Chapter 96: Failed Ambush
"Not good!"
Sensing the violent surge of spiritual energy erupting from Rong Guangsheng, the Foundation Establishment cultivator was alarmed. His opponent had somehow broken free from the illusion without him noticing and seized the brief moment of his distraction to launch a ferocious attack.
"Boom!"
Unleashing his full power, Rong Guangsheng tore apart everything within a hundred-meter radius. Caught off guard, the Foundation Establishment cultivator suffered severe injuries on the spot.
Without hesitation, he turned to flee. The fact that Rong Guangsheng had been assigned as the protector of a true disciple candidate meant that he was among the elite of his rank.
Fortunately, the Foundation Establishment cultivator was also from a major overseas Nascent Soul sect. Had it been an ordinary rogue cultivator at the same stage, that previous strike would have killed him instantly.
"You think you can escape?!"
Rong Guangsheng's eyes burned with killing intent. His short sword spirit treasure emitted a piercing hum. Being unknowingly trapped in an illusion was an utter humiliation, especially while he was on duty as a protector. At this moment, he had no idea what had happened to the disciple he was supposed to safeguard.
But he knew one thing: he had to eliminate the enemy in front of him.
"Jingling—"
Just as he was about to unleash a second deadly attack, a crisp bell sound rang out. The moment Rong Guangsheng heard it, his attack faltered slightly. However, he had already anticipated another attempt to trap him in an illusion and wasn't so easily ensnared again.
Even so, his brief hesitation gave the enemy the opportunity to escape. In a flash, the enemy vanished from sight.
"Damn it!!"
Seeing his target escape, Rong Guangsheng roared in fury.
However, he didn't give chase. His priority now was to find the sect disciple he was supposed to protect. At the same time, he took out a communication talisman to alert the sect—someone was targeting the sect's true disciple candidates. This was no minor matter and had to be taken seriously.
"Huh? This place…"
Soon, Rong Guangsheng arrived at the battlefield where Gu Mo and his companions had fought the assassins. Though the traces had been wiped away, Gu Mo's cleanup was still somewhat crude. With his extensive experience, Rong Guangsheng quickly noticed several clues.
"A Qi Refinement Great Perfection cultivator and several late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators… but they all seem to have become fertilizer here. Did those three kids take them down?" Rong Guangsheng murmured, doubtful.
Taking down a Qi Refinement Great Perfection cultivator and multiple late-stage Qi Refinement enemies was no small feat. It was practically impossible for three cultivators who hadn't even reached late-stage Qi Refinement. Yet, there were no signs of other presences here.
"Did they use some kind of life-saving trump card?" That seemed to be the only logical explanation.
Just then, Rong Guangsheng's communication jade talisman received a response from the sect—Yuan Nia's life lamp was intact.
"Whew…"
Confirming that his charge was safe, Rong Guangsheng let out a long sigh of relief. However, he had completely lost track of Gu Mo and the others. Finding them would take considerable time, and he could only hope that no more accidents would occur in the meantime.
---
"Squad 13 failed their mission?"
In a market town, He Shaogang was resting when he received a message through his communication jade talisman. His brows furrowed slightly.
A total of twenty squads had been deployed to assassinate the Qinglu Sect's true disciple candidates. Each squad was led by a Foundation Establishment cultivator, supported by a Qi Refinement Great Perfection cultivator and several late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators.
Of course, that was only the basic setup. He Shaogang's overseas sect had invested heavily in this rare opportunity to weaken Qinglu Sect.
Aside from the twenty squads, several independent Foundation Establishment cultivators were on standby. If any of the top nine true disciple candidates were discovered, these additional forces would immediately mobilize for support.
Even Foundation Establishment cultivators weren't the limit—since Qinglu Sect had stationed a Golden Core elder for this trial, He Shaogang's sect had naturally sent a Golden Core cultivator of their own.
Moreover, this Golden Core cultivator carried a treasure talisman crafted by their sect's Nascent Soul ancestor, enough to deter Qinglu Sect's Golden Core expert from interfering.
The plan was sound, yet the first report He Shaogang received was of a failed mission. What a disappointment.
Glancing at his hidden sect protector nearby, He Shaogang retrieved his communication talisman and requested details on Squad 13's failure. A Qi Refinement Great Perfection cultivator leading a group of late-stage Qi Refinement assassins should not have failed.
The target's strength was worth investigating.
Could it be one of the top nine true disciple candidates? Perhaps the second or third-ranked Foundation Establishment disciple? These two weren't his highest-priority targets, but they were next in line after Yuan Nia.
"One man and two women, all at the Qi Refinement stage. Not Foundation Establishment. Squad 13's leader was severely injured, and the rest of the squad was annihilated."
Reading the incoming reports, He Shaogang's eyes narrowed.
The targets weren't Foundation Establishment cultivators, yet they had wiped out a squad led by a Qi Refinement Great Perfection assassin?
"Could it be… her?"
A thought struck him—could Squad 13 have encountered Yuan Nia?
Her master, the Qinglu Sect's Law Enforcement Hall Elder, was infamous for her overwhelming combat prowess. As her disciple, Yuan Nia's combat ability was undoubtedly exceptional. If she had used some life-saving trump cards, it was plausible that Squad 13 had failed.
"Focus all surveillance on those three."
Although he wasn't certain, He Shaogang issued the order anyway. His instincts told him that those three were highly likely to be Yuan Nia's group.
"Master He!"
Just then, Yao Shifeng hurried over.
"How's the investigation?" He Shaogang asked as he put away his communication talisman.
While he oversaw the assassination operations remotely, he left the tactical decisions to the squads. His main focus was completing the true disciple trial.
Becoming a true disciple and rising to the Qinglu Sect's upper ranks was his ultimate goal. Only from within could he hasten the sect's downfall.
In fact, he even planned to stage a fake assassination attempt on himself. Since so many disciples were being targeted, how could the number-one ranked true disciple candidate escape unscathed?
"We've roughly located the mission targets." Yao Shifeng nodded and reported his findings.
"Well done."
He Shaogang grew increasingly satisfied with Yao Shifeng's capabilities. Once this trial was over, he planned to fully recruit him into his faction. Talented individuals belonged in important positions.
---
Qinglu Sect.
"Sect Master, many disciples have been ambushed. Should we halt the true disciple trial?" a Golden Core elder asked, frowning at the latest reports.
"Why stop?" another Golden Core elder scoffed. "If someone dares to target our sect's disciples, we'll kill them in return. Only by slaughtering them until they're paralyzed with fear will we deter future threats."
His eyes burned with rage as he looked over the list of injured and deceased disciples.
Did these outsiders think Qinglu Sect had grown weak? If they didn't retaliate decisively, such incidents would only increase in the future.
Even if it meant losing more promising inner disciples, the sect's reputation was at stake. A weak response now would lead to greater losses in the long run.
The other Golden Core elders nodded in agreement. Qinglu Sect might be the weakest of the major Nascent Soul sects, but that only meant they had to be more ruthless. If they didn't show their willingness to fight to the death, they would be targeted even more.
"But what if this is a trap to lure us out?" the first Golden Core elder cautioned.
As long as they remained inside the sect's protective formation, even Nascent Soul cultivators couldn't touch them. But if they left, they might be ambushed.
If Qinglu Sect had Nascent Soul cultivators of their own, they could counterattack. But right now, they had none.
"Then let me go."
The previously silent Law Enforcement Hall Elder, Zhuo Suzhu, stood up. With her strength, she could hold her own against a Nascent Soul cultivator for at least a few exchanges.
"No!"
Gao Yunrui refused outright. Given Zhuo Suzhu's current condition, she could no longer engage in high-intensity combat. Otherwise, the heart fire within her body would become uncontrollable, and she would completely lose her mind.
In a way, Zhuo Suzhu was now Qinglu Sect's trump card—their last resort, meant to perish alongside the enemy. Unless absolutely necessary, Gao Yunrui would never let her take action.
However, the fact remained that the sect's elite disciples were being ambushed. Fortunately, there were no Golden Core cultivators among the attackers; the strongest were only at the Foundation Establishment stage.
It seemed that the enemy did not want their identity exposed. After all, Golden Core cultivators were too conspicuous—deploying multiple at once would make their intentions obvious.
The Nascent Soul sects from the Outer Sea were not yet ready to reveal their ambitions to seize Qinglu Sect. Doing so would alarm the local Nascent Soul sects.
Besides, Foundation Establishment cultivators were more than enough to slaughter Qinglu Sect's disciples, most of whom were only at the Qi Refining stage. As for the few Foundation Establishment disciples, the enemy could simply send cultivators of the same rank to deal with them.
Since both sides belonged to Nascent Soul sects, the power disparity wouldn't be too great.
"Send a few more deacons to provide support." In the end, Gao Yunrui made the decision to contain the conflict at the Foundation Establishment level.
If the enemy escalated to Golden Core combatants, Qinglu Sect would have no choice but to respond in kind. As for the disciples participating in the True Inheritor Trial, they would have to endure this brutal test.
Gao Yunrui and the present Golden Core elders had faced far greater dangers in their youth. Back then, their sect had a Nascent Soul ancestor, yet there were no guardians assigned to them during their trials—they had fought their way through every hardship on their own.
This time, to ensure safety, Gao Yunrui had assigned guardians to the trial participants—a precaution that was proving invaluable.
With these guardians holding off enemy Foundation Establishment cultivators, the disciples only needed to face Qi Refining opponents. If one wished to stand out as the chosen inheritor, they had to prove themselves invincible among their peers.
Otherwise, even if they became a True Inheritor and obtained the sect's precious Golden Core resources, their chances of reaching the Golden Core stage would still be slim.
"How interesting."
He Shaogang quickly caught wind of Qinglu Sect's response, and it aligned perfectly with his sect's plans.
His sect had never intended to deploy Golden Core cultivators. The Golden Core expert they had sent was merely there to intercept Qinglu Sect's Golden Core cultivator.
Since both sides had tacitly agreed to avoid using Golden Core-level combat power, that arrangement suited He Shaogang just fine.
---
Meanwhile, after eliminating their attackers, Gu Mo and his two companions followed the jade slip's guidance to their mission location—a remote town on the border of a mortal kingdom.
The town was long devoid of life. All that remained were scattered bones. The flesh and souls of the mortals had been devoured by an evil cultivator, becoming fuel for his sinister cultivation method.
The horrifying sight darkened the trio's expressions. Anger stirred within them at the evil cultivator's actions. Slaughtering mortals to cultivate forbidden techniques was a grave taboo among cultivators.
"Let's see if we can find any clues about that evil cultivator." Taking a deep breath to calm his fury, Gu Mo began searching the town.
As expected, they found nothing. Gu Mo had anticipated this—the evil cultivator wouldn't be so easy to track down. Otherwise, the sect wouldn't have failed multiple times to capture him.
While they searched, a pair of eyes observed them from the shadows.
Yuan Niya and Chu Feifei remained unaware, but Gu Mo sensed the presence immediately. This was the advantage of possessing divine sense.
On the surface, Gu Mo's cultivation appeared to be at the Qi Refining stage. If he were at the Foundation Establishment stage, the observer would have kept a greater distance—staying beyond the detection range of a Foundation Establishment cultivator's divine sense.
But since Gu Mo was supposedly still in Qi Refining, the observer assumed a closer vantage point—one that fell entirely within Gu Mo's perception.
Just as Gu Mo was troubled by the lack of leads, an opportunity presented itself. Without hesitation, he flashed forward and captured the spy.
"Who are you people?! I'm a disciple of Qinglu Sect!" The captive cried out in alarm, shocked that he had been detected from such a distance.
"You're just a servant disciple. What are you doing here?" Yuan Niya asked curiously upon seeing the captured man in a Qinglu Sect servant disciple's robe.
"I took a sect mission to gather intelligence on the evil cultivator! If you harm me and the sect finds out, you won't escape punishment!" The servant disciple scrutinized the trio, but their disguises prevented him from recognizing them.
"We're here to handle this matter. Tell us everything you know." Yuan Niya's eyes lit up upon hearing that he had been gathering intelligence—this was the breakthrough they needed.
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