Chapter 209: I'm Waiting for You

Liu Yinzhu was stunned and asked instinctively:

"How do you know?"

Ding Huan smiled:

"Isn't it obvious? Sect Master Gu doesn't want to kill Dong Lishang and Gong Hua, naturally hoping these two can contribute to the sect. Gong Hua is about to come out — doesn't that mean a fight is about to start?"

Liu Yinzhu's expression dimmed:

"I'm sorry, Ding Huan. The Sect Master is also helpless — the sect simply has too few experts, and Elder He doesn't bother with sect affairs."

Ding Huan said indifferently:

"Really, there's no need. I've spent a year in Purple Glow Valley and gained quite a lot. Those hundred thousand sect contribution points are extremely useful to me too — come to think of it, I should be thanking you."

Liu Yinzhu sighed; she always felt a little guilty toward Ding Huan.

"Sister Yinzhu, I'll be leaving in a while. When I go, I won't say goodbye to you." Ding Huan told her in advance.

Liu Yinzhu had also guessed Ding Huan was most likely leaving. She took out a jade token and handed it to Ding Huan:

"Ding Huan, this is the sect's entry-and-exit jade token. Keep it — you can come find me anytime."

Ding Huan recalled he already had an Elder Guest jade token on him, but he immediately took the token anyway: "Many thanks, Sister Yinzhu."

"Ding Huan, I'll head back first. I've been swamped lately." Liu Yinzhu had long since come to regard Ding Huan as a friend.

Ding Huan deliberated for a moment, then said:

"Sister Yinzhu, let me give you a few suggestions. First, Ziyuan Zhongshan originally belongs to Purple Glow Valley. Purple Glow Valley can protect it with a formation array.

Then open it to all cultivators in the Dao cultivation world for training — just charge fees or call in favors. This pulls in allies and builds public-opinion support."

Hearing Ding Huan's suggestions, Liu Yinzhu immediately paid close attention.

"Second, before the first battle, have the Sect Master hold a pre-war mobilization assembly in the sect's great hall. Remember — what comes next is the key part…"

Liu Yinzhu nodded; she took Ding Huan's opinions extremely seriously.

Ding Huan took out paper and brush and wrote down sixteen medicinal ingredients, along with some methods for making incense, and handed them to Liu Yinzhu:

"Use these sixteen ingredients to make Gao Xiang. Then, either the day before the battle or during the mobilization assembly on the day of the battle, burn the Gao Xiang inside the great hall.

Every disciple or elder participating in the battle must enter the great hall, making sure each person can smell the Gao Xiang."

"Ding Huan, what do you mean?" Liu Yinzhu asked, looking at him in confusion.

Ding Huan naturally could not spell out his real intention:

"Sister Yinzhu, you just need to know this is the sect praying for the great battle to go smoothly — there must not be any second explanation. Of course, I've said my piece; whether to listen is up to Sect Master Gu."

Liu Yinzhu carefully tucked the paper away:

"Ding Huan, I will definitely report this to the Sect Master and ask him to adopt it."

"Next is still related to the battle. If everything above is done as I said, then when the battle starts, don't rush out.

Because the enemy will charge into the sect to fight. Just have the Sect Master set up more trapping-killing arrays inside the sect. Also, at the start, don't strike first — wait for the enemy to make a move, then suddenly hit hard."

Hearing Ding Huan's words, Liu Yinzhu immediately said:

"Impossible. If the Jiuyinmen dares to charge into the sect, that would be an annihilation war — that absolutely won't be tolerated in the Dao cultivation world."

Ding Huan said helplessly:

"Sister Yinzhu, say something you won't like hearing — even if they wipe out Purple Glow Valley, then after occupying it, they share out some of the benefits. Who's going to stand up for Purple Glow Valley?"

Ding Huan had seen this kind of thing far too many times.

The end result would at most be that Purple Glow Valley went too far, the Jiuyinmen could bear it no longer, and only after Purple Glow Valley repeatedly slaughtered Jiuyinmen disciples — or under some other pretext — was Purple Glow Valley finally destroyed.

Liu Yinzhu was at a loss for words. What she meant by "impossible" was that Purple Glow Valley wouldn't be destroyed. As long as Purple Glow Valley wasn't destroyed, it could denounce the Jiuyinmen's crimes.

But what if they really did destroy Purple Glow Valley?

"I understand." Liu Yinzhu's mood sank.

"Sister Yinzhu, the fewer people who know about this the better. Also, you need to go into closed-door cultivation. If you're tangled up in trivial matters all day, it really won't be worth it."

Ding Huan offered one final reminder.

Liu Yinzhu sighed and stood up, handing a storage bag to Ding Huan at the same time:

"This is a flying ship my master gave me. I use the one the Sect Master gave me, so I'll give this one to you."

Ding Huan was overjoyed: "Many thanks, Sister Yinzhu."

He had just been thinking about buying a flying ship, and here one was delivered right to him.

Flying ships were such a hot commodity that without connections you simply couldn't buy one. Most were sold at auctions, at steep prices.

If you went to the Equipment Pavilion, you'd have to pay several times over the price.

After Liu Yinzhu left, by rights Ding Huan could have left immediately. Instead of leaving, he began setting up various trapping-killing arrays.

It had to be said, Liu Yinzhu's information arrived just in time. Before dawn the next day, Ding Huan sensed the trigger restriction on Morning Glow Peak being activated.

Through the monitoring restriction, Ding Huan saw clearly that the one who came was indeed Gong Hua.

After a full year of confinement, this fellow hadn't lost any weight — on the contrary, he looked even more spirited, and his aura had risen considerably.

What a colossal irony.

Ding Huan took out the genetic poison mist sprayer, casually pressed a trigger restriction, and tossed it aside.

The genetic poison mist sprayer began to spray. Ding Huan chuckled inwardly — he had tested it before; True Core cultivators simply couldn't resist the genetic poison mist.

"Boom!" A muffled thud — the door of Ding Huan's cultivation room was kicked open.

Ding Huan stared in surprise at Gong Hua charging in, thinking to himself, this guy doesn't even bother to put up a front?

"Can't bear to leave, can you? The spiritual energy here is so dense — no wonder you don't want to go. Let me tell you some good news: you won't need to leave anymore. You can stay here forever."

Gong Hua looked at Ding Huan's stunned expression and burst into wild laughter.

"Ten, nine, eight…"

Ding Huan acted as if he hadn't heard Gong Hua at all, counting to himself.

"Faking gods and demons." Gong Hua finished speaking and reached out to grab Ding Huan's head.

"Boom!" The concealment array was torn open by Gong Hua's claw, triggering the Level Three defense array—yet Gong Hua's palm was blocked.

"Seven, six..." Ding Huan was still counting.

"You set up a Level Three defense array?" Gong Hua froze, then summoned a massive axe and slashed down.

"Swish-swish-swish..."

Hundreds of blade glows and sword glows shot densely toward Gong Hua.

Gong Hua's body twisted rapidly, but the attacks from the sword glows and blade glows were too dense—even with his speed.

He was struck by several sword glows and blade glows.

"Boom!" Gong Hua's massive axe also tore a gap in Ding Huan's Level Three barrier.

Ding Huan thought inwardly: This guy's strength truly isn't ordinary for a True Dan cultivator—this single axe slash tore through my barrier. It seems a regular Level Three array won't suffice against a True Dan peak expert.

Thinking this, Ding Huan tossed out several more array flags and activated the killing array.

Feeling more wind blades and sword glows sweeping toward him, Gong Hua retreated swiftly—he wanted to escape Ding Huan's chamber first.

He refused to believe Ding Huan could escape him today.

"Boom!" Gong Hua's form was blocked again—Ding Huan had sealed the exit to his cultivation room with a binding array.

"Three, two, one..." Ding Huan was still counting.

In fact, Ding Huan was already sighing inwardly: This gene-toxin mist was too slow against True Dan peak cultivators—it probably wouldn't work on Nascent Soul cultivators.

This gene-toxin mist relied entirely on surprise; once a strong expert sensed it early, it became useless.

Only now did Gong Hua finally sense something was wrong.

His true qi began to stagnate—he had intended to summon his axe and tear open the binding array sealing the room, but his qi gathered halfway, as if blocked by something.

At this moment, even his meridians grew numb, and his soul sea slowed.

"Wrong—you poisoned this place?" Gong Hua finally understood.

He hadn't expected Ding Huan to be so treacherous—how could a mere Qi Condensation cultivator know he was coming and have already poisoned this spot?

Ding Huan pulled out the gene-toxin mist sprayer, sprayed it through the defense array at Gong Hua again, then removed the pressure seal on the sprayer.

There wasn't much toxin left inside—perhaps only one more use.

But as his own cultivation advanced, this gene-toxin mist became increasingly useless to him.

"I thought I'd have to wait a few more days to leave—you're quite considerate, showing up right at dawn today, saving me a few days."

Ding Huan tucked away the sprayer, stood up, and lazily brushed nonexistent dust off his clothes.

He had stayed here solely to wait for Gong Hua.

"You knew I was coming?" Gong Hua felt something was deeply off.

Ding Huan spoke calmly:

"If even scum like you can scheme against me, I wouldn't be alive today.

You've heard of that broken-bottle guy from the Twin Soul Sect? He wasn't much weaker than you—I blew his head off with one shot. You're lucky—you didn't make me draw my gun."

Gong Hua shuddered—the broken-bottle guy's strength wasn't lower than his own.

At this moment, he felt his five viscera and six bowels begin to twist in agony, his dantian cracking, and his soul sea showing signs of dissolution.

Gong Hua frantically channeled his cultivation technique to expel the poison—but this only made his body's disintegration worse.

"Friend Ding Dao, if you spare me once, I swear by my soul," Gong Hua cried urgently.

Ding Huan nodded, took one step forward. Gong Hua forcibly suppressed his rage—he'd die, but he'd take someone with him.

"Good. Let me hear your oath..." Ding Huan nodded.

Gong Hua didn't hesitate:

"I, Gong Hua, swear that if Friend Ding Dao today can..."

"Puff!" Before his oath finished, a blade glow tore through his forehead.

Gong Hua stared at Ding Huan, eyes wide with disbelief—why? He'd asked him to swear—why kill him?

Ding Huan didn't care what Gong Hua thought. After killing him, he immediately launched a fireball onto his body, swept his hand, and seized Gong Hua's storage bracelet.

He didn't want to risk Gong Hua using some secret technique to send a message.

After killing Gong Hua, Ding Huan knew he could leave now—and he must leave.