Facing the whistling Soul-Cleaving Hook, a fierce glint flashed through Wu Tian's eyes.This man had pushed his luck too far—Wu Tian was genuinely irritated now.
Nether Qi surged within him.Azure radiance swirled around his body as he prepared to activate Wind Escape and teach this old man a painful lesson.
But at that very moment, a black gale swept in, blotting out the sky above the dining hall.
A giant hand emerged from the black wind and grabbed the razor-sharp Soul-Cleaving Hook midair.
Man Xiong Mu's figure appeared from within the gale.The wind-condensed hand held the weapon firmly, suspending it before him.
The vicious hook vibrated violently, as if trying to tear free and escape.
"Liu Yusheng," Man Xiong Mu said coldly,"you have some nerve."
"My disciple—and you dare touch him?"
Wu Tian immediately scampered behind Man Xiong Mu, stepping on the wind and barking triumphantly, fully embracing the confidence of someone backed by a powerful master.
"If this weren't the mountain with everyone watching, I'd have already used Wind Escape and bitten your throat clean through."
Liu Yusheng withdrew the Soul-Cleaving Hook, his face dark."Senior Brother Man Xiong… this beast is yours? Your disciple?"
Man Xiong Mu activated the Primordial One-Force Grasping Art, trapping the hook.The massive wind-formed hand hovered behind him, radiating overwhelming pressure.
"That's right," he said calmly."What—are you planning to kill a disciple of Sky-Perching Cave?"
Liu Yusheng had not expected this white dog to belong to Sky-Perching Cave.But with so many eyes watching, retreating now would cost him all dignity.
He could only force the words out.
"This… this beast injured Junior Brother Huang from the dining hall, and also harmed disciples of the Teaching Hall."
"It has not shed its beastly nature. According to sect rules, it must be dealt with."
"Oh?"Man Xiong Mu's expression did not change, his tone indifferent."And how does Junior Brother propose we 'deal with' my disciple?"
Liu Yusheng felt trapped.He truly did not want to offend Man Xiong Mu—Core Forging and Technique Refinement were worlds apart.
"This…"
"Hahaha! I didn't expect things to be so lively here."
A cold laugh echoed from the sky.
A figure arrived riding a massive black hound, descending through the air—it was Tong Guan of Wild Dog Cave.
"If I remember correctly," Tong Guan continued leisurely,"according to sect law, anyone who injures fellow disciples without cause should spend some time in the Yin Wind Cave, shouldn't they?"
As he spoke, more disciples arrived.Besides onlookers, an enforcer from the Mountain Guard Hall also appeared.
The Patrol Hall handled external affairs.The Mountain Guard Hall handled internal discipline and was always controlled by the Sect Master's lineage.
The arriving enforcer was a woman named Qian Shanxue, from Snow Cicada Village, one of the Eighteen Strongholds.
She had studied under a senior elder of the Sect Master's lineage.Though not a direct heir, she cultivated the White Bone Demon God Path as well.
Her skin was smooth as jade, her waist slender, her chest full, her hips round and firm.She wore bold, revealing clothes—a crimson chest wrap and a short skirt that barely covered her hips, exposing large stretches of pale, alluring skin.
She descended on a strip of red silk, which coiled gracefully around her waist and arms once she landed.
Many newly initiated disciples had never seen her before.
Combined with her daring attire—her bare waist, enticing navel, and hints of snowy flesh—many male disciples stared openly, some even swallowing hard.
"Oh my~ what happened here?" she asked with a smile."Why are so many senior brothers gathered?"
Though Qian Shanxue had joined later, she had already reached the Technique Refinement realm—several years earlier than Man Xiong Mu.
Man Xiong Mu's pupils contracted slightly.Any Technique Refinement cultivator from the Sect Master's lineage was troublesome.
Especially Qian Shanxue.
She was ruthless and had refined Thirteen White Bone Heart-Piercing Nails and the Blood Mother Crimson Veil—deadly tools that paired terrifyingly well with the White Bone Enchantress Art.
The Heart-Piercing Nails were forged from demon skulls and refined with heart's blood—human blood being best, especially that of cultivators.
Once released, they were faster than lightning, capable of piercing protective energy.A mere touch would send them drilling straight into the heart, shattering it and draining all blood—vicious beyond belief.
The Blood Mother Crimson Veil, on the other hand, was refined from her own essence and twenty-six Yin-aspect materials.It required nourishment from male yang energy to grow stronger and could restrain countless artifacts—mysterious and terrifying as a defensive treasure.
After mastering her techniques, Qian Shanxue had slain several great demons.Her reputation was infamous.
Even Tong Guan's eyelids twitched when he saw her.
He was not afraid of her—but rumors claimed she had entanglements with many within the sect, even with the Senior Disciple and possibly the Sect Master himself.
Such a woman was best avoided.
Liu Yusheng, however, relaxed when he saw her arrive.With her present, the matter was no longer his responsibility.
Man Xiong Mu flicked a finger.The Primordial One-Force Grasping Hand shattered, sending the Soul-Cleaving Hook flying back into Liu Yusheng's hand.
Without another word, Liu Yusheng retreated into the crowd.
Qian Shanxue surveyed the scene, nodded politely to Man Xiong Mu and Tong Guan, then swept her Crimson Veil over Huang Ren.
A chill sealed the severed arm, temporarily stopping the bleeding.
"Thank you, Senior Sister Qian," Wu Lian said, her eyes swollen from crying as she clutched Huang Ren.
Huang Ren had already passed out from blood loss and pain.His face was deathly pale, his breathing shallow.
"Alright," Qian Shanxue said with a smile that made Wu Tian's fur stand on end."Who will tell me exactly what happened?"
Wu Lian gritted her teeth, eyes red, about to speak—
Man Xiong Mu stepped forward calmly.
"There's no need to complicate things."
A beam of light descended onto Wu Tian.
Golden radiance erupted from his body, condensing into six ancient characters that echoed through the air with a cold female voice:
"Permission granted to enter the mountain for cultivation."
Qian Shanxue's expression froze instantly.
Tong Guan already knew—but seeing the decree again still made his scalp prickle.
The higher one's cultivation, the more terrifying the aura contained within that decree felt.
The other disciples did not understand what it meant.
They did not know that a soul-liberated immortal from a Central Continent sect was cultivating in the restricted area.
They only felt that the atmosphere had suddenly become strange.
Even Liu Yusheng, not being in the Technique Refinement realm, only knew rumors.He merely assumed someone powerful was backing the beast.
"May we leave now?" Man Xiong Mu asked Qian Shanxue.
This incident had been planned in advance with Wu Tian.
Man Xiong Mu had deliberately allowed it to escalate.
The Senior Disciple's sudden order for them to descend the mountain had unsettled him.
Now, revealing the decree before so many eyes ensured the elders had noticed.
It was a protective talisman.
No one could afford to ignore the weight of a soul-liberated immortal—not even the Sect Master.
Qian Shanxue forced a stiff smile."Of course."
Man Xiong Mu waved his hand.
Black wind him and Wu Tian, carrying them down the mountain.
As the gale passed over Tong Guan's head—
a few droplets fell.
"Is it raining?"a nearby disciple asked, looking up in confusion.
"Why does this rain smell… kind of foul?"
Tong Guan's face turned green.
Grinding his teeth, he cursed under his breath,"Damn beast."
Qian Shanxue hurriedly retreated several steps, as if afraid of being splashed.
She glanced at Tong Guan with a strange look."Senior Brother Tong… do you know that white dog?"
Tong Guan replied coldly,"No. Why would I know a beast?"
With that, he turned and left without looking back.