Drawing calamity eastward, a cold arrow strikes

The Nine Yin Ice Cave was even smaller than the Lava Cellar. Calling it a place where dripping water froze into ice would not be an exaggeration; a mouthful of spit would turn to icy grit before it even hit the ground.

After surveying the layout, Qin Haoxuan was surprised to find that the people here were split into two groups. More than a dozen sat on one side, while a middle-aged man of about fifty occupied the other side alone. The dozen would rather squeeze together than sit near him, yet even so, their occasional glances at the middle-aged man were filled with disdain.

In the cultivation world, where lifespans generally exceeded those of ordinary people, fifty or sixty years old only counted as middle age.

After Qin Haoxuan entered, no one bullied him, nor did anyone pay him any attention. Once they sensed that his aura was weak and that he was not even in the Immortal Seedling Realm, they could not even be bothered to spare him another glance.

"What a strange bunch."

Qin Haoxuan muttered inwardly, then casually found a spot and began meditating. Though the Nine Yin Ice Cave was not as comfortable as the Lava Cellar, his entire body was still burning hot, so he adapted well here. He drew in the distinctive spiritual energy of the Nine Yin Ice Cave, using it to neutralize the scorching medicinal power within him. It had a flavor all its own.

What he did not know was that as the freezing spiritual energy entered his body and the medicinal power of the One-Leaf Golden Lotus surged into his dantian again, flowing from his immortal root into his immortal seedling, the demonic portion of the Immortal-Demon Seed within him, which had continually produced the main root, also began to stir restlessly.

Qin Haoxuan was cultivating blissfully and had finally found a measure of peace, but the heroic feat of him brutally beating Gu Xiaoyun, an Immortal Seedling Realm Seventh Leaf cultivator, before being locked up had profoundly shocked everyone in Spirit Field Valley. Even after he was gone, quite a few people still could not get him out of their minds. Li Jing was one of them.

Sitting alone in his room and gazing at the ink-black sky, Li Jing muttered to himself, "Good heavens, he actually managed to knock down even Gu Xiaoyun of the Immortal Seedling Realm Seventh Leaf! Even if it was a sneak attack, that was still a little too outrageous."

He gritted his teeth as though making some difficult decision. Fierce killing intent flickered continuously in his eyes. At last, he slammed the table and declared resolutely, "Then it is settled! Qin Haoxuan, Qin Haoxuan, if you want someone to blame, blame yourself for being too much of an eyesore. If Xu Yu were not so obedient to you and unwilling to join my banner, perhaps I could have spared your life. But now... since you have hidden in the Nine Yin Ice Cave, do not blame me for resorting to tricks and shifting the blame onto others."

Having made up his mind, Li Jing decided to reveal some of his hidden strength as well. He personally summoned two Immortal Seedling Realm Sixth Leaf disciples who appeared not to have joined him, but were in fact long ago members of his camp. After sweeping his gaze across their faces, he said softly, "Please sit, Senior Brothers. I have a matter to ask of you both."

The two Immortal Seedling Realm Sixth Leaf disciples were flattered. Although their current cultivation was far above Li Jing's, Li Jing was a Supreme Purple Seed. He was destined to become an immensely prominent figure in the future. After joining Li Jing's camp, they had deliberately been kept hidden by him, and they had always regretted never having an opportunity to earn merit.

Now that opportunity had arrived. They immediately said again and again, "As long as it is within our power, we will not refuse. Just give the order, Junior Brother."

"Good. Then I will not beat around the bush. I want to ask you two Senior Brothers to deliberately cause trouble, get yourselves locked in the Nine Yin Ice Cave, kill Qin Haoxuan, and then pin the blame on Zhang Kuang and Zhang Yang!"

The two Immortal Seedling Realm Sixth Leaf experts were startled. Fellow disciples killing one another was a grave crime in the Taichu Sect. If things went badly, they might even be expelled from the sect; at the very least, they would suffer severe punishment. And if they accused Zhang Kuang and Zhang Yang, what if those two took revenge later...

Li Jing saw the worry in their eyes and smiled. "If this matter succeeds, Li Jing will certainly not treat you two Senior Brothers unfairly. So long as you endure a few years of punishment and use this incident to bring down Zhang Kuang and Zhang Yang, the day I soar to greatness will surely be the day I richly reward you both."

Their expressions turned extremely ugly. After all, the fate of the Yuan Family Brothers was right there before their eyes! If they truly killed Qin Haoxuan, the ones to bear the fury would certainly not be this Purple Seed junior brother, but the two of them.

They could bully others by relying on power. They could help fight a few battles. But something like this, where there was plainly no benefit to them afterward... forget doing it! They would not even consider it.

Seeing the ugly looks on their faces, Li Jing cursed inwardly without end, but his face remained wreathed in smiles as he said, "Are you two Senior Brothers worried that you will end up like the Yuan Family Brothers? Senior Brothers, after killing Qin Haoxuan, simply say that he went mad for no reason and attacked you two. You had no choice but to defend yourselves. In that case... I will also buy off the others in the Nine Yin Ice Cave..."

The two wanted to refuse, because this was simply too dangerous. Yet hearing Li Jing's arrangements, they felt that perhaps they could risk trying it. If it truly succeeded and they escaped punishment, they would surely be able to follow Li Jing to greater heights in the future.

Li Jing watched the two quietly. He knew very well that these two Senior Brothers had spent far too many years in Spirit Field Valley! With their aptitude, it was fundamentally impossible for them to rise to prominence. He was their only opportunity, no matter how dangerous it was!

Under Li Jing's gaze, the two were tempted!

Even if Li Jing could not surpass Zhang Kuang in the future, he would surely become a regional lord within the Taichu Sect. As the saying went, leaning against a great tree made for cool shade. Their days in the Taichu Sect would certainly still be comfortable.

After weighing the pros and cons, the two Immortal Seedling Realm Sixth Leaf experts hardened their hearts. Each saw the other's determination in the other's eyes, and they said to Li Jing in unison, "Please tell us the plan, Junior Brother!"

After the three conspired for a long while, they quietly departed, waiting only for dawn the next day to act according to the plan.

As soon as dawn broke the next day, Li Jing came to Xu Yu's door. He wore an expression of slight agitation and concern. Once Xu Yu opened the door, he leaned close and whispered, "Junior Sister Xu, I have received information that Zhang Kuang and Zhang Yang spent the entire night seeking people out, plotting to send more experts into the Nine Yin Ice Cave to harm Junior Brother Qin."

"Ah!" Xu Yu was startled. Although she had always harbored this concern, she had not expected Zhang Kuang to move so quickly. Yet her time with Qin Haoxuan these past days had also made her steadier. She was no longer as anxious as before to personally go protect Qin Haoxuan.

"Do not worry, Junior Sister Xu. I will not stand by and watch Zhang Kuang and Zhang Yang's scheme succeed. In a while, I will also find an expert to go in and protect Junior Brother Qin. But you absolutely must not publicize this matter, and you must not mention it to the sect elders, lest we alert the snake in the grass and make Zhang Kuang and his people act even more cautiously. That would make things difficult." Seeing that Xu Yu's expression had not changed much, Li Jing worried that she would seek help from the sect elders, so he hurriedly reassured her, half offering a favor and half issuing a threat.

She was, after all, a kind-hearted young girl with little experience of the world. Since it concerned the safety of Brother Haoxuan, whom she cared for most, Li Jing's warning immediately extinguished the thought that had just arisen in her heart of asking the sect elders for help. She said to Li Jing, "Then I will have to trouble Senior Brother Li."

Seeing her earnest and pleading expression, Li Jing agreed repeatedly, growing even more smug inwardly. She was just a little girl; a few sweet words and she fell for it. Once I kill Qin Haoxuan and frame Zhang Kuang and Zhang Yang, making you overflow with gratitude toward me, and once you have lost Qin Haoxuan, your pillar of support, let us see if you do not obediently come over to my side!

Naturally, Qin Haoxuan knew nothing of what was happening outside. However, having experienced Zhang Kuang sending people to assassinate him in the Lava Cellar, he remained alert whether cultivating or sleeping. Fortunately, the first day passed without incident. Aside from occasionally chatting with a few acquaintances at mealtimes, the people imprisoned in the Nine Yin Ice Cave had not given him a proper look at all. The middle-aged man in his fifties, who stood apart as a faction unto himself, also kept to himself and did not interact with Qin Haoxuan or anyone else.

On the second day of confinement in the Nine Yin Ice Cave, Qin Haoxuan, being a cultivation fanatic, got up to cultivate after sleeping for only an hour or two. Just as he was immersed in his cultivation, the iron door clattered open, and two newcomers were escorted inside by law enforcement disciples.

Having experience with assassination attempts, Qin Haoxuan immediately opened his eyes warily. When his gaze collided with those of the two newly arrived Immortal Seedling Realm Sixth Leaf experts, an inexplicable sense of danger arose in his heart.

Sure enough, after the two escorting law enforcement disciples left, the two Immortal Seedling Realm Sixth Leaf experts approached Qin Haoxuan with cold smiles. "You are Qin Haoxuan?"

Qin Haoxuan secretly gathered his breath and answered without fear, "I am!"

"Then you are the one! We were entrusted by Junior Brother Zhang Kuang to eliminate you, you fool who has repeatedly offended him and knows neither the height of heaven nor the depth of earth!" After one spoke, he formed a spirit incantation with both hands and began mobilizing the spiritual energy within his body. The other did not remain idle either. He blocked Qin Haoxuan's path of retreat and formed a spirit incantation as well, preparing to besiege him!

With things having reached this point, there was no escaping or avoiding it. Qin Haoxuan did not panic. He had no chance of victory in a real, head-on fight against even one Immortal Seedling Realm Sixth Leaf expert, much less two. But he was not someone who would wait helplessly for death. Even with death hanging over his head, he would fight with everything he had. Only then would he have no regrets even if he died!

"Die!" The two Immortal Seedling Realm Sixth Leaf experts formed their spirit incantations. A few breaths later, spiritual energy surged around them as they each unleashed their strongest ultimate move. They did not dare underestimate Qin Haoxuan, this freakish opponent, in the slightest. This strike could only succeed, never fail. If they could not kill Qin Haoxuan, not only might Li Jing's plan fail, but the two of them would lose their chance to earn merit. They might even cause Li Jing's plan to collapse and be exposed.

No matter what, Qin Haoxuan had to die!

The two Immortal Seedling Realm Sixth Leaf Taichu disciples simultaneously unleashed their strongest killing moves at Qin Haoxuan. If this attack struck solidly, Qin Haoxuan would be severely injured even if he did not die.

This ruthless assault finally alarmed the others imprisoned in the Nine Yin Ice Cave.

The middle-aged man sitting alone suddenly sprang up. After the two Immortal Seedling Realm Sixth Leaf experts trying to assassinate Qin Haoxuan formed their spirit incantations, he swiftly formed one as well. Yet his preparation time was far shorter than theirs. Almost the instant his incantation formed, an irresistible spiritual technique swept forth. It not only blocked the fatal attack about to strike Qin Haoxuan, but also sent the two Immortal Seedling Realm Sixth Leaf experts flying.

The two Immortal Seedling Realm Sixth Leaf experts were sent flying but were not injured. They climbed to their feet and stared at the middle-aged man in disbelief. This man was only around fifty years old and was at the Immortal Seedling Realm Tenth Leaf. Judging by the comparison between his age and strength, his aptitude was quite ordinary. He did not look like someone from one of the Four Halls.

Qin Haoxuan slowly relaxed his crouched body. Even if no one had intervened, he had long been prepared to dodge. But with this sudden development, he wanted to watch from the side and determine whether these three were putting on an act, or whether someone had truly stepped in to help him.

One of the Immortal Seedling Realm Sixth Leaf disciples attempting to assassinate Qin Haoxuan demanded, "Do you know that we are people of a Purple Seed?"

"Grudges between disciples are unavoidable, but sending people to commit murder is going too far. Besides, he looks like a new disciple who entered only a few days ago and has only just begun Rooting. The two of you, both Immortal Seedling Realm Sixth Leaf, attacked him with killing intent at the same time. Are you not afraid people will laugh at you if word gets out? As for Purple Seed disciples, so what? They are still Taichu disciples!"

Today's second update