I don't want to be trained by my senior sister!

The spirit bone cannot be received yet.

If they set the bones now, Shen Chen would definitely notice, and that old man would probably go crazy and pounce on them recklessly...

So for now, we can only hide it.

The two of them, holding umbrellas, returned to the town's inn amidst the pattering rain.

Back at the inn.

Pushing open the door, Ning Qian walked to the table and began packing their simple belongings.

Fang Xuan didn't rush to pack. He walked to the window and opened it.

The rain lessened, turning into fine drizzle.

Pedestrians hurried along the street, and the vendors' cries drifted through the rain, creating a muffled yet lively atmosphere.

He picked up the rough porcelain teacup on the table, took a sip, and looked out the window.

Ning Qian's voice suddenly rang out from behind.

"If we go back... and things don't go well, Shen Chen might do something desperate... you don't need to worry about me."

"I will find a way to escape, and you... are free to leave."

She knew that Fang Xuan must have the protection of a powerful family, and even if Shen Chen went crazy, he might not dare to do anything to him openly.

But she was different.

She still carries the restrictions placed on her body in her ancestral homeland.

The restriction not only instantly imprisoned her spiritual power, severely injuring her, but it was also an inescapable tracking mark.

As long as the restriction remains in place, even if she escapes to the ends of the earth, the Qingyun Sect will find her.

Therefore, if Shen Chen really decides to break off all ties and spare no expense, she will almost certainly not be able to escape.

But she couldn't let Fang Xuan be dragged down by her.

Fang Xuan paused slightly in his hand holding the teacup, but still spoke jokingly to ease the atmosphere.

"That's impossible. Without my senior sister cooking, I'll starve to death."

Ning Qian listened, pursed her lips, walked to the window and stood next to him, also looking out the window.

"Don't do anything foolish."

She spoke in a softer voice, her voice filled with worry.

"Okay..." Fang Xuan replied, sounding quite obedient.

But Ning Qian knew his personality, so she still couldn't put her mind at ease.

My junior brother is still young and his cultivation has not yet reached the Golden Core stage. A direct confrontation would be too dangerous.

She pondered, trying to find something to say to control him.

But after thinking it over, she realized that she had very little to offer him in terms of discipline.

A rare hint of distress appeared on her usually aloof face.

Then, she finally came up with a very substantial threat, tilted her head slightly, and spoke with utmost seriousness and solemnity:

"Otherwise, I won't cook for you."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xuan could only bite his lip and try his best to keep a straight face and suppress his laughter.

He turned to look at Ning Qian.

Her face remained expressionless and aloof, but her eyes were unusually serious, even carrying a hint of stubbornness that said, "This is a big threat, you'd better listen to me."

He couldn't help himself afterward, tilting his head and smiling slightly, "Okay."

Ning Qian blushed... and then seemed to realize that her threat was a bit... too childish.

Her ears started burning again, so she went back to the table and continued tidying up, but this time she moved faster.

......

After a while, Ning Qian spoke again, her tone returning to its usual calm: "There's also the matter of the secret realm. Shen Chen's plan failed this time, and he suffered heavy losses. He will definitely not let it go. He will definitely tamper with things in the secret realm, and may even personally set up a killing trap."

"I know." Fang Xuan nodded. "However, I still want to go into the secret realm, and..."

Ning Qian suddenly spoke again, "I have a way to get in. Then...can I come along...?"

Inside the secret realm, she was even more worried...

"Okay, senior sister..."

......

at the same time.

Deep within the main hall of the Sword Peak of the Qingyun Sect.

With a "crack!", the jade talisman in Shen Chen's hand, used for one-way communication with the evil cultivators, was crushed into dust by him.

Before him, the disciple from the Punishment Hall who had returned from the mass grave and was responsible for reporting was kneeling on the ground, not daring to breathe.

The hall was deathly silent, with only the uncontrollable spiritual pressure emanating from Shen Chen's golden core.

They're all dead?

That group of evil cultivators he secretly trained to carry out this unexpected attack on the Foundation Establishment stage were completely wiped out.

Shen Qingqing's body was found; it was so shriveled that it was barely recognizable as human, clearly indicating that her essence and blood had been plundered by an evil cultivator.

The spirit bones... are gone too!

Even the high-grade Xuan-level magic artifact he had specifically used to ensure absolute safety, as well as the array diagram, had vanished without a trace.

Shen Chen roared in a low voice, "Where are the evil cultivator's corpses?!"

"Reporting to...Reporting to the Peak Master..."

The disciple was drenched in cold sweat. "The evil cultivator's corpse...it's all...all destroyed..."

"Who did this?!" Shen Chen turned his head sharply, his eyes bloodshot, like a ferocious beast devouring its prey.

"It was...it was Fang Xuan. He said he was grieving over Senior Sister Shen's tragic death and didn't want the evil cultivator's corpse to defile the sect's territory, so he took action to annihilate all the corpses..."

"Fang—Xuan—!"

Shen Chen practically spat out those two words through gritted teeth.

Of course he knew it was Fang Xuan!

What kind of heretical sectarian infighting is this? Bullshit!

Those people were all carefully selected by him, his assassins controlled by both prohibitions and the lives of their families. How could they possibly betray him at such a critical moment?

And yet, he managed to turn the tables and kill the most important person, Shen Qingqing, and steal the spirit bone?

This was clearly a scheme orchestrated by Fang Xuan!

A dead end that manipulated him, caused him heavy losses, and left him with no way to express his suffering.

Shen Chen slumped back onto the futon, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

I underestimated him...

He had always thought that Fang Xuan was just a young genius with high talent, a slightly arrogant personality, and a bit of cleverness.

They thought that with a group of Foundation Establishment evil cultivators, plus array formations and magical artifacts, they could easily defeat a Core Formation cultivator whose spiritual power was restricted by the array.

In retrospect, he was terribly wrong!

To be able to turn the tables on everyone in that situation, and do it so cleanly, that even the disciplinary hall couldn't find any fault with him...

This is hardly the mindset of a young boy; it's clearly ruthless decisiveness and cunning scheming!

Possession... or rebirth of an old monster?

Various possibilities flashed through Shen Chen's mind, and the chill in his heart intensified.

Either way, it means that Fang Xuan's threat is far greater than he imagined.

just now.

On the surface, Shen Qingqing died at the hands of an evil cultivator, the evidence at the scene was conclusive, and the case was recorded by the Criminal Investigation Department.

If he were to forcefully suspect Fang Xuan without any concrete evidence, he would only become a laughingstock, and Lu Qingsong might even use this opportunity to push one of his men to the position of Sword Peak Master.

As for the whereabouts of the spirit bone? The body was destroyed by Fang Xuan in a fit of rage, leaving no way to verify the truth!

Even if he had doubts, he could only keep them to himself.

How frustrating! Utterly frustrating!

The carefully cultivated cauldron is gone, the hope of breakthrough is lost, and a precious magic artifact and a capable subordinate are also lost.

All the anger and killing intent eventually converged on one point—the Azure Cloud Secret Realm!

This is the last chance, and the best chance!

In a secret realm, any unexpected event is perfectly normal.

Lu Qingsong's hand cannot reach into the secret realm, and the sect's rules will be greatly reduced in the secret realm.

Moreover... he can still make a fuss about the secret realm slots.

This time, he will not underestimate him.

He was going to use all his power to set up a truly deadly trap for Fang Xuan in the secret realm!

Even at the greatest cost!

.......