Too Many Loose Ends
The size of this whole thing was just too big. There were far too many suspicious details to dismiss them as a couple of petty thieves stumbled upon by chance in a secret realm.
The Qi Condensation cultivator who possessed an Operating Root had openly declared himself a rogue cultivator from the Eastern Continent. That alone made the Foundation Establishment cultivator standing beside him an open book. Neither of them bore any sect emblems or family insignias. If they had belonged to a major sect or clan, they would have thrown their names around and flaunted their backing long ago. Instead, they were nothing more than rogue cultivators. And yet a Foundation Establishment rogue had dragged a Qi Condensation rogue deep into someone else’s secret realm. On top of that, they were moving together on the same mission.
If one of them is from the Eastern Continent, the other one obviously is too.
Baek Cheong didn’t even need to ask. The answer was clear: both were rogue cultivators who had crossed over from the Eastern Continent. Once she reached that conclusion, their awkward behavior finally made sense. They should have shattered their escape jade tokens and fled long ago, yet neither had done so. The reason was obvious—they had entered this secret realm with hidden motives and were afraid of drawing attention.
They definitely aren’t after the Cloud Spiritual Pearl for any ordinary reason.
Using the puppet’s mouth, Baek Cheong triggered another hallucination.
“Why would rogue cultivators from the Eastern Continent crawl all the way to the Southern Continent just to target a spiritual pearl?”
What came back was a long stretch of silence. Both the Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment cultivators shook their heads in unison.
So they’re not planning to talk nicely.
Baek Cheong put on a firm front mixed with threatening bravado.
“Do I need to scramble your souls with soul-searching arts before you’ll open your mouths?”
“I-I was only ordered to retrieve the Cloud Spiritual Pearl! I really don’t know anything else!”
At the mention of soul-searching arts, the Qi Condensation cultivator practically jumped out of his skin. The Foundation Establishment cultivator turned deathly pale and cried out right after.
“A demonic cultivator has invaded the Biun Sect’s secret realm!”
Listening to them, Baek Cheong let out a dumbfounded snort. They had arbitrarily decided she was a demonic cultivator just because she mentioned soul-searching arts.
Well, it’s convenient that they’re scaring themselves into thinking I’m some terrifying monster.
She had no intention of correcting them. The more terrified they were of a supposed demonic cultivator, the looser their tongues would become. Yet even though they were scared, they still weren’t spilling any useful information. So she decided to put on a little show. She moved one of the puppets, slowly closing in on the Foundation Establishment cultivator in a deliberately oppressive manner. Perhaps because of the puppet’s imposing appearance, he hurriedly opened his mouth.
“I-I’ll talk! It was an order from above, so I don’t know the full details either!”
The Foundation Establishment cultivator chewed his words for a moment, then glanced nervously at the puppet before adding in a rush,
“B-But I did hear that the Dongcheon Sansu Alliance isn’t just collecting spiritual pearls from the Southern Continent—they’re gathering them from other continents too!”
At the name Dongcheon Sansu Alliance, Baek Cheong narrowed her eyes. She had vaguely heard rumors that rogue cultivators from the Eastern Continent had formed some kind of alliance. It was a place where, despite having no Soul Formation experts in its major sects, there were actually two among the rogue cultivators. If those people were banding together to collect spiritual pearls across multiple continents…
This is no small operation.
Each spiritual pearl was a heavenly treasure on par with natural spiritual pearls. Gathering such valuable items across entire continents couldn’t be dismissed as mere ambition. Whatever they planned to use them for, it was clear that some massive, shadowy scheme was in motion.
This is definitely not a stage I should step onto.
After hearing that much, Baek Cheong actually wanted to wash her hands of the whole affair. It felt like she had learned something she shouldn’t have. For a moment she even considered dragging the two cultivators back to the Biun Sect and handing them over. But that didn’t sit right with her either. The obvious question would be how a mere Qi Condensation cultivator had managed to capture two Eastern Continent rogues, one of whom was at Foundation Establishment. It would be the same as voluntarily revealing the hidden cards she had worked so hard to conceal. Worst of all, getting involved unnecessarily could drag not only herself but her entire family into a troublesome mess.
There’s absolutely nothing to gain from sticking my nose into this.
Baek Cheong decided to drop the matter without regret. Instead, she chose to put on one final convincing performance.
“The Cloud Spiritual Pearl will be taken by the Gu Yu Demon Palace.”
The name Gu Yu Demon Palace was borrowed from a demonic faction she had once heard about on the Mumeongbang forum. She intended to make it look like a demonic group had snatched the pearl. The moment she finished speaking, she made the puppets vanish into the dark clouds. Then she slowly dispersed the black clouds that had been covering the area with her illusion array. The pitch-black sea of clouds gradually returned to its original pure white color. At the same time, she remained hidden inside the Concealment Formation.
There was no way for her to leave the area in one swift move anyway. She couldn’t use cloud-hiding techniques inside the sea of clouds, and running around would be too slow. Nor did she have any desire to waste a perfectly good escape jade token. The moment she broke it, she would have to say goodbye to a secret realm filled with valuable medicinal herbs.
There’s still a mountain of stuff left to sweep up. No way I’m leaving now.
So rather than disappearing herself, it was better to make the two cultivators leave on their own. Baek Cheong held her breath deep inside the Concealment Formation and quietly observed the pair.
It took the Qi Condensation cultivator quite a while to realize he was still alive. He had been certain the demonic cultivator was about to tear his soul apart. Yet somehow his life remained perfectly intact. The Foundation Establishment cultivator beside him was also patting himself down with a dazed expression. Only then did the realization that they had survived hit them both, and their legs gave out.
Even so, it was too early to let their guard down. There was no telling when the demonic cultivator might change his mind and come back. Without needing to discuss it, the two cultivators hurriedly left the area. Only after running through the sea of clouds for a long time did they finally slow their pace.
Around that time, the Qi Condensation cultivator suddenly stopped in his tracks. His Operating Root had picked up a familiar presence from far away.
“The Cloud Spiritual Pearl… is absorbing clouds again. It’s gotten quite far away.”
The fact that the Cloud Spiritual Pearl was once again devouring clouds in the distance meant the demonic cultivator had also moved far off. Only then did the Foundation Establishment cultivator let out a deep sigh of relief.
But the moment his relief set in, his eyes suddenly sharpened.
“How dare you reveal our alliance’s secrets.”
With a stern expression, the Foundation Establishment cultivator pressed the Qi Condensation cultivator.
“When we return to the alliance, you will be held accountable for losing the Cloud Spiritual Pearl along with this transgression.”
The Qi Condensation cultivator was so dumbfounded he was rendered speechless. The one who had actually mentioned the Dongcheon Sansu Alliance was the Foundation Establishment cultivator himself. He had let the secret slip from his own mouth and was now trying to pin the blame on someone else. Still, the Qi Condensation cultivator was in no position to argue with a Foundation Establishment expert. He swallowed his anger and lowered his head.
“…Understood.”
Once the scolding was over, the heavy tension between them finally eased. Thanks to the loosened atmosphere, the Qi Condensation cultivator absentmindedly replayed the recent events in his mind. The thing he had knocked down thinking it was Cheon-un had definitely been a puppet. And the weapon used to attack the Foundation Establishment cultivator had been a sword.
“A puppet… and a sword…”
It was an unusual combination. People who controlled puppets were rare, and those who wielded both puppets and swords were even rarer. Yet the combination felt strangely familiar. The more he thought about it, the more one particular person came to mind—the Heavenly Pride of the Yeonha Baek Clan whom he had faced in the main tournament of the Magic Tournament.
There was just one thing that bothered him. The Heavenly Pride of the Yeonha Baek Clan was clearly only at Qi Condensation, the same as himself. The demonic cultivator he had just encountered had toyed with a Foundation Establishment cultivator as if the man were a toy in the palm of his hand. That was not something a mere Qi Condensation cultivator should have been capable of.
But when he glanced at the Foundation Establishment cultivator beside him, his thoughts shifted. The man in front of him was acting like a complete fool. Yet his talent was undeniable—he was already eyeing second-grade Dharma techniques despite being only at mid Foundation Establishment. Appearances could be deceiving. And if it was the Heavenly Pride of the Yeonha Baek Clan, that went double.
The strength the Heavenly Pride had displayed during the main tournament had far surpassed anyone in his peer group. Moreover, he had never once drawn the sword from its sheath. There was no telling how many more hidden abilities he possessed. Taking all of that into consideration…
It wouldn’t be strange at all if that demonic cultivator had actually been the Heavenly Pride of the Yeonha Baek Clan.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, a chill ran down the Qi Condensation cultivator’s spine. Losing the Cloud Spiritual Pearl had been a painful mistake. But if the Heavenly Pride of the Yeonha Baek Clan had taken it, there was still a way to recover it. And if he reported the suspicious name Gu Yu Demon Palace as well…
He might just return to the alliance and receive a reward instead of punishment. The Qi Condensation cultivator rejoiced inwardly, finding hope amid despair.
Right at that moment—
“Looks like the worms are right here. Whoever got to you, thanks for making my job easier.”
An unexpected voice came from behind them. At the same time, the Qi Condensation cultivator felt a hollow emptiness in his chest. He slowly looked down. A large hole had been punched clean through the area around his heart. Before he could even process what had happened, his body pitched forward.
As his vision faded, he heard the Foundation Establishment cultivator’s shout.
“Cheon-un! You dare break the agreement…!”
A cold voice answered.
“Agreement? I have no idea what you’re talking about. Once you two disappear, there won’t be anyone left who knows.”
With those final words, the Qi Condensation cultivator’s consciousness sank into darkness.