Chapter 21: Returning the Favor

Seven days later.

The main force of the Shenxiao Sword Sect walked straight into an ambush laid by the Seven Slaughter Sect.

Caught completely off guard,

and with the Seven Slaughter Sect having set up an Array Formation in advance — striking with intent against the unprepared — the Shenxiao Sword Sect suffered considerable losses.

Even so, under Ye Qingxuan's leadership, they ultimately managed to break free from the Seven Slaughter Sect's Array Formation.

Now the Shenxiao Sword Sect had found an open, elevated spot and was resting.

After that battle, they understood one thing clearly.

The threats they faced were not limited to the black-robed figures — the Seven Slaughter Sect and the Wuji Demon Sect were dangers as well.

A shadow hung over every heart.

Ye Qingxuan was no exception.

At this moment she sat alone in the fork of a great tree, turning things over in her mind.

Before entering the Nine Nethers Secret Realm, Ye Qingxuan had made inquiries.

In the past, those who entered the Nine Nethers Secret Realm came to seek treasures and Fortuitous Encounters.

Some formed groups; others acted alone.

When members of two rival powers crossed paths, killing and robbing only happened if one side so thoroughly outclassed the other that it could crush them without effort.

Otherwise, everyone simply went their own way.

No one wanted a mutual defeat, or to wound the enemy at the cost of crippling themselves.

Although every time the Nine Nethers Secret Realm opened many people were left behind forever, this time was entirely different.

Not only had a mysterious band of black-robed figures appeared, but even the Seven Slaughter Sect had begun to throw out the rulebook.

In that battle just now, had the Shenxiao Sword Sect's numbers been any smaller — or had she herself hesitated even a moment longer — they might have been wiped out entirely by the Seven Slaughter Sect.

What on earth was going on?

The more Ye Qingxuan thought about it, the more something felt deeply wrong.

Could it be that the four great top-tier powers were about to end years of peace and go to war?

Senior Brother Su Mubai being gravely wounded was already a sign of that.

The killers were from the Luocha Sect, but the mastermind behind it all was the Wuji Demon Sect.

And who was that ghost-masked Sword Cultivator who had wiped out the Luocha Sect?

Too many questions plagued Ye Qingxuan.

They left her with a growing sense that something enormous was about to happen.

Despite the worry gnawing at her, she dared not let a single trace of it show.

The Shenxiao Sword Sect's camp still needed her to hold things together.

If even she lost her composure, the chances of everyone making it out alive would drop even further.

Ye Qingxuan drew several deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down, and began to think about what path to take next.

Her original reason for gathering so many people had been to stand against the black-robed figures.

She had not expected the Seven Slaughter Sect to get involved as well.

A large group made a large target — easy for the Seven Slaughter Sect to run down.

In a straight fight, the Shenxiao Sword Sect feared no faction.

If the Seven Slaughter Sect hadn't set that ambush and caught them off guard earlier, who could say who would have won?

What Ye Qingxuan feared most right now was this:

if the Seven Slaughter Sect joined forces with the black-robed figures, or enlisted the Wuji Demon Sect as allies, that would be a dead end with no way out.

Splitting up would improve the odds of individuals surviving, yet it would also make them easier to pick off one by one.

The best option was to find the Qingyun Sect.

Two sects, one alliance.

That way, even if they ran into any two of the three forces — the Seven Slaughter Sect, the Wuji Demon Sect, or the black-robed figures — they could hold their ground.

But the Nine Nethers Secret Realm was vast. Where would they even begin to look for the Qingyun Sect?

Yang Fan, a fellow Core Disciple, had appeared behind Ye Qingxuan at some point without her noticing.

Gazing at the woman who occupied his every waking thought, his heart burned with longing.

Even just her silhouette from behind was enough to make him lose himself completely.

He ached to step forward, wrap his arms around her, and breathe in her presence.

Yang Fan had never planned on entering the Nine Nethers Secret Realm.

As a Core Disciple, he lacked for nothing in terms of cultivation resources, and his own talent was solid — there was no need to venture into such a dangerous place.

But the moment he learned that Ye Qingxuan would be going in, he changed his mind.

He had told himself:

if he found Ye Qingxuan the moment he entered the Nine Nethers Secret Realm, three months spent side by side might just kindle a spark between them.

And even if no spark came, at least he would leave a good impression.

So many people in the Shenxiao Sword Sect had feelings for Ye Qingxuan — a good impression alone would put him a great stride ahead of the rest.

The other Core Disciple, Zhu Jie, had thought the same thing.

So the two of them had come in together.

What neither had anticipated was just how dangerous this trip into the Nine Nethers Secret Realm would turn out to be.

Zhu Jie had even lost his life.

Yang Fan himself had been thrown into mortal danger more than once.

Still, danger had its silver lining.

As the old saying goes:

adversity reveals true feelings.

The greater the danger, the deeper the bond it forges.

Staring at Ye Qingxuan's back, Yang Fan reined in the heat stirring inside him and said softly, "Senior Sister, we should get moving — otherwise the Seven Slaughter Sect will catch up again."

"Then let's go."

Ye Qingxuan spoke and leaped down from the tree fork without a moment's pause.

From start to finish, she never once turned to look at Yang Fan.

Those who cultivated extreme-cold True Essence tended to develop a cool, aloof temperament.

Leng Hanshuang was like that. Ye Qingxuan was the same.

And yet that very quality was precisely what stirred a man's desire to conquer.

Perhaps accustomed to Ye Qingxuan's ways, Yang Fan took no offense and leaped down after her.

Not long after the Shenxiao Sword Sect's group departed, the Seven Slaughter Sect arrived.

Seeing the fire that had only just been extinguished and the scattered animal bones on the ground, Miao Kun realized the Shenxiao Sword Sect had rested here moments ago. He cursed in fury: "Fuck! They move fast!!!"

He knew he had to catch up with the Shenxiao Sword Sect as quickly as possible.

It had taken a great deal of effort to gain such a decisive advantage through a surprise ambush and a pre-arranged Array Formation.

Once the Shenxiao Sword Sect recovered and steadied their nerves for a head-on clash, the Seven Slaughter Sect would have nothing to gain.

Sword Cultivators were, by nature, the foremost offensive force in the cultivation world.

He had to strike while they were still wounded — finish them off before they could recover.

Otherwise, the outcome would be anyone's guess.

"After them!!!"

Miao Kun bellowed the order.

He took the lead, charging off in the direction the Shenxiao Sword Sect had gone.

Four hours later, evening had fallen.

Following the trail of signs the Shenxiao Sword Sect had left behind, the Seven Slaughter Sect tracked them to a forested mountainside.

The trees here grew far more densely.

Suddenly, Miao Kun at the front came to a halt.

"What's wrong, Senior Brother?" a Seven Slaughter Sect disciple asked.

"Something's off! Something's wrong here!"

"What's wrong?"

Even as the two were speaking,

a sharp cry rang out.

"Activate the formation! Avenge every fallen disciple of the Shenxiao Sword Sect!"

Over a hundred streaks of sword light burst from the dense forest on all sides.

"Ambush! Stand and fight!" Miao Kun roared in shock.

He could never have imagined it in his wildest dreams.

The Shenxiao Sword Sect had suffered a crushing defeat that very morning — and here they were, daring to spring an ambush that same evening.

They were absolutely mad.

The sword light tore into the Seven Slaughter Sect's ranks.

Caught completely off guard against the Shenxiao Sword Sect's first wave of attacks, the Seven Slaughter Sect took dozens of casualties in an instant.

At the sight of it, Miao Kun ground his teeth and snarled, "Bastards!!!"

Then he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Everyone from the Seven Slaughter Sect — charge forward, all of you! Stay where you are and you're nothing but a living target!"

The words had barely left his mouth

when a longsword drove straight for his face.

Clang!!!

Miao Kun's hand shot up and knocked the sword aside.

The sword flew back into Ye Qingxuan's hand, and she immediately launched another thrust straight at Miao Kun.

The two of them were locked in combat in an instant.

The rest of the Seven Slaughter Sect began charging into the surrounding forest.

The great battle between the two sects erupted in full.

In a single day, the Seven Slaughter Sect and the Shenxiao Sword Sect had clashed twice.

In the morning, the Shenxiao Sword Sect had been ambushed by the Seven Slaughter Sect. By evening, they had returned the favor.

One had to admit — the Shenxiao Sword Sect had played that move with remarkable flair.

The Seven Slaughter Sect had never seen it coming.

And this made one thing clear:

the leaders of both factions — Miao Kun and Ye Qingxuan — were no ordinary figures.