests behind the woman's back.
"…"
At the point of the woman's finger, the nine spears tear through the air, and—
"Ack!"
"Ah!"
Faster than some of the Dainsfield associates are able to react, five of the nine spears end up skewering their targets through their chest—leaving around 30 of them remaining, with a few sustaining injuries of a punctured limb.
Immediately, Duanmu Chen enters his Weapon Spirit True Body state, which consists of a silver set of armor with a black cloak.
Similarly, Qiu Lin does the same. Her black armor is also on the thinner side with talon-like feet, which allows her to scale the sides of walls with ease.
Leaping into the air, Qiu Lin avoids the incoming spear—prior to latching her feet onto one of the six pillars in this audience hall, while taking aim with her bow.
*Shu! Shu! Shu!* as three arrows approach her, the woman in the dragon robes waves her hand—teleporting all her spears back to herself, and brushes the incoming arrows aside.
Waving her hand a second time, the nine spears positioned themselves in front of the woman, while pointing their heads forward.
*Pah!* simultaneously, the spears collapse—creating a wall of arrows directly in front of the woman.
"Fire."
At the woman's command, all 900 arrows are fired forth, and having no means to evade these arrows, Qiu Lin, along with most of Dainsfield's associates—who are slow to react, ends up being skewered by them.
"…"
Hiding behind a pillar with two others, a bead of cold sweat rolls down the side of Duanmu Chen's head, as the nine spears reappear behind the woman's back.
In that instance, a feeling of immense regret manifests in Duanmu Chen's heart, as he asks himself—why he had chosen to follow these people to the audience hall.
"Hack!"
As her wounds begin to close, Qiu Lin—who had been knocked out of her Weapon Spirit True Body state, spews out a mouthful of blood; and just as she tries to push herself off the ground—
"Aaargh!"
A spear falls from above, and stabs through her right thigh—pinning Qiu Lin onto the ground.
"…"
Directing her focus towards the pillar that Duanmu Chen and the remaining Dainsfield associates are hiding behind, the woman asks—
"Surnamed Duanmu, how do you feel right now? Are you shocked, or maybe surprised?"
"…!"
Realizing the woman's identity, Duanmu Chen widens his eyes, and asks back—
"Y-You're Yu Ji?"
"That's one of our targets?!"
"Wh-Where's the other one then?"
Raising a subtle smile, Yu Ji replies—
"Correct. Honestly, I was quite surprised to discover that this ancient city is a place that is connected to my sister and I deeply."
Without emerging from behind the pillar, Duanmu Chen asks—
"…What do you want?"
"…"
Compared to Long Hua, Yu Ji and Li aren't able to act as cruelly, but that doesn't mean that they are willing to just let everything be water under the bridge.
*Pah!* at the snap of Yu Ji's fingers, three—of the remaining eight spears, pierce through the pillar that Duanmu Chen and the others are hiding behind, proving to them that the former is able to take their lives whenever she wishes.
"Surnamed Duanmu—on the face of your two children, Li and I have come to an agreement. Killing you is utterly pointless, since this world is doomed to fall regardless. I suggest you enjoy whatever time you have left with your family."
Turning to Qiu Lin, and retrieving her spear, Yu Ji adds—
"Surnamed Qiu, hmm, no idea what to really say under these circumstances. I suppose, thanks for your teachings in the past?"
"…"
Towards these words, Qiu Lin responded with silence, and eventually heaves a heavy sigh. Never in her life could she have expected things to turn out like this.
"Consider me killing all the others a warning. If you dare to come after us siblings again, I won't show any mercy."
Without disengaging her Weapon Spirit True Body state, Yu Ji walks out of the audience hall with a straightened back.