The Hidden Hand Emerges

[You chose B.]

[You retrieve the Spirit-Chaos Lure and the Spirit-Winding Threads.]

[He infused the medicinal power with Spiritual Power, slowly "pressing" it into the broken walls, rubble, and dust along the way.]

[Then, you took out the Spirit-Eroding Powder and the Mind-Erasing Powder.]

These two Border Regions have served you well, but they can no longer keep up with your pace.

Even the Mind-Erasing Powder can only have a limited effect on those at the Golden Core.

[However, your opponents are all at the Nascent Soul.]

[As for the Golden Core stage, I'm the Client "Bully at Home" but "the boss" outside—you can crush them all with one punch.]

[But now, using these two local specialties as a smokescreen is a perfect match.]

[You casually transformed this village into a place rife with poison.]

[These two types of low-level poisons exhibit obvious characteristics.]

[Any cultivator with a modicum of knowledge could have noticed it, then scoffed, thinking it was just the work of some insignificant Rogue Cultivator.]

[Who would have thought that beneath this cheap cover lay a deadly move capable of tripping up even a Nascent Soul?]

[After arranging everything, you found a secluded corner to sit down and conceal your presence.]

[The Red-Feather Fire Crows have already flown far away in the sky.]

[Fifty li...]

[One hundred li...]

Every rustling of grass and the wind on the entire Barren Ridge was under the watchful eye of the little Crow.

[Three days later.]

A group of cultivators appeared in the Red-Feather Fire Crow's field of vision.

[You activated High-Grade Invisibility Talisman.]

[A limited-time skin for 10,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones is now available. Countdown begins in half an hour.]

A group of people appeared at the edge of Barren Ridge range.

[Leading the group was an elderly man in a green robe, Nascent Soul Late Stage, with a calm and composed aura; he was none other than Ye Zhi, an elder of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect.]

[Several young disciples followed behind him, with Ji Chengfeng prominently among them.]

At this Ji Chengfeng stood tall and straight, his robes were neat, and he exuded an air of grandeur.

[He still exuded the air of a disciple from a Great Sects.]

[This is a completely different person from the one in the last simulation who, after being imprisoned for twelve years, begged for mercy upon waking.]

Ye Zhi stopped at the village entrance.

[He didn't go in; he merely raised his hand in a grasping motion, drawing a wisp of air into his palm, his expression shifting.]

["Poisonous."]

Ye Zhi frowned.

"Spirit-Eroding Powder, Mind-Erasing Powder... these are low-grade junk."

He waved his sleeve to disperse the poisonous gas and said in a deep voice to his disciples behind him,

"Stay close to me, and don't touch anything."

Ji Chengfeng and the other disciples nodded solemnly.

[As they entered the village, seeing the devastation everywhere, the young disciples all showed expressions of pity.]

"Master, the methods used here are very similar to those in several other places we investigated before."

[A disciple whispered.]

Ye Zhi nodded.

[He scanned the area with his Divine Sense, and after a moment, he shook his head.]

"No one survived; even their souls have scattered."

[Just then, Ye Zhi suddenly looked up and gazed at the dense forest on the other side of the village.]

"Who goes there? Come out!"

[As soon as Ye Zhi finished speaking, six dark figures emerged from the shadows of the forest and silently surrounded them.]

[The leader, a tall figure, his black robes billowing even without wind, exuded a Nascent Soul Perfection at the peak of his cultivation.]

[The other five Golden Core cultivators, each exuding a chilling aura, stood in cunning positions, subtly forming a battle formation.]

Ye Zhi's expression darkened.

[Ji Chengfeng and several other young disciples were overwhelmed by the terrifying pressure, their faces turning deathly pale.]

"We are acting under orders. Your Thousand Mechanisms Sect has no right to investigate, much less to interfere."

[The leader of the men in black spoke, his voice devoid of any emotion.]

[Ye Zhi said coldly,]

"Slaughtering mortals, is that considered 'doing a job'?"

The man in black seemed too lazy to waste words.

"Since you're so stubborn, then you can all stay."

"Let's get started."

[As soon as he uttered those two words, the five Golden Core cultivators moved instantly, simultaneously attacking the disciple behind Ye Zhi.]

[The Black-Clad Leader locked his aura onto Ye Zhi.]

[In the next instant, five black-clad Golden Core had already reached the Thousand Mechanisms Sect disciples.]

[Among the disciples of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect, there are indeed Golden Core.]

[But they usually spend most of their time within the sect Artifact Refining and earning Spirit Stones; when it comes to close-quarters combat like this, their reactions are noticeably slower.]

[These five men in black had clearly fought their way out.]

[In less than ten breaths.]

[A Golden Core disciple of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect had his protective aura shattered, was struck in the shoulder by a palm strike, and crashed into an earthen wall, coughing up blood and unable to get up.]

[Another disciple had just summoned his puppet, and before the puppet could even unleash its Array Patterns, he was struck heavily on the back of the head by a dark shadow, instantly losing consciousness.]

The remaining few were in an even worse situation.

They wanted to form a battle formation, but the enemy wouldn't give them the chance.

[The formation had barely begun to move when it was abruptly cut off.]

[Soon, everyone from the Thousand Mechanisms Sect except Ye Zhi collapsed to the ground.]

[Ji Chengfeng level was the lowest; he couldn't even withstand a single complete attack.]

He took a blow to the chest with a Spirit-Sealing Palm, rolled to the dry well at the village entrance, his face turned pale, and he had already fainted.

[You hide in the shadows, watching this scene, silently calculating the time in your mind.]

[High-Grade Invisibility Talisman, mostly remaining.]

[The limited-time skin I bought for 10,000 Spirit Stones is burning through my wallet like crazy.]

[Options pop up.]

[A: Continue to lie low and wait for the best opportunity.]

[B: Act immediately to disrupt the opponent's rhythm.]

[C: Play "Good Luck" with Amplification Talisman to cheer on Ye Zhi.]

War is not a dinner party; impulsiveness is the devil.

The Nascent Soul Perfection versus the Nascent Soul Late Stage —this melon isn't ripe yet.

Don't rush.

Lu Ping chose A.

[You chose A.]

Seeing his disciples fall one after another, Ye Zhi could no longer remain calm.

Ye Zhi's fingers twitched slightly in his sleeve.

[The next instant, a phantom image of a Bronze Mechanism Beast suddenly appeared behind him.]

[The Mechanism Beast resembled Qilin, its four feet treading on the air, and layers of Array Patterns on its body lit up.]

[It opened its mouth and spat.]

A torrent of azure-gold Spiritual Power swept out.

[The torrent split into five streams in mid-air, each transforming into a giant, azure-gold blade over ten feet long, slashing towards the five black-clad Golden Core.]

[The five black-clad Golden Core cultivators reacted extremely quickly.]

[Someone conjured Black Shield, some vanished into the shadows, and some raised their hand to unleash a Bone Bead.]

[But the difference in their levels of understanding is undeniable.]

[A furious strike from Nascent Soul Late Stage cannot be simply endured by brute force.]

[Boom!]

[The five giant cyan-gold blades exploded almost simultaneously.]

Five black-clad Golden Core cultivators were instantly sent flying backward.

[The protective aura around two of them shattered instantly, and they coughed up mouthfuls of blood mid-air.]

[The other three crashed into the rubble and broken wood, their breaths immediately fading, their fates unknown.]

But it was only in that instant.

The Black-Clad Leader moved.

[This is the moment he's been waiting for.]

[A large amount of black Spiritual Power surged forth from beneath the black robe.]

[Black Spiritual Power condensed in the air into a gigantic Ghost Claw, its five fingers long and slender, the tips gleaming coldly like hooks.]

[The Ghost Claw pressed directly against Ye Zhi's chest.]