41: Chapter 41 Secret Conspiracy

Everyone looked where her finger was pointing and saw a line that read:

"One rootless fruit, a second-rank spiritual item, with the effects of calming the mind, settling the spirit, and purifying spiritual energy."

The Deacon Elder paused, advising with some surprise, "Junior Niece Su, have you thought this through? Although this rootless fruit is rare, its effects are singular and won't be of the greatest help to your current cultivation. That 'Mystic Light Sword' is a masterpiece among Medium Grade Magical Artifacts and could raise your combat power to another level."

"Thank you for the advice, Elder, but my mind is made up," Su Yunling replied with a slight bow and a firm tone.

She knew that in the eyes of others, her choice might seem unwise.

But only she understood what this small fruit meant to her and her Family.

It wasn't just a fruit; it was a key to a higher Realm and the hope for her Family's rise.

Seeing her persistence, the Deacon Elder stopped trying to persuade her and took out a jade box to hand to her.

Su Yunling took the jade box, feeling a faint chill from her fingertips; her heart felt more settled than ever before.

The selection matches concluded, and Su Yunling became famous in one battle, becoming a well-known inner court Genius Disciple within the Tiangang Sect.

Meanwhile, in Chen Zifan's Immortal Cave, the atmosphere was so gloomy it felt like it could drip water.

*Bang!*

A fine jade cup was violently smashed onto the ground by him, shattering into pieces.

"Su Yunling!"

He gritted his teeth as he uttered the name, his eyes full of resentment and indignation.

To lose publicly to a woman with a lower cultivation than his own was a humiliating disgrace more painful than death for someone as arrogant as him.

Not only did he lose the match and lose Face, but more importantly, he lost the chance to enter the top ten and missed out on the subsequent Five Sect Martial Competition.

Lin Feier stood to the side, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Looking at Chen Zifan's distorted Face, a chill rose in her heart as well.

"Senior Brother Chen... please calm down. That Su Yunling was just lucky, relying on having many Medicinal Pills. If it were a truly fair duel, she would definitely be no match for you," she consoled him carefully.

"Many Medicinal Pills?" Chen Zifan whipped his head around, his bloodshot eyes glaring at her. "That is also a part of strength! I lost! I lost to her in front of the entire Sect!"

The fire of jealousy in his heart burned away all his reason.

He not only envied Su Yunling's talent but was even more jealous of her endless stream of resources.

Those Medicinal Pills, those powerful talismans... how could a female cultivator from some backwater place possess such things?

The more he thought about it, the more evil thoughts grew within him.

"Since I can't touch you within the Sect... then don't blame me for using someone else's blade to kill!"

A flash of crazed ruthlessness crossed Chen Zifan's eyes.

He suddenly remembered something and took out a special communication talisman from his Storage Pouch.

This talisman was something he had obtained years ago during his travels by trading with a Disciple from the Blazing Fire Sect.

The Blazing Fire Sect was also one of the five Golden Core Sects of the Qinghe Prefecture, and it had always been on bad terms with the Tiangang Sect, with constant overt and covert struggles between them.

"You want to represent the Sect in battle openly and enjoy supreme glory? I won't let you have your way!"

A sinister smile appeared on Chen Zifan's Face.

He infused his Mental Energy into the communication talisman, and a message was sent out silently:

"Brother Qi, it's been a long time. Our two Sects have always been in competition, so I assume you've been paying close attention to the Tiangang Sect's movements. Did you know that a remarkable female Genius Disciple has recently emerged in my Sect?"

With a sinister light flickering in his eyes, he continued to etch into the talisman.

"This girl's name is Su Yunling. She has only been with the Sect for a few years, yet her cultivation has already reached the Peak of the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining; her cultivation speed can only be described as monstrous.

More importantly, her combat power far exceeds those of the same rank. In today's Sect selection, I was careless for a moment and lost to her.

The abundance of resources she possesses and her ruthless methods are by no means comparable to ordinary Disciples."

"This woman has a resilient Heart-Nature. If she is allowed to grow, she will definitely become a great threat to your noble Sect within twenty years.

This younger brother has a plan and is willing to cooperate with you, Brother Qi.

I can provide you with her movements. The next time she leaves the Sect for training will be the best time to eliminate this hidden threat..."

After the message was sent, he waited quietly.

A moment later, the communication talisman vibrated slightly, and a message filled with a bit of playfulness and suspicion came back.

"Chen Zifan? What kind of play are you acting out? Trying to trick me with some new Disciple? Besides, you're at the Late Stage of the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, and you actually lost to an eighth-layer Disciple? If word of this got out, where would your Face go? Haha!"

The other party's ridicule was like a needle, stabbing deeply into Chen Zifan's heart.

Suppressing his anger, he replied coldly, "I don't need to explain to you. You just need to know that for your Blazing Fire Sect, this is an opportunity to eliminate a future arch-enemy."

There was a moment of silence on the other end, seemingly weighing the pros and cons, before another message came: "Speak then, why are you working so hard to betray your fellow Disciple? Don't tell me it's for the 'friendship' between our two Sects."

"I have a personal grudge against her," Chen Zifan's voice was devoid of emotion. "You don't need to worry about anything else. The next time she leaves the Sect, I will notify you immediately. Whether you take action or not is up to you."

There was silence again on the other end.

After a long time, Brother Qi's voice sounded again, this time with a hint of seriousness: "Interesting. Fine, as long as what you say is true, I'll take this deal. Awaiting your news."

As the voice faded, the light of the communication talisman dimmed completely.

Chen Zifan let out a long breath of turbid air, and the frustration in his heart finally dissipated quite a bit.

What he couldn't have, he would destroy.

The next time Su Yunling stepped out of the Sect would be the day of her death.

...

Su Yunling naturally had no idea that a malicious plot against her was already being quietly woven in the shadows.

As soon as she obtained the rootless fruit, she used the communication channel between the Sect and the outside world to entrust a familiar deacon to send a letter home.

The content of the letter was simple, with only a few words saying she was doing well, her cultivation had progressed, and she was fortunate enough to receive a "spiritual fruit" as a reward from the Sect, telling her Family not to worry.

She didn't state it explicitly, but she believed her father and brother would surely understand the deep meaning behind it.

Half a month later, at the Su Family courtyard in Qingyang Town.

Su Chengyuan held the letter, his hands trembling slightly.

He read it several times, the joy on his Face plain to see.

"It's done! Chenger, your sister... she did it!"

He rushed into Su Cheng's room and spoke excitedly.

Su Cheng was meditating and opened his eyes upon hearing this.

He took the letter, and after reading it, a heartfelt smile appeared on his Face.

Two months, from nothing to something.

The hardships involved were far from what could be summarized in those few understated lines in the letter.

"Sister has worked hard," Su Cheng said softly.

"Indeed..." Su Chengyuan was filled with emotion.

"Father, there's no time to lose. Set off immediately." Su Cheng stood up, his gaze becoming sharp. "Now, it's our turn to act."

He hadn't been idle during these two months either.

Su Cheng used the remaining discarded medicinal ingredients to refine over a hundred more Medicinal Pills.

top-grade qi gathering pills, top-grade qi recovery pills, and top-grade body tempering pills were piled together, overflowing with treasure-like light and a fragrant aroma.

He took out most of them, put them into a Storage Pouch, and handed it to Su Chengyuan.

"Father, when you go to the Prefecture City this time, you have three tasks."