Chapter 137: It

Yuan Ya is severely wounded, her spiritual power utterly depleted; carrying two people this far has pushed her body to its limit.

Yan Xiao understood at once and immediately launched a fierce attack.

In an instant, the barrier rippled in layers, and soon three figures shot out from within, preparing to repair this section.

“Master Xia!” Yuan Ya spotted the hurriedly arriving figure and eagerly waved her hands.

The middle-aged man, upon seeing Yuan Ya, also froze in surprise.

The Soul Lamp Tower is located within the Inner Sect; this morning, Elder Zou Hong self-destructed, and her soul lamp instantly went out—Yuan Ya, as Zou Hong’s first disciple, her own soul lamp has gradually dimmed.

Because too many attackers targeted the barrier, he was dispatched to lead others in repairing various sections; he assumed Yuan Ya was already dead, never expecting to find this girl here.

He was about to greet her, but immediately noticed the two figures standing behind her.

One was covered in blood, wearing the Jin Leizong uniform; the other wore a mask.

Has Yuan Ya been taken hostage?

That was the first thought of Master Xia Ye, and he immediately retreated warily.

Seeing his reaction, Yuan Ya instantly understood and hurriedly said: “Master Xia, don’t worry—these two are disciples of Taiqingmen; our reinforcements have arrived.”

Yuan Ya spoke with great excitement.

Yan Xiao quickly wiped the blood and dirt from his face and pulled out his identity token: “Yan Xiao, from Xiao Ling Peak, Taiqingmen!”

Yuan Ya blinked, instinctively glancing at Yan Xiao.

Aren’t you called Zhang San?

Zhou Qing also removed his mask, revealing a refined face, and said: “Zhou Qing, from Xiao Ling Peak, Taiqingmen!”

Since we’re about to meet Immortal Xuan You, there’s no need to hide anymore—she knows us well enough.

Xia Ye’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at Zhou Qing and shouted: “I’ve seen your portrait—you’re Zhou Qing of Xiao Ling Peak!”

Seeing this, Yan Xiao’s face immediately fell.

Do you really need to strike me down twice in such a short time?

“What about me, Master Xia… uh, Master Xia, right?” Yan Xiao pointed at himself and spoke up.

Upon hearing this, Xia Ye merely nodded politely at Yan Xiao and replied offhandedly: “Hello!”

Yan Xiao: “...”

“Wait a moment!” After confirming their identities, Xia Ye hurried away.

Only the Supreme Elders can open the Inner Sect’s barrier—no one else can.

Not long after, a pale-faced old man in green robes flew swiftly toward them.

“Supreme Elder!” Yuan Ya bowed immediately upon seeing him.

Zhou Qing and Yan Xiao quickly followed suit.

Supreme Elder Xin Songming stared at Zhou Qing and Yan Xiao, his face filled with excitement, and asked urgently: “You’re from Taiqingmen?”

Shiiii! Shiiii! Shiiii!

Before either could answer, dozens of Jin Leizong figures detected the commotion and rushed toward them.

Xin Songming had no time for further questions—he immediately opened the barrier and let all three in.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Immediately, powerful attacks slammed into the barrier, causing it to ripple violently.

“Wait a moment!” Xin Songming snorted, seized the opportunity, and shot out in a flash.

In an instant, the aura of a Soul Transformation realm at its peak spread outward; the Jin Leizong disciples, seeing this, turned and fled in terror.

But Xin Songming wouldn’t let them escape so easily—he’d been holding back fury for days.

Screams echoed continuously, and in the blink of an eye, the dozens of men dissolved into blood, raining down from the sky.

But when he returned, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Are you alright?” Yuan Ya rushed forward to support him.

Xin Songming waved his hand and wiped the blood from his lips.

Clearly, he hadn’t fully recovered these past two days—the backlash had been too severe.

At this moment, Xin Songming stared at Zhou Qing and Yan Xiao and asked urgently: “Where are your Taiqingmen reinforcements?”

Hearing this, Zhou Qing’s heart sank.

Where could they be? The main force never came—it was all just a ruse to deceive Xuan Jizi.

As for the Sect Master and the other eighteen, heaven only knows where they’ve gone.

The only possibility Zhou Qing could think of was the strategy of attacking Wei to save Zhao.

Either Cangyan Dao Palace or Tianji Men—this is the best time to steal the crystal.

Seeing the situation, Yan Xiao quickly said: “Respected Elder, this matter is highly secretive—we must speak with Immortal Xuan You before we can reveal the truth.”

Xin Songming frowned but replied: “The Sect Master just woke up today—follow me.”

Then the group moved deeper into the Inner Sect.

Upon reaching a grand hall, they saw Immortal Xuan You, pale as paper, seated at the center of a healing array.

Around her, seven other Supreme Elders sat with eyes closed, also healing.

Immortal Xuan You, who already knew the full situation, slowly opened her eyes and immediately saw Zhou Qing.

“It’s really you… Taiqingmen… when will you arrive? How many have come?” Her eyes burned with urgency as she asked weakly.

The two looked around—the scene didn’t seem like a decoy; if it were, they’d gone too far to lure Taiqingmen in.

Yan Xiao instinctively glanced at Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing stepped forward, bowed, and instead of answering her question directly, said: “Respected Elder, the attackers aren’t Jin Leizong—they’re Cangyan Dao Palace. Those outside are disguised by Tianji Men using the Heaven’s Mechanism Art.”

Upon hearing Zhou Qing’s words, Immortal Xuan You’s eyes widened in shock; the other Supreme Elders also opened their eyes, all filled with disbelief.

“Cangyan Dao Palace and Tianji Men? How is that possible?” Xin Songming staggered backward.

They’d assumed Jin Leizong was allied with others—but now they learned it was a joint strike by Cangyan Dao Palace and Tianji Men.

“I can prove Zhou Qing’s words are true!”

Seeing their skepticism, Yuan Ya quickly spoke up and recounted everything she had experienced.

Zhou Qing also described the situation at Taiqingmen; though details remained unclear, the Sect Master and others would surely come to rescue them.

“So we were sent ahead to assess Qingyu Immortal Sect’s condition, deliver the rescue message to Immortal Xuan You, and hold on—Taiqingmen is coming!”

After speaking, Zhou Qing bowed, his gaze locked on Immortal Xuan You, watching her closely.

But Immortal Xuan You seemed dazed, still processing the information.

Finally, after a few breaths, a prompt sounded in his ear.

The note above Immortal Xuan You’s head—【Taiqingmen Disciple】—instantly changed to 【Harbinger of Good News】.

Witnessing this, Zhou Qing’s tense heart finally settled completely.

Thus, he had not wasted the hard work of the Sect Master and the others.

Immortal Xuan You now stared at Zhou Qing and Yan Xiao, feeling moved—and more than that, deeply impressed.

Especially Zhou Qing—he showed no trace of spiritual power, yet still endured countless hardships to bring them this news.

It also proved Taiqingmen’s deep regard for them.

“Thank you,” Immortal Xuan You whispered weakly.

Zhou Qing smiled warmly: “Sect Master, you’re too kind—it’s our duty.”

“Has your senior brother returned?” Immortal Xuan You suddenly asked.

Zhou Qing’s lips twitched slightly as he shook his head: “The Sect Master feared our returning disciples might be ambushed on the way back, so he ordered everyone not to return for now.”

Yan Xiao watched Immortal Xuan You’s disappointed expression with a smug grin, thinking to himself: “Sis, look at you—wounded, the outside world in chaos, the sect nearly lost—and you’re still thinking about your Three Flowers Gathering? How desperate are you?”

Upon learning Taiqingmen was fully mobilizing to aid them, Supreme Elder Xin Songming finally exhaled in relief.

But now that Jin Leizong was cut off and Tianji Men had allied with Cangyan Dao Palace, all they could do was wait.

It was the Outer Sect disciples who suffered most.

“Zhou Qing, Yan Xiao—you rest here and don’t go out. Yuan Ya, enter the array and heal first.”

After arranging everything, Xin Songming and the other Supreme Elders gathered, their expressions grave, to discuss strategy.

Sitting nearby, Yan Xiao saw Zhou Qing nod to him and relaxed.

Wait, I’m just curious—do you really have a sixth sense for conspiracies?

“We came in too early—I didn’t even grab a few storage bags,” Yan Xiao whispered inwardly.

Zhou Qing smiled and shook his head: “What can we do? We ran into Sister Yuan Ya first. But you could ask Immortal Xuan You for a bonus.”

He didn’t mind—it was better to prove this wasn’t a trap as soon as possible.

…………

In the sky, massive warships were rapidly approaching Qingyu Immortal Sect; on the prow, Sikong Yan frowned, a deep unease gnawing at him—he’d forgotten something crucial.

At that moment, he opened his palm and stared blankly at a jade token flickering intensely.

“So that’s it!”

As he activated it, lines of text began to appear.

Sikong Yan sighed deeply and immediately ordered: All warships, return immediately.

“What’s wrong?” A Soul Transformation realm elder flew over, confused.

Sikong Yan remained calm: “Jin Leizong’s move has come alive. Looks like we’re in for a prolonged war.”

The elder froze, then cursed loudly.

“Useless trash! Swore they’d hold for ten days—this kind of fool, even if you prop him up, he’s still a waste!”

Sikong Yan chuckled lightly: “Precisely because they’re useless, they’re easier to control, aren’t they?”

“Just go back like this?” the old man still protested.

Sikong Yan gazed at the distant, faintly visible mountain silhouette, a faint smile curving his lips: “This stagnant pond has finally stirred—how wonderful.”

…………

“Master, Supreme Elder, they’ve withdrawn—the outsiders have retreated!”

At that moment, the steward Xia Ye burst into the hall, face flushed with excitement, stumbling repeatedly from running too fast, yet ignoring it all as he screamed at the top of his lungs.

Everyone immediately rose to their feet; Xin Songming was already before him in an instant.

“Are reinforcements here?” Xin Songming asked urgently.

Xia Ye shook his head frantically: “I don’t know—but the ones attacking the inner sect’s barrier have withdrawn.”

One of the Supreme Elders fell silent for a moment before speaking: “Perhaps they’re trying to lure us out.”

Others nodded slightly; such a possibility couldn’t be ruled out.

Meanwhile, Xuan You Immortal glanced at Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu.

The two were exchanging puzzled looks; Yan Xiaohu immediately pulled out his identity token and sent a message to Mo Xingjian.

After a few breaths, Mo Xingjian actually replied.

First, he was shocked: How were they here at Qingyu Immortal Sect?

Then he informed them that he and other strong figures from Jin Leizong were rapidly approaching, and told them not to take Zhou Qing wandering off.

Yan Xiaohu’s eyes blazed with light; he leapt to his feet and looked at Xuan You Immortal: “They’re here!”

The fact that messages could be exchanged proved they were very close.

Hearing this, Xuan You Immortal’s slender frame trembled violently, her whole body shaking uncontrollably.

Then, gritting her teeth against her lower lip, she forced herself to stand despite her weakness, glaring fiercely beyond the barrier, fury blazing in her eyes.

“You killed so many of my sect—now you think you can just walk away!” With that, Xuan You Immortal ignored her injuries entirely and vanished from her spot.

After their initial excitement, the other Supreme Elders each wore cold, grim expressions, their eyes brimming with lethal intent, and without hesitation followed after her.

“Master, did you see that?” Yuan Ya wept uncontrollably, then grabbed her weapon and charged out in fury.

“All Qingyu Immortal Sect disciples, listen: Kill them!”

Instantly, Xuan You Immortal’s roar—filled with boundless grief and rage—roared like thunder across heaven and earth.

Upon hearing their sect master’s voice, countless disciples surged with Rexue , eyes red, screaming like a tidal wave as they furiously chased after the enemy.

The great hall fell utterly silent, leaving only Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu.

“Finally—it’s ending!” Zhou Qing watched the counterattack, finally exhaling deeply.

But Yan Xiaohu let out a shriek: “Fourth, supreme spirit stones—look, supreme spirit stones!”

Zhou Qing turned his head and saw Yan Xiaohu, ecstatic, crouched at a corner of the formation, frantically prying with tools.

As Zhou Qing drew closer, he realized a supreme wood-element spirit stone was embedded in a groove in the ground.

Its color radiated immense energy—it must have been placed no more than two days ago.

At this moment, Yan Xiaohu’s eyes nearly glowed green.

“When Xuan You Immortal was healing in this formation, I sensed something unusual here—I never imagined they’d filled it with supreme wood-element spirit stones.”

“Heavens, last time in Lingyun Mansion, when we sold that Chaos Xuanjin at the auction, we each got only two ordinary supreme spirit stones—but this is a supreme wood-element spirit stone—the best for healing among the Five Elements!”

“We didn’t come for nothing—this trip was worth it! What are you standing there for? Look for more!”

Yan Xiaohu pried frantically as he shouted to Zhou Qing.

For some reason, watching Yan Xiaohu so excited, Zhou Qing felt an odd sense of familiarity.

Right—in the third coffin of the Cave Heaven, at the bottom of the lava, he himself had pried up supreme fire-element spirit stones just like this.

“Are you blushing again? This is a rare supreme wood-element spirit stone! We braved enormous risks, traveled thousands of miles to bring good news and reassure them—this is our due reward.”

Seeing Zhou Qing still motionless, Yan Xiaohu hurriedly urged again.

Zhou Qing smiled awkwardly, then quickly moved into action.

Soon, he found another supreme spirit stone at the opposite corner of the formation and immediately pulled out his pry tool.

In a short time, each had gained two additional supreme wood-element spirit stones.

“Qingyu Immortal Sect is truly rich—how could they gather so many of these rare spirit stones? Look, there are more in these corners!”

Yan Xiaohu’s drool nearly pooled on the floor as he rushed to pry more—but at that moment, a dry, elderly cough echoed.

Both their faces changed instantly.

Yan Xiaohu reacted swiftly, stashing the spirit stones into his storage bag in an instant, then flashed to Zhou Qing’s side and efficiently hid his as well.

Then, with a solemn expression, he clapped Zhou Qing on the shoulder and spoke earnestly: “Fourth, I don’t think this is right. We braved great risks to come here, endured constant pursuit and ambushes from Cangyan Dao Palace, and suffered repeated injuries.”

“Especially you—you have no spiritual power at all, yet came here purely out of passion and sincerity. Just like during the Five Sects Exchange Fair, risking your life to help Qingyu Immortal Sect find someone, only to be punished afterward.”

“Even though Master and the others are arriving soon and will assist Immortal Xuan You in fighting off the invaders, as core disciples, we can’t act like this—don’t you agree?”

Zhou Qing stared blankly at Yan Xiaohu.

No wonder you’ve got that round face and small eyes and still haven’t grown a beard—you’re just too thick-skinned for hair to grow.

“Enough. Right now, we should help Qingyu Immortal Sect’s comrades and drive these beasts into the ground forever—what do you think?” Yan Xiaohu said.

Watching Yan Xiaohu wink and gesture wildly, Zhou Qing was speechless—but he nodded along: “I agree with Third Brother.”

“So our thoughts are perfectly aligned! Ha! No time to waste—let’s go!”

Yan Xiaohu grabbed Zhou Qing’s arm and hurried away.

A returning Supreme Elder slowly emerged, shaking his head with a bitter smile, dismantling the healing formation, gathering a few items, sealing the hall, then quickly departed.

“Wow, storage bags—so many storage bags!”

“Can’t open them—these patterns look like Qingyu Immortal Sect’s. Forget it—they’re probably still alive. Leave them be.”

“Poor bastards—came to attack someone and carried so little cash.”

“This one’s more like it—I like it.”

…………

As everyone, fueled by righteous fury, followed their sect master to chase the invaders, two figures moved swiftly among the corpses, looting everything.

Yet they left untouched any storage bag bearing Qingyu Immortal Sect’s markings—even when the soul marks had long vanished.

These men died for their sect. If their bodies were robbed after death, they’d be no better than beasts.

Third Brother was a man of principle—just like every time he went to report expenses to the Sect Master, he never claimed even one extra spirit stone.

He believed in honesty: take only what you deserve, never touch what isn’t yours.

“Watch out—they’re coming back!” After collecting over a thousand storage bags, Yan Xiaohu urgently warned.

Zhou Qing turned and saw a large group of Qingyu Immortal Sect disciples returning, supporting each other.

Seeing the ruins and the bodies of their fellow disciples, some finally broke down, weeping bitterly.

Xuan You Immortal surveyed the devastation with a sorrowful face, her heart heavy with pain.

If only the sect master’s position hadn’t been passed to her.

If only she hadn’t practiced the forbidden technique, enduring daily agony, she wouldn’t have begged the Supreme Elders for help.

Now, she’d dragged them down—and nearly doomed the entire sect.

How could she ever repay her disciples’ trust?

A nearby Supreme Elder gently patted her shoulder in comfort.

Then Xuan You Immortal turned her gaze to Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu below. Seeing the storage bags still on her disciples’ bodies, she said nothing.

This was clearly Yan Xiaohu’s doing—the round-faced, small-eyed one. Zhou Qing, now powerless, had no use for such things.

Meeting Xuan You Immortal’s gaze, Yan Xiaohu grinned sheepishly, puzzled: Why’s she staring at me so hard?

At that moment, several figures raced toward them—Taiqingmen’s group and Jin Leizong’s reinforcements, even Jin Leizong’s true sect master, Lei Wuji, among them.

Several Qingyu Immortal Sect Supreme Elders led the way.

Mo Xingjian arrived instantly, first checking Zhou Qing was unharmed, then glaring fiercely at Yan Xiaohu.

If it weren’t for the crowd and your dignity, I’d have already beaten you senseless.

You brought Fourth here to such a dangerous place—don’t you know his current status?

Yan Xiaohu and Zhou Qing both lowered their heads in practiced silence—they’d known this moment was unavoidable.

At least this trip wasn’t a loss. If they wanted to beat or yell, they’d take it.

“Thank you all for your righteous aid—Qingyu Immortal Sect will forever remember this great favor!” Xuan You Immortal bowed to the group.

They’d pursued the enemy briefly before meeting Cao Zhengyang and others; after uniting, they launched a full-scale pursuit.

Cao Zhengyang and Lei Wuji merely sighed, offering polite words.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please,” Xuan You Immortal invited.

For the matters concerning the Five Sects, they needed to use this chance to draft a proper plan.

Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu followed along.

But the meeting didn’t last long—Taiqingmen and Jin Leizong departed.

Cangyan Dao Palace’s true elite had yet to appear. With all their forces gathered here, if those two factions teamed up again to strike their main base, the consequences would be catastrophic.

On the return journey, Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu learned from Mo Xingjian about everyone’s prior movements, Jin Leizong’s upheavals, and the Supreme Elder’s elite strike.

This made them admire their Sect Master even more.

(End of Chapter)