Chapter 135: The Fall of Tie Lin

On the small mountain where Zhuge Qing and the others were located, the cultivators of the three great sects had been on guard against an attack from the Corpse Refining Sect, but three months had passed in the blink of an eye, yet there was still no movement.

At this time, even some ordinary disciples within the three great sects began to grow suspicious; for a time, there was much discussion on the small mountain, and people's hearts became uneasy.

The scale of the Corpse Refining Sect's first attack had left a shadow in everyone's hearts; after a lapse of three months, if they were to attack again, the momentum would naturally not be small.

Whether Han Liang and the others could block Tie Lin, a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, was something no one felt confident about; an inexplicable panic cast a haze over the hearts of the three great sects' cultivators.

A few more days passed, and even Zhuge Qing could no longer sit still. She summoned Han Liang and Nangong Ao, and after the three of them consulted, they decided to send out some cultivators to scout the movements of the Corpse Refining Sect in the Trial Ground. After all, waiting like this was no solution; the enemy was in the shadows while they were in the light, and waiting like this would only make them more passive.

The two men nodded in agreement as well; they had long had this idea. Immediately, the three of them selected a few cultivators skilled in concealment from their respective sects and had them descend the small mountain. They repeatedly warned them that if they encountered cultivators from the Corpse Refining Sect, they were not to attack but to return immediately to report.

After the few cultivators went down the mountain, Zhuge Qing and the others began another long wait. One day, two days, three days—until the twentieth day, suddenly one of the cultivators who had gone down the mountain returned.

"How is it?"

Han Liang recognized at a glance that this person was a cultivator from his own sect and rushed over to ask.

"Senior Brother Han! Good news!"

When Zhuge Qing and the others heard the words "good news," their eyes lit up simultaneously, and they pricked up their ears to listen carefully.

"Tie Lin has fallen!"

After the cultivator finished speaking, the three of them looked at each other in disbelief; in each other's eyes, they saw an expression of incredulity!

"How is that possible?"

Han Liang suddenly raised his voice, looking at the reporting cultivator with a stunned expression.

"Is your intelligence wrong?"

"Rest assured, Senior Brother Han! I heard it with my own ears from two Corpse Refining Sect cultivators!"

The reporting cultivator patted his chest in assurance!

The three of them fell into silence once more. Based on the situation of the battle that day, the minor injuries Tie Lin had sustained would have fully recovered in a month; there was simply no talk of him falling.

"Let's wait for the others to return and see what they have to say! Then we shall make a decision!"

Zhuge Qing pondered slightly, and after a moment, she said slowly.

"That is my thought as well! The matter of Tie Lin's fall is likely not that simple! It is better to deliberate carefully!"

Nangong Ao nodded in agreement.

"Since that is the case, we shall wait a while longer!"

Seeing that both of them held this view, Han Liang's heart also began to drum, and he immediately let the cultivator from his sect go back to rest.

Over the next half month or so, cultivators returned one after another, but the intelligence they obtained was all the same! Tie Lin had already fallen, and his corpse was being guarded by several core disciples of the Corpse Refining Sect.

If it were just one person saying it, Zhuge Qing might not have believed it, but with so many people returning and reporting the same news, her heart began to waver.

"Tie Lin is dead! Haha! It is truly heaven's will! Why don't we launch a surprise attack, kill these Corpse Refining Sect scumbags to the last man, and have them completely erased from the Tianjiang Plain!"

Han Liang was extremely excited; he had nearly lost his life on the day of the great battle with Tie Lin, and whenever he thought of this matter, his teeth itched with hatred. Furthermore, more than half of the Wuji Sect disciples had died at Tie Lin's hands; this was a grudge he had to settle!

Nangong Ao lowered his head and remained silent; he still could not believe this matter. Suddenly, he looked up at Zhuge Qing and saw the young woman resting her chin on her hand, lost in deep thought.

Seeing the two of them like this, Han Liang's previously high spirits immediately became somewhat dampened!

"Do you two fellow Daoists not think this is a great opportunity?"

"Fellow Daoist Han, this is indeed an opportunity! But what if Tie Lin has not fallen? What if he is only using a feigned death to trick us into going down the mountain, and then finding an opportunity to defeat the cultivators of our three great sects one by one?"

The young woman's words were devoid of any emotion and extremely flat, but to Han Liang, they were like a basin of cold water that extinguished the fire of vengeance in his heart!

Shuddering all over, Han Liang also felt a lingering fear; if this matter were true, they would be delivering themselves to the edge of a tiger's mouth, waiting for the enemy to devour them.

"Fellow Daoist Zhuge is right! This matter cannot be rushed, but if Tie Lin has truly fallen, it would be a pity to miss such a great opportunity!"

Nangong Ao appeared torn and could not make up his mind for a moment.

"Two fellow Daoists, if I, Zhuge Qing, were alone here, I would not hesitate to go down the mountain to slay the remnants of the Corpse Refining Sect. But behind us are hundreds of sect disciples. These people were able to survive the trial, which shows they are the elites of each sect. If we fall for Tie Lin's feigned death trick and lead all these cultivators out, once they fall, the future of our sects will be in jeopardy!"

Having said this, the young woman's gaze stole a glance at the two men; seeing that they both looked solemn and seemed to be thinking about something, she continued:

"I do not know if Tie Lin's death is true or false now, but I believe both of you saw his battle situation that day. Do you think the minor injuries he sustained would be fatal?"

Zhuge Qing's analysis was logical and sound; Nangong Ao and Han Liang both nodded repeatedly. In truth, the young woman saying this was not really out of concern for the cultivators of these two sects. If the Wuji Sect and Beixuan Sect cultivators were all wiped out by Tie Lin because they went out to suppress the Corpse Refining Sect, leaving only her Nanxuan Sect, she would have no way to resist the Corpse Refining Sect's attacks. She understood the principle of "when the lips are gone, the teeth are cold" deeply.

But if Zhuge Qing said it that way, Nangong Ao and Han Liang would certainly not agree to stay, so the young woman brought up the future of the sects to persuade the two.

"Fellow Daoist Zhuge is right! Although my 'Yidianhong Twin Swords' hit Tie Lin that day, it was not enough to cause him too much damage. Even adding the subsequent attacks from Junior Sister Ding, his injuries would certainly have healed within a month. Now that news of his fall has suddenly spread, I suspect it is mostly to trick us into going down the mountain and then defeating us one by one!"

A flash of light appeared in Nangong Ao's bright eyes; he highly agreed with Zhuge Qing's view! Han Liang remained silent at this moment; his heart, which was itching to take revenge, refused to calm down.

"Fellow Daoist Han! Why compete for a moment's advantage? With your aptitude, in a few decades, you should also be able to enter the Foundation Establishment Stage. Only then will you have the capital to fight Tie Lin! We are all at the Foundation Establishment Stage now; I believe you can also understand from that day's great battle that if the Blood-Colored Corpse Trial had not suddenly appeared and taken away the frozen Tie Lin, the three of us might not be standing here talking."

Seeing that Han Liang was still unwilling, Zhuge Qing persuaded him again.

Finally, Han Liang sighed toward the sky and nodded helplessly.

"Very well! We shall follow Fellow Daoist Zhuge's lead!"

Seeing that she had persuaded Han Liang, the young woman smiled slightly, and the stone in her heart fell; at least now she could ensure the safety of the Nanxuan Sect disciples on this mountain!

Time passed day by day. When there was only one month left until the end of the trial, Tie Lin still had not appeared. At this time, Han Liang became somewhat restless.

He found Zhuge Qing and Nangong Ao and again proposed that he wanted to take the Wuji Sect members down the mountain! The young woman gritted her teeth, really wanting to scold him severely. But now was not the time for infighting, so she said patiently:

"Fellow Daoist Han! If you go down the mountain at this time, wouldn't the results of our long defense be in vain! The trial is about to end; we cannot let Tie Lin's treacherous plot succeed!"

"That's right! Fellow Daoist Han! Why bother? There is plenty of time in the future!"

Fearing that Han Liang would act on impulse and take people away, Nangong Ao also kept persuading him. Looking back at the remaining Wuji Sect members, Han Liang felt a sense of guilt in his heart.

Now, within the entire Trial Ground, the Wuji Sect had the fewest cultivators left, and most of them had died at Tie Lin's hands. How could he swallow this anger? Once he left the Trial Ground, what face would he have to see his master, Xiao Zhengxing?

In fact, Han Liang was not a stupid person; he also understood in his heart that if he took people out, and if Tie Lin were feigning death, he would certainly not be able to return alive.

"Fellow Daoist Han, it is not just you who hates Tie Lin; I and Fellow Daoist Nangong are the same. If he had killed the cultivators of the three great sects as a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, I would have no complaints; I would blame us for our lack of skill. But in the current situation, if we fall for the opponent's trick, wouldn't it be a pity! Furthermore, if Tie Lin is not dead, I guarantee that in the future, regardless of any matter, if the Wuji Sect has a dispute with the Corpse Refining Sect, my Nanxuan Sect will stand on the side of the Wuji Sect."

Finally, Zhuge Qing said with a serious face. Hearing Zhuge Qing say this, Nangong Ao also patted his chest and guaranteed that he would never be soft on the Corpse Refining Sect in the future.

Silently lowering his head, Han Liang had no choice but to drop the matter. Since the crucial figures of the two sects had said such things, if he were to act willfully again, he would be a bit tactless!

"Many thanks to both fellow Daoists! On behalf of my master, I thank you both for your kindness!"

As he spoke, Han Liang bowed deeply to the young girl and Nangong Ao. There were Four Great Sects on the Tianjiang Plain, and having two of them stand on his side was something that could not be bought, even at the cost of losing many more of his own sect's cultivators in ordinary times.

Seeing that Han Liang had finally dismissed this idea, Zhuge Qing let out a long sigh of relief; she was truly afraid that if Han Liang were to be killed after going out, then the past few months of holding their ground would have been completely in vain! And the dozens of people from the Nanxuan Sect would also surely die at the hands of Tie Lin.

At the thought of Tie Lin, Zhuge Qing thought of the Corpse Refining Sect, especially Leng Xinghun; this person was too sinister, actually letting his disciples form their Golden Cores within the Trial Ground! By taking this opportunity to slaughter the elite disciples of the other three great sects, could it be that he wanted to dominate the entire Tianjiang Plain?