Chapter 168

Night fell, and the Great Hall of Divine Weapon Valley blazed with light.

When Li Yuan entered the hall, the interior was filled with clamor.

All the elders and protectors of the valley, even many veteran soldiers and inner-disciple students, were inside, now in complete chaos.

He saw Fang Fang Yunxiu with a grim face, and Gao Gang yawning.

"What kind of spectacle is this, shouting and yelling like this?"

Lei Lei Jingchuan roared, silencing the entire hall; the moment he heard the news, he brought Li Yuan straight back to the mountain gate.

"Master Lei."

Feng Feng Zhongyi stood at the head of the hall, his face as cold as water; only when he saw Lei Lei Jingchuan arrive did his expression soften slightly.

"What is the situation?"

Lei Lei Jingchuan scanned the hall, and a disciple immediately handed him a letter, also bowing as he passed one to Li Yuan.

Everyone in the hall had a copy.

Li Yuan sat beside Lei Lei Jingchuan, opened the letter, and found it contained only three points.

First, Duanmu Sheng had led his troops into defensive positions days ago, holding the Three Yuan Army at bay seven hundred li away at "Kaiyue City."

That was the southernmost edge of Zhe Long Prefecture.

Second, Qi Ying, the senior disciple of Three Yuan Stronghold's sect master Wan Ye, led hundreds of elite troops to ambush Shi Hong, attempting to block reinforcements.

The third was that Jing Jing Shuhu had ridden out of the city to provide aid several days ago.

Bam!

Lei Lei Jingchuan slammed his fist on the table, his cold gaze sweeping toward Wang Jinyun, the grim-faced head of the Inspection Hall:

"Old Wang, hundreds of elite troops from Three Yuan Stronghold have lain hidden beyond the city walls—did your Inspection Hall detect not a single clue?"

The hall fell silent; all eyes turned to Wang Jinyun.

Divine Weapon Valley had inner and outer divisions: five inner halls, eight outer halls; Wang Jinyun was one of the eight outer elders.

"This is my fault. When the valley master returns, I will present myself for punishment."

Wang Jinyun set down his letter, voice hoarse:

"But now is not the time to assign blame—this meeting is to discuss how to respond."

As he spoke, he glanced at Feng Feng Zhongyi, who sighed and nodded:

"Elder Wang speaks truly—now is indeed not the time for blame."

His voice carried exhaustion; clearly, even he had been worn thin by days of rushing about.

Lei Lei Jingchuan glared at Wang Jinyun: "Is it the Martial Suppression Hall?"

"No evidence."

Wang Jinyun did not deny it; only the Prefect's Office and the Martial Suppression Hall could conceal such a force so thoroughly beneath his watch.

"This debt will be settled—sooner or later!"

Lei Lei Jingchuan asked again: "What is the situation beyond the city walls?"

Wang Jinyun looked into the hall, spotting a disciple stained with blood:

"You speak."

"Yes."

The disciple bowed hastily and repeated what he had already recounted.

Nine days ago, Shi Hong led over a thousand Divine Guards back to reinforce the city; due to the slow march of the main force, he dispatched a small elite unit to advance light and fast.

Unexpectedly, they were ambushed; after a bloody battle, a hundred died, and only a few disciples barely escaped.

The attackers were none other than Qi Ying, the current top true disciple of Three Yuan Stronghold.

"Qi Ying led hundreds to ambush you—how did you escape?"

Lei Lei Jingchuan frowned, interrupting.

Li Yuan's heart stirred slightly; he had gathered information on other major sects in Huizhou.

He had some recollection of Qi Ying.

Disciple of Three Yuan Stronghold's sect master Wan Ye, the top true disciple of this generation, Qi Ying had reached the Meridian Cultivation stage, excelled in swordplay, and possessed martial talent no lesser than Shi Hong's.

"This…"

The disciple turned pale.

"And then?"

Lei Lei Jingchuan asked instinctively, then realized his tone was harsh; he offered a few words of comfort and gestured for him to continue.

When he finished, Lei Lei Jingchuan waved his hand: "Enough. Go collect a Qi-Replenishing Pill and rest well."

"Thank you, Elder."

The disciple bowed respectfully and withdrew.

"If it was an ambush, no survivors would be left—Qi Ying is clearly trying to lure us out of the city!"

At this, Wang Jinyun spoke, and the others all nodded in agreement.

Only Lei Lei Jingchuan frowned:

"My senior brother has been outside the city for days!"

Feng Feng Zhongyi nodded, glancing at him with puzzlement:

"Before this news arrived, Elder Jing had already left the prefecture—he likely learned of the situation early, but why didn't he inform us?"

Lei Lei Jingchuan shook his head, indicating he did not know.

But Li Yuan's heart stirred; seeing Feng Feng Zhongyi look his way, he recounted the full story of the night's raid on the Broken God Temple.

He suspected Jing Jing Shuhu had learned of this from Su Su Wanxiong, realized the urgency, and departed in haste.

"You say that, upon Elder Jing Jing Shuhu suspecting Xieshen Sect members in the Remnant God Temple, he acted directly?"

The elders and guardians in the hall were all somewhat shocked.

This is not at all like something Jing Jing Shuhu would do...

"Yes."

Li Yuan did not wish to claim credit, so naturally he removed himself from the matter.

"Then does Sanyuan Wu also have connections with the Xieshen Sect?"

At this, Feng Wu Ding's brows furrowed even deeper; the other elders and guardians also realized something, their expressions turning ugly.

"First Qianjun Cave, then Sanyuan Wu... Huizhou has only four major sects in total, and two are linked with the Xieshen Sect? No, I fear it's not just two; that Pang Pang Liexue Mountain..."

Li Yuan felt a bit startled and understood many things clearly.

'Perhaps the reason Old Han and the others wanted to destroy Qianjun Cave was that they sensed these major sects had already colluded with the Xieshen Sect, and they intended to defeat them one by one?'

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Li Yuan grew even more uneasy; this situation was far more perilous than the sect wars of the past few centuries.

Adding to this, the assassination of the Prefect a few years ago, the assassination attempt on the Second Elder of the Sword-Forging Valley, the successive rebellions in various prefectures and counties, and the appearance of blood sacrifice incidents...

Connecting these incidents one by one, he vaguely felt as though a great net was casting over everything outside.

"The water is too deep!"

The elders and guardians in the great hall were still debating and arguing; Li Yuan held the letter, feeling somewhat ashamed that his very first thought had been to run.

"I, Li Yuan, a true disciple of the Divine Weapon Valley, a genius of sword-forging, the future Divine Artisan; my reputation, status, and wealth are all here..."

"No, I still want to run!"

Watching the group of elders and guardians argue for so long without reaching a conclusion, Daoist Li felt even more that a storm was approaching and the great building was about to collapse.

Anyone would be afraid in this situation!

The argument lasted one or two hours; night had grown deep, yet no result was reached.

In the end, Feng Wu Ding spoke, summoning all disciples, including the menial disciples who had already left the sect, to actively prepare for war.

At the same time, carrier pigeons were sent to all routes, transmitting messages to the Valley Master, the other inner sect elders, and the subordinate sects.

The Divine Weapon Valley is the largest sect in the Dormant Dragon Prefecture, but below it, there are not a few small and medium sects; previously, Duanmu Sheng had already drawn troops once.

"Follow me."

Stepping out of the hall, Lei Lei Jingchuan's face was grim, burdened with worries.

Li Yuan followed, and they remained silent all the way.

Only when they reached the Cold Pool Cave did Lei Lei Jingchuan speak:

"Do you feel that the so-called elders and guardians are merely a group of unworthy rabble?"

"... No."

Li Yuan almost choked and quickly waved his hands.

"I, an old man, also hold this view."

Lei Lei Jingchuan sneered: "The Valley Master is leading the expedition; what is needed is a swift battle to decide everything in one strike. Naturally, the elite forces are sent out in full force, leaving behind..."

He paused: "Except for me and my senior brother, hmm, Old Feng and Duanmu Sheng, the rest are all wine-sacks and rice-bags addicted to pleasure and lacking ambition."

"Ah?"

Li Yuan looked up; from the face of this rough, bold man, he actually saw a trace of wisdom.

"This turmoil was anticipated by the Valley Master five or six years ago; since then, he has..."

"... continuously recruited guest scholars and guardians in various places..."

Lei Lei Jingchuan spoke of a secret.

Li Yuan's heart stirred slightly; this was one piece of intelligence he had been unable to learn before.

"This turmoil in Huizhou is truly a natural disaster; the reasons behind it, we old ones did not originally know. It was only when Wan Chuan arrived that some information was revealed..."

Lei Lei Jingchuan sighed, feeling that disaster had fallen from the heavens:

"It should have been six years ago, in the East Sea, a Tortoise Carrying a Palace Spirit descended from the sky, crashing onto the shore of the East Sea..."

"A Tortoise Carrying a Palace Spirit?"

Li Yuan shivered, recalling Wang Wang Wenyuan's letter; the old scholar had also mentioned this matter in his letter.

And according to what was revealed in his letter, the one targeting the Divine Weapon Valley, or rather the Split-Sea Black Whale Hammer, is the Xieshen Sect Leader...

"This is disaster falling from the heavens; knowing the reason or not actually holds little significance."

Lei Lei Jingchuan rubbed his temples, feeling considerable pressure in his heart.

"This, indeed, is disaster falling from the heavens."

Li Yuan maintained the shock on his face, though his heart also felt somewhat heavy.

The Xieshen Sect has intricate ties with the imperial court; opposing all major sects in the Four Seas and the Five Regions, yet it has stood for a thousand years, showing the strength of its power.

Being targeted by such a colossal beast...

"The Valley Master has planned for years and has a method to deal with this turmoil; you need not worry too much."

Seeing Li Yuan burdened with worries, Lei Lei Jingchuan offered a word of comfort.

"What method of dealing with it?"

Li Yuan was somewhat surprised.

"What the Xieshen Sect covets is the legendary Heaven-Fate Divine Weapon, but fundamentally, it is this Cold Pool in our various lands of the Divine Weapon Valley."

Lei Lei Jingchuan glanced at the deep pit below, at the dark waters of the Cold Pool:

"The Valley Master said: the ancestral foundation must not be lost, but if the matter truly cannot be done, abandoning it is acceptable!"

Good heavens, so decisive?

Hearing these words, Li Yuan's opinion of that Valley Master immediately improved considerably; such boldness is not something everyone possesses.

The ancestral foundation is not just this one Divine Weapon Mountain; it also includes Fucheng, the most prosperous city in Huizhou!

So...

Li Yuan reacted quickly: "So, the Valley Master has gone all out, determined to seize the Thousand-Weight Cave?"

"Precisely!"

Lei Lei Jingchuan was very satisfied with his reaction; who said a blacksmith's mind isn't sharp?

This young man reacts very quickly!

◆ttkΛn◆￠〇

Swapping homes?

With these words, many of Li Yuan's doubts were instantly swept away; no wonder not even a single Inner Sect Elder was left behind this time.

"No wonder..."

"But, this is the final option."

Lei Lei Jingchuan stood up, looking around this Cold Spring Cave: "This is the best place in Huizhou to forge weapons, the sect gate passed down by the Ancestor for fourteen hundred years..."

There was some reluctance in his eyes.

"As long as the people remain, the sect gate remains."

Li Yuan offered comfort, and his heart immediately relaxed.

It turned out he wasn't the only one wanting to flee; Old Han and the Valley Master wanted to flee as well.

Hmm, great minds think alike?

"This matter is top secret; if it weren't for you, I would absolutely not utter a single word."

Lei Lei Jingchuan wore a stern expression, issuing a warning.

He knew that the Valley Master leaving these Elders and Protectors in the mountain was not only because going all out would be too conspicuous, but also perhaps intended as a test.

But as for others, let them be; Li Yuan, he truly did not want to test him.

A disciple who has entered the sect for less than a year, yet you ask him to share life and death with you?

Even his iron-hard heart, forged by hammering, felt this was too harsh.

"Disciple remembers!"

Li Yuan responded in a solemn tone, his heart surging with mixed thoughts.

This is the benefit of being a genius; were it an ordinary disciple, they would likely never know such top secrets.

"During this time, I may also descend the mountain, but you, no matter what, must not descend!"

Lei Lei Jingchuan's expression was grave.

Li Yuan nodded; he was already considering selling the weapon forge, and preparations for fleeing should be made as early as possible.

However...

Glancing at the cold spring water, Li Yuan felt somewhat reluctant to leave; the Split-Sea Dark Whale Hammer was still here, and unless absolutely necessary, he did not want to flee either.

"If I truly must flee, I must at least try once more, combining my Hammer Technique Talent, to break into the Red Fusion Cave..."

A thought flashed through Li Yuan's mind; he truly could not bear to give up.

Over the past half-year, he had holed up underground forging, enduring so many days in the Red Fusion Cave, all for this Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing.

How could he not try?

"Hmm, follow me."

After issuing a warning, Lei Lei Jingchuan thought for a moment, then led Li Yuan to another hidden tunnel.

"Behind this tunnel, it connects to over a thousand different tunnels, each leading to various parts of the Divine Weapon Mountain range..."

Over fourteen hundred years of time; the Divine Weapon Valley has hollowed out not just one inner island, but within the Divine Weapon sect gate, various tunnels are everywhere.

This is the sect's final guarantee against destruction.

Even a powerful Viscera Refining expert could absolutely not catch every single Divine Weapon Valley disciple within such a complex network of tunnels.

"In the coming days, I will teach you the map, just in case."

Lei Lei Jingchuan let out a long sigh; obviously, making this decision required great resolve.

"Disciple will absolutely not reveal a single detail!"

Li Yuan bowed deeply, his sleeves trailing on the ground; he was truly grateful.

This tunnel map may seem useless, but in a sense, it is the final escape route for all Divine Weapon Valley disciples; without genuine trust, it would be impossible to reveal it to anyone.

"Hmm."

Lei Lei Jingchuan waved his hand, did not turn back, but simply stared at the crisscrossing, deep, dark tunnels, lost in thought.

"Disciple takes his leave."

Li Yuan bowed and withdrew.

After exiting the cave, he wasted not a moment; under the cover of night, he returned to pack, mainly taking Little Rat, along with the stored various iron materials and bedding.

"Huff!"

Releasing Little Rat, who had been very active since arriving underground, Li Yuan shook his sleeves and carried the various iron materials toward the Red Fusion Cave.

He planned to first forge the third Thousand-Weight Heavy Hammer.

Whoosh~

Seven hundred and some li northwest of Fucheng in Huizhou.

Roars, neighs, screams, the clash of blades, the sound of blood splashing...

On a snowy night, over a thousand people fought fiercely — one side wielding blades and swords, or staves and spears, while the other side was uniformly armed with glaives.

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

Amid the clashing of blades and swords, Long Sheng's sword and staff moved together as he led the charge against the elite Sanyuan troops lying in ambush here.

Shi Hong urged his horse forward, his long blade sweeping out and raising a storm of blood and gore.

His expression was cold as he looked toward the edge of the dense forest, at the young man mounted on a white horse, wielding a glaive some ten feet long:

"Qi Ying, you dare come ambush me all alone — you truly don't know life from death!"

"Don't know life from death?"

The young man swept a cold glance, raised his glaive horizontally, and a ghostly cold light shimmered along its edge:

"Shi Hong, I've come to send you on your way!"

Clang!

Shi Hong raised his blade, and his flood-dragon horse let out a long neigh:

"Brothers, follow me and charge!"