Chapter 525: Another Plan

Cang Li casually replied, "If I don't want to go, then I won't go."

"I don't want to go either." Dong Jiao also sat down beside them, poured herself a cup of tea, took a light sip, and continued, "My parents told me that once you enter Tian Jiaocheng, you have no freedom left. Everything must obey orders; if you resist, you'll be punished. Light punishments are corporal, severe ones erase your cultivation. What good is such a place?"

She paused, then added, "That may be so, and I know this might truly be for the safety of the cultivation world. But I just don't want to lose my freedom. Since they are missing one of us but not missing us, we won't go then."

Yuan Yao sighed, "Isn't your decision a bit too hasty?"

"Not hasty." Bian Chen suddenly spoke, his expression slightly gaunt, staring steadily at Yuan Yao, "Daoist friend Yuan, thank you for preserving the lineage during the sect's Grand Competition. We couldn't achieve it, but you did."

Feng Xuanji's eyes had a hint of red veins, and her spirit was not in good shape. She looked at Yuan Yao and said, "I heard the Celestial Lords insisted you hand over the junior brother's corpse, but you refused, and the Thousand Mountain Immortal Lord also firmly rejected them. If it were us, we might have already failed to protect the junior brother's corpse."

At that, her eyes reddened.

In just a few months, she lost a junior sister and two junior brothers.

Her heart felt as if someone had ripped out a large chunk, leaving it hollow.

Yuan Yao, seeing their sorrow, was moved.

She inhaled deeply and smiled, "Everything will get better."

She couldn't tell them for now that Xie Yan was still alive.

Once this gets out, the male lead Xu Yan Zhi will certainly devise ways to seize Xie Yan and make him disappear.

Ying Wuji slowly lifted his eyes, scanning their faces, and calmly asked, "Are you sure you don't want the Heavenly Pride Token?"

The atmosphere in the pavilion suddenly stiffened, everyone's gaze fixed on him, with a hint of inquiry and solemnity.

Qian Yunzhou raised an eyebrow, his tone tinged with playfulness, "Daoist friend Ying, your words are indeed profound. Could it be you have something to tell us?"

Ying Wuji ignored his probing, not even glancing at him, his gaze still calmly fixed ahead.

Qian Yunzhou wasn't embarrassed; instead he laughed freely, "As for me, of course I give up the Heavenly Pride Token for little sixth sister."

"No need at all," Yuan Yao immediately frowned, her tone resolute.

"I also intend to give it up," Dong Jiao replied, her attitude clear.

Ling Huya, Zhai Qingye, and Xiao Zhufeng all nodded, indicating they chose to give it up.

At that moment, Feng Xuanji and Bian Chen had not spoken yet, but their expressions shifted almost simultaneously, clearly having received a message from senior sect elders.

The two exchanged a glance, their faces showing a hint of difficulty and hesitation.

Yuan Yao watched all this, stood up, and looked sincerely at the two, "Daoist friend Feng, Daoist friend Bian. Though we've only met a few times, your trust in me is deeply appreciated. However, you need not give up the chance to enter Tian Jiaocheng for my sake. As Dong Jiao just said, entering Tian Jiaocheng is to fight for the survival of the cultivation world. As Cultivators, both in feeling and reason, we should each do our modest part for the safety of all living beings."

Feng Xuanji pondered briefly, then raised her hand in a bow, "Daoist friend Yuan, and all fellow Daoists, let us meet again in the future."

Bian Chen also raised his hand in a bow, nodding toward everyone present.

Yuan Yao and the others returned the salute.

And Yu Jing spoke at this moment, "Daoist friend Yuan, I hope we can still fight side by side with you in the future."

Yuan Yao nodded and smiled.

Finally, Yu Jing, Feng Xuanji, and Bian Chen left.

Yet Qian Yunzhou, though clearly feeling Yuan Yao and the others' unwelcome, stubbornly remained here.

Qian Yunzhou tentatively said, "Why do I feel you have another plan?"

"You want to know?" Ying Wuji finally looked him straight in the eye.

"Of course."

"Then are you willing to swear an oath to the heavens: if in this life you commit betrayal of the cultivation world or cause chaos to all beings, you shall be condemned by heaven, your soul scattered!"

Qian Yunzhou's brows and eyes twitched slightly after hearing.

His gaze met Ying Wuji's, as if fierce sparks flew, and the atmosphere dropped to a freezing point.

Qian Yunzhou had long known Ying Wuji harbored deep hostility toward him, even murderous intent, so what hidden meaning lay behind his words?

Betray the cultivation world?

Cause chaos to all beings?

Does Ying Wuji think he will do such a thing?

A strange feeling rose in Qian Yunzhou's heart.

It feels like…

Ying Wuji thinks he has already done this!

"Fine, I can swear." He mainly wanted to see what kind of gourd elixir they were actually selling.

After Qian Yunzhou completed his oath to the heavens, in an instant a brilliant beam imbued with the laws of heaven and earth descended, enveloping him, its glowing light swirling to signify the oath was sealed, irrevocable.

Qian Yunzhou lowered his hand, his expression softened a bit, looking toward Ying Wuji, "Speak, what exactly is your plan?"

Ying Wuji's steady voice rang out at the right moment, "When the time comes, we will go directly into the Boundary Abyss."

Qian Yunzhou's eyes narrowed sharply, a flash of keen light passing through.

"Directly enter?!" Dong Jiao shouted in shock, her face astonished, "So you aren't refusing to go, but planning to bypass Tian Jiaocheng and head straight to the Boundary Abyss?!"

"Yeah." Cang Li said despondently, having thought they didn't need to go, but now they were heading straight to the most dangerous place.

Zhai Qingye also found a seat and, in good spirits, asked, "How do we get there?"

Ling Huya grew concerned, frowning slightly, "If the Celestial Lords discover us, wouldn't that be troublesome? Does the Thousand Mountain Immortal Lord know about this?"

Ying Wuji exchanged a calm glance with Yuan Yao.

Ying Wuji then spoke, his tone calm, "Our master knows this matter; it was he who instructed us to go directly to the Boundary Abyss."

Qian Yunzhou's gaze lingered on the faces of Ying Wuji, Yuan Yao and the others for a moment, his eyes growing somewhat obscure, and he slowly said, with a hint of inquiry, "Oh? Then why would the Thousand Mountain Immortal Lord have you venture to the Boundary Abyss?"

"Naturally…"

"Someone intends to collude with the demon and mortal realms."

Upon hearing this, Qian Yunzhou's eyes narrowed slightly, and the others all showed shocked expressions, seemingly incredulous.

Qian Yunzhou's lips curled slightly, "Little sixth sister, does your master have a suspect?"

Yes.

Who?

Yuan Yao tilted her head, looked at him, met his half‑smiling eyes, and blinked at him: "If you want to know, when the time comes just stay close to us, and you'll know."

After a brief pause, she asked half‑incredulously, "And you won't leak this matter out, will you?"

Qian Yunzhou chuckled: "Xiao Liu, you can trust me."

Yuan Yao looked at him.

"So, are you going or not?"

Qian Yunzhou: "Going."

"I'll go too." Ling Huya, Xiao Zhufeng, and Zhai Qingye each voiced their stance.

But Dong Jiao clearly hesitated; she scratched her head and said, "Let me think it over. Rest assured, I won't spread this secret."