“What’s wrong?”
Beichen Yue looked up and asked Dongfang Xiaotian.
“The plan has changed. Someone wants to wipe out everyone inside the ruins in one go.”
Dongfang Xiaotian jumped down from the ice and sighed. “Things are more troublesome than I imagined.”
“So, what do we do next?”
Tushan Bingxian casually froze Li Yuze’s feet with ice as he tried to seize the chance to escape.
“Hmm, let me think…”
Dongfang Xiaotian pinched his chin in contemplation. There was no doubt—the protagonist’s halo on his little junior brother was absurdly powerful.
Not only was one Xiao Zong disciple stirring up trouble, but there were also mantises stalking cicadas, while orioles lurked behind.
Ah, this kind of situation was always the most troublesome.
“Forget it, let’s take a few extra steps.”
Dongfang Xiaotian immediately made a decision. “Second Junior Sister, you continue to seek help from Four Sages Academy. Miss Beichen Yue, please come with me.”
Second Junior Sister glanced at Li Yuze, who was sitting on the ground clutching his head, and said with disgust, “So, we’re just going to leave him here?”
“Of course not.”
Dongfang Xiaotian walked toward Li Yuze.
Seeing this, Li Yuze hurriedly tried to bring up his father, who was in the Golden Core stage, but Dongfang Xiaotian ignored him completely and knocked him out with a punch.
Dusting off his hands, Dongfang Xiaotian rifled through Li Yuze’s belongings, took out his spatial ring, a set of Xiao Zong robes, and a command token, then handed them to Second Junior Sister.
“Alright, Second Junior Sister, put on these Xiao Zong clothes and take the command token. Be careful. Miss Beichen, you’re highly skilled—please come with me.”
Dongfang Xiaotian figured, just by thinking, that there must still be a bunch of Xiao Zong disciples guarding outside the ruins. Without a change of clothes, it would be difficult to get out.
Beichen Yue nodded and didn’t say much. She was originally Dongfang Xiaotian’s bodyguard, so of course she would follow him.
Tushan Bingxian also nodded and accepted the robes. Although she felt a bit displeased in her heart, she didn’t intend to fight Beichen Yue for it at a time like this.
She knew that to return to the sect and convince the other elders to take action, only as a disciple of Four Sages Academy would she have a chance.
Dongfang Xiaotian, who was more familiar with the ruins, needed to solve the immediate problem. As for Beichen Yue’s role… well, if Senior Brother said she was useful, then she must be.
“Wait, you knocked him out just for the clothes and token?” Tushan Bingxian looked at Li Yuze on the ground. To only knock out this kind of person seemed far too lenient.
“Hey, Second Junior Sister…” Dongfang Xiaotian gave her a look that said he was caring for the mentally challenged.
“You don’t really think that just changing clothes will let you walk out of here, right? Even Xiao Zong isn’t dumb enough to let people pass freely at such a critical time. Or are you planning to take on all of Xiao Zong by yourself?”
“If you have something to say, say it straight. Careful or I’ll beat you up!”
Tushan Bingxian cracked her knuckles in front of Dongfang Xiaotian, looking like she’d beat him if he kept talking in riddles. “What’s with the cryptic talk at a time like this!”
“Ahem, what I mean is, you can use this to get out. His status isn’t low. When everyone’s attention is on him, you can slip away unnoticed.”
Upon hearing this, both Tushan Bingxian and Beichen Yue instantly understood.
If they left now, they’d have to face those Xiao Zong disciples waiting outside—at least several dozen, maybe a hundred, all at the Qi Refining stage.
If a few late-Foundation elders showed up, there’d be no way for them to get out.
And, in addition, Dongfang Xiaotian had also asked Second Junior Sister to help with something else.
After listening, Tushan Bingxian just looked at him with a strange expression, but finally softened and nodded.
Beichen Yue couldn’t help but look at Dongfang Xiaotian with admiration. Even at such a critical moment, he could still think of such details—truly worthy of being Young Master Dongfang.
“Tsk, what are you looking at? If you’ve got a plan, hurry up and move!”
Seeing Beichen Yue’s eyes nearly sparkling with thread-like admiration, Tushan Bingxian immediately kicked Dongfang Xiaotian. “Go do your part!”
Having suddenly taken a kick to the calf, Dongfang Xiaotian could only leave with Beichen Yue, grumbling inwardly, Is it really okay for someone cultivating ice techniques to have such a temper?
Tushan Bingxian was about to change clothes, but as she looked at Li Yuze, who lay there peacefully like a dead pig, she noticed his left cheek had been swollen when Dongfang Xiaotian entered the ruins, and now his right cheek was swollen from another punch. Strangely, they looked quite balanced now.
But this kind of superficial injury wouldn’t be enough to stir up chaos among the Xiao Zong disciples guarding outside.
She had just been about to take out her sword to add a few wounds, but after reconsidering, she put it away and instead forced a bottle of potion down his throat.
After making sure he wouldn’t wake up any time soon, Tushan Bingxian lifted her delicate foot high and brought it down hard. She seemed to hear a “crack” from somewhere inside his body.
Still, due to the strong effect of the medicine, Li Yuze showed no reaction. To make sure his injuries were truly severe, she gave him a few more heavy stomps.
Only after feeling thoroughly satisfied did she find a secluded spot to change into the Xiao Zong robes, ready to carry out Dongfang Xiaotian’s plan.
***
Central Hall
Inside this dilapidated grand hall, once the battlefield of the Three Sects War.
However, this grand hall—whose original splendor could still be glimpsed despite the ruins—was not destroyed by the war of the three sects, but by the Shendai Turmoil.
The specific cause of the turmoil is still unknown, but compared to the devastation caused by the Shendai Turmoil, the war of the three sects merely added a hundred or so Foundation Establishment corpses to the site.
On one of the hall’s walls, an image was being projected.
In the image, Four Sages Academy and the Cult of the Heretical God were locked in battle, already in the midst of chaotic fighting.
This wasn’t Xiao Zong’s original plan.
According to their initial strategy, step one was to use false information about the Seven-leaf Yangzhi to lure talented disciples from Four Sages Academy and a group of rogue cultivators into the ruins.
Step two was to seal off the ruins and the miasma forest, then create constant slaughter and terror inside to force the remaining disciples and rogue cultivators to gather together.
Step three was to use the integrated Spirit Refining Formation and Xuanwu Protective Wandering Star Array to refine enough Blood Pills from the gathered cultivators and collect them.
But things had gone awry at the very first step.
The information wasn’t contained, so the Third Elder of Four Sages Academy led another batch of disciples into the ruins, and even Dongfang Xiaotian was drawn in. But this didn’t matter much.
As long as no Golden Core expert showed up, even a few more late Foundation Establishment cultivators would only make for higher-quality Blood Pills.
Yet, despite such favorable conditions, something still went wrong.
A junior disciple somehow got hold of a formation manual and easily changed the Blood Refining Array, leading Xiao Zong’s Third Elder, Li Shihua, into a trap where he was besieged.
To save himself, Li Shihua was forced to deactivate the formation, resulting in a chaotic melee between the remaining Four Sages Academy disciples, Xiao Zong, and the Cult of the Heretical God.
But in the end, it didn’t matter. No matter who won among Xiao Zong, the Cult of the Heretical God, or Four Sages Academy, their gathering here was already enough.
“Fight. The harder you fight, the better.”
A youth stared coldly at the floating image.
While they fought, an even larger Blood Refining Array had been activated. Whether originally the prey or those who fancied themselves hunters, they would all become stepping stones.
“I wonder if Brother Dongfang has left yet.”
Looking at the image, the youth felt a complicated surge in his heart.
“Oh? You’re still thinking of me at a time like this?”
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind. The youth turned around, delighted.
“Brother Dongfang, you really came! Seeing you safe means more than anything.”
However, seeing how close Xiao Yuanqing still acted, Dongfang Xiaotian and Beichen Yue clearly weren’t pleased.
“Why is it you?” Beichen Yue questioned.
“Why not me?” Xiao Yuanqing retorted.
“In terms of cultivation, you’re among the few most powerful in Ling Tian City. In terms of talent, you’re top of Ling Tian City, and even among the entire Sacred Hua Dynasty, you could call yourself a genius. Given all that, why?”
Beichen Yue looked at Xiao Yuanqing. “Even if the current situation is bad for you and Xiao Zong, with your talent, do you really need to resort to these evil techniques to gain power?”
“Heh.”
Xiao Yuanqing gave a bitter smile. “Miss Beichen, turning talent into true strength takes time, and I no longer have time.”
“Because of Xiao Yuanxiang?” Dongfang Xiaotian asked.
Xiao Yuanqing nodded, his expression darkening as old memories surfaced.
“Get ready,” Dongfang Xiaotian raised his hand, signaling Beichen Yue to prepare for battle. “Three hundred breaths.”
A decision made by a siscon for his sister—there was almost no chance he’d change his mind.
“Understood.” Beichen Yue stepped forward, drawing her light blue longsword, showing no fear before her opponent.
After all, with Young Master Dongfang by her side, as long as she held out until he finished setting up a formation, taking down the enemy would be easy.
Besides, she could now fight side by side with Young Master Dongfang—she’d make sure to perform well and win even more of his investment in her swordsmanship.
“No rush, no rush. We can’t stop their battle, and the large Blood Refining Array will still take time to refine all life here. We still have time to persuade each other.”
Xiao Yuanqing smiled at the two of them, his refined, scholarly face as kind as ever.
He first looked at Dongfang Xiaotian.
“Brother Dongfang, your cultivation has been crippled—you must wish to restart your path. With Blood Pills, you could exchange them for the resources you need and repair your spirit sea.”
“No, I don’t. I won’t.” Dongfang Xiaotian shot down the idea immediately.
Beichen Yue was a bit puzzled. Blood Pills were clearly evil artifacts—could they really be sold?
Before she could ask, Xiao Yuanqing turned to her. “Miss Beichen, I’ve heard you’re a genius, yet you’ve wasted over two years stuck at your current level. These Blood Pills could help you make up for that.”
“All I want is for my family to be safe. I only need enough Blood Pills to reach the Golden Core stage. The rest, Brother Dongfang, Miss Beichen, can be yours.”
It was obvious that, with the hundreds or even thousands of cultivators refined into Blood Pills in these ruins, the total was enormous—more than enough for Xiao Yuanqing to break through.
The remaining amount would be a vast fortune even for ordinary cultivators—enough to last through the Nascent Soul stage.
Beichen Yue’s gaze turned cold. “You’d harm so many innocents—can your conscience rest easy?”
“It can’t, but I’m not afraid.”
Xiao Yuanqing replied blandly, “Besides, it’s not harm, just use. It’s also to avenge them.”
He looked at the battle raging among Four Sages Academy in the image. Only one late-Foundation Elder remained; the other disciples struggled painfully.
“This disaster wasn’t my plan—it was orchestrated by the Xiao Zong Grand Elder, Li Shiwen.”
“Brother Dongfang, do you remember the Three Sects War a few years ago? At that time, I was only in the Qi Refining stage and could barely kill a few early Foundation cultivators at best. Then, an accident triggered the great formation in these ruins—the very large Blood Refining Array I just activated.”
“The corpses from the Three Sects War became fodder, producing three Blood Pills—four in total. Xiao Zong became the ultimate victor because they acquired those four Blood Pills.”
“One went to Grand Elder Li Shiwen, helping him reach Foundation Establishment; one went to you, Brother Dongfang, to save your sister’s life; the remaining two came to me…helping me break through Foundation and wipe out Iron Saber Gate.”
Dongfang Xiaotian couldn’t help but be shocked—he had no idea such things had happened.
Back then, he was busy playing the hero, saving beauties, and looting the spoils of others’ fights. He’d never paid attention to the truth behind the scenes.
He’d just been too naive back then.
Xiao Yuanqing continued, “Only a handful knew the truth—those who were originally here in the hall: me, Li Shiwen, and the now-dead elders of Iron Saber Gate.”
“Afterward, Li Shiwen became obsessed with Blood Pills from the Blood Refining Array. But he didn’t know how to activate it, so nothing happened—until a month ago, when the Cult of the Heretical God found him and plotted this massacre in the ruins.”
“The reason I’m telling you all this is so you know, Brother Dongfang, Miss Beichen, that so far this has nothing to do with me. I’m not the one who killed them—it was Li Shiwen.”
Xiao Yuanqing looked at Dongfang Xiaotian and Beichen Yue, sighing before continuing, “And my only role was to let the Cult of the Heretical God give two Blood Pills to Li Shiwen, making him feel close to a breakthrough and go into seclusion, so that I and Four Sages Academy could relax a little.”
“But as you’ve seen, even without Li Shiwen’s involvement as a Golden Core expert, the others are still doomed.”
“Since they’re all going to die, I might as well refine them all—along with the Cult of the Heretical God and the Xiao Zong traitors—into Blood Pills, use them to kill that dog Li Shiwen, and at least avenge them, right?”
Dongfang Xiaotian drew a broken sword and said, “So you’re not worried we’ll use the Blood Pills against you?”
Xiao Yuanqing nodded slightly, glancing at Dongfang Xiaotian and then at Beichen Yue. “Of course, I trust Brother Dongfang. As for Miss Beichen, I’ll have to trouble Brother Dongfang to put a slave mark on her.”