In a side hall somewhere within the Blood Baleful Sect.
Dim crimson candlelight illuminated more than a dozen stern faces.
Spiritual wine and blood brew sat on ebony tables, filling the air with a sickly-sweet, bloody smell.
More than a dozen inner-sect Foundation Establishment cultivators were drinking and chatting, discussing nothing beyond sect conflicts, rumors of secret realms, and the various upheavals of the cultivation world.
A burly man with a vicious-looking face took a deep swig of scarlet blood wine and sneered. "Hey, have you heard that amusing story from the Jade Water Pool?"
"That old bastard Liu Hong always put on the airs of a righteous expert, but now his own disciple, Shui Yunrou, has pierced his shoulder blade with a sword!"
"What an absolute farce!"
A gaunt Foundation Establishment cultivator immediately leaned closer and chimed in shrilly. "Exactly!"
"Liu Hong relied on the Water Origin Art to cling to life for centuries. With no hope of reaching the Purple Mansion stage and his lifespan nearly exhausted, he actually set his sights on his own disciple!"
"Shui Yunrou possesses a Soft Water Spirit Physique," a talent for cultivation rarely seen in a hundred years.
"She was supposed to be the Jade Water Pool's hope for the future."
"Who knew that old scoundrel would fail his duty as a teacher and try to seize her foundation to prolong his own life!"
Spittle flew as he continued, "Fortunately, heaven's net is vast, and nothing slips through it. Shui Yunrou noticed the signs beforehand and struck first!"
"Master and disciple fought to the death at the Jade Water Pool. They say the battle made the pool's waters flow backward. Both ended up gravely injured, and now their whereabouts are unknown!"
"A Soft Water Spirit Physique?"
Xu Xuan, who had been sitting