Chapter 23: Sudden Upheaval
At the center of the battlefield in the Hidden Moon Pool valley, the three Xuanyuan Sect disciples finally completed their formation. “Qian position!”
“Kun position!”
“Xun position!”
“Spirit-Locking Formation, rise!”
As the formation disciples shouted in unison, three strands of golden spiritual light condensed into threads, forming a triangular array above the pool. An almost imperceptible barrier immediately took shape.
Perhaps sensing that the space to move in was shrinking, the fish demon struggled even more fiercely, its massive demonic body crashing against the barrier again and again.
Yet no matter how it collided, the three golden arcs of light remained utterly unmoved.
“Lock!”
The three Xuanyuan Sect cultivators shouted together.
Hummm—
The trapping formation formed by the golden arcs of light suddenly vibrated at one instant, emitting a low hum. Then, each of the three arcs split into three even finer golden threads, gradually rotating and constricting toward the center.
Boom—
The fish demon let out a mournful cry, struggling even more violently, churning up splashing waves in the cold pool.
The Spirit-Locking Formation did not end there. Wave after wave of golden triangular spirit threads continued to constrict until they pressed tight against the fish demon’s body.
In a mere instant, the head, body, and tail of this crucian-qiu fish were each locked by a ring of golden spirit threads.
“Fellow Daoist Wang, if you do not act now, I fear your three Xuanyuan Sect juniors will have gone through all this trouble for nothing…”
Chai Yanghui flicked his finger, and the jade-green talisman turned back into a stream of light, returning to his pouch. He looked coldly at Wang Xi.
He and Lu Ziye were not fools to be easily fooled. During this fierce battle, both of them knew perfectly well how much effort Wang Xi had actually put in.
Chai Yanghui had not wanted to expose him either. After all, fewer troubles were better than more. Xuanyuan Sect was not one that their Lingfu Sect could afford to provoke. But this battle had dragged on far too long, and among the disciples of the three sects, some had already been injured.
Such a simple investigation operation was fine as practice for these newly advanced disciples, but if someone lost their life, it would not be worth it at all.
“Hahaha, no need for Brother Chai to remind me. My Earth-Collapsing Mountain-Shaking Incantation is just the right timing!”
Wang Xi’s palm flickered with earth-yellow spiritual light, then he clenched his empty fist.
Boom!!!
Pure spiritual energy condensed into an earth-yellow sphere. A powerful suction force gathered the surrounding rocks and soil from the Hidden Moon Pool valley.
Wang Xi’s fingertips blazed with brilliant light as several more streams of spiritual energy transformed into sand and gravel.
In the span of a few breaths, above the fish demon, a small mountain formed upside down, its peak pointing downward, aimed directly at the fish demon’s head.
“Gaa—”
The fish demon seemed to sense the danger and struggled even more frantically.
“Fall!”
Spiritual energy surged, and the small mountain plummeted down, smashing the fish demon from above the Hidden Moon Pool and dragging it beneath the water, sending up a spray of droplets…
Before long, the surface of the pool began to turn red. The blood of the demon beast had dyed the Hidden Moon Pool.
Only then did Chai Yanghui’s brow relax. Under his Spirit-Sensing Technique’s probing, this demon beast no longer had any signs of life. Without hesitation, he swiftly descended to check on the injuries of the Lingfu Sect disciples.
“…”
Wang Xi gave Chai Yanghui a long, deep look, then spoke in a clear voice.
“Thank you all, fellow Daoists, for your assistance. Now that the demon beast has been slain, everyone please rest nearby. In a moment, follow me back to the valley to report.”
The crowd in the valley obeyed one after another, settling down to regulate their qi and tend to their injuries.
Wang Xi’s cultivation was actually not the highest here. Setting aside Lu Ziye, Chai Yanghui had entered the ninth level of Qi Refining for several years and should be about to reach Qi Refining perfection.
However, Xuanyuan Sect was the dominant power of the cultivation world in the State of Chu. Moreover, it was Xuanyuan Sect that had first discovered and led the excavation of Silent Valley. Thus, when carrying out missions related to Silent Valley, Xuanyuan Sect disciples naturally took the lead.
With a wave of his sleeve, the three Xuanyuan Sect disciples who had set up the formation earlier went off to rest and recuperate on their own.
Shen Huai exchanged a glance with Wang Xi, and the two of them walked into the deep forest.
Among the resting Lingfu Sect disciples, Wan Songran—who had been watching the Xuanyuan Sect side all along—narrowed his eyes. Uninjured himself, he also found a spot and slowly closed his eyes.
…
The sound-isolating formation activated.
Shen Huai spoke coldly: “Killing a fish demon didn’t require such a grand display… Senior Brother Wang.”
“Since when did you start ordering me around…”
Wang Xi’s expression was indifferent. “Just do your own job…”
“Hmph…”
Shen Huai snorted coldly, then began listing information on the various sect disciples: “Chai Yanghui, ninth level of Qi Refining, half a step into the tenth level of Qi Refining.”
“Besides that Jade-Green Spirit Screen Talisman, he should have at least one other special talisman, but I cannot determine what it is from a single battle.”
“He only used a few wood-attribute techniques just now, but his true main cultivation technique should be fire-attribute…”
“Beyond that, he should have one offensive-type magical artifact. The specific type and attribute cannot be determined. No signs of a spirit pet.”
“Lu Ziye, ninth level of Qi Refining, broke through no more than three months ago. No signs of a spirit pet, no particularly powerful magical artifact… Nothing beyond what is plainly visible. Very ordinary.”
“Heh… both poor and stupid. Dongyuan Sect disciples have always been like this.” Wang Xi sneered.
For those in the know, this joint mission was not merely about Xuanyuan Sect trying to extort a few spirit veins and several apology treasures from Lingfu Sect and Dongyuan Sect.
It was also an opportunity to gather information on the inner disciples of both sects.
In three more years, the great gathering of the cultivation world in the State of Chu would take place—the Nine Veins Grand Competition at Dragon Pool Mountain.
Every sect was very “concerned” about the inner disciples and personal disciples of other sect leaders.
“I wonder if Elder Shen is ready yet.”
“That secret realm was going to appear regardless, but Elder Shen used a spiritual tool to barely control it.”
“But he can only delay its opening date. When the secret realm manifests, apart from Chai Yanghui and Lu Ziye, he cannot specify who gets swept in and who stays outside.”
“Then just kill them all. Didn’t you also pick out a poor fool from Lingfu Sect?”
“What was his name again?”
“Song Yan—no, Wan Songran. A disciple of the Wan family from Danyang Prefecture in Chen Province.”
Shen Huai said: “That person should be carrying a secret treasure of the Wan family. What exactly it is, we do not yet know.”
“Among the Dongyuan Sect disciples, besides Gu Qingqing, both Shao Sichao and Tang Lin would do. It does not have to be that Song Yan.”
Wang Xi waved his hand, not wanting to listen to her rambling: “Then say it was this: the disciples of both Dongyuan Sect and Lingfu Sect saw that I was injured and my spiritual energy was depleted, and they attempted to kill me for my treasures. I fought back desperately, and they all perished in the process…”
“I was injured to the point of damaging my cultivation foundation. It will take three to five years of recovery…”
Shen Huai nodded: “Then you will need to have some injuries on yourself as well.”
Wang Xi’s brow furrowed: “Is that really necessary? I can just return to the sect, enter seclusion, and never show my face again.”
He genuinely thought it was too much trouble.
“If you are going to put on an act, put on the full performance. Besides, I am merely relaying Elder Shen’s words. Whether you do it or not is up to you.”
“The secret realm will only exist for half a shichen. The exit is not something Elder Shen can determine, but it will not go beyond the borders of the State of Chu.”
Shen Huai casually withdrew the sound-isolating talisman and walked away without looking back.
“…”
Wang Xi snorted coldly, paying no heed to the dissipation of the sound-isolating formation: “If I can locate those two immediately, ten breaths will be enough.”
…
Among the Lingfu Sect disciples, Wan Songran—who had been sitting with eyes closed—suddenly opened his eyes, a layer of cold sweat on his forehead.
He stood up and started walking toward Silent Valley.
“Huh? Songran, where are you going?”
Chai Yanghui had just finished channeling energy into an injured Lingfu Sect disciple and was about to ask Wan Songran if he was hurt, only to see him hurrying back to the valley.
“Uh… Senior Brother, I’m not injured. I’ll head back to the valley first.”
“Junior Brother Zhang Quan is still recuperating. Wait a moment and we’ll go back together.”
“…”
Wan Songran’s heart sank.
“Yes.”
He knew very well what kind of person Chai Yanghui was—righteous and always ready to help others. But right now, he could not help but curse him for meddling.
Of course he could tell him the situation, but explaining where he got the information would be too troublesome.
If he lied, it would be full of holes and only invite suspicion.
If he told the truth, his treasure would be known to others. That absolutely could not be allowed.
Hummm—
Just as he was hesitating, above the Hidden Moon Pool, a strange “lightning” suddenly appeared, humming loudly. Every cultivator in the Hidden Moon Pool valley heard it clearly.
“So soon?!”
Wan Songran cursed inwardly.
Boom—
Before the cultivators could react, the “lightning” suddenly expanded, turning into a rift that cut across the entire sky.
A spatial rift!?
“What?!”
Chai Yanghui and Lu Ziye stood up almost simultaneously.
“All disciples, heed my command!”
“Return to Silent Valley immediately!!!”