“Blown… blown away…”

Martial grand-aunt was blown away by the wind!

In the dark blue night sky, only a bright full moon remained.

If their hearts weren’t still turbulent at this moment, everyone would probably think what they had just witnessed was merely an illusory dream. How could there be such an ethereal scene of soaring upward?

Too beautiful, too beautiful.

Though the person had already vanished from sight, Qi Shaofeng recognized her.

That was martial grand-aunt Jian Chou, who had sparred with him and beaten him until he was looking for his teeth on the ground!

But…

The Jian Chou of the past, and the Jian Chou of today…

How was this possible?

Martial grand-aunt couldn’t be this graceful and beautiful!

What was the impression of the martial grand-aunt before?

Powerful, violent, Ghost Axe, long legs…

And now?

Robes fluttering, riding the wind away, strength undiminished, aura unchanged, yet with an added gentle beauty, composed and calm, just like a departing immortal, in the clouds, under the moon, in the flowing wind!

Qi Shaofeng’s voice was somewhat dazed: “Isn’t martial grand-aunt late Foundation Establishment…”

Besides, when breaking through to the Golden Core, golden auspicious clouds would appear.

They had been guarding outside the Blackwind Cave for two years and had never seen any.

So, how could a Foundation Establishment cultivator fly out with both feet off the ground?

Not to mention the Jianzhu Sect members—even Yan Chensha from Yashan’s side, who had cultivated for many years with considerable experience, had rarely seen such a thing.

Generally speaking, Foundation Establishment controlled artifacts, and Golden Core controlled the sky.

What did martial grand-aunt Jian Chou count as?

Controlling…

Wind?

Anything called an “artifact” was man-made, but whether it was the so-called “sky” or “wind,” both were natural.

What was the difference between controlling the sky and controlling the wind?

Even Yan Chensha wasn’t clear.

He stared blankly for a long time before saying: “Perhaps this is what distinguishes them from us?”

Below Sheshen Rock, in front of the Blackwind Cave, there was complete silence.

That Five Elements Life-Death Formation continued to operate quietly, brilliantly luminous, as if waiting for prey to enter.

But now…

The prey had long since run away.

The Jianzhu Sect members were all dumbfounded!

This was their final formation setup, their most confident attempt, with what could even be called a perfect chance of success!

But what was this situation now?

A living person had passed through from inside, and the formation still did not react whatsoever!

She got away…

The person came out, and they had watched her escape with their own eyes!

Someone couldn’t help but swallow, trying to search for traces of Jian Chou, but that wind dragon had long since blown away to who knows where.

Bright moon over distant mountains, vast sea of clouds, long wind blowing away, traces faint and distant.

Search?

Where to begin?

No different from finding a needle in a haystack!

In the silence, Pan Qi stood at the front, clenching his fists, teeth gritted tight, even tasting blood in his throat.

After withdrawing his gaze, he stared dead at that completely unresponsive formation!

That was the formation the Jianzhu Sect had set up with their last spirit stones after two years of bitter waiting, carrying everyone’s greatest hopes. Even just moments ago, when they saw Jian Chou’s figure, they had hoped this formation would immediately stop Jian Chou, letting her know that the Jianzhu Sect was no soft persimmon!

But the result?

Why?

How could this be possible?!

“I don’t believe…” Pan Qi’s lips trembled as he finally stepped forward, “I don’t believe it!”

A roar suddenly echoed throughout the area below the cliff. The unrelated cultivators standing on the cliff wall couldn’t help but look at each other.

Pan Qi didn’t believe it, and naturally, others had some doubts too.

A perfectly good formation—how could it conveniently malfunction just when someone came out?

Had Jian Chou done something when she came out?

But they hadn’t seen anything.

Had something gone wrong during setup?

…

Various thoughts, strange and varied.

Pan Qi strode toward the formation, both eyes turning red.

He wouldn’t believe it!

He wouldn’t believe it even if he died!

He had to see for himself.

Two years, two full years of effort!

Was it all just going to be wasted like this?

Seeing this, those behind became somewhat worried.

Especially Zhao Yunbin.

Watching Pan Qi walk toward the great formation, not even preparing to stop, an ominous premonition arose in Zhao Yunbin’s mind. She shouted, “Senior Brother Pan, stop quickly!”

However, Pan Qi seemed possessed, as if he couldn’t hear Zhao Yunbin’s voice at all. He continued glaring viciously at that formation, step by step, step by step!

Zhao Yunbin became anxious.

With Yashan’s Yan Chensha, and Qi Shaofeng watching coldly from the side, if Pan Qi got hot-headed and something happened, who knew how Yashan would leverage this against them?

In that instant, Zhao Yunbin drew her sword and shouted: “Stop him!”

The Jianzhu Sect disciples who were still standing around in a daze finally rushed forward, trying to stop Pan Qi.

But Pan Qi’s steps weren’t slow.

After all, he was the leader of this group. Pan Qi strode forward with fierce anger, not caring what was happening behind him, only staring at that formation.

The moment Pan Qi approached, the spirit stones placed on the ground flashed with light.

Then Pan Qi stepped in with one foot!

“Buzz!”

A slight, trembling sound resonated below the suddenly noisy cliff.

At first, it was just this light sound, but then it suddenly expanded, like the waters of the Milky Way pouring down!

Pan Qi’s foot was still stepping in the formation, and the Jianzhu Sect cultivators rushing to stop him were still charging forward, unable to stop in time…

Slowly raising his head, Pan Qi felt his neck was very stiff.

If this sound had come half a moment earlier, it would have been heavenly music.

Now, it was a nightmare!

His mind, previously clouded by anger and disappointment, completely cleared in this instant.

But it was already too late.

Pan Qi instinctively wanted to withdraw his foot, but the ground in the Five Elements Life-Death Formation was like sticky clay, adhering to his foot so he couldn’t pull it back!

The entire formation also erupted with a strange suction force. Before Pan Qi could react, he was dragged into the formation by the five elements’ power!

The Jianzhu Sect cultivators following behind were greatly alarmed. Those running faster couldn’t stop their momentum and were also pulled in by this suction, crashing headfirst into the formation!

Bang bang bang!

A series of sounds rang out!

Three to five cultivators vanished instantly, pulled in by the formation’s power.

Those standing further away were now truly terrified, retreating without hesitation!

Though Zhao Yunbin had told people to stop Pan Qi, she stayed behind. The Five Elements Life-Death Formation was extremely domineering, with a certain probability of collateral damage. She had been afraid of exactly this situation, but it still happened!

What you fear most is what comes to pass—the unluckiest thing of all!

Seeing Pan Qi being dragged in, Zhao Yunbin had already retreated.

The entire Jianzhu Sect was immediately in chaos, those who hadn’t had time to intercept shouting: “Senior Brother Pan! Senior Brother Pan!”

On the cliff, there was immediate uproar.

Who would have thought such a scene would occur?

The formation…

When encountering Jian Chou, it did not react at all, but when encountering the Jianzhu Sect, it showed no mercy!

This formation was specifically designed to trap their people!

Shang Liaofan, standing there, was already stunned. Qi Shaofeng was even more dumbfounded, looking speechless, and even Yan Chensha showed a surprised expression…

The Jianzhu Sect was quite an interesting sect indeed.

This thought flashed through Yan Chensha’s mind. When he looked up again, he saw—

The formation is activated!

The entire ground began to shake. The wide area in front of the Blackwind Cave immediately cracked open. Countless huge rocks broke through the thin layer of surface soil, rising to smash toward the cultivators already trapped in the formation!

“Bang!”

A tremendous sound!

Several unlucky cultivators immediately spurted blood, including Pan Qi.

Other less unlucky cultivators transformed into streams of light, trying to escape the rock impacts, but flying without paying attention to what was ahead, they crashed headfirst forward!

A trapping formation—one could enter but not exit!

“Bang!”

Another sound.

This time, the cultivators crashed into invisible walls, blood flowing again!

Inside the formation, it was momentarily as miserable as hell on earth, unbearable to watch, making one’s scalp tingle!

Zhao Yunbin stood there, watching this scene, her whole body ice-cold.

The Jianzhu Sect cultivators who had just escaped disaster also stood in the distance, looking on with lingering fear.

Yet…

Not a single person stepped forward.

Below the cliff, the surroundings were silent, only filled with miserable screams.

Pan Qi, who had been spirited just moments ago, couldn’t even get up from the ground. Countless vines wrapped around his arms, forcing him to crawl face down, covered in filth!

Originally, all these fierce and entangling attacks had been prepared for Jian Chou.

But who would have thought they would ultimately fall upon themselves?

Scene after scene.

All tragic sights.

Yan Chensha also stood on the cliff wall, watching that group of motionless people from the Jianzhu Sect, unable to help but let a cold smile appear on his lips.

Shang Liaofan clenched his fists, looking at Zhao Yunbin almost angrily—she wasn’t going to save them?

In that instant, Shang Liaofan moved, about to rush out.

But Yan Chensha was faster.

Shang Liaofan only saw a blur before his eyes as Yan Chensha’s figure disappeared from sight. When he looked again, he had appeared above the formation, coldly shouting at the distant Jianzhu Sect members: “Why aren’t you saving them? What are you standing around for!”

“…”

The Jianzhu Sect members looked at each other, but everyone was still traumatized by that formation. Even with Yan Chensha speaking up, not one person stepped forward even a single step!

After a moment of silence, the cliff wall immediately erupted in discussion again.

It was one thing to besiege Yashan’s martial grand-aunt Jian Chou here for two years—after all, Jian Chou might very well be the murderer, and if the Jianzhu Sect wanted to seek justice for their sect’s disciple, that was naturally understandable.

But now their own sect’s cultivators were trapped in the formation, and after being reminded by Yashan’s Senior Yan, those who were safe didn’t have a single person wanting to go out and save them!

The Jianzhu Sect?

Bah!

What kind of sect was this?

Originally, everyone had thought it was understandable, but now they couldn’t help but despise them.

Listening to the tide of discussion behind her, Zhao Yunbin finally understood what it meant to pick up a rock and smash your own foot.

If they hadn’t called so many cultivators at the beginning, no one would know about what was happening now.

But what was wrong with what they were doing?

Every man for himself, or heaven and earth will destroy him!

If they couldn’t even preserve their own lives, why should they save others? If there was anyone to blame, it was for being careless!

Forcibly suppressing her displeasure, Zhao Yunbin sneered.

Ahead, seeing that no one was moving, Yan Chensha couldn’t help but chuckle coldly.

The Jianzhu Sect…

Not even saving their own sect members.

Impressive—at least Yan Chensha was impressed.

If the Jianzhu Sect didn’t want this reputation, then Yashan would gladly take it!

With a turn of his wrist and a hook of his finger, the xiao flute hanging at Yan Chensha’s waist immediately appeared in his hand.

He looked down at his feet. The formation was still operating frantically, and he could still hear the many miserable howls of Jianzhu Sect cultivators.

However…

His eyelids drooped slightly, and his heart sank.

The screams were gone, only the sound of wind from afar, the rustling sound when blowing through the forest…

Raising his hand, bringing the xiao flute to his lips, Yan Chensha’s fingers pressed on the holes, gently blowing the first note.

“Whoo…”

The sound of the xiao flute carried a natural bleakness. Under the cold moon’s color, above the formation’s light, amid the terrible screams, it was especially tranquil.

As this sound went out, a wave of energy immediately spread. The ground beneath his feet, where spirit stones provided energy for the formation, immediately exploded with a loud bang!

Bang!

The first spirit stone exploded!

What Yan Chensha played was a complete, simple melody, yet it was like wind through pines, white clouds tearing apart in flowing light.

A wide two-zhang five battle disc appeared beneath his feet!

A Dao Seal flickered with flowing light.

The xiao music continued, and the explosive sounds continued.

Though it was an extremely short piece, everyone seemed to have listened for a long time…

“Whoo…”

The last note was especially long.

In the air, the xiao’s trembling seemed to linger.

Everyone suddenly came to their senses and looked ahead—

Yan Chensha still stood suspended in air. The brilliant, previously domineering great formation beneath his feet, after letting out a mournful cry, collapsed with a thunderous crash!

The huge rocks disappeared, the vines also disappeared…

The trapped and tormented Jianzhu Sect members all froze for a moment—it was over?

“It’s over! It’s over!”

Those lightly injured, after coming to their senses, scrambled to their feet, immediately cheering and running toward where Zhao Yunbin and the others were, not caring about their companions’ life or death.

As for the heavily injured, they showed struggling expressions, desperately trying to get up but unable to.

Quietly watching this scene of mixed sorrow and joy beneath his feet, Yan Chensha’s eyes were so indifferent they held no emotion.

“Now that martial grand-aunt Jian Chou has ridden the wind away, even I don’t know where she has gone. I suppose the two years of guarding the Blackwind Cave should be considered over. Your Jianzhu Sect has suffered heavy casualties now—you should leave as soon as possible.”

Though this wasn’t Yashan’s territory, he spoke with the manner of a host.

Behind him, people continued discussing, pointing fingers at the Jianzhu Sect.

“How can they not save their own sect members?”

“This is too much!”

“After all, Yashan is righteous!”

“Yes, Yashan…”

“This is the backbone of our Central Domain! A prestigious righteous sect!”

“What kind of thing is the Jianzhu Sect…”

…

Hearing these words, Zhao Yunbin’s face alternated between green and red.

Even without Yan Chensha saying so, she wouldn’t stay here long. With a wave of her hand, Zhao Yunbin angrily told the group of Jianzhu Sect cultivators beside her: “What are you standing around for? Quickly take all the fellow sect members away!”

She didn’t want to stay in this place any longer!

With Pan Qi having entered the formation and gotten into trouble, naturally, Zhao Yunbin was now the one in charge. Seeing the danger was over, everyone had no reason not to obey and rushed forward.

Those who helped people helped people, those who left left.

Zhao Yunbin said nothing. Seeing that everyone was more or less ready and Pan Qi had already fainted, she was too lazy to waste more words with Yan Chensha at the moment. She only sneered: “Our Jianzhu Sect will not let this matter rest!”

Just wait and see!

With a flick of her sleeve, she raised her sword and took the lead, cutting through the dark blue night sky toward the distance.

Dozens of Jianzhu Sect cultivators hurriedly followed.

Shang Liaofan had been in a very awkward position all along, no longer considered one of their own by the Jianzhu Sect. So at this moment, he was still standing on the cliff wall. Now seeing everyone leave, he also wanted to follow.

But just as he moved his feet, Yan Chensha suddenly looked over: “Is Junior Brother Shang also going back?”

Shang Liaofan stopped, knowing that Senior Yan Chensha from Yashan was quite reasonable.

Moreover, he had just acted to save so many people from the Jianzhu Sect, showing truly upright character.

He couldn’t just leave like that, so he bowed and said: “They’ve all left, so naturally I should go back too.”

After a long silence, Yan Chensha’s gaze swept across his face.

Though the Jianzhu Sect as a whole was quite poor, with nothing worthy of respect, sects and their disciples couldn’t be lumped together. At least this Shang Liaofan was loyal, righteous, and could distinguish right from wrong—Yan Chensha held him in high regard.

Looking in the direction the Jianzhu Sect members had gone, they should be quite far away by now.

“Clap.”

Patting the xiao flute in his palm, Yan Chensha finally didn’t say much more, only laughing: “If we find out about your Junior Brother Sun’s matter, we’ll inform you. On your way back to the Jianzhu Sect, Junior Brother Shang should take care.”

Having previously opposed Zhao Yunbin and informed them of the Jianzhu Sect’s plan to besiege martial grand-sister Jian Chou, he probably wouldn’t have an easy time when he returned to the Jianzhu Sect.

The meaning behind Yan Chensha’s “take care” was truly profound.

How could Shang Liaofan not understand?

A bitter smile appeared on his young face: “Thank you for the senior’s concern. Liaofan takes his leave.”

Yan Chensha nodded slightly, and Qi Shaofeng also looked over.

Shang Liaofan finally bowed to them and turned to disappear into the night.

Ahead, the fastest Jianzhu Sect members could no longer be seen, but Shang Liaofan could still make out some of the slower ones, who seemed to be falling toward the ground in panic.

They all seemed to be falling into the mountain forest.

What were they doing?

Was someone severely injured?

Shang Liaofan was puzzled.

“Rumble…”

An earth-shaking roar suddenly came!

Even standing high in the air, Shang Liaofan seemed to feel the earth’s trembling.

Beyond Medicine Peak lay a stretch of continuous mountains.

Now it was as if fierce beasts were moving in groups, all pouncing toward some place together.

Shang Liaofan felt his heart shake. Looking down, he saw rolling dust rising from the mountain forest. Among the countless overlapping greens, there seemed to be a group of huge shadows rushing forward!

“Roar…”

Deafening beast roars suddenly, echoing!

“Ah!”

“Run! Run!”

“Help! Help! Ah—”

“…”

A chorus of screams!

Streams of magical artifact light lit up under the white moon in the deep black mountain forest, going in all directions, wildly slashing…

The air suddenly filled with the smell of blood.

In that instant, Shang Liaofan couldn’t fly anymore. Suspended in midair, looking at the distant mountain forest, his mind rapidly flashed back to Yan Chensha’s expression when he had called out to stop him…

On Sheshen Rock.

Qi Shaofeng followed Yan Chensha up from below the cliff, landing on the rock.

He looked toward the distance, also seeming to hear those soul-shaking beast roars, then looked at the xiao flute in Yan Chensha’s hand, his lips parting as he stammered: “Senior Brother Yan, are we… are we doing this too… too what? What if someone finds out…”

“What if they do?”

Yan Chensha looked back at him with a very faint smile.

Qi Shaofeng was immediately stunned, taking a long time to continue: “But… but aren’t we a prestigious righteous sect? That group of people—if they don’t die, they’ll be severely injured, right? How can a prestigious righteous sect do this kind of underhanded thing…”

“Prestigious righteous sect?”

Hearing these four words again from this naive boy, Qi Shaofeng.

Yan Chensha shook his head with a sigh.

Qi Shaofeng asked strangely: “Is something wrong?”

“Not just wrong, but completely wrong! When I first entered the sect, a senior told me something that probably no one has told you yet…”

Speaking, Yan Chensha pulled out a transmission spirit pearl, smiled, and continued under Qi Shaofeng’s extremely curious gaze.

“Our Yashan is a prestigious great sect!”

Prestigious great sect!

At that instant, Qi Shaofeng was completely stunned.

Yan Chensha patted his shoulder with a smile.

These young people still had a long way to go.

He looked down at the spirit pearl in his hand. A beam of light flashed, and it disappeared.

“Let’s go. We still don’t know where the martial grand-aunt went… I suspect we didn’t get familiar enough with her, so my martial grand-aunt passed by with her eyes closed. Heartbreaking!”

Qi Shaofeng, still shaken in his heart, heard this and his mouth twitched, suddenly speechless.

Qingfeng Hermitage Hidden Realm.

“So, according to what’s carved on this stone wall, the reason the Jianzhu Sect coveted the position of Enforcement Elder was to obtain the Huangtian Mirror as a key to open the inheritance secret ground of the ancient immortal realm…”

Xie Buchen’s voice flowed lightly like water.

He looked up at this stone wall radiating infinite golden light, also feeling somewhat moved.

At this moment, Xie Buchen and Qu Zhengfeng were standing on a vast wasteland, surrounded by endless yellow sand, with a huge range of desert mountains rising from the ground straight into the clouds.

They stood on one of the lower rocky mountains, facing the highest and largest one.

Countless golden lights filled the surface of the opposite rock face, revealing one incomprehensible character after another.

Hearing Xie Buchen’s contemplative words, Qu Zhengfeng wasn’t looking ahead but down at the communication spirit pearl in his hand.

Along this journey, he had looked at the communication spirit pearl too many times.

Xie Buchen stood with his hands behind his back. Without thinking, he knew that during their time in the Qingfeng Hermitage Hidden Realm, many things must have happened outside. But since no one from Kunwu had notified him, and he had no desire to care about anything other than cultivation, he paid no attention.

“Now that exploring the Qingfeng Hermitage Hidden Realm is complete, we can return to our sect to report.”

“Indeed.”

Qu Zhengfeng’s gaze moved away from the spirit pearl.

He raised an eyebrow, wearing a warm smile like a spring breeze. With a turn of his finger, the spirit pearl disappeared from his palm.

Looking at Xie Buchen standing in this vast desert, Qu Zhengfeng suddenly asked: “By my calculation, two years have passed in the blink of an eye. With the Left Three Thousand Small Assembly approaching, I wonder if Junior Brother Xie will also participate?”

Left Three Thousand Small Assembly?

That’s right.

So much time had already passed.

In this Qingfeng Hermitage Hidden Realm, Xie Buchen had also made considerable progress.

Though his feet seemed to touch the ground, there was still an inch of distance—he was suspended in the void.

What might have been difficult before was now effortless.

His cold, concentrated brows showed no less frost and snow, and Xie Buchen’s eyes held depths like a cold pond.

He looked calmly at the desert ahead, silent for a moment before speaking: “When wind and clouds meet, how can one not go?”

When wind and clouds meet, how can one not go?

Those with great ambitions should be thus!

“Yes, when wind and clouds meet, how can one not go?”

Hearing this, a trace of deep meaning flashed in Qu Zhengfeng’s eyes.

“What a pity—now I must play the villain.”

Villain?

Xie Buchen frowned and finally turned to look at Qu Zhengfeng.

“What do you…”

He was about to ask when he saw Qu Zhengfeng, who had seemed unremarkable throughout their journey, suddenly have light burst from his eyes. His entire black robe billowed with hurricane winds, and golden patterns crawled all over his body!

Murderous aura!

Demonic eyes!

Raising his hand, an earth-covering palm strike!

“Bang!”

Xie Buchen’s figure was immediately thrown out, crashing into the mountain cliff.

This surging palm strike hit the towering mountain peak, and immediately, there was falling rock and collapsing stone. The entire mountain showed huge cracks, and the pointed peak, like a pointed hat, tilted forward and fell headfirst!

Xie Buchen, slammed against the mountain wall, was already beginning to fall.

But falling faster was that entire mass of huge debris, an entire tall mountain!

“Rumble…”

Dust rose everywhere, immediately burying the entire desert.

A mountain range collapsed beneath his feet, also burying Xie Buchen’s figure.

As if he had never existed.

Qu Zhengfeng stood high, only glanced once, then coldly withdrew his gaze. With a flick of his sleeve, he stepped into the void!

Nineteen Continents, Central Domain.

A…

Unknown mountain peak.

A red sun faintly revealed its outline above the horizon.

Jian Chou stood barefoot on this strange land, gazing at the endless wilderness—the sun ahead, the moon behind.

Wind still blew past her.

Jian Chou’s expression in the wind was…

Disheveled.

Not knowing how long she had ridden the wind, not knowing what direction she had taken after leaving the Blackwind Cave, she only knew that when she stopped, all she could see was this vast plain stretching to the horizon.

A place where birds wouldn’t even shit…

Only very, very far away did there seem to be a few thatched huts.

If she remembered correctly, she still had to participate in the Left Three Thousand Small Assembly.

So—

“Where exactly is this…”

Her voice was filled with indescribable sorrow.