Chapter 28: Unveiled Deceptions and a Resurgent Power

The logic of these individuals was utterly beyond Qin Yangjun’s comprehension, yet he harbored no intention of rushing them.

After all, he had already led his companions to the Scarlet Glutton’s skeleton, and strictly speaking, his mission was complete.

With the protagonist now deceased and the item secured, surely no further complications could arise.

Just as Qin Yangjun pondered how he would face his junior disciples later, especially Hua Yaoyao,

a streak of violet demonic flame pierced through the blood mist, hurtling directly towards him.

Qin Yangjun extended his hand, unleashing a surge of white spiritual energy.

The flame struck an invisible barrier, dissipating instantly.

Cheng Lieqing, standing beside Qin Yangjun, was also startled and swiftly channeled his qi to resist.

However, the flame’s impact far exceeded Qin Yangjun’s expectations; though he parried the attack, the immense force sent him staggering back several steps.

Cheng Lieqing, too, was forced back a few paces by the scattered flames.

Then, from within the blood mist, emerged a middle-aged man clad in a black hooded robe, accompanied by two others similarly dressed.

Qin Yangjun’s eyes narrowed slightly.

‘Three individuals…’

‘Far fewer than anticipated.’

The man before them was considered Cheng Lieqing’s superior, a cultivator at the Nascent Soul (TL Note: Yuan Ying, a cultivation stage) stage, while his two companions barely seemed to have reached Foundation Establishment (TL Note: Zhuji, a cultivation stage).

The Myriad Dharma Heavenly Sect (TL Note: Wanfa Tianjiao, a demonic sect) certainly possessed powerful cultivators, but their intelligence had already been thoroughly exposed by the Yuqian Sect.

After all, this was Yuqian Sect territory; had there been any indication of Void Glimpse (TL Note: Dongxu, a cultivation stage) experts from the Myriad Dharma Heavenly Sect operating here, it wouldn’t have been the Azure Peak Mountain (TL Note: Qingluan Shan, a righteous sect) disciples sent, but rather the sect elders themselves.

Thus, they could only dispatch these individuals.

In the novel, Yueyao would have already possessed the ability to fight across cultivation stages by now; a single Nascent Soul cultivator and Cheng Lieqing would have been no match for her.

The book described three Nascent Soul cultivators and several Golden Core (TL Note: Jindan, a cultivation stage) cultivators arriving as reinforcements.

However, with Azure Peak Mountain blocking the entrance, those reinforcements must have been held back.

At that moment, the Nascent Soul cultivator glared intently at Cheng Lieqing.

“Cheng Lieqing! How dare you betray our sect, you rascal!”

Cheng Lieqing was utterly bewildered.

He had always served the Myriad Dharma Heavenly Sect diligently, so why was he now being branded a traitor?

“Deacon Zhao, what exactly are you implying?”

“Still trying to argue? You even dared to help Qin Yangjun search for the Scarlet Glutton’s remains!

Today, I shall cleanse our sect of your treachery!”

As he spoke, the middle-aged man prepared to unleash his qi and attack, but Cheng Lieqing frantically waved his hands to stop him.

“Wait! Hold on! Deacon Zhao, what are you talking about?

Isn’t Qin Yangjun our inside man in the Yuqian Sect?”

Deacon Zhao’s face turned ashen; it was then he realized the man before him had been deceived.

He had initially chosen this quick-witted young man for the undercover mission, never expecting him to be outmaneuvered so thoroughly.

“Are you an idiot? That’s Qin Yangjun!

If he were our informant, would our Sect Master still be hunted across the world by that madwoman Mu Xianxian?

Our spy in the Yuqian Sect is not him at all!”

At that moment, the stunned expression previously seen on the junior disciples now settled upon Cheng Lieqing’s face as he stared at Qin Yangjun in disbelief.

“You’re not the informant?!”

Qin Yangjun merely offered a faint smile, poised to explain himself.

“I—”

ROAR!

A thunderous roar echoed from the cave entrance, instantly dispelling all traces of blood energy.

Every gaze in the cavern immediately shifted towards the source.

Upon recognizing the newcomer, Cheng Lieqing’s mind reeled, and he stumbled back two steps.

He glanced at Qin Yangjun, then at the figure by the entrance, and in that instant, he understood: Qin Yangjun had indeed deceived him.

“Good! Good! Good! Impressive! Truly impressive, Qin Yangjun… I’ve clearly fallen into your trap!”

Cheng Lieqing’s expression turned ruthless as he channeled demonic energy and charged at Qin Yangjun.

In truth, Qin Yangjun was equally astonished after seeing who had arrived.

‘Explain? With them already attacking, what’s there left to explain?’

He then channeled his spiritual energy, meeting the charge with a single punch.

With a muffled grunt, Cheng Lieqing was sent flying by Qin Yangjun’s punch.

Even at the same cultivation stage, he was no match for Qin Yangjun, let alone now that Qin Yangjun had broken through.

Simultaneously, expressions of joy bloomed on the faces of Hua Yaoyao and Qian Xiaoyu.

Qian Xiaoyu, overwhelmed with delight, exclaimed:

“Lingyue?! Is that really you, Lingyue?! My heavens, am I dreaming?”

Indeed, the newcomer was none other than Yu Lingyue.

Yu Lingyue offered Qian Xiaoyu a faint smile.

“Of course it’s me.”

She then turned to Qin Yangjun.

“My apologies, Senior Brother; your junior sister has arrived late.”

At that moment, Yu Lingyue exuded a powerful aura of blood energy, a terrifying might emanating from her entire being.

A torrent of thoughts surged within Qin Yangjun.

‘Good heavens, what in the world? After only a few hours apart, she’s broken through from late Qi Condensation (TL Note: Lianqi, a cultivation stage) to mid-Foundation Establishment (TL Note: Zhuji, a cultivation stage)??’

‘Not only did she survive the fall, but her strength actually increased.’

‘Could it be that you, too, are a Divine Condor Hero (TL Note: A reference to Yang Guo from Jin Yong’s ‘The Return of the Condor Heroes’, who gains power after falling down a cliff) ?’

The new disciples were also in an uproar.

“Yu Lingyue isn’t dead?!”

“What… what happened? We clearly saw her fall into the abyss!”

“My goodness, she broke through to mid-Foundation Establishment! How could it be so fast? Was she secretly hiding her cultivation all this time?”

“So… what exactly is going on?”

At that moment, Yu Lingyue flicked her wrist, sending a jade vial flying towards Hua Yaoyao.

“Senior Sister, catch!”

Hua Yaoyao swiftly caught the bottle.

After discerning the contents in her hand, a hint of confusion flickered in Hua Yaoyao’s eyes.

“Heavenly Spirit Recovery Powder…”

It was a fourth-grade recovery medicine, bearing the mark of the Treasure Pavilion, yet she couldn’t recall her junior sister ever having entered the Treasure Pavilion.

“This is all Senior Brother’s plan; I’ll explain everything to Senior Sister once we’ve dealt with the current situation.”

“Senior Brother’s plan!”

Hua Yaoyao trembled slightly, turning to Qin Yangjun with a gaze that first held shock, then intertwined with joy and excitement.

‘So Senior Brother isn’t that kind of person after all; I misunderstood him!’

Meanwhile, a colossal question mark appeared in Qin Yangjun’s mind.

‘My plan?’

‘What did I plan?’

Deacon Zhao’s face grew increasingly grim; he was so enraged he could have killed Cheng Lieqing right then and there, but he knew this was not the time to deal with the fool.

His own people were still entangled in combat with the Azure Peak Mountain disciples outside.

He understood that his comrades outside were no match for Mo Feiyu and his peers, and it was only a matter of time before the Azure Peak Mountain forces breached their defenses.

Their time was running out.

“Kill them all!”

Deacon Zhao roared at Hua Yaoyao and her group.

Two Golden Core stage demonic cultivators, without hesitation, directly charged towards the crowd.

Hua Yaoyao immediately opened the Heavenly Spirit Recovery Powder in her hand and poured it into her mouth; she desperately needed to restore her spiritual energy.

By then, the two demonic cultivators had closed in.

ROAR!

Just as the two lifted their hands to attack, a beast’s roar reverberated.

The sound wave stunned them, freezing them in place.

Before they could recover, a flash of sword light swept past, forcing both of them back simultaneously.

After regaining their footing, they discovered that the woman who had just been at the cave entrance now stood defiantly before them.

Blood energy pulsed from her, and behind her manifested the spectral image of an ox-shaped beast.

Witnessing this sight, Deacon Zhao’s eyes nearly burst from their sockets.

“Beast Shadow Manifestation (TL Note: A technique that summons a spiritual beast’s phantom)! Damn it! That woman has taken the Scarlet Glutton’s true essence!”

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