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墨書 Inktalez
Shen Qian had seen Xu Ruchu embarrass himself more than once and smiled wryly, saying, "Borrow a spirit stone?"
Seeing the helpless expressions around him, Xu Ruchu realized as soon as he spoke that it was a slip of the tongue. He meant to say he was giving Shen Qian a spirit stone, but it came out as borrowing one.
Feeling embarrassed, he took out the spirit stone from Shen Gong and said, "Second Brother asked me to bring this spirit stone to you."
Shen Qian and Shen Gong often used this method to convey messages. Shen Qian took the spirit stone, placed it against his forehead, and after a moment, he gently squeezed it, causing the stone to shatter into fragments.
Shen Qian's expression turned serious as he gathered everyone and said, "The situation has changed; we need to hurry to Qianlongyuan."
Then he turned to Xu Pinghu and said, "Leader Pinghu, please take the friends I invited to meet Second Brother. The members of the Xu family will follow me. Everyone, let's move out now."
Shen Gong must have communicated something important through the spirit stone, which is why Shen Qian immediately altered their action plan after reading it.
With Xu Feng by his side, there were over forty people in total. Now he instructed Shen Pinghu to take away those miscellaneous cultivators he had invited, leaving only fifteen disciples from the Pingdao Sect and twelve from the Xu family.
Those miscellaneous cultivators were friends of Shen Qian who had come to lend a hand. Knowing that there were matters concerning the Shen family that were not convenient to discuss, they bid farewell to Shen Qian and followed Shen Pinghu.
"Let's go." Without further ado, Shen Qian led a group of twenty-eight directly toward Qianlongyuan.
As if in sync with Shen Qian's movements, they encountered no obstacles along the way. They did not meet another soul from Yue Ren Mountain Villa. The scattered cultivators they occasionally came across had also ceased to wander alone; instead, they formed groups. As they got closer to Qianlongyuan, these groups of scattered cultivators grew larger.
In the blink of an eye, they covered fifty miles. When they were about ten miles away, various cultivators arrived as expected and could be seen overhead. This ten-mile mark was reportedly where Yue Ren Mountain Villa had set up an ambush. Xu Feng and others were on high alert but saw no signs of enemies.
Qianlongyuan was located at the center of Sealing Magic Gorge, with various cultivators approaching in a circular formation. Shen Qian's group had a plan in advance and moved at the fastest speed, leaping ahead of everyone else to arrive first.
Before them stood a massive mountain rising a hundred feet high, with bizarre rocks resembling beasts and azure vines like snakes.
At the front of this giant mountain, it dropped straight down as if sliced by a knife; half of the mountain had been cleaved away, forming a sheer cliff a hundred feet high. The other half had vanished without a trace, giving the entire mountain shape reminiscent of a crescent moon. Thus, on maps, it was called Ban Yue Mountain.
At the base of Ban Yue Mountain was a deep pool measuring two miles in length and width; its surface was calm and undisturbed...
This deep pool was known as Qianlongyuan.
Next to the Abyss of the Hidden Dragon was a raised highland, where Shen Qian stood at the far end, gazing across the expanse of the highland.
At the edge of the pool, thirty White-Clad Monks stood prominently, divided into two groups: one group of ten and another group of twenty.
Among the twenty, Xu Feng spotted Fang Youxin, who had entered the Sealing Magic Gorge with him. Her outfit, originally bamboo green, had now changed to pure white.
The other ten were all Female Cultivators, each tall and graceful, exuding an ethereal presence. Five of them wore veils that obscured their faces, yet their extraordinary beauty could still be imagined.
These five Veiled Female Cultivators stood together in a circle, their flowing white skirts resembling blooming pear blossoms.
Li Hua Palace!
The first to arrive was not the Pingdao Sect but Li Hua Palace. The beauty of Li Hua Palace was indeed as renowned as its reputation suggested.
"Senior Ye, sorry to keep you waiting," Shen Qian said as he approached.
One person from the group of ten at Li Hua Palace stepped forward and said, "The effect of the Stabilizing Wave Talisman is about to wear off. While the Azure Blood Serpent is still unconscious, you should act quickly." This person was Ye Qiongyao, the leader of Li Hua Palace.
Shen Qian seemed to have made prior arrangements with Ye Qiongyao and replied, "Alright!"
Fifteen disciples from Pingdao Sect who had been following Shen Qian stepped forward. Shen Qian addressed them respectfully, saying, "Esteemed seniors from the Shen Family, I apologize for the trouble." He bowed deeply to the fifteen disciples.
The fifteen disciples returned the gesture. One of them said, "Fourth Young Master, rest assured. The Azure Blood Serpent's lethal strike has long been accounted for; today marks its demise." With that, all fifteen Spirit Separation experts soared into the waters of the Abyss of the Hidden Dragon.
The surface of the pond splashed with waves but soon calmed down as the fifteen Mid Stage Spirit Separation experts from Pingdao Sect delved into the depths of the Abyss.
Shen Qian introduced them: "Senior Ye, this is Xu Ruchu from the Daming Lake Xu Family. These are also experts from the Xu Family. This one is Xu Feng, a close friend of mine." Shen Qian introduced each person with great care.
Ye Qiongyao nodded at each introduction. Her originally bright eyes turned sharp and piercing as if she could see through people. Once Shen Qian finished introducing everyone, Ye Qiongyao said, "Hmm, let them all go over."
Upon hearing Shen Qian's introductions, one of the Veiled Women from Li Hua Palace trembled slightly as if stirred by a breeze.
Shen Qian pointed towards Fang Youxin's group, signaling Xu Feng and others to approach.
Xu Ruchu, though reluctant, was captivated by Ye Qiongyao's demeanor and knew it was not the time to act stubbornly, so he obediently complied.
Once everyone had left, Shen Qian approached Ye Qiongyao and whispered, "Senior Ye, it's been many years since we last met. I have a small gift for you." He took out a piece of jade that shimmered with seven colors and respectfully presented it to Ye Qiongyao.
This type of seven-colored jade was not particularly useful, but it had great benefits for the skin of female cultivators. Ye Qiongyao accepted it with a smile and said, "Thank you. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Shen Qian replied, "Oh, I almost forgot. I obtained two pieces of this seven-colored jade; please help me pass the other one to my friend, Dragon Dance Butterfly."
"..." Ye Qiongyao was momentarily speechless.
Dragon Dance Butterfly was Ye Qiongyao's disciple, and after meeting her once, Shen Qian had been infatuated with Dragon Dance Butterfly ever since.
Fang Youxin was pleasantly surprised to see Xu Feng. It was needless to say how happy he was; Xu Feng had almost advanced to the Late Stage of Nascent Soul and was a friend from Pingdao Sect, holding a status similar to his own. One was from Pingdao Sect, and the other from Li Hua Palace; their positions aligned, leading to another round of conversation.
The twenty people accompanying Fang Youxin were all affiliated with Li Hua Palace in some way or another, with Fang Youxin being considered a disciple of Li Hua Palace.
Xu Ruchu seized Xu Feng and asked, "Xu Feng, how do you know my fourth brother? You didn't tell me."
"You didn't ask."
"Then what about your relationship with my fourth brother?"
"What? You know him better than I do."
"...I just want to hear about it~"
Xu Feng felt a chill.
Boom! The calm surface of the pond suddenly erupted as several figures burst out of the water. It was five of the fifteen members from Pingdao Sect. They hovered in the sky for a few seconds before flashing back into the water.
Soon after, more members leaped out of the water. The first few who emerged appeared somewhat weighed down, three of them already showing significant injuries. It was unclear what kind of battle had taken place underwater.
The cultivators on the shore all looked towards the water's surface with tense and focused expressions, yet no one dared to enter the water.
At the same time as the underwater battle was taking place, a storm was brewing above the Qianlong Abyss. Hundreds of Daoist shadow bees surged in, divided into three groups appearing from three directions around the Qianlong Abyss. In the center, dressed in gray, was the group led by Shen Gong from the Pingdao Sect.
On the left side, a fierce crowd was led by the Yue Ren Mountain Villa's "Secret Order."
The right side had relatively fewer people, only about thirty, all dressed differently and exuding an air of arrogance as loose cultivators.
Ye Qiongyao, filled with rage, drew her sword. Her stunning figure soared into the air like a jade phoenix. With a flash of sword light, a three-meter deep sword mark appeared on the ground, stretching three miles from left to right.
Xu Feng felt a chill run down his spine; Ye Qiongyao's sword strike was indeed terrifying, befitting a cultivator at the Divine Separation Late Stage.
Ye Qiongyao coldly shouted, "Li Hua Palace disciples, listen up! Anyone who dares to cross this line will be killed without mercy!"
The disciples of Li Hua Palace drew their swords one after another, but the five Veiled Women remained unmoved.
Xu Ruchu also ordered ten Xu family cultivators to prepare for battle.
Across from them, Shen Gong had already lined up his people along the sword mark, ready to face any enemy.
Shen Gong had over sixty people stationed outside the sword mark, while inside were twelve from the Xu family and twenty from Li Hua Palace. With nearly a hundred people forming two layers inside and outside, they faced off against the two external forces.
The Yue Ren Mountain Villa had the most members, with over two hundred people—twice that of Li Hua Palace and Peace Blade Sect. Although there were only thirty loose cultivators, each one was at least at the Mid Stage of Spirit Separation, with several at the Divine Separation Late Stage. Among them was Wei Jian, whom Xu Feng had seen before; his strength could not be underestimated.
Three elders from Xiaoyao Sect and Qiao Li saw Xu Feng from a distance, cursing loudly but not daring to charge forward.
The true disciples of Li Hua Palace consisted only of these ten led by Ye Qiongyao. Except for one at the Early Stage of Spirit Separation, all nine others were at the Divine Separation Late Stage. Such strength was enough to make all forces in Sealing Magic Gorge look up to them; indeed, their ranking as fourth in Zheguo was well-deserved.
A dragon's roar echoed through the air as chaos erupted near Qianlong Abyss.
The rolling pond surface shot up a water column over a hundred feet high. Following that, a more than ten-foot-long Azure Blood Serpent broke through the water. Its massive claws grabbed hold of two Pingdao Sect cultivators; with a single squeeze in mid-air, both were crushed instantly. Its tail and abdomen were also severely injured by sharp swords, blood flowing profusely.
"The Azure Blood Serpent!" Everyone retreated in panic; even Ye Qiongyao did not dare to confront it head-on.
Eight figures flew out of the water—these were cultivators from the Shen Family, each wounded and stained with blood on their gray robes. The eight surrounded the Azure Blood Serpent and launched a fierce attack; however, two more were killed by its horned charge, adding two more wounds to the Azure Blood Serpent's body.
With a splash, the human-scaled creature entered the water again, but this time, there was no movement for a long while.
In the blink of an eye, only six out of the fifteen cultivators from the Pingdao Sect at the Mid Stage of Spirit Separation remained. It seemed that there would be more casualties to come. No wonder Shen Qian had treated them so well before they went into the water; he must have known that this mission was fraught with danger and that their chances of returning alive were slim.
As soon as the Azure Blood Serpent appeared, gasps erupted from the crowd, followed by a heavy silence. The killing intent in the air gradually intensified. Everyone knew that the Pingdao Sect had already lost their strongest team in the hunt for the Azure Blood Serpent, and now they only faced interference from Li Hua Palace.
"Go grab the Sorrowful Technique! The Sorrowful Technique must be in the pool; if we wait any longer, it will be taken by the Pingdao Sect!" one rogue cultivator couldn't help but rush past the sword marks, trying to enter the pool.
"Seeking death!" Ye Qiongyao personally intervened, drawing her sword from a distance and cleaving that person in half. The man saw the sword light coming but couldn't evade it; blood sprayed over ten feet high, and with a gust of mountain wind, the scent of blood filled the air.
The restless cultivators were stunned into silence by Ye Qiongyao's strike.
Qiao Li's right foot, which had stepped forward, was forcefully pulled back. She thought to herself that she would let others go to their deaths first; with so many people, she couldn't possibly hold them back.
However, no one dared to move forward again. It was unclear whether they were still shaken or waiting for a better opportunity.
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