Chapter 39: The Unveiling Trap

Therefore, at this critical juncture, Zhou Xueqi and her companions understood the paramount importance of maintaining their composure. She swiftly transmitted a message to her six junior siblings, urging them to first discern the true nature of their predicament. This cautious approach was crucial to prevent them from falling prey to the enemy’s diversionary tactics.

Yet, unbeknownst to her, they had already stumbled into the enemy’s elaborate snare. With Deng Wenqing, the formidable traitor, secretly relaying their every move, and the adversaries lurking in the shadows, they remained utterly oblivious to their true objectives.

As they continued to pursue Deng Wenqing, they soon spotted six masked cultivators soaring ahead. One of them, chillingly, held a Spirit Sword Mountain disciple captive.

“Audacious scoundrels! Release our Spirit Sword Mountain disciple immediately, and we shall spare your lives!” the leading disciple of Blazing Flame Peak roared, his voice imbued with the formidable aura of his Foundation Establishment cultivation. He accelerated, closing the distance rapidly.

Upon seeing the approaching reinforcements from Spirit Sword Mountain, the masked figures exchanged glances before scattering in different directions. This sudden dispersal immediately posed a dilemma for the Blazing Flame Peak disciples.

“Brother Ran, what should we do?” a female disciple inquired. “Should we pursue those who fled?”

The leading disciple swiftly assessed the cultivation levels of the fleeing enemies, then issued a decisive command.

“These individuals are not highly cultivated. I will chase the Ninth-stage Qi Condensation cultivator who holds our fellow disciple captive. The rest of you, pursue the others. Capture them if you can; otherwise, execute them on the spot.”

The disciples nodded in unison before splitting up. Deng Wenqing, being a Ninth-stage Qi Condensation cultivator himself, naturally found himself pursuing one of the enemies alone.

“Heh.” A cold sneer flickered across Deng Wenqing’s face the moment they separated, as if everything was unfolding precisely according to his meticulous calculations.

He had deliberately arranged for these mercenary cultivators to create an opportunity for him to leave the main group. He needed to personally witness Lin Xue’s demise before he could truly rest easy.

Lin Shuang’s absence this time was a slight disappointment, though he understood why. With her injuries yet to fully heal, the sect would undoubtedly not permit a wounded disciple to undertake such a mission.

However, in his estimation, Lin Xue posed a far greater threat than Lin Shuang. The reason was simple: Lin Xue possessed a calm and steady temperament, acting reliably and without impulsiveness. Compared to Lin Shuang, her potential to become the next Sect Master was significantly higher.

“They’ve split up?” Su Yun’s brow furrowed, yet she remained steadfast in her pursuit of Deng Wenqing.

Deng Wenqing continued his chase for a while, only stopping once he was certain no fellow disciples were nearby. The mercenary cultivator who had been fleeing ahead also halted.

He cast a glance at Deng Wenqing, then nodded, before continuing his escape in a different direction.

This entire exchange naturally did not escape Su Yun’s keen eyes.

‘Damn it. It seems my suspicions were correct; they know each other.’ Su Yun’s expression turned exceedingly grim.

Fortunately, she had followed. Had she not, Lin Xue would undoubtedly be in grave danger.

Without a word, Su Yun drew her sniper rifle, taking aim at the figure. Since this individual had deliberately separated from the main group, it presented her with a perfect opportunity for an assassination.

Currently, she was approximately 2000 meters from Deng Wenqing. However, at this range, precision was compromised. As Lei Yan had once cautioned, targets were not stationary. If her first shot missed, or failed to strike a vital point, she would be unlikely to get a second chance.

A Ninth-stage Qi Condensation cultivator could easily escape the range of a sniper rifle. Thus, Su Yun needed to close the distance and set an ambush.

This individual was undoubtedly heading towards Lin Xue’s location, so Su Yun moved ahead, rushing towards Lin Xue’s position, intending to intercept and eliminate him along the way.

Indeed, not long after, Deng Wenqing also pursued in that direction. However, he had changed his attire, donned a mask, and even used a special technique to mask his identity token.

This way, even if he were spotted by Spirit Sword Mountain disciples, they would not recognize him as one of their own. At most, they would mistake him for a member of the mercenary group.

Meanwhile, trouble was brewing for Lin Xue and her group. Their failure to rendezvous with the others played directly into the hands of these mercenaries.

As Zhou Xueqi and her companions awaited news, a fiery red talisman suddenly shot from a certain direction towards them.

“Ah? No, an enemy attack!” Zhou Xueqi sensed the danger instantly.

Lin Xue and the others glanced in the direction of the incoming threat before immediately scattering. The fiery red talisman, a Blazing Charm, detonated precisely in the center of their six-person formation.

Boom!

Once they had dispersed, the enemies made their grand entrance.

“Hahaha… Fellow Daoists of Spirit Sword Mountain, we apologize for the long wait!” Six cultivators appeared, encircling Lin Xue and her group from all six directions.

Zhou Xueqi’s gaze swept across them, her expression shifting dramatically. The opposing force consisted of two Foundation Establishment cultivators and four Ninth-stage Qi Condensation cultivators. One of them matched her own cultivation, yet she was their only Foundation Establishment cultivator.

“Damn it, we’ve fallen into a trap!” Zhou Xueqi’s heart sank.

Nevertheless, despite the grim realization, she knew she had to remain composed.

“Who are you people? Two Foundation Establishment cultivators—you are certainly not an ordinary group of rogue cultivators. Who hired you, and what do you intend?” Zhou Xueqi demanded.

These individuals would surely never reveal their employer’s identity.

“Heh, my apologies, but we cannot reveal who we are. Attack!” The leading Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator sneered, then issued his command without hesitation.

He launched himself at Zhou Xueqi with incredible speed. The others engaged the remaining four Ninth-stage Qi Condensation cultivators, while the second Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator surprisingly made a direct move on Lin Xue.

“No, Junior Sister Lin, be careful! Their target is you!” Zhou Xueqi cried out, comprehending the entire scheme the moment she saw the other Foundation Establishment cultivator’s attack trajectory.

This so-called sect incident was likely nothing more than an elaborate ploy, a trap specifically designed for Lin Xue.

Lin Xue watched the Foundation Establishment cultivator charge towards her, her expression changing dramatically. She instinctively retreated several steps, a look of panic flashing across her face. She knew she couldn’t withstand a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s assault.

‘How could this be? Who is targeting me?’ Lin Xue’s mind raced, quickly recalling Deng Wenqing’s sinister expression.

‘It’s him? Damn it!’ Lin Xue clenched her fists, watching her assailant draw closer, feeling utterly helpless.

Zhou Xueqi desperately wanted to intervene, but her opponent gave her no opportunity. Even if she were to use a life-saving artifact gifted by her elders at this moment, it would likely have little effect.

However, just as the attacker was about to strike Lin Xue, a golden light suddenly flared from Lin Xue’s chest, enveloping her. The assailant’s palm struck the golden barrier.

It appeared Lin Xue possessed a life-saving treasure. This artifact was now shielding her from the fatal blow.

“A Golden Light Talisman?” The attacker’s face hardened.

Yet, he didn’t seem entirely surprised. As a direct disciple of the Spirit Sword Mountain Sect Master, it would be unthinkable for her not to carry some form of life-preserving item.

Still, if no one came to Lin Xue’s aid, this talisman could only protect her a few times; such items had limited uses.

“Junior Sister Lin, run!” Zhou Xueqi, relieved to see the treasure protecting Lin Xue, immediately shouted.

“Still concerned with others? You should worry about yourself first!” The man attacking Zhou Xueqi wielded two daggers, his attack speed incredibly swift. He appeared to be a cultivator specializing in wind-attribute techniques.

Zhou Xueqi was clearly at a disadvantage in terms of speed.

Seizing this opportunity, Lin Xue decisively turned to flee.

“Run? Don’t even think about it! I’d like to see how many more times your talisman can hold up!” The Early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator immediately gave chase, launching another palm strike. This cultivator specialized in fire-attribute techniques, his attacks manifesting as fiery blasts.

But just as the second attack was about to strike Lin Xue, a dull thud echoed, accompanied by a colossal, fire-infused greatsword that streaked rapidly from a distance.

“Harm not Junior Sister Lin!”

The Early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator felt a powerful force hurtling towards him, his face contorting in alarm. He hastily moved to block, but the next moment, the fiery greatsword slammed heavily into him. Although he had his magical energy defense to mitigate the blow, the disparity in their power was too great.

In an instant, the Early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was sent flying.

“Pfft!” The Early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator immediately spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

At the same moment, a tall and imposing figure descended from the sky, landing squarely in front of Lin Xue.

“Spirit Sword Mountain, Artifact Forging Peak’s Fan Yang is here!” The newcomer bellowed, glaring at the injured Early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Lin Xue stared at the tall young man who had suddenly arrived to rescue her, momentarily stunned.

On the other side, Zhou Xueqi, still entangled with the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, saw this scene, and a look of joyous surprise spread across her face.

“Senior Brother Fan, it’s actually you! How did you come to be here? Ah, but that doesn’t matter now! Please protect Junior Sister Lin Xue; these people are targeting her!” Zhou Xueqi finally breathed a sigh of relief, now able to fully concentrate on her own opponent.

The young man wielding the daggers, who was fighting Zhou Xueqi, watched this unfold, his expression changing dramatically.

“Damn it, there’s another Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator? Is Deng Wenqing deliberately trying to screw us over?” The young man felt a strong urge to retreat.

They had no second Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Relying solely on his Early-stage Foundation Establishment companion, it would be impossible to defeat this giant of a man. The oppressive aura emanating from Fan Yang was far more intense than anything Zhou Xueqi exuded.

Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators also varied in strength, and Fan Yang was on the verge of breaking through to the Late-stage Foundation Establishment realm.

Lin Xue’s crisis was now resolved. Fan Yang had arrived a little late because he had been searching for them; otherwise, Lin Xue wouldn’t have even needed to use her talisman.