504 - A Sect Leader’s Ascension

Chapter 504: The Last Survivor Dim Lights for Eye Comfort Font Size: Large Medium Small [Previous Chapter] [Contents] [Next Chapter] "One hundred thousand third-level spirit stones!" Qi Bingyan gritted her teeth. "Do you have them?" The man with the pale yellow beard sneered, casually snatching her storage bag. After a cursory glance, he seemed to confirm its substantial value, though his skepticism lingered. "Chu Qin Sect is a faction from Baishan, right? They don't even have a Nascent Soul cultivator. As a Foundation Establishment subservient cultivator, have you ever seen a hundred thousand third-level spirit stones piled up high?" "I say I have them, and I do!" Qi Bingyan declared firmly. "You should be aware of Black Hand's ways; at this point, there's no better option left, is there?" The man with the yellow beard snorted, discontented but silent in disagreement. He focused on examining the contents of the bag. "These are Black Wind Valley's 'Forest Wind Essence Nourishing Pills.' Taking them can extend one's life by eight to twelve years." Seeing him perplexed by the pills given by Tu Ziru, Qi Bingyan explained briefly. His eyebrows arched upon hearing this, and carefully, he put the pills back into the storage bag, securing it tightly to himself. "Alright, I'll trust you this once," he finally decided. Once convinced, he acted decisively, never letting emotions sway him. Since his brother died in the seventh floor hall, which indicated extreme danger, he didn't even glance over, opting to whisk Qi Bingyan further into the depths of the secret realm without looking back. "Nangong Meng and Jiang Huan are just up ahead. Who do you think is the safer choice to side with?" The deeper they went, the more complete and mobile the mechanism puppets were, some no longer guarding fixed points but patrolling through the corridors. Naturally, they were more formidable. The man with the yellow beard cautiously evaded both the mechanism puppets and other adventurers, who were even more perilous, making a zigzag path toward the eighth floor hall. He believed that given Black Hand's strength, no one in the upper levels could withstand them, making it impractical to venture out. The only chance of survival was to find the two Nascent Soul cultivators from Qiyun Sect. Qi Bingyan's choice to flee downward was for a similar reason. "Of course, Nangong Meng." She wasn't Qiu Xiu and was ignorant of many secrets. "The Qiyun Sect is a leading righteous sect and the origin of our Chu Qin faction. The Nangong family in Qinan City has a transformation-period ancestor who has relations with my family. Once, when they held a celebratory event, even their Nascent Soul ancestor from the Nangong family came personally to congratulate. Only they have the strength to provide protection." As for Jiang Huan? Firstly, his force was weaker; secondly, she knew about the affair involving Jiang Yan, making the Jiang family far less trustworthy than the Nangong family. Following her understanding, her decision was to seek refuges with the Nangong family. Having convinced the man with the yellow beard, they smoothly reached the bottom of the seventh floor, encountering the defensive barrier at the entrance to the eighth floor hall. "This place has been claimed by the two Nascent Souls; no one can enter." The man with the yellow beard had apparently been here once, expressing a bit of frustration, while vigilantly watching for anyone approaching from behind, directing Qi Bingyan to write a summary of events on a formal letter for presentation and throw it into the formation. Soon, the barrier slightly opened a small gap. Overjoyed, the two quickly slipped inside, only to find a scholar adorned in a lake-blue robe, but no one from the Nangong family. "Senior Wan?" Qi Bingyan recognized this person as Wan Xuan, known as "Mr. Know-It-All." "Why are you here?" "Ah! The argument up front is heated, quite nerve-wracking, so I volunteered to guard the door for some peace," Wan Xuan shook his head with a bitter smile, dusting off the letter in his hand. "Do you have evidence for this matter?" he inquired. "Personal experience. I am the evidence." Qi Bingyan knelt immediately. "Chu Shen senior died gloriously, as did Gan Long and the others—all dead, all gone..." Despite having weathered numerous storms in her life and remaining calm during the escape earlier, now that she was momentarily safe, her emotions swelled, and she cried, "And none from Tianli Sect, Blue Lotus Sword Sect, and Black Wind Valley managed to survive. As a Foundation Establishment family head from Baishan, why would I fabricate such a significant lie? If it's to avenge everyone, I don't mind if Senior Nangong mind-probes me. After all, I’m old enough to not care about losing a few years of life." "Alright, let me inform Senior Nangong," Wan Xuan agreed but then asked, "Are there any other companions outside? If so, bring them in as well." Qi Bingyan's body froze upon hearing this. The man with the yellow beard quickly replied, "My brother is outside, but he doesn't want to come in." "I don't think there is anyone, is there? Hahaha..." Out of nowhere, Wan Xuan erupted in crazed laughter, shedding his usual scholarly demeanor, as his figure dissolved in wicked laughter, fading into a mere shadow. "Not good!" Realizing the ruse, the man with the yellow beard scrambled to flee with Qi Bingyan, but the formation, set to isolate the inside from outside by Nangong Meng and Jiang Huan, was beyond the capability of a mere Golden Core cultivator to breach. Wan Xuan, hiding in the control hub, took out a token and lightly waved it, triggering a tempest of icy blades within the formation. Within the time it takes a pillar of incense to burn, the ground was blanketed in white, erased of any trace of the two. "Why has the formation activated?" On the other side of the large array, a hurriedly approaching Golden Core cultivator from the Nangong family queried upon entry. "Just some uncooperative small fry, eliminated already," Wan Xuan replied nonchalantly, steering the conversation away. "How are things over on that side?" The Nangong family Golden Core's expression soured upon hearing this. "It's embarrassing in front of your people." He sighed and somberly headed to the control center of the array. "I'll go take a look outside." Wan Xuan bid him goodbye, exiting the formation as nonchalantly as if nothing had happened, and strutted away, never to return. In the aftermath of the battle, several Black Hand members were expunging evidence around the secret chamber. The formidable Blue Lotus Sword Sect cultivator was reduced to ash, leaving behind no complete remains. Separated by a mere array, across the entire eighth floor and blocking the sole gateway to the ninth floor, stood a massive jade door marked with a constellation diagram. Calculations showed that its activation date was over a decade away. This unforeseen revelation left everyone stupefied. Jiang Huan and Nangong Meng, each leading their retinue, stood confrontationally at the gateway, bickering incessantly over monopolizing the site and claiming the true spoils expected in a dozen years. "Hmph!" Nangong Meng, a cultivator engrossed in cultivating dao, was unskilled in verbal battles. Although his side held the upper hand in strength, he constantly lost ground in arguments against the veteran Jiang Huan, to the extent that his serene, orchid-like demeanor twisted with anger. He resolved to drop all pretenses, coldly sneering, "Senior Jiang, you really don't know when to stop! This isn't Qiyun; it's Baishan! Do you really believe that my Nangong family eats vegetarian? Want to go the same way as Gao Guangsheng!?" Those present weren’t fools; they heard the murderous intent in Nangong Meng's words and gathered their resolve, firmly grasping their defensive items, prepared to unleash their skills in an impending grand showdown should the Nascent Soul ancestors cease negotiations. Surprised by the turn of events, the few Golden Cores from the Bihu Sect hadn’t expected siding with Jiang Huan would evolve into the current confrontation with the Nangong family. Though they took a standing alongside Jiang Huan's group, glaring hostilely at the opposition, they could only admire the foresight of Wan Xuan, who willingly opted out of treasure hunting to ensure peace by guarding the formation. "Hehe." Jiang Huan chuckled, eyes unflinching. "I hear Nangong Zhi is caught in the Feng Shui domain. That’s why your family is eager to launch campaigns with the Gui Ru, right? To strike me now, your ancestor certainly doesn’t mind complicating matters!" "You!" Nangong Meng, infuriated, pointed at him, choked with rage, unable to retort for a long while. ...... Days later, outside the gate of Qiyun Mountains, a visitor in Taoist robes arrived. "I seek Chu Wen from Chu Yun Peak." The visitor, at a Golden Core level of cultivation, maintained a stiff demeanor. Announcing his intention to the gatekeeper, he waited patiently in line among other visitors. "May I know the name of fellow Daoist? I need to relay the message," the gatekeeper inquired. "Yu He." He hesitated before responding, "Chu Wen knows who I am." With a cautious glance at him, the gatekeeper did not hurry to relay the message but instead remarked with a smile, "Would you kindly remove the disguise from your face? Otherwise, it wouldn't be appropriate to convey your message." "Oh, oh, I'm not a villain, just keeping a low profile." Hurriedly, he swiped his hand over his face, revealing his true self. He was not Yu He but Tu Ziru, remarkably having survived calamity, potentially the last lone survivor. (To be continued)