Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind
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Outside Heaven Mending Peak, more than a dozen Formal Disciples had gathered. At their head were Zhao Xuhe, Fairy Qingchen, and the old man from the Scripture Repository Pavilion, Wang Bairong.
Among the group, only these three were at the middle stage of the Qi Refining Realm.
Zhao Xuhe stood at the very front, his voice resonant.
"Fellow Junior and Senior Brothers, I am deeply honored that you have accepted my invitation. Allow me to thank you all in advance."
After speaking, he bowed to the crowd.
"To be honest, I discovered a cultivator's dwelling left behind by a predecessor outside Heaven Mending Peak. Unfortunately, it is protected by a formation that I am unable to break through on my own."
Fairy Qingchen chimed in at the perfect moment, her soft, gentle voice sending a pleasant tingle through everyone who heard it.
"That is why I sought you all out. If we work together to break the formation, we can split the rewards within the dwelling evenly. Senior Brother Zhao is a member of the Three Rivers Association, and his reputation is well-known. He certainly won't let any of you suffer a loss."
Zhao Xuhe clearly had some skill.
He and Fairy Qingchen worked in concert, with Wang Bairong from the Scripture Repository Pavilion playing the supporting role. They quickly united the scattered group into a cohesive force.
Soon after, the group rode their escape lights away from Heaven Mending Peak.
The Heaven-Connecting Cloud Sea, where the Primal Saint Sect was located, was vast and seemingly endless. The group flew on their escape lights for fifteen minutes before stopping over a particular patch of clouds.
"This is the place."
With a thought, Zhao Xuhe used his True Qi to part the sea of clouds, revealing a magnificent mountain peak with excellent feng shui. At first glance, it resembled a coiled, ancient dragon.
"This place is called Coiling Dragon Island," Zhao Xuhe explained. "I've looked into it. It was the dwelling of a former True Disciple of our sect, Perfected Being Panlong. The feng shui grand array protecting it was once a Foundation Establishment-level formation, but over the years, the earth veins it relied on have dried up, leaving it with less than a tenth of its original power."
"Everyone, please follow me to break the formation."
As his voice fell, Zhao Xuhe took the lead, being the first to enter Coiling Dragon Island. Seeing this, the others dared not fall behind and flew in one by one.
A few moments later, a figure quietly appeared.
"Interesting."
Lu Yang gazed down at Coiling Dragon Island but had no intention of entering. Instead, he took out four black banners and began to set them up outside the island.
"The repayment deadline is approaching anyway. There isn't much time left in this life."
"Might as well go for a big score!"
"But this Coiling Dragon Island is strange and unpredictable. Zhao Xuhe has strength in numbers, and I'm just one person. I have no chance of winning if I go in and compete with them for opportunities."
After much thought, Lu Yang came up with a good plan.
First, he didn't believe for a second that there were 'good people' in the Demon Sect. Therefore, he was certain that Zhao Xuhe's scheme to gather people to storm the dwelling was definitely ill-intentioned.
However, with so many people present, including the old man Wang Bairong, even if Zhao Xuhe could take them all on, he would surely lose a few teeth in the process; he couldn't possibly emerge unscathed. That being the case, Lu Yang could set up a formation outside the island, lie in wait, and ambush whoever came out.
Wasn't that a much better deal than going inside to explore?
To this end, Lu Yang had even used his last 100 Contribution Points to exchange for a set of bewildering formations.
The four 'Bewildering Banners' could lock down the area and confuse one's sense of direction. Although they lacked offensive power, they could trap people inside, making it difficult to escape in a short time.
"Now, all I have to do is wait quietly... No rush. Haste makes waste, after all."
Lu Yang patiently lay in ambush.
"Zhao Xuhe! What is the meaning of this!?"
"If you kill us, our Life Lamps will go out! The sect will not spare you!"
Inside Coiling Dragon Island, a river of blood was already flowing.
The Formal Disciples, who had been working together just moments before, were now fighting for themselves, screaming in agony as a bloody light harvested their lives one by one.
Far from the crowd, Zhao Xuhe and Fairy Qingchen stood side by side.
Their expressions were mocking, their brows arrogant, and they exuded a sinister, evil aura. Their demeanor was a world away from the earnest one they had shown when inviting everyone.
Facing the crowd's furious accusations, Zhao Xuhe sneered, his tone chilling.
"There's no need to struggle. I arranged this place meticulously. This 'Blood Devil Soul-Slaying Saber' alone cost me a full 3,000 Contribution Points. Not a single one of you will escape Coiling Dragon Island today!"
As he spoke, several more people lost their lives.
The bloody light flashed through the air, instantly sucking their flesh and blood dry before revealing its true form—a crimson flying saber.
"You! Bastard!"
In the crowd, the only one still able to resist was the old man from the Scripture Repository Pavilion, Wang Bairong. However, Zhao Xuhe was in no hurry to kill him, choosing instead to wear him down.
While wearing him down, Zhao Xuhe continued to mock him with a cold smile.
"Surnamed Wang, did you really think you'd live to spend my money? The only reason I bought those Death-Substituting Yin Skeletons from you was for today! Otherwise, if you had a pile of them, it wouldn't be so easy for me to take you down."
"Now, I've bought all your Death-Substituting Yin Skeletons."
"Once I kill you, I can take back the Contribution Points I gave you. It's as if I got a pile of Death-Substituting Yin Skeletons for free."
"When you put it that way, I really should thank you!"
Zhao Xuhe's heart-piercing words made Wang Bairong so angry he nearly coughed up blood. Zhao Xuhe seized the opportunity, and with a flash, the flying saber plunged into his chest.
*Thud!*
Wang Bairong's lips moved slightly, his face filled with unwillingness, but he couldn't utter a single word before the flying saber drained all his Qi and blood. He collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
With Wang Bairong dealt with, the dust settled.
A few moments later, the wails of agony gradually ceased.
"Congratulations, Senior Brother!"
Fairy Qingchen was also drenched in sweat. The Blood Devil Soul-Slaying Saber consumed a massive amount of energy, and her contribution was essential for Zhao Xuhe to kill so many people.
"I must thank you as well, Junior Sister."
Zhao Xuhe smiled faintly and retracted the Blood Devil Soul-Slaying Saber into his hand.
"How is it? With its current power, can it break that restriction?"
Fairy Qingchen observed it for a moment, her delicate brows furrowing.
"It seems to be just a little short..."
*Swish—!*
The saber went in and came out. Fairy Qingchen's pretty face was blank, her eyes staring dazedly at the crimson flying saber embedded in her abdomen. In the blink of an eye, she too was sucked into a dried corpse.
"Now it's not."
Zhao Xuhe looked at the Blood Devil Soul-Slaying Saber in his hand and nodded in satisfaction. He then walked to a tightly sealed meditation chamber deep within Coiling Dragon Island.
Without a word, he raised the saber and slashed.
"BOOM!"
An earth-shaking roar echoed as the chamber door shattered, revealing its contents. Inside, a single jade box sat prominently.
With a look of ecstasy, Zhao Xuhe walked over and opened the jade box. Inside lay a Daoist scripture in two volumes.
The first volume was titled *Nine Transformations of the Dragon Art*.
The second volume was titled *Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon-Riding Ascension Treasure Scroll*.
Looking at the two Daoist scriptures in the jade box, Zhao Xuhe's hands trembled with excitement.
"A third-grade True Technique! It really is a third-grade True Technique that leads directly to the Golden Core Grand Dao!"
"Master truly didn't lie to me."
"Master said I endured three lifetimes of bitter cultivation, accumulating merit for Perfected Being Panlong. In this life, my merit is finally complete, and Perfected Being Panlong's legacy is my destined opportunity."
"From this day on, as long as I cultivate diligently, refine 'True Dragon Qi,' and build the 'Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon-Riding' Dao foundation, I will surely be able to rediscover my true self and complete my reincarnation. And with a third-grade True Technique, not only will the path to Foundation Establishment be smooth, but the Golden Core Grand Dao will also be within reach!"
The more Zhao Xuhe thought about it, the more excited he became. He immediately put away the Daoist scriptures.
"Switching cultivation methods requires dispersing my current cultivation. There's no time to lose. I must return to my dwelling immediately and enter seclusion. When I emerge, I can formally become Master's disciple."
Filled with hope for the future, Zhao Xuhe rode his escape light and flew swiftly out of Coiling Dragon Island.
The next second, however, Zhao Xuhe's expression changed drastically.
"Who's there—"
"BOOM!"
At that moment, Zhao Xuhe's eyes widened, but all he could see was a magnificent sword light, striking like a thunderbolt, that instantly reached him!
(End of this chapter)