The entire Shanhai Sect was in an uproar.
Disciples from various sects, whether participating in the competition or coming from afar to watch, rushed toward the main gate of the Shanhai Sect.
Lin Shuang lay on a soft couch. One hundred and seven strands of divine consciousness had all fallen asleep, leaving only one on duty.
Even so, she could still hear the wind in her ears, carrying the fragrance of spring and the damp scent of soil, bringing with it distant murmurs from the disciples of various sects.
“Is it true? The elder of the Shanhai Sect who oversees the middle- and lower-tier competitions abandoned his wife and children.”
“Not only that, he also abandoned two cultivation partners who had helped him gather spiritual resources!”
“This… How could the Shanhai Sect still appoint him as a supervisor for the Nine Thousand Trials? No way! This kind of person as an elder!”
“How did his cultivation foundation not collapse? I don’t believe it.”
“The Yannie Pavilion has sent three Nascent Emptiness cultivators. Where are they? They can’t possibly defeat the Transcendents from the Shanhai Sect… What a wasted trip.”
“Ah, what do you think? The money that the abandoned wife, the deceived cultivation partners who gave their bodies, hearts, and spirit stones, and the female cultivator who exhausted her lifespan painstakingly saved—how much could they have saved? Hiring a Transcendent from the Yannie Pavilion? Dream on! These three Nascent Emptiness cultivators must have already drained their entire resources, saving for over a decade!”
“How infuriating! I can’t help but feel my spiritual sea in turmoil just listening! If it’s true, I won’t be able to cultivate today!”
Lin Shuang listened, hugging the “Monday Schedule” pillow in her arms.
The pillow listed today’s fixed schedule: items one, two, and three.
She turned her head and saw disciples from various sects, at high levels of Foundation Building and Soul Refining, rushing in.
The Wansen Sect, known for their Silent Meditation, was usually quiet, but now even they looked like wrathful Arhats, full of indignation, their wooden fish striking thunderous sounds into the sky.
The Baihua Sect was always curious by nature, and now nearly all their disciples had come to watch the spectacle.
Petals from all four seasons fluttered in the air, trailing behind Elder Yu Lu, who was furious, with withered leaves underfoot.
The Yunyang Sect specialized in fire cultivation, and gathered at the main gate, their emotions fluctuating and heating the surrounding area.
Lin Shuang wiped sweat from her brow, watching the elder from the Qidan Sect rush out on her left.
Among the Twelve Sects, only the Qidan Sect had many cultivation partners.
“Wang Heng, you bastard!”
“How could the Shanhai Sect raise such a despicable scoundrel, worthy of being beaten to death a hundred times!”
The elder from the Qidan Sect angrily split into two.
The Sect had sent two Transcendent elders, one specializing in artifacts and the other in pills, inseparable companions, but now the artifact cultivator, a female elder, was so furious her breathing had become erratic.
“So you dare to humiliate, abandon, and hurt your cultivation partners, huh!”
The disciples of the Qidan Sect also held hands, their breaths quickened.
“Sister, don’t get so angry. What if you harm your health? Let me refine a Liver Anger Relief Pill for you.”
“Brother, don’t get angry either. What if you attract heart demons? Let me craft a Calming Ruler for you.”
Meng Zi and Huangpu Yuan: “…”.
The flood of disciples with their cultivation partners, showing affection openly, made them feel out of place.
Lin Shuang lowered her head, pressing her fingers to her forehead.
The disciples from various sects were strange and diverse; it wasn’t unusual for her to come out on the soft couch to watch the commotion.
Thinking this, she soon boldly turned her gaze toward Wang Heng, whose neck was gripped by a giant water hand from Shui Qiantan, and the nearby Elder Yueshi, who couldn’t hide the Tianji Token on his person no matter how fast he moved.
Everyone was staring at them, so even if she stared directly at the Transcendents, no one would suspect her.
The late-arriving elders and disciples now clearly saw the object that had fallen to the ground.
“This… is the Tianji Token!?”
“What? Wang Heng, this bastard who abandoned his wife, has the Tianji Token on him?”
“What is the Tianji Token?”
A disciple from the Qidan Sect curiously asked beside Lin Shuang.
The two Transcendent elders from the Qidan Sect, whose faces were filled with anger, suddenly turned to a look of thunderous confusion, heaviness, and fear, as if dark clouds had gathered overhead.
“The Tianji Association is an organization of evil cultivators.”
A disciple from the Yunyang Sect, the chief disciple who had once lost to Lin Shuang, kindly explained to the Qidan Sect and Lin Shuang, who was lying on the couch.
But his expression twitched slightly when he saw Lin Shuang’s lounging posture.
Fortunately, since that battle—”I hope you don’t mind me using your fire talisman for homework, senior brother”—his mental fortitude had greatly improved.
He quickly regained composure and continued, “I once heard from a Soul Refining senior brother that in the Nine Thousand Trials, the tasks below the six thousandth level, where evil cultivators are ruthless and cruel, are often not too difficult because they mostly fight alone.”
“But—”
The Yunyang Sect disciple solemnly looked at Wang Heng, who was being held by Elder Shui Qiantan and looked terrified.
“Above the six thousandth level, it’s easy to encounter evil cultivators affiliated with the Tianji Association.”
“These powerful and evil beings do not act alone. They follow high-level evil cultivators, possibly Nascent Emptiness or even Transcendents. A slight mistake could lead to encountering a higher-level opponent beyond your target or being attacked by a group of evil cultivators.”
“If you kill one of them, you might be targeted by other members of the organization like venomous snakes.”
“You won’t be free until you die.”
The uninformed disciples from the Qidan Sect couldn’t help but change expressions.
Transcendents, Nascent Emptiness, Soul Refining—killing one leads to retaliation. Isn’t that just like a sect?
“These evil cultivators usually carry the Tianji Token.”
The Yunyang Sect disciple looked heavily at Elder Wang Heng of the Shanhai Sect.
In an instant, all the disciples were stunned.
“The supervisor of the Nine Thousand Trials from the Shanhai Sect is an evil cultivator?!”
“He’s part of the Tianji Association!”
“…The Shanhai Sect never discovered this? Didn’t they perform the Heart Inquiry?”
Everyone felt cold in their limbs.
Yesterday, evil cultivators were still tasks in the Nine Thousand Trials, prey for the competing disciples.
But today, evil cultivators were right beside them, one of the elders they respected and admired!
The disciples of the Shanhai Sect were all in disbelief.
“How could this be… how could this happen…” Xiao Qi, standing at the front with a sword wrapped in cloth on his back, was stunned.
He had even walked with Lin Shuang in front of Elder Wang.
When she exchanged rewards from the Yuanhe Sect, Elder Wang had been beside her the whole time.
How could this happen.
Xiao Qi couldn’t understand.
Zhao Ming, his senior brother standing beside him, was also silent.
Since the Yannie Pavilion accepted the mission to capture the elder, he had hurried back.
After the Tianji Token fell, the three Yannie Pavilion assassins scattered completely.
Zhao Ming quickly lowered his head, unable to hide his shock.
Who was the masked figure who issued the mission to capture the elder?
Was Elder Wang targeted just for abandoning his cultivation partners?
Or did the other side already know he was an evil cultivator?
“Wang Heng, I give you three breaths. Think carefully how you will explain yourself!”
Shui Qiantan waved his hand instantly, creating thick water chains binding Wang Heng’s entire body.
“Your dantian and spiritual sea are sealed by me. Don’t even think about self-destructing.”
His drunken, deep gaze was now completely sober and sharp, looking at the group of elders from the Shanhai Sect rushing out, including Yueshi.
“Shanhai Sect elders, this matter will be investigated jointly by the eleven sects.”
“You’d better stay where you are. Otherwise, I will consider you as accomplices of the Tianji Association and deal with you together!”
After Shui Qiantan spoke, the elders from the other ten sects nodded in agreement.
“No one from the Shanhai Sect is allowed to leave or send messages at this time!”
Elder Yulu, with peach branches on her robe, instantly caused the branches to grow wildly.
In an instant, the Shanhai Sect was covered in peach leaves.
“Anyone who sends messages or tries to rescue Wang Heng will be killed on the spot.”
The elder from the Mingzhong Sect summoned a defensive and sound-dampening formation, instantly isolating the entire Shanhai Sect from the outside.
The artifact-specializing elder from the Qidan Sect threw out a copper mirror, “Reveal all hidden things.”
Shui Qiantan’s aged eyes deeply gazed at Elder Yueshi, who was closest to the Tianji Token.
“Bring out all the elders and disciples of the Shanhai Sect.”
“Initiate the Heart Inquiry.”
Yueshi’s expression remained calm, only looking at Wang Heng, who was now trembling and pale-faced.
…
Lin Shuang shifted her gaze from Zhao Ming’s contemplative look to Wang Heng’s panicked and regretful face.
By now, the effects of the dream invasion Wang Heng suffered during the group battle had completely dissipated.
This also confirmed her previous speculation—as with the purple-robed figure, Elder Hei would carry the Tianji Token on his person.
If it were placed in his cave dwelling or residence, it might be discovered by his disciples or visiting apprentices.
Therefore, if Elder Wang Heng was part of the Tianji Association, he would have the irrefutable evidence—the Tianji Token—on his person.
She had issued a mission to the Yannie Pavilion to capture Wang Heng alive, aiming to take his spatial pouch as compensation for “those pitiful cultivation partners.”
The three assassins would each try to grab it, causing the spatial pouch to rupture.
Its contents would spill out.
This idea came from her experience with Wang Jian’s small wind spatial pouch breaking.
She had never intended to personally eliminate Elder Hei or confront the Tianji Association.
Nor had she planned to investigate the truth from start to finish herself.
Too troublesome.
Too time-consuming.
With so many Transcendent elders present, handing it over to them was better.
Convenient and efficient.
Thinking this, Lin Shuang leaned back on the cushion, calmly watching the eleven sect elders interrogate Wang Heng.
“Phew, finally over.”
“Scared me to death.”
Meng Zi also plopped down on Huangpu Yuan’s sword.
Wiping the thin sweat from his neck, his eyes still showed lingering fear.
They had discussed many times how to report these black elders while hiding their identities as the informants.
Today, it finally succeeded.
But one misstep could have led to irreversible disaster.
He still felt cold sweat thinking about it.
Meng Zi slumped, his mind flashing back to Lin Shuang’s entire plan.
Back when they were at the auction house, investigating the poison shadow—
Lin Shuang was in a private room on the second floor, solemnly testing Huangpu Yuan, “The nine-tailed fox, does it have the ability to charm?”
This was a clue from Wang Jian’s painting.
Hui Niang’s eyes were seductive.
Fox spirits usually had charm abilities.
And the nine-tailed fox was the leader of the fox clan, an ancient beast.
Huangpu Yuan nodded to her.
“Is your divine consciousness at the peak of Soul Refining or the early stage of Nascent Emptiness?” Lin Shuang quietly asked through Xiao Ai.
Huangpu Yuan was silent for a moment, “Do you mean, if I can directly charm the second Nascent Emptiness cultivator, I can avoid luring him to the front and directly take you into the formation behind the treasure pavilion?”
He shook his head, “No.”
Lin Shuang was disappointed, so they could only lure him to the front.
Huangpu Yuan lightly drew on the tea table with his fingertip.
“Charm ability is indeed an innate talent of the fox clan.”
“But just like human cultivation techniques, there is no ultimate supreme technique; the same goes for the talents of the beast clans.”
“There are several restrictions to using charm abilities to control human cultivators.”
“First, you cannot easily overpower a higher-level opponent, or you will suffer backlash.”
“Second, when a human cultivator is charmed by a fox spirit, it’s like entering a dream, unaware of time. But if the person in the dream realizes they are dreaming, they will wake up immediately. Similarly, if the target realizes I am trying to charm them, their spiritual consciousness will struggle, break free, and no longer be under my control.”
“Third, if a person with sharp spiritual consciousness wakes up, they will remember the scenes of being charmed.”
Lin Shuang nodded repeatedly, realizing it was indeed like dreaming.
If one only sleeps lightly, they usually vaguely remember their dreams upon waking.
Even if the dream isn’t clear and continuous, they will remember fragments.
“Once they recall fragments afterward, they will start to think. When a cultivator searches their spiritual consciousness, they will easily discover traces of my charm and control in their spiritual sea.”
Huangpu Yuan looked at her.
“Thus, they will find me and trace back to me.”
As he was about to wipe away the remaining ashes on the table, Lin Shuang stopped him.
“I understand. This time, we can only lure the Nascent Emptiness cultivator to the front, letting the Soul Refining ones go to the back. Your ability against Soul Refining cultivators is more than sufficient, and they won’t notice anything unusual after being charmed.”
“But for our future cooperation, let me summarize the possibility of you charming Nascent Emptiness cultivators?”
Huangpu Yuan raised his eyebrows.
Meng Zi watched intently, not daring to breathe.
Lin Shuang pressed the ashes on the table and continued writing.
[If we encounter Nascent Emptiness cultivators needing to be charmed…]
Huangpu Yuan frowned and said, “If their spiritual consciousness is weakened, I might barely charm an early-stage Nascent Emptiness cultivator, but the effect would last no longer than three breaths.”
Cultivators are not ordinary people; invading their spiritual consciousness without leaving traces is difficult.
Lin Shuang nodded, “Then, with the three of us working together, with my and Senior Brother Meng’s spiritual consciousness support—”
Huangpu Yuan’s eyes flickered. Meng Zi’s help aside, her 108 strands of spiritual consciousness were soft yet resilient, encompassing everything.
With such support, just like in Wang Jian’s layer, he could indeed cross cultivation levels again—
“To the mid-stage of Nascent Emptiness.”
“Hmm.”
Lin Shuang nodded in satisfaction, writing the second half.
[If we encounter Nascent Emptiness peak-level cultivators:]
Meng Zi: “…”.
Huangpu Yuan nodded, “Thinking of the worst-case scenario, if we really encounter one, we won’t lose too badly.”
Lin Shuang hummed.
“Facing a Nascent Emptiness peak-level cultivator means crossing levels. Therefore, based on the above, success requires several conditions.”
She continued writing:
1. Weaken the opponent’s spiritual consciousness state: reduce the gap from crossing levels.
2. Dull the opponent’s senses, making them relaxed: prevent them from realizing “I am being charmed.”
3. Post-event handling: ensure they don’t realize “Something was wrong just now; I was charmed” when they “wake up.”
Meng Zi sucked in a breath, “These restrictions are too many; it’s too hard.”
Indeed.
To successfully charm the opponent, one must deceive them beforehand, fool them during, and cover up afterward—missing any of these steps makes it impossible.
Lin Shuang coughed lightly. Why did she feel like a heartless woman when planning all this?
She quickly added the final point:
[4. Clear the area: there must be only one Nascent Emptiness peak-level cultivator present; otherwise, it cannot be executed.]
Even a heartless woman must ensure the area is clear.
After Lin Shuang finished writing, Huangpu Yuan nodded, agreeing it was feasible.
She then wiped away all traces, “Everyone remember this. If we use it in the future, you won’t need me to say anything. Just catch the three-breath window, okay?”
“That’s clearly very problematic—” Meng Zi grabbed his head but gave up, “Next time, if we really do it, at least give me a look, okay?”
Next time—
Lin Shuang extended her right hand. “There are four conditions. When I gesture to four next time, you’ll understand, right?”
Meng Zi: “!”
Huangpu Yuan’s eyes flickered, but he quickly agreed.
Four…
It would be extremely difficult to satisfy all four conditions simultaneously.
Unless… they manufactured the situation themselves.
Meng Zi never expected the day marked by the number ‘four’ would arrive so soon.
The day before the mid- to low-tier group battle.
Before falling asleep, Lin Shuang, wearing her outer robe, stood on the cushioned couch and reached out her hand, making the gesture.
“As soon as the battle ends, we must leave the Shanhai Sect.”
“We must temporarily resolve matters concerning Wang Jian Level and other levels.”
“There are many things we need to clarify, but since we can’t reach the transcendence stage, we have no choice but to confront the Ru Xu practitioners.”
Against Ru Xu.
Wang Heng, the supervising elder of Wang Jian Level, was also the elder who provided them the transmission talismans.
At the peak of Ru Xu.
The four essential techniques for seducing Ru Xu!
In the 3,000-level battle in Zhenchuan, Elder Li Ming personally entered the arena to oversee their match against Mei Xin. Therefore, during the final group battle, Wang Heng would definitely enter.
Although many observers would watch via projections, this would be the only chance for the three of them to confront Elder Wang Heng alone!
Such an excellent opportunity would be hard to come by afterward.
On the day of the group battle.
Lin Shuang subtly gestured the number four behind her back.
The three of them once again synchronized their plan.
1. Weaken the opponent’s spiritual awareness: reduce the gap between cultivation stages.
— During the first round of cultivation knowledge assessment, Meng Zi requested help, and Lin Shuang took the opportunity to launch an indiscriminate ‘Dream Entry’ attack → targeting Wang Heng.
— In the second round against the Baihua Sect, the three fused their spiritual awareness, manipulating 108 erhus in a surrounding formation to launch another ‘Dream Entry’ attack → targeting Wang Heng (with Baihua Sect disciples as collateral).
Maintain the dream-entry performance for one incense stick’s worth of time, even if the Baihua Sect’s three disciples are already overwhelmed.
Bian Bo Cai must remain conscious to ensure the group battle (dream-entry attack) lasts for one incense stick’s duration.
Objective achieved: 1. Wang Heng’s spiritual awareness slightly weakened, feeling drowsy and fatigued, making it easier to bridge the cultivation gap. √
2. Lull the opponent into complacency, preventing him from realizing he is being manipulated within the ‘seduction.’
— Two rounds of dream-entry, causing drowsiness.
— Two rounds of dream-entry, blending seduction and dreams, making it difficult to distinguish.
Complacency achieved. √
3. Post-event handling: Ensure the opponent doesn’t realize something unusual happened upon waking up, such as realizing he was being seduced.
— Afterward, mistake the seduction for a dream.
— Assassins from the Annihilation Pavilion appear promptly post-event, interrupting his ability to calmly recall what happened.
Post-event handling completed. √
4. Clear the battlefield: There must be only one Ru Xu peak practitioner present.
— Baihua Sect members asleep, Wanseng Gate eliminated.
— All elders watch via projection arrays, not physically present.
Battlefield cleared, leaving only Wang Heng. √
In summary, all four conditions are met.
In the battle layer, the erhu strings were being pulled as Bian Bo Cai had long lost the ability to strike back.
At the final moment before collapsing, he was already murmuring in his sleep.
His trembling right hand drew the attention of all observers.
Huangpu Yuan, with ‘pupil-less black eyes,’ stood directly behind Lin Shuang, shoulder to shoulder with Meng Zi.
Yet several strands of tail hair in different hues flew into the eyes of Wang Heng, who was personally overseeing and watching the match with frequent yawns.
Wang Heng’s pupils momentarily dilated, as if, amidst the lingering echoes of the hundredfold dream-entry melodies, he had entered a light dream.
He saw the lingering residual souls of the tiger and fox spirits from Wang Jian Level.
“Could someone find out…?”
A hoarse whisper, seemingly just a self-question within the dream, faintly echoed in Wang Heng’s mind.
“If I’m discovered, I’m finished…”
This self-questioning felt like the countless times Wang Heng had feared and panicked before. He had pondered it countless times.
And he had long since reached a conclusion.
“No one will find out.”
Wang Heng’s gaze seemed to recall something, his pupils reflecting the faint image of the fox spirit’s fluffy red tail.
“In the Nine Thousand River Trials, only disciples below the Ru Xu stage can enter and activate the trial formation.”
“As a Ru Xu supervising elder like me, entering won’t activate the trial formation, so no participation means no discovery of residual souls.”
“The transcendence-level practitioners capable of instantly killing me cannot enter the trial layers except for the creators. Otherwise, the Nine Thousand Trials would become unstable and collapse instantly.”
The Nine Thousand Trials could only accommodate the disciples’ spiritual consciousness and spiritual energy—entering with transcendent power would instantly destroy the trial world upon activating any techniques.
“The Nine Thousand are each independent yet interconnected. If one breaks, hundreds or even thousands would collapse. It would take the entire sect’s effort and countless spirit stones to repair.”
Transcendence practitioners couldn’t enter.
Ru Xu practitioners entering could only supervise, unable to go through the trials like disciples.
Without completing the trials, one couldn’t face-to-face encounter the residual souls.
With insufficient cultivation and great distance, they couldn’t detect anything.
“If one day the residual souls are exposed and discovered by disciples, is there any way to respond in advance… such as destroying the residual souls, erasing clues, hiding the evil deeds…”
A low voice, seemingly the temptation of a heart demon.
Wang Heng opened his mouth but remained silent.
A flicker of fear and regret passed through his eyes, but soon turned to determination.
“There’s no way to destroy them. Even that person could only hide them, not eliminate them… They’ve already merged into the Nine Thousand Small Worlds. Once placed inside, removing them would require tampering with hundreds of layers of formation…”
Putting them in was easy, done when constructing the trial stone layers.
Taking them out required justification.
“But even that person was only the creator of a few layers. He didn’t have the authority to tamper with other layers… let alone me, a mere Ru Xu elder. This would definitely alert other elders! No, I can’t destroy them, not even that person could…”
“The Nine Thousand are interconnected. Unless a disciple completes all 9,999 layers…”
His eyes showed the red fox tail swaying, momentarily pausing with the erhu’s dream-entry sound.
“Only when a disciple completes all Nine Thousand Layers, unlocking every stone stratum, will the primordial spiritual energy left behind by the ascended sect leader supposedly emerge from these countless layers, bestowing it upon the disciple…”
“At that time, the Nine Thousand Trial Formation will completely separate, each layer independent. Only then could I, or that person, seize the opportunity to extract the merged residual souls.”
The fear in Wang Heng’s eyes faded, replaced by firmness.
“It’s fine. No one will find out… Even if those three disciples from Qing Shui Sect blindly complete all layers, they won’t discover the transcendence techniques…”
As he spoke, his eyelids trembled.
“Huangpu Yuan! Return! He’s thinking about us, about the ongoing battle!”
Lin Shuang sent a mental message.
At this moment, the three of them had fused their spiritual awareness completely. No need for words; a single thought conveyed everything.
But the fox tail in Wang Heng’s eyes didn’t disappear; instead, it became nine tails.
Wang Heng’s black pupils suddenly constricted. His self-muttered nightmare words became urgent and loud.
“Nine tails?”
“Yes, I also suspect. Her remains are within the Nine Thousand, but…”
Suddenly, a scene of being scolded appeared in his eyes.
“You’re just the supervisor of the 6,000th layer! A mere Ru Xu, how dare you question the actions of the Supreme One!”
“What does the Nine Thousand have to do with you? Mind your own business!”
“But I want to know why we did this. If discovered later, wouldn’t we be executed by the Twelve Sects? Why leave behind these corpses as irrefutable evidence? Why not destroy them back then! Was the Venerable One planning to use them for cultivation!”
“Silence! No one will find out, and even if they do, it’s none of your concern!”
Instantly, Wang Heng struggled, his pupils gradually regaining clarity.
Clearly, this was the sensitive part of his consciousness.
A secret hidden for years; once recalled, it triggered immediate alertness, even in a dream, fearing he might blurt it out in his sleep, causing him to awaken alertly!
“Huangpu Yuan!” Lin Shuang shouted.
In an instant, the fox tail in Wang Heng’s eyes turned into a phantom, gradually dissipating.
Coincidentally, Wang Heng opened his eyes, seeing the three of them—Lin Shuang, Meng Zi, and Huangpu Yuan—with fused spiritual awareness, jointly performing the encircling ‘Dream Entry’ technique, nearing completion.
Meng Zi was swaying unsteadily.
Huangpu Yuan’s face was paler than usual, like a ghost.
Lin Shuang also furrowed her brows, sweat pouring from her forehead.
“Qing Shui Sect wins!”
Wang Heng glanced at Bian Bo Cai on the ground, trembling as he hastily collected his nearly dream-entered memories.
Apparently feeling guilty, he didn’t even count three seconds for Bian Bo Cai. He directly announced the battle result!
Then, in a hasty manner, he hurriedly led everyone out of the Nine Thousand Trials.
This place concealing the ironclad evidence of his crimes…
Meng Zi finished recalling, exhaling deeply.
They had actually succeeded.
‘We need to confirm with him: 1. Whether Hui Niang’s residual soul will be removed and destroyed due to our actions. If so, we must temporarily halt operations. My paper substitute will cancel the mission to capture Wang Heng alive.’
‘Therefore, this should be the first question.’
‘The second confirmation point is to see who in his memories colluded with him.’
Of course, this might not be important. If the Annihilation Pavilion succeeds—when our plan succeeds—Wang Heng’s identity as a demonic cultivator might already be exposed. Then, the transcendence elders from the Twelve Sects present would surely perform a soul search on Wang Heng.
‘As long as his memories contain the ‘upper-level Black Elder,’ the Twelve Sects’ transcendence elders will find it. We don’t need to do this ourselves, to avoid awakening the brainwashed Wang Heng.’
‘Then the third matter is whether ‘I’ and ‘Huangpu Yuan’s mother’s’ remains are in the Nine Thousand.’
‘And the fourth is how to retrieve them.’
‘Fifth, what was their purpose in doing this…’
Thus, Meng Zi completed reviewing the entire operation, which Lin Shuang had referred to as the ‘Four’ comprehensive strategy.
On the cushioned couch, Lin Shuang also knowingly pressed her forehead.
Silently reviewing.
In this entire plan, the final link was—alibi.
Lin Shuang, Meng Zi, and Huangpu Yuan all had a clean, solid alibi.
When the Annihilation Pavilion accepted the ‘capture Wang Heng’ mission, she was still fighting desperately on the arena against the Baihua Sect!
Even if the Twelve Sects’ elders performed a soul search on Wang Heng, those with dark connections wouldn’t detect the hidden threads Lin Shuang had planted.
“Tsk.”
Lin Shuang looked at Wang Heng, now surrounded by four great elders for a joint soul search.
Flawless, four birds with one stone, Lin Shuang.
Perfect.
Lin Shuang couldn’t help but praise herself.
Sure enough, soon after, an elder from Qingmu Sect spoke, “Wang Heng’s spiritual awareness has been tampered with. Everyone, be cautious!”
Yes, it had been tampered with.
Huangpu Yuan used seduction.
Anyone inspected by transcendence elders would be discovered.
Lin Shuang had calculated this.
Sure enough, the several elders conducting the soul search quickly looked at her, Meng Zi, and Huangpu Yuan.
“This was from the indiscriminate Dream Entry attack during the group battle.”
“No problem, continue the search.”
“Ah, right, I remember. Lin Shuang’s final 108 erhus in Dream Entry left their spiritual traces. It’s unrelated to them. Continue the search!”
“My goodness, these three Ningyuan kids are really impressive.”
“They fused their spiritual awareness, couldn’t control it properly. Intended for Baihua Sect, but even Wang Heng got dream-entranced.”
“Great! Now our soul search is much easier. These kids are amazing.”
Hmm. You’re welcome.
Lin Shuang accepted the tea Huangpu Yuan had just poured.
She sipped it.
Huangpu Yuan looked at his now-empty hand: “…”
[Xiao Ai No.3 (Meng): Hey, that old man is a demonic cultivator! Aren’t you two being way too relaxed? Drinking tea! Show some urgency! Take a cue from the Yunyang Sect disciples nearby!]
Impressive.
Meng Zi, the naive fool, has improved.
Lin Shuang was pleased. She took a sip of spiritual tea, then suddenly her hand trembled, spilling half the cup onto her foot.
“Ow!” Meng Zi jumped up. “Lin Shuang—”
He looked up, seeing Lin Shuang’s hand holding the teacup still trembling.
Looking at the elders from various sects, he couldn’t help but show a flicker of pity in his eyes.
“Now you’re scared.”
“Of course! Just now, the three Ningyuan kids confronted this Ruxu evil cultivator, doing this and that right under his nose…”
Lin Shuang was so scared she couldn’t even hold the teacup steady.
Meng Zi saw, three spirit stones worth of tea gone, his voice ‘trembling with fear.’
The teacup worth over a thousand from Huangpu Yuan’s hand ‘fearfully’ dropped to the ground, shattering.
Meng Zi instantly turned into a screaming chicken: “Ah!”
Shui Qiantan also looked toward them. “Xiaohong, Xiaolv, I’ll stay in Shanhai Sect for a few days. You protect the disciples and return to the sect first to rest.”
With a wine-flushed face, he nodded reassuringly at the three of them.
“Don’t be afraid. Return to the sect. I’ve prepared rewards for you.”
“Just go celebrate for now.”
Meng Zi: “!”
Instantly, Lin Shuang ‘gratefully’ bowed from the cushioned couch.
Huangpu Yuan clasped his fists.
The trio of pure innocence was immediately protected by Xiaohong and Xiaolv.
“The other sects may also disperse.”
“Those who passed the Heart-Questioning Array in the past half-year may leave Shanhai Sect.”
“All Shanhai Sect elders and disciples must remain and undergo questioning with the Heart-Questioning Disc!”
Instantly, a voice echoed from deep within the Shanhai Sect.
Lin Shuang turned her head and saw a hunched figure with an unmistakable sickly appearance, wearing gray robes that accentuated the deathly pallor on his face, emerging from the mountains.
“Master Wang has arrived!”
“Greetings to Master Wang of Shanhai Sect!”
The three of them couldn’t help but show surprise.
This sickly figure was the Shanhai Sect’s sect leader?
Is he the same Wang as Wang Jian, the one who could paint?
A descendant of the first ascended elder?
Was he dying?
“My apologies. My body has deteriorated since the inner sect competition began. I’m barely holding onto my last breath.”
Master Wang’s voice was weak, yet clear to everyone present.
“But this last breath is more than enough to deal with the traitors of the Shanhai Sect.”
“Esteemed elders, please proceed to the Hall of Discipline.”
“Today, I, Wang Mou, shall uphold justice even if it means punishing my own kin!”
Lin Shuang’s eyebrow twitched.
Wang Heng shared the same surname as her, indicating he was her descendant, belonging to the lineage of the first elders before the Qingshui and Shanhai sects split?
Since the inner sect was opened, this sect leader Wang had been deteriorating physically.
For a cultivator who had crossed heavenly tribulations, unless injured, their decline shouldn’t have been so abrupt merely due to exhausting their lifespan.
She couldn’t help but look toward the sect leader Wang, noticing he made no attempt to conceal signs of his imminent death.
Openly hunched, as if he had already accepted the fact that, as sect leader, he would soon perish.
[Little Ai No.2 (Huangpu): If we reveal the truth about Wang Jian’s layer, and if it turns out to be a flaw in one’s Dao heart, it would expose the creator’s attempt to hide their own dirty secrets. Then the other party…]
Lin Shuang immediately raised her eyes, looking at the dying sect leader Wang.
Wang Heng – Supervising Elder,
Yue Zhi – Wang Jian Crafting Elder (?),
Sect Leader Wang – Wang Jian Creator (?) the greatest hidden evil cultivator in the Shanhai Sect (?)
If that’s the case, isn’t the Shanhai Sect just a den of thieves?
That shouldn’t be right.
Then what about this aura of decay and dying, and the fading spiritual consciousness?
“Move, return to Qingshui Sect!” Xiaohong and Xiaolv, quickly form the incantation to summon all disciples to come together.
This was no longer just a disciple-level issue.
The investigation into the Shanhai Sect had far-reaching implications.
Lin Shuang hissed, silently gesturing toward Xiao Qi and Zhao Ming from the Shanhai Sect—1!
—Leave now, come to Qingshui Sect and burn an incense stick to test your Dao heart.
Xiao Qi immediately rushed forward, “Make way! Let me do the heart-test first! I’m from the outer sect; the inner sect elders have nothing to do with me!”
Shanhai Sect’s inner sect elder: “?”
Zhao Ming glanced at Zhao Keran and then walked toward Lin Shuang.
“Excuse me, I’ve never entered the inner sect, I’ve always been in the outer sect.”
Shanhai Sect’s inner sect elder: “?”
Pah—
As everyone turned their attention to them, Wang Heng, who was being restrained by elders from the four great sects, suddenly split open from the center of his forehead, a line of blood appearing.
A large amount of blood, mixed with shattered organs, splattered out.
Before anyone could react, in an instant, Wang Heng’s breath vanished.
From his split body, a pitch-black Tianji token plopped onto the ground.
Lin Shuang’s soft couch, carried by Meng Zi, rapidly retreated just in time to avoid the blood spray.
Looking at Wang Heng’s sudden death, she frowned but remained relatively calm.
In fact, this was exactly what she had anticipated; if she were the villain, she would also leave something deadly inside Wang Heng that would never allow him to speak out and identify her.
Wasn’t this exactly the same as what happened with Xiao Feng in the Wang Jian layer?
That would be normal.
Lin Shuang couldn’t help but shift her gaze toward Elder Yue Zhi, who stood in front of Wang Heng. His eyes were dark and unfathomable. Somehow, he had positioned himself among the crowd, half his face now shadowed.
Among falling peach blossom petals, Elder Yu Lu dropped her peach branch.
“The four seasons turn, spring.”
In an instant, time froze.
Reversed.
Wang Heng’s shattered soul and consciousness seemed to be restored.
Water Qiantan publicly extracted it—water screen descended from the sky above the sect gate.
‘On the sixteenth day of March, why was the tribute halted?’
Wang Heng’s figure appeared on the water screen.
‘Was it because of the wanted criminal Duying? But even the three disciples from Qingshui Sect couldn’t find anything at the Auction Pavilion!’
Everyone was astonished, looking toward Meng Zi who carried the couch, Lin Shuang seated on it, and the tall-standing Huangpu Yuan.
Then, in the water screen, Wang Heng took a step forward, coming behind the shadow screen.
In his pupils was reflected the image of an elderly figure sitting cross-legged, massive like a mountain.
This figure’s mountainous build and imposing appearance shocked and enraged the elders and disciples present.
But Lin Shuang, seated on her couch, let out a long breath.
Finally, from the Wang Jian layer to this group battle, we’ve caught you, Tribulation-Crossing Elder…
Like others, Lin Shuang cast a complicated gaze toward Elder Yue Zhi, who stood just a step away in front of Wang Heng.
But just as she was about to relax, she heard Elder Yue Zhi, with a calm expression, solemnly say:
“This is not me; don’t be deceived.”
“This is Sect Leader Wang, impersonating me.”
Lin Shuang: “???”
The Monkey King impersonation scenario again?
Shanhai Sect’s werewolf, are you selling clay pots? Coming up with one scheme after another!
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