Chapter 269: All Traitors

The shockwave from the meteor violently scattered the miasma, flattened trees, flung beasts into the air, and rolled boulders aside—the perilous land was razed to the ground.

Seeing the devastation left by the meteor, Wu Lian sucked in a breath of cold air, still filled with lingering fear.

Good thing she had run far enough. If she’d only run for five minutes, she might’ve been swept away by the gale and left her fate uncertain.

“What’s your name?” Only then did Wu Lian realize she was still holding onto Yu Feng and quickly pushed him away, studying this little guy.

He had saved her life—she had to thank him properly.

“Yu Feng.”

“What kind of reward do you want?” Wu Lian figured Yu Feng must have had some motive for warning her about the meteor.

But what could Yu Feng want? All he wanted was for Senior Sister Wu Lian to stay alive.

“I heard you call me Senior Sister at first, then you called me Wu Lian?”

“…My technique told me to.” Yu Feng didn’t know how to explain.

Wu Lian was half-skeptical about that technique. She’d never heard of such a thing. But if it weren’t for the technique, how could he have predicted the meteor?

“So you’re saying calling me ‘Senior Sister Wu Lian’ was auspicious for you? If that’s the case, then come join my sect. I’ll become your real senior sister.”

“Uh…” Yu Feng hadn’t expected things to go this way. He had always avoided joining any sect.

“Join. With me backing you, nothing will happen.” Jiang Li’s voice came from invisibility.

With a senior like that to rely on, Yu Feng followed Wu Lian back to her sect.

“Master, I’m back.”

“Good disciple, thank heavens you’re back—I was so worried! I saw a meteor crash where you were headed and thought something happened to you!” Wu Lian’s master was called Daoist Tongchen, a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator skilled in the Dao of Talismans.

Daoist Tongchen whispered, “I heard it was two Fusion Stage cultivators who got into a fight. It all started with a little sect in the southeast called the Blood Sea Sect. The sect master and senior brother both died horribly from poisoning.”

“The sect master was a descendant of a Fusion Stage expert—not a promising one, but still a descendant. The expert saw it as a slap in the face.”

“When the expert learned his descendant died under suspicious circumstances, he assumed it was Heaven’s Poison Sect’s doing and wanted to punish them.”

“But Heaven’s Poison Sect has Fusion Stage backers too. They thought it was absurd.”

“When Heaven’s Poison Sect denied it, the backers of Blood Sea Sect and Heaven’s Poison Sect fell out. The conflict escalated until they fought in space. The falling meteor was collateral damage from their battle.”

From his hidden spot, Jiang Li held his forehead. Yep, this really did start because of them.

“That was way too close. Thank—” Wu Lian thought back on what had just happened, heart still pounding. Good thing she believed Yu Feng.

Wu Lian told the whole story to Daoist Tongchen. After hearing it, Tongchen smacked his lips in amazement. He’d never heard of a technique like that.

In Tianji Tower, that’s exactly the kind of technique they cultivated. But this world didn’t have anything like it. Jiang Li couldn’t help but think: the cultivation level of the Tongu World was really not high.

Time moved four times faster in the Tongu World than in the Nine Provinces World. Nine thousand years had passed in Nine Provinces; here, thirty-six thousand years.

In those thirty-six thousand years, with people hoarding cultivation methods and texts, too many things had been lost. The Celestial Realm had become mere legend in the Tongu World.

Cultivation techniques like those from Tianji Tower that led to immortality had vanished with time.

“Is that so?” Daoist Tongchen’s interest was piqued. He said to Yu Feng, “If you can predict the future, then guess—will I take you as a disciple or not?”

He’d already decided—no matter what Yu Feng said, he’d deny it.

Yu Feng answered respectfully, “You won’t take me as your disciple.”

“Haha, you guessed wrong. I will take you as—” Halfway through the sentence, Daoist Tongchen realized something felt off, but it was too late. The words were out.

“Greetings, Master. Your disciple pays respects.” Yu Feng bowed with practiced ease.

He knew Daoist Tongchen was one of the better masters he’d had. At least he wouldn’t dig out your heart and liver to make a Puppet, wouldn’t feed you to a beast for failing a mission, or stuff you full of heavenly treasures just to possess your body.

Yu Feng’s standard for a master wasn’t high—one who let him live was good enough.

This disciple had come out of nowhere—Daoist Tongchen wasn’t mentally prepared. He threw Yu Feng a copy of Introduction to Talismans to test his aptitude and told him to study on his own.

“I’ll check on your progress in a few days.”

“Yes, Master.”

Yu Feng bowed and withdrew respectfully.

“What do you think?” After Yu Feng left, Daoist Tongchen asked Wu Lian.

Wu Lian thought for a moment, then said, “He might not be telling the full truth, but he seems like a good person.”

Daoist Tongchen let out a sigh. “As long as he’s a good person. There aren’t many of those left in this world.”

…

“I barely know any of this Talisman stuff,” Yu Feng said, embarrassed. He had studied it under Daoist Tongchen before, but could barely grasp the basics.

“That’s easy—I’ll find you a pro.” Jiang Li pulled out a Remote Communication Talisman and called Bai Hongtu.

“Who is it this time?” Bai Hongtu asked smoothly.

“You. This kid wants to study the Dao of Talismans. Give him a few lessons.”

“This is my specialty.” Bai Hongtu rolled up his sleeves, ready to start.

Six months passed. Yu Feng already knew by now that this laid-back cultivator was, in fact, a Tribulation Stage powerhouse—invincible in the current world.

When the lesson ended, Jiang Li asked, “When and how did your master and senior sister get into trouble?”

Yu Feng answered seriously, “Master suffered internal injuries long ago—could never fully heal. He wasn’t as strong as other Nascent Soul cultivators. Fortunately, he had some accomplishments in the Dao of Talismans… so self-defense wasn’t an issue.”

He wanted to say Daoist Tongchen was pretty accomplished, but couldn’t bring himself to say it in front of Bai Hongtu.

“Third Senior Brother wanted to inherit Master’s legacy, but Master only favored Senior Sister. Third Senior Brother got jealous and colluded with outsiders, revealing Master’s weaknesses.”

“Master was killed. The disciples scattered. Senior Sister Wu Lian refused to run—died fighting.”

“So all we need to do is deal with Third Senior Brother?” Bai Hongtu thought that sounded easy.

Yu Feng shook his head. “Even if Third Senior Brother did nothing, there’s still Fourth Senior Brother.”

“Then we’ll deal with him too.”

“There’s also Fifth Senior Brother.”

“…Then take care of him too. Don’t tell me there’s a Sixth?”

“No, I’m the sixth.”

“What about your Second Senior Brother?”

“Second Senior Brother betrayed the sect long ago. I never even met him.”

“Wow… all traitors.” Bai Hongtu didn’t even know what to say.

“I once asked Third, Fourth, and Fifth Senior Brothers if Master had treated them unfairly. Third said, ‘Not unfair—just not fair enough. Master favored Wu Lian too much.’”

“Fourth said Master was too kind—he was bound to get killed someday. Better to die by their hands than let the benefits go to outsiders.”

“Fifth said Master was a good man—and good men deserve to be bullied.”

Yu Feng remembered how, covered in blood and tears, he had roared at his senior brothers after his master and Wu Lian were killed—only to receive those cold replies.

Bai Hongtu quipped, “Did your master use a checklist of traitor criteria when taking disciples?”

Jiang Li shook his head. “That’s just how people are in this world.”