Chapter 21 - Adversity of the Sect (2/2)

Lonemoon: “…”

Holy shit! I don’t want to play with this pair of dumb wits!

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Yi Qing was indeed professional. Within 20 minutes, even including the time he took to fetch the ingredients, he had whipped up a sumptuous meal with a whole table full of different types of dishes. Every dish smelled and tasted as great as it looked, and Lonemoon suddenly understood why Shen Ying said that his food was pig’s feed. As a Sword Cultivator, where did he even learn how to cook?

Lonemoon originally wanted to be thick-skinned and get a free meal to try out the dishes. However, he still did not manage to try; Xi Qiu had suddenly rushed over. At first he thought that he was representing the sect to congratulate Yi Qing’s successful Nascent Soul Formation, but Xi Qiu bowed towards him with a solemn face as he said, “Uncle-Master, something bad has happened!”

“What’s the matter, what’s the hurry?” Xi Qiu had been the sect master for 200 years. This was Lonemoon’s first time seeing him wearing such a grave expression as well as the first time he had even come in person to invite him over.

“I can’t explain it clearly. Let me bring Uncle-Master to Elixir Peak and you will understand!” His expression was grave as he turned around to look at Yi Qing and cupped his fists before continuing, “Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Yi Qing for successfully completing your Nascent Soul Formation. Since this matter is pretty serious, Perfected Yi, you come along as well! With so much happening recently, Perfected Yi’s Nascent Soul Formation ceremony will have to be pushed back.”

Yi Qing nodded. He was also considered to be under the Blackheaven Sect so when something happened, he certainly should go and take a look. Hence, after bidding goodbye to Shen Ying, he followed Xi Qiu and flew towards the floating peak filled with the scents of elixirs towards the right.

The three of them flew directly towards the back of the house at the top of the peak. Yi Qing could sense that there was something strange with air in the hall even before landing; he paused as his brows furrowed. “There is Yin Qi here that belongs to a Fiendish Cultivator!”

“Perfected Yi is indeed sharp!” Xi Qiu pushed open the door in front with great force. “A Fiendish Cultivator did indeed come by.”

Yi Qing and Lonemoon looked inside, and their eyes widened. There was an isolated array formation inside the house, but the house interiors were splattered with blood. The glaringly red liquid was smeared across the entire room; it was on the tables, floor and walls. And there was also some unknown bloody paste-like substance stuck on them. A naked person laid right in the middle of the room who was already devoid of any signs of life. That person’s expression was extremely eerie, his eyes wide open as if he had experienced something utterly terrifying before he died. His mouth had long been turned into a bloody gash and there was no sign of his tongue. One of his hands was still stuck in a tile on the ground while the other was stiffened probably because he used all his might to struggle before his death. His lower torso had completely disappeared, leaving only half of a corpse.

“This is…” Yi Qing’s brows furrowed deeper. Such a cruel deed could only have been committed by a Fiendish Cultivator. The soul within the corpse was also absent; either the primordial spirit had escaped or the soul was already completely destroyed.

“He is the hall master of Elixir Peak, Perfected Yu Ding.” A voice echoed from within the house; it was one of the hall masters who had arrived earlier on. All ten of the Blackheaven Sect’s hall masters had arrived and were checking on the situation inside the house. “I don’t know which Fiendish Cultivator actually resorted to such cruel means.”

“Someone who dares to break into Blackheaven Sect and even silently kill a Nascent Soul Perfected One cannot be someone to be ignored, and must have at least reached the Nascent Soul stage.” Xi Qiu added.

“Not only that, this person might actually be very familiar with the happenings within our sect.” Xi Chen fiercely said, “As a hall master of Blackheaven Sect, my life is intertwined with the sect. If i were to be harmed in the sect, it would immediately trigger the protective mountain array and trap the culprit within it. This person must have carefully selected this timing when Perfected Yi was going through his Nascent Soul Formation. The protective mountain array was resisting the aftermath of the lightning tribulation and opened up automatically. So without anyone realizing, the culprit went ahead and murdered Yu Ding.”

“Correct.” The hall master of Zhu Qi Peak nodded in agreement. “Half a month’s time is required to set up the protective mountain array a second time. It was intentional.”

“Sect Master, apart from the protective mountain array, are there any other ways to seal up the entire Blackheaven Sect?” Yi Qing suddenly asked.

“Yes there is,” Xi Qiu answered, suddenly understanding what he meant. Shocked, he looked over to him. “Perfected Yi, could you mean that…”

Yi Qing nodded. “The Yin Qi has not dissipated completely. The Fiendish Cultivator must not have left here for more than half an incense stick’s time, which also means…”

“The Fiendish Cultivator is still in Blackheaven Sect!” Lonemoon finished his sentence.

“Yes!”

Everyone’s faces changed immediately. Xi Qiu turned around and straightaway shouted to a disciple, “Quick, sound the main peak’s Che Ming Bell. Seal all of Blackheaven Sect’s exits and capture the Fiendish Cultivator!”

The disciple took off immediately after receiving his orders and within a moment, the Che Ming Bell rang throughout the entire Blackheaven Sect, shutting down all the transportation array formations.

“Perfected Yi. We heard that you have spent a great amount of time slaying fiends and defending the Dao, hence you are the most familiar with the Yin Qi of Fiendish Cultivators. Can we get you to investigate the entire sect to find that Fiendish Cultivator?” Xi Qiu pleaded in a lowered voice.

Yi Qing did not reject. He nodded and said, “It’s my responsibility!”

He released his Divine Perception and began to search for the Fiendish Cultivator’s presence.

——————

At the same time, on Yingyuan Peak.

A certain someone was focused on eating her rice when a sudden banging sound was heard. A heap of blood from an unknown source fell from above and then a figure smashed right onto her dining table, landing with an arm in her soup.

“…” Are things always introduced by dropping from the sky in this world? Thank goodness… I finished eating the dishes.

Shen Ying glanced at the bloody person on the dining table and then looking at the half-empty bowl of rice in her hand, she subconsciously proffered the bowl and asked, “Do you want some?”

The bloody person: “…”