Close friend? Kill him!

The news of Yang Ruying's failure spread like wildfire throughout the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect, causing an uproar.

The Elders of the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect quickly convened a meeting.

"Scoundrel! What a scoundrel! To actually attack his own parents!"

"Enough with the nonsense. Let's think about what we should do first."

"Although the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect is extremely far from Qingyun City, and there are several dangerous places in between, she is a Mahayana Stage cultivator after all. If she were to spare no expense and use all her magic power, she could arrive in at most three days. Even if she were more cautious and wanted to maintain her condition, it would only take two more days. We must find a solution within this time."

"Gather our forces, recall all scattered disciples, activate the Mountain Protection Array, and prepare for a desperate fight! I don't believe she, a Mahayana Stage cultivator, can kill us all!"

These Elders bickered noisily, their hearts filled with dread.

They never expected that the Sect Master's seemingly flawless plan would fail so completely. Not only did they fail to kill Luo Qingdie, but they also exposed the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect.

Now, with Luo Qingdie aggressively heading their way, the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect suddenly found itself in a life-or-death crisis.

It was uncertain whether they could survive this ordeal.

But just as the Elders were intensely discussing how to quickly set up the formation, how to mobilize all their strength, and how to confront Luo Qingdie head-on, A series of knocks on the table suddenly rang out.

The Elders simultaneously fell silent and looked towards the source of the sound.

It was the Sect Master of the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect.

He tapped the table with his knuckles, and after everyone had quieted down and was looking at him, he slowly said, "There's no need to activate the Mountain Protection Array. Continue with the original plan."

"What!?"

The Elders were shocked.

"Sect Master, are you crazy? The plan has already failed."

"Yes, what are we still continuing with?"

"We prepared multiple decoys in case of any unforeseen circumstances," the Sect Master of the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect said. "Luo Qingdie's parents were just one of them. If they failed, we'll switch to someone else."

The Elders were instantly angered to the point of laughter.

"Luo Qingdie isn't a fool. If she could see through the same scheme the first time, why wouldn't she see through it the second time?"

"Exactly. And we chose them precisely because Luo Qingdie's parents carried the most weight. If they failed, others will definitely fail."

"Sect Master, are you just being stubborn? This is a critical moment, not a time for impulsive actions!"

"Enough!" The Sect Master of the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect suddenly stood up and said, "I am the Sect Master, or are you? Listen to my orders obediently and continue with the plan! Anyone who dares to disobey, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

With that, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect flicked his sleeve and left, leaving the Elders looking at each other in bewilderment.

"What's wrong with the Sect Master?"

"Let's not worry about that for now, what should we do?"

"What else can we do? Follow his lead. Didn't you hear what he said? If we don't comply, we might die before Luo Qingdie even arrives."

"We still have two backup candidates left, who should we choose?"

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

"Seconded."

"Seconded."

"But no matter how you think about it, repeating a plan that has already failed will only lead to a more miserable failure, right?"

"Then what do you suggest?"

"I have an idea."

An Elder spoke with a serious expression.

After hearing it, the others began to ponder.

"This method... seems good."

"It's better than the original."

"Let's do it!"

"Alright, then let's act quickly. We must hurry and set up the trap on Luo Qingdie's expected path."

The meeting quickly adjourned, and the Elders began to act.

#####

In the azure sky, Chu Lu's figure flashed by, the gust of wind he stirred parting the white clouds.

It had been two days since they left Qingyun City. During these two days, Luo Qingdie had not remained silent, but her mood had been very low, clearly not having fully recovered from the cruel reality.

However, Chu Lu believed she wouldn't remain dejected forever.

After all, the facts had always been before her, and she knew them all, but she just hadn't connected them. Moreover, there was that group of jokers in the chat group.

From their words, it could be seen that this group of people was probably similar to Luo Qingdie.

As the saying goes, it's not poverty but discontent that plagues men. It's hard to accept if only I am unlucky, but if everyone is unlucky, then comforting each other will allow them to move on quickly.

Suddenly, a figure appeared ahead.

Chu Lu immediately stopped, his senses on high alert. A moment later, the figure drew closer, revealing a beauty as ethereal as a celestial being.

However, the beauty's face was pale, and she appeared to be severely injured.

Chu Lu frowned slightly, about to speak, when he heard Luo Qingdie's voice in his mind: "Huh? Isn't that Mo Yushang?"

"Mo Yushang?" Chu Lu raised an eyebrow and asked in his mind, "Is she that close friend who drew out your heart's blood to help her demonic cultivator husband cultivate?"

"Mm."

"Ha..."

At this moment, Mo Yushang looked at Chu Lu and smiled with delight, saying, "Qingdie, I've finally found you."

"Mm, so what do you want with me?" Chu Lu asked, watching her with amusement. "Are you here to arrest me and make me confess too?"

"Huh? Ah! Are you talking about the Inquiry Sword Sect incident? Don't be silly," Mo Yushang said. "How many years of friendship do we have? Don't I know your character? That incident definitely has nothing to do with you. I came to find you because... I'm ashamed to say."

Mo Yushang looked conflicted and embarrassed as she continued, "I came to ask for your help."

"You can see my condition," she went on. "Not long ago, I was ambushed by a group of demonic cultivators. Although I magic powerged to escape, I was severely injured. Most of my injuries are magic powergeable, but one is quite troublesome and can only be healed with the heart's blood of a Mahayana Stage cultivator. After thinking it over, I could only come to you."

Chu Lu: "..."

"Alas," he sighed and said, "Is that Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect foolish, or do they take me for a fool? How dare they try the same failed tactic again?"

"Ah?" A flicker of fear flashed in Mo Yushang's eyes, but she still pretended to be confused and asked, "Qingdie, what are you talking about? What Heavenly Profound... Ugh!"

Her words were cut short.

A long sword had already pierced through Mo Yushang's throat.

Chu Lu drew his sword and flicked the blood off the blade.

Mo Yushang's eyes widened, and she clutched her throat, staring at Chu Lu in terror.

"Chu Lu," Luo Qingdie said in his mind, feeling a pang of unease seeing her old friend like this. "Was that a bit too quick? We haven't confirmed she was sent by the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect yet, have we?"

"Mm, it was indeed a bit quick, but does it matter?" Chu Lu sheathed his sword into his storage ring. "Even if what she said was true, shouldn't she still be killed?"

Luo Qingdie was speechless.

Just as Chu Lu was about to leave, Mo Yushang, who was on her last breath, suddenly erupted with a powerful magic power fluctuation.

Chu Lu frowned. The next moment, Mo Yushang's body exploded.

It was an explosion of unimaginable power.

A blazing light engulfed the entire sky, followed by a deafening roar that echoed through the heavens, as if tearing the very fabric of existence. A powerful shockwave radiated outwards from the epicenter, wreaking havoc in all directions.

Hidden in the shadows, the members of the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect watched this scene, their morale soaring as they burst into laughter.

"It's done! We succeeded!" the leading Elder exclaimed, his beard trembling with excitement.

His disciples chimed in with flattery: "The Elder is wise, his schemes are unfathomable. Even as a Mahayana Stage cultivator, that Luo Qingdie is no match for you."

The Elder stroked his beard, looking smug. Although the plan wasn't his idea, it didn't stop him from enjoying the praise from his disciples for a moment.

Still, the method was indeed clever. The Elder thought to himself: Since the first plan failed, trying it again would be seen through instantly. So, it was better to play along, anticipating it would be seen through, and set up a plan within a plan. They had planted an Immortal Burying Stone within Mo Yushang. Once Mo Yushang died, the Immortal Burying Stone would activate immediately, catching Luo Qingdie completely off guard!

"Alright, let's go take a look, find her remains, and bring them back to claim our reward," the Elder said.

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

"No need, I'll come over myself."

"Huh?"

The group froze, then their faces contorted in terror. They all turned their heads and saw Chu Lu standing unharmed before them.

The Elder's jaw dropped. "You... How did you..."

Chu Lu waved his hand, and with a swish, the heads of the dozen disciples present flew off, blood spraying like a reversed red rain.

Thump, thump, thump. The disciples fell to the ground.

The Elder's heart pounded erratically, his face ashen.

Chu Lu said with satisfaction, "Mm, that's much better. Too many people were an eyesore."

The Elder's legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.

"But speaking of which, you guys were quite clever," Chu Lu praised. "At first, I thought you were all idiots, trying the same failed plan again. I didn't expect it to be a diversion. Unfortunately, the activation prelude was too long and too obvious. It's not enough to deal with a Mahayana Stage cultivator."

"Too obvious...?" The Elder's face was filled with horror. In his eyes, the Immortal Burying Stone was already quite concealed, but in Chu Lu's eyes, it was still too obvious?

—Is the Mahayana Stage really this terrifying?

The Elder's spirit was broken, and he fell into complete despair. He drooped his head and said, "My skills are inferior to yours. I admit defeat. Kill me."

Chu Lu: "? You're that eager to die? I was actually planning to let you go."

"Huh?" The Elder's head shot up, his face full of disbelief. "Really?"

"Really, as long as you answer one question for me."

"What is it!"

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

Chu Lu had discovered that people from the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect possessed the ability to evade his divine sense scan when he was in Qingyun City. Back then, when he sensed something was wrong with Luo Qingdie's parents, he had secretly tried to scan Qingyun City with his divine sense, but found nothing. Even now, it was only after they thought their plan had succeeded and their auras leaked that he had found traces of these people.

This was also why he later decided to play along, feigning stepping into their trap to lure Yang Ruying and the others out.

After succeeding, he hadn't questioned Yang Ruying and the others on how they did it because he figured he already knew the mastermind was the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect.

So, why not just fly over and, before they knew anything, raze their entire mountain sect and kill everyone? Wouldn't that be much simpler? He wouldn't have to bother with these trivial details.

But he hadn't expected communication in this world to be so swift. The Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect had clearly already learned of the plan's failure.

At the same time, he hadn't expected the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect to be so stubborn, daring to plot against him.

Therefore, he changed his mind and decided to proceed more cautiously.

The Elder hesitated, as this technique was indeed one of the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect's trump cards.

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

But then he thought, if he didn't reveal it, he would simply become a dead man. Moreover, judging by the current situation, it was uncertain if the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect would even exist in a few more days.

Thus, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I'll tell you!"

He then revealed the method, handed over the accompanying magic tool, and finally explained how to break it.

Chu Lu was very satisfied.

"I've done as you said, can you let me go now?" the Elder asked pitifully.

"Mhm. You may leave. I'll let you off today, but if we meet again, I won't be so lenient!" Chu Lu said.

The Elder was overjoyed, kowtowed repeatedly, then got up and fled in a panic.

He cast a spell and flew ten miles in one go before he let out a sigh of relief, muttering to himself, "Damn it, what a devil. What should I do now? I don't think the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect is going to make it. I might as well go seek refuge with the Myriad Laws Sect. I'll also bring the news about Luo Qingdie to them so they can prepare and think of a countermeasure. I refuse to believe they'll tolerate Luo Qingdie."

After speaking, he looked up ahead and suddenly froze.

Chu Lu was standing right in front of him.

The Elder: "Huh?"

"What a coincidence," Chu Lu said, also feigning surprise. "We meet again."

Then, he sighed with regret. "Since that's the case, I can only fulfill my previous promise. I really didn't want to kill you."

The Elder stared blankly: "No, you clearly..."

Swish.

Chu Lu swung his sword, casting Phoenix Arrives, and directly cut the Elder in half at the waist.

The two halves of the body plummeted downwards.

Luo Qingdie: "..."

"Chu Lu," she couldn't help but say, "isn't this a bit excessive? You clearly said you'd let him go."

"How is it excessive? I didn't lie," Chu Lu said righteously. "I said if we met again, I wouldn't be lenient. He actually dared to come running to me. If he's so eager to die, how can I not fulfill his wish?"

Luo Qingdie: "?"

"Besides..." Chu Lu continued, "we must cut the grass by the roots. How can we let someone who tried to kill me live?"

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

"Alright, let's keep moving," Chu Lu said, too lazy to argue further. He flew towards the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect. "There are still many people to kill."