Eternal Life: I Can Control My Essence Qi-Chapter 32: Showdown at the Pinnacle

The inner courtyard was silent.

The anticipated crossbow lineups, combined shooting, and booby-trap ambushes did not appear; the vast courtyard was empty.

"Strange..."

The group exchanged glances, becoming increasingly cautious.

"Everyone, be careful. Don’t separate!"

The four cautiously explored, feeling a bit anxious but refrained from acting rashly.

Normally, upon a sudden attack, Wang Dezhai and the other top members would surely be in the rear courtyard, protecting the elderly, women, and children as they retreated, with those outside buying them time.

Zhao Donglai and his group rushed into the inner courtyard precisely to intercept Wang Dezhai and others to prevent them from escaping.

However, the outer courtyard was brightly lit, while the inner courtyard was dark, with only sparse starlight scattered.

"Something feels off..."

Zhao Donglai and his group searched the inner courtyard, feeling a trace of unease.

As they delved deeper, the battle cries and screams in their ears grew quieter, almost reaching the deepest part of the estate.

And then:

"Hmm?"

Zhao Donglai and the others tensed, perceiving the approach of three figures in the darkness.

Leading the three was an elderly man with a gentle appearance, flanked by two middle-aged men with somber faces and eyes flashing with cold light.

This elderly man was none other than Wang Dezhai, the patriarch of the Wang Clan and the son of the late Grandmaster Wang.

"Wang Dezhai, you finally dared to show up!"

Zhao Donglai spoke first, with a tone laced with mockery, instinctively gripping the hilt of his saber tightly.

"Zhao Donglai, Yunyi, and those two old ghosts from the Chen and Li families... good, good!"

As Wang Dezhai’s eyes swept over them, he laughed in anger: "Each of you took the benefits without question. Agreed so well, but when the time comes, you all turn traitor!"

The two men beside him were also filled with burning rage.

In Changping City, among the four great powers, if even one had stood with them sincerely, the Wang Family would not be in this predicament today.

"Cut the nonsense."

Zhao Donglai replied disdainfully: "You’ve ridden roughshod over us, enjoying your dominance, and now you think it’s time for reparations? Isn’t it too late?"

"Wang Dezhai, it’s been half a month since your old man died and he’s not even buried yet. Do you think he can rest in peace like this?"

"Shut up!"

Wang Dezhai’s face and beard bristled with rage, his gaze icy to the extreme: "Just a few of you thinking of overthrowing my Wang Family? Keep dreaming!"

As he spoke, he clapped his hands and sneered: "Gentlemen, please come out."

Before his voice faded, two figures quietly appeared from the shadows.

One was a tall, sturdy man like an iron tower, with cold steel gloves on his hands. The other was a slender swordsman wearing an iron conical hat, with a calm expression.

"So, they have reinforcements..."

Zhao Donglai and his companions’ faces changed immediately, their hearts sinking.

There was no need to ask; these two unexpected arrivals were surely Absolute Peak Experts.

In such a short time, even under their close surveillance, where had the Wang Family managed to find these two helpers?

One must know that Absolute Peak Experts are not common, and it’s extremely hard to buy them with just money. Changping is a governor’s seat, with tens of thousands of people, and there are only a few, so where did these two come from?

Having one more Absolute Peak Expert brings a massive advantage, and the situation now reversed, leaving them in a weaker position.

"Hahaha..."

Looking at their faces, Wang Dezhai laughed heartily:

"Our Wang Family has a Grandmaster holding fort and years of accumulated connections. Do you think you could imagine that?"

"On the contrary, I anticipated that you would consider Changping City as your pocket and wouldn’t invite any assistance."

"Now, this is truly falling into your own trap!"

Upon hearing his words, Zhao Donglai and the others immediately understood.

They aimed to capture the Wang leader first, but the Wang Family also intended to capture them all at once, eliminating any future trouble!

Wang Dezhai had predicted their actions and used himself as bait to lure them away from the main troop, trapping them in a killing ambush.

"What a plan!"

Thinking of Zhang Yao, Zhao Donglai steadied his mind immediately and spoke in a deep voice: "At this point, there’s no use in talking further."

"Let’s show our true skills in battle!"

Wang Dezhai drew out the long sword from his waist, let out a cold laugh: "As you wish!"

The next moment:

"Swoosh!" "Clang!"...

With flashing swords and sabers, fierce Gang Feng exploded in the courtyard.

"Wang Dezhai, die!"

Zhao Donglai roared, leaping like a galloping horse, wielding his Kaishan Saber to confront Wang Dezhai.

The two middle-aged men intended to join forces in attack, but Yunyi’s sword light suddenly expanded, bringing them into his fighting circle, astonishing everyone present.

"I can only hold for one-quarter of an hour."

Yunyi, expressionless, spat out a few words.

His sword light flowed like a continuous stream, demonstrating a profound mastery of sword technique, truly holding off the Wang Family’s two Absolute Peak Experts.

"There’s hope!"

The old heads from the Chen and Li families perked up immediately, confronting the iron tower-like big fellow and the swordsman wearing the iron conical hat.

"Boom!" "Clang!" "Swoosh!"...

Nine Absolute Peak Experts clashed in the courtyard, moving swiftly, with fist winds and Sword Qi swirling, smashing bricks and collapsing beams, flowers, and grass falling victim.

In just a few breaths, the situation became clearer:

The old heads from Chen and Li families knew Yunyi couldn’t hold much longer, eager for victory with ruthless and decisive strikes. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

However, their respective opponents were only repaying favors and had no intention of risking their lives, stalling passively and making it hard to achieve quick victory.

Meanwhile, Yunyi’s swordsmanship, though powerful, was steadily suppressed by the two collaborating Wang Family experts. Defeating him was just a matter of time.

Wang Dezhai glanced around, assessing the situation favorably with joy in his heart: "The advantage is mine!"

With this thought, he became more conservative in combat, masterfully utilizing the family technique "Fourteen Swords of the Imperial Court," leaving no openings.

But to his surprise, Zhao Donglai didn’t seem anxious either, wielding the "Thunderbolt Saber Technique" to its fullest extent, his saber light bursting like thunder, yet remaining steadily grounded.

"Clang!" "Clang!"...

Both veterans of their craft, their blades and swords clashed dozens of times in a mere instant, their movements so fast, the shadows couldn’t be seen clearly.

At this combat intensity, even a Perfectionist Martial Artist like Zhou An could only last ten rounds before having their temples, eyes, or ears pierced and being killed on the spot.

After half a quarter of battling, Zhao Donglai intentionally led Wang Dezhai into a corner, distancing him from the main fight.

Focused solely on defense, Wang Dezhai fell into a disadvantage, unable to divert his attention, and thus failed to notice.

"Almost there..."

"Why hasn’t that kid made a move yet?"