Demonic Cult Visitors

Demonic Cult Visitors

As for the "Wanfu Ancient Cave" Shuiyue had mentioned, Su Changqing knew something of it as well. It was indeed the headquarters of the Refining Blood Hall...

But to say that the "Blood Devouring Pearl" was hidden within that ancient cave was sheer nonsense...

The Blood Devouring Pearl was currently in Zhang Xiaofan's possession. Whether it was the righteous path or the Demonic Cult, they would never find it no matter how long they searched...

Of course, Su Changqing had no intention of revealing this news. Everyone had their own fate, and he did not wish to meddle too much with Zhang Xiaofan's destiny. He only needed to walk his own Great Dao path well.

"Changqing, this journey is no child's play. Those Demonic Cult members are not people to be underestimated. Have you truly made up your mind?"

With a sigh, Shuiyue spoke to Su Changqing.

"Master, I know you are worried about me, but I have my own road to walk as well. Please rest assured. There is a saying I believe in: before one has sufficient strength, a gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall."

Su Changqing smiled faintly as he spoke to Shuiyue.

"Since you have put it this way, there is nothing more for your master to say. I only hope you will protect yourself."

Having received Su Changqing's answer, Shuiyue departed once more.

Over the next two days, Su Changqing continued cultivating, deepening his comprehension. Yet one night, while practicing his swordsmanship on Sword Peak, he discovered two elusive strands of divine sense fixed upon him.

"Looks like thieves have come calling."

Su Changqing halted his sword, casually glancing toward the direction from which the divine senses were probing as he muttered to himself.

He did not know why they had risked coming to the Qingyun Sect, merely to spy on him.

But he would soon find out. Su Changqing pretended to have finished practicing his sword technique and to be utterly exhausted, then left Sword Peak beneath the scrutiny of those two divine senses.

With the sect's formation concealing him, Su Changqing swiftly vanished from the two men's sight. The deeper one went into the Qingyun Sect, the greater the formation's power became, so the two thieves hiding in the shadows did not dare rashly follow him.

"Senior Brother, he's already gone. Are we still staying here?"

Watching Su Changqing depart, one of the thieves asked the other.

"Nonsense! Of course we can't leave! If we leave, what happens to our mission?"

The thief addressed as Senior Brother slapped him across the head and snarled.

Had Su Changqing been there, he would certainly have recognized this man. He was none other than Qiu Buping, the Demonic Cult steward he had encountered at Nine Yin Mountain.

"But hasn't this matter already been made known? The one who used that Divine Ability sword technique that day was Su Changqing of the Qingyun Sect."

Song Dong said angrily to Qiu Buping.

"Do you think that's possible?"

Qiu Buping slapped him over the head again, then said sternly, "A Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator using such swordsmanship, enough to wound even Poison God? It is highly likely that this is a smokescreen put out by the Qingyun Sect."

"For this mission, the Sect Master has already told us that the swordsman has a great connection to this Su Changqing. We must find out from him who that mysterious person who acted that day truly was."

"If we fail to uncover anything, what awaits us will be the wrath of the Sect Master and Poison God. When the time comes, if they throw you into the Five Poisons to refine gu, would you be willing?"

At those words, Song Dong shuddered from head to toe.

Sent to the Five Poisons to refine gu!

Even if he were slain by a single sword stroke, he would rather that than be sent to the Five Poisons to refine gu.

"But this brat has been hiding inside the Qingyun Sect the entire time. We cannot rashly move to seize him either. If we keep waiting like this, who knows how long we'll have to wait?"

Song Dong spoke bitterly.

Su Changqing remained within the Qingyun Sect at all times. They could neither go in and capture him nor return home. How much longer was he supposed to live this lurking life?

"I refuse to believe he'll stay inside forever. So long as he dares leave the Qingyun Sect alone, we'll seize him at once and force him to tell us who taught him the Gale Sword Technique. The person who taught him must be the one who acted that day."

Qiu Buping said through gritted teeth.

He had originally been the master of a small branch of the Ghost King Sect. He had obtained the chance to become the steward responsible for establishing the formation at Nine Yin Mountain. Once the formation was complete, his status within the Demonic Cult would rise.

Yet he had never expected those Qingyun Sect people to come knocking. Not only had they disrupted their mission, but they had also inflicted grievous losses upon the Demonic Cult. Even Lord Poison God, whom he had summoned, had been severely wounded by two Qingyun Sect Peak Lords together with a mysterious expert.

Without question, all that responsibility had been placed on his head. Upon returning to his sect, he had suffered a harsh punishment, until today, when he heard rumors that the sword technique had reappeared in the Qingyun Sect.

Only after repeatedly begging for mercy had he obtained this chance to redeem himself through merit.

So long as he could discover who had acted that day, he would not only be spared all punishment, but could also return to his position as branch master.

If he failed to find out, what awaited him would be a death without even a burial place.

He naturally had to treat such an opportunity with utmost seriousness.

Yet they had been at the Qingyun Sect for two days already. They had finally found Su Changqing, but he remained inside the Qingyun Sect without coming out, leaving them no opportunity whatsoever to capture him.

"So they really came for me, to investigate the Demonic Cult's failed affair at Nine Yin Mountain."

What Qiu Buping did not know was that while he was considering how to lure Su Changqing out, Su Changqing was standing on a tree branch directly above them, intently listening to their conversation.

Half a year ago, Su Changqing had still been in the Qi Refining Realm, and he had feared that the Heaven Concealing Art would not be able to hide him from Qiu Buping's Core Formation Realm detection.

But now that he had reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, even if Qiu Buping exhausted every method at his disposal, he would be unable to detect him. Thus, Su Changqing had boldly circled back and stood above them to eavesdrop.

"Ah, it seems we can only wait slowly now."

Song Dong sighed helplessly, propped his head up with one hand, and prepared to sleep.

After two full days of unceasingly probing with his spiritual sense, even a cultivator at the first realm of Core Formation like him could not help feeling weary. All the spiritual energy in his body had been spent on this.

"Sleep, sleep, sleep! Sleep my ass!"

Qiu Buping's spiritual energy was also nearly exhausted by now, but the thought that completing this mission would let him atone for his crimes and return to the peak kept him so excited that he continued searching without pause.

"Indeed. At such a young age, how could one possibly sleep at a time like this?"

Suddenly, Qiu Buping heard a voice drift down from above like a ghost. He quite agreed with such a "profound truth" and could not help nodding in response.

"Listen to that, listen to that! See how enlightened someone else is? Unlike you little brat?"

But in the next instant, he finally realized that there were only the two of them here. It had not been him who spoke, nor had it been Song Dong—so who had said that?