Chapter 135

Gao Xuan's expression remained warm as he said softly, "No matter. In another incense stick's time, we will enter the territory of the Taiqing Sect. Making haste is what matters."

Xuanji Zi, however, acted as if he hadn't heard, staring fixedly at Gao Xuan. In that moment, he seemed to have realized something.

Everyone here is a smart person; some things need not be spelled out, a mere hint is enough.

Xuanji Zi let out a long sigh and said helplessly, "It seems the Taiqing Sect was not attacked. Was it you who activated the formation disk in front of my sect gate that night?"

Gao Xuan only smiled without speaking, though his smile seemed to hide an endless depth of meaning.

Xuanji Zi could only offer a bitter smile: "Indeed, until the very last moment, one can never be arrogant or complacent. When did you discover it? Was it just that formation disk?"

Gao Xuan said slowly, "You were the one who told us."

"I told you?" Xuanji Zi was full of confusion, but when he saw the slightly playful and mocking expression on Gao Xuan's face, his heart skipped a beat involuntarily.

"Truly a fine scheme, to actually define my Tianji Sect as a two-faced, backstabbing lot." Xuanji Zi understood in an instant, and his complexion turned exceptionally ugly.

Gao Xuan said calmly, "Look at how you put it. Your Tianji Sect has always had weak combat power and has always harbored delusions of sitting back and reaping the rewards. You colluded with the Cangyan Dao Palace on one side, while secretly reporting to my Taiqing Sect on the other."

"Once the Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong is destroyed, the Cangyan Dao Palace and the Taiqing Sect fight until both are severely wounded, and the Jin Leizong becomes the target of public criticism—heaven knows what is happening inside their ranks right now—in the end, wouldn't the only winner be your Tianji Sect?"

"I do not believe that someone who can conspire with the Cangyan Dao Palace would have no backup plans."

Xuanji Zi stared at Gao Xuan with a gloomy expression.

Gao Xuan then smiled and said, "I know you have a plan specifically targeting the Cangyan Dao Palace, or perhaps some lethal weapon, but likewise, they are guarding against you too. How about this: while there is still a turning point, why not join hands with my Taiqing Sect? How about it?"

Xuanji Zi acted as if he hadn't heard, turned around, and left.

Gao Xuan hurriedly shouted, "Brother Xuan, if you miss this shop, there won't be another chance. Do you think they will still trust you now? As you are now, including the entire Tianji Sect, you have long since become an outcast on all sides."

Xuanji Zi's footsteps paused slightly, but in the end, he gritted his teeth and sped away at top speed.

The smile on Gao Xuan's face gradually dissipated, turning calm, and he muttered to himself: "It seems he still has something to rely on. The matter of the Five Sects, I fear, will not be resolved so easily."

…………

In the afternoon, two stealthy figures quietly approached the mountain gate of the Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong.

By now, the entire mountain gate was already damaged, even providing a direct path to the interior.

But outside, several disciples dressed in Jin Leizong attire were stationed there, and besides them, there were some black-robed figures.

"Strange, going by the speed of Master and the others, they should have killed their way in by now. But looking at this situation, it seems they haven't come to provide support?" Yan Xiaohu said in a low voice.

Zhou Qing also felt a jolt in his heart, and an ominous premonition surged into his mind instantly.

Could it be that he really guessed wrong?

Was the ambush on the first route?

Zhou Qing remained silent. Yan Xiaohu realized this belatedly and hurriedly said, "That shouldn't be right either. Although we took a few detours, we did indeed come along the first route, and we didn't encounter any obstacles along the way."

Zhou Qing nodded slightly: "Let's find a way to get in first. I need to see Immortal Xuanyou in person and tell her that reinforcements have arrived, then see what she thinks."

"Does that even need thinking? She might just excitedly pick you up high, spin you around, and then give you a fierce kiss." Yan Xiaohu teased playfully.

Zhou Qing was very helpless: "Third Shixiong, stop messing around!"

"Are you messing around or am I? My idea is very simple: I just came to make a fortune off the dead. You, however, insist on finding Immortal Xuanyou. Tell me, you don't actually want to save her, do you?"

Yan Xiaohu made faces at Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing had no intention of entangling with him further and only said: "Get closer, use that bead of yours to cross the barrier and go in."

Upon hearing this, Yan Xiaohu immediately shook his head: "There are only two chances left, I can't bear to use them. There are corpses over there; let's secretly strip two Jin Leizong outfits and walk in openly. The mountain gate is wide open anyway."

Yan Xiaohu pointed to the distance.

Zhou Qing was helpless and had to nod in agreement.

Although it was a bit risky, the bead belonged to someone else after all, so how could he call the shots?

Thus, the two quietly crawled forward until they reached the vicinity of several corpses.

"Quick, play dead! The Jin Leizong Sect Master has appeared!" Just as Zhou Qing was searching, Yan Xiaohu hurriedly warned.

The two quickly lay flat on the ground, motionless.

Sure enough, a familiar figure stepped out; it was none other than Lei Wuji, the Jin Leizong Sect Master, whom Tong Min had recorded from afar with an image stone.

Behind him followed two Vice Sect Masters.

"Has everything inside been settled?" Zhou Qing saw this, squinted his eyes to peek, and couldn't help but feel horrified.

Previously, at the council hall, he felt this scene had the suspicion of being deliberately staged, as if it were specifically for Tong Min to record and take back. Why had they come out again now?

"No, look at their faces—" Just at this moment, Yan Xiaohu whispered a reminder.

Zhou Qing looked over quietly and couldn't help but be startled.

He saw that the faces of the Jin Leizong group were flickering incessantly, and vaguely, they seemed to be the faces of ordinary people.

"Heavenly Mechanism Art, this is the Heavenly Mechanism Art of the Tianji Sect!" In an instant, a flash of inspiration struck Zhou Qing's mind, and he suddenly understood.

I knew it; how could they know the illusion art of Er Daye? Not only that, but they could also disguise so many people.

It turned out that the area around the Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong mountain gate had long been cast with the Heavenly Mechanism Art by the Tianji Sect. Once one approached, one would see their true faces.

At that time, they were certain that those coming to investigate would not dare to get too close and would only dare to watch from afar.

Therefore, these fake Jin Leizong people dared to appear so blatantly to confirm the fact that the Jin Leizong was attacking the Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong.

It was just unexpected that this Heavenly Mechanism Art was so miraculous; it could not only deceive human eyes but even the image stone.

Coupled with the journey he and Third Shixiong had taken, it could now be basically confirmed that this most unexpected Tianji Sect had really colluded with the Cangyan Dao Palace.

Although he didn't know where the Sect Master and Master and the others had gone, he had to take this opportunity now to see the attitude of the Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong.

Don't let them stage a bitter-meat scheme for them to watch.

Before long, the other party turned around and went back in.

After stripping off the clothes, the two quietly left.

Finding a hidden corner, they changed into them, and Zhou Qing was about to leave when he was stopped by Yan Xiaohu.

"What's wrong?" Zhou Qing asked in confusion.

Yan Xiaohu smiled and said: "You really think your Third Shixiong can't bear to use the jade bead's charges? The main gate looks ordinary, but it is absolutely full of dangers. Let's go!"

Watching Yan Xiaohu's back, Zhou Qing smiled and shook his head.

After the two arrived at a certain place, Yan Xiaohu grabbed Zhou Qing's arm as usual, and with a flash of light, they disappeared.

As soon as the two stepped in, a thick smell of gunpowder smoke rushed into their noses, mixed with the scent of blood and scorched earth, making one's heart feel heavy.

The sounds of battle, the clashing of weapons, and the whistling of cultivation techniques were intertwined, with constant booming sounds.

Looking up, he saw countless mountain peaks in the distance with fire reaching the sky, and raging flames licking the sky, making the originally peaceful and serene immortal land look like an Asura hell.

Black smoke billowed, and the mountain peaks were constantly trembling and collapsing, emitting dull, loud noises and kicking up dust that filled the sky.

Some mountain bodies had already fallen, and countless trees had been uprooted, covered with various corpses.

And Zhou Qing's eyes were filled with cold killing intent; he would never allow such a scene to happen at the Taiqing Sect.

"Wearing a mask is too conspicuous!" Zhou Qing thought for a moment and immediately took out two items resembling human face scars from his storage bag and stuck them on his face.

These were left to him by the Second Senior Sister before she left; he didn't expect to use them this time.

"Do you want one?" Zhou Qing took out two more, and Yan Xiaohu immediately shook his head and refused: "Too ugly, forget it."

Zhou Qing had to put them away, looked left and right, and hurriedly ran to a corpse to smear blood mud on his face. Yan Xiaohu thought for a moment and had to follow suit.

Coupled with these clothes full of bloodstains, the two looked as if they had just experienced a life-and-death battle, and their original appearances could not be seen at all.

Afterward, they cautiously headed toward the inside of the Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong, seeing nothing but scenes of decay and misery along the way.

The once magnificent pavilions were now broken walls, and the charred wooden frames were still emitting wisps of fire and blue smoke.

The ground was full of broken tiles and stones, as well as corpses lying in disarray. Looking at their clothing, they were either Jin Leizong or Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong.

Fresh blood had already gathered into pools, flashing with eerie light under the reflection of the fire.

Some corpses still maintained their fighting postures, their hands tightly gripping weapons, their eyes wide open, as if they refused to give up resistance until death; while others had missing limbs, which was unbearable to look at, clearly having suffered great pain before death.

"Old Four, look here!" Yan Xiaohu suddenly discovered something and hurriedly said.

Zhou Qing hurriedly went over and noticed that a black-robed person with only half a body left was pressed under several corpses. What was strange was that even though he was in such a miserable state, one hand was still twitching slightly.

"Strange, there's no life aura left!" Yan Xiaohu pulled off the mask on his face.

This looked like a middle-aged man, with bulging eyes and a complexion that was livid and stiff.

Zhou Qing also frowned, trying to find something on him that could prove his identity, wanting to see which force these black-robed people belonged to.

Although he already had the answer in his heart.

"No storage bag? Was it picked up in advance? Damn it, they moved really fast!" Yan Xiaohu was cursing on the side.

Zhou Qing was speechless.

It had been three days, and this place was on the outskirts; only a fool wouldn't pick it up.

But just as he looked along the severed abdomen, his pupils shrank.

"A magic array?" Zhou Qing was shocked.

"What?" Yan Xiaohu also hurriedly came over, and when he saw the scene before him, he was also stunned.

In the black-robed person's nearly severed abdomen, there was actually an array still silently circulating, with eerie light flickering. One could even clearly see cold array materials embedded in the flesh and blood, tightly connected to the skin that had begun to turn livid and stiff.

Besides this, around these materials, wisps of black patterns were also spreading, growing and spreading wantonly in the flesh and blood.

"What the hell is this?" Yan Xiaohu's Adam's apple rolled with difficulty, full of shock.

Zhou Qing shook his head slightly, then slowly stood up, his eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly.

Soon, his expression became solemn. He saw the broken corpses of Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong disciples scattered in disarray around him; a rough count showed there were more than a dozen of them.

Judging from the tragic scene, it seemed that these disciples had sacrificed themselves in collective self-detonation to kill the black-robed person before them.

"Such a rich aura of death!" Zhou Qing's nostrils flared slightly, and he looked at the black-robed person again, saying softly.

This aura of death was completely different from the aura emitted by ordinary deaths around, and it was even mixed with a trace of an extremely special corpse odor.

It seemed that the other party had been dead for a long time.

Yan Xiaohu squatted down at this time, used both hands to pull the black-robed person out of the pile of corpses, intending to examine him carefully.

"So you're here!" Just at this moment, a figure suddenly whistled from afar.

This was a Soul Formation disciple dressed in Jin Leizong attire. Seeing this black-robed corpse, he was full of surprise.

And Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu, to avoid attracting attention, had long since hidden and suppressed their cultivation to the Jin Dan realm.

"What are your names?" That Soul Formation disciple deliberately released a powerful pressure, covering the two like Mount Tai, and simultaneously questioned them sternly.

Yan Xiaohu pretended to be startled, hurriedly bowed respectfully, and said: "Disciple Zhang San, greetings, Shixiong!"

Zhou Qing also hurriedly cupped his hands and replied: "Disciple Li Si, greetings, Shixiong!"

"Zhang San, Li Si, you two did well this time; you should be credited. You must know that all humanoid puppets are crucial and cannot be lost. I didn't expect one that was lost to be found here. After I go back, I will definitely mention your contributions to the Elder!"

This Soul Formation disciple showed a satisfied smile on his face and said slowly.

Upon hearing this, the two couldn't help but be shocked.

This was actually a puppet?

How is that possible?

"Why is there only half left? Have you two seen the lower half?" The Soul Formation disciple squatted down, examined the black-robed person's corpse carefully, frowned slightly, and asked in confusion.

Yan Xiaohu immediately shook his head and said: "Haven't seen it."

Zhou Qing looked around calmly, his eyes like lightning, carefully confirming whether anyone else had noticed this place.

Because from the other party's words, it could be heard that this humanoid puppet seemed to be strictly controlled and could not be lost.

And this puppet had extraordinary combat power; many Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong disciples had to self-detonate to severely damage it to this state. Even with only half a body left, it still had movement, and what was more terrifying was that it seemed it could be "revived" after being recovered.

Heaven knows how many such humanoid puppets the Cangyan Dao Palace still had. If they could bring it back and study it carefully, perhaps they could find a way to restrain such puppets.

And they wouldn't have to be completely passive when facing these puppet armies.

Fortunately, this place seemed a bit remote, and no one had come over for the time being. Zhou Qing turned his head and said to Yan Xiaohu: "Shixiong, since we have already found the upper half of the puppet for this Shixiong, why not be a good person to the end and send the Buddha to the west!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Xiaohu immediately understood and then smiled slightly: "Alright."

The other party didn't expect the two to be so sensible, so he stood up and said: "You two are very good. From now on, just follow me, and you won't have to worry about points at all..."

But before the other party could finish speaking, a cold glint flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes, and he took the initiative to strike.

The broken sword in his hand suddenly struck out.

With a soft "Puchi!" sound, he cleanly and neatly severed the other party's head, and blood gushed out like a fountain, splashing onto the ground.

The other party's body slowly fell, with a look of disbelief still remaining in his eyes.

It was truly because the distance between the two sides was too close, and Zhou Qing's movements were too fast, leaving him no chance to react.

And Yan Xiaohu was full of surprise; how could that rusty broken sword look so sharp?

And the next moment, he saw a ray of light shoot out from the disciple's corpse, moving extremely fast, about to escape.

But Yan Xiaohu, who had long been prepared, grabbed it instantly.

Before the other party could speak, Yan Xiaohu immediately performed soul-searching, and soon the small Soul Formation began to roll its eyes.

After a few breaths, Yan Xiaohu crushed it directly.

"Wan Yuanmin, mid-stage Soul Formation, Cangyan Dao Palace disciple. He also knows very little about the humanoid puppets, but one thing is certain: there are many of them!"

Yan Xiaohu said with a solemn expression.

Zhou Qing nodded and pondered for a moment: "It seems that everyone attacking the Qingyu Qingshu Qingshu Xian Zong is from the Cangyan Dao Palace. We still underestimated their combat power. Using only a portion of their strength and puppets, they could break through a sect, while the vast majority of their strength is still ambushing our Taiqing Sect."

Yan Xiaohu also showed a worried expression after hearing this, and then, at Zhou Qing's signal, he put the puppet away.

Immediately after, Yan Xiaohu looked at Zhou Qing, full of resentment, and said: "This guy was a mid-stage Soul Formation. Even I had to use Soul Formation amplification to fight him. But even with a sneak attack, it ended too quickly. Old Four, I'll have to hug your thigh properly from now on."

Zhou Qing smiled and stretched out his leg, saying: "Hug it for free."

"Get lost!"

The two searched around again, but didn't find the lower half of the puppet. As a flesh-and-blood body, it must have become meat paste in the self-detonation.

And Yan Xiaohu quickly dealt with the corpse and took out a gray storage bag from his waist.

"More than two hundred mid-grade spirit stones, made a fortune!" Yan Xiaohu was very happy.

After splitting it with Zhou Qing, the two continued to sneak forward.

Just as they passed through a ruin, Zhou Qing's expression suddenly changed.

"Careful!" Reacting quickly, he subconsciously kicked Yan Xiaohu away.

And the moment Yan Xiaohu was kicked away, a cold glint shot out like lightning from the shadows of the ruins.

Zhou Qing's eyes narrowed, and he quickly held the broken sword in front of his chest. With a loud "Ding," it sounded like metal clashing, and sparks flew everywhere.

The sharp weapon that came to sneak attack collided violently with the broken sword, and the powerful impact caused Zhou Qing's figure to stumble back several steps.

And Yan Xiaohu, who had reacted, immediately rushed in with his sword.

"I'll kill you bunch of dog bastards!" A roar filled with endless grief and hatred suddenly erupted.

Immediately after, Yan Xiaohu's figure retreated in a slightly disheveled and hurried manner.

Following that, a woman covered in blood, tightly gripping a long cyan sword, came out, swaying unsteadily.

That face, which might have been beautiful, was now soaked in blood, and a few strands of hair were messily stuck to her cheeks. Her eyes were like burning blood flames, completely red, full of anger and unwillingness.

Her clothes were even more tattered and broken, with wounds crisscrossing. Some wounds were still gushing blood, slowly flowing down her arms and legs, gathering at her feet to form a pool of crimson blood.

At this moment, her aura was weak, but she stood stubbornly, staring fixedly at the two, wishing she could strip their flesh and eat their bones.

"So you were hiding here, you really made me look hard!" Just as Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu were full of vigilance, several sharp whistling sounds arrived instantly.

Immediately after, more than a dozen figures landed one after another.

The leader was a mid-stage Soul Formation powerhouse, while the others were all Jin Dan cultivators. They stood in an orderly manner, directly forming a circle.

"You two did well; you almost let this bitch escape. Wanting to ask for reinforcements? Keep dreaming!" Meng Xing was full of arrogance, laughing loudly.

Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu looked at each other, tacitly understanding, neither speaking, just taking a step back in perfect unison.

However, Yan Xiaohu walked with a slight limp; the push Zhou Qing gave him just now caused him to hit a wooden frame sticking out diagonally, which happened to poke his inner thigh.

This seems to be the second time, right? Could it be because my body heard that I wanted to hug Old Four's thigh, and my own thigh is dissatisfied?

Meng Xing looked at the woman whose eyes were almost spitting fire and clicked his tongue: "Yuan Ya, Elder Zou Hong's first disciple, a mid-stage Soul Formation expert. In the past, she was a famous beauty. Look at you now, it's truly a pity..."

The woman called Yuan Ya tightly gripped her long sword. Due to her severe injuries, the blood and Qi in her body surged, and she spat a mouthful of blood foam directly at Meng Xing, but it was blocked by a spiritual power light shield.

"Meng Xing, at a time like this, you're still wearing Jin Leizong clothes, it's truly disgusting!" Yuan Ya was full of anger, spat fiercely, and cursed.

Meng Xing didn't care and still laughed loudly: "I actually think this outfit is quite good. Anyway, the people who should have reported the news have already been released, and it was your two Soul Transformation Elders leading the team. I guess by now, the people at the Taiqing Sect have already entered the ambush circle."

The surrounding Jin Dan cultivators followed suit and laughed loudly.

Zhou Qing frowned slightly.

This guy actually knew about the ambush; it seems his status in the Cangyan Dao Palace is truly not low.

And being here, it might not be easy to find Immortal Xuanyou in a short time. Perhaps this woman named Yuan Ya knows the location of her Sect Master.

And Yan Xiaohu secretly transmitted his voice: "I remember now, the Cangyan Dao Palace has five great geniuses. It is said that from the beginning of their cultivation until breaking through to the Soul Formation realm, they all used less than thirty years. In the future, ascending to the Soul Transformation realm should not be difficult, and this Meng Xing is one of them, and ranked fifth."

Zhou Qing's eyes lit up, and he already had a plan in his heart.

(End of chapter)