"What?!"
Inside the main hall of Tianyin Sect's peak, a roar filled with raging fury shook the entire building until it seemed to hum with the force.
A middle-aged cultivator with refined features, now twisted with anger, glared at the fragments of the Life Soul Jade Token in his hands.
He was none other than Yu Mingxi's Master, Qing Xu Zhēnrén, the Punishment Elder of Tianyin Sect.
"Xi'er… Xi'er's Life Token is shattered! And the Life Tokens of Elders Xuan Yin and Miao Yin are broken too!" Qing Xu Zhēnrén's voice trembled with disbelief and fury.
He suddenly raised his head, eyes blazing, looking at the Sect Master sitting at the head of the hall, whose expression was equally dark and calm: "Sect Master! What the hell happened?!
"They went to the Tianxing City auction, didn't they? How could they all fall at the same time?!"
Sect Master Xuan Yi Dàozūn's face was grim as well. He said in a deep voice, "Junior Brother Qing Xu, calm yourself. I've already sent people to investigate.
According to the reports, Martial Nephew Mingxi and the two Elders did encounter an unexpected incident near Tianxing City. There were traces of fierce battle, but…" He paused, his eyes heavy with both gravity and pain, "the opponent was extremely ruthless. Not only were the bodies destroyed, but every trace that could be tracked—items, marks—was either erased or taken. There's almost nothing left of value at the scene.
Also… the two Elders, Xuan Yin and Miao Yin, carried nine hundred thousand top-grade Spirit Stones allocated by the Sect for bidding on Soul Nurturing Wood… those are missing too!"
Nine hundred thousand top-grade Spirit Stones!
Even for a top-tier Sect like Tianyin, that was a staggering loss, enough to make the Sect Master wince in pain.
"Investigate! Investigate now!" Qing Xu Zhēnrén's eyes were bloodshot. He slammed his palm onto the jade table beside him. Cracks spread instantly across the hard surface of the cold jade.
"No matter who dares to kill my disciple! No matter who dares defy Tianyin Sect! I'll hunt them down, tear out their soul, refine their essence, and reduce them to ashes!"
The murderous intent almost solidified in the air.
Xuan Yi Dàozūn frowned and waved his hand to set up a calming barrier, speaking gently, "Junior Brother Qing Xu, I understand your feelings. Tianyin Sect will not let this go lightly.
But for someone to strike down Martial Nephew Mingxi and two peak Golden Core Elders in such a short time, and leave the scene so clean… they are no ordinary cultivators! Either their cultivation far surpasses theirs, or they have a massive backing, or… they possess a world-shaking treasure!
This requires careful planning and secret investigation. Don't act rashly, or we risk alerting them and falling into a trap."
Qing Xu Zhēnrén's chest heaved violently as he forced down the boiling rage. He knew the Sect Master spoke wisely.
But the grief and the magnitude of the loss made calmness almost impossible.
"Sect Master! Are we just going to let this slide?!"
"Of course not," Xuan Yi Dàozūn's eyes glinted with cold light. "Issue orders immediately. Mobilize all covert channels to secretly investigate every abnormality in Tianxing City recently, especially anyone connected to the auction. Focus on any person or faction capable of killing three peak Golden Core cultivators with such ruthlessness and mystery.
Also… the Hehuan Sect seems to have suffered losses. Perhaps we can use that…" A calculating gleam flashed in his eyes.
…
Qingxi Sect, outer disciples' area.
A figure, seemingly just returning from an ordinary outing, appeared silently at the end of the path.
She wore a plain inner disciple's blue robe, her aura restrained to just the right level. Her visible cultivation was only the ninth level of Qi Refinement.
It was none other than Xie Zhaolin, returning under a changed identity. Her expression was calm, as if she'd just finished a routine Sect task, completely unnoticed by the few passing outer disciples.
Outside the courtyard, a familiar shadow stood quietly.
Who else could it be but Mo Yan?
He had clearly sensed her return, and the moment she appeared, he lifted his head. Relief flashed briefly on his face, quickly replaced by joy and reverence he could barely hide.
Still, he respected the presence outside, so he quickly led Xie Zhaolin into the room, setting up multiple barriers and warning arrays, isolating inside from out completely.
Once finished, Mo Yan finally relaxed. He hurried forward, bowed deeply, his voice trembling with excitement and respect:
"Master! You've returned safely! Congratulations, Master, the Golden Core Primordial Path is complete!"
Even though Xie Zhaolin's cultivation appeared suppressed at ninth level Qi Refinement, he could clearly feel the strength in her restrained aura had grown at least tenfold compared to before she left. This was far beyond the Foundation stage.
He even sensed that her current power completely surpassed his. Realizing this, his respect deepened, and any lingering doubts from her absence over the past year vanished instantly.
Xie Zhaolin gave a slight nod, her expression calm as ever, unaffected by Mo Yan's congratulations.
"Hm," she said softly, her gaze sweeping over him. "I've been away over a year. How has the Sect been? Any unusual or important events?"
Mo Yan immediately focused, replying respectfully, "Master, during your absence, Qingxi Sect remained mostly calm. Disciples practiced as usual; nothing extraordinary occurred."
"However…" His eyes darkened slightly, voice serious, "about half a year ago, the inner Sect underwent some kind of significant, secret inspection."
"Oh?" Xie Zhaolin raised an eyebrow. "Explain in detail."
"Yes," Mo Yan continued, "about six months ago, the inner Sect secretly conducted a large-scale investigation, reportedly to track a traitor or spy. The operation was highly covert and widespread, even a few inner Sect Elders were questioned. But I couldn't learn the specifics or results. Afterward, the inner Sect became noticeably more guarded."
"Traitor or spy?" Xie Zhaolin's eyes flickered with thoughtful interest. This was certainly information worth noting.
"Anything else?"
"Also," Mo Yan hesitated, then added, "about three months ago, the Sect issued a long-term mission. Certain disciples skilled in alchemy, talisman-making, or combat at the Foundation stage were sent to explore and gather resources from a newly discovered secret realm. The rewards were substantial, drawing many inner and outer disciples to sign up. The realm is said to be strange, but also quite dangerous."
"A new secret realm?" Xie Zhaolin's mind stirred. Secret realms often meant opportunity, but also hidden danger. This could be a chance… though careful planning would still be required.
"One final matter," Mo Yan lowered his voice, his expression turning strange. "Elder Chou… has requested to cultivate in dual-cultivation with me."
Seeing her hesitation, he added firmly, "Not just once."
===
A new term for title has appear, 道尊 → Dàozūn. I'm not sure what this title represent for now. I will update later if there's information about it. Maybe it was for Mahayana?
Oh, and about 'dual cultivation' here—it can mean either. The story doesn't really go into detail, so it could be casual or intimate. I mean, the word 'dual' itself just means 'two,' so basically, dual cultivation is just cultivation done by two people together.