Free Web NovelChapter 389: Chapter 347: Searching for the Traitor
One hour later, Wang Yu, gasping for breath, controlled the Wuqu Puppet to throw a specific, broad-limbed living corpse onto the ground.
Perhaps he was getting closer to the Foundation Establishment Treasure Land, and thanks to the celestial-human connection, his luck was rather good. He cautiously moved forward, and soon discovered several living corpses hidden in the shadow of a large stone.
All of these living corpses were at the Qi Cultivation level. Wang Yu deftly controlled the Wuqu Puppet to strike decisively, sending them thoroughly into the embrace of death.
With no time for internal struggle, he selected one that was exceptionally broad-limbed, frowned tightly, and with a flash of his dagger, began the gruesome task of dissection and removal of bones, extracting all the internal organs.
During the dissection process, a torrent of Corpse Evil Qi surged out, but it was evaded by the Spirit Pill he held under his tongue. He had come for Foundation Establishment, and the Yunshan Sect naturally supported him fully. All the materials he brought were the best, including this detoxifying and obstacle-preventing elixir, which was crafted by Guh Niqiang’s hand.
After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, this living corpse had become a massive skin shell. Biting his teeth tightly, Wang Yu swallowed another pill and ducked into the skin shell.
Using the Death Qi and Corpse Evil to conceal his own human aura—this was the only method Wang Yu could think of!
The flesh and blood of the living corpse contained corpse poison, and the residual Corpse Evil was also a fierce threat to cultivators. Merely relying on the defensive armor and elixir on his body could not fully prevent it, but now there was no other option. To reach the Foundation Establishment Treasure Land alive, he HAD to try.
With the manipulation technique of the puppetry art, Wang Yu wrapped himself in the living corpse skin shell and slowly stood up. He cautiously took a few steps forward, shaved off excess fat, and then re-stitched it to fit more closely to his body for better maneuverability.
The stench and slippery touch mixed with oozing slime almost made Wang Yu faint, but he gritted his teeth and determinedly stumbled forward.
Meanwhile, in Lingsha City, Lu Qian emerged from the small building with a heavy expression. Jiang Baitao was resting inside to heal, with Jiang Qingfeng alongside her, not leaving her side for a moment.
Baitao, when initially saved by Wu Yan—or rather, the Primordial Pearl Spirit—was ice-cold all over, devoid of color in her face, with a narrow wound on her neck that almost severed her throat. Lu Qian was fearful, while Jiang Qingfeng was so anxious and full of fiery panic that he nearly fainted.
Brought back by the Primordial Pearl also was another unexpected person, Xiao Tianci. His injuries were even more severe than Baitao’s—not only pierced in the right chest by a longsword but also seemingly having fallen from a height, with dozens of broken bones and several branches inserted into his body.
If not for the timely arrival of the Primordial Pearl, combined with the Supreme Primordial Spirit Sea-Suppressing Profound Skill cultivated by Wu Yan, involving the secret technique of nurturing spirit water and healing wounds, Baitao and Xiao Tianci would have already departed to the Nine Netherworld.
Rushing to gather cultivators skilled in medicine, coupled with spirit pills to heal wounds and miraculous medicines to nurture vitality, Lu Qian also used a higher level of Profound Skill to soothe their wounds and mobilize the spiritual mechanism, working tirelessly overnight to pull both Baitao and Xiao Tianci back from the brink of death. Now, they have fallen into deep sleep.
Just as he exited the building, he saw Li Da and Wang Ruoyu waiting outside, eyes red.
"Sect Leader, is Junior Martial Uncle alright?" Normally very polite, Li Da rushed forward, even forgetting to salute. Wang Ruoyu clasped his hands until his knuckles turned white, looking at Lu Qian with a gaze full of hope.
"They are out of danger now; we just need to rest for a period, and they’ll recover." Lu Qian’s words allowed them to breathe a huge sigh of relief. "Come with me, I have something to ask."
In the council hall, Lu Qian listened to the detailed account of their experience and supplement from the surviving cultivators from Qingli Mountain rearguard. He reviewed the entire incident, as the scene unfolded like a painting in his mind.
Upon hearing that a brave young girl used death as a threat, forcing Hee Yangchen to release them, Lu Qian felt both pride and heartache.
My Taotao, you’ve truly grown up.
After everything had been recounted, Li Da exclaimed angrily, "Sect Leader, the enemy’s objective is very clear—they are targeting Junior Martial Uncle Jiang. Thus it appears—"
"Information leak; there’s a mole within the sect." Lu Qian’s face turned grim, and he immediately commanded, "Issue an order, seal Lingsha City, activate the Grand Array, no one is to leave the city without my permission!"
For years, both sides have been acquainted with each other’s personnel affairs during their confrontation with the Xuanguang Sect. In the Xuanguang Sect, the information from the Yunshan Sect and Shuangye Alliance was all gathered under Hee Yangchen’s full responsibility.
Fear that as soon as Jiang Baitao left Lingsha City, the information had already been leaked, which is why Hee Yangchen, skilled in hiding Dao Patterns and adept at stealth and espionage, led two Foundation Establishment Honored Guests and a batch of elite disciples and scouts from the Xuanguang Sect to lay down a tight net in the contested area, waiting for Baitao’s group to fall into the trap and expose themselves.
That’s why their response was even faster than our side, which acted quickly upon receiving the distress signal.
If not for the Primordial Pearl exceeding Golden Core escape speed, Baitao wouldn’t have escaped calamity!
Lu Qian shut his eyes briefly, his mind lit up like flashes of lightning.
Over the years, since Yunshan Sect and Shuangye Alliance accelerated their expansion, apart from cultivating their own Spirit Seed, several loose cultivators were recruited at the talent convention and arena competition held in Shuangye Square, very likely the spies from Xuanguang Sect took advantage of these opportunities to infiltrate Lingsha City.
This spy or spies perfectly blend as Yunshan Disciples, so undoubtedly it’s possible that other spies lurk within the other three factions of Shuangye Alliance.
Every Elder and Steward in the Yunshan Sect has corresponding task release permissions; these tasks are compiled and dynamically announced by Internal Affairs Elder Jiang Qingfeng and Internal Affairs Steward.
The practical task release work, like registering task information, recording recipients, verifying completion status, is handled by several inner sect disciples of high rank. These individuals are veterans of the Yunshan Sect, whose backgrounds are entirely clean and reliable.
No matter what, we have to start from them, scrutinizing all suspicious individuals.
Thinking about this, Lu Qian loudly ordered, "Notify all Elders, Stewards, summon the high-ranking Shuangye Alliance members for an urgent meeting!"
It’s essential to eliminate all the spies cleanly!
Walking toward the comprehensive area of Lingsha City, about to enter the council hall of Shuangye Alliance, Lu Qian again encountered Wu Yan rushing in.
A look of helplessness and grievance on Wu Yan’s face as she approached, the Primordial Pearl Spirit’s voice sounded slightly angry, "Good grief, Lu Qian, I did such a big favor for you, and this is how you treat me? You just leave all these dead bodies inside me unattended?"
Lu Qian promptly took Wu Yan inside a quiet room, said many flattering words, and with Wu Yan chiming in, the Primordial Pearl Spirit snorted and ignored him, then a mist expelled, leaving over a dozen corpses dumped out, all piled up in this quiet room.
At the top stood the deceased, unseeing Hee Yangchen.
Lu Qian looked at his body, and past scenes flashed in his mind, a strong sense of unreality surfaced.
They once had close cooperation times, Hee Yangchen had repeatedly intervened and pled on his behalf. After turning against each other, aside from Master Fengfeng, he was the most dreaded adversary within Xuanguang Sect, now merely a corpse.
Undeniably, Hee Yangchen left an indelible mark on the development path of Yunshan Sect.
Lu Qian felt a pang in his heart, retrieved Hee Yangchen’s storage pouch, fumbled inside for a moment, and took out a Thousand-Mile Mirror.
He flipped his palm again, withdrew another one from his own storage pouch. These Thousand-Mile Mirrors, for four and a half years, hadn’t lit up once.
Filled with mixed emotions, standing quietly for a moment, Lu Qian sighed slowly.
Twelve days later, at 35,000 miles beyond, within the Corpse Prison Forbidden Land.
With a face blanched and purplish, Wang Yu clung to the stone wall with his remaining left arm, cautiously peeking his head from behind a giant boulder.
He could sense that his Foundation Establishment Treasure Land was just ahead.
