Chapter 393 - 399: Ancient Cold Sect Disciples Besieged
The moment he caught the cub, he was swarmed by demon beasts, leaving him no time to examine it closely.
Now that he had a proper look, he finally saw the problem.
He took out a special cleansing grass solution and poured it over the cub.
Soon, the pattern on its fur began to fade.
Fading...
Xiao Heyun’s vision went black. He couldn’t catch his breath.
He was already mentally exhausted and severely injured.
Unable to bear it any longer, he fainted from sheer rage.
’Host, Host...’
The system was dumbfounded too. ’Did the Host suffer all this for nothing? He was mauled by demon beasts, embarrassed himself in front of his target, and even got zapped by lightning. And the result was this ridiculous?’
’Even I would have passed out from anger.’
...
"Hahaha, that kid actually passed out from anger!"
The Golden Small Sword laughed louder than anyone, genuinely amused.
It couldn’t stop laughing for a long time.
Song Wanning was smiling too, unable to hold back her amusement.
Her doppelganger was still dealing with the enraged demon beasts, taking the opportunity to befriend Yun Yunzhou.
Although Yun Yunzhou was incredibly proud, her admiration for Liu Xingzhi was common knowledge.
The doppelganger simply had to praise Liu Xingzhi a few times and express her own admiration for him before Yun Yunzhou started seeing her as a kindred spirit. Yun Yunzhou’s attitude toward her warmed considerably.
However, this brief interaction confirmed for Song Wanning that Yun Yunzhou’s feelings for Liu Xingzhi were mostly hero-worship; for now, there seemed to be no romantic love between them.
Elder Liu Xingzhi also didn’t seem like the type to fall in love with his own disciple.
She couldn’t help but wonder, ’Is Jiang Cen’s so-called plot from the book even real?’
’Or is this all just part of the Wooden Sculpture World Heavenly Dao’s grand design?’
Song Wanning narrowed her eyes. She no longer trusted Jiang Cen’s words as she once had.
After putting away the Three Lives Mirror, she resumed her search deep in the mountains.
But after several days, there was still no trace of the Bodhi Tree.
’It seems it was just a rumor.’
Song Wanning decided not to waste any more time and headed for other areas.
...
「Another half a month passed.」
Song Wanning had found many treasures in the Secret Realm and encountered numerous dangers, but fortunately, she had made it through them all unscathed.
During this time, Jiang Cen had finally escaped the ferocious beast, but it had nearly cost him his life.
He had used up nearly all his talismans and Elixir Pills before he finally managed to shake off the beast and get a chance to catch his breath.
Meanwhile, Xiao Heyun had woken up long ago. Perhaps the shock had an opposite effect, as he had actually calmed down.
However, his injuries were so severe that he had no choice but to find a place to recuperate.
As a result, both men missed out on opportunities to search for treasure, which naturally worked to the advantage of Song Wanning and others.
Suddenly, while searching for treasure, Song Wanning received a message.
"All nearby Ancient Cold Sect disciples, assemble at Cloud Valley immediately! The Canglan Sect has gone too far—they’ve killed two of our disciples! Come quickly and avenge them!"
The message was from Yue Lin, the top-ranked disciple of the Ancient Cold Sect on the Heavenly Admiration List.
Song Wanning’s heart sank. She had heard whispers of this sort of thing even before entering the Secret Realm.
Because the Secret Realm blocked all outside perception, it was a perfect hunting ground for murderers and thieves.
Most disciples who perished inside didn’t die from traps or demon beasts, but at the hands of other Cultivators.
Now that Canglan Sect disciples had been caught after killing two disciples from the Ancient Cold Sect, this matter could not be resolved peacefully.
Her brow furrowed. She dispatched her doppelganger to the location while she herself continued to explore the Secret Realm.
At this moment, Song Wanning was more grateful than ever that she had refined her doppelganger. She was also glad she had added all of the Breathing Soil to it, which was why the doppelganger was able to advance its Cultivation simultaneously with her main body.
It was proving incredibly useful for resolving her troubles when needed.
...
"Yue Lin, what is the meaning of this? Are you trying to start a war between our Sects?"
The disciples of the Canglan Sect were gathered together, their cold gazes sweeping over Yue Lin and the few people behind him.
"Everyone’s busy hunting for treasure. You think they’re going to bother with you? Dream on!"
"Hand over the item now, or you’ll end up just like those two!"
Song Lan Tian’s eyes were filled with scorn. As the top disciple of the Canglan Sect on the Heavenly Admiration List, her rivalry with Yue Lin was nothing new.
Now that they had met in the Secret Realm, her killing intent was blatant and undisguised.
"That’s right, hand it over! We discovered the Heavenly Stone first. What right do you people from the Ancient Cold Sect have to forcibly take it?"
"Hand it over!!!"
The Canglan Sect disciples held a significant advantage in numbers. If Song Lan Tian hadn’t been holding them back, they would have charged in to fight long ago.
Yue Lin’s group had only four people in total, outnumbered by the Canglan Sect by seven or eight. They were already at a disadvantage in numbers alone.
Yue Lin’s expression was grim, but he refused to be provoked.
He didn’t hold out much hope that any other Ancient Cold Sect disciples would be able to make it.
The Secret Realm was vast, and everyone was spread far apart. Besides, some might be trapped in their own crises, completely unable to lend a hand.
Therefore, he was already prepared to fight against overwhelming odds.
"The Heavenly Stone belonged to our fallen disciples. You think you’re worthy of it?"
A bloodthirsty light flashed in his eyes, and the veins on the hand gripping his broadsword bulged.
"You murdered disciples of my Ancient Cold Sect to steal their treasure. Don’t even think about getting away clean. Even if we have to die together, we’ll take you down with us!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the three disciples beside him nodded, united by a common enemy.
The Canglan Sect had surrounded them, blocking their escape, all for the sake of the Heavenly Stone.
They would never hand it over!
"Fine, fine, fine!"
Song Lan Tian laughed in fury.
"Since you insist on courting death, don’t blame us for what happens next!"
"Charge!!!"
With a wave of her hand, the disciples behind her surged forward, attacking the small group in unison.
’As long as we kill them all, no one will know it was us!’
’So, we have to silence them all!’
The hearts of Yue Lin and his three companions sank. Each of them summoned a Magical Treasure and launched a counterattack.
In an instant, Spells filled the air in Cloud Valley, blanketing the entire gorge in a kaleidoscope of colored light.
A short while later, another disciple from the Ancient Cold Sect arrived. Seeing the dangerous situation, he immediately joined the fray.
But with such a disparity in numbers, and with everyone’s Cultivation at the Void Refining Stage, the Ancient Cold Sect disciples soon began to lose ground. One by one, they started sustaining injuries.
Meanwhile, Yue Lin and Song Lan Tian were locked in combat. Both were the top prodigies of their Sect’s new generation. Fueled by new hatred piled upon old grievances, their battle was exceptionally fierce.
"PFFT—"
"Canglan Sect, you’ve gone too far! So many of you against just a few of us! Aren’t you afraid of becoming a laughingstock if word of this gets out?"
"That’s right! If you have any guts, fight us fair and square! What’s so great about ganging up on us?"
Wounded and enraged, the Ancient Cold Sect disciples’ anger flared.
"Hmph. To the victor go the spoils. That’s just how it is. Who cares about the numbers!"
The Canglan Sect disciples weren’t fools. All that mattered was getting the treasure.
’Play fair?’
’Heh, how utterly ridiculous.’
"AARGH—"
A bloodcurdling scream rang out as a large chunk of flesh was sliced clean off an Ancient Cold Sect disciple’s waist.
The bloody piece of flesh was blasted into a fine paste by an incoming Spell before it even hit the ground.