Journey to the head

Fei Peijue froze, stunned with fright. Two burly men strode in, grabbed him like a chick, and dragged him out the door.

Fei Peijue's expression changed drastically. He looked at Xiao Tianci and Xiang Kong, but Xiao Tianci just stared at him coldly, while Xiang Kong closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and seemed to be chanting something silently.

He finally panicked, grabbing the strongman's arm tightly with both hands and kicking his legs wildly on the ground, stubbornly holding on: "Immortal, spare me! Spare me! I don't deserve to die, I don't deserve to die!"

Wei Zhaixing flicked his finger, and a glint of starlight flashed, sealing Fei Peijue's spiritual power, causing her to collapse instantly.

Wei Zhaixing sneered, "How can you say that putting Sect Leader Lu in such a deadly situation doesn't warrant death?"

"Weren't you just all righteous and awe-inspiring, saying you'd only kill me and spare the entire Chengfeng Sect? Fine, I agree. Go forth and die a martyr."

The two strongmen had already lifted him up and dragged him out the door. Fei Peijue's face was contorted as he screamed, "Spare my life! You may offer up anything my sect has!"

"I also know many secrets of the new sects, and I know which people were originally evil cultivators. I can tell you everything!"

His voice faded into the distance.

"Spare me! I beg you, I'm willing to do anything for the Yunshan Sect!"

Just as Xiang Kong was about to speak, Wei Zhaixing chuckled and clapped his hands: "Alright, bring him back."

The prematurely aged young man was dragged back like a dead dog and thrown onto the floor, his face covered in tears and snot, his body still twitching.

Wei Zhaixing said softly, "Stop showing off your little schemes. Now, tell me exactly why you came to Qingzhou."

Fei Peijue was still in shock and dared not lie any more. She didn't even bother to catch her breath and hurriedly began to tell her story.

It turns out that he made a small fortune by exaggerating the relationship between the Chengfeng Sect and Lu Qian, and was quite pleased with himself for a time. Who knew that one of the sect's disciples had a big mouth and accidentally revealed the truth, exposing his boasting.

The sects in Ningzhou that had previously maintained a good relationship with the Yunshan Sect naturally changed their attitude. Although Ningzhou was governed by strict laws under the rule of Wuliang Xuanjun, and the Chengfeng Sect was not directly suppressed, it was still universally hated and avoided.

Fei Peijue was very depressed and spent a period of time feeling stifled. Unexpectedly, the opportunity to establish his foundation arrived at this time. He followed the opportunity to the desolate Qingzhou and completed his foundation establishment on an unclaimed spiritual vein.

This discovery greatly surprised him, and he immediately decided to move the entire sect to Qingzhou, seize the spiritual veins, and reopen the mountain gate!

Fei Peijue, who had already established her foundation, united seventy or eighty disciples of the Unification Sect and then gathered a group of rogue cultivators. In the extremely empty and chaotic Qingzhou, they actually became a force and occupied a third-level mid-grade spiritual vein that they never dared to dream of before!
"So, when you entered Qingzhou, you had already planned how you would deal with the Yunshan Sect?"

Wei Zhaixing's sudden question made Fei Peijue's hand tremble, and she quickly lowered her head.

"This...how is this possible? I was forced to enter Qingzhou, and I have been living in constant fear and trepidation, thinking about how to atone for my sins..."

"Trembling with fear and trepidation?" Wei Zhaixing laughed. "...Tian Yuanzi's resting place, the place where Tian Yuanzi and his wife climbed mountains to enjoy the scenery, the place where Tian Yuanzi fought fiercely, the place where Wuliang Xuanjun and Tian Yuanzi discussed metaphysics and Taoism...Developing tourist attractions and selling tickets, is this what you call 'trembling with fear and trepidation'?"

Fei Peijue's eyes widened suddenly.

"If Xinghu County weren't adjacent to Ningzhou, we wouldn't have heard of such a strange tale." Wei Zhaixing's voice suddenly turned cold again. "Fei Peijue, you're not bad-minded, and you're quite cunning; you're a talent. But you don't understand that you can't play mind games with just anyone!"

"If you have any more thoughts, I advise you to keep them well hidden and not let anyone find out. Otherwise... your life or death, and that of your Chengfeng Sect, will be decided in an instant!"

In that instant, Fei Peijue felt a sudden thud in his heart, followed by an extremely cold and chilling sensation. The sliver of starlight that Wei Zhaixing had just injected into his body was now pressed against his heart like a dagger.

He was so terrified that he stopped breathing, feeling that if his chest rose and fell even slightly, the starlight would pierce his heart!

The power imbalance was like that between a firefly and the sun; even her most prized schemes were easily seen through. Fei Peijue's defenses crumbled, and she knelt down.

"Please spare my life so that I may serve the Yunshan Sect from now on."

Wei Zhaixing smiled and said, "It is a blessing that a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator can serve Yunshan. Many people would rather die than have such a thing! I see that you have some talent, which is why I am promoting you. You are a smart person, so don't make a mistake. Get up first."

……

Having received the mission and financial assistance from the Yunshan Sect, Fei Peijue took her leave with trepidation.

As he had envisioned, the Yunshan Sect pardoned his past framing of Lu Qian, and the initial screening determined that the Chengfeng Sect met the criteria for establishing a sect. Offering a thousand pieces of gold for a bone would surely incite the various sects of Qingzhou to take action.

"He's just a Foundation Establishment cultivator, not very useful. Is it worth going to such lengths?" Xiao Tianci asked, puzzled.

Wei Zhaixing smiled and said, "This person has dual spiritual roots, which shows his talent. His cunning is even more commendable. Yunshan has many people who are open and aboveboard, but lack those who are skilled in intrigue. He has the potential in this area."

"Keeping him in Qingzhou will be useful for controlling the state. If not, we can just consider it a minor strategic move; it won't take much effort anyway."

Xiang Kong sighed, "Making the best use of everything and everyone's talents, how wonderful!"

In the days that followed, sects flocked to Liangyi Mountain to visit and request registration and initial screening. Other tasks were also being carried out in an orderly manner, and the situation in Qingzhou visibly calmed down.

Another busy day. When the moon was high in the sky, Wei Zhaixing instructed that today's registration was over, and that any sects that had not yet completed their registrations should come back tomorrow.

Bathed in moonlight, he was walking into the courtyard with Xiao Tianci and Xiang Kong. Just as they were about to rest, he suddenly felt a jolt in his arms, and the Thousand-Mile Mirror shone brightly.

An urgent message came from the Qingzhou network of the Intelligence Department!
"Urgent! Three Nascent Soul cultivators have launched an attack on Quyang County. Bottomless Daoist and Ye Xiao are leading their troops to resist. We urgently need reinforcements!"

All three were shocked. Quyang County had been suddenly attacked, and by three Nascent Soul cultivators!

Before they could react, the disciple who delivered the message was stunned again. He received new intelligence and hurriedly shouted, "Golden Core cultivators are causing trouble in various parts of Qingzhou, ganging up with rogue cultivators to attack nearby sects! The initial estimate is more than ten!"

"The identities of these Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators are unverifiable; they are suspected to be rogue cultivators!"

Xiao Tianci placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and Mo Hong vibrated with a buzzing sound. He suddenly remembered the bloody disaster that Wei Zhaixing had foretold, and then heard Wei Zhaixing decisively shout, "Please ask Senior Xiang Kong to rush to support Qu Yang, and also ask the nearby Nascent Soul sects to send Nascent Soul cultivators to rescue us!"

"Other members of the Qingzhou Sect Alliance are suspended from their missions. They are to guard their territory, immediately suppress the rioters, and execute anyone who joins the rebellion. Those who defect in battle will be rewarded, and those who surrender will be spared punishment!"

"Notify the entire Qingzhou region that rioters are currently causing chaos. All sects that have not yet completed the registration process must remain at their mountain gates and are not allowed to leave. Otherwise, they will be considered spies!" "Notify True Person Ding Shu to immediately activate the defensive array. Disciples of the Ciji Sect must conduct a thorough search of Liangyi Mountain and be wary of enemy infiltration."

"Send a message to Biluo Peak, informing Sect Leader Wang Yu and requesting assistance."

As orders were issued, Xiao Tianci anxiously asked, "Aren't we going to support Quyang?"

Wei Zhaixing frowned: "Something's fishy. I suspect the enemy is using a pincer movement to ambush reinforcements, perhaps even planning an ambush on the way. But we have to save Quyang County. Senior Xiang Kong's cultivation is extraordinary; if he goes alone and encounters danger, he can still escape. Taking us along will only be a burden. Please be careful, Senior!"

Knowing there would be danger, Xiang Kong nodded without hesitation: "I will be careful!" Without saying more, he leaped up and charged towards Quyang County on the golden light.

Xiao Tianci gripped the ink rainbow tightly, unwilling to give up, when he heard Wei Zhaixing continue, "The enemy came prepared and intends to completely disrupt Qingzhou! We are staying at Liangyi Mountain, where there is a large defensive formation, so our safety is not a concern for the time being."

"If we all perish in Qingzhou, there will likely be an even greater chain reaction. Fuzhen will become a laughing stock, and the grudges with the local sects will be hard to resolve. How will our sect control Qingzhou in the future? This is exactly what the enemy aims for!"

Xiao Tianci nodded. Wei Zhaixing issued an order, and chaos broke out on Liangyi Mountain. Ding Shu Zhenren immediately took action, first activating the Yuan Shen-level mountain-protecting array that had been repaired with the help of Taiyi Paradise. Its powerful pressure at this moment brought peace of mind.

Xiao Tianci asked in a deep voice, "Who is the enemy? Is it really a rogue cultivator?"

Wei Zhaixing shook his head: "What a joke. Golden Core cultivators are already rare, and Nascent Soul cultivators are even rarer. How could they possibly act collectively to attack Qingzhou? There must be someone behind this. They are afraid of Qingzhou's order not to conquer, so they have gathered a group of experts from somewhere."

“These people only recently infiltrated Qingzhou; they were nowhere to be seen before.”

"Of course, regardless of their actual identities, their traceable identities must be those of rogue cultivators! Otherwise, how could they escape the pursuit of Taiyi Paradise?"

Xiao Tianci's expression was serious. What kind of sect could spend hundreds or thousands of years secretly raising and controlling a group of Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators, and then expending that time on such a riot mission?

The Primordial Spirit Sect is no longer possible, so could it actually be the Void Refining Sect?
Yes, I'll send you to that hidden grotto-heaven within the ancestral vein, which may one day be born!
"Could the enemy also have rogue cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage?"

Wei Zhaixing shook his head: "Impossible. A primordial spirit can control one or several states. The implications are too great and the scope too wide. Even a Void Refining Sect cannot cultivate a primordial spirit rogue cultivator without leaving a trace. If a primordial spirit is really used, their identity will definitely be traced back!"

His voice was clear and full of confidence: "Not only the primordial spirit, but even the nascent soul cannot exceed the number of a palm strike! Otherwise, they would definitely give themselves away."

"Therefore, in terms of overall strength, we are fully capable of quelling the riots. What we need to do now is to remain calm, coordinate from the center, and defeat the enemy one by one. It doesn't matter if we suffer greater losses."

"If we lose our composure and try to put out fires everywhere, the enemy will seize the opportunity to defeat us one by one, and then we will be truly finished."

After Wei Zhaixing finished speaking, he flicked his sleeves, sat down in the courtyard, closed his eyes to rest, and waited for news.

Xiao Tianci took a deep breath, unable to sit down, so he looked into the distance and saw a golden elixir light coming from the mountains. That must be the True Man Ding Shu.

Just as Xiao Tianci took a step forward, Wei Zhaixing suddenly opened her eyes, and a flash of starlight passed by!

He flicked his finger, and a ball of starlight adhered to Xiao Tianci. With a slight tremor, Xiao Tianci's eyes widened in shock.

A dreamlike, ethereal light flashed, and Xiao Tianci drew his longsword, stabbing it towards a shadowy area beneath the lamppost beside him.

An ordinary thrust, but the moment it struck the shadow, it erupted with a torrent of fire, wind, and thunder. A wild, explosive, and unparalleled power shot out from the tip of the sword, and with a deafening roar, the entire courtyard collapsed instantly!

But the shadow suddenly exploded, spreading like a swamp across the ground, entangling Xiao Tianci and Wei Zhaixing, only to miss its target.

The two had already jumped up. Wei Zhaixing held the shimmering green tortoise shell in his hand and released his spiritual energy. As the tortoise shell burned, fine patterns spread across it. With a slight movement of his fingers, the starlight on Xiao Tianci's collar vibrated gently, indicating that he had received the next instruction.

While still in mid-air, Xiao Tianci had already turned around, his sword moving with his will. A violent sword cry resounded throughout the mountain peak, and a perfect sword circle was instantly drawn, the sword light spreading out like a fan.

Just then, the shadow in front of them rose into the air, and the shadows of the jumbled stones behind them, under the moonlight, converged like a tide, swallowing them up.

It was as if he had deliberately run into Xiao Tianci's "Mountain Slash" technique.

However, Wei Zhaixing's expression changed. He waved his sleeve, and the radiance of the Starry Sky Robe enveloped himself and Xiao Tianci.

The wave-like shadows coalesced into a sphere and swallowed it up, but Xiao Tianci's explosive sword circle actually passed directly through the shadows without causing any impact!

Before the arrival of Master Ding Shu, the shadow engulfed Wei Zhaixing and Xiao Tianci, then instantly melted back into the ground, disappearing into the shadows left by the rubble and bricks scattered on the ground.

Master Ding Shu was stunned. He had no idea what had happened, nor could he see where the man-eating shadow had hidden.

When the two junior brothers were called over, they were both dumbfounded.

Although the three of them had improved their cultivation by a small level with the help of the innate spiritual pills bestowed upon them by the Taiyi Paradise, they could expect to reach the Golden Core stage once the poison from the pills wore off and they took more.

However, their aptitude was poor, and because the Magnetism Sect was destroyed, countless fellow disciples were cruelly killed by the demon race in front of them, and they were powerless to do anything but flee. Their inner demons were very strong, and they felt that they could not overcome the Nascent Soul Tribulation.

Therefore, he had long since calmed down and focused solely on training disciples and rebuilding the sect. Today, with this sudden turn of events, even with the top-grade magic weapons, talismans, and spiritual treasures bestowed by the Taiyi Paradise, he simply cannot find the enemy.

More importantly, how did the enemy get in when a large formation had already been set up?
Master Ding Shu felt a chill run through his body and shouted, "Quickly inform the Yunshan Sect and all the Nascent Soul sects in Qingzhou, and ask them to come to our aid immediately!"

Xiao Tianci and Wei Zhaixing were standing back to back in a pitch-black world, with only their spiritual energy illuminating a small area.

A female cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage stood in the shadows, her features not clearly visible.

“Senior, we have no grudge against each other, why is it like this?” Wei Zhaixing shouted. “If it’s for a reward, as long as you release us, Yunshan will give you three times the reward as compensation!”

"Moreover, he promised not to pursue the matter further. Sect Leader Lu is a man of integrity and keeps his word! We are complete strangers, why should we fight to the death?"

The female cultivator sneered coldly: "Don't try to scare me with Lu Qian. He's too far away to help you. A life-or-death struggle? Are you even worthy?"

She paused for a moment: "My Daoist name is Shadow Fusion, and this is my innate divine power that I am certain to strike: Shadow Prison."

"Alright, now that we know each other, you can all go die." (End of Chapter)