"What is it?" Song Changsheng suppressed his inner urgency and asked in a low voice.
"Look over there." Xu Yunhe gestured with a tilt of his chin toward a spot not far away.
Following the direction, Song Changsheng spotted a cave half-hidden by vines and overgrown weeds. It was only a few li from the center of the battlefield, and there were visible traces of a recent fight, the signs leading to the front lines.
"That's probably where the demonic cultivator was hiding. After the people from Lieyang Sect discovered it, they must've used some means to lure him into the formation and trap him for the kill," Xu Yunhe speculated.
"Most likely. But I have to admit, these folks are quite skilled. They managed to lay down a chained formation right under the nose of a Purple Mansion cultivator. How did they even pull that off?" Song Changsheng, a formation master himself, knew exactly how difficult that was.
Even setting up a second-grade formation was no easy task, let alone a second-grade chained formation.
And to do it under the watchful eye of a Purple Mansion cultivator? Song Changsheng couldn't wrap his head around it. All he could say was that the world was full of hidden talents.
"See how that demonic cultivator is acting alone? Could it be that the kidnapped auctioneer is still inside that cave?" Xu Yunhe pondered aloud, his gaze narrowing.
Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow. After thinking it through for a moment, he realized it was entirely possible. The enemy had gone out of their way to abduct Xia Wanyun, which meant she was of great use to them, probably an important hostage. There'd be no reason to dispose of her so easily.
Which made it highly likely that Xia Wanyun was still inside that cave.
"I remember the bounty notice from the auction house. Killing the demonic cultivator was secondary; the real priority was rescuing Xia Wanyun. If we bring her back, the reward will be quite handsome." A gleam flashed in Song Changsheng's eyes.
Xu Yunhe was momentarily stunned. Then it hit him, and he couldn't help but feel tempted.
Noticing the shift in his expression, Song Changsheng knew he'd taken the bait. He pressed on, "Both sides are locked in battle right now, it's the perfect chance for us to make our move. Fellow Daoist Xu, what do you think?"
'Is it worth offending the Lieyang Sect?' That was the question Xu Yunhe posed to his soul.
But in the next instant, he firmed his resolve. As a rogue cultivator, he had nothing to lose. Barefooted men have no fear of those in shoes. As long as he didn't offend one of the two major sects directly, no one in the Great Qi cultivation world could truly hold him down.
"Alright, Brother Song. What's the plan?"
"We sneak over there first. If we alert them, it'll be a mess."
The two concealed their figures and suppressed their auras, blending into the environment as they made their way toward the cave entrance.
The battle had drawn all of the Lieyang Sect's attention, so their approach went smoothly. Not a single cliché misstep, no snapping twigs, no random alarms. In almost no time, they arrived safely at the cave mouth.
Song Changsheng extended his divine sense, cautiously scanning the area. He detected only a single life force inside the cave. He let out a silent sigh of relief. It seemed no one from the Lieyang Sect had been assigned to guard it yet, meaning they could avoid a nasty fight.
"I'll cover you," Xu Yunhe said, sword in hand, standing alertly at the entrance.
"Good." Song Changsheng nodded. Time was of the essence; they needed to finish quickly. After stealing this prize from under the Lieyang Sect's nose, he still had to sabotage their formation to ruin their plans entirely.
Song Changsheng cast Flickering Shadows, and in the blink of an eye, appeared deep inside the cave. The space was roughly three zhang wide, and in its center stood a large copper cauldron, blazing with intense orange flames.
Even without getting close, the heat waves rolling off it hit him like a wall.
Song Changsheng's heart sank. "Don't tell me... they're refining her into a 'Human Pill'?"
The idea of using living people to refine pills sounded grotesque, but to demonic cultivators, it was par for the course. They would do anything to boost their strength.
Thankfully, it turned out his fears were unfounded. Behind the nearly man-tall copper cauldron was a graceful figure, slumped unconscious against the cave wall, it was none other than the bewitching Xia Wanyun.
Song Changsheng was overjoyed. Confirming she was still alive, he immediately slung her over his back. Her body was so soft it felt boneless, clearly under some kind of restrictive spell.
As her faint fragrance drifted into his nose, his thoughts briefly wandered, but fortunately, he remained clear-headed and didn't do anything inappropriate.
He was about to leave, but then paused. "Since I'm already here, it'd be a crime not to loot the place."
Without caring whether the cauldron's contents were finished or not, he smacked the lid open.
A wave of scalding medicinal aroma burst forth. Song Changsheng's eyes lit up. Sure enough, pills were being refined inside. By some incredible luck, despite his brute-force approach, two pills had survived intact.
Without bothering to identify them, he dumped both the pills and the entire cauldron into his storage pouch. Only then did he carry the "incredibly well-endowed" Xia Wanyun out to rendezvous with Xu Yunhe.
When he emerged with his prize, a smile spread across Xu Yunhe's face. Whether or not they managed to kill the puppet later, they at least wouldn't be leaving empty-handed.
"Let's get out of here first," Song Changsheng said via divine sense transmission.
"This place is too close to the battlefield, too exposed. It's not suitable for a conversation," Song Changsheng said.
Xu Yunhe nodded. The two concealed their presence once more and swiftly moved to a more secluded spot. Meanwhile, the poor disciples of the Lieyang Sect remained fully focused on subduing the demonic cultivator, completely unaware that someone had just snatched a prize right from under their noses.
Once they were outside the range of any spiritual sense, Song Changsheng let out a chuckle and said softly, "Brother Yunhe, your guess was spot on. Looks like we won't be leaving empty-handed after all."
Xu Yunhe was quite satisfied. The risk of offending the Lieyang Sect had been worth it.
"Since we've already got what we came for, let's not tempt fate. We should return to Luoxia City immediately," Xu Yunhe said, feeling content.
But Song Changsheng didn't respond. Instead, he gently laid Xia Wanyun down and said in a low voice, "Brother Yunhe, you've treated me with sincerity, so I won't hide this from you. My Song Clan bears an irreconcilable blood feud with the Lieyang Sect.
"As a son of the Song Clan, I cannot sit idly by and watch them obtain the Yin-Yang Purple Tree Core. So I ask you to take her and leave first. I'll catch up after I've settled things here."
Xu Yunhe immediately frowned, clearly displeased. "Brother Song, you and I have shared life-and-death experiences. Do you think so little of me?"
"Of course not," Song Changsheng replied. "But this is a personal vendetta. You shouldn't get involved."
Song Changsheng was touched by Xu Yunhe's loyalty, but still intended to refuse. This was a matter between the Song Clan and the Lieyang Sect; he didn't want to drag innocent people into it.
But to his surprise, Xu Yunhe simply waved his hand dismissively. "We've already picked their fruit; we're enemies now, like it or not. I don't mind making the grudge a little deeper. Whatever you need to do, Brother Song, go ahead. I'll cover you."
Seeing how resolute he was, Song Changsheng was genuinely moved. He handed Xia Wanyun over to Xu Yunhe, who slung her onto his back. With a smile, Song said, "I'll be back shortly."
With that, he activated the Breath Concealment Technique and stealthily returned the way he came.
....
There were five Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Lieyang Sect at the scene. Among them, the one with the highest cultivation, a white-bearded elder, had reached the pinnacle of Foundation Establishment and was currently seated with his back to Song Changsheng, maintaining the chained formation.
Two others were also sustaining the formation, one in the late stage, the other in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.
The remaining two, both early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, were attacking the trapped demonic cultivator inside the formation.
That demonic cultivator's strength had been heavily suppressed by the array, and nearly eighty percent of his power was sealed. Worse still, he was seriously wounded. Even against two early-stage Foundation cultivators, he could only passively defend.
At this rate, it was only a matter of time before he met a humiliating end at the hands of mere Foundation Establishment juniors.
In his palm, Song Changsheng gripped a God-Slaying Flying Dagger, his emotions conflicted. He had never considered himself a nobleman, but he prided himself on following the righteous path and despised walking alongside the demonic.
Yet today, he was about to save a demonic cultivator, one whose hands were surely stained with blood…
"Is this right… or wrong?" For the first time, doubt crept into Song Changsheng's heart.
But the doubt didn't last long. It was quickly replaced by cold determination.
In this cruel world, the interests of one's clan took precedence over everything, even if it meant betraying one's own beliefs.
Song Changsheng's eyes turned sharp. Without hesitation, he hurled the Slaughter God's Flying Dagger.
The blade shot forth as a streak of black light, utterly silent, and he didn't even look at the result. Immediately, he activated Flickering Shadows and made his retreat.
The moment he used spiritual power, the white-bearded elder of the Lieyang Sect's strongest present sensed the disturbance. His face darkened in alarm. He quickly cast defensive spells while shouting, "Enemy attack! Stay alert!"
Before he even finished speaking, a scream rang out beside him. There was a dull bang, and the cultivator to his left, mid-stage Foundation Establishment, was struck by the black light. He hadn't had time to react and was completely defenseless. His body exploded on the spot, turning into a mist of blood and flesh.
The old man's eyes nearly popped from their sockets. "Nephew Cheng!"
"Who dares strike from the shadows!? Show yourself, coward!" His voice thundered like a storm, and his spiritual pressure exploded outward. His hair and beard bristled, resembling an enraged lion.
"Senior Brother Zhang! The formation is collapsing!" the remaining cultivator cried out, pale-faced.
With the death of their comrade, the Threefold Heaven Chain Formation instantly became unstable.
The demonic cultivator seized the opportunity. He summoned what little spiritual power he had left and launched a fierce counterattack. In just the first exchange, the two early-stage Foundation cultivators were knocked flying.
Senior Brother Zhang's face turned ashen. He immediately sat down and tried to stabilize the formation, shouting urgently, "It's no use! Brother Liu, take the two juniors and retreat! I'll buy you some time!"
"Take care, Senior Brother!"
Liu Shidi, the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, was a decisive man. Upon hearing the order, he didn't hesitate. With a sweep of his wide sleeve, he gathered the two injured juniors and swiftly retreated from the battlefield.
Without Liu Shidi's support, the formation faltered under the demonic cultivator's fierce assault. The white-bearded elder's face turned grim. Gritting his teeth, he pulled out a pill and swallowed it. In an instant, his cultivation surged, buying him a brief window to hold the formation together.
The demonic cultivator sneered, "You're sacrificing your path for those juniors? Old man, after all these years, you still don't get it?"
Zhang Shixiong's face was flushed red like blood. He replied solemnly, "If I fled without a fight, I might live. But those three would surely fall into your hands.
"To trade these old bones of mine for their lives, is it worth it?"
"Clicking his tongue in mock pity," the demonic cultivator said, "Tsk, tsk. I'll never understand the stupidity of people like you."
"Of course, someone like you, a devil of the demonic path, wouldn't understand," Zhang Shixiong shot back with biting sarcasm.
The demonic cultivator burst into laughter as if he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world. After laughing, his expression turned cold. "I've always despised the sanctimonious masks worn by you so-called 'righteous cultivators.'
"You call me a devil, a threat to the righteous path. But what about you, using a formation to ambush me? How do you justify that?"
"Hmph, when dealing with someone as treacherous as you, there's no need to talk about honor or fairness."
Zhang Shixiong remained unmoved. Instead, he continued to burn his life force to keep the formation active.
But human life is finite. In less than fifteen minutes, his face had turned pale as paper.
Seeing that the time was ripe, the demonic cultivator finally unleashed the killing move he had been preparing:
"Minor Divine Power: Star-Seizing Hand!"
A massive illusory hand descended from the sky, shattering the crumbling formation and slamming down on Zhang Shixiong's withered frame.
He didn't even have time to scream. In an instant, his body was crushed into a cloud of blood mist.
"Hahaha! Seems my fate isn't sealed after all! I don't know which fellow Daoist helped me from the shadows, but please show yourself! I, Dong Tianxie, will surely repay the favor handsomely!"
Dong Tianxie's vulture-like eyes swept the surroundings. Though he spoke words of gratitude, in truth, he was trying to draw his benefactor out so he could kill them. He knew the one who had helped him was likely just a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Not far away, Song Changsheng's body froze mid-step when he heard that arrogant laughter. He turned to glance at the battlefield, a complicated expression clouding his face.
"He did escape…"
The moment he had thrown the Slaughter God's Flying Dagger at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had already anticipated this outcome. After all, the dagger could kill its target instantly in a sneak attack.
That death would set off a chain reaction. Without the support of the formation, the Lieyang Sect's team would suffer heavy losses. At best, only the peak Foundation Establishment elder might survive.
Achieving all this so easily should have made him ecstatic, yet his heart was conflicted.
Because he had just saved a monster.
"Brother Song, this world is just like that. Better the other dies than we do. If you didn't act today, the one regretting it tomorrow would be you.
"As for Dong Tianxie, he's spent running on fumes. Once we spread the word of his location, plenty of people will be eager to claim his head for the reward," Xu Yunhe said sharply, more clear-headed in this critical moment than ever before.
His words struck Song Changsheng like thunder. That's right. If I hadn't acted today, what if the blade came down on my clan tomorrow? Wouldn't I be consumed with regret then?
He took a deep breath and gave Xu Yunhe a respectful bow. "It seems I was too sentimental."
Seeing Song Changsheng finally understand, Xu Yunhe felt sincerely gratified. His gifted friend had at last grasped the core survival rule of rogue cultivators.
"Let's hurry back to Luoxia City."
The two of them, carrying Xia Wanyun, spread the word of Dong Tianxie's location as they made their way toward Luoxia City...
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