How could Xu Lan’er not understand Zhao Yunbin?

When Sect Master Zhuxin took disciples, Xu Lan’er was accepted as the final disciple because her heart nature was very similar to Zhuxin’s. If nothing unexpected happened, when Zhuxin achieved the Great Dao and departed in the future, Xu Lan’er would be the next sect master of the Jianzhu Sect.

At that time, Zhao Yunbin was already a late Foundation Establishment cultivator, yet she immediately switched sides to Xu Lan’er in the sect’s internal struggles, thus gaining Zhuxin’s favor and raising her status in the sect by a level.

Reading the wind and steering the helm—this was what this woman was best at.

For no reason at all, how could she have killed Zheng Yun’er?

There must be a cause. Since Yashan Jian Chou had appeared, even if she claimed she wasn’t framing others, Xu Lan’er wouldn’t dare believe it.

When Xu Lan’er exposed her with one sentence, Zhao Yunbin was stunned, and her crying gradually stopped.

She lowered her head, glanced at the corpse lying on the ground, and said: “At first, I was blown away by that bitch from Yashan. Junior Sister Zheng woke me up… I… I was severely injured for a moment and became confused, so I used the technique that Senior Sister Lan’er taught me. I didn’t expect Junior Sister Zheng couldn’t withstand it and immediately… died. Many people around were watching, so I had to frame Yashan… If it weren’t for her, this wouldn’t have happened!”

By the end, her voice carried a faint distortion.

On the other end of the jade slip, Xu Lan’er snorted lightly.

“At least you’re clever. This time, Junior Sister Zheng didn’t die in vain. Since people saw it, the facts are as such—it all depends on what we say. When many mouths melt metal and accumulated slander destroy bones, I want to see what Yashan will use to resist this time. I’ll report this matter to the Master and send people to help you succeed soon. Where are you now?”

“I… I returned to Flying Heaven Town.”

Zhao Yunbin answered tremblingly.

“Fool!”

Xu Lan’er’s voice immediately became contemptuous.

“That senior sister must still be in Black Wind Cave right now. You immediately leave Flying Heaven Town and go to guard there. If you let her escape and can’t catch her red-handed, all the framing will be for nothing!”

After all, Zhao Yunbin was blown out of Black Wind Cave at the time, but no one saw that it was Jian Chou who acted.

If Jian Chou disappeared during this time and Zheng Yun’er was already dead, who could definitively say it was Jian Chou?

So they had to trap Jian Chou firmly at the Black Wind Cave entrance!

Zhao Yunbin felt terrified.

“Senior Sister Xu, you mean…”

They wanted to use this incident to oppose Yashan to the end, oppose Jian Chou to the end, leaving no survivors!

This was something Zhao Yunbin never expected, yet it was what she hoped to see.

After being surprised for just a moment, she gripped the jade slip tightly and nodded: “Yunbin understands and will go now.”

“Very good.”

Xu Lan’er replied once and directly cut off the jade slip.

Presumably, she was going to find Zhuxin to report this matter.

Zhao Yunbin was dazed for a long while. Looking down at the corpse on the ground, her eyes mixed fear with a trace of disgust.

Now that she had to rush back to Black Wind Cave, did she have to carry this corpse with her?

Zhao Yunbin didn’t want to use her Qiankun Bag to store a dead person.

With a casual wave, she directly set up a protective array on the ground, covering Zheng Yun’er’s corpse. Only then did she take out a pill to hold in her mouth, push open the door again, place a restriction on it, and finally fly away.

A blue light dissipated across the sky.

Inside the courtyard was silent, but outside came noisy sounds.

Not long after Zhao Yunbin left, a figure slowly appeared in the center of the courtyard, wearing white robes so clean they were spotless.

It was precisely Pei Qian.

He glanced at the sky where the blue light had long disappeared, raised an eyebrow slightly, turned back to look at the tightly closed door, and couldn’t help wondering: “Coming back properly for once, setting up a sound-isolation array, then going to Black Wind Cave again, yet her junior sister is nowhere to be seen… How strange…”

After pondering for a moment, Pei Qian’s eyes turned, his lips curved, and he walked straight up.

There was a restriction on the door, but it wasn’t much.

The Northern Domain’s Yin and Yang Sects were best at array formations.

Pei Qian extended his hand, and black and white lights appeared, coiling around his fingers. When his fingers touched the restriction, it automatically revealed an Eight Trigrams position diagram, spinning rapidly.

Puff.

A light sound.

The restriction disappeared.

Pei Qian’s expression was calm as he skillfully pushed open the door.

Zheng Yun’er’s corpse lay face down in the center of the door.

In that instant, Pei Qian fiercely knitted his brows…

Even without seeing the face, he could feel that this body had withered far too much!

The distant Zhao Yunbin still didn’t know what was happening in the small courtyard behind her.

She was only flying rapidly toward Black Wind Cave!

To surround Jian Chou, naturally, she couldn’t do it alone.

While flying rapidly, Zhao Yunbin had already taken out a transmission jade slip to contact Shang Liufan.

Now that another person had died, she wasn’t worried that this stubborn junior brother wouldn’t return.

“Yashan Jian Chou killed my Junior Sister Zheng. Please return quickly, Junior Brother Shang, to join me in pursuing the murderer!”

After the jade slip transmission, there was no reply for a long time.

Zhao Yunbin secretly cursed through gritted teeth: “Damn thing!”

She turned her wrist, put away the jade slip, and finally, too lazy to wait anymore, continued toward Black Wind Cave.

Somewhere in Flying Heaven Town.

Young Shang Liufan held the transmission jade slip, silent for a long time.

Standing opposite him were two people: one was Qi Shaofeng, son of Yashan’s Elder Qi Boyuan, and the other was Yan Chensha, chief disciple under Yashan’s Elder Biyan. This time, when Baiyue Valley reported the mysterious deaths of cultivators in Flying Heaven Town to Yashan, the Executive Hall dispatched these two.

Among them, Yan Chensha was the one in charge this time. His cultivation had just passed Nascent Soul; he wore a jade crown, had a flute at his waist, and carried himself with an elegant bearing.

As for Qi Shaofeng, he was naturally here to gain experience.

Seeing Jianzhu Sect’s Shang Liufan silent for so long, Yan Chensha couldn’t help feeling strange and asked: “Junior Brother Shang, what’s wrong?”

Shang Liufan looked up, seeming somewhat dazed, and spoke directly: “I… in my sect, Senior Sister Zhao Yunbin just transmitted to me, saying Yashan Jian Chou killed Senior Sister Zheng and wants… wants me to join her in pursuing the murderer at Black Wind Cave.”

“…”

What?

Qi Shaofeng immediately stood up, staring wide-eyed at Shang Liufan.

Yan Chensha was equally astonished.

The news of Senior Granduncle Jian Chou venturing out again for cultivation and training had only recently spread from Yashan, and they had encountered such a thing in Flying Heaven Town?

Murder?

And killing someone from the Jianzhu Sect?

Highly unlikely.

His brow furrowed tightly. Yan Chensha hooked up his flute with his finger, slowly caressing it. After pondering for a moment, he smiled: “Since the Jianzhu Sect has grievances, our Yashan naturally cannot stand by idly. Let’s immediately set out for Black Wind Cave to join Fairy Zhao Yunbin in pursuing the murderer and seeking justice for the Jianzhu Sect!”

Qi Shaofeng looked at Yan Chensha, suddenly unable to speak.

All of Flying Heaven Town was beginning to gradually gather forces from Yashan, Baiyue Valley, and the Jianzhu Sect.

Yet Jian Chou knew nothing of this.

She put away the axe, took out the Liwai Mirror, and pondered for a long time.

First, she had injured Zhao Yunbin, but the other female cultivator’s matter had nothing to do with her—there might be some conspiracy behind it.

Second, her unreliable master had made a bet with Dragon Gate. If she couldn’t defeat Zhou Chengjiang before the Left Three Thousand gathering, her master’s private treasury would likely be lost.

Third, the Left Three Thousand gathering was imminent, so she should focus on cultivation.

Now three matters lay before her. To handle things, she should pick the most urgent ones.

Jian Chou frowned, counting on her fingers, and ultimately decided cultivation was most important.

Making a choice was simple.

She simply tossed out the Liwai Mirror and simultaneously leaped toward the cliff below.

She had decided—now she would only focus on cultivation. Even if floods raged behind her, it had nothing to do with her!

Cold wind from below the mountain cliff struck her face as Jian Chou’s figure descended rapidly.

But before reaching the cliff bottom, she discovered an abnormal situation.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh…

The originally calm wind sounds rolling below the cliff had become much more violent. Countless sand and stones on the ground were swept up by the hurricane, filling the entire cliff bottom. Vaguely, she could even see several disheveled figures.

“Oh no, it’s time for Black Wind Cave’s active period. Let’s go quickly!”

Someone was shouting.

The violent, crazy wind blew the Liwai Mirror supporting Jian Chou wildly. Jian Chou frowned, formed hand seals, and the Liwai Mirror immediately emitted stronger light, stabilizing in the fierce wind.

However, the cultivators below had already been blown about everywhere.

The entire scene looked ridiculous for a moment.

Jian Chou immediately understood—this must be what they called Black Wind Cave’s period of intense activity.

These people were all those who had encountered Jian Chou and others under the old pear tree earlier.

They had agreed to enter Black Wind Cave together, but didn’t expect this year’s Black Wind Cave activity to be one or two days early. Originally planning to go deep to two hundred feet, they had only walked one hundred feet when knife-like black winds immediately rushed out from inside, instantly forcing everyone back!

Many were injured by wind blades, now with blood flowing across their bodies, unable to maintain their balance.

After being blown out of Black Wind Cave, these people were almost all disheveled beyond measure, swept by the wind like headless flies crashing about under the cliff.

The old woman who had spoken with Jian Chou not long ago had her silver hair completely disheveled, blood staining her chest, with several huge bloody gashes across her arms and back.

“The black wind is coming, everyone hide quickly!”

“Clang!”

She thrust her walking stick hard into the cliff wall!

The old woman gripped her walking stick tightly, finally managing to stabilize herself, and shouted at the people still being swept by the black wind below.

Her voice, carried by the wind, was completely inaudible.

Not far from her, another male cultivator had also barely stabilized himself. Barely hearing the voice and turning to look, he was about to say something to the old woman when he suddenly widened his eyes and shouted: “Granny Yu, be careful!”

Hearing the voice, the old woman was somewhat puzzled when she suddenly heard a huge sound of breaking wind near her ear!

A massive shadow suddenly attacked!

Granny Yu turned her head and saw it was a man-sized boulder from Black Wind Cave’s entrance that had been blown up by today’s fierce black wind and was flying toward her!

At this moment, Granny Yu had both hands gripping her walking stick, having just been wildly swept out by the black wind. Not only did she have no spare strength, but she didn’t even have time to react!

In that moment, she, a late Foundation Establishment cultivator, was like a powerless mortal, only able to hang on this cliff, eyes wide, watching this increasingly close stone about to strike her head!

A trace of despair emerged.

But she was powerless!

The boulder grew closer and closer!

The nearby male cultivator’s eyes were splitting with rage as he flew toward her!

Only, he still wasn’t fast enough!

Halfway through his flight, he suddenly stared ahead in amazement.

A fair fist was raised.

Somewhat delicate.

Yet gripped very tightly.

Knuckles white, beneath the nearly transparent skin, the finger bones emanated azure light, like points of azure spiritual fire!

This was a fair fist, and also an azure fist.

It was an elegant fist, and also an explosive fist!

However, the moment it clenched tight, even the hard bones seemed to emit “crack crack” sounds of splitting!

The fist came extremely fast, attacking later yet arriving first!

A fierce punch!

Growing closer and closer!

The world in both Granny Yu’s and the male cultivator’s eyes had a moment of stillness.

Though the fist hadn’t arrived, a layer of faint azure spiritual fire floating above it seemed to come alive, surging wildly from the fist!

The fierce flames, like a fire phoenix, spread their wings and pounced at the boulder!

“Hum!”

Crazy flames seemed to envelop the entire boulder and penetrate to its center.

In an instant, the boulder immediately turned completely red like magma.

At this time, Jian Chou’s fist finally arrived.

The still world became crazy again.

“Bang!”

Flesh and blood collided with the boulder that had been burned into molten rock!

Countless tiny cracks instantly spread everywhere!

As if finally unable to withstand such tremendous force, the entire man-sized boulder exploded the moment the fist struck!

“Boom!”

The red-hot massive rock body was shattered by one punch!

Like punching a meteor to pieces, like one punch shaking the galaxy!

The brilliant, dazzling light was even more arrogant than the black wind in Black Wind Cave!

No one could hear the wind anymore, no one could see the chaotic black wind.

What the ears heard, what the eyes saw—only this one punch!

Crash!

Countless shattered red-hot rock fragments flew in all directions, immediately followed by dense rain-like violent sounds of “bang bang bang bang” on the ground!

Debris everywhere!

Granny Yu’s neck still maintained its rigid posture, her entire person staring in the direction where the boulder had originally struck, unable to move for a long time.

The male cultivator who had rushed to save Granny Yu also couldn’t take another step, suspended in midair, his mind completely captivated.

Not far in front of Granny Yu, that fist was stained with much black ash but showed not the slightest wound—a jade-like fist with insanely powerful combat ability.

The fist slowly withdrew, and Granny Yu’s gaze finally slowly fell upon the figure before her.

Somewhat familiar.

Especially these clothes.

It was someone she had seen not long ago…

Granny Yu was still in shock from earlier, somewhat unable to recover.

Jian Chou looked at her fist, also somewhat dazed.

In the urgency of the moment, she had punched out without thinking, but unexpectedly…

With just a thought, the bones that had been tempered by Azure Lotus Spiritual Fire automatically emanated spiritual fire, appearing on the bone surface.

The moment she threw the punch, all the energy contained in her body seemed to surge forth.

Thus…

This was the effect of that punch.

The wonder of “Human Weapon”?

It seemed she hadn’t studied it deeply enough.

Looking around, the black wind was still there, and everyone had finally secured their positions one after another.

Only…

Throughout the entire cliff bottom, apart from wind sounds, nothing else could be heard.

Black smoke rose everywhere from the ground—fragments ignited by this punch, falling to the ground and gradually dimming.

Everyone used shocked gazes to look at that slender figure in midair.

Was this the person who had killed that female cultivator from the Jianzhu Sect earlier?

Just now…

Was it to save someone?

The brilliant and shocking scene was deeply engraved in everyone’s minds—perhaps even after many years, it would be hard to forget.

Hearing no sound behind her, Jian Chou finally remembered what the punch was for and quickly turned back to look.

Granny Yu was still hanging on the cliff, safe and sound.

So raising an eyebrow, Jian Chou smiled: “Don’t mention it.”

Granny Yu was stunned.

She was about to speak when she saw Jian Chou finish this sentence and turn around to fly toward Black Wind Cave, where the wind was blowing fiercely, immediately terrified: “Benefactor, where are you going?”

Of course, to Black Wind Cave.

Jian Chou was puzzled and looked back: “To explore Black Wind Cave. Does the senior have other matters?”

“This Black Wind Cave is in its fierce wind period. Ordinary cultivators who enter face more danger than fortune. You…”

Granny Yu spoke halfway before remembering that the female cultivator before her eyes couldn’t possibly be considered ordinary. Only this year’s Black Wind Cave was different from previous years—the black wind was more brutal, truly beyond imagination.

Jian Chou vaguely guessed what she wanted to say and didn’t mind, only smiling: “Thank you for your kind intention, Granny.”

However, that wasn’t important.

She was still prepared to leave, but unexpectedly, Granny Yu’s expression became hesitant. Finally, she sighed deeply: “Benefactor, you cannot go to this Black Wind Cave. That female cultivator from the Jianzhu Sect has already taken the dead female cultivator back. If you go in, they’ll probably immediately come to wait by the tree stump.”

The Jianzhu Sect?

Hearing this, Jian Chou looked back toward the cliff above, shook her head, and appeared unconcerned: “If they come, what does it have to do with me?”

Though her master was unreliable, there was one thing he said that Jian Chou always found very reasonable. Though crude, the reasoning was sound—namely: all troublesome matters in this world can be resolved with two phrases: “None of your damn business” and “None of my damn business.”

The Jianzhu Sect sending people, as long as they didn’t interfere with her cultivation, all would be well.

Moreover…

Why should she have worries about what’s behind her?

Her back—she could entrust it completely.

Jian Chou smiled, and the Liwai Mirror beneath her feet blazed with light, actually transforming into a flowing light that shot straight into the surging Black Wind Cave!

“Yashan approaches—how long dare the Jianzhu Sect run rampant?”

That voice carried no trace of coldness, only a kind of ethereal, immortal air and pride that floated away.

In the brutal black wind, it was still crystal clear.

As the voice landed, the person also disappeared without a trace.

Throughout the entire area outside Black Wind Cave, below Sacrifice Cliff, there were only a group of cultivators staring speechlessly at the cave entrance, and debris everywhere—

The originally red-hot stone blocks had long turned charcoal black, their remaining high temperature having scorched all the surrounding grass and moss.

At this moment, everyone’s hearts held only one thought: perhaps only someone who could speak such proud words could deliver such an earth-shaking punch?