The leading Daoist smelled a strange fishy odor and, knowing the miasma was odd, raised a hand to halt the sectmates behind.
“Senior Sister, the purple qi is this way. Could the Sun and Moon Divine Sand be in this Five-Colored Cloud Smoke Miasma?”
“Very possible.” The leader nodded solemnly. She wore a black-based robe with white cloud-embroidered collar and waistband. A black-and-white coronet held her hair, with a white ribbon embroidered with a Taiji yin-yang diagram draping down her back, like divided yin and yang.
“But isn’t the Shanyue True Form Chart a Cave Heaven refined by the Qing Emperor? How could such strange qi exist? Is some Daoist friend playing tricks?”
“I’ve read in classics that some plants, untouched for years in damp places, easily breed toxic miasma. The Shanyue True Form Chart has been long refined; since the previous emperor’s fall, no one has fully controlled it.”
“Did Junior Sister Lan disappear around here?”
“Without dispelling this miasma, we can’t approach the Sun and Moon Divine Sand.”
…
As they discussed, a clear, chilling melody sounded from the clouds, accompanied by a thick, alluring floral fragrance. Several graceful figures appeared, led by Joy Sect’s Golden Core Cultivator—Nong Qingying.
At Nong Qingying’s appearance, the black-and-white Daoist’s composure cracked. She glared at the smiling Nong Qingying, her deep eyes seeming to devour her. She brushed a flower from her shoulder and stepped back, distancing herself further from the Joy Sect group.
In the Shanyue True Form Chart, no matter what their relationships were like outside, they could only be considered rivals now.
Moreover, the relationship between the female cultivator and Nong Qingying was far from good. After dissolving their Dao companion contract, they wished never to cross paths again in the vast Jianghu.
Amid this tense, sword-drawn atmosphere, Nong Qingying stroked the flower at her temple and smiled mischievously. “Feng Deyin, why aren’t you making a move?”
The cultivator addressed as Feng Deyin said nothing, her brows furrowed tightly as a flicker of annoyance passed through her eyes. The numbers between Three Saints Academy and Joy Sect were evenly matched. They had only just entered the Shanyue True Form Chart and hadn’t encountered the other factions yet. It wouldn’t be wise to clash with Joy Sect before obtaining anything.
Feng Deyin avoided looking at Nong Qingying’s infuriating face and turned her head to examine the Five-Colored Cloud Smoke Miasma ahead.
“De-Yin, little sister—” Nong Qingying deliberately drew out her tone. “You weren’t this cold back then.”
She cultivated the Flower God Spectrum, her myriad phantoms blooming in chaotic disarray like slanting rain. She had originally stood with Joy Sect, but with a shake of her body, she darted out from a phantom drifting toward Feng Deyin. She raised her hand as if to pat Feng Deyin’s shoulder, but her fingertip landed on a cold black chess piece instead. With a bang, the black piece exploded, and Nong Qingying’s figure shattered like dew on broken grass. She reappeared back in Joy Sect’s ranks, leaving only scattered petals behind where Feng Deyin stood.
Nong Qingying clicked her tongue. Amid Feng Deyin’s cold ruthlessness, she restrained her playful demeanor. “A mutual defeat wouldn’t benefit either of us right now. Why not seek temporary cooperation? How about it? I’ll disperse the Five-Colored Cloud Smoke Miasma, and we’ll split the Sun and Moon Divine Sand evenly?”
“Senior Sister?” A Golden Core cultivator from Three Saints Academy stirred at her words.
Feng Deyin replied coolly, “Nong Qingying’s words can’t be trusted.”
Nong Qingying smoothed her temple hair and shot Feng Deyin a coquettish glance. “Look at you. Didn’t I just deceive you a few times? Does tricking you once mean I’ll trick you this time too?”
Nong Qingying continued, “Fine, then. I’ll prove my sincerity with actions.” She flipped her wrist, and a pure white magnolia flower bloomed in her palm, radiating a soft glow. Nong Qingying pointed at it and shouted, “Go!” The magnolia burrowed into the Five-Colored Cloud Smoke Miasma, purifying the surrounding poisonous fog.
Underground.
Li Ruoshui had been observing the cultivators from Three Saints Academy and Joy Sect. Their leaders were all at the Golden Core Second Layer, and they outnumbered her group. If the two sides joined forces, her team wouldn’t stand a chance.
She needed to find a way to provoke them into fighting.
“Yue, Fellow Daoist?” Li Ruoshui turned to Yue Shenlin. This little merfolk who cultivated Heavenly Blessing Dao was a major weapon.
“Shall I try?” Yue Shenlin hesitated before adding, “Different blessings have varying effects. I can’t judge which is best.”
She cultivated Heavenly Blessing Dao, but for some reason, her blessings twisted toward “Heavenly Curses,” running counter to her Dao itself. Thus, she couldn’t control the levels of her blessings or predict outcomes. The imperial cultivators from before had lower cultivation than her, but these two surpassed her.
Though the reversal could still help, she was merfolk after all. If possible, she wished she truly cultivated Heavenly Blessing.
“I know.” Feng Qing raised an eyebrow. “Bless them so that lovers finally unite.”
The backlash from that would be powerful indeed.
Li Ruoshui’s expression turned strange. She glanced at Feng Qing. Who was the malicious one here?
Composing herself, she asked Yue Shenlin, “Fellow Daoist Yue is merfolk with bloodline inheritance. How could Heavenly Blessing Dao turn out like this? Or did the Tianyan Mirror’s Ascend Heaven Gate prophecy point not to Heavenly Blessing Dao?” Otherwise, how could it have gone so wrong?
Yue Shenlin replied, “Maybe it’s a curse from the Origin Sea?” She didn’t fully understand. From desperately seeking solutions at first to fully embracing it now, her mindset had shifted quickly. Without saying more, she followed Feng Qing’s suggestion and applied the new status to the two outside dispelling the Five-Colored Cloud Smoke Miasma.
Li Ruoshui eyed Yue Shenlin and made a mental note, planning to ask her all-knowing best friend about it later.
Thinking of Chen Buyan, Li Ruoshui glanced down at the quiet Blue Butterfly.
It was just a strand of spiritual energy to probe the True Form Chart. It wouldn’t send everything she saw straight to her best friend’s mind sea, right?
If her best friend saw her true nature, would she get blocked?
Under Nong Qingying’s technique, the Five-Colored Cloud Smoke Miasma gradually dissipated. The wilderness cleared, golden flowers swaying in the breeze on the ground, like thousands of golden needles clustered together, glinting under the sunlight.
With the multicolored smoke gone, the purple qi from the Sun and Moon Divine Sand gourd rose unimpeded into the clouds.
Without the miasma barrier, the wariness and hostility between Three Saints Academy and Joy Sect cultivators intensified. They gripped their artifacts, bodies tense, awaiting only their leaders’ command.
“I only want half a gourd.” Nong Qingying chuckled. A water-blue sash from her sleeve instantly transformed into a weapon, lashing toward the dense stone caverns at the cave mouth.
Feng Deyin refused to fall behind. A cold glint flashed in her eyes as she flicked her sleeve, summoning black-and-white chess pieces that plummeted from the sky. Their crisscrossing fierce energy nearly tore the sash in two.
As Nong Qingying frowned at it, Feng Deyin stated bluntly, “I don’t trust you.”
Nong Qingying’s smile faded slightly. “Then go take it yourself?” She withdrew the sash and even stepped back voluntarily. But just as she did, the ground beneath her feet suddenly sank. With only Three Saints Academy and Joy Sect cultivators present, her first thought was that Three Saints Academy was behind it. Her gaze pierced toward their group, far less gentle than when looking at the familiar Feng Deyin.
As Nong Qingying’s killing intent emerged, the already tense Three Saints Academy cultivators immediately went on alert. Floating petals silently drifted onto them, disrupting their auras as if they had inhaled a wisp of poison! “The petals are poisoned!” A cry rang out, and the fully tensed group instantly attacked.
One moved, and the rest couldn’t hold back. The scene descended into chaos. Feng Deyin hadn’t retrieved the Sun and Moon Divine Sand yet when chess pieces filled with killing intent rained down from the sky toward the frowning Nong Qingying. Having suspected Joy Sect’s ill intentions from the start, Feng Deyin had no desire to hear explanations now.
Golden Core cultivators clashed, sending sand and stones flying, with shockwaves rippling underground.
Thick fog billowed across the grassland once more.
As the two sides fought fiercely, a thunderous explosion erupted from the stone cavern Li Ruoshui had shaped. It shattered into pieces under a surge of vast mana! The earth trembled next, cracking open as if plowed by sword qi into a deep gully.
Li Ruoshui, Feng Qing, and the others leaped out from their hiding spot. Universe One Qi Palms and Nine Heavens Five Thunders Swords bombarded the unprepared Three Saints Academy and Joy Sect cultivators indiscriminately. Several Golden Core cultivators dropped like dumplings, exposing openings that Yao Changliu promptly exploited with her needles, sending them into a coma.
Li Ruoshui transmitted to Yao Changliu, “Don’t save these ones. Just activate the Guiding Talisman Edicts and send them away.”
They could only squeeze out profits when victory was assured.
Yao Changliu understood. She pulled Yue Shenlin along and, with utmost “kindness,” activated the Guiding Talisman Edicts for the unconscious cultivators, sending them back to the safe zone.
Nong Qingying and Feng Deyin finally halted, both frowning at the disheveled Li Ruoshui, Feng Qing, and their group.
“Wind Moon Heartless Sect?” Nong Qingying gnashed her teeth.
Feng Qing smiled brightly. “Personal actions only. Don’t escalate it to the sect.”
Nong Qingying took a deep breath. She exchanged a glance with Feng Deyin. With their Golden Core Second Layer cultivation, they had a good chance of dealing with these nuisances.
Li Ruoshui raised her Tianyan Mirror. “I’ve already notified Fellow Daoist Ji Wuxin from the Origin Sea. She’ll be here soon.”
Nong Qingying pursed her lips. That one from the Origin Sea was also at Golden Core Second Layer. After clashing with Feng Deyin, their mana was depleted. If the Demon Country reinforcements arrived, they might not hold the advantage.
“Why do you think we’d team up with a merfolk clan’s Fellow Daoist?” Li Ruoshui continued her brazen lies.
“Scattered cultivators aside, Fellow Daoist Feng Qing, why are you with the Origin Sea group?” Nong Qingying asked unhappily. Her two remaining Joy Sect companions gathered behind her, their gazes shifting between Li Ruoshui and Feng Deyin.
Li Ruoshui replied, “Of course, Fellow Daoist Ji saw our talent and hired us with a hefty sum of Spirit Jade Pills.”
Nong Qingying’s doubts eased.
It made sense once Spirit Jade Pills were involved.
Previously on the Tianyan Mirror, the Dragon Palace one had indeed covered Feng Qing’s debts.
Li Ruoshui pressed, “You two can naturally set aside grudges and join forces, but are you confident you can deal with us before Fellow Daoist Ji arrives?” As her words fell, her mana surged. Taiyi Blazing Fire Profound Light erupted skyward in a vast, thick plume of smoke. Flames soared, dyeing the clouds for miles around in crimson, exuding murderous intent!
