Black-faced Li Xuan!

After Outer Court Head Elder Liu Chengfeng gave a brief address.

Elder Wu You summoned a Spirit Boat.

The eighty-two Outer Court Disciples boarded the Spirit Boat in order and sat upright on its meditation cushions.

Wang Jue still chose a spot near the edge of the Spirit Boat. Su Bai and the others followed, the four of them seated facing one another.

The Spirit Boat set off, shooting out of the Jade Mist Sect's mountain gate and speeding toward the Blood River Secret Realm.

The Blood River Secret Realm lay in the western part of Qingshan Spirit Plain, more than twenty thousand li from the Jade Mist Sect.

Even with Wu You driving the Spirit Boat at full speed, the journey took four hours.

The entrance to the Blood River Secret Realm was located atop a broad, level highland in Qingshan Spirit Plain.

The Teleportation Array had been laid out at the very center of this highland.

When the Spirit Boat arrived overhead, they could see that two groups of cultivators had already gathered on the highland.

They were disciples of the Profound Yin Sect and Biyou Palace.

The Jade Mist Sect was the last to arrive.

The Spirit Boat slowly descended onto the open ground.

The Jade Mist Sect Disciples filed out one after another as Elder Wu You put away the Spirit Boat.

Several Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators from the Profound Yin Sect and Biyou Palace also came over.

"Elder Liu, your Jade Mist Sect has arrived as well. We can activate the Magic Array now, can't we?" True Man Jiyin, a guardian elder of the Profound Yin Sect, said.

He was the cultivator leading the Profound Yin Sect this time and was an old acquaintance of Liu Chengfeng's.

Liu Chengfeng shook his head slightly. "No rush. The Jade Mist Sect Disciples have traveled a long way and are somewhat weary. Let them meditate for an hour and recuperate."

"At noon, we will activate the array on time."

In the distance, Su Bai and the other Outer Court Disciples quietly gave Liu Chengfeng a thumbs-up in their hearts.

True Man Jiyin's face darkened slightly, but he had no way to refute him.

On the other side, Venerable Chaoyin Zhang Tan of Biyou Palace had already cupped his hands and chimed in. "Elder Liu speaks reasonably. The disciples should indeed rest properly, so they can perform at their best after entering the Secret Realm."

Liu Chengfeng glanced at This Guy. Zhang Tan was also an old acquaintance of his. Though this man spoke with great logic and order.

In truth, he was sinister and cunning.

Compared To True Man Jiyin, whose emotions were written all over his face, Zhang Tan was the truly ruthless character.

Three years ago, after the value of the spirit herbs brought out by the disciples of each sect from the Blood River Secret Realm was tallied, Biyou Palace had taken first place.

The Jade Mist Sect had been forced into second place.

This was already the second consecutive time Biyou Palace had snatched first place away.

The Jade Mist Sect's Outer Court had consequently lost no small amount of income from the Blood River Secret Realm's spirit herbs.

Furthermore, three years ago, a promising Dual Spirit Root Talent whom Liu Chengfeng had valued highly, and who possessed decent Spell Talent, had died for no apparent reason.

If Liu Chengfeng's guess was correct, he had likely been secretly murdered by a Biyou Palace Disciple.

There was simply no evidence. Otherwise, Liu Chengfeng would certainly have made the Biyou Palace Disciples pay the price.

A Dual Spirit Root alone would have been one thing, but a Dual Spirit Root combined with decent Spell Talent meant a high-combat-power high-level cultivator in the future.

Such cultivators were of extraordinary significance to a sect, like Wan Haoran, who had come today as a guardian.

The Cultivation World was the Law of the Jungle, and combat power was the foundation of all things. The Jade Mist Sect could maintain its current status only because of elders with outstanding combat power like Wan Haoran.

Liu Chengfeng swept his Spiritual Sense over the Biyou Palace Disciples.

A moment later, he made a discovery.

His eyelid twitched. "That Black-faced Brat is here again? Zhang Tan, your Biyou Palace Elite Disciple can remain stuck at Qi Refining Layer Six for nine years for your own selfish desires. Tsk, tsk. Do you truly not care at all about your disciples' futures?"

Among the Biyou Palace Disciples stood a Black-faced Disciple. This Kid had already participated in the Blood River Secret Realm three times in a row.

The previous two times, after he emerged from the Secret Realm, the value of the spirit herbs he brought out had both ranked first.

Especially last time, the spirit herbs he brought out filled three entire Storage Bags, their value Far Exceeding that of second and third place.

Participating twice in a row could barely be explained away, but three times in a row made it obvious that he was deliberately suppressing his Cultivation Realm.

Liu Chengfeng had reason to believe that the Dual Spirit Root Disciple he had valued last time had been secretly harmed by this bastard, who had taken the spirit herbs from him.

When Zhang Tan saw that Liu Chengfeng had noticed the Black-faced Disciple, he smiled faintly without trying to conceal anything.

He spoke with a solemn expression. "The Black-faced Brat Elder Liu mentioned is Li Xuan, I presume? Hehe, Elder Liu has indeed misunderstood. Our Biyou Palace has not forced Li Xuan."

"Li Xuan's loyalty to Biyou Palace is beyond doubt. Perhaps he feels that helping Biyou Palace secure first place in the Blood River Secret Realm would earn the sect more spirit herbs, a value far greater than the price he pays by suppressing his own realm."

"Everything was Li Xuan's own choice. I cannot stop my disciples from voluntarily contributing to the sect, can I? That would wound their hearts, wouldn't it, Elder Liu?"

Voluntarily, my ass! Liu Chengfeng cursed inwardly. His eyelid twitched, and he finally said, "Fine. Very good. Since that is the case, Old Man has nothing more to say."

Zhang Tan chuckled and said no more.

True Man Jiyin, on the other side, looked at the two of them and instinctively guessed that they were secretly crossing swords.

But his standing was not high enough. The Profound Yin Sect had been the perennial third-place sect in the Blood River Secret Realm for a thousand years, so Liu Chengfeng and Zhang Tan could not even be bothered to scheme against it.

Liu Chengfeng probed the Black-faced Brat again with his Spiritual Sense and saw him watching his nose, his nose watching his heart. One look told him that he was a dark-faced little thief with an even darker heart.

The disciple Liu Chengfeng had valued last time had already possessed outstanding combat power, yet he had still fallen at this fellow's hands. Though Liu Chengfeng had secretly bestowed some talismans upon the four Outer Court Disciples with combat talent this time, he feared that if they truly fought, they would still be no match for This Guy.

Zhang Tan was using the despicable method of keeping his disciples stuck at the same stage for years to fight for first place. Liu Chengfeng hated it so fiercely that his teeth ground together.

Suddenly, a figure flashed through Liu Chengfeng's mind.

He turned his Spiritual Sense toward the Jade Mist Sect Disciples behind him and found that figure.

This Kid appeared handsome, with a faint, almost imperceptible smile always hanging on his face, looking harmless to man and beast.

Yet upon closer inspection, there was indeed a blinding sharpness hidden in his gaze.

His back was especially straight. Though he tried his utmost to conceal it, Liu Chengfeng's Spiritual Sense could still make out the Sword Bone contained within his frame. He had indeed begun to possess the bearing of a Sword Cultivator.

"Sun Ning, that kid has finally been reliable for once."

After thinking for a moment, Liu Chengfeng walked to one side and used his Spiritual Sense to send Su Bai a Telepathic Message.

Su Bai was currently waiting leisurely to enter the Secret Realm when Liu Chengfeng's Telepathic Message suddenly reached his ears.

Seeing Elder Liu waiting in the distance, smiling as he beckoned to him, Su Bai was somewhat puzzled but still swiftly darted over to Liu Chengfeng.

Once Su Bai was beside him, Liu Chengfeng waved his hand and set down a layer of Spiritual Power barrier, blocking any possible eavesdropping from the surrounding area.

"Su Bai, Sword Cultivator—Sun Ning was the one who had you participate in this Blood River Secret Realm expedition, wasn't he?" Liu Chengfeng asked.

Su Bai nodded. "Yes, Elder Liu."

Liu Chengfeng nodded slightly. "What did he tell you?"

Su Bai replied, "Elder Sun told me to seize as many spirit herbs as possible and help the sect obtain first place."