Chapter 126: Cang Lang, You Faithless Traitor (6k)

At this moment, Yan Chuan’s face was already pale as death, utterly terrified.

He never imagined Gao Xian would truly dare to attack him, nor could he fathom the purpose behind this move.

“How dare you! Are you so eager to spark a war between our two sects? Gao Xian—no, I should call you…”

But before Yan Chuan could finish speaking, Gao Xian struck first.

His figure shot forward like lightning, appearing before Yan Chuan in the blink of an eye; his long sword slashed downward, unleashing a black sword qi that surged like a dragon emerging from the sea, hurtling toward Yan Chuan.

Where the sword qi passed, the air tore as if sliced by blades, emitting a piercing whistle.

At this moment, the spiritual energy flowing through Yan Chuan’s body grew increasingly sluggish, and all the antidote pills he’d taken were useless—but he had no time to care; he roared and forcibly summoned his spiritual power.

In his hand, a flame-bladed knife suddenly appeared, directly meeting Gao Xian’s sword qi.

As he swung the flame-bladed knife, a sea of fire materialized out of thin air and collided head-on with the black sword qi.

In an instant, flames shot skyward, the explosions deafening, and the cave’s rocks shattered and rained down.

“Don’t let him escape!” Seeing this, Gao Xian shouted at once.

Ruan Mingxiu, peak master of Yunyin Peak, did not lag behind; his figure glided like a phantom to Yan Chuan’s back, a folding fan appearing in his hand. With a light flick, countless white wind blades shot forth like flying daggers.

Sensing the attack from behind, Yan Chuan spun around and immediately whirled his flame-bladed knife into a ring of fire, blocking every wind blade.

Ling Yueshao, peak master of Baizhan Peak, and Tong Min, peak master of Yujing Peak, swiftly joined the fray; under the four of them, Yan Chuan gradually began to falter.

Bloodied tiger-mouth wounds appeared across his body; he let out a mournful, sky-piercing roar, his entire body erupting in flames, becoming like a burning sun.

The fire’s heat was so intense that even the cave’s rocks began to melt, dripping molten lava.

“Still holding back a final trick, waiting for reinforcements?” Gao Xian sneered, intensifying his assault.

The others, hearing this, no longer held back—they unleashed their strongest killing techniques and charged forward…

“Cang Lang, you faithless traitor, you will be struck down by heaven’s wrath and die a wretched death!”

Yan Chuan roared—but before the words left his lips, four magical treasures’ icy glares simultaneously screamed toward him.

A desperate scream tore through the sky; his physical body shattered instantly under the torrent of power, turning to dust that scattered into the air.

Gao Xian, quick as a flash, moved in the instant Yan Chuan’s body vanished, grabbing his primordial spirit and preparing to perform soul-searching.

But the moment his fingertips touched the primordial spirit, his expression changed drastically—the spirit suddenly flared with eerie light, and an extremely dangerous aura surged toward him.

A strong sense of dread flooded Gao Xian’s heart; without a moment’s hesitation, he hurled the primordial spirit away and turned to flee.

The other three, seeing this, were stunned; they abandoned all caution and immediately followed Gao Xian.

The instant they turned to flee, Yan Chuan’s discarded primordial spirit violently trembled—within it, a deadly forbidden array had long been planted, and it detonated on its own.

Terrifying power surged like a tidal wave, sweeping outward with overwhelming force.

The entire mountain range shuddered violently under the impact; peaks collapsed, boulders rolled down.

The forbidden arrays outside the mountain, meticulously arranged to prevent escape, crumbled like paper lanterns before this force, instantly shattering into countless fragments that vanished into the air.

Though the four reacted swiftly and fought desperately to flee, they were still caught in the blast’s fury.

Each spat blood, their bodies flung like kites with severed strings, crashing hard to the ground and kicking up clouds of dust.

Before they could recover from the shock, Gao Xian rose instantly.

In his hand, three black talismans had appeared; he slapped one onto each of the other three without delay.

The three had no time to react—their vision went black, and they collapsed into unconsciousness.

Only then did Gao Xian exhale deeply, his aura chaotic, gazing helplessly at the ruined mountain range before him.

Beyond surviving the ordeal, he felt deep unease.

“Yan Chuan served him for so long, yet he could silently plant such a vicious killing array within his mind sea. Clearly, in this world, he trusts no one—his only faith is himself.”

Gao Xian muttered to himself, then tapped his storage bag; twenty-odd green talismans, reeking of potent corrosion, surged out.

They arced through the air in You green trails, then shot like released arrows into the ruins.

Wherever they landed, a sizzling sound rose, smoke billowed, slowly corroding every trace left by the previous fighters.

After completing this, he meticulously inspected the surroundings.

Then, glancing around, he walked over and gently plucked a small red flower, flicking his arm slightly—the flower spun and drifted into the ruins.

Having done this, he made no further pause, bent down, shouldered the three unconscious men, and vanished in a series of flashes.

…………

Tong Min suddenly awoke in a gorge, instinctively going on guard—but soon felt dizzy and light-headed, nearly stumbling to the ground.

She shook her head hard, trying to regain clarity.

“What… happened to me?” Tong Min frowned, her face filled with confusion.

This feeling was so familiar—it felt like she’d experienced it before.

She slowly looked around, noticing the signs of battle everywhere; her clothes were torn, her sword still in hand—as if she’d just fought a brutal battle.

Suddenly, fragmented memories surged into her mind.

Faintly, she recalled a red-robed man leering at her beauty, speaking with lewd remarks, mocking and provoking her.

They fought; he fled, wounded, and she collapsed into unconsciousness.

As the memory grew sharper, Tong Min’s head throbbed with unbearable pain.

She rubbed her temples, trying to dispel the pain—or make the memory clearer.

“Things have been unusually chaotic lately—how many powerful cultivators have flooded into this region!” Tong Min muttered, Zhuajin time to rest.

Soon, she sensed something and pulled out her identity token; the message was from Gao Xian.

【Tong Shimei, where are you?】

Seeing Gao Xian’s message, Tong Min slapped her forehead in exasperation again.

How could she have forgotten such an important thing?

She quickly replied: “Senior Brother Gao, I encountered a minor complication, but it’s resolved—I’m on my way.”

Saying this, she swiftly changed into fresh robes and hurried toward the rendezvous.

When she arrived, Gao Xian had already been waiting.

Tong Min hurried forward and explained the delay in detail.

Gao Xian nodded slightly. “Good you’re unharmed. All factions are searching for the Four-Flower Crowned one—chaos is inevitable, and some bad apples have slipped in. I suggest we stick together from now on. After all, we’re just putting on a show.”

Tong Min agreed wholeheartedly, nodding gently.

Soon after, Ling Yueshao, peak master of Baizhan Peak, and Ruan Mingxiu, peak master of Yunyin Peak, arrived one after another.

Both looked disheveled; upon inquiry, they revealed experiences nearly identical to Tong Min’s—provoked into battle, then fled in haste.

They’d been ambushed by surprise, but luckily, their attackers didn’t circle back—if they had, the unconscious pair would’ve been dead.

Gao Xian said: “I invited you here to hunt, but we encountered an extremely powerful beast. Now I suspect it was someone’s mount—let’s abandon that plan. But I’ve made a new discovery.”

“What discovery?” the three asked in unison, faces full of confusion.

Gao Xian said mysteriously: “The Four-Flower Crowned one.”

The three stared, incredulous—could it really be found?

Gao Xian said: “I’m not certain yet, but he headed in that direction, and he appears to have companions. I dared not approach—waited here for you all.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Ruan Mingxiu exclaimed eagerly.

He truly wanted to see who this person was.

The other two nodded in agreement.

Gao Xian said: “Then let’s move out!”

Moments later, the four became streaks of light, cutting straight through a great river, racing northwestward.

Soon after, from within that great river, an old man in a red robe slowly emerged, gazing at the retreating backs of the four, his brow tightly furrowed.

As he opened his palm, a jade tablet glowed faintly, lines of tiny characters appearing upon it.

【I fear I’ve been suspected. Cao Zhengyang has been secretly investigating me, even testing me repeatedly.】

【This time out, Peak Masters Ling Yueshao, Ruan Mingxiu, and Tong Min have shadowed me constantly, claiming to band together for safety—but their real intent is surveillance. Thus, I cannot slip away to meet Elder Yan Chuan or contact him. If orders come, send them directly to me.】

Wu Sha stared at the message, then turned his gaze toward the fading figures of the four, sighing deeply.

“How careless—someone’s grown suspicious. That array plate must be carried into Taiqingmen to activate—sending messages won’t do!”

Wu Sha muttered to himself—he was the other late-stage Soul Transformation cultivator who had appeared alongside Yan Chuan.

“Why can’t I reach him?” Wu Sha then pulled out his Cangyan Dao Palace identity token and sent a message to Yan Chuan.

But long after, there was no reply.

“What’s going on? Too far? That can’t be…” Wu Sha frowned—he didn’t even know where Yan Chuan had set the meeting point.

Just as he was about to ask again, a message arrived from the sect master, Sikong Yan.

When he read the message, Wu Sha’s pupils shrank sharply, his eyes filled with disbelief.

“Old… Old Yan’s soul lamp… went out?”

…………

Deep night. Several dark shadows crept like phantoms until they halted at a certain location.

“Senior Brother Gao, are you certain it’s here?” Tong Min, peak master of Yujing Peak, whispered, voice low.

Ling Yueshao, peak master of Baizhan Peak, and Ruan Mingxiu, peak master of Yunyin Peak, also turned their gazes—before them stood the Shanmen of Tianji Sect, one of the Five Great Sects.

Gao Xian nodded slightly, then pulled out a talisman, feigning close inspection.

“Judging by the mark I left, he definitely came this way. Could the legendary Four-Flower Crowned one truly be from Tianji Sect?” Gao Xian’s tone was filled with astonishment.

All stared, eyes fixed on the distant Tianji Sect.

The Shanmen of Tianji Sect resembled a dome, flanked by two towering stone statues of divine beasts, each dozens of feet tall, radiating majesty.

At the Shanmen, patrol disciples constantly came and went, hurrying with purpose.

“You stay here. I’ll move closer to take a look—perhaps they sensed something and lured me here.” With that, Gao Xuan crouched low and crept forward silently.

Tong Min hurriedly whispered: “Senior Brother Gao, be extremely careful!”

Ling Yuexiao and Ruan Mingxiu scanned the sides and rear with vigilance, standing ready.

After roughly the time of one incense stick, Gao Xuan returned quietly. He shook his head slightly at the three, his expression faintly disappointed.

“My spiritual sense imprint has vanished—clearly it was detected. This trip was for nothing. Let’s return to the sect…”

Just as Gao Xuan finished speaking, the night sky suddenly blazed bright.

Immediately, four extraordinarily brilliant multicolored flowers appeared in the sky, their form nearly identical to the Four Flowers Converging at the Heavens sight seen earlier.

The sight left the group stunned, frozen in place. The radiance continued spreading and intensifying.

“Could it be we accidentally stumbled onto something real?” asked Ling Yuexiao, peak master of Bai Zhan Peak, his face filled with shock.

At this moment, the disciples at Tianji Gate’s main gate also wore expressions of utter disbelief.

Yet in an instant, two aged figures stepped out from within the barrier, holding something in their hands. Their gazes flashed like lightning, locking onto a single direction before vanishing in a blur.

In the same breath, the strange phenomenon in the sky vanished completely, and darkness once again swallowed the earth.

From its appearance to its disappearance, it lasted no more than twenty breaths. Many disciples remained bewildered, utterly clueless.

Gao Xuan’s pupils contracted sharply, a flash of cold light in his eyes.

“Withdraw!”

The next instant, several powerful and terrifying spiritual senses surged outward like tidal waves. The group dared not delay a moment and fled hastily.

“What does this mean? I didn’t understand a thing,” asked Ling Yuexiao, puzzled.

Ruan Mingxiu, peak master of Yunyin Peak, frowned deeply and said gravely: “Tianji Gate has always been mysterious. Who knows what schemes they’re brewing? Could they be trying to seize this hot potato for themselves?”

Tong Min blinked her eyes and whispered: “This is truly hard to decipher. Among the Five Great Sects, Tianji Gate is the weakest in combat power. This spectacle might be some secret technique they’re attempting—but I lean toward the idea they’re using this event to gain some advantage for their sect. What do you think, Senior Brother Gao?”

All three turned their gazes to Gao Xuan, only to see him frowning deeply, lost in thought.

After a moment, he slowly shook his head.

“I’m not sure either. Let’s return to the sect and report this truthfully to the Sect Master. See what he says.”

Everyone nodded in agreement and immediately set off on their return journey.

………

Within the Cangyan Dao Palace.

Sikong Yan’s face was icy, as if frosted over. He sat motionless on the upper seat, radiating a chilling aura.

Wu Sha trembled nervously, glancing at Sikong Yan with caution, then forced himself to speak: “We’ve located the site where Elder Yan Chuan perished—but all traces have been completely erased. There’s no way to determine who killed him.”

Sikong Yan’s gaze cut like a blade, fixed on Wu Sha. “Elder Liu, who guarded the Soul Lamp Tower, said Yan Chuan’s lamp flickered and went out in barely half an hour. The site isn’t far from where you were. Yet he couldn’t send even a single cry for help. Explain this.”

Wu Sha felt his throat dry as fire. He bowed hastily: “My Lord, I truly received no message from Elder Yan Chuan…”

“I know that,” Sikong Yan said, voice cold as if echoing from the deepest hell. “I only wish to hear your interpretation of this matter.”

Wu Sha paused, hesitated, then said: “Cang Lang has been pinned down by three Taiqingmen disciples and cannot break free. Yet Elder Yan Chuan was slain with lightning speed. I believe the killer must be a Soul Transformation realm expert at the peak.”

“Continue,” Sikong Yan said, expressionless, uttering only three words.

Wu Sha rushed on: “Last time, Elder Qu Shen, who handled the liaison with Cang Lang, was also slain with similar speed, and sent no cry for help. The investigation then yielded no leads, just as now. I suspect these two incidents were committed by the same person.”

Seeing Sikong Yan remain silent, Wu Sha added: “Cang Lang said he’s now being tested and suspected. Could it be that Taiqingmen has truly sensed something?”

“So, after all your analysis, you conclude Taiqingmen is responsible?” Sikong Yan’s tone was cool.

Wu Sha nodded slightly, his face showing firm conviction.

Sikong Yan snorted, rose slowly, and said with disdain: “This is precisely why you and your kind were never favored by the former Palace Master.”

Wu Sha’s face flushed with embarrassment. He hung his head, sheepish.

Sikong Yan continued: “A battle between Soul Transformation experts creates earth-shaking ripples. Even a thousand li away, the disturbance is unmistakable. How far were you from the battle site when it occurred?”

Wu Sha recalled, then answered: “About six hundred li.”

“?” Sikong Yan’s gaze sharpened, as if piercing through Wu Sha’s thoughts.

Wu Sha nodded quickly: “Absolutely possible.”

Sikong Yan said: “So the killer controlled the battle’s ripples while preventing Yan Chuan from sending a distress signal. How do you suppose he achieved this?”

Wu Sha’s eyes lit up—he’d grasped the key clue. “He must have prepared in advance before striking.”

Sikong Yan shook his head slightly. “But Yan Chuan’s soul lamp extinguished in under half an hour. A single Soul Transformation peak expert cannot accomplish that.”

“Are you suggesting at least two experts?” Wu Sha ventured.

Sikong Yan looked at Wu Sha as if he were an utter fool. “Yan Chuan was half a step from Soul Transformation peak. To meet these conditions, there’s another possibility: he was caught off guard. Qu Shen’s case was the same.”

Wu Sha’s eyes widened in sudden realization. “You mean… Cang Lang? How could he dare?”

Sikong Yan’s expression turned icy. “Qu Shen, Gu Tao, and now Yan Chuan—all three of my late Soul Transformation late-stage experts died in quick succession. Each had contact with Cang Lang. Doesn’t that seem too coincidental?”

“It’s too coincidental—but it still doesn’t make sense. What’s his motive? And how did he do it?” Wu Sha frowned, baffled.

Sikong Yan spoke slowly: “This is merely my suspicion. Some who vanish from sight too long easily slip from control. Remember: do not place undue trust in Cang Lang. Someone may be hoping I think exactly this.”

Wu Sha hurriedly replied: “Your Lordship speaks wisely. If someone truly set a trap and then let Cang Lang learn of it, wouldn’t that crush his years of loyal concealment? If you doubt him, perhaps you should test him…”

Before Wu Sha finished, Sikong Yan suddenly frowned, swiftly pulled out a jade talisman, and his face darkened instantly.

“The ‘great gift’ I prepared for Taiqingmen has appeared at Tianji Gate. This item was meant for single use. Yet they didn’t even inspect it—they simply chose a location and activated it with perfect precision. Interesting. Truly fascinating. But this… makes it even more interesting!”

As Sikong Yan spoke, a faint madness crept over his face, his eyes gleaming with an unfathomable light.

………

When Tong Min and the others hurriedly returned to Taiqingmen, they were astonished to find the Lord and the Imperial Princes already present.

Of course, they immediately reported the Tianji Gate incident to the Sect Master.

Cao Zhengyang listened, his expression thoughtful. Lord Xiao Ji, seemingly already informed, rose to take his leave.

“Tianji Gate has openly opened its gates, inviting those who harbor doubts to inspect inside,” Xiao Ji said slowly.

Cao Zhengyang smiled faintly. “Tianji Gate certainly seems remarkably open.”

Remember, Tianji Gate is the weakest among the Five Great Sects. Perhaps they deliberately created this illusion to sow suspicion.

Then, should anyone dare attack them later, they’d have to weigh the risk of retaliation from a Tianji Gate’s Zhanling expert.

“Life is always a mix of truth and deception. Come visit Lingyun Mansion sometime,” Xiao Ji said with a smile, then departed with Xiao Cancan and Li Shitao.

Next, the Seventh Imperial Prince, Xuan Yuan Yichen, and the Ninth Princess, Xuan Yuan Muzian, rose to take their leave.

“It’s a great pity I didn’t meet Brother Zhou. When he’s recovered his composure, I’ll visit again.”

Xuan Yuan Yichen said with regret, then left with Xuan Yuan Muzian.

The end of the month is near—please give me a monthly vote, esteemed lords.

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(End of Chapter)