Chapter 176: Emergence

"We found Sister Zhang!"

Sister Yuan rushed in, breathless, shouting at Zheng Fa.

Zheng Fa's spirits lifted at once; he hurriedly asked, "How is Sister Zhang?"

"No serious injury—she can still speak with the disciples—but she has sealed herself within Lei Chi and we cannot rescue her."

Zheng Fa nodded slightly; he had expected as much.

If not for this, the Great Freedom Demon Cult could have already abducted Sister Zhang.

He thought for a moment, then walked toward the door.

"Young brother, where are you going?"

"I'm going to see Sister Zhang." He wanted to confirm her condition himself.

"I'm coming too!"

Sister Yuan followed him out of Wu Long Tian Gong.

As soon as they entered the marketplace, they noticed something odd—many people were heading toward Lei Chi.

They moved hurriedly, their faces tinged with suppressed eagerness, like hounds catching the scent of prey.

Yet when others asked them, they clammed up entirely, refusing to speak, even glancing warily around.

A sudden suspicion rose in Zheng Fa's mind—

In this place, the only thing that could stir such excitement was one: the Heavenly Stele!

With the establishment of Lei Chi Marketplace,

word of the Heavenly Stele had spread farther and farther.

No one knew what the Heavenly Stele was, but everyone had heard the unspeakable tales linking Heaven River Venerable and the Heavenly Stele.

To many, the Heavenly Stele was synonymous with the Profound and Subtle.

Yet Zheng Fa harbored doubts—

The Heavenly Stele isn't unique to this place.

Heaven River Sect has always had one, yet no new Heaven River Venerable has emerged.

This was merely his inner suspicion; the true nature of it, he'd have to witness the Heavenly Stele himself to know.

But compared to the scattered cultivators rushing toward Lei Chi, he felt a touch more calm.

……

He wasn't the only one calm.

As he and Sister Yuan walked out of the marketplace, a voice called from a tavern beside the street:

"Brother Zheng?"

Zheng Fa looked up and saw Yan Wushuang seated beside the second-floor railing, addressing him.

"Brother Yan."

He bowed to Yan Wushuang; over this period, they had grown fairly familiar—

Yan Wushuang was deeply invested in the demon blood trade.

Recently, he had become one of the marketplace's top clients.

They had met several times during transactions, growing threefold more comfortable than before.

Seeing Zheng Fa, Yan Wushuang waved enthusiastically and said, "Come up and sit!"

Zheng Fa and Sister Yuan exchanged a glance, then walked up the tavern together.

The second floor was sparsely populated; most cultivators had likely gone to Lei Chi.

Only one table remained, its occupants drinking leisurely.

It was not even a full table—just three people.

Yan Wushuang.

And two young people: a man and a woman.

"Come, come, Brother Zheng, let me introduce you," Yan Wushuang said warmly. "This is Chu Tianque, the true disciple of Hao Ri Mountain. This is Sister Xue, the true disciple of Tai Shang Dao."

Zheng Fa was secretly startled.

Even the usually carefree Sister Yuan's expression turned unusually solemn.

Not because of anything else—only because Hao Ri Mountain and Tai Shang Dao, like Heaven River Sect, were among the famed Five Profound Sects.

These two sects' true disciples had arrived at Lei Chi Marketplace, yet not a whisper had reached them.

"Brother Chu, Sister Xue," Yan Wushuang introduced them. "This is Brother Zheng Fa, a disciple of Jiu Shan Sect and the local host. This one… I don't know."

He smiled apologetically at Sister Yuan.

The two looked at Zheng Fa first, noting his Qi Refining realm, then turned to Sister Yuan beside him.

Chu Tianque's eyes flickered faintly with five colors, as if sensing something unusual; his brow furrowed slightly.

But Sister Xue of Tai Shang Dao showed no change in expression.

After exchanging formal bows, the room fell into an awkward silence.

Zheng Fa could tell these three had been conversing well earlier—otherwise Yan Wushuang wouldn't have worn a hint of delight—but the moment he and Sister Yuan arrived, the two fell silent.

That was normal.

On one hand, he and Sister Yuan were strangers to them.

Three people chatting comfortably, then two strangers suddenly intruding.

A lull was expected.

On the other hand, there was the gap in sect status and cultivation level.

In sect standing, even the Hundred Immortals Alliance couldn't match Hao Ri Mountain and Tai Shang Dao.

Let alone Jiu Shan Sect, merely a fragment of the Hundred Immortals Alliance.

And Zheng Fa was merely a Qi Refining disciple.

Even if he held the title of Junior Sect Master within Jiu Shan Sect, outside it—who cared?

You're not their Hao Ri Mountain Junior Sect Master.

Sister Yuan's cultivation level was sufficient, but Chu Tianque seemed to resent her demonic lineage.

Not everyone was like Yan Wushuang, with his peculiar tastes.

He didn't feel angry, but he had no desire to force warmth on cold shoulders; he simply bowed to the three and said, "I have matters to attend to at Lei Chi…"

"Perfect! We're going to Lei Chi too!" Yan Wushuang interrupted him directly. "Let's go together."

Zheng Fa glanced at the two.

Regardless of what they truly thought, their faces nodded in agreement.

The five walked together; Yan Wushuang, sensing the awkwardness, spoke up:

"Who could have imagined the Heavenly Stele would appear so close to the Great Freedom Demon Cult? What a coincidence… If not for Jiu Shan Sect's bounty, that whole area was packed—how could anyone have known where it was hidden?"

Yan Wushuang's words confirmed Zheng Fa's suspicion—the Heavenly Stele had indeed emerged.

And it was somehow connected to him…

"Originally, that area was already crowded. Once the Heavenly Stele was discovered, everyone in the marketplace rushed over," Yan Wushuang continued. "Now you can't even find a single Great Freedom Demon Cult thief there."

His tone carried a hint of regret.

"What use are those people?" Chu Tianque replied. "How could the Heavenly Stele be something they dare to covet? Just fools blinded by greed."

This remark… carried a touch of arrogance, and clear disdain for the masses rushing blindly.

Zheng Fa couldn't help but grow curious about these three.

The Heavenly Stele had emerged, yet these three remained leisurely in the tavern, showing no urgency at all.

As if sensing his doubt, Yan Wushuang explained: "Brother Zheng, you may not know—the area around the Heavenly Stele is often extremely dangerous… even we would suffer greatly if we rushed in blindly."

Given that Heaven River Sect possessed one Heavenly Stele,

and considering these three's behavior, Zheng Fa found this claim highly credible.

In fact, this knowledge was likely no secret among the Five Profound Sects—otherwise Yan Wushuang wouldn't have spoken so openly before everyone.

Think of those scattered cultivators who knew nothing at all.

This information, nearly worthless to these three, could easily cost many low-level cultivators their lives.

These three might even intend to use that crowd as expendable scouts.

"Those people lack vision, but Brother Zheng, your Thunder Art is deeply refined—this emergence of the Heavenly Stele may hold some opportunity for you," Yan Wushuang said with a smile, his tone now carrying a new respect.

Hearing this, the other two glanced at him with faint surprise.

They clearly trusted Yan Wushuang's judgment on Thunder Art, and thus raised their estimation of Zheng Fa slightly.

Yet on the other hand, Zheng Fa sensed a trace of caution—fear that he might compete for the opportunity.

Come on, you big sect disciples are this cautious?

Me? Jiu Shan Sect? Qi Refining?

Why are you wary of me?

"My sister and I aren't going to Lei Chi for the Heavenly Stele," Zheng Fa thought for a moment, then spoke honestly.

At this, Yan Wushuang's expression went slack.

Chu Tianque glanced at him, his eyes tinged with faint contempt—he clearly didn't believe him, thinking Zheng Fa was lying.

"Then why are you going?"

"I have a senior sister trapped in Lei Chi. We've finally found her trace."

Zheng Fa explained.

Yan Wushuang nodded but said nothing about whether she believed it or not.

The few on the road fell silent again, as if they had nothing left to say.

……

In the Lei Chi, the group journeyed together toward the location of the Great Freedom Demon Gate.

The Lei Chi was perilous, so each displayed their own abilities.

Yan Wushuang's style remained unchanged: she treated the thunder as if it were nothing, growing happier the more it struck her.

The Xue sister from the Tai Shang Dao showed no remarkable feats—she merely stepped lightly, and the violent thunder seemed to have eyes, circling around her.

As for Chu Tianque, a transparent pearl appeared above his head, absorbing the thunder from above, as if using the Lei Chi to refine his treasure.

Each of the three had their own methods, yet within this place where all feared to tread, they moved with remarkable ease.

At one point, Zheng Fa saw that these few intended to press forward, and said: "My friends, my companion and I must take another path—we take our leave here."

Hearing this, the three were stunned.

Yan Wushuang spoke up: "Aren't you going to see the Heavenly Stele?"

"Not anymore," Zheng Fa smiled, bowing. "I'll go find my senior sister first."

Watching him turn away with Yuan Shijie, the three fell silent.

"Do you believe anyone who encountered the Heavenly Stele would ignore it entirely just to save a senior sister?"

After a long pause, Chu Tianque suddenly asked.

"……I don't believe it," the Xue sister finally replied.

"This Zheng Fa has achieved such mastery in Thunder Body Refinement—he must be a Thunder Dao cultivator. The Thunder Dao Heavenly Stele would be his ultimate treasure," Chu Tianque continued. "I suspect he refuses to travel with us because he plans to hide in the shadows and reap the benefits of others' efforts."

"When the Heavenly Stele is at stake, even a senior sister means nothing—what of one's own parents?"

Though this was speculation, Yan Wushuang opened her mouth as if to refute it.

But she didn't know how.

……

When Zheng Fa found Zhang Shijie, she sat cross-legged at the bottom of the Lei Chi valley, a treasure mirror the size of a small mountain pressing down on her head, shielding her from the rolling thunder.

Zheng Fa saw Zhang Shijie sitting cross-legged at the bottom of Lei Chi Valley, a treasure mirror the size of a small mountain pressing down on her head, helping her withstand the rolling thunder of Lei Chi.

When he reached three zhang away, the mirror emitted a radiant light that landed at his feet, blocking his path.

"Zheng Shidi? Yuan Shimei?"

The light seemed to wake Zhang Shijie; she looked up.

Seeing Zheng Fa, she seemed to remember something and hurriedly said: "I saw the Heavenly Stele—it was right…"

"I know, Senior Sister. The Heavenly Stele has appeared."

"Then you…"

"I came to see you—to see if I could rescue you," Zheng Fa smiled.

Zhang Shijie's gaze was fixed on Zheng Fa, as if she couldn't see Yuan Shijie beside him.

Yuan Shijie glanced at the mirror above, thinking to herself:

Good thing the Xuanguan Mirror blocked these two lovers…

Luckily, this Xuanguan Mirror blocked these two dogs...