Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 408 The golden cicada escapes from its shell
After a great battle, corpses littered the fields and rivers of blood flowed, the vast majority of them belonging to the Yunxuan Sect.

On the Beast Taming Sect's spirit ship, Xu Xiansheng and several Golden Core cultivators gathered in the cabin.

One of them said, "The Golden Core cultivators of Yunxuan Sect did not go with us. According to the captured Yunxuan Sect disciples, before setting off, Qi Yunxuan said that he was going to Huayang County to join forces with Yunxiao Sect to deal with our sect. Moreover, someone saw Qi Yunxuan enter the spirit ship."

"Qi Yunxuan clearly used the 'golden cicada shedding its shell' tactic. He pretended to enter the spirit ship, then quietly left, making others think he was going with the spirit ship, but in reality, he was secretly making a move and has probably already left Xijiang County."

"According to the captured Yunxuan Sect disciples, some people within the Yunxuan Sect did not go with them. Many of these people were Qi Yunxuan's old subordinates, mostly elites. They did not know where those people went."

"Clearly, Qi Yunxuan's grand and ostentatious march towards Huayang County was a ploy to draw our attention. He himself must have led the elite troops of the Yunxuan Sect away via another route."

"How did Qi Yunxuan know we would ambush them? Did the news leak out?"

"Where exactly is Qi Yunxuan going? Why has the Xuan Yuan Sect changed its attitude so drastically, ordering us to intercept them?"

The group discussed amongst themselves, though they had intercepted Yun Xuanzong, they were actually completely clueless about the ins and outs of the matter.

Yesterday, Wei Wuyai, the Xuan Yuan Sect's resident official in Xijiang County, suddenly visited the Yu Shou Sect, saying that he had received intelligence that Qi Yunxuan had gathered people and planned to lead the Yunxuan Sect members away from Xijiang County today.

Originally, this was a good thing for the Beast Taming Sect. Yun Xuanzong was willing to leave Xijiang County, and the scourge and threat were gone without a single soldier being killed. The Beast Taming Sect was overjoyed to see him off.

However, Wei Wuyai, contrary to his usual behavior, demanded that the Beast Taming Sect immediately gather its forces and take action when he left, claiming that the Xuan Yuan Sect would issue orders to the sects in several other counties to intercept the Yun Xuan Sect members within their territory.

Hong Haoran, the leader of the Beast Taming Sect, was naturally puzzled as to where Yunxuan Sect was retreating to and why they were attacking them.

However, Wei Wuyai refused to reveal the truth, only saying that he was acting on the orders of the Xuan Yuan Sect leader and had been keeping an eye on the Yun Xuan Sect for a long time, so he could not let them leave like this.

.........

As night fell, dark clouds obscured the moon, and a torrential downpour began, the dense forest creaking in the wind and rain.

Inside the pitch-black cave, the disciples of the Falling Cloud Sect looked like stray dogs, their faces ashen.

In the distance, a beam of light shot down, revealing the figure of a man. He glanced around and quickly walked towards the cave.

Inside the dark cave, upon seeing someone approaching, the group immediately took out their magical artifacts and prepared for battle.

"Don't be afraid, it's Senior Brother Wang Feng." Xiao Ling walked slowly out from inside, calming the group of people who were like frightened birds.

After being ambushed by the Beast Taming Sect, the group scattered and fled into Huayang County, finally managing to shake off their pursuers.

Xiao Ling and Wang Feng gathered some of the scattered Luo Yun Sect disciples and hid inside this cave.

They did not follow Yunxuanzong's plan and went directly to Yunxiaozong.

Both of them had already realized that something was wrong. Let's not even talk about why Yun Xuanzong went to Huayang County to join forces with Yunxiaozong, instead of Yunxiaozong sending troops directly to Xijiang County.

When the Beast Taming Sect ambushed the group, why were there cultivators dressed in Xuan Yuan Sect attire among their ranks? This raises suspicions.

Xu Xiansheng claimed to be acting on orders from the Xuan Yuan Sect. Regardless of whether what he said was true or not, the Xuan Yuan Sect disciples behind him were all genuine, and even Xiao Ling could recognize one or two of them.

Why would Xuan Yuan Sect get involved and even help the Beast Taming Sect to deal with Yun Xuan Sect? You should know that in the early years, when the Beast Taming Sect and Yun Xuan Sect fought so fiercely that the entire Western Frontier County was in chaos, Xuan Yuan Sect did not directly intervene.

But now they've sent people to assist the Beast Taming Sect; there must be some major secret they don't know about.

Yunxuan Sect claimed that it had reached an agreement with Yunxiao Sect to cooperate in dealing with the Beast Taming Sect. But now that even Xuanyuan Sect has sent people to help the Beast Taming Sect, does Yunxiao Sect still dare to deal with the Beast Taming Sect?
Furthermore, there was no sign of any Golden Core cultivators from the Yunxuan Sect in the group. The Yunxuan Sect sent so many people to Huayang County, yet not a single Golden Core cultivator appeared, which was clearly unreasonable.

All indications suggest that the matter is not as Emperor Yunxuan described at all.

Therefore, the two decided to hide for the time being and not show themselves, while Wang Feng went out to find out the situation before making a further decision.

"Senior Brother Wang, you're back. How did things go?" Seeing him approach, Xiao Ling quickly went to greet him and asked eagerly.

"We've been tricked by Emperor Yunxuan." Wang Feng's face turned ashen.

"what happened?"

"The so-called alliance with Yunxiao Sect is a complete scam. That damned Yunxuan Sect betrayed us."

Upon hearing this, everyone was in an uproar.

"What does it mean that Emperor Yunxuan betrayed us?"

"Why are they doing this? What benefit does it bring to Emperor Yunxuan?"

"Didn't the Yunxuan Sect also send many disciples along? Could it be that they even deceived their own people?"

"We can't rely on the Yunxuan Sect, and we can't turn to the Yunxiao Sect either. What should we do?"

Hearing the cacophony of voices, Xiao Ling's face darkened, and she gave a soft shout: "Silence, what's all the noise about?"

In an instant, the noisy sounds immediately quieted down.

Xiao Ling looked at Wang Feng: "Senior Brother Wang, what exactly happened? What have you found out?"

“Now, not only are we being hunted down by the Beast Taming Sect, but the Cloud Soaring Sect is also searching for us.”

"The Cloud Soaring Sect?" Xiao Ling stared in disbelief. "How could this be?"

"It is said that the Xuan Yuan Sect issued an order requiring all county sects to search for and capture Yun Xuan Sect disciples who were passing through their territory. I personally witnessed several Yun Xuan Sect disciples who had escaped being chased and killed by a group of Yun Xiao Sect cultivators."

Why did the Xuan Yuan Sect suddenly decide to exterminate the Yun Xuan Sect?

Wang Feng's eyes flickered slightly: "I don't know about that. Judging from Yun Xuanzong's actions, Qi Yunxuan probably knew that Xuan Yuanzong was going to take action against them, so he lied and said that he had reached an agreement with Yunxiaozong, tricking us into going to Huayang County to meet with Yunxiaozong. In reality, he used us as bait to attract the attention of Yu Shouzong, while he secretly carried out his own plan."

"If I'm not mistaken, after we set off, Qi Yunxuan must have led the elite of Yunxuan Sect to quietly escape from Xijiang County."

"Is there any news about the sect leader or the others?"

"No."

Silence fell over the cave. Both of them had witnessed Tao Jinyuan, Wen Yiren, Jin Yuanxing, and Jiang Jian being trapped by the Golden Core cultivators of the Beast Taming Sect using supernatural powers. Under those circumstances, their chances of survival were extremely slim.

Now, the cultivators of the Falling Cloud Sect are either dead or scattered, leaving them leaderless. Furthermore, the sect's wealth has been seized by the Beast Taming Sect, who are still relentlessly pursuing them. Even the Profound Origin Sect has issued an order, determined to exterminate them completely. They truly have nowhere to turn and nowhere to hide; they can't just stay here forever.

"Senior Brother Wang, what should we do next? Do you have any good ideas?" After a long silence, Xiao Ling asked.

Wang Feng glanced at her, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

“At this point, what is there to hide?” Xiao Ling seemed to know what he was thinking, her expression somber and her voice low.

Wang Feng sighed: "Then I'll tell you the truth. The fate of the sect leader and several others is currently unknown, and their chances of survival are slim. Countless disciples have been killed or injured, and the sect's wealth has been completely lost."

"To think that we can regroup and take back Bianxi City is nothing but wishful thinking and self-deception."

"Our problem now is how to save our lives. Acting together would make us too conspicuous. I suggest we split up. Nobody in Huayang County knows us. As long as we don't expose our identities, we should be safe."

Xiao Ling frowned slightly: "Does Senior Brother Wang mean we should part ways here and each find our own way?"

Wang Feng touched his nose awkwardly and coughed lightly: "I don't want the sect to fall apart like this either, but the situation is hopeless now. Not to mention Xijiang County, the Xuan Yuan Sect has already given orders that there is no place for us to stand in the entire Xishu Prefecture, and we are powerless to do anything about it."

"Our top priority is to save our lives. As long as we're alive, we can always find a way out. If we find out where the sect leader is later, we can go and seek refuge with him. For now, we can only split up and find our own way out."

Xiao Ling glanced at the disciples gathered around her: "What do you all think? Speak your minds! There's nothing to hold back now."

The crowd had various expressions and remained silent for a while. Then one of them said, "Why don't we go and seek refuge with the Cloud Soaring Sect? Perhaps they will accept us. After all, we are not cultivators of the Cloud Profound Sect, and the Profound Origin Sect should not have explicitly demanded that we be exterminated."

“The Cloud Soaring Sect previously allied with the Cloud Propagation Sect, which has already created enmity with the Beast Taming Sect. We also have a grudge against the Beast Taming Sect, so they might take us in.”

"We will stay at the Cloud Soaring Sect to observe the situation. If we receive news of the sect leader or others, we can go and seek refuge with them at any time."

Xiao Ling looked at Wang Feng: "Senior Brother Wang, what do you think?"

Wang Feng shook his head: "The Yunxiao Sect is a large and powerful family with many disciples. They look down on people like us, especially at this critical moment. Besides, who would dare to negotiate with the Yunxiao Sect?"

Everyone fell silent, even the disciple who had made the suggestion lowered his head and remained silent.

These Qi Refining disciples were simply not up to the task. Let alone making contact with the higher-ups of the Cloud Soaring Sect, they might not even be able to enter the sect's main gate. Moreover, the matter was risky, so naturally no one was willing to step forward.

“If you’re looking for a sect to join and temporarily establish yourself, I have an idea,” Wang Feng said slowly after a brief silence, his eyes flashing.

"Where are you going?" Xiao Ling immediately asked.

Wang Feng stared solemnly out of the cave: "Let's go back to Bianxi City and seek refuge with the Hunyuan Sect."

"What, you've joined the Hunyuan Sect?"

“They are our mortal enemies, how can we join them?”

"The Hunyuan Sect wouldn't accept us either!"

Upon hearing this, the members of the Luoyun Sect immediately erupted in discussion.

Xiao Ling frowned, her eyes flickered, and she remained silent.

"Quiet down, listen to me." Wang Feng sternly silenced the crowd's noise: "The Hunyuan Sect currently controls many resource territories in Bianxi City, but its own strength is not yet that strong. It is in dire need of manpower. If we join, we can gain a certain degree of influence within the sect."

“If we find out where the sect leader is, we can choose to leave later. If not, we can take root and grow within the Hunyuan Sect. If the opportunity arises, we can even turn the tables and become the main force. Wouldn’t that fulfill our wish to reclaim Bianxi City?”

“Junior Sister Xiao, you have a long-standing friendship with Song Xian, the leader of the Hunyuan Sect, and you are also related to his wife as sisters. If you visit the Hunyuan Sect and bring up this matter, even if they do not agree, they will not harm you, and at least you will not have to worry about your life. I just don’t know if you are willing to go?”

Xiao Ling pondered for a long time, glanced at everyone, and nodded: "Alright! Then I'll go to Bianxi City. You all wait here for my news."

.........

The bright moon hangs high in the sky, and countless stars fall like rain.

In Bianxi City, at Luoyun Mountain, Song Xian returned to his residence after a day of cultivation. As soon as the light from his escape ended, a disciple came forward and bowed to him, saying, "Sect Leader, Uncle-Master Jiang Zichen has arrived and is waiting in the hall."

Song Xian nodded and then went to the waiting room. Upon seeing him arrive, Jiang Zichen stood up and bowed.

"No need for formalities, please sit down!" Song Xian waved his hand, gesturing for him to take a seat, and then sat down in the main seat himself.

"Reporting to the Sect Leader, we have just received important news: the Yunxuan Sect has completely withdrawn from Xijiang County and was ambushed by the Beast Taming Sect. We heard that they suffered heavy losses."

"Huh?" Song Xian was startled, his mind completely blank.

Why did Emperor Yunxuan suddenly withdraw from Xijiang County? And why did the Beast Taming Sect suddenly start fighting with Emperor Yunxuan?

Generally speaking, if the two sides were to break out into war again, the whole city would be in an uproar by now. But before that, he hadn't heard a single word of it, which was too strange and made him doubt the authenticity of the news.

Are you sure? What exactly happened?

"The news is confirmed, but we don't know the specifics yet. I've ordered the intelligence team to investigate thoroughly. According to the information we have so far, Yunxuan Sect planned to retreat to Huayang County, but they were ambushed by the Beast Taming Sect en route."

"What about the Luoyun Sect? Did they withdraw with the Yunxuan Sect?"

Although it was strange why this would suddenly happen, Song Xian was most concerned about the Luo Yun Sect. If the Luo Yun Sect was ambushed by the Beast Taming Sect and suffered heavy casualties, that would be great, and he could rest easy.

Since returning to Bianxi City, he has often worried that the war between the Beast Taming Sect and the Yunxuan Sect will break out again, and that the Luoyun Sect will make a comeback. So much so that he is very cautious every time he goes out to Luoyun Mountain, for fear that the Luoyun Sect will ambush him.

With the sect expanding rapidly and a large number of independent cultivators joining, who knows which of them are spies from the Falling Cloud Sect?

Therefore, he always went out quietly, and would even use concealment talismans to hide his figure.

"There should be some. It is said that Yunxuan Sect has mobilized almost its entire force this time, and Luoyun Sect, Fengxing Sect, and other forces that have come to join them have also followed."

"Keep gathering information and let me know immediately if there are any new developments."

"Yes, if the sect leader has no other instructions, I will take my leave." Jiang Zichen got up and left.

(End of this chapter)