Trusted Friend? Kill Her!

News of Yang Ruying's failure spread to the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect at lightning speed, immediately causing a tremendous uproar.

The elders of the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect gathered in haste and convened a meeting.

"Beast! What an utter beast! She actually dared lay hands on her own parents!"

"Enough, cut the nonsense. We should be thinking about what to do first."

"Although the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect is extremely far from Qingyun City, with several deadly regions in between, she is still a Mahayana Stage cultivator. If she burns through her spiritual power and rushes at full speed, she can arrive in three days at most. Even if she is more cautious and preserves her condition, it will only take two more days. We must find a way to deal with this within that time."

"Gather our forces, summon back every scattered disciple, activate the Mountain Protection Array, and prepare for a desperate fight! I refuse to believe that a single Mahayana Stage cultivator can slaughter us all!"

The elders argued noisily, their hearts filled with fear.

None of them had expected the sect master's seemingly flawless plan to fail so thoroughly. Not only had they failed to kill Luo Qingdie, they had also exposed the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect.

Now that Luo Qingdie was charging toward them with murderous momentum, the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect had suddenly been thrust into a life-or-death crisis.

Whether they could survive this calamity was still unknown.

Yet just as the elders were fiercely discussing how to set up the formation as quickly as possible, how to mobilize all their strength, and how they should confront Luo Qingdie head-on—

A sudden knocking sound rang against the table.

All the elders fell silent at once and turned toward its source.

It was the Heavenly Profound Sect Master.

He tapped the table with his knuckles. Only after everyone had fallen silent and looked at him did he slowly say, "There is no need to activate the Mountain Protection Array. Continue with the original plan."

"What!?"

The elders' faces were full of shock.

"Sect Master, have you gone mad? The plan has already failed!"

"Yes, what is there to continue?"

"To guard against the unexpected, we prepared several lures from the beginning," the Heavenly Profound Sect Master said. "Luo Qingdie's parents were merely one of them. Since they failed, we will replace them with the next person."

The elders were so angry they laughed.

"Luo Qingdie is not an idiot. She saw through the same scheme the first time. Why would she fail to see through it the second time?"

"Exactly. And didn't we choose them because Luo Qingdie's parents carried the most weight? If even they failed, no one else will work."

"Sect Master, are you throwing a tantrum? At a critical time like this, this is no time to act on impulse!"

"Enough!" The Heavenly Profound Sect Master abruptly rose to his feet. "Am I the sect master, or are you? Obey my orders and continue the plan! Whoever dares disobey, do not blame me for being ruthless!"

With that, the Heavenly Profound Sect Master flicked his sleeves and left, leaving the elders staring at one another.

"What is wrong with the sect master?"

"Forget that for now. What should we do?"

"What else can we do? Listen to him. Didn't you hear what he said? If we do not comply, Luo Qingdie may not even arrive before we die first."

"There are still two backup candidates left. Which one should we choose?"

"That orphan beggar is far too inexplicable. I suggest Mo Yushang."

"I second that."

"I second that."

"But no matter how you look at it, repeating a plan that already failed will only make us fail even more miserably, won't it?"

"Then what do you suggest?"

"I have an idea."

One elder explained his proposal with a solemn expression.

The others listened, then began to ponder it as well.

"This method... seems rather good."

"It is better than the original one."

"Let's do it!"

"Good. Then let us act at once. We must quickly set the trap along Luo Qingdie's inevitable route."

The meeting swiftly dispersed, and the elders all sprang into action.

#####

Against the azure sky, Chu Lu's figure flashed past, the fierce wind he stirred slicing even the white clouds apart.

It had been two days since they left Qingyun City. During those two days, Luo Qingdie had not remained silent, but her mood had stayed low. Clearly, she had yet to fully recover from that cruel reality.

Still, Chu Lu believed she would not remain despondent forever.

After all, the facts had always been right in front of her. She knew all of them; she simply had never connected them together. Besides, there was that bunch of goofballs in the Chat Group.

From the lines between their words, it was obvious that those people were probably much the same as Luo Qingdie.

As the saying went, people did not fear having less, only having less than others. Being the only unlucky one was indeed hard to accept, but when an entire group was unlucky, they could comfort one another and quickly move on.

At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared ahead.

Chu Lu immediately stopped in vigilance. A moment later, the figure gradually drew closer, revealing herself to be a beauty like a celestial immortal.

However, her face was pale, and she looked as though she had suffered grave injuries.

Chu Lu frowned slightly and was about to speak when Luo Qingdie's voice sounded in his mind. "Huh? Isn't that Mo Yushang?"

"Mo Yushang?" Chu Lu raised a brow and asked inwardly, The close friend who drew your heart's blood to help her demonic cultivator husband practice his cultivation?

"Mm."

"Ha..."

At that moment, Mo Yushang looked at Chu Lu and revealed a delighted smile. "Qingdie, I finally found you."

"Mm, so what did you come looking for me for?" Chu Lu looked at her with amusement. "Did you also come to seize me and make me confess my crimes?"

"Huh? Ah! You mean the matter of the Inquiry Sword Sect? Do not be foolish." Mo Yushang said, "How many years have we been friends? Would I not know what kind of person you are? That matter definitely had nothing to do with you. I came to find you because... it is rather embarrassing to say."

Mo Yushang wore a conflicted expression as she said awkwardly, "I came to ask for your help."

"You can see the state I am in." She continued, "Not long ago, a group of demonic cultivators ambushed me. Though I managed to escape, I was seriously injured. Most of the injuries are manageable, but one of them is particularly troublesome. It can only be healed with the heart's blood of a Mahayana Stage cultivator. After thinking it over and over, I could only come find you."

Chu Lu: "..."

"Ah." He sighed. "Is the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect stupid, or do they take me for a fool? How could they have the nerve to use a method that already failed once more?"

"Huh?" A trace of panic flashed through Mo Yushang's eyes, but she still pretended to be confused. "Qingdie, what are you talking about? What Heavenly Profound... urgh!"

Her words came to an abrupt halt.

A longsword had already pierced through Mo Yushang's throat.

Chu Lu pulled out his sword and shook the blood from its blade.

Mo Yushang's eyes widened. Clutching her throat, she stared at Chu Lu in terror.

"Chu Lu." Seeing her former friend in such a state, Luo Qingdie felt somewhat distressed. She said in his mind, "Was that a little too quick? We have not even confirmed that she was sent by the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect, have we?"

"Mm, it was indeed a little quick, but does it matter?" Chu Lu returned his sword to his Storage Ring. "Even if what she said was true, should she not have been killed?"

Luo Qingdie had no answer.

Just as Chu Lu was preparing to leave, powerful spiritual power fluctuations suddenly erupted from Mo Yushang's body, though she had only a single breath left.

Chu Lu frowned slightly. The next moment, Mo Yushang's body exploded with a deafening boom.

It was an explosion so powerful it defied imagination.

A blazing radiance engulfed the entire sky, followed by a deafening boom that resounded through the heavens as though it would tear apart the entire world. Centered on the blast, a powerful shockwave raged madly in every direction.

The people of the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect hiding in the shadows saw this and immediately had their morale soar as they burst into laughter.

"It worked! We succeeded!" The leading elder was so excited that his beard trembled.

The disciples beneath him immediately flattered him. "Elder, you are wise indeed. Your schemes are unfathomable even to ghosts and gods. Even though Luo Qingdie is a Mahayana Stage cultivator, she is no match for you."

The elder stroked his beard with a smug expression. Although he had not come up with the plan, that did not stop him from enjoying his disciples' praise for a while.

Still, this method truly was clever. The elder thought to himself: Since the first plan had already failed, repeating it a second time would only make it instantly seen through. So why not turn the scheme against itself, setting a scheme within a scheme on the premise that it would be seen through? They had planted the Immortal Burying Stone inside Mo Yushang's body. Once Mo Yushang died, the Immortal Burying Stone would activate at once and catch Luo Qingdie off guard!

"Enough, let us go over and look for her corpse. We can bring it back and claim credit," the elder said.

Just as the disciples were about to respond, Chu Lu's voice rang out behind them.

"There is no need. I came over myself."

"Huh?"

Everyone froze. Then terror abruptly filled their faces as they all turned around and saw Chu Lu standing across from them, completely unscathed.

The elder stared in stunned disbelief. "Y-you-you, how..."

Chu Lu waved a hand. With a swish, the heads of the dozen or so disciples present flew into the air together. Blood sprayed upward like a crimson rain flowing in reverse.

Thud, thud, thud. The disciples fell one after another.

The elder's heart pounded wildly as well, and his face turned white as snow.

Chu Lu said with satisfaction, "Mm, this is much better. Too many people are an eyesore."

The elder's legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the ground.

"But speaking of which, you people are rather clever." Chu Lu praised them. "At first, I thought you were all fools, using the failed plan again. I did not expect it to be a smokescreen. Unfortunately, the signs before activation were too long and too obvious. It is not good enough for dealing with a Mahayana Stage cultivator."

"Too obvious...?" The elder's face was filled with horror. In his eyes, the Immortal Burying Stone had been hidden well enough, but in Chu Lu's eyes, it had actually been too obvious?

—Was the Mahayana Stage truly this terrifying?

The elder's heart turned to ashes, and he fell into complete despair. With his head hanging and his spirits crushed, he said, "My skill falls short of yours. I willingly bow to your superiority. Kill me."

Chu Lu: "? Do you want to die that badly? I was originally planning to spare you."

"Huh?" The elder abruptly raised his head, his face full of disbelief. "Really?"

"Really. As long as you answer one question."

"What is it?"

"How did you evade my divine sense scan?" Chu Lu asked slowly.

The people of the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect possessed the ability to evade his divine sense scan. Chu Lu had discovered this back in Qingyun City. When he noticed that Luo Qingdie's parents were suspicious, he had secretly tried scanning Qingyun City with his divine sense, only to find nothing. Even now, he had only discovered these people after they believed their plan had succeeded and allowed their auras to leak out.

That was also why he had later decided to turn the scheme against them, pretending to step into the trap and luring Yang Ruying and the others out.

After succeeding, the reason he had not questioned Yang Ruying and the others about how they had done it was because he figured he already knew that the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect was the mastermind behind everything.

Why not simply fly there and, before they knew anything, overturn their entire mountain gate and slaughter everyone? Would that not save far more trouble? There would be no need to care about these peripheral details.

But he had not expected communication in this world to be so fast. The Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect had clearly already learned that the plan had failed.

Nor had he expected the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect to be so stubborn that they still dared plot against him.

Thus, he changed his mind and decided to be more cautious.

The elder hesitated. Such a powerful method was naturally one of the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect's trump cards kept at the bottom of the chest.

If he revealed it, he would become a sinner of the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect.

But on second thought, if he did not reveal it, he would immediately become a dead man. Besides, judging by the situation, it was hard to say whether the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect would even still exist after some time.

So he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I will tell you!"

He then explained the method, handed over the corresponding magical artifact, and finally explained how to break it.

Chu Lu was very satisfied.

"I have done as you said. You can spare me now, right?" the elder asked pitifully.

"Mm. Go. I will spare you today, but if we meet again, I will show no mercy!" Chu Lu said.

Overjoyed, the elder repeatedly kowtowed, then rose and fled in panic.

He cast a spell and flew ten li in one breath before finally letting out a sigh of relief. Muttering to himself, he said, "Damn it, what a Great Demon. What should I do now? The Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect is finished, from what I can see. I might as well seek refuge with the Myriad Laws Sect. I can bring them news of Luo Qingdie while I am at it, so they can prepare and think of a way to deal with her. I refuse to believe they can tolerate Luo Qingdie."

After saying that, he looked ahead and suddenly froze.

Chu Lu was standing in front of him.

The elder: "Huh?"

"What a coincidence." Chu Lu also said with a surprised expression, "We meet again."

Then he sighed regretfully. "Since that is the case, I can only fulfill my previous promise. I truly did not want to kill you."

The elder stared at him in stunned disbelief. "No, you clearly..."

Swish.

Chu Lu swung his sword and unleashed Phoenix Arrives, cleanly cutting the elder in half at the waist.

The two halves of the corpse fell downward.

Luo Qingdie: "..."

"Chu Lu." She could not help saying, "Is this not a little excessive? You clearly said you would spare him."

"How is it excessive? I did not lie." Chu Lu spoke with complete righteousness. "I said that if we met again, I would show no mercy. He actually dared run straight in front of me. Since he wanted to die so badly, would it be right for me not to grant his wish?"

Luo Qingdie: "?"

"Besides... one must pull up the weeds and remove the roots." Chu Lu said. "How can I let someone who once wanted to kill me remain alive?"

"This..." Luo Qingdie still found it difficult to accept.

"Enough, let us continue onward." Chu Lu could not be bothered to say more. He flew toward the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect. "There are still many people left to kill."