I gain ten years' worth of cultivation every day, and even geniuses will only see my doorstep!

"Senior Brother Qin!" Han Bing said unwillingly.

"Let's go." Qin Yuan's tone left no room for argument.

Everyone gritted their teeth and quickly packed their belongings.

As I left the inn, Chi Rong's icy voice came from behind me: "Remember, never set foot in any city controlled by the Crimson Flame Sect again. Otherwise, you will be killed without mercy."

Stepping out of the earthen city gate and looking back at the towering earthen walls, Chu Wuyue spat fiercely, "Pah! What kind of bullshit rules are these! It's clearly Yan Lie who can't accept defeat, and the Crimson Flame Sect is protecting its own!"

Yun Qingyao frowned: "Where do we go next? The demonic tide is coming tonight, and if there's no safe zone to protect us..."

Zi Ling hesitated and said, "I know a place... about three hundred miles east of here, there is a 'Green Stone City' controlled by the Book and Sword Sect. The Book and Sword Sect and the Crimson Flame Sect have always been at odds, so perhaps... they will accept us?" After she finished speaking, she looked at Qin Yuan, clearly thinking of Li Qingfeng's matter and somewhat uncertain.

Qin Yuan's eyes flickered slightly. Qing Shi City, the Book and Sword Sect… Li Qingfeng hailed from the Book and Sword Sect, yet he was active near Huang Tu City, plotting against his teammates. Was the Crimson Flame Sect's sudden and forceful expulsion related to this? Or was it simply protectionism?

"Let's go to Qing Shi City," Qin Yuan decided. The Book Sword Sect and the Crimson Flame Sect were at odds, a conflict that could be exploited. As for the risks… where aren't there risks?

The group traveled at full speed and finally arrived at Qing Shi City before sunset.

Unlike the earthen, heavy yellow of Huangtu City, the walls of Qingshi City are constructed of massive stones that gleam with a bluish light, giving it a more refined appearance. The guards at the city gate wear moon-white robes with scrolls or small swords embroidered on their cuffs, and their demeanor is relatively scholarly.

When he entered the city for inspection, Qin Yuan directly stated his identity: "Qin Yuan of Xuan Yuan Sect. Due to a conflict with Chi Yan Sect, I was expelled from Huangtu City and came to Qing Shi City to seek protection."

Upon hearing this, the guards exchanged glances, and one of them quickly went inside to report. Before long, a middle-aged scholar with a refined appearance and a whisk in his hand slowly walked out. His aura was profound, indicating that he was actually at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

His gaze swept over Qin Yuan and the others, lingering particularly on Qin Yuan for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He then smiled and said, "I am Wen Ruohai, a steward of Qing Shi City. The Crimson Flame Sect's domineering and tyrannical ways are not new. Since you fellow Daoists have come to my Qing Shi City, as long as you abide by the rules, you will be protected. The entrance fee is waived. Please."

Their attitude was completely different from that of the Crimson Flame Sect.

Qin Yuan thanked them and led everyone into the city. The layout of Qing Shi City was more orderly, the streets were clean, and shops lined the streets. Although the cultivators coming and going still carried the unique grimness of the battlefield, the atmosphere was much more relaxed than in Huang Tu City.

Wen Ruohai personally arranged an inn for them and told them, "Tonight there will be a surge of demons. You can go up to the city walls to help defend it. Your contribution will be calculated based on the number of kills, and you can also exchange them for resources. If you need anything, you can come to the city lord's mansion to find me."

That night, the tide of alien demons arrived as scheduled.

The defensive formation of Qing Shi City seemed more sophisticated than that of Huang Tu City; the light barrier was so solid that it took a long time for cracks to appear in the attack of the alien demons. The defending cultivators also cooperated more seamlessly, with various Confucian spells and sword techniques shining brightly, and their efficiency was quite high.

Qin Yuan continued to choose a corner of the city wall, his attacks swift and decisive. Wherever his pale golden finger strikes or fist strikes passed, the demons fell dead, and his points steadily increased. His performance quickly attracted the attention of cultivators throughout the city wall, and exclamations of amazement could be heard from time to time.

Wen Ruohai, who was stationed in the center of the city wall, also noticed the efficient killing on Qin Yuan's side. He stroked his beard and nodded, his eyes showing increasing appreciation.

At midnight, the demonic tide reached its peak. Several general-level demons appeared, one of which was exceptionally large, with bone spurs on its back and an aura approaching that of a peak Nascent Soul cultivator. It led a large number of elite demons in a fierce attack on the section of the city wall where Qin Yuan was located, greatly increasing the pressure on the defending cultivators.

Qin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly, and he was about to focus his efforts on eliminating the general-level alien demon when suddenly—

"BOOM!!!" "BOOM!!!"

Within Qing Shi City, multiple locations simultaneously erupted in towering flames and billowing smoke!

"Enemy attack!"

"Someone has set fire!"

"Warehouse! Alchemy room direction!"

Exclamations, explosions, and shouts of battle erupted from all parts of the city, instantly throwing the previously orderly defensive formation into chaos.

On the city wall, Wen Ruohai's expression changed drastically: "Not good! A diversionary tactic! There's a traitor among us!" He immediately dispatched his men to go down the city to put out the fire and eliminate the traitor.

However, the pressure from the demons outside the city did not lessen; on the contrary, due to the chaos inside the city and the distraction of the defenders, their attacks became even fiercer. The general-level demon roared repeatedly, its bone spikes spewing out a ghastly green venom that corroded the array's light barrier, and it seemed that this section of the city wall was about to be breached!

Qin Yuan looked at the towering flames and chaos within the city, then at the surging demonic tide and the ferocious general-level alien demon outside the city, his eyes as calm as ice.

Chaos began.

Chaos spread like a plague throughout Bluestone City.

A towering flame tore through the night, thick smoke billowing and rising with the smell of burning, weaving a deathly symphony with the howls of the demons outside the city. Explosions came one after another from the alchemy room, the warehouse, and even several array nodes, clearly indicating that the saboteurs had planned this in advance and had a thorough understanding of the city's layout.

On the city walls, the once-solid defensive line began to crumble due to the upheaval within the city. Some of the defending cultivators looked back in alarm, and gaps appeared in their formation. Sensing the turmoil among the defenders, the demonic creatures outside the city intensified their attacks, especially the general-level demonic creature with bone spurs on its back, whose ghastly green venom cascaded down, corroding the defensive light barrier and causing it to hiss and flicker.

Wen Ruohai's face was ashen, and the oppressive aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator erupted, temporarily stabilizing the morale of the troops in the nearby area. His voice pierced through the noise as he calmly ordered: "Teams A and B, maintain the city wall defenses and do not leave! Teams C and D, follow me down the city walls to eliminate traitors and extinguish the fire! Team E, provide mobile support!"

The order was clear, but its execution was flawed. Some disciples belonging to the Book and Sword Sect carried it out without hesitation, but those cultivators from various sects who were temporarily recruited or affiliated with hesitated, their eyes darting around – the city was ablaze with fire, and who knew if going down there would be suicide? Moreover, some of the fires were near their temporary residences or storage points.

In this brief period of chaos and hesitation, another change occurs!

Inside the city wall, near the main gate, among the few disciples of the Book and Sword Sect responsible for guarding the city gate's array hub, a young cultivator with an ordinary face suddenly sprang to life! He pulled out a crimson token from his sleeve, frantically pouring spiritual power into it. The token burst forth with dazzling blood-red light, resonating with several hidden array nodes at the city gate!

"Junior Brother Wu! What are you doing?!" An older disciple standing nearby was both shocked and furious, and brandished his sword to stop him.

The young man, referred to as "Junior Brother Wu," grinned maliciously, blasting the other man away with a crimson palm strike, while shouting fiercely, "Senior brothers of the Crimson Flame Sect! If not now, when?!"

Before the words were finished—

"BOOM—!!!"

The heavy main gate of Qing Shi City, which was reinforced with layers of arrays and could theoretically only be opened from the inside or with a special token, groaned under the blood-red light and slowly opened a crack inward!

In the darkness outside the city, a crimson torrent, which had been gathering its strength, surged in like sharks that had smelled blood!

The leader was none other than Chi Rong, the law enforcement elder of Huangtu City! Beside him was an old woman with red hair whose aura had also reached the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage and whose body was surrounded by scorching heat waves, as well as more than thirty elite disciples of the Crimson Flame Sect who exuded murderous intent! Further behind, there were shadowy figures of other cultivators who seemed to be affiliated with the Crimson Flame Sect.

A pincer attack from both inside and outside, the city gates are wide open!