The Mantis Stalks the Cicada

Shen Yu's arrival naturally attracted a lot of attention, and Dong Fuzhu was no exception.

Heaven knows that when she happily greeted her senior sister, only to be met with that face that clearly didn't look like a good person, she felt depressed.

But Shen Yu seemed oblivious to her displeasure and even came forward to greet her.

"I had the pleasure of meeting you just a few days ago, and I never expected that we would meet again today. I'm afraid I'll be troubling you all for the next few days."

He put on such a convincing act that even Dong Fuzhu couldn't find a single fault with him.

The other cultivators, unaware of the background, were also more enthusiastic towards Sang Ying because Shen Yu had brought him back. This made Dong Fuzhu so angry that her face turned red!

While Shen Yu was being questioned by her fellow disciples, Dong Fuzhu quietly pulled Sang Ying aside.

Only after making sure no one was eavesdropping did she dare to ask, "Senior Sister, why did you bring that person back? Have you forgotten that he's a disciple of the Seven Emotions Pavilion!"

Sang Ying seemed oblivious to her junior sister's worry, and even offered a few words of explanation for Shen Yu: "He encountered Demon Beast rampage and was injured. Now he's separated from his sect. I've already run into trouble, I can't just abandon him, can I? We're both cultivators from the Immortal Spirit Realm, we should help each other!"

Sang Ying's words were filled with righteous indignation, as if her Ten Thousand Daos Born and the Mara Gate had never had any enmity.

Hearing this, Dong Fuzhu felt depressed and couldn't help but ask her, "Mutual help and support? Tell me, how can he help us? What can he do for us?"

Don't think she couldn't see it. The moment they met, that male cultivator from the Seven Emotions Pavilion had his eyes glued to his senior sister. It was obvious he had some ulterior motive.

What a coincidence! He bumped into Sang Ying just a few days ago, got separated from his sect a few days later, and was then rescued by Sang Ying.

Even Dong Fuzhu, a girl who wasn't particularly perceptive about matters of love, vaguely sensed something was amiss.

Not wanting her senior sister to be deceived, Dong Fuzhu stared intently at Sang Ying, demanding a convincing reason from her.

Feeling somewhat helpless under her gaze, Sang Ying began to feel a little resigned.

Realizing that the girl in front of her wouldn't let her off easily without giving a reason, Sang Ying could only sigh and say, "I can't go into the details with you. I can only tell you that this Fellow Shen Yu might teach the Mara Gate a lesson!"

As soon as these words were uttered, Dong Fuzhu's eyes lit up immediately.

In short, when the two sisters returned, Shen Yu clearly noticed that although Dong Fuzhu still disliked him, her attitude towards him seemed less resistant than before.

Surprised, he brought up the matter with Sang Ying.

Sang Ying quickly replied, "My junior sister is a gentle and kind person. I told her about your difficulties, and she naturally felt pity for you and couldn't bear to be harsh with you anymore."

Shen Yu turned to look at Dong Fuzhu, who was skinning Demon Beast. Watching her swift and efficient movements as she chopped bones, he pursed his lips and said, "Is Fellow Daoist Dong gentle and kind?"

Sang Ying nodded. "Is something wrong?"

He forced a smile, as if convincing himself to accept the fact. "It's nothing, Fellow Daoist Sang is right."

In this way, Shen Yu successfully infiltrated Sang Ying's group. Apart from being targeted by Dong Fuzhu from time to time, having her abdominal injury refused treatment by Sang Ying under various pretexts, and only being able to eat Grain Avoidance Pill and not be able to taste the meat of Demon Beast, she seemed to have completely gained the trust of Sang Ying and the others.

Unfortunately, every time he tried to get closer to Sang Ying, he was interrupted by Dong Fuzhu. So even though he had successfully misled many people about his relationship with Sang Ying, he still could not get any closer to her.

Fortunately, the opportunity soon arrived.

Two days after he infiltrated the group, Sang Ying once again led everyone out to hunt Demon Beast.

Over the past few days, Shen Yu had already figured out their pattern of action. Usually, Sang Ying would lead the elite disciples of the three sects out, while the weaker disciples would stay in the cave. Occasionally, they would be led out by the main force to participate in battles, and Shen Yu would also guide their cultivation.

However, after witnessing the strength of these three sect disciples, Shen Yu couldn't help but feel wary.

He was well aware that if he continued to let the other side go unchecked, given Sang Ying and the others' capabilities, the already severely damaged Mara Gate would likely be overwhelmed by them.

Recalling the instructions given to him by the Holy Maiden of the Mara Gate when he arrived, Shen Yu watched Sang Ying's departing figure and silently clenched the communication talisman in his hand.

White Water-Clover Island Small World deep within the dense forest.

Su Fuyun watched the flashing light on the communication talisman and felt a surge of joy.

Before she could even think, she turned around and went to find Chi Yan, who was meditating.

"The disciple from the Seven Emotions Pavilion has sent word that Ten Thousand Daos Born and the elite disciples from the three sects of the Buddha Sound Temple have left. This is the perfect opportunity for us to make our move!" Su Fuyun's voice was filled with excitement, as if he could no longer contain himself and was about to attack the people left behind in the cave.

After listening, Chi Yan simply let out a breath of stale air. Since he recovered from his injury, although his strength had increased considerably compared to before, for some reason, he always felt that the flow of Spiritual Qi in his body was somewhat blocked.

What was initially a minor sensation has become increasingly pronounced in recent days, severely impacting him.

But Chi Yan dared not reveal this matter, after all, his only value to the sect leader was his formidable strength.

If even this is lost, he fears he might follow in his friend's footsteps.

Suppressing her unease, Chi Yan turned to Su Fuyun: "Are those Seven Emotions Pavilion disciples reliable? Holy Maiden, you'd better be careful, lest you drag us all into danger like you did a few days ago!"

Chi Yan's tone was extremely impolite, causing Su Fuyun's expression to change immediately. Yet, she couldn't refute him, because Chi Yan was telling the truth!

It was just bad luck for her; she ran into a baby Demon Beast as soon as she entered the small world.

Su Fuyun was so engrossed in practicing the Fortune-Stealing Technique that she didn't have much knowledge about Demon Beast, and subconsciously raised her hand to deal with the cub.

Unexpectedly, the cub belonged to a pack of gregarious Demon Beast who were extremely protective of their offspring.

The little Demon Beast died, and its elders immediately received the news.

The group, now stained with the cubs' blood, immediately became the targets of the Demon Beast's attacks.

Moreover, it wasn't just the Mara Gate people; even the Beast Taming Sect and the Seven Emotions Pavilion who were traveling with them suffered misfortune.

After everyone escaped, many of the weaker disciples had already been declared dead by the small world and sent out of White Duckweed Island.

No one will die within the small world—this is probably some comforting news for Su Fuyun.

After this incident, the Mara Gate's previously favorable situation was shattered. The Seven Emotions Pavilion, which suffered heavy losses, was no match for the extraordinary strength of the Beast Taming Sect, and had no choice but to find another way.

After discussing it, they sent Shen Yu to Su Fuyun, who was eager to make a name for himself and cover up his mistakes.

Thus, a conspiracy specifically targeting Ten Thousand Daos Born was born.

Seeing that Chi Yan seemed quite dismissive of his plan, Su Fuyun couldn't help but feel a little frustrated. "I did make some mistakes before, but this opportunity is rare. I heard that Ten Thousand Daos Born has joined forces with the Buddha Sound Temple and the Taotie Gate this time. Given our current situation, how long do you think it will take them to surpass us?"

Chi Yan's eyes darkened; he too felt troubled by the alliance of these three sects.

Seeing his expression, Su Fuyun knew she was close to success. She continued, "Now that the elite disciples of the three sects are not here, once we drive the beast herd to them and publicly shoot the calves of the Primordial Azure Ox, will those low-level cultivators still have a chance to survive?"

She'll reduce Sang Ying 'Sang Ying manpower and destroy her current base. Then, she'll gradually send Sang Ying and her people out of the small world!

In this way, her previous mistake can be negated.

Su Fuyun's plan was brilliant, and after a moment's thought, Chi Yan also thought it was feasible.

After discussing it, the two refined the plan once again.

Just as Su Fuyun, with a satisfied smile, was about to arrange for people to take action, Chi Yan spoke again.

His tone was somber, carrying a strong sense of threat. "Holy Maiden, remember this is your last chance. If this fails, you'd better reconsider your standing in the sect leader's eyes!"

Su Fuyun's eyes were somber, but her tone was extremely gentle. "I naturally understand that, and I certainly won't let you down."

After saying that, she immediately turned and left.

Her gaze returned to the cave, and after quietly sending the message, Shen Yu was filled with unease.

He helped the remaining cultivators tidy up the Taotie Gate's kitchen waste while absentmindedly listening to everyone's idle chatter.

Suddenly, he was nudged by the person next to him, which brought him back to his senses.

"What's wrong?" Shen Yu asked, trying to hide her unease.

The cultivator chuckled, "I wanted to ask how your injuries were, and if you needed some medicine, but I called you several times and you didn't respond."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I..." Before he could even come up with a reason, all his thoughts were taken away by the violent tremors beneath his feet.

The terrifying tremors grew more and more violent with each strike. A cultivator beside Shen Yu asked in surprise, "Which fellow Daoist used that? What powerful Cultivation Method did they employ?"

Shen Yu did not answer; his throat was dry, and an answer gradually surfaced in his mind.

"Moo!" A series of roars came from afar, sounding like the mournful cry of some High Antiquity behemoth.

Amidst the bewildered and panicked expressions of the crowd, Shen Yu quietly revealed a smile.

Mara Gate's plan has begun!

A note from the author:

Sorry everyone, there will only be one update today.

Queque spent the whole day getting her computer repaired, but it broke down again halfway through writing something when she got back. She probably really needs a new computer now. (Queque crying JPG)

I'll definitely make it up to everyone tomorrow. Thank you all for your support, love you all!