A Bit Sinister

The Five Elders of Huayang, led by Qi Jianzhu, were lined up neatly outside the Dao Hall, which was enveloped in Black Fiend True Fire.

"Martial Uncle!"

Qi Jianzhu pleaded with utmost respect, "We have an urgent matter requiring us to go out for training. We hope you will grant us your permission."

He had repeated this request three times already.

However, True Person Lingyang inside the Dao Hall kept his eyes slightly closed, as if he hadn't heard the voices from outside at all.

Qi Jianzhu hesitated for a moment longer, then spoke up, "Martial Uncle, our outing is related to Junior Sister He. We are going to help her retrieve something crucial for her cultivation. The specific location for the teleportation was also sent back by someone she entrusted."

Hearing this, True Person Lingyang finally opened his eyes slightly, his voice tinged with coldness, "You call it 'going out for training,' but do you think I can't guess? You've surely obtained the specific whereabouts of that disciple from the Profound Heaven Sect named Wang Li, and you intend to intercept him and cause trouble."

Qi Jianzhu and the other four were stunned, a chilling sensation creeping into their hearts.

True Person Lingyang said indifferently, "I can grant your request, but have you truly thought this through? Is it really necessary?"

The Five Elders of Huayang were overjoyed.

Qi Jianzhu quickly bowed again, repeatedly saying, "Thank you, Martial Uncle. We have already thought it through. If we don't teach this brat a lesson, the various Immortal Sects of the Lesser Jade Continent will surely think we in the Huayang Sect have no capable individuals, and that we are weak and easily bullied. In the future, our Huayang Sect disciples will face many troubles when traveling outside."

True Person Lingyang said no more. The black true fire in front of Qi Jianzhu and the others receded like a tide, revealing a path into the Dao Hall.

Qi Jianzhu and the others thanked him again repeatedly and quickly entered the teleportation array behind True Person Lingyang.

After Qi Jianzhu and the others disappeared into the array's mystical light, True Person Lingyang shook his head. He knew with his eyes closed that He Lingxiu must have developed a strong interest in those two from the Profound Heaven Sect, and she was sending her Senior Brother Qingyang's foolish disciples to test the abilities of that cultivator from the Profound Heaven Sect.

Yet, Qi Jianzhu and the other four didn't suspect anything, believing they had finally seized an opportunity and were overjoyed.

These five, bearing the title of the Five Elders of Huayang, were indeed as He Lingxiu had said – too inexperienced and too simple-minded. They truly deserved to suffer a bit.

"I'll know immediately?"

Wang Li looked at He Lingxiu, feeling that every part of her face at that moment exuded an indescribable cunning. "I've paid you extra spirit sand. You're a smart person, you know the rules." He Lingxiu's eyes flickered, and she pursed her lips with a smile, "Remember, we're in this together. Don't betray me."

"What do you mean by that?"

As soon as Wang Li finished speaking, the Azure Bird beneath him and He Lingxiu sped off to the next location. It then shook its body, and with a bang, Wang Li was thrown off its back.

Watching Wang Li cry out in mid-air and continuously cast spells to stabilize himself, the Azure Bird's eyes showed a look of pride and schadenfreude, as if thinking, "You've finally met your end. I've been fed up with you for a long time."

Swish!

A gust of air impacted beneath Wang Li. Still several dozen feet from the ground, his protective aura surged, enveloping him and allowing him to land slowly.

He landed on a desolate riverbank, where the rocky ground was covered in strangely shaped boxwood trees.

Almost simultaneously, a hazy halo, characteristic of a teleportation array, bloomed not far from his side.

The Five Elders of Huayang landed in the shallow water like five dumplings dropped into soup.

The Five Elders of Huayang instinctively jumped up, only to see Wang Li not far away. They were startled and, with muffled thuds, landed back in their original spots, their lower bodies covered in mud and water.

As soon as Wang Li saw Qi Jianzhu and the others, he immediately understood He Lingxiu's intentions. He shouted up at the sky, "Fellow Daoist Hehe, you said you were in a hurry?"

Qi Jianzhu and the others had not expected the timing to be so coincidental. They hadn't expected to face Wang Li immediately after teleporting. Just as he was about to speak, they were stunned to see Wang Li shouting at the sky.

White clouds drifted leisurely in the sky. The Azure Bird and He Lingxiu had hidden themselves somewhere, and there was no response.

"Insidious."

Wang Li wailed and then looked at Qi Jianzhu and the others, who were standing in the mud and water. "These five fellow daoists look somewhat familiar. Have I seen them somewhere before?"

"Somewhat familiar, have I seen them somewhere?"

Qi Jianzhu chuckled.

As he laughed, he and the four behind him leaped forward, surrounding Wang Li.

Flames flickered around them, and the subtle spiritual energy undulations instantly dried all the mud and water, shaking off even the dust from their bodies.

"What, you were pretending to be crazy and provoking me with words that day, and now you're pretending not to recognize me?"

"Oh, so you're fellow daoists from the Huayang Sect."

Wang Li also smiled and said, "Thank you for your Huayang Sect's generous gift that day."

"Generous gift?"

Qi Jianzhu, usually composed, felt an inexplicable surge of anger seeing Wang Li, especially after being humiliated by him that day. "You consider that a generous gift?"

"So, you disagree?" Wang Li smiled and waved his hand. "Whatever you say goes. The Yin Thunder Umbrella has already been sold anyway."

His response made the Five Elders of Huayang pause.

Qi Jianzhu almost instinctively took a deep breath.

This disciple from the Profound Heaven Sect was still impossible to communicate with.

"Is there something you need?" Wang Li looked around, acting as if he was very busy and didn't want to waste time talking to them.

"Can't you tell? We're here to teach you a good lesson!" At this moment, a young male cultivator to Qi Jianzhu's left couldn't help but sneer.

This young male cultivator had sharply angled eyebrows that extended towards his temples, and his eyebrows were particularly thick and dark, making him instantly memorable.

His name was Shen Yu, and he was ranked third among the Five Elders of Huayang.

He spoke up first, feeling that his senior brother was being too polite and that there was no need to get so entangled with this Profound Heaven Sect disciple.

"Teach you a lesson?" Wang Li asked in surprise. "Doesn't this kind of bullying, especially bullying cultivators who are also from orthodox immortal sects, violate the Dao Precepts?"

"It's just a spar. Besides, it's just us and you here. Even if it gets a little out of hand, no one will be able to prove it," Shen Yu said with a cold laugh, looking at Wang Li. "Moreover, you're not exactly popular within the Profound Heaven Sect. I doubt they'll stick up for you if you get a little reprimand."

"That sounds quite reasonable."

Wang Li said with a smile, "Since it's just a spar, and it might get a little out of hand, the Huayang Sect probably won't stick up for you either. After all, your Old Ancestor Tong Hui publicly stated he'd give us the Yin Thunder Umbrella. If you seek revenge for that, even if you suffer a loss, you'll just have to swallow it silently."

"What do you mean?"

Shen Yu couldn't quite wrap his head around it for a moment.

Qi Jianzhu, however, had already reacted and looked at Wang Li in disbelief. "Do you think you can defeat any one of us?"

"Your cultivation is higher than mine. If you suffer a loss, you probably wouldn't be too embarrassed to spread it around, would you?" Wang Li didn't answer his question, instead continuing to speak to himself, "This Fellow Daoist Hehe is quite insidious."