Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 314 Crisis
Before she formally became an apprentice, she went to Yijiang with Song Yan and met Sheng Nian once.

After thinking it over, I realized that apart from myself and Xiaohe, not many people probably knew this name.

Therefore, the other party's statement seems quite credible.

Xiao Ju's gaze towards Sheng Yun became somewhat respectful.

Although they were all around the same age, the other person was their master's adopted sister, and for a moment they didn't know how to address her.

Calling her "Shigu" (a term of respect for a senior nun) sounds too old and might offend her.

Call me "sister"? This generational hierarchy is all messed up.

Sheng Yun didn't think about it at all; she was just overjoyed.

She originally felt quite lonely traveling alone down the mountain.

He followed his two older brothers from a young age, going wherever they went.

Later, after entering the immortal sect, I still didn't have any particularly close friends.

The only sister I could talk to was transferred to Red Maple Plains because of her elders, and she hasn't returned to the sect yet.

That's why he struck up a conversation with Xie Chan, whom he didn't know, when they met by chance at that small temple in the mountains.

"Hehe, the Chu Kingdom is really small. The three of us belong to different sects, yet we still managed to get together like this."

Sheng Yun laughed cheerfully, "So traveling down the mountain is so interesting!"

"Little Ju, why don't we travel together?"

After a conversation, Xiao Ju discovered that Xie Chan's purpose was very similar to hers.

“Zheng Gongfeng is quite old, and his words don’t seem to suggest that he wants to give up his position.”

Xiao Ju said, "That's why I've been investigating all this way."

Xie Chan frowned, sensing something strange.

She began, "To be honest, I did not come down the mountain for sightseeing, but to investigate the disappearance of the offerings in various places."

In reality, no one would normally care about this. If someone dies, you just replace them; no one would bother to track where these people went.

Plenty of people are willing to do it.

However, the number of offerings that have disappeared in recent days is too great, and the sect will have to put in a lot of effort to manage them.

Moreover, it does have some impact on the sect's recruitment of new disciples, as no sect wants to miss out on a promising young cultivator because of this.

Secondly, the identity of the missing worshipper this time is somewhat special.

"Several months ago, the Prefect of Wuling Prefecture sent a message to the mountain gate."

Xie Chan briefly explained the situation to the two: "This prefect of Wuling County has a past relationship with one of our elders from Xuanjian Mountain."

"His daughter also joined the sect a few years ago, but because of her mediocre talent, she had no hope of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage."

"As the prefect and his wife grew old, she simply left the sect early and volunteered to become a worshipper in Wuling, so that she could be with her family."

"When the governor came to report, his daughter had been missing for two or three days. That's when the elder ordered me to go down the mountain to investigate."

After thinking it over, the group realized that something was amiss.

Xiao Ju originally thought that Qin Zhifeng and his gang of rogue cultivators were committing murder and robbery in this area, which was a common occurrence in the cultivation world.

During the chaos of the Demon Ruins, many rogue cultivators took advantage of the confusion to do similar things.

If these cultivators had any sense at all, they wouldn't have so recklessly robbed and killed the enshrined members of the Dongyuan and Xuanjian sects.

This is simply outrageous.

This was not the place to talk, so the three female cultivators found a secluded spot nearby and carefully examined Qin Zhifeng's belongings again.

Everything else was normal, except for a bottle of special pills that caught their attention.

The pill was red and white, and Xiao Ju poured it into her hand to examine it closely.

Before they could even fan themselves, a strong smell of blood filled the air.

Strangely, amidst the stench of blood, there was also a faint, peculiar fragrance.

This thing is clearly not an ordinary pill that can be bought in a pill shop. I haven't seen it at some trade fairs or barter fairs either.

There were only two left in the bottle at that moment, and it was unclear whether these were the only two or if some had already been eaten.

The three of them pondered for a while, but none of them had ever seen such a pill before.

"This doesn't feel like a proper elixir..."

Sheng Yun brought the sniff closer and asked, "Could it be related to the cultivators from the Demon Ruins?"

Besides the elixir, there was also a jade slip.

The strange thing is that this jade slip only has one location recorded on it, and nothing else is recorded.

"This might be where these people meet or divide the spoils..."

Judging from these things alone, it's impossible to see anything wrong with these people. Moreover, the fact that the Qin family and the Dongyuan Sect are on good terms makes this matter somewhat complicated.

Fortunately, Xiao Ju had mentioned before that Senior Song Yan also disliked the Qin family.

Xie Chan shared a similar thought with Sheng Yun, vaguely sensing that this matter was related to demonic cultivators.

To truly draw a definitive conclusion, more information and clues are needed.

Ultimately, however, she is the only one determined to get to the bottom of this matter.

Sister Shengyun and Fellow Daoist Ju are merely traveling here and have no obligation to help her.

After all, investigating this matter will inevitably involve risks.

Unexpectedly, before she could figure out what to do next, Sheng Yun spoke first.

"Should we go and explore that area first?"

Sheng Yun said, "I've gone down the mountain to travel, so I should at least make some progress."

Xiao Ju nodded: "That's exactly what I was thinking."

She always believed that if she hadn't met her master, she wouldn't have been worthy of becoming a powerful sword cultivator.

Because I am always too timid.

We must face our weaknesses squarely, hone our skills, and become a cultivator as powerful as our master so as not to disappoint his expectations.

Xie Chan was slightly taken aback, somewhat surprised.

But she wasn't one to drag things out. Since her two sisters had already said so, she immediately nodded and said, "Okay."

"However, we know nothing about the situation. Would it be safer to send a message back to our clan to report first?"

When the topic came up, Sheng Yun and Xiao Ju fell into deep thought.

So far, no one can be sure whether this matter is really related to the cultivators of the Demon Ruins, and they don't even know how many of them are involved.

What if the other side only has a few people wandering around, yet they make such a fuss, sending Foundation Establishment cultivators from the sect on a trip? Wouldn't that be a laughing stock?

In fact, the three of them working together—two at the seventh level of Qi Refining and one at the eighth level—would have no problem protecting themselves as long as they didn't encounter Foundation Establishment cultivators.

When traveling in the mortal world, how easy is it to encounter a Foundation Establishment cultivator, let alone go out of their way to cause trouble for a few Qi Refining cultivators?

After all, it's only necessary to investigate the situation; it's not about destroying the demonic cultivators' stronghold. If necessary, then we can report to the sect.

However, considering their speculations about demonic cultivators and the ongoing war, they all agreed that it was best to be cautious.

Over the years, the Demon Ruins have been in turmoil, and the three of them have had more or less contact with demonic cultivators. It is because of this that they are even more aware of the unpredictable and treacherous methods of demonic cultivators.

"correct!"

Sheng Yun suddenly slapped her forehead and said, "In my sect, there is a senior brother who recently broke through to the Foundation Establishment realm."

“I can send him a message; he’s nearby, it won’t be too much trouble.”

"If he's going back to his sect, coming here is just a convenient stop along the way."

The senior brother that Sheng Yun mentioned was not actually close to her. It was only because of their master Cong Yuzhen that he would sometimes help her out.

The main reason is that this person has a mild temper and is easy to talk to.

And this is indeed a serious matter!
"This……"

The three looked at each other and nodded.

"It's troublesome."

"Oh, no trouble at all."

Sheng Yun immediately sent a message.

……

Two days later, the abandoned temple on the desolate mountain was destroyed.

A plump lark flew in from nowhere and landed nimbly on the eaves of the Taoist temple. It turned its head, looked around, and preened its feathers from time to time.

After resting for a while, it suddenly fluttered up again and landed on the plaque of the largest building in the Taoist temple.

The plaque was covered in dust and no one had cleaned it.

Tianzun Temple.

The lark looked down at the entire Taoist temple from this spot. After a moment, it flew up into the air and circled for a while before leaving the place and flying away into the distance.

Ten miles away, in a dense forest.

"..."

A slightly overweight but handsome monk sat cross-legged on the ground with his eyes closed.

This person was dressed in a Taoist robe from the Sheyang Sect, and carried a huge gourd on his back.

Three women were standing not far from him, each spreading their divine senses to guard their surroundings.

In a split second, the person opened his eyes.

Upon seeing this, the three women approached the man.

"Senior Brother Zheng, how is it? What's the situation inside?"

This person was Zheng Guangzong, a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Sheyang Sect, who was invited here by Sheng Yun.

"Hmm...it is indeed a bit strange. The smell of blood is very strong, and there are faint traces of demonic energy."

"However, it's empty now, so they've probably already left."

His style of doing things is actually rather conservative. If it were an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, he probably wouldn't have bothered to investigate beforehand and would have gone straight up the mountain to enter the temple.

Just then, the figure of that plump lark flew in from the sky.

Upon approaching, it transformed into a wisp of cloud, slowly drifting down and surging into the large gourd behind Zheng Guangzong.

"Let's go in and have a look."

After pondering for a moment, Zheng Guangzong said, "We don't need to be timid. Now that the Demon Ruins cultivators have been defeated and you have escaped their ambush, they probably won't dare to stay here any longer."

With a Foundation Establishment cultivator leading the way, the three of them naturally felt much more confident.

Each of them used a spell to conceal their presence and headed up the mountain, soon arriving outside the Taoist temple.

There were no traps, let alone formations or restrictions, and the place was completely undefended, just like any other abandoned Taoist temple.

The gate was dilapidated and wide open, and several people stepped inside.

There are only a few buildings in the temple. From their shapes and plaques, it is easy to tell what they used to do.

The four of them searched every building in the complex, but found no special clues.

It seems the place is now deserted.

However, everyone had some doubts.

If there are indeed remnants of demonic energy here, why was the house filled with messy, abandoned items and covered in dust when we searched it earlier? It didn't look like anyone had been here in recent years at all.

The four reunited in the open space of the temple, preparing to leave.

Just now.

But to their surprise, a mocking laugh came from above.

"Gentlemen, what are you looking for?"

"?!"

The four of them were startled and looked up abruptly, seeing two figures that had appeared on the roof of the main hall at some unknown time.

One of them sat casually on the roof, his legs dangling in the air, his eyes lowered as he looked down at the four people watching.

The other person stood there, his body shrouded in the wide sleeves of a black robe, his face obscured, and his head was also slightly lowered.

The seated man had a mocking expression on his face; it was he who had spoken just now.

"This abandoned temple is so lively today, it's truly... how should I put it, it's a great honor to have such a humble abode."

If Song Yan were here, he would probably be able to tell that the young cultivator's appearance is indeed "Ke Huai".

Back then on Longtan Mountain, Yang Kaijun was instantly killed by Song Yan's sword. He relied on the secret techniques of the Demonic Sect to escape with serious injuries. With the help of his senior brother, he barely managed to save his life.

His cultivation level even dropped to the early stage of Foundation Establishment, and it took him many years of recuperation to barely recover.

Zheng Guangzong's expression changed slightly, and he immediately activated a wisp of cloud energy from the gourd behind him to protect the three female cultivators behind him.

He looked warily at the two people above him.

Two people, one in the middle or early stage of Foundation Establishment.

There are no formations or restrictions here, so escaping shouldn't be a problem.

How was the other party able to evade my detection and appear silently above my head?

Zheng Guangzong felt a chill run down his spine.

"One early Foundation Establishment stage cultivator and three late Qi Refining stage cultivators are all excellent materials."

Ke Huai chuckled: "I'm sure my senior brother will be very happy."

"Come on!"

The opponent's strength far surpassed that of his own, so Zheng Guangzong made a decisive decision.

He suddenly clasped his hands together, and a torrent of clouds surged out from the gourd, instantly enveloping the Taoist temple in a thick fog.

"The Cloud Formation? Interesting..."

Ke Huai, shrouded in mist, raised an eyebrow. Demonic energy surged, and two blood-red bone whips suddenly shot out, heading straight for a certain spot in the air.

throat--

Suddenly, the thick clouds lightened, slowly gathered, and transformed into a cloud dragon.

With a flick of its tail, the dragon swept away the two blood-red bone whips.

"what?"

Ke Huai was taken aback; this didn't seem to be the Cloud Formation...

"Cloud Demon?" The person beside him suddenly paused, then sneered twice: "It's like finding a needle in a haystack, only to have it come to you effortlessly."

He took out a black and red ancient flute from his Qiankun bag and began to play it slowly.

A flute melody rose from the clouds.

The flute music started out melodious, then gradually took on a slightly eerie quality, and finally became a decadent tune that left one feeling listless.

The one most affected was Zheng Guangzong.

Suddenly a roar came from the clouds. The cloud dragon was unstable and struggled for a while. Then it suddenly became light and its body quickly collapsed.

They transformed back into wisps of cloud, eagerly darting into the large gourd behind them, and then fell silent.

Almost simultaneously, a black and red bone whip pierced through the dissipating clouds, directly penetrating Zheng Guangzong's protective aura and embedding itself in his shoulder.

"Uh……"

Zheng Guangzong cried out in pain and was sent flying backward. His spiritual energy surged as he barely managed to steady himself.

She looked up at the person, her eyes filled with fear.

The cloud demon that had been with him since childhood was actually affected by the flute music. If he didn't return to the gourd, he might be manipulated by the other party.

What exactly is that flute, this precious artifact?
"Senior Brother Zheng!"

Sheng Yun exclaimed in surprise and quickly stepped forward to help him up.

Seemingly sensing the thoughts of the man in black beside him, Ke Huai chuckled and slowly said, "It seems that this time, Fellow Daoist Tong will also have a considerable gain."

Having said that, he leaped and landed on the ground of the Taoist temple.

Although the three women knew the situation was critical, they remained on high alert, watching the newcomer with tense expressions.

Zheng Guangzong struggled to his feet and stood in front of the three men.

The black-robed man, known as "Fellow Daoist Tong," also landed and slowly walked towards the three women.

The situation was critical, and the atmosphere was suffocating.

No one noticed that a black and gold jade bead was buzzing in Xiao Ju's Qiankun bag, and then it flew out on its own and disappeared into the hair of Xiao Ju.

at the same time.

Inside the stone chamber of the Earth-character 21 cave in the Dongyuan Sect, a thousand miles away.

Song Yan, who was sitting cross-legged refining his spirit, slowly opened his eyes, a dangerous smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

(End of this chapter)