Everything ultimately traced back to the chaos in Sky Rift Valley.
From the elder daoist’s account, Yu Ci learned that the Rifting Earth Sect had already taken measures against the disturbance caused by the creatures of Sky Rift Valley. The sect had mobilized its immense power, effectively stabilizing the situation around the valley.
Good news continued to pour in: every day, Tribulation Immortal-level demons were defeated, marking the achievements of the sect’s cultivators. The “passage” that allowed demons to invade this realm had been located, and no new demons could enter. Experts skilled in void manipulation, invited by the sect, had begun sealing or controlling the passage. The chilling underworld tide was weakening by the day, with expectations that it would completely subside within half a month.
This demonstrated the incredible strength of the Rifting Earth Sect. Yet, behind such a show of power lay the sect’s struggle with insufficient manpower.
According to Yu Zhou, the sect’s disciples, both direct and external, numbered less than two thousand. Many were traveling for training and were not stationed at the sect’s headquarters. Meanwhile, they had to cover an area spanning tens of thousands of miles, impacted by the tide. Tasks like demon extermination, passage sealing, and beast management all demanded resources. Even with reinforcements from the Sunset Valley Sect on the other side of Sky Rift Valley, their efforts remained stretched thin, leaving many areas unattended.
Under these circumstances, outsiders like Jin Chuan and Kuang Yanqi, who had only recently joined the sect for short-term training, were recruited to assist. Their role was nominally to aid Daoist Yu Zhou in handling matters related to Cliff City, but in truth, they acted as liaisons between the city and the Rifting Earth Sect. This arrangement was likely due to their ties to the Sun Light Sect and the lack of personnel available to oversee the two.
According to the plan, Jin Chuan and Kuang Yanqi were scheduled to depart for Cliff City within days. Once the matter in Sky Rift Valley was resolved, they would return to the sect to continue their training. But what were the two young men planning in the meantime?
Yu Ci’s gaze swept over them. Jin Chuan’s laughable yet intriguing demeanor revealed much. If the informants in Heart Prohibition Temple had provided all the intelligence they had, Jin Chuan should know that, purely in terms of strength, he was at a disadvantage. Though all three of them had just reached the initial stage of Divine Connectivity, Yu Ci’s illustrious accomplishments in and around Sky Rift Valley were far more compelling than any mere cultivation benchmarks.
Yu Ci was curious—what exactly were these two relying on, especially Jin Chuan?
“Yu Ci, you’ve been exposed!”
Jin Chuan’s opening remark nearly made Yu Ci laugh out loud. The young man’s tone resembled that of a law enforcer in a mundane city. Back in Chen Kingdom, Yu Ci had encountered plenty of such characters. However, the fact that Jin Chuan hadn’t immediately come demanding justice for the Sun Light Sect caught him slightly off guard.
Seeing Yu Ci laugh, Jin Chuan’s expression darkened further, his eyes glaring with intensity. “Don’t play dumb. You think your actions can fool others, but they can’t fool me. You were colluding with demons in Sky Rift Valley, weren’t you?”
This time, Yu Ci didn’t laugh. Being accused of such an absurd crime was no laughing matter. His brow furrowed as he looked at Jin Chuan. “Young Master Jin, have your two months at the sect only taught you how to spout nonsense?”
His words were a subtle jab at Jin Chuan’s immaturity. Unfortunately, the sarcasm was lost on Jin Chuan in his current state.
“Don’t give me that!” Jin Chuan waved his hand forcefully, his attitude unyielding. “I’ve seen the reports you submitted to the sect. You deliberately obscured key details. Don’t think no one knows your background! Officially, you only arrived at Cliff City last year, and this was your first time in Sky Rift Valley. Yet, how are you so familiar with the terrain? Those rare herbs and the Dragon Fish you found—were they all cultivated by your family? And how did you happen to lead Elder Tu right to the demons when they first crossed the boundary? Once might be a coincidence, twice perhaps—but three or four times?”
Jin Chuan’s fixation on these details caught Yu Ci off guard.
Indeed, in this world, no task was impossible if someone put their mind to it. Jin Chuan, seemingly intent on framing him, had managed to identify several weak points in his account. If elaborated further, would Yu Ci be painted as a villain beyond redemption?
The crux of these weak points revolved around the “Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror.” Yet, not all of Jin Chuan’s information likely came from official reports. With Jin Chuan’s background, the Sun Light Sect’s informants must have provided him with additional intelligence. The combination of both sources raised suspicions.
Ultimately, though, these suspicions depended on whose hands they fell into. Daoist Yu Zhou, for example, likely noticed the same issues but chose to dismiss them with a laugh.
Thus, Yu Ci saw no need to respond to Jin Chuan’s accusations. Instead, he was curious about what Jin Chuan planned to do next. He replied calmly, “And then?”
Jin Chuan gritted his teeth. “You devil’s spawn! I’m going to drag you before the immortals and expose your true face!”
As he spoke, he seemed ready to act. Yu Ci had already sensed the shift and tilted his body slightly, preparing to counter. Just then, a loud voice rang out from above.
“Jin Chuan, how dare you!”
At the same moment, Kuang Yanqi, who had remained silent until now, rushed forward—not toward Yu Ci, but to grab Jin Chuan’s arm firmly, shouting, “Brother Jin, you mustn’t!”
Jin Chuan was initially stunned, then furious. He punched and kicked, trying to break free from Kuang Yanqi’s grip. However, his cultivation was slightly weaker than Kuang Yanqi’s, not to mention the intimidating cry that had just echoed overhead, making him inwardly fearful. After struggling for a while, he could only continue grappling, leaving Yu Ci on the sidelines.
Yu Ci chuckled silently as he observed and looked up. In mid-air, the Ghost Silk Cloud hovered about twenty zhang high. Before it could stabilize, a figure flashed from the cloud, and the glow of treasure descended—more precisely, it was carried down by someone.
Descending rapidly from twenty zhang without any buffer would have required Yu Ci to rely on his ethereal sword intent and drive the innate Qi within him to avoid internal injuries. However, the person carrying the treasure seemed to handle the descent with ease. Before Yu Ci could react, the two had landed, neat and swift.
“Senior Brother Yu, are you all right?”
The Bao Guang hurried forward a few steps. After confirming that Yu Ci was unharmed, he turned back and pointed at Jin Chuan and Kuang Yanqi, who were still entangled, cursing loudly, “You people from the Sun Light Sect are so shameless! Not satisfied with bullying the weak and ganging up on others in Sky Rift Valley, now you come to Heart Prohibition Temple, borrowing Senior Brother Li’s artifact to harm others. Are your hearts pitch-black? Just wait—I’ll definitely report this to Master!”
This young daoist, no more than seventeen or eighteen years old and merely at the Enlightened Spirit stage of cultivation, was now pointing at Jin Chuan and Kuang Yanqi, scolding them harshly. How could these two pampered young masters tolerate such treatment? Jin Chuan was enraged, and even Kuang Yanqi’s expression darkened.
Just as the atmosphere grew tense, the man who had come with the Bao Guang chuckled.
“Little one, mind your manners. If you scold people, I’ll have to inform your Master too!”
Yu Ci had been observing this man all along. Unlike the two young masters, he was dressed in plain blue robes, clean and simple. Despite his casual appearance, his sturdy build and the well-defined muscles beneath his thin outerwear gave off a powerful presence. His round face and slightly upturned lips made him appear perpetually smiling and approachable.
It was this man’s arrival that had made Jin Chuan and Kuang Yanqi suppress their anger earlier. Now that he spoke, the two stopped their scuffle, stepped aside, and called respectfully, “Senior Brother Li.”
Senior Brother Li nodded at Yu Ci before turning to the two young masters with the same genial smile. “Jin, it seems you’re in no mood to practice the ‘Dragon Capture and Crane Release’ technique. How about returning my One Qi Thousand Knots Yin Thunder Net now?”
Meanwhile, the Bao Guang explained the situation to Yu Ci. Jin Chuan, under the pretext of assisting Old Daoist Yu Zhou in handling affairs in Cliff City, had read Yu Ci’s account of the events at Sky Rift Valley. Twisting the facts, he fabricated charges against Yu Ci and borrowed Senior Brother Li’s One Qi Thousand Knots Yin Thunder Net to act against him. Fortunately, in the Heart Prohibition Temple, the Bao Guang had many informants. Upon hearing the news, he stormed off to find Senior Brother Li and dragged him along to the rescue, resulting in the current scene.
Jin Chuan’s face turned awkward as he fumbled for an excuse but found none. Flushing with embarrassment, he reluctantly handed over a pitch-black orb from his sleeve. Senior Brother Li accepted it with a cheerful grin, tossing it lightly in his hand before addressing Jin Chuan, “You two should be more cautious. While what you’re doing now isn’t a big deal, I don’t mind personally. But I hear Senior Sister Meng will be arriving in the next few days. If she catches you, well, you won’t find a single person in the entire sect to plead for you!”
Jin Chuan and Kuang Yanqi managed to keep their composure, but the Bao Guang bristled. “Senior Brother Li, what kind of talk is that? What do you mean, ‘not a big deal’? Your One Qi Thousand Knots Yin Thunder Net spans over a li in range and is perfect for capturing people. Were you really going to let those two black-hearted guys tie up Senior Brother Yu?”
Senior Brother Li, still smiling, turned towards Yu Ci. “If they had tied him up, that would have been troublesome. But they didn’t, did they?”
The Bao Guang fumed, “What kind of reasoning is that!”
Senior Brother Li quickly waved his hands. “Don’t be mad at me; I’m just stating the facts. Look, Senior Brother Yu is standing here just fine, isn’t he?”
“That’s because I arrived in time!” the Bao Guang retorted angrily, nearly stomping his feet. “Senior Brother Li, are you trying to curry favor now so you can have an easier time eating and drinking in Cliff City later?”
“How could that be!” Senior Brother Li, knowing the Bao Guang was venting in frustration, merely chuckled. His cheerful demeanor, however, made it clear he was teasing the young daoist. Then, he extended his hand, letting everyone see the pitch-black orb in his palm.
“See? Just like this…”
Before he could finish, a loud “boom” resounded. From Senior Brother Li’s palm, a ring of dark clouds expanded outward. The rolling mist seemed to be swept up by a gale, and amidst the fog, an intricate web of nearly invisible threads unfolded, spanning the area. Sparks of lightning danced along the threads as they interacted with the dark mist, surging across the surrounding li. The accumulated snow on nearby trees was shaken loose by the current, leaving the branches bare.
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