"...?"

Xie Xuanyi glanced around instinctively.

He didn't notice anything unusual... Did that Chen put a Qi Seeking Talisman on him?

He said with a strange expression: "The Sky Watcher's fate is limited, you'd better not waste your lifespan on me..."

"It seems I guessed right."

Chen Jingxuan smiled and said, "You don't need to be in a hurry. Zong Bi doesn't know yet that he's been 'exposed'. There are actually quite a few people like him. Nowadays, Great Chu is in a precarious situation, with hundreds of cities in the Four Realms. How could all of them be innocent? If Zong Bi hadn't cultivated the Evil Sect's techniques, how could Lingqu City have been peaceful for so long?"

"..."

Xie Xuanyi pondered.

He remembered the former City Lord of Taian City, Xu You...

Maybe Chen Jingxuan had always been aware of these "traitors' information, but didn't hurry to clean them up, waiting for the right time to catch them all at once.

Chen Jingxuan's way of doing things is indeed different from his own.

"These years."

"The Three Great Sects always tried to 'penetrate' outside. After all, staying in the barren and impoverished land of South Border without cultivation resources would eventually lead to extinction."

Chen Jingxuan said, "Whether it's the Yin Mountain, Heavenly Puppet Sect, or Hehuan Sect, they all tried to find a piece of Blessed Land... Although they are in South Border, they want to leave it more than anyone."

One day as an Evil Cultivator, always in the shadows.

Wherever they go, they are hunted.

However, if they were acknowledged by the Da Chu Dynasty, they could survive under the law.

Then...

They could stand in the light.

"The Three Great Sects' techniques actually came from the 'Great Tao Stele' excavated thousands of years ago. The barren mountains of South Border lack Primordial Energy, so these people want to cultivate openly and need to find another path..."

Hehuan Sect uses humans as furnaces, squeezing their essence to enhance themselves.

Yin Mountain refines soul banners, enslaving Divine Souls.

Heavenly Puppet Sect stitches flesh, driving corpses to battle.

These three great paths all do not need Primordial Energy and are not accepted by the Da Chu Dynasty. In the current situation, even if the Holy Empress allowed the Evil Cultivators to enter, the Three Great Sects need to improve their cultivation methods to "live". They can't continue "poisoning living beings".

"Zong Bi's Soul Tethering Technique comes from Hehuan Sect's 'Qian Yuan Daoist'."

Chen Jingxuan continued: "This Qian Yuan Daoist is quite powerful. Although his cultivation technique is not considered truly evil, normal Hehuan Sect cultivators use males and females as furnaces, while he abandoned the furnace technique and primarily cultivates in Divine Soul enchanting techniques."

"A dog's habit of eating excrement can't be changed. I don't believe they can change."

Xie Xuanyi's expression remained unchanged: "If you have a plan, I can delay killing him."

"That's reasonable."

Chen Jingxuan was silent for a moment and said, "But Zong Bi is quite useful right now... Among the Three Great Sects, Heavenly Puppet Sect and Yin Mountain showed weakness to the Imperial City proactively, Hehuan Sect has never stated their position. This 'demon eradication' is a forced alliance."

Speaking halfway.

Xie Xuanyi understood the intention of the young State Preceptor: "The Book Tower needs to confirm Hehuan Sect's loyalty?"

"Correct."

Chen Jingxuan nodded: "If circumstances allow, Zong Bi should stay alive and preferably be willing to serve the Book Tower."

"Understood."

Xie Xuanyi lowered his eyes and said: "Directly seize the Heart Lake?"

"Any method is fine, as you will."

Chen Jingxuan solemnly said: "Qian San is currently near South Border. If needed, Fangyuan Square near Lingqu City will help you."

At this point, the conversation was over.

Xie Xuanyi sat quietly on top of Bright Moon Tower, his Divine Thought looming over the City Lord Mansion.

Ruyi Order trembled again, sending over the dossier of Zong Bi and Hehuan Sect... It turned out after Emperor Chu's demise, Hehuan Sect aimed to control Lingqu City through Zong Bi, and Zong Bi wanted to rely on Hehuan Sect's techniques to cultivate. The two sides quickly reached an agreement and started an eight-year cooperation.

These years, Hehuan Sect took many "furnaces" from Lingqu City for free.

And Zong Bi, he gained the Soul Tethering Technique he dreamt of.

However, cultivating the Soul Tethering Technique requires quite a price.

Every month, Zong Bi needs to consume the brain marrow of a child. The purer the child, the better the supplement effect.

Because Lingqu City is near South Border, occasionally children go missing due to Evil Cultivators, it's not considered a big deal.

Compared to the turbulent Yuan Province of Li Kingdom.

Lingqu City is absolutely considered peaceful.

But after reading the dossier, Xie Xuanyi's mood didn't lighten... He indifferently gazed at this flourishing small city, where fireworks shot up to welcome distinguished guests, turning the night into day. The City Lord Mansion revelled in singing and dancing, its grime and filth hidden by the fireworks, turned white.

This banquet was nearing its end.

Lingqu City Lord Zong Bi smiled brightly, toasting the last round of drinks.

Xie Xuanyi suppressed his killing intent silently, ready to leave Bright Moon Tower's roof.

At this moment.

A very faint cracking sound suddenly echoed near his ear.

This sound was like paper tearing.

No one was more familiar with this sound than Xie Xuanyi.

This was... the sound of a Flying Sword!

Bright Moon Tower's roof was suddenly pierced by Sword Light.

Moonlight spilled, a silver shining Flying Sword appeared without warning, tearing through the void and thrusting fiercely at Xie Xuanyi's neck.

Xie Xuanyi remained expressionless, stepped back, and reached out his palm!

He directly grabbed the Flying Sword—

"Clang, clang, clang!"

The Flying Sword collided with the palm, sparking a series of sparks!

All this happened too fast, Xie Xuanyi only held the Flying Sword for a moment. The sword grazed past his cheek, missed the hit, and immediately darted away, vanishing into the void.

Bright Moon Tower's roof returned to silence.

Xie Xuanyi's expression was grim, glaring at the source of the Sword Qi, the suburban area five miles away from Lingqu City, which was the only "blind spot" after his Divine Thought covered it.

He looked down at his palm, which had been scratched with a blood trace.

This sword... broke his skin, injuring him, though the wound was minor, the blood flowed out and was immediately healed by Life Dao Realm.

This sword was different from ordinary Flying Swords—

Its true terror lay not in the sharp sword edge.

Earlier when Xie Xuanyi clutched the Flying Sword, a circle of dark Tao Realm force rippled out, hitting his Divine Soul directly!

It's very clear.

The attacker had calculated Xie Xuanyi's "reaction".

The opponent anticipated this surprise attack would be dodged.

Even anticipated the sword would be grabbed—

So the true killing intent was hidden in the sword's contact!

It's a pity.

Xie Xuanyi's Divine Soul strength exceeded the attacker's expectations, after ascending to Yin God, the Life and Death Dual Dao Realm covered the Purple Mansion, and his entire Heart Lake remained impregnable. That Tao Realm power hit was like striking an egg against a rock, it shattered upon impact!

...

...

Lingqu City outskirts.

A tall figure in a black robe stood atop a mountain, hands behind his back, eyes focused on the highest point of Bright Moon Tower in Lingqu City.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz."

The void shattered, the Flying Sword returned.

The tall figure murmured softly, somewhat surprised.

This Flying Sword assassination failed... wasn't unexpected.

But one thing was beyond his imagination, the tall figure frowned, looking at the twisted Flying Sword in his palm. The sword had been grasped and bent out of shape, nearly shattered upon contact.

What kind of physique is this? What kind of reaction?

Adhering to the principle of one strike failing, immediately escaping.

The tall figure retrieved the Flying Sword without hesitation, immediately darting towards South Border, transforming into a streak of rainbow light.

However, good times didn't last...

After a dozen breaths.

The rainbow light suddenly halted.

A streak of dark Sword Qi shot from Bright Moon Tower's roof, silently piercing the Heavenly Peak, then accelerated fiercely, finally crashing in front of the rainbow light.

The rainbow light shattered, revealing a face wearing a green-faced Evil Ghost mask.

Even through the mask, one could see the other's shock.

Caught up so quickly?

This is too fast!

The high cold wind blew, unable to disperse the chilling white snow accumulating in the dark clouds.

Two black-robed figures hovered opposite each other.

Invisible killing intent gently swayed, undispersed by the wind, growing more solid.

"Since you've come, why hurry to leave?"

Xie Xuanyi stood with hands behind his back, his sleeves fluttering.

He looked at the hovering black-robed figure in front of him and said, "Now you still have a chance... reveal your master behind this, and I can leave you a whole corpse."

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