At this moment, Zhu Zhuqing's clear and rebellious words, transmitted through spirit power conduction, fell into their ears word for word.
The leader of the black-clothed women, codenamed 'Shadow Seven,' had a flash of icy killing intent in her eyes.
Their orders were to monitor and ensure that Zhu Zhuqing could not reunite with Dai Mubai.
Simultaneously, if the target exhibited any 'uncontrollable' words or actions, or posed a threat to the Royal Family, they were authorized to dispose of her first, and report afterward!
"Flip the table?"
"Smash the cage?"
A silent, cold sneer curled Shadow Seven's lips.
How ridiculously naive.
She no longer hesitated.
Zhu Zhuqing's remarks had far exceeded the scope of 'uncontrollable'; this was a challenge to the very Foundation of the entire Star Luo Empire.
A person like this must die.
Shadow Seven brought her right index and middle fingers together, and a black needle, as thin as a cow's hair and nearly transparent, silently appeared at her fingertip.
[Soul Erosion Bone Needle].
It was forged by quenching the bone powder and venom of seventy-two types of poisonous Spirit Beasts for forty-nine days, making it invisible and colorless. It specializes in breaking protective spirit power, and those struck by it would suffer Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, beyond the help of any Heavenly God.
This was a killing blow.
She didn't even need to use a Spirit Ability; just a light flick of her fingertip.
"Whoosh—"
There was no sound of piercing the air, no spirit power fluctuation.
The poisonous needle vanished from where it was, piercing through layers of branches and leaves, heading straight for Zhu Zhuqing's vital spot on her back at a speed that surpassed the limit of visual capture.
The distance was too close.
Both Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing were completely unaware of it.
Their attention was entirely focused on each other.
Neither sister noticed that Death had already arrived behind them.
...
Inside the cave.
Li Yifei's fingers were idly stroking Little Wu's soft long hair.
The Little Rabbit in his arms, perhaps tired from crying, or perhaps having found an unprecedented sense of security, was currently lying on his lap, emitting even and light breaths, sleeping soundly.
Li Yifei's gaze penetrated the mountain wall, like the perspective of a Deity, looking down upon the chase and confrontation in the dense forest.
Everything was within his grasp.
The moment that poisonous needle left its origin, Li Yifei's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.
It was as if a wonderful drama was being staged, but an unobservant fly insisted on buzzing right before his eyes.
Unpleasant.
The next second.
An indescribable, intangible terror that transcended spirit power perception, and even surpassed the Law of this plane, instantly spanned several miles of space.
It didn't disturb a single leaf in the dense forest, nor did it stir the slightest bit of air.
It was like an invisible Heavenly God's hand, gripping Shadow Seven's Soul with absolute precision.
Shadow Seven, maintaining her sniping posture on the treetop, suddenly stiffened.
Time seemed to stop in her world.
Her thoughts, her everything, were frozen at that moment.
The killing intent in her eyes was instantly replaced, submerged, and crushed by an incomprehensible fear originating from the deepest part of her Soul!
She felt like an ant being pinched between fingertips, and the existence holding her could completely erase her from the plane of existence with just a single thought.
Let alone moving a finger, even breathing had become a luxury.
The venom-laced black needle stopped abruptly, as if it had hit an invisible wall, less than an inch away from Zhu Zhuqing's back.
Then, under Zhu Zhuyun's horrified gaze, it silently... turned into dust.
"What?!"
Zhu Zhuyun's pupils shrank to the size of a pinhead!
Her spirit power Rank was higher, and her perception was sharper. In that instant, she felt a faint yet fatal killing intent!
She didn't even have time to react before that killing intent vanished like smoke.
But she clearly saw the needle that appeared out of thin air and vanished out of thin air!
Someone wanted to kill Zhuqing!
Who was it?!
It was the watchers!
A chilling cold shot up from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head, and every hair on Zhu Zhuyun's body stood on end.
Immediately following, that divine will swept gently over the minds of the three hidden agents like a tide.
The fear and dullness in their eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by a blank confusion.
What just happened?
A new 'memory' was forcibly implanted, overwritten, overwritten, and overwritten again until it was seamless.
In their new memories, it was the sisters Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhuyun who had a verbal confrontation, which ended with Zhu Zhuqing being severely wounded by Zhu Zhuyun and fleeing desperately in another direction.
Mission... accomplished.
Shadow Seven shook her head and made a gesture to the other two subordinates.
"The target is heavily wounded and fled. Direction confirmed. Let's go."
The three black shadows silently left the spot and chased in the direction Zhu Zhuqing supposedly fled in their 'fake memory.'
From beginning to end, they never knew they had just walked past the gates of hell.
They certainly didn't know that their own minds had become a canvas that someone could paint on at will.
...
After finishing all this, Li Yifei felt that Little Wu in his arms seemed to have been disturbed by the fleeting aura on him and moved restlessly.
He lowered his head and gently patted Little Wu's back.
It was time to go see that little kitten.
He held the sleepy, rubbing-her-eyes Little Wu in his arms, his figure flickering indistinctly.
There were no ripples of spirit power, only slight spatial fluctuations.
Just like that, Li Yifei, along with the girl in his arms, vanished directly from the cave.
...
In the dense forest.
Zhu Zhuyun was still immersed in the terrifying moment just past, her back already soaked with cold sweat.
She was just about to pull Zhu Zhuqing away from this dangerous place immediately.
But at that very moment, her pupils suddenly shrank to the most dangerous pinprick shape!
Every hair on her body stood straight up!
One person.
A man holding a girl.
Just like that... he appeared between her and her sister.
No sound.
No warning.
It was as if he had been standing there from the very beginning. Or perhaps, he was a ghost god emerging from the shadows.
This unknown presence was even more terrifying than facing a Level Ninety-nine Peerless Douluo!
Zhu Zhuyun's heart nearly leaped out of her throat. All her combat instincts were roaring wildly, screaming danger, screaming to flee!
But her body felt as if it had been filled with lead, unable to move.
On the other side, the moment Zhu Zhuqing saw the person arriving, all the vigilance and icy resolve in her eyes instantly melted away.
In their place was a sky full of starry light, almost overflowing, of worship.
"Brother Yi Fei!"
Li Yifei ignored the petrified Zhu Zhuyun beside him, merely lowering his head and smiling gently at the slightly dazed Little Wu rubbing her eyes in his arms.
Then, he raised his eyes, his gaze falling calmly on Zhu Zhuqing.
"The surrounding surveillance has been dealt with."
"Now, we can have a proper talk."
His voice was calm, yet it struck Zhu Zhuyun's mind like a thunderclap from the Nine Heavens!