Heaven rewards diligence, but there are always fairies plotting against me.

Just as Chu Chang was surrounded and unable to escape by this group of fearless assassins, a series of rapid footsteps suddenly came from the ruins of the back hall passage.

"Chu Chang, we're here!"

With a crisp, delicate shout, Gu Ling Shuang darted out like a swallow, her short blade emitting a pinkish, murderous aura, instantly severing the throat of a assassin who was trying to flank Chu Chang.

Beside her stood Lin Ruohan, dressed in snow-white robes, her expression aloof and cold.

The ice-blue longsword in her hand drew a beautiful ice lotus in the air, and the cold sword energy roared out, instantly freezing the legs of the three assassins who rushed up in place, unable to move.

"Xiaoxiao, take them first to the safe outpost in town!" Lin Ruoxue shouted to Yu Xiaoxiao, who was protecting more than 30 female cultivators behind her. Then, she moved like an ice phoenix and charged directly into the battle.

With the addition of Lin Ruoxue and Gu Ling Shuang, Chu Chang's pressure was greatly reduced.

Thank you!

Chu Chang laughed heartily, his impatience transforming into overwhelming fighting spirit.

Since Xiao He wanted to use these people's lives to buy time, then he should kill them all!

"The true meaning of the Great Sun, pure Yang without limit!"

Chu's long hair flew wildly, and at that moment he seemed to transform into a burning sun.

He held back no longer, unleashing his true essence at the peak of the Foundation Condensation Realm without reservation, the golden light illuminating the entire dilapidated Fugui Building.

Swish! ! !

Chu Chang's figure transformed into a dark golden lightning bolt, instantly piercing through the assassins' defenses.

With a single palm strike, the blazing pure Yang palm force transformed into a giant golden palm several meters in size, directly smashing two early-stage Foundation Condensation Realm assassins who rushed forward into a pile of charred bones. Then, he twisted his body and unleashed a whip kick, the violent gust of wind sweeping away several load-bearing stone pillars in the hall, and the flying rubble, amplified by his true essence, rained down like a storm, riddling the remaining assassins with holes.

Lin Ruoxue watched from the side, her beautiful eyes sparkling with admiration. Although she knew Chu Chang was powerful, she hadn't expected him to be this strong.

Those assassins who seemed incredibly difficult to deal with to outsiders, and who were always ready to self-destruct, were completely helpless against Chu Chang, like mowing grass.

"Extreme Ice Sword Shadow!"

Lin Ruoxue swung her longsword, unleashing countless icy sword energies that, in conjunction with Chu Chang's offensive, completely froze and pulverized the suicide soldiers who were attempting to self-destruct before they could explode.

In just a short while, the once noisy and violent lobby of the Fugui Building was reduced to a mess of broken ice, charred bones, and blood.

More than twenty elite assassins were all killed!

Chu Chang stood in the pool of blood, his body untouched by any blood, except for his pair of dark golden eyes, which were fixed on the direction Xiao He had fled.

"You all stay here and protect those female cultivators. I'm going after Xiao He!"

Before he could finish speaking, Chu Chang transformed into a golden rainbow and vanished into the night sky, leaving behind only a scene of devastation, a testament to the brutal one-sided massacre that had just taken place there.

The crimson light, like a burning meteor, pierced the deathly silence of the outskirts of Qing Shi Town in the night.

Xiao He had risked his life to survive.

He spat out his heart's essence three times in succession to activate the incomparably precious Blood Fiend Sect Blood Burning Escape Talisman.

This kind of talisman consumes the cultivator's own life essence, and can unleash a speed that is almost at its limit in a short period of time, even in the face of life and death.

Behind them, Chu Chang's dark golden rainbow was as swift as lightning, but it was ultimately blocked for a moment by those fearless assassins when it started moving.

Two beams of light streaked across the desolate sky, one after the other, leaving long trails behind them.

Chu Chang's divine sense surged out like a tide, locking onto the increasingly faint but still swift crimson aura in front of him.

However, as they got further and further away from Qing Shi Town, an endless black forest appeared ahead.

It was a natural miasma-filled land, permeated with poisonous fog, which had a strong interfering effect on spiritual consciousness.

Bloodlight plunged headlong into the depths of the Blackwood Forest.

Chu Chang descended from the clouds outside the forest and landed on the treetops.

He frowned slightly, looking at the swirling black poisonous mist before him. He circulated his pure Yang true energy slightly, which dissolved the approaching poison gas.

"The Blood Escape Technique consumes a great deal of vital energy. Even if Xiao He manages to escape, his cultivation level will inevitably drop, and he might even damage his Dao foundation, becoming a cripple," Chu Chang muttered to himself, not blindly venturing into this miasma forest filled with unknown dangers.

"Besides, he may escape with his life, but he cannot escape the guilt under the clear sky. The dungeon of Fugui Tower has been breached, dozens of female cultivators have been rescued, and the evidence is conclusive. Xiao He can never return to being the top genius of the Divine Sword Sect."

Chu Chang's lips curled into a cold smile.

Xiao He's greatest strengths were his reputation, his status in the Divine Sword Sect, and the Xiao family behind him.

Now that his facade has been forcibly torn off, he has become a rat that everyone wants to beat.

"The Xiao family... they can run away, but they can't hide. We'll meet again sooner or later."

Chu Chang turned around, no longer wasting time searching for that miasma forest, and instead spread his body and returned to Qing Shi Town at an extremely fast speed.

When they returned to Fugui Tower, the battle was completely over.

Lin Ruoxue and Gu Lingshuang are organizing the rescued female cultivators.

Most of the women were ragged and looked haggard, but upon learning that they had finally been rescued, many of them embraced each other and wept bitterly. Yu Xiaoxiao, having regained some strength after taking the elixir, looked at the returning Chu Chang with gratitude in her eyes.

"Senior Brother Chu, Xiao He, he..." Yu Xiaoxiao asked nervously.

"He escaped using the Demonic Blood Escape Talisman, but he was severely injured and won't be able to cause any trouble for a while," Chu Changkuan comforted him. He then looked at Lin Ruoxue and Gu Ling Shuang, "We shouldn't stay here any longer. The commotion at Fugui Tower has caused too much of a stir, and the government and sect officials will probably arrive soon. Let's take our people back to the sect and make this matter public!"

"Alright!" Lin Ruoxue nodded, her cold eyes filled with determination. "Xiao He's actions have crossed the Divine Sword Sect's bottom line. The Enforcement Hall must severely punish him, and even hold the Xiao family accountable!"

…………

…………

…………

However, reality gave Chu Chang and the others a resounding slap in the face.

When they returned to the Divine Sword Sect with more than 30 rescued female cultivators, and Lin Ruoxue and Gu Lingshuang jointly submitted a petition to the Enforcement Hall, presenting the evidence of the dungeon's crimes one by one, the sect's higher-ups reacted with a chilling indifference.

Two days later, in a quiet side hall within the inner sect of the Divine Sword Sect.

Chu Chang, Lin Ruoxue, and Gu Ling Shuang were summoned by Zhao Wuji, a deputy hall master of the Enforcement Hall.

Zhao Wuji was dressed in a gray Taoist robe, his face dignified, but at this moment his face carried an unfathomable depth.

He looked at the confession in his hand, sighed softly, and then slowly placed it on the table.

"The sect has made proper arrangements for the female disciples you brought back. You did a great job and saved the sect's reputation," Zhao Wuji said slowly.

Gu Ling Shuang asked anxiously, "Elder Zhao, since the evidence is conclusive, when will the sect issue a Divine Sword Wanted Notice to announce the arrest of Xiao He to the world? Also, the Xiao family has been condoning their clansmen to operate a black market and abduct female cultivators within the sect's territory; the Xiao family must also provide an explanation!"

Zhao Wuji remained silent for a moment, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then said softly, "Xiao He has already defected, and the sect will naturally pursue him secretly. As for the Xiao family... let's leave it at that."

"What?!" Gu Ling Shuang's eyes widened, she could hardly believe her ears. "That's it? Xiao He harmed so many sisters, how can the Xiao family, as accomplices, just let it go like this?"

Lin Ruoxue's pretty face also turned cold: "Elder Zhao, this is against the sect's rules. Even the emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners. Although the Xiao family is a powerful clan affiliated with our sect, we cannot tolerate such evil deeds!"

Zhao Wuji's face turned cold, and a heavy pressure filled the hall: "Nonsense! Do you think a sect can act on a whim? The Xiao family patriarch is currently in seclusion, attempting to break through to the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion Realm. He is a crucial fighting force for our Divine Sword Sect against external enemies! If we act against the Xiao family now, and it forces the Xiao family patriarch to rebel, or affects his breakthrough, can you bear the responsibility?"

"Furthermore," Zhao Wuji coldly looked at Chu Chang, "many of those rescued female cultivators have powerful backgrounds. If this matter escalates, not only will the Xiao family lose face, but the reputation of our Divine Sword Sect will also plummet! What will the world think of us? That we can't even protect our own female disciples, turning them into playthings of the demonic path? For the sake of the bigger picture, this matter must be suppressed!"

The big picture. Those two words again.

Chu Chang stood to the side, not saying a word, but a mocking sneer hung on the corner of his mouth.

Ultimately, the sect's higher-ups chose to compromise and cover up the truth in the face of self-interest and the so-called bigger picture.

They wanted to preserve the false face of the Divine Sword Sect and win over the Xiao family's fighting power. Therefore, the grievances of those female cultivators who had suffered so much became bargaining chips that could be sacrificed at will.

"Elder Zhao means that Xiao He's crimes are to be erased. He simply went missing while on a training expedition, and those female disciples were merely robbed by bandits, and have nothing to do with the Xiao family?" Chu Chang spoke calmly, his voice eerily so.

Zhao Wuji glanced at Chu Chang and said calmly, "Chu Chang, I know you have some grudges with Xiao He. But you are just an outer disciple, you need to know how to assess the situation. The sect will give you all generous compensation, so let's pretend this never happened. Step down."

Stepping out of the hall of justice, Gu Ling Shuang trembled with anger, her eyes red-rimmed: "How could this happen... Did we make a mistake in saving people? Did those victims deserve to suffer all this?"

Lin Ruoxue clenched her fists, her eyes filled with disappointment: "This is what they call a prestigious sect?"

Chu Chang patted the two women on the shoulders, his eyes flashing with a cold light: "The sect wants to settle things peacefully, but the world won't allow it. They want to suppress it, then we'll make a hole in the sky."

"Chu Chang, what do you want to do?" Lin Ruoxue looked at him.

"Since the sect's rules can't govern the Xiao family, then let the rules of the martial world take care of it," Chu Chang sneered. "Xiao He never dreamed how many hornets were among the women he captured."