Chapter 72: Trial at Lun Tai (Request Subscription, Request Monthly Tickets)

It was the end of October, the wind sharp and the snow cold.

Thick layers of clouds obscured the sky, no stars, no moon.

Hundreds of people huddled beneath Danxia Mountain, shivering in the northerly wind, waiting for their companions to gather.

Chang Qing, the third-grade alchemist leading them, kicked the earth at the foot of Danxia Mountain with his foot and sighed with envy and resentment: "Even on such a snowy night, the soil here still holds a faint warmth—what a land of earthfire, and yet the Tianxing Sword Sect got lucky."

Someone beside him asked: "If you can launch a direct assault on the Tianxing Sword Sect, why didn't you just attack Danxia Gang earlier? How could Liu Qingcang possibly hold it? Why send Bai Chi to wipe out an entire clan and waste time doing someone else's dirty work?"

"What do you know? Liu Qingcang is a dog raised by the Huo family. Taking his assets through scheming is one thing—but a direct assault? How many lives do you have to face the Huo family's revenge?"

"The Huo family…" the questioner shrank back: "Then what about the Tianxing Sword Sect? Isn't it said Your Majesty intends to support them? Aren't we overstepping by attacking like this?"

"That's why you fighters are all brainless," Chang Qing sneered. "'Support'? Just words. We openly assassinated them during their grand ceremony, and what punishment did we get? Only that other sects were forbidden to interfere. Is that support?"

"Er… what does that mean?"

Chang Qing sneered: "It means Your Majesty wants us to fight the Tianxing Sword Sect to the death! Banning others from interfering is just to avoid making it look too obvious—he wants to frame this as a simple feud between two sects. Even if the Tianxing Sword Sect is wiped out, it'll just be seen as ordinary martial world grudges."

"So that's how it is…"

Chang Qing grew restless again: "Why haven't Zhang Shaoyou and the others arrived yet! Those who aren't ours never become loyal."

He lowered his voice deliberately, so the group standing far away—the "not ours"—wouldn't hear.

A giant of a man, arms crossed, leaned against a distant tree trunk, appearing to be a body-cultivation Wu Xiu with poor long-range hearing—but now he revealed a faint mocking smile.

Don't underestimate body-cultivators for lacking mysterious arcane arts; they have their own methods, or they'd have been killed long ago.

He was Zhao Guishan, a fourth-grade upper-tier body-cultivation Wu Xiu mentioned in the records, a pure "hireling" guard. Seeking work in exchange for cultivation resources was common among free cultivators and even disciples from ordinary sects—Lu Xingzhou himself had once applied to be chief alchemist of Danxia Gang.

Zhao Guishan had once hoped the famed Xiangxiang Pavilion might grant him the chance to break through to third grade, but after two years, he still hadn't qualified to touch a third-grade breakthrough pill.

Such pills were precious; you had to earn them through merit. Zhang Shaoyou had risked his life countless times to earn his—Zhao Guishan understood. He wasn't someone chasing unrealistic dreams; he quietly accumulated merit and cultivated in patience.

This assault on the Tianxing Sword Sect was a golden chance to earn great merit.

But hearing that remark, he suddenly felt it was all meaningless. Zhang Shaoyou, who had risked his life for years, the emblematic figure among outsiders, was the very model they all wanted to emulate—and yet even he was dismissed as "not ours, never to be trusted"?

How long would he, Zhao Guishan, have to wait before being considered "trusted"?

To betray one's moral code, to risk one's life attacking another sect's mountain—was it all for a few measly monthly pills and spirit stones? How ridiculous.

As he pondered this, two figures arrived: "Sorry we're late."

It was Zhang Shaoyou and Qin Buwang. They exchanged glances, each sensing the other's reason for delay, then both turned away, pretending nothing was amiss.

These two, both once deliberately lured by that couple, weren't ready to outright betray—but their hesitation was real. They wanted to observe further: first, to see if Chang Qing would send them, the "outsiders," to trigger traps and die; second, to gauge the Tianxing Sword Sect's true strength—if they collapsed at the first strike, nothing else mattered.

Chang Qing frowned: "Why are you so slow?"

Zhang Shaoyou's status was far from low; he replied coolly: "We didn't exceed the agreed time—what's slow? Since everyone's here, Senior Elder, make your arrangements."

Chang Qing said flatly: "You're a swordsman, most familiar with the Sword Sect's tactics—you lead the way. Zhao Guishan, body-cultivator, and Qin Buwang, Dao cultivator, flank him. Any objections?"

Zhang Shaoyou glanced at Zhu Lianfeng, the First Guard: "What about you?"

Zhu Lianfeng said: "We follow behind, ready to rescue if anything goes wrong."

It sounded normal—if he hadn't spoken with Shen Tang earlier, Zhang Shaoyou might have accepted it. But now, it felt wrong everywhere. You're the First Guard, the strongest in Xiangxiang Pavilion, the one who gets the most resources—and now you say I, the swordsman, go first?

Qin Buwang and Zhao Guishan aren't sword cultivators—why should they go ahead with me instead of you, Zhu Lianfeng, standing shoulder to shoulder with me?

He glanced left and right; Qin Buwang and Zhao Guishan both wore faint, knowing smirks.

Chang Qing said: "What are you hesitating for? How could the Tianxing Sword Sect know we're attacking tonight? Even if they have a mountain-protection array, they won't have time to activate it. Sending you first is giving you a chance to earn merit!"

Zhang Shaoyou smiled, relieved: "Fine."

He then called out several familiar subordinates: "They'll come with me."

Chang Qing had no objection; Zhang Shaoyou quickly led his group straight up the flank of Danxia Mountain.

Chang Qing, Zhu Lianfeng, and the others followed cautiously, dozens of zhang behind, watching Zhang Shaoyou's group pass the mountain gate and head toward the inner buildings—still no array triggered. They all exhaled in relief.

The surprise attack was right—the Tianxing Sword Sect hadn't yet heard of Xiangxiang Pavilion's large-scale incursion into Xiazhou, so they had no defenses ready.

Seeing Zhang Shaoyou's group cross the courtyard walls and enter the Tianxing Sword Sect's interior, shouts erupted, then sword qi surged everywhere—clearly, they were already fighting. Chang Qing saw the sword qi wasn't from any terrifying array and immediately waved: "Advance!"

But Zhang Shaoyou and his group inside were drenched in cold sweat.

There was no lack of terrifying array… the terrifying array was right before them!

The grand array meant to protect the entire mountain had been condensed into just this single courtyard—ten thousand swords hung suspended, trapping the first dozen intruders at its center.

Zhang Shaoyou was certain: move even slightly, and ten thousand swords would strike at once—every one of them would become a sieve.

This wasn't a third-grade array… but Shen Tang had exaggerated calling it first-grade; they did have a first-grade array, but lacked enough high-grade materials to activate its full power. Still, when condensed into such a small space, it approached second-grade strength—enough to intimidate.

The array's controller wasn't Shen Tang, but a disheveled middle-aged man with a full beard and one broken straw sandal on his foot—his aura matched Zhang Shaoyou's closely… a third-grade swordsman!

The sword qi clashes Chang Qing and the others saw outside were caused by Zhang Shaoyou clashing blades with this man.

Zhang Shaoyou swallowed hard and reluctantly spoke: "What is your meaning, sir?"

The disheveled man sat idly beside them, picking lice, lazily replying: "Why ask me what I mean? Ask yourselves what you mean… driven here like dogs to trigger a sword array, and you all just walk obediently? Care to explain your thinking?"

Zhang Shaoyou fell silent.

Zhao Guishan beside him bowed: "We're merely following orders…"

"Don't give me that…" the disheveled man chuckled. "You didn't come here to obey—you came to test our strength. If we collapsed at the first strike, you'd have stormed in without a second thought."

Everyone fell silent.

The disheveled man smiled: "The Sect Master values you greatly—he's specially deployed the mountain-protection array for you to see, even revealed me, a force normally hidden from outsiders. You should understand the sincerity."

It was a display of power—and a warning.

With their combined strength, they could break out of this array—but casualties would be heavy. There was still a third-grade swordsman watching over them; the losses were unpredictable. Was it worth risking their lives over a few monthly pills and spirit stones?

Zhang Shaoyou understood. He sighed: "I heard the former Sect Master of the Tianxing Sword Sect passed away, and since then, no third-grade powerhouses have remained. May I ask who you are..."

Shen Qi chuckled: "I'm Shen Qi, just the Sect Master's guard. I have no interest in this sect's position—it's left for you…"

Zhang Shaoyou paused, then finally said: "If we could betray our original sect so easily, your sect wouldn't trust our character. Why go through all this?"

Shen Qi looked at him, expression cold: "We don't need your betrayal. We only need you to stay here and not run off… I'm sure you also have no reason to risk your lives breaking out—though you yourself might want to, others won't necessarily follow."

Zhang Shaoyou's heart leapt violently, his palms slick with cold sweat.

Of course they couldn't break out… as Shen Qi had said, even if a few were willing to fight to the death, it would be useless; only with unified resolve and heavy casualties could the strongest few possibly break through—but now, such unity was impossible.

So they could only wait.

But when, after the fact, those of us who came in first emerge unscathed, while those behind—Chang Qing, Zhu Lianfeng, and others—suffer terrible losses, what will others think? What will Fensheng Tower think?

Then we're definitely done for!

Zhang Shaoyou's gaze changed: "Is this Lord Shen's scheme?"

That woman, with such noble and gentle bearing—could she be this sinister?

Shen Qi fell silent for a moment: "It's Elder Lu's scheme."

He's already corrupted our Princess… we're suffering too.

Beside him, Qin Buwang drew a deep breath: "If your sect never intended to use our defection as a force… then why leave the mountain-protection sword array and yourself tied up here? Aren't you afraid Lord Shen won't prevail, and everything turns to dust?"

Shen Qi replied coolly: "Wait and see. You want to wait for the outcome too, don't you?"

Behind them, Chang Qing and the others noticed that after Zhang Shaoyou's group unleashed their first wave of sword qi, all sound ceased—and just as they reached the courtyard wall, the scenery changed abruptly.

Though it had been a snowy, windy night, the wind and snow vanished.

Around them, darkness swallowed all, and countless wails of ghosts echoed across the mountains and fields, stirring hearts into turmoil, driving them toward madness.

Chang Qing and Zhu Lianfeng, both third grade, could still see those beside them—but everyone else had lost sight and hearing, unable to see or hear even their closest companions, as if trapped in a hell of spirits.

Long ago, the death agents of Xu Bingkun who breached the back courtyard of the Shen Clan's trading house had told them: we know this well…

The famous illusion array of the Yama Hall... not those collected trophies, but the true legendary array passed down by the Lord of Yama himself, Yuan Muyu: the Netherworld Ghost Prison, the Wheel Platform Judgment.

No matter how many entered, each felt utterly alone on the Wheel Platform, facing utter darkness, waiting for the Lord of Yama's verdict.

(End of Chapter)