Deep within the ruins, opposite the towering mountain referred to as the “Central Immortal Mountain.”
A group of Lingjian Mountain Disciples sat on the gentle slope, gazing at the Immortal Fate surging in the sky ahead.
At this moment, another person lay on the ground, deeply unconscious, his life hanging in the balance.
Zhuo Wanqiu approached with water, and together with several other Disciples, helped this person up from the ground, beginning to remove his clothes.
He didn't have many injuries on his body, only a bloodied hole about an inch from his heart that had penetrated through, the dark blood already black, but for someone in the Rongdao Realm, it wasn't life-threatening.
However, the strangeness of the matter lay precisely here.
Cultivators possess Divine Thought perception; there's no such thing as not being able to find a heart.
The only possibility was that the assailant did it deliberately, missing by precisely two inches.
Even stranger was the previous battle; almost all those who died were Disciples of Asked the Dao Sect, which led to widespread suspicion among Asked the Dao Sect, and they no longer accompanied them.
“Remember, don't cause extra trouble, and don't meddle in others' affairs.”
“Brother-in-law, didn't you say not to meddle?”
“No, Lingjian Mountain's Disciples must be saved.”
Zhuo Wanqiu was changing Gongshu Chou's bandages, the conversation she had heard in the mountain forest that day constantly echoing in her mind.
The person named Ji You seemed to harbor goodwill towards Lingjian Mountain's Disciples, but she didn't know where this goodwill originated.
Lingjian Mountain was far away on the shores of Xuán Hǎi in the southernmost region, and had never had any dealings with Tianshu Academy.
If that Ji You was a Disciple of Asked the Dao Sect, stemming from the direct Disciple of Asked the Dao Sect's affection for his own Master Jian, then this act of mercy would be reasonable.
But the key was, he wasn't…
Zhuo Wanqiu tied the bandage securely, still pondering the possibilities of the matter in her mind, when she suddenly saw the Sect token at her waist glow brightly.
Apart from the Sect Master, only the Junior Master Jian could use the token for communication.
She was merely an outer Disciple; the Sect Master would not possibly send her a message. The only possibility was that the Junior Master Jian had something to tell her.
Zhuo Wanqiu tossed the changed bandage into the basin, walked to a secluded corner, took out the token, and as a surge of immortal light pulsed, Master Jian's clear, cold voice emerged from it.
“Command all Disciples to immediately leave Qi Ridge. Any who disobey will be expelled from the Sect.”
Zhuo Wanqiu was stunned for a moment: “Master Jian, what happened?”
“What's in the mountain is not Immortal Fate, but a great disaster. Oh, and before you evacuate, go notify the Tianshu Academy Disciples and tell them to leave the mountain as soon as possible.”
“?”
Zhuo Wanqiu had just been pondering the matter of Tianshu Academy and Lingjian Mountain, unable to comprehend it, and now hearing her own Junior Master Jian specifically instruct her to notify Tianshu Academy, she felt even more confused.
That Ji You's goodwill towards Lingjian Mountain didn't seem to be one-sided…
After much thought, Zhuo Wanqiu said, “Master Jian, Senior Sister Ding Yao recently attacked Tianshu Academy with Asked the Dao Sect. They probably won't believe what I say.”
“Attacked?”
“Yes, a female Disciple from Tianshu Academy brought a large amount of Spirit Stones, and since the Evil Qi in the mountains hindered the circulation of Spirit Origin, Senior Sister Ding Yao targeted them.”
The Junior Master Jian was silent for a moment: “What were the casualties?”
Zhuo Wanqiu pursed her lips: “Several of their Disciples were severely injured, and Gongshu Chou nearly died.”
“Two Sects attacked, and yet a Rongdao Realm cultivator nearly died?”
“We had already won, but then a Disciple who practiced Dual Cultivation of Martial Dao jumped out, wielding seven swords. Gongshu Chou was pierced through by him, but for some reason, he showed mercy and spared his life. Oh, and he saved me before, saying that Lingjian Mountain's Disciples must be saved.”
“Hmph, he's quite impressive.”
“?”
A question mark appeared in Zhuo Wanqiu's mind. She thought the Junior Master Jian's tone seemed a bit off, wondering if she had caught a cold.
However, this praise, which boosted another's morale while diminishing their own, felt even stranger.
Before she could think further, the Junior Master Jian's voice rang out again.
“Wanqiu, you still have to go. If the Tianshu Academy Disciples don't believe you, go find that Ji You. If he also doesn't listen to advice, just tell him I'll be angry.”
As her voice faded, the immortal light of the token quickly disappeared.
Zhuo Wanqiu stood rooted to the spot for a long time, her eyes revealing a clear bewilderment.
Deep within the ruins, Immortal Fate surged, attracting Immortal Sects and Worldly Families who rushed towards it, fearing to fall behind.
At this moment, advising people to leave was no different from telling them to give up Immortal Fate, yet the Junior Master Jian wanted her to tell that Ji You that if he didn't leave, she would be angry.
That meant Master Jian believed that her being angry was more important to him than Immortal Fate.
Zhuo Wanqiu's expression was a bit strange, but she still got up to find Ding Yao and informed her about Master Jian's message.
“Withdraw? Immortal Fate is within reach, how can we withdraw?”
“Master Jian said that if anyone refuses to obey, they will be immediately expelled from the Sect.”
Ding Yao looked at the boundless immortal light within reach. Although she was extremely reluctant, she dared not disobey the command. So, after much deliberation, she ordered a withdrawal.
However, there was another group of Disciples from Lingjian Mountain, who came from the inner Sect and did not obey the command. Instead, they merged into the night, following the chaotic retreat.
These Disciples were all high-level cultivators, who arrived later, and a large number of them belonged to Tianjian Peak.
Even upon hearing Master Jian's message that a great disaster was coming to the mountain, they did not care.
Great wealth is sought through danger. Most of them had been stuck at their cultivation Bottleneck for many years. To ask them to give up Immortal Fate now was truly too difficult; this was a conflict between individual consciousness and collective consciousness.
In fact, ever since the Evil Seed disaster began to spread and Immortal Sect Disciples started disappearing, many people had guessed that someone was causing trouble, and that there would surely be a great disaster in the Qiling Mountains.
But even so, the Immortal Sects and Worldly Families still came as invited.
Because this was not a conspiracy, but an open scheme.
Among the Seven Great Immortal Sects, apart from Dan Sect, which stood alone in the world with its irreplaceable alchemy, the other six great Immortal Sects had balanced power.
But once someone among them obtained Immortal Fate, the millennium-long balance would be broken.
And the Sects that did not obtain Immortal Fate would be like the Array Master lineage that perished back then, or like Dan Sect, which was enslaved during the Dark Age. Therefore, no one could remain aloof.
“Senior Sister Ding Yao, you return along the original path. I need to leave first.”
Ding Yao turned to look at him: “Where are you going?”
Zhuo Wanqiu pondered for a moment, feeling that with Master Jian's command, there was no need to hide, so she said, “I'm going to notify the Tianshu Academy Disciples and tell them to quickly withdraw.”
“Ji You saved your life, and you want to repay him? But don't forget, we are now mortal enemies with Tianshu Academy. Why should we care about them?”
“Master Jian told me to go.”
“What?”
Zhuo Wanqiu glanced at her, then waved her sleeve and left, thinking to herself, Senior Sister Ding Yao, you are usually arrogant and overbearing in the mountain, and others respect you as Master Jian's maid, giving way in every possible way.
But now, you seem to have offended someone extraordinary.
That person's extraordinariness isn't due to cultivation or status; it's entirely because of the Junior Master Jian's preference.
Zhuo Wanqiu vanished into the mountain forest, following her memory in the direction Tianshu Academy had left, and soon found Wen Zhengxin and his group.
Because they were currently returning along the path, intending to withdraw via the only main road into the mountain, it wasn't strange to encounter them.
Upon seeing Zhuo Wanqiu, who was wearing Lingjian Mountain's immortal robes, the Tianshu Academy Disciples immediately drew their swords and faced her.
“I… I'm not here for revenge. I'm here to inform you that there's trouble in the mountain. Please withdraw quickly.”
Wen Zhengxin narrowed his eyes: “Whether we advance or retreat, Lingjian Mountain's Disciples need not concern themselves.”
Zhuo Wanqiu looked around the crowd: “Where's Ji You?”
“What do you want with him?”
“I have important matters. He saved my life before; I won't harm her.”
Bai Rulong spoke up upon hearing this: “Her words are true. I saw her many times on the mountain slope, and she didn't attack us.”
Ban Yangshu was stunned upon hearing this: “You were fighting like that, and you still had the mind to stare at a girl?”
Bai Rulong narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself that the girl made his Dao Heart clear.
Wen Zhengxin hesitated for a moment and said, “Junior Brother Ji went into the mountain after parting with us to save someone.”
“Saving his fiancée!”
Bai Rulong blurted out an explanation, thinking to himself, my Brother Ji is simply invincible; he has fiancées everywhere—one at Tianshu Academy, and another outside!
And last time, at the Ascension White Jade Platform, that ethereal beauty, he charmed her away with just two sentences. Truly a role model for our generation.
Zhuo Wanqiu: “?”