78: Overt strategy

"Boom!"

A Tornado Technique blew off the roof of the residence. A Cultivator at Qi Refining Perfection stood in mid-air, treading upon a Flying Sword.

Fang Huai looked at the [Blood Jade Body] on the opponent and understood that he was a member of the Ascension Society.

Treading on a Flying Sword?

These people from the Ascension Society indeed want to sow discord between the two Sects.

"Senior Brother, you and I have no grievances. Why have you come to my door to kill me!" Fang Huai shouted loudly.

The man's eyes were deep. He said nothing, summoned a spiritual sword, and charged at Fang Huai.

Sword light flickered. Although the Moves were fierce, his proficiency was clearly not high, and the power was deliberately restrained.

After fighting for several rounds, seeing several Sect patrol guards approaching, the Cultivator gave Fang Huai a meaningful look and shouted loudly:

"Myriad Manifestations Sword Art!"

At the same time, several fragments of clothing fluttered down.

Dozens of streaks of Sword Qi instantly drained the Cultivator's Spiritual Qi and surged toward Fang Huai.

Fang Huai could not dodge in time and was struck by several sword lights. Blood gushed out, and even his Storage Pouch was slashed open, scattering spirit talismans and Medicinal Pills all over the ground.

As Fang Huai fell to the ground, the Cultivator did not continue to attack him, but instead charged toward Li Sirou with his sword.

The Cultivator's eyes were ruthless, a smirk curling on his lips, vowing to kill the woman before him in a single strike.

"Bang—"

The Cultivator was surprised; a golden spiritual shield had actually appeared around the woman.

After Fang Huai's Storage Pouch broke, a defensive spirit talisman happened to float to the woman's side, and under the impact of external force, it just happened to be activated... "Damn it!"

The Cultivator cursed his luck. Seeing the patrol guards about to arrive, he no longer had time to shatter the spiritual shield and could only flee.

Just as the Cultivator left, the Sect patrol guards arrived.

Seeing that Fang Huai was seriously injured, they hurriedly fed him Spirit Medicine and injected Spiritual Qi into his body.

"It's an undercover agent from the Profound Sword Sect!" one of them said, picking up a fragment of clothing. "The Moves were all from the Profound Sword Sect, and the dropped clothing was also produced in their territory!"

"Why are these hypocrites causing trouble at this critical juncture?"

The other person said resentfully, "Can't you tell? They're attacking elite Disciples participating in the True Dragon Assembly to lower our chances of winning!"

"And by the way, they kill the Cultivators from their own Sect so we can't hand over the prisoners tomorrow, all to extort Spirit Stones from our Sect!"

Fang Huai sighed. The two patrol guards before him both had a cultivation of the Ninth Level of Qi Refining, but their minds were exceptionally simple.

Based on just a few Moves and some clothing fragments, they had already reached a final conclusion.

He sighed and asked, "Is it possible that our own Disciples are posing as the Profound Sword Sect to attack us?"

"Has Junior Brother been beaten stupid?" The patrol guard looked at him as if he were a fool. "According to Sect rules, if someone breaks into another's residence, the owner can kill them without responsibility."

"If the intruder kills the owner, the Karma Mirror can also immediately ferret them out."

"Several incidents occurred tonight; it's impossible for the Sect Disciples to have collectively gone mad, right?"

Fang Huai remained silent. It seemed these Sect Disciples did not yet know the news that the Karma Mirror had been destroyed.

It made sense; how could something that endangered the Sect's Foundation be easily spread?

"Junior Brother Fang, logically speaking, since you can participate in the True Dragon Assembly, I have no right to criticize you."

One of the Disciples spoke up: "But I'll still give you a kind reminder: while practicing the Hundred Fiends Art, you shouldn't neglect your brain. Otherwise, at the True Dragon Assembly, those Righteous Path people will surely run circles around you!"

Fang Huai said, "Senior Brother is right. Cultivation indeed requires training the brain first!"

He couldn't be bothered to argue with these two self-righteous fellows.

————

With the roof of his residence blown off, Fang Huai naturally had no heart for sleep. He found another Storage Pouch and organized the scattered items one by one.

Li Sirou was silent for a long time before she spoke: "Thank you."

"Thank me for what?" Fang Huai didn't even look up. "This place is uninhabitable, and I have to pay for the repairs. Truly rotten luck."

Li Sirou hesitated and said, "bad person, are you willing to go to the Profound Sword Sect? If you say the word, I'll beg my father when I return to have you exchanged to the Profound Sword Sect!"

Fang Huai didn't answer, just continued packing his things.

"Fang Huai, are you willing to go?"

"No. Righteous Path Sects have too many rules, unlike the Corpse Fiend Sect where you can kill whoever you want."

Go to the Profound Sword Sect?

Fang Huai wasn't stupid. Who wouldn't want a peaceful life? But that was assuming one had a life to live.

Now that his living soul was bound by the Sect and he was also constrained by the Ascension Society's Vow Fiend, how could he leave the Corpse Fiend Sect?

Furthermore, once at the Profound Sword Sect, they would surely investigate him in every way. If the secrets he carried were discovered, it would definitely be a death sentence.

Li Sirou spoke no more. After Fang Huai finished packing, he simply closed his eyes to rest.

At cockcrow, he got up and called to Li Sirou: "It's time to set off."

With the Servant Curse and Spirit Binding Curse released, Li Sirou's Aura surged.

Although her cultivation was still at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining from seven years ago, time had smoothed away her naivety, adding a touch of coldness.

Fang Huai piloted the kite with Li Sirou standing beside him. As far as the eye could see, many Corpse Fiend Sect Disciples were hurrying along, followed by Profound Sword Sect servants.

Most of these servants had withered breaths and were covered in scars, clearly having suffered countless tortures.

But now that they were about to return to their Sect, smiles still overflowed on their faces.

When the two reached the East Mountain Gate, they saw two groups of people from the Corpse Fiend Sect and the Profound Sword Sect in a standoff.

"Li Xuanzhen, don't think we don't know the disturbance last night was the work of the Profound Sword Sect!"

A Late Stage Foundation Establishment Elder from the Corpse Fiend Sect stood in mid-air, followed by over a dozen Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

[Jiang Wudao]

[Late Stage Foundation Establishment]

[Spirit Draining Fiend Body (Black)], [Two Corpses One Life (Black)]

[Spirit Draining Fiend Body: Automatically drains the Spiritual Qi and vital energy of low-level Cultivators near him.]

[Two Corpses One Life: A portion of the Divine Soul is placed within a raised Baleful Corpse; only by killing the raised Baleful Corpse together can this person be slain.]

"Jiang Wudao, your Corpse Fiend Sect is still as shameless as ever."

Li Xuanzhen was also at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, but only five Foundation Establishment Cultivators followed him. "You not only killed many prisoners from the Profound Sword Sect but also slaughtered your own Sect Disciples, just to pin the blame on the Profound Sword Sect!"

[Li Xuanzhen]

[Late Stage Foundation Establishment]

[Transforming Spirit into Aura (Black)], [Man and Sword Fusion (Black)]

[Transforming Spirit into Aura: Spiritual Qi is the strongest Protective Aura; as long as Spiritual Qi is not exhausted, the Aura will not break.]

[Man and Sword Fusion: The natal spiritual sword is nurtured within the body; when the spiritual sword emerges, it will display maximum lethality.]

"Nonsense!" Jiang Wudao waved the Myriad Soul Banner, and tens of thousands of resentful souls howled as they circled him, his Aura staggering.

He roared, "There is a image recording talisman as proof!"

His fingertips flickered, a green spirit talisman shattered, and the images stored within were revealed.

In the images, a Cultivator with a hidden face used Profound Sword Sect sword techniques to attack Corpse Fiend Sect Disciples, and when the Corpse Fiend Sect patrol arrived, he quickly fled on a Flying Sword.

"Flying on a sword and Profound Sword Sect Moves—is that not enough proof?" Jiang Wudao sneered. "Claiming to be the number one Righteous Path Sect in the State of Chen, yet using such underhanded methods and not daring to admit it. Truly a bunch of hypocrites!"

Li Xuanzhen was finally enraged. "Jiang Wudao, stop your nonsense. Do you really think the few of us fear you?"

"Form the array!"

With that, he summoned a compass-like Magical Artifact.

The Magical Artifact's spiritual light surged, instantly enveloping the people of the Profound Sword Sect and forming a solid barrier.

Seeing this, the Cultivators of the Corpse Fiend Sect also formed a formation.

Fang Huai quietly lowered the kite and slowly retreated. "It seems we didn't come at the right time."

Jiang Wudao had not summoned his Baleful Corpse, and Li Xuanzhen had not summoned his natal spiritual sword; clearly, neither wanted to fight to the death.

But just because the big figures valued their lives didn't mean they wouldn't sacrifice a few insignificant minor characters to add a bloody footnote to this standoff.