When everyone finally reached the source of the golden radiance, the sight before them took everyone's breath away.
A towering stone gate quietly stood upon the mountain wall, its entire body a primitive blue-gray, its surface covered in intricate runes. Layers of golden halos circled the stone gate, which were exactly the source of the radiance they had seen from afar.
On the platform below the stone gate, hundreds of cultivators had already gathered, talking in hushed tones in groups of three to five. The air was thick with an atmosphere of tension and excitement.
"It really is an ancient cultivator's cave dwelling!" Lin Qingyu clenched his fists in excitement. "Judging by this scale, it must be the legacy of at least a Nascent Soul powerhouse!"
Qu Chen's gaze swept over the crowd, his brow furrowing slightly. "The number of rogue cultivators here is not small, and many are at the Golden Core stage. Since the people from our sect haven't arrived yet, let's not act rashly."
Le Changxi also nodded and said in a heavy voice, "In a moment, do not rush in with them. The bird that sticks its head out gets shot. We don't have enough people right now, so let those rogue cultivators scout the way."
Although Cang Dongqing was anxious, she admitted that Le Changxi's words were reasonable. She was here to seize the opportunity, not to scout for those useless rogue cultivators. However, she was still somewhat unwilling. She felt in her soul that everything here should belong to her. Now that others had joined, the resources would surely be divided.
"Senior Brother, do we really have to wait for the barrier to dissipate on its own?" she asked softly, her fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of her robe.
Le Changxi shook his head. "Forcing a breakthrough will only lead to injury. It's better to preserve our strength."
"Judging by the current state of the barrier... it will take at least another hour before we can enter. I'm afraid the sect members won't make it in time for the first group," Qu Chen remarked with a frown. After all, when it came to seizing opportunities, it was naturally better to have the sect by one's side.
Upon hearing this, Cang Dongqing was secretly delighted. It was better if they didn't make it. If the people from the sect arrived, the opportunity might not necessarily fall into her hands. But she did not let it show, only saying with a hint of regret, "It's a pity the other senior brothers and sisters from the sect won't make it."
Lin Shuang, standing to the side, silently observed the surroundings. She noticed that many cultivators were injured, and there were several charred corpses on the ground.
She lowered her voice. "Someone tried to force their way through."
As if to confirm her words, a bare-chested man suddenly burst out from the crowd, laughing wildly as he summoned a giant axe. "I can't wait anymore! Opportunities belong to those destined for them!"
The giant axe, wrapped in violent spiritual energy, hacked toward the stone gate. Yet, the moment it touched the barrier, the golden radiance suddenly surged.
Before the man could even scream, he was swallowed by the rebounding golden light, transforming into a mist of blood that scattered away.
A commotion rippled through the crowd, and someone gasped. "That's the third one..."
"Foolishly overestimating himself," someone in the crowd mocked. "How could the cave dwelling of a Nascent Soul powerhouse be so easily breached?"
Mockery rose from all sides, but no one dared to try again. After all, that man had the strength of the mid-Golden Core stage, making him quite prominent among the rogue cultivators. Seeing him killed so easily by the golden light, no one wanted to use their life to scout the way unless they were tired of living.
As time ticked away, Li Nanzhu's group pushed through the last patch of shrubs and finally reached the ancient cultivator's cave dwelling.
They immediately spotted the five members of the Sword Heart Sect. They were currently standing at the very center of the platform, their white disciple robes particularly eye-catching. Even more striking was a green figure among the five wearing the disciple robes of the Shenmu Sect.
It was exactly the Lin Qingyu that Zhou Zichun and the others had been searching for. At this moment, Cang Dongqing was pointing at the barrier and saying something, while Lin Qingyu leaned in attentively beside her.
"It's the people from the Sword Heart Sect!" Tao Ying suddenly grabbed Zhou Zichun's sleeve.
Zhou Zichun's sword slid three inches out of its scabbard with a clang. Shen Qingqiu hurried to press down on his wrist. "Don't be impulsive. The Elder said..."
Before she could finish, Lin Xiaowan had already rushed out. "Senior Brother Lin!"
This cry caused the cultivators on the platform to look over one after another.
Lin Qingyu turned back in surprise. Once he saw who it was, a flash of joy crossed his face. "Junior Sister Xiaowan? You've come too!"
However, when he saw the four people following behind them—Li Nanzhu and her companions—his brow furrowed into a deep scowl. Since Li Nanzhu and the others were wearing their own clothes, they were naturally mistaken for rogue cultivators.
He completely failed to notice the joy that flashed across Cang Dongqing's face when Liu Qingyang appeared, or the dark expressions on the faces of the Shenmu Sect disciples.
"How could you degrade yourselves by mixing with rogue cultivators? Those who don't know better would think anyone can suck up to our Shenmu Sect," he said, looking at Zhou Zichun with dissatisfaction. "You too. Why didn't you watch over them? And where are Chu Qingyue and the others? Why aren't they with you? They didn't go back first, did they? I knew..."
Zhou Zichun's hand tightened on his sword hilt repeatedly. Ultimately, for the sake of their sect ties, he didn't draw it. But when Lin Qingyu mentioned Chu Qingyue and the others, he could no longer hold back. He strode forward and smashed a fist into Lin Qingyu's face. "You beast!"
Lin Qingyu stumbled and crashed against the rock wall, his nose bleeding profusely.
Cang Dongqing cried out and moved to help him, but Lin Xiaowan blocked her path.
Having taken a punch for no reason and being humiliated in front of the person he liked, Lin Qingyu roared out, "Zhou Zichun, have you gone mad?! Don't think I won't strike back just because you're my junior brother!"
Zhou Zichun let out a cold laugh. "Mad? Yes, I'm mad! I went mad the moment they died!"
Before Lin Qingyu could react, two more punches landed. The two instantly fell into a scuffle. The rogue cultivators nearby, noticing this, had long since quietly retreated to the side to give them enough space.
"Who died?! Make it clear!" At this point, Lin Qingyu finally reacted, using his Golden Core stage cultivation to push Zhou Zichun away.
Lin Xiaowan's eyes were bloodshot, her nails digging deep into her palms. "Senior Sister Chu is dead... Senior Brother Wang, Senior Sister Li, they're all dead! All because you ran off with this slut!"
Tao Ying also grit her teeth hard. "Do you know that Senior Sister Qi is still waiting for Senior Brother Wu to return to the sect? They were... they were supposed to become Dao companions next month!"
"What?" Lin Qingyu didn't even bother to wipe the blood, his eyes widening in horror. "Impossible! Are you joking with me?!"
Lin Qingyu looked at the others in terror, trying to find some trace of a prank. But there was none. Everyone was looking at him with pure hatred.
"Six lives! Seventeen communication talismans were sent! Three distress flares were launched!" Zhou Zichun's voice was terrifyingly hoarse. "Senior Sister Chu was waiting for you to return to support them until the moment she died!"
Lin Qingyu stumbled back, his back hitting the rock wall. "I... I really didn't receive them..."
"Are you blind?!" Zhou Zichun snatched the storage bag from his waist and went to Zhu Yinxi's side. Zhu Yinxi didn't hesitate; he directly and forcefully erased the divine sense imprint on the storage bag. The moment the divine sense imprint was wiped out, Lin Qingyu spat out a mouthful of blood.
"You... you!" Lin Qingyu looked at Zhu Yinxi in terror. He was a pill cultivator, and a Golden Core stage one at that. Even Qu Chen, who was a minor grade higher than him, might not have been able to erase his divine sense imprint so easily. Who was this rogue cultivator?
Similarly, the people from the Sword Heart Sect realized this as well. They all looked at Zhu Yinxi with uncertainty and suspicion, while Cang Dongqing's eyes sparkled with an unusual light.
Zhou Zichun ignored all this, directly dumping over a dozen communication talismans flashing with red light from the storage bag. "These communication talismans were nearly burnt through. You're telling me you didn't see them?"
The slips of paper drifted to the ground, each one repeating intermittent cries for help.
"Qingyu... under attack... return quickly..."
"Can't hold on... mercenary group wiped out..."
"Help... it's the spirit-siphoning fire ants..."
The last one transmitted Chu Qingyue's voice, as thin as silk: "Come back quickly... save them..."
"Now you're playing deaf and dumb?" Zhou Zichun stepped on the hand that tried to pick up the talismans. "What the hell were you doing this past half month? Huh?"
Lin Qingyu's gaze drifted toward Cang Dongqing nearby as he stammered, "I, I..."
Shen Qingqiu finally could not restrain the fury in her heart. She suddenly drew her sword and slashed toward Lin Qingyu's face, the sword wind stinging his cheeks. "This strike is for Senior Brother Wang!"
Clang!
Le Changxi's scabbard blocked the blow just in time, sparks flying. "Let's talk this out reasonably!"
Cang Dongqing also coughed lightly and stepped forward. "Senior brothers and sisters, the dead are gone..."
"Talk my ass!" Tao Ying, her eyes red, threw out three poison darts. "While he was following your Sword Heart Sect to get benefits, Senior Sister Chu was being eaten alive by spirit-siphoning fire ants!"
Cang Dongqing let out a small cry of alarm as the poison darts grazed her sleeve and embedded themselves into the stone wall.
Qu Chen's sword aura instantly surged, his Golden Core pressure forcing the Shenmu Sect members back three steps. Lin Xiaowan, the weakest among them, already had a trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth.
In the next second, an even more powerful Golden Core pressure pressed right back. Qu Chen's expression changed. "Who is it!"
Finally, his gaze turned to the white-robed Zhu Yinxi. Before he could say anything, Li Nanzhu spoke first.
"Why is your Sword Heart Sect getting involved in the Shenmu Sect's business? Aren't you afraid of getting struck by lightning for overextending your reach?"
Qu Chen's face was grim, but he knew the other party was right. Le Changxi's expression was equally unsightly as he watched everything, while only Lin Shuang stood to the side with a sneer.
"I told you long ago, why bring someone from the Shenmu Sect along?"
"Shut up!" Le Changxi turned back and roared. Though she was shouted at, Lin Shuang wasn't angry; she merely watched the drama with a cold smile.
"Sword Heart Sect, how dare you use your pressure to coerce us? You lured our sect disciple away from the team, causing six deaths. How should this debt be settled?"
Qu Chen frowned, shielding Cang Dongqing. "Fellow Daoist, it was Junior Brother Lin's own negligence..."
"Negligence?" Tao Ying suddenly threw a wine jug, the fragments exploding at Lin Qingyu's feet. "This is the Drunken Immortal Brew Senior Brother Wang spent three years saving spirit stones to buy! He said he would use it to celebrate your success in reaching the Golden Core stage!" She pointed at the words carved on the bottom of the jug, her fingertips trembling—Qingyu's Golden Core, drink until we drop.
Lin Qingyu finally slumped to the ground, his lips trembling, unable to speak a word.
"Now you know how to be afraid?" Zhou Zichun grabbed him by the collar. "Do you know how Senior Sister Li died? While the fire ants were gnawing on her legs, she was still using her spiritual energy to maintain the communication talisman!"
Qu Chen suddenly interjected, "This matter is indeed Junior Brother Lin's dereliction of duty, but..."
"But what?!" Shen Qingqiu's vine whip cracked against the ground. "Don't tell me you people from the Sword Heart Sect didn't know that Lin Qingyu was supposed to be protecting the other disciples! Don't say you didn't know; our Shenmu Sect initially sought the Sword Heart Sect for an escort! You said you couldn't come because you had to protect your little junior sister!"
"You clearly knew in your hearts, yet you played deaf and dumb, tacitly allowing Lin Qingyu to follow you," Tao Ying glared at them fiercely. "You people of the Sword Heart Sect are all accomplices!"
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