Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 888 - 888 0540 The Emperors Whereabouts_1

Chapter 888: Chapter 0540: The Emperor’s Whereabouts_1 Chapter 888: Chapter 0540: The Emperor’s Whereabouts_1 Chapter 0540: The Emperor’s Whereabouts

Gao Jinmei, while on duty, dared not slacken in the slightest. Born an assassin, she was well aware of the various tactics she might encounter; therefore, she had made some specific arrangements in the surrounding area. The power of these arrangements might not be considerable, but they were highly sensitive, with very low triggering conditions, making them quite effective for early warnings. In addition to that, Gao Jinmei used a secret technique she had mastered to conceal herself, hiding in a corner that was difficult for outsiders to discover, while secretly surveilling everything around her.

Initially, Gao Jinmei made these arrangements out of the belief that it’s always good to be careful, but as the time gradually approached midnight, a minor restriction she had placed several miles away was broken. Gao Jinmei immediately sensed it and was instantly on alert.

Shortly after, Gao Jinmei felt some people closing in on their location. Although they tried their utmost to conceal their aura, Gao Jinmei could still sense that there was more than one person, and without exception, they were all cultivators—not ordinary folks.

Gao Jinmei immediately narrowed her eyes; she suppressed her own aura to the extreme and adjusted her True Essence to the optimal state, ready to strike at any moment.

Before long, the intruders had closed in very near to Qi Tian and the other two. The linear distance had shrunk to less than a hundred meters, a very dangerous range for cultivators. A somewhat powerful Qi Cultivation Period cultivator could, without relying on any external objects and solely by their strength, cover this distance in a mere four to five seconds. For Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, the time to cross a hundred meters could be reduced to within a second. As for Gold Core Stage cultivators, they could do it even faster.

Of course, these were all about short bursts of extreme speed. Even Gold Core Realm powerhouses couldn’t maintain such a pace for more than a minute; any longer and their bodies couldn’t handle it, risking complete collapse. Just like Qi Tian, Gao Jinmei, and Xia Xiaoming—all possessing Gold Core Realm strength—but for long-distance travel, they would use flying swords, with speeds of a hundred to two hundred kilometers per hour being common. There are faster flying swords, but they’re expensive, and neither Gao Jinmei nor Xia Xiaoming could afford them. Qi Tian, on the other hand, did have them but saw no need for them.

Gao Jinmei knew she couldn’t let these people get any closer to Qi Tian. Whether they had the ability to harm Qi Tian or not, the mere possibility that they could disturb him was unacceptable. Just like a mortal emperor, for any reason, causing alarm to the emperor meant the death penalty.

Gao Jinmei abruptly sprang out from her hiding place like a hunting leopardess, instantly charging into the midst of those assailants. With a burst of light flashing in her hand, she laid them all down on the ground with little effort. Those people had talismans flashing with spiritual light on them, but they were no match for Gao Jinmei.

The whole process was brief, lasting less than half a minute, before the fight was over. Gao Jinmei bound them all with ropes and sealed their Qi Seas, gagged their mouths, and then returned to her hiding place to remain concealed.

When it was time to change guard with Xia Xiaoming, Gao Jinmei reported the incident briefly and then went to rest.

With Gao Jinmei’s warning and the actual attack that had occurred, Xia Xiaoming remained fully vigilant during his shift in the latter half of the night, closely monitoring the surroundings, fearing another unwary soul might come to attack them.

As dawn arrived, Xia Xiaoming did not face a second wave of attackers and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Qi Tian had ended his night of meditation and cultivation. He had been eagerly seizing every moment to cultivate, and the previous night, he hadn’t noticed the battle between Gao Jinmei and the external cultivators. But even if Gao Jinmei had not been able to stop them, allowing those assailants to reach him, it would have been very difficult for them to harm Qi Tian. For his own safety, Qi Tian wore several defense-oriented treasures and had also arranged a Defense Magic Array around him; anyone daring enough to disrespect him without his permission would definitely not end well.

Well aware of how cautious Qi Tian could be, Gao Jinmei stood obediently outside the Defense Magic Array before he had dismissed it, not daring to step any further forward.

Seeing Qi Tian awake, Gao Jinmei hurriedly reported last night’s events to him.

A gleam of sharp light flashed in Qi Tian’s eyes as he said, “Bring them to me; I want to interrogate them myself.”

Quickly, Gao Jinmei and Xia Xiaoming dragged the intruders over like dead dogs.

All through the night, with their meridians sealed, the culprits lay sprawled on the ground, mute and immobile, having suffered greatly.

Qi Tian first examined their clothing and noticed that their attire was not that of the Refining God Sect nor did it seem to be related to the Great Zhao royal family. He asked, “Can you understand what I’m saying?”

Qi Tian wasn’t asking casually. The language of many natives from the secret realms was different from that used in the great world of Great Zhao Nation. If they couldn’t understand each other, Qi Tian would have to think of other methods.