Chapter 47: Sect Leader

Su Zhangqing's face changed color; at this moment, let alone saving Song Dong, he could barely even guarantee his own survival. Since he began his cultivation, this was the first time he had encountered a sensation that made him feel the touch of death.

Watching that black light shadow draw closer and closer, the power upon it grew increasingly intense.

Su Zhangqing made a prompt decision; he could not care about the three days of recuperation required to recover his strength after using the Fanu Escape Technique. Right now, using this newly comprehended escape technique to save his life was what mattered.

Just as he was about to form the hand seals, he saw a figure appear not far in front of him, blocking his path.

"Sect Leader True Person!"

Looking at that purple Daoist robe, Su Zhangqing let out a breath; the pressure brought by the light shadow dissipated instantly.

Daoxuan gently raised his sleeve and softly uttered "Receive." The sleeve instantly expanded more than several times over, and a powerful suction force shot out from within, directly drawing the entire light shadow into the sleeve. The pressure that had been weighing on his heart vanished along with it.

Seeing this, Su Zhangqing also let out a long breath, calming his mind.

However, Song Dong beside him was already so scared that he had lost control of his bladder, a puddle of yellow liquid beneath his trousers. Su Zhangqing frowned and hurriedly stepped away, fearing he might be stained.

After standing for a few seconds and sensing no further activity, Daoxuan slowly turned around and cast his gaze upon Su Zhangqing.

"Zhangqing, are you alright?"

Daoxuan asked Su Zhangqing with concern first.

"Fortunately, the Sect Leader acted in time; Zhangqing is unharmed!"

Su Zhangqing thanked Daoxuan from his heart and shook his head to put Daoxuan at ease.

Daoxuan walked forward, cast his gaze upon Song Dong, and looked at Su Zhangqing with an inquiring expression, as if asking what had happened here.

He had gone out for two days due to matters regarding the Demonic Cult, and he had not expected to encounter such a thing the moment he returned to the sect. That black light shadow from just now was something Daoxuan was very familiar with; it was precisely the handiwork of the Demonic Cult.

After Su Zhangqing calmed himself slightly, he detailed everything that had just occurred to Daoxuan.

From the two of them lying in ambush outside the Qingyun Sect and discovering them through the formation, to his own battle against the two enemies and Qiu Buping using an escape technique to flee, and then to Song Dong mentioning that there was a mole from their Demonic Cult within the Qingyun Sect, which drew out that extremely oppressive black light shadow.

Daoxuan's brows furrowed tightly. He had originally thought that no matter how much the Demonic Cult stirred up trouble, they would only dare to act in the shadows, but he had not expected them to dare to send people to the Qingyun Sect so brazenly.

Had they truly been dormant for so long that they could no longer suppress their restless hearts?!

As for the matter of the mole, Daoxuan had actually known about it for a long time.

In order to prevent the people of the Qingyun Sect from falling into panic, it was not convenient to bring such matters into the open, so he had always been investigating this matter in secret.

It was just that this group of Demonic Cult members had some methods; he had investigated for a long time without finding any leads.

Come to think of it, such a thing was quite normal; after all, apart from himself, no one knew that his own Disciple, Xiao Yicai, was the mole he had sent into the Demonic Cult.

The world of martial arts is treacherous, with everyone performing their own "Infernal Affairs."

"One last question: if you tell me who the Demonic Cult mole within our Qingyun Sect is, I will spare your life."

Su Zhangqing asked Song Dong with a firm gaze.

Song Dong recovered from his previous despair and shook his head with a bitter face: "Fellow Daoist Su, it is useless to ask me this. I truly do not know who the mole is. How would the sect let a common, minor Deacon like me know about such things?"

"Even what I know about the mole was something I overheard by accident when I was treating a few big figures of the sect to a meal and they were drinking."

"Please just let me go. I swear that after I leave, I will sever my own cultivation, willingly become a common person, and never again be an enemy to you righteous paths." Su Zhangqing saw that he spoke with sincerity and had no intention of faking it.

Daoxuan walked forward, flicked a finger, and shot a strand of spiritual energy that struck the heart directly, landing on Song Dong's forehead and sinking within. Song Dong quickly turned into a dull, foolish state.

"He indeed did not hide anything."

After a short while, Daoxuan released his mental probe and shook his head at Su Zhangqing.

"Zhangqing, today's matter should not be spread. Let this matter be treated as if it never happened. If this person is released, he will not escape being killed by the Demonic Cult, so just leave him to me."

Daoxuan was extremely serious, then he smiled with relief and reminded Su Zhangqing: "You still have to participate in the final battle for the top spot of the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament tomorrow. Go back and rest first."

Su Zhangqing nodded. He also knew that he was currently just a Disciple of the Qingyun Sect and it was not appropriate to participate too much in such important matters; leaving it to the Sect Leader to handle was for the best.

Just like the Sect Leader's Disciple, Xiao Yicai—if he remembered correctly, this child of heaven, most valued by the Sect Leader, was the one sent to the Ghost King Sect as a mole. In the long life of being a mole, he erased his righteous heart, betrayed the Qingyun Sect in the near future, committed several heinous acts, and finally drank the Beast God Blood, dying in regret.

And there was also the Peak Master of the Qingyun Sect, Cangsong, who, even after becoming a highly-regarded master of the Dao that everyone envied, eventually betrayed the Qingyun Sect due to a misunderstanding, also ending in a wretched conclusion.

Such things were everywhere among the Daoists, and Su Zhangqing knew he could not tell Daoxuan all of this.

The most urgent task was to improve his strength.

Only with the strength to reach the pinnacle of the world could he turn the tide of everything and protect those he cared about.

According to what that brat Song Dong said, because of the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament, his reputation had already spread into the outer world, inevitably drawing the attention of the Demonic Cult toward him.

He had a premonition that today was only the prelude, and there were even more dangerous journeys waiting for him ahead.

After parting ways with Daoxuan, Su Zhangqing returned to his room to rest.

The next day, Su Zhangqing arrived at the arena right on time. The arena today was even more lively, with the entire sect waiting for this final battle of the "Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament."

Who would be the champion of the Qingyun Sect's "Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament" would be decided between Su Zhangqing and Qi Hao.

One was Qi Hao, at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Ninth Realm, about to break through to become a cultivator of the Golden Core Realm; from the moment he became the Senior Brother of Longshou Peak, he had been called the pride of Qingyun by the entire sect.

The other was Su Zhangqing, at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Eighth Stage, who had hidden his talents for a year without anyone asking, and was now known to the world after three battles. His profound sword techniques were far beyond the reach of his peers, and he possessed various extraordinary divine abilities that made all the Peak Masters secretly praise him.

For the past few days, the name Su Zhangqing was what these Disciples heard most from their Masters' lips, regretting that they had not been the ones to take Su Zhangqing in.

Everyone thought in their hearts that this would be an extremely intense battle.

"Look! Junior Brother Su is here!"

"Junior Brother Su, could you summon that Thunder Technique from a few days ago once more? I hadn't finished absorbing it when it ended that day!"

"Junior Brother Su, you must do your best! I've bet all my possessions on you today!"

Following Su Zhangqing's appearance, a chorus of cheers spread throughout the entire Qingyun Sect.

Su Zhangqing smiled helplessly. Truly, as the old saying goes, people fear fame just as pigs fear being fat. He was currently in the full glare of the spotlight, but who knew what countless dangers were hidden within it?

It seemed that after this "Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament," he would have to find a way to let his name fade away.

(End of chapter)