In the dark Black Wind Cave, wind blades from afar continued to strike.

Jian Chou sat cross-legged at the very center, in the position with the strongest wind and most wind blades.

Everything within sight was filled with wind blades of all sizes.

Each wind blade carried an extremely sharp sensation, their strange grayish-black color even making one feel they were devouring the light that fell upon them.

Jian Chou focused her mind, straining to observe with her gaze, but discovered that even her sight couldn’t make out their specific forms.

Each wind blade appeared clear at first glance, but was blurred.

They had no clear boundaries, only bringing distorted ripples when they appeared.

Jian Chou couldn’t help being stunned for a moment.

“Puff!”

In that instant, the wind blade her gaze had locked onto had already pierced her body in the blink of an eye.

Immediately, blood blossomed again.

The intense pain instantly called back Jian Chou’s consciousness. She looked down at her chest, seeing blood and flesh, deep enough to reveal bone.

Forget it, she was used to it.

At least no one would die.

Such thoughts easily climbed into Jian Chou’s mind. She frowned slightly and looked ahead again.

These wind blades didn’t seem as easy to handle as she had imagined.

That person who had surpassed Zhou Chengjiang must truly be a prodigy.

Now, she needed to find a way to observe the wind blades properly.

After pondering for a moment, Jian Chou finally made up her mind.

There was no good method—just catch one!

The moment her resolve was set, she didn’t hesitate and directly reached out toward a spot three feet in front of her!

There seemed to be a soft “bang” sound as the wind blade struck right into her palm, flesh spattering. But simultaneously, Jian Chou’s spiritual power followed, covering her palm, while her hard bones emitted a luster resembling beautiful jade.

That wind blade actually couldn’t cut through Jian Chou’s palm for a moment, unable to escape.

The wind blade trapped in Jian Chou’s palm wasn’t docile. Its sharp cutting intent, like a saw, collided with the spiritual power and hard bones in Jian Chou’s palm, producing only blood blossoms one after another.

The intense pain was heart-piercing.

However, Jian Chou didn’t loosen her grip in the slightest, her eyes even lighting up.

Caught it!

She had barely felt happy when her hand trembled.

The wind blade that had been firmly grasped in Jian Chou’s hand dissipated into grayish-black spiritual energy the moment she looked down at it. Blown by the wind from behind, it disappeared without a trace!

Spiritual energy?

Jian Chou felt as if she had touched something. After pondering briefly, she reached out again.

Catch another one to examine!

…

Time flew by rapidly in this cycle of catching and dissipating.

Outside the cave.

Zhao Yunbin’s gaze toward the Black Wind Cave entrance had become almost vacant.

At this moment, stars and the moon filled the sky.

Black Wind Cave had become much gentler compared to its previous ferocity. That active period was gradually passing.

By all rights, Zhao Yunbin should have been happier, but her heart grew colder and colder.

Recently, no one had come to Black Wind Cave.

More than nine days had passed, and Yashan had only two people here from beginning to end, while the Jianzhu Sect had arrived with more than ten people in grand fashion, as if surrounding and intercepting.

They were afraid Jian Chou would escape, and they’d never catch such an opportunity again.

Eliminating Yashan’s senior sister was probably impossible—Yashan wouldn’t truly let the Jianzhu Sect do such a thing. But seizing the opportunity to pin the charges of deliberate revenge and indiscriminate killing on Yashan was effortless.

Such a rare chance to smear Yashan’s reputation—how could everyone miss it?

But now…

Everyone who had initially feared Jian Chou would dash out and escape was somewhat dumbfounded.

No one had come out all along.

Zhao Yunbin had thrown down her array disc for a full nine days, approaching ten days.

Array discs were originally inlaid with spirit stones, a type of one-time consumable. The array’s power was also provided by spirit stones. Once the spiritual energy in the spirit stones was exhausted, the array would collapse.

Now, the array covering the Black Wind Cave entrance emitted a hazy white light. Originally brilliant enough to be seen at a glance in the night, it now required carefully widening one’s eyes to see that thin, faint layer of radiance.

Everyone knew this array had reached its limit.

“Drip, drip…”

Though there was no sound of water drops falling around, Zhao Yunbin heard it crystal clear.

She slowly reached out to touch her chest, and in her trance, had an illusion—

This was the sound of dripping blood, wasn’t it?

How many days had it been?

The first day, after throwing the array disc at the Black Wind Cave entrance, Zhao Yunbin was certain Jian Chou couldn’t last more than a few hours and would have to crawl out in defeat. After all, with late Foundation Establishment cultivation, how long could she last?

But they waited from sunrise to sunset, yet the cave entrance remained completely silent!

At that time, Zhao Yunbin thought it must be because Yashan’s elders had given her many magical artifacts, allowing her to last until now.

At most three days—after three days, she would crawl out.

Zhao Yunbin had already been sharpening her blade, and with the Jianzhu Sect people also arriving, her courage bolstered, she almost immediately made harsh threats.

However, Yashan’s Yan Chensha and Qi Shaofeng both looked at them with a very strange expression, saying, “We’ll wait with you for Senior Granduncle to come out.”

At that time, they still didn’t understand what that expression meant.

But now everyone understood.

It was pity, mockery, sighing…

Yashan’s Senior Granduncle Jian Chou, with late Foundation Establishment cultivation, had stayed in Black Wind Cave for nearly ten days!

All of the Jianzhu Sect, not daring to conflict with Yashan, could only stand outside waiting.

But no one came out.

From initial certainty, to continuous disappointment, to now, only numbness remained.

Fourth day, Jian Chou didn’t come out.

Fifth day, Jian Chou didn’t come out.

Sixth day, Jian Chou didn’t come out.

Didn’t come out.

Didn’t come out.

Didn’t come out.

…

Yan Chensha, sitting not far away, slowly withdrew his gaze, shaking his head and sighing.

Qi Shaofeng looked toward the Black Wind Cave entrance with eyes full of longing: “I knew Senior Granduncle wouldn’t come out so early to let them have their way. Senior Brother Yan, do you think Senior Granduncle might encounter some fortune inside?”

Fortune?

Yan Chensha was startled, flicking his flute with a finger: “Perhaps. The later she comes out, the better.”

Seeing Zhao Yunbin’s ashen complexion over there, Yan Chensha felt an indescribable satisfaction.

If you don’t have spirit stones, don’t act like you’re wealthy.

Really, after throwing out the array disc, now feeling heartache here—how tasteless?

However, the important part was still to come.

Narrowing his eyes, Yan Chensha looked toward the Black Wind Cave entrance with pleasure.

A gust of black wind blew, causing the thin array of light to flicker. The spirit stones at the array’s base had visibly turned grayish-white, lacking luster.

Just like a dog barely clinging to life.

At this moment, almost everyone’s gaze was focused on this array.

After the Jianzhu Sect people arrived, Shang Liufan couldn’t very well stay on Yashan’s side, so he moved over to be with his fellow sect members.

He also looked at the array. Seeing the situation, he finally couldn’t help speaking: “It’s been almost ten days, yet Senior Jian Chou from Yashan hasn’t come out of the cave. This is impossible. If she truly only has Foundation Establishment cultivation as you claim, she couldn’t have lasted this long. Senior Sister Zhao, did you make a mistake?”

“Those people saw it with their own eyes, and you heard it with your ears—how could there be a mistake?”

After the Jianzhu Sect people arrived, Zhao Yunbin found all the witnesses who saw Jian Chou enter and questioned them. Didn’t they all say Jian Chou had gone in?

Zhao Yunbin was already furious inside. At this moment, she finally couldn’t help turning around, glaring at him almost viciously.

“Does Junior Brother Shang suspect they’re lying? The murderer who killed Junior Sister Zheng is in the Black Wind Cave. Whoever comes out is the murderer! Could it be that Junior Brother Shang wants to make excuses for that female demon?”

As soon as these words came out, Yan Chensha and Qi Shaofeng both changed color.

Yan Chensha stood up with a cold smile, calling out loudly: “Fairy Zhao of the Jianzhu Sect, watch your words. Calling our Senior Granduncle a female demon—you’d better have evidence…”

His words had barely fallen when Zhao Yunbin, who had been holding back her anger for days, seemed to finally find an outlet for her frustration.

She immediately flipped up from the stone wall where she’d been sitting cross-legged, standing coldly opposite Yashan, shouting: “Evidence? What more evidence do we need? My dead Junior Sister Zheng is the evidence! Your Yashan killed someone yet still pretends to have done nothing—do you think our Jianzhu Sect deserves this treatment?”

The nearby Jianzhu Sect disciples were horrified upon hearing this, feeling that Zhao Yunbin’s words were far too excessive. They hurriedly spoke up: “Senior Sister Zhao!”

However, it was too late.

“Slap!”

A palm filled with surging power slammed hard onto Zhao Yunbin’s face!

In that instant, with her low cultivation, she couldn’t react in time!

Her originally pretty face was violently smashed against the stone wall, even dragging her entire body along.

“Bang!”

A tremendous crash.

Zhao Yunbin’s entire person was slapped against the stone wall by this palm!

Blood flowed freely!

This huge commotion immediately intimidated everyone present. Not a single member of the Jianzhu Sect dared to lend a hand.

“What good is wearing human skin when your mouth spits dog teeth?”

After Yan Chensha calmly finished this sentence, he withdrew his “striking the ox across the mountain” technique and smiled slightly.

“You!”

Someone from the Jianzhu Sect immediately couldn’t help wanting to step forward and argue.

However, a male cultivator at the forefront stopped them: “All of you get back!”

A cold shout.

The Jianzhu Sect members who had been in anger suddenly sobered up.

They were facing a Yashan Nascent Soul cultivator whose cultivation far exceeded theirs!

Now, no one dared to argue anymore.

Everyone was intimidated by the power of that slap.

Only he was at the Nascent Soul stage here!

Who dared compete with him?

Previously, they had only relied on the Jianzhu Sect seemingly being in the right in this matter, with Yashan avoiding suspicion.

But now?

Yan Chensha had directly slapped her, who still dared to reason with him?

Actually, if not for being a prestigious righteous sect, the means of solving problems would be quite simple.

Slap them once, and if they’re not convinced, let them complain. If they complain again, slap them again.

There was nothing that violence couldn’t solve, just like the motto of Yashan’s Bajian Sect: “There’s no trouble that can’t be solved by angrily drawing a sword. If there is, then run away.”

Shang Liufan only saw that after Zhao Yunbin was slapped against the cliff wall, she rolled her eyes back and fainted, her body going limp and falling down, actually tumbling off the cliff and landing below.

Below happened to be her own array.

Another heavy “bang” sound.

Zhao Yunbin’s body crashed onto that pitiful array.

A series of very strained white lights lit up from the array’s circular light shield, as if about to roar and burst forth with its powerful attack.

However…

In everyone’s eyes, this was nothing but a death struggle.

The array that had already reached its end actually made a sound like glass shattering after Zhao Yunbin’s crash, then “boom”—the entire array instantly collapsed!

“Crack crack crack!”

A series of spirit stone explosion sounds.

Countless spirit stones had their spiritual energy drained by the array, finally turning completely grayish-white. Unable to withstand such tremendous force, they shattered into a pile of white ash!

An expensive confinement array disc worth hundreds of spirit stones had just burned up like this…

The Jianzhu Sect people naturally all knew how expensive this array disc was. Their expressions at that moment were extremely colorful.

Standing on the cliff wall, Yan Chensha couldn’t help raising an eyebrow.

The effect of that slap…

A pleasant little surprise.

She had smashed the array she’d been desperately maintaining. Fortunately, Zhao Yunbin was unconscious now—otherwise, if she were awake, she’d probably be so angry she’d die and come back to life.

What a pity.

Yan Chensha smiled, lightly tapping his flute with his finger, saying nothing more.

Qi Shaofeng swallowed hard, looking at the collapsed Zhao Yunbin below with lingering fear.

Only then did someone from the Jianzhu Sect react, shouting: “Senior Sister Zhao!”

A stream of light rushed down, hurriedly helping Zhao Yunbin up.

Qi Shaofeng looked and saw that Zhao Yunbin didn’t seem to have any serious internal injuries—at most her face was swollen like a pig’s head and her body was covered in blood. Nothing major.

So he turned his gaze back to Black Wind Cave and suddenly spoke to the Jianzhu Sect members: “Now there’s no array. If our Senior Granduncle Jian Chou comes out right now, you can’t stop her. Are you planning to go in and explore, or continue setting up arrays?”

The person who came to “support” Zhao Yunbin was named Pan Qi. He had a dark complexion, thin build, and seemed steady, though probably because he was too dark, he always gave off a gloomy feeling.

He was frowning at Zhao Yunbin below, secretly cursing this woman for relying on the sect master and Xu Lan’er to cause trouble. Now things had become difficult.

Unexpectedly, while thinking of solutions, Qi Shaofeng actually asked directly.

In that instant, Pan Qi was stunned.

Go in and explore?

No, though the Jianzhu Sect had sent many people, even ten of them couldn’t defeat one Yan Chensha, let alone in a narrow place like Black Wind Cave.

If they all went in together, how could they ensure the other party wouldn’t take the opportunity to ambush them in the dark cave?

With visibility near zero inside and no one else present, even if they were all slaughtered inside, who would know?

If Yashan’s people didn’t go in, who knew if they’d have a chance to leave Black Wind Cave? What if Yashan was also waiting like hunters when they came out?

Besides, Black Wind Cave itself wasn’t safe.

So they absolutely couldn’t go in!

Then…

Only one option remained.

Pan Qi’s expression immediately became troubled.

Set up another array at the Black Wind Cave entrance?

This was the safest approach. In broad daylight, Yashan wouldn’t dare do anything to the Jianzhu Sect.

But…

Where would the spirit stones come from?

To cover such a large cave entrance as Black Wind Cave and ensure a certain level of power, each array would cost at least several hundred spirit stones and could only last ten days.

Seeing that they hadn’t answered for a long time, Qi Shaofeng felt somewhat puzzled.

Yan Chensha was already laughing inside, unable to help turning his head slightly to hide the smile on his face.

These poor Jianzhu Sect members!

Just as this thought settled in his mind, Pan Qi over there didn’t answer Qi Shaofeng’s question but instead turned around, gathered all the Jianzhu Sect members who had come, and began discussing something through transmission.

Qi Shaofeng was completely bewildered.

Yan Chensha remained composed.

After a long while, the several cultivators over there all showed troubled expressions, finally gritting their teeth as if agreeing to Pan Qi’s proposal.

Pan Qi had naturally gathered everyone to discuss spirit stones.

Since they were going out on a mission, they had requested a batch of spirit stones from the sect, but not many. Combined with the spirit stones each person carried, it should be enough to support several more arrays.

Pan Qi hoped everyone would hand over their spirit stones for him to set up the array, and when they returned to the sect, these spirit stones would be returned to everyone.

After all, there would be borrowing and returning. It shouldn’t be a big problem—at worst, everyone couldn’t use spirit stones for recovery and would have to meditate instead.

After collecting the spirit stones, Pan Qi gained confidence.

He straightened up and directly bowed to Yan Chensha and the others: “Black Wind Cave is extremely dangerous—we dare not take risks. Since Senior Sister Zhao insists that Senior Jian Chou from Yashan is in Black Wind Cave, why don’t we continue waiting outside? To prevent any accidents, our Jianzhu Sect will still set up a confinement array. You two have no objections, right?”

“Of course not.”

Yan Chensha revealed a big smile, though his eyes were cold.

With a wave of his hand, he said gracefully: “Please proceed.”

So Pan Qi selected several people and quickly began setting up the array again.

During this process, he was actually somewhat hesitant.

Each spirit stone going in could be converted into cultivation—when did they usually have a chance to see so many spirit stones? Now, just for the death of a mere Zheng Yun’er, they had to waste so much. It really wasn’t worth it.

But without setting up an array, they had no way to be completely confident of capturing Jian Chou when she exited Black Wind Cave.

So these spirit stones had to be spent—there was no way to save them!

Forcibly suppressing that painful feeling, Pan Qi completed the array while his face darkened another layer.

“Snap!”

The last spirit stone was inserted.

With a “hum,” the entire array was reactivated. That bright light immediately lit up below Sacrifice Cliff, illuminating everyone’s faces.

However, the two from Yashan wore smiles while the several from Jianzhu Sect all looked green.

Pan Qi stood before this great array with his hand on his sword, fingers gripped tightly, looking at the array while gritting his teeth inside.

It was just one great array!

The Jianzhu Sect didn’t lack this little bit!

He refused to believe it—it was only late Foundation Establishment cultivation. Could that damn Jian Chou really stay inside for another ten days?

Dream on!

While Yan Chensha and Qi Shaofeng could still laugh now, once Jian Chou came out, they wouldn’t be laughing anymore.

Stepping back step by step, Pan Qi’s face showed a confident smile.

Seeing this, Yan Chensha only sighed quietly in his heart.

Glancing at the communication spirit pearl, Master Uncle Qu’s words echoed in his ears again: “With Senior Granduncle Jian Chou’s abilities, living comfortably inside for half a year would be absolutely no problem.”

Half a year.

Burning several hundred spirit stones in ten days wasn’t much, but for over one or two hundred days, that would be tens of thousands. An ordinary disciple of a sect could only receive three to five spirit stones per month. Generally, a large sect with several hundred inner disciples who had truly entered cultivation was already quite impressive.

That is to say, tens of thousands of spirit stones would be enough to support ordinary sect cultivators’ daily cultivation.

Of course, artifact refining, pill refining, and elite disciple expenses would be calculated separately.

How many people did the Jianzhu Sect have in total?

Yan Chensha couldn’t help feeling sorry for the Jianzhu Sect.

If they spent half a year in Black Wind Cave competing with Jian Chou, setting up such an array each time… tsk tsk… tragic!

Yan Chensha couldn’t help laughing wildly inside.

Outside the entire Black Wind Cave, the two forces maintained a strange balance, with no one breaking it.

Everyone waited quietly.

Inside Black Wind Cave.

Having captured wind blades countless times, Jian Chou finally grasped something.

She began to close her eyes and cultivate.

Her five senses were instantly magnified to the extreme. She could precisely sense the trajectory of each wind blade—they weren’t straight but followed the wind’s path, reducing their resistance to the minimum.

Their power was also concentrated on the blade edge, appearing extremely refined.

Swoosh!

Another wind blade approached.

This time, it headed directly toward Jian Chou’s glowing ancestral aperture at her brow!

She, who had been closing her eyes, suddenly opened them wide in that instant!

Her bright gaze fell entirely on this wind blade flashing toward her like lightning.

In that moment, its speed suddenly slowed in Jian Chou’s eyes.

Whoosh!

A tiny sound.

Actually, the moment Jian Chou saw it clearly, it had already completely penetrated her brow.

However…

Unlike any previous time, this time there was no blood.

Jian Chou’s brow showed no wounds—no blood, no flesh, no bones, no injury, not even a trace of the wind blade could be seen.

Her gaze suddenly became vacant for a moment.

Jian Chou slowly blinked once. Ahead, countless wind blades were striking toward her.

Yet she acted as if she couldn’t see them.

Her fingers resting on her knees moved slightly, trembling.

Jian Chou slowly raised her hand. The spiritual energy in her body converged toward her fingers, following a unique trajectory like wind blades shifting in fierce winds, carrying an almost mystical quality.

Hum!

The massive battle disc instantly covered the entire cave wall!

Kunxian lines lit up one after another.

The moment the spiritual energy above Jian Chou’s palm began operating, a dao piece suddenly lit up!

The spiritual energy moved another inch to the next acupoint, and the second dao piece lit up!

Then the third, fourth…

One dao piece after another lit up in succession.

Jian Chou didn’t look.

Her entire mind was focused on this palm.

Her palm, stained with her own blood, had every inch of flesh newly grown, appearing fair and tender.

A trace of flowing light suddenly appeared on her finger’s meridians, then swiftly emerged at her fingertips along a certain trajectory!

“Swoosh!”

Five sounds merged into one!

The moment this sound appeared, five grayish-black blade lights about an inch long emerged from Jian Chou’s five fingertips!

Each one was like a wind blade from Black Wind Cave!

Refined power concentrated at the tiny fingertips, no larger than the wind blades in Black Wind Cave, but appearing more exquisite and terrifying.

Terrifying due to being refined to the extreme!

Even Jian Chou herself couldn’t help her heart trembling for a moment when these five blade lights appeared at her fingertips.

In her own eyes, it was as if her five fingers had suddenly sprouted five sharp spikes, five steel blades!

Unconsciously, her finger moved slightly, slashing—

Rip.

A grayish-black wind blade that had just flown toward Jian Chou was actually cut in half by her finger, instantly dissipating in the fierce wind!

The fierce wind blew through Jian Chou’s disheveled hair.

But it couldn’t extinguish the five blade lights at her fingertips!

Cold and brilliant blade lights.

Black Wind Cave’s wind blades were uncontrolled, but once Jian Chou comprehended them, they became consciously controlled, naturally more concentrated and condensed.

Therefore, relatively speaking, their power would be greater.

This was what that prodigy who had surpassed Zhou Chengjiang had comprehended.

In this instant, Jian Chou was absolutely certain.

The Wanxiang Battle Disc rotated continuously.

Jian Chou spread her five fingers, looking down to see a brand new Dao seal composed of eight dao pieces had formed on her battle disc, glowing brightly.

Success.

She didn’t remember how many days had passed, nor did she care.

These five cold and brilliant fingertip blade lights were already the greatest harvest.

Jian Chou turned her head, looking at the lines of inscriptions very close to her on the cave wall, finally extending her finger and slashing from afar!

“Crash!”

Countless fragments immediately crumbled and peeled away from where Jian Chou’s fingertip blade light pointed, forming a groove several inches deep—deeper than the inscriptions Qu Zhengfeng had left nearby!

“Crack crack crack…”

Countless tiny blade lights bounced around in the groove formed after that slash, soon finally hiding in the depths.

However, Jian Chou knew very clearly that just like when she had inadvertently touched Qu Zhengfeng’s inscriptions before, if someone came in the future and touched the inscriptions she left, they would trigger even more violent attacks!

In this instant, Jian Chou finally smiled with pleasure.

“Inspired by the two fellow daoists to the left, comprehended wind blades and indeed produced a Dao seal. Used it briefly—quite marvelous.”

These were the words Qu Zhengfeng had left.

Jian Chou read them again, calmly extended her finger, and lightly carved on the stone wall, leaving grooves deeper than the inscriptions to the right, hiding fiercer and more violent blade lights!

“Same as right, indeed produced a Dao seal, played with it briefly—nothing special.”

Her inscriptions were deeper, her blade lights stronger, yet she wrote: “nothing special.”

What would later visitors think upon seeing this?

Jian Chou found it amusing just thinking about it.

If asked whether she felt guilty after carving these words?

Jian Chou touched her chest—her bones were already black. This heart of hers didn’t feel guilty at all.

If Qu Zhengfeng dared to show off, what wouldn’t she dare to do?