Chapter 107: Zisang Yanqi

The golden beam of light retracted, pulling out a tiny, fragmented tooth.

Li Wanqiu knew he was doomed, yet he was seized by a chilling horror. Liu Junhuai’s strength was truly terrifying! If his spiritual sense could be considered a secret technique, then Liu Junhuai’s methods were nothing short of uncanny; it seemed as if nothing could be hidden from his eyes. And his footwork—he could vanish from the spot in the blink of an eye, leaving no chance for a proper duel. How was one supposed to fight such a person?

Liu Junhuai spoke then: "I know what you're thinking. You're wondering how to fight when you can't even catch a glimpse of me, right? Therefore, since you’ve decided to speak, don't mix in a single lie. I know exactly what you are thinking. Now, make your decision."

Before Liu Junhuai could even extend a finger, Li Wanqiu blurted out, "I know what you want to ask. Fine, I'll tell you! We came to Pingdu City for a mineral deposit belonging to the Shen family. I don't know the specifics."

Swallowing hard, Li Wanqiu continued: "I am the Young Master of the Glazed Villa, and I joined this organization called the Blood-Slaying Alliance ten years ago. Don't ask me who organized it; my rank isn't high enough to know that much. I only know that the Alliance Master in charge of the Western Regions is a woman who wears a veil; it is said that no one in the Western Regions has ever seen her true face. Under her, there are three Deputy Alliance Masters. You will see one of them after daybreak; his name is Zisang Yanqi. His public identity is the Deputy Sect Leader of the Golden Bell Dock, and he is at the early Nascent Soul stage."

"Of the other two Deputy Alliance Masters, I only know one: the Great Elder of the Sea God Palace, Mi Xiangqu, who is at the late Golden Core stage. I've heard the other is also at the early Nascent Soul stage. Beneath the three Deputy Alliance Masters are six elders—three at the late Golden Core stage and three at the mid Golden Core stage. Pamo Ji and Gonghu Changkong, whom you have seen, are two of them."

"The other two I know are the Second Elder of the Sea-Sky Pavilion, Hao Tian, who is at the late Golden Core stage, and Jin Yuling, the female Deputy Sect Leader of the Flower Red Rain, who is at the mid Golden Core stage. Perhaps only the Deputy Alliance Masters know the exact location of the Blood-Slaying Alliance. Within each sect, we operate on a strictly individual basis; even the elders do not have a comprehensive list of members."

Liu Junhuai asked, "The incidents at the Dragon Sacrifice Pool and the Shangyu Chamber of Commerce were your doing, right? What was the purpose of all this?"

Li Wanqiu nodded. "I participated in the one at the Shangyu Chamber of Commerce, but I don't know the specific reason. You would have to ask someone at the elder level for that. The Blood-Slaying Alliance is extremely mysterious and highly ambitious. We speculate privately that they intend to dominate the cultivation world, which is why they are hunting down cultivators everywhere. That is all I know. Please, do not disturb my family; they know nothing of my activities."

Liu Junhuai nodded and struck Li Wanqiu’s chest with his palm, shattering his heart meridian.

After collecting his storage ring and the items that had fallen to the ground, Liu Junhuai looked at the three members of the Shen family and said, "Stay hidden here. I will set up a small concealment barrier outside so you won't be discovered."

Shen Ao looked at Liu Junhuai with complex emotions. "Once today's events are over, please come to inform us. We will leave Pingdu City and never meet again."

Liu Junhuai did not answer, merely nodding slightly before setting up the barrier and stepping out of the shed.

In the City Lord’s mansion, the council hall was already full. The final reinforcements for the Blood-Slaying Alliance had arrived. Pamo Ji was chatting cheerfully with a square-faced old man.

This old man had thick eyebrows, sharp facial features, and a thick beard that extended down to his neck. His short hair stood stubbornly on end. A dark gray collarless robe constantly emitted an intimidating pressure, and his early Nascent Soul aura dominated the vast hall.

*So that is Zisang Yanqi,* Liu Junhuai thought.

He held a certain disdain for cultivators of this type who constantly flaunted their cultivation level, as if afraid others wouldn't know how strong they were—it was pretentious and arrogant.

Pamo Ji said, "Lord Zisang, that is the situation. If Liu Junhuai doesn't show up, fine, but the moment he appears at noon, you can deploy the troops. Keep a close eye on the sect cultivators attempting to fish in troubled waters. I will handle the rest."

Zisang Yanqi replied, "Elder Pamo, taking down a single early Golden Core cultivator shouldn't be a problem for you. The other two early Golden Core cultivators will be handled by Fu Chengyun and Shang Pin. Oh, right—Shang Pin, come here and meet Elder Pamo!"

A handsome, robust man at the early Golden Core stage strode forward and bowed deeply to Pamo Ji. "Junior Zisang Shang Pin greets Elder Pamo!"

Pamo Ji smiled. "Excellent! Young Master Zisang has also reached the Golden Core stage. Lord Zisang, you have a worthy successor!"

Zisang Yanqi added, "You know Fu Chengyun as well. Although he is also at the early Golden Core stage, his strength is formidable. Dealing with a young man will be no issue."

A young cultivator in yellow attire stood up from the crowd and cupped his hands toward Pamo Ji, who waved his hand with a smile to signal him to sit.

Zisang Yanqi continued, "The remaining mid and early Golden Core cultivators will be kept in reserve; let them stay hidden. In short, the Blood-Slaying Alliance has mobilized its entire force this time. The Alliance Master expressed dissatisfaction when I left, and the plan has been revised multiple times. There must be no mishaps in today's battle!"

Pamo Ji wiped sweat from his forehead. "I didn't expect the forces on Liu Junhuai’s side to be so strong; our intelligence was inaccurate. Fortunately, we can still compensate. Please rest assured, Lord Zisang, I will behead Liu Junhuai today."

Gonghu Changkong, who had been silent until now, added, "That boy Liu Junhuai must be eliminated. Something that could have been resolved easily has been turned upside down by him. It is time to settle the score!"

Liu Junhuai stopped listening. The enemy's general strength was confirmed; his priority now was to pass on the information.

Returning to the outskirts of Pingdu City, Wu Wanren and Xiao Qingtian were waiting. Upon hearing Liu Junhuai’s detailed account of the Blood-Slaying Alliance's combat power, Xiao Qingtian’s expression turned solemn.

The presence of a single early Nascent Soul cultivator like Zisang Yanqi had already stretched the alliance of the major sects thin. They had brought two late Golden Core cultivators, matching the Heavenly Mystery Sect, but they had one fewer mid Golden Core cultivator than the enemy and two fewer early Golden Core cultivators. This was the strongest force the sects could currently muster. Xiao Qingtian was the only early Nascent Soul cultivator; he had not expected the Blood-Slaying Alliance to have one as well.

Although the Blood-Slaying Alliance had only brought two late Golden Core cultivators this time, they had four mid-level ones. Originally, they had five early-level ones, but Li Wanqiu had been killed by Liu Junhuai.

Xiao Qingtian would be forced to engage Zisang Yanqi. Their two late Golden Core cultivators would have to face the two from the Alliance, and the situation was not optimistic. If Liu Junhuai did not join the fray, the chances of the sect alliance winning were slim.

Xiao Qingtian said, "The situation is very unfavorable for us. The appearance of Zisang Yanqi has disrupted our deployment. We are short one mid-level and two early-level Golden Core cultivators. I wonder if Junhuai has any good ideas?" His tone toward Liu Junhuai had changed.

Liu Junhuai knew exactly what he was thinking. However, with a formidable enemy at the gates, securing a victory was paramount. He saw no need to hide his strength anymore, but he had no intention of being used as a pawn. He decided to feign a bit of hesitation.

"Senior Xiao, please preserve your strength for now. I should be the one to take the lead. How about this: I will handle Pamo Ji and the two early Golden Core cultivators. You save your energy to fight Zisang Yanqi to the death. If I can kill all three of them, the strength of both sides will be equal." Liu Junhuai’s tone was remarkably sincere.

Xiao Qingtian thought to himself: *That's as good as saying nothing. Pamo Ji and those two are coming for you anyway. If you don't handle them, who will? Isn't this battle at the arena at noon specifically for you?*

But Xiao Qingtian could not object. It had been agreed upon from the start. Without the participation of the major sects, Liu Junhuai would have already avenged his grudge—why would he go through the trouble of challenging them at the arena?

Xiao Qingtian carefully chose his words. "Junhuai, Zisang Yanqi alone is tying up our two strongest cultivators. I have only just reached the Nascent Soul stage and am no match for him; I must have a late Golden Core cultivator assisting me. If your side doesn't help further, we essentially have no hope of winning. Can you have one of the Nascent Soul experts by your side help out? Any one of them is far stronger than Zisang Yanqi."

Liu Junhuai showed a trace of dissatisfaction. "Senior Xiao, we had an agreement. I am helping at the risk of being reprimanded by my sect. You are leading me into a trap!"

Xiao Qingtian looked ashamed. "This is a desperate measure. Time is too short, and other Nascent Soul experts cannot arrive in time. I have no choice but to beg you. I guarantee that if the person by your side is reprimanded by your sect, I will personally go there to explain and take the blame for you. How about that?"

Liu Junhuai was silent for a moment. "Then let us arrange it that way. The situation on the battlefield changes in an instant. If our side cannot win, I will order my people to intervene. But if my sect reprimands me later, Senior must help me resolve it."

Xiao Qingtian nodded repeatedly, and an agreement was reached.

Liu Junhuai said, "There is one more development. Li Wanqiu of the Blood-Slaying Alliance has been killed. Before he died, he confessed some inside information, though it is not comprehensive as his status was not high."

Xiao Qingtian was overjoyed. "Tell me what he knew."

Liu Junhuai recounted, "The Alliance Master of the Blood-Slaying Alliance in the Western Regions is a female cultivator; no one has seen her true face. Beneath her are three Deputy Alliance Masters and six elders!" He then detailed the names and sects of the individuals Li Wanqiu had identified.

Finally, Liu Junhuai said, "Li Wanqiu was likely telling the truth. The elders probably don't even know the exact location of the Alliance. Zisang Yanqi surely knows, but I suspect that even if we captured him, we wouldn't be able to force anything out of him. The Blood-Slaying Alliance has strict security measures; if it hadn't been for a chance encounter, Li Wanqiu would have likely committed suicide by poison."

Xiao Qingtian was stunned, as the Second Elder of the Sea-Sky Pavilion, Hao Tian, was someone with whom he had a very close relationship. He had intended to seek help from Hao Tian for this operation. Fortunately, due to a twist of fate, he had met the Deputy Sect Leader of the Sea-Sky Pavilion, Nan Pingyi, who had then led him to the Sect Leader.

Thinking of this, Xiao Qingtian broke into a cold sweat. If he had approached Hao Tian at the time, their sect alliance would likely have been wiped out by the Blood-Slaying Alliance by now.

Seeing Xiao Qingtian's pale complexion, Liu Junhuai asked a few questions. Upon hearing the reason, Liu Junhuai also felt a lingering sense of fear.