398(bad(2) - Senior Sister Is on Top

She had carefully inspected the area around the hidden passage and found no trace of anyone's presence. It was clean, like a desolate wilderness untouched for a hundred years. Even the rocks and trees at the entrance were covered in moss, fostered by the damp environment. Yet, he confidently assured her that he had just passed through here. He and his companions, numbering over thirty, were all at the Nascent Soul or Transformation Stage of cultivation. Perhaps they could indeed move without leaving a trace under normal circumstances, but they were heavily injured and fleeing for their lives. Could they really have had the leisure to meticulously erase all evidence of their passage? Jiang Yin's brows arched as she finally caught his slip-up. "Oh? General Guang, you must indeed be exceptionally astute to discover such a secret passage. But my army numbers nearly ten thousand; how do you propose they all pass through safely?" "This is nothing to worry about," Guang Liangji replied, still oblivious to his blunder and continuing to deceive. "The cracks within the passage are quite wide, allowing several people to walk side by side. His Majesty the Divine Lord has already divided the troops into nine columns. As long as the nine columns enter in sequence, following the traces left by the previous groups, they will neither lose their way nor lose time. This method prevents getting lost while ensuring efficiency." Jiang Yin couldn't help but smile at his words. If he intentionally led them astray, the entire column of nearly ten thousand people would fall into a trap. Once the trap was sprung, or the rocks were made to collapse again, the whole army would be nearly wiped out, with at least eighty percent casualties. What a cunning plan. "I see. Such a meticulous arrangement—General Guang, you must have thought long and hard about this." Jiang Yin, unwilling to continue this charade, smiled slightly and reached for the Xuantian Bell hanging from her junior sister's waist. Guang Liangji was startled, unsure of how she had become suspicious. He tried to explain further, but before he could speak, the black bell in her hand began to gently ring. The sound was clear and sharp, but as it entered his ears, it was like a hypnotic melody, making him drowsy. Damn… My cultivation is sealed; I can't resist at all! That was his last thought before he fell into a deep sleep. Jiang Yin’s sudden action caught everyone off guard. Tang Muxi, having anticipated something, asked, "Senior Sister, did you notice anything unusual?" Jiang Yin nodded. "I assume everyone inspected the entrance to the hidden passage just now. Did you find anything amiss?" Wen Dai and the others exchanged glances and slowly shook their heads. Jiang Yin smiled. "Exactly. This man and his companions were heavily injured when they passed through here, constantly at risk of exposure and death. Yet, they had the leisure to carefully erase their tracks. Not even we, who are far more powerful than him, would manage such an effortless task. The subsequent plan is so deviously intricate that it must have been carefully thought out. With his companions on the verge of death, he still had the composure to consider the safety of ten thousand cultivators. Truly, how noble of him." As these words sank in, the realization dawned on everyone like a bucket of cold water. Chapter 227 Tang Muxi, both shocked and furious, glanced at the still-hypnotized Guang Liangji and angrily ordered, "Take him to the Western Region and have the Grand Elder punish him personally!" It was the first time she had ever named someone specifically for punishment, showing that she was genuinely angered. Jiang Yin did not intervene, merely committing his appearance to memory, intending to remind the Grand Elder later to ensure that neither he nor his companions left the prison alive. With a heart so malicious that he could still try to deceive them despite knowing they were dealing with the Divine Lord of the Demon Realm, such a person could not be allowed to live. "Junior Sister, how do you plan to deal with this so-called hidden passage?" Now that it was clear Guang Liangji had been sent by someone else, it indicated there were certainly traps set within the passage. They couldn’t enter it but also couldn’t leave it unchecked. They needed a way to properly repay the Commander of the Imperial Guard for his "kindness." Tang Muxi pondered for a moment, then summoned the Eight Trigrams of the Universe. "Harmful objects must be erased. I’ll use the power of this divine artifact to flatten the shattered rock layers!" As she prepared to act, Jiang Yin stopped her. "The Eight Trigrams of the Universe specializes in formations, and once used, the entire mountain will be affected. It’s not quite appropriate. Just as I was intrigued by the power of your Yang Pole yesterday, why not let me handle this? It's time for me to show off a bit." Tang Muxi was a little surprised that her senior sister would insist on something so seemingly trivial. However, the Eight Trigrams of the Universe did indeed have too broad a range, and its impact would be difficult to control. Without overthinking, she nodded in agreement. Satisfied, Jiang Yin flew forward and hovered in the air for a moment, then suddenly conjured a mass of pitch-black spiritual essence from her palm. The spiritual essence was no larger than a fist, but it emanated an aura of greed and decay. Any power that passed by would be forcibly torn apart and consumed, even the surrounding light was drawn in. The sky was already dark and rainy, but now, with the addition of the Yin Pole, it grew even dimmer. The clouds became heavy and oppressive, with the only thing visible being that orb of absolute darkness floating in the air, eerie like a solar eclipse. Wen Dai furrowed her brows at the sight. "What is this? It’s so powerful." She had cultivated for nearly a thousand years but had never seen anything like it. Yesterday, the Divine Lord had also conjured a pure white spiritual essence while forming a spiritual arrow, which was completely opposite to the one before them. She recalled hearing Qing Ling mention that the Divine Lord had acquired some extraordinary artifact from an otherworldly deity. Could this be it? The complete mystery of it all made Wen Dai uneasy. "Before the Five Elements existed, chaos reigned. Back then, there were no elements, only the two poles of Yin and Yang. The one my junior sister used yesterday was the Yang Pole, and this one is its counterpart, the Yin Pole," Jiang Yin explained with a smile. "The Yin Pole is chaotic and impure, but it also embraces all things. That’s why I can use it to manipulate the Five Elements, despite being a demon cultivator. This is actually the first time I’ve used it, so I’m not sure what it will do." As Jiang Yin spoke, she unleashed the spiritual essence. A streak of chaotic darkness flashed across the sky, devouring even the mist and vapor in its path. It plummeted toward the fractured rocks in the mountain like a fallen star.