Yang Guo: I'm invincible in the opening battle against Aunt Guo!

Inside a side hall of Chongyang Palace.

Zhao Zhijing sat in the grand master's chair at the head of the table.

His eyes gleamed with a sinister yet triumphant light.

Below, Zhen Zhibing still had ointment applied to half of his face to reduce swelling, and his lips twitched slightly as he spoke:

"Senior brother, is that 'Power-Dissolving Powder'... truly foolproof?"

"Naturally." Zhao Zhijing's lips curled into a cold smile. "This poison dissolves instantly in water, and is colorless and odorless. Not to mention those women in the ancient tomb, even someone with the cultivation level of my master and uncles would have difficulty detecting anything unusual without a special examination."

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his tone grew increasingly sinister:

"Judging by the time, from the moment I poisoned them until they fetched water to cook and drink, they would gradually feel their internal energy stagnate and their limbs become weak in the afternoon. By evening—"

A lewd glint flashed in Zhao Zhijing's eyes:

"That will be the time for us to 'demand justice' from them. By then, the people in the ancient tomb will be much weaker, and no matter how dangerous their traps or how fierce their poisonous bees, they will be nothing more than fish on a chopping board."

Upon hearing this, Zhen Zhibing felt uneasy, but also a twisted excitement rose within him.

He recalled the various rumors about the "Tomb Fairy"...

If it really could...

"However, senior brother," a disciple with jade bee stings still on his face said timidly, "if the sect leader and the other senior uncles find out about this after they come out of seclusion..."

"Shut up!" Zhao Zhijing interrupted sharply. "The sect leader and the five senior uncles have been in seclusion for at least a few days, and at most half a month. How could they come out of seclusion so quickly? By the time they come out, the matter of the ancient tomb will have already been resolved."

"Then we can simply say that the Ancient Tomb Sect secretly poisoned my disciples, and we were forced to retaliate, accidentally killing them all in the process—without any evidence, who can say no?"

He surveyed the disciples in the hall, his tone stern:

"If this succeeds, everyone will naturally get a share if there are martial arts manuals, gold, or silver treasures in the ancient tomb. But if anyone dares to leak even the slightest word..."

"No! No!" the disciples hurriedly replied.

Zhao Zhijing nodded in satisfaction and was about to give a few more instructions when suddenly hurried footsteps came from outside the hall!

"Uncle Zhao! Uncle Zhen! Something terrible has happened!"

A young Taoist priest stumbled into the hall, his face deathly pale.

"The Ancient Tomb Sect has stormed our mountain gate!"

"What?!"

Zhao Zhijing suddenly stood up, and the teacup shattered on the ground with a "clatter"!

"How many of them came? When did they arrive? Is there anything unusual?" he asked three questions in a row, his heart filled with doubt and uncertainty.

Logically, the people from the ancient tomb should have been poisoned and starting to feel weak by now, so why would they come knocking on our door on their own initiative?

"Six people have arrived!" the disciple gasped. "Leading them is a beautiful Daoist nun in an apricot-yellow robe, along with a woman in white, a young man in green, and three female relatives. The apricot-yellow nun raised her voice and challenged them as soon as she arrived at the mountain gate; her voice... her voice carried throughout half of Chongyang Palace!"

Zhao Zhijing and Zhen Zhibing exchanged a glance, both seeing the panic in each other's eyes.

How come they're alright?

Could it be that the Dissolving Power Powder failed to work?

"Let's go! Let's take a look!"

Zhao Zhijing forced himself to remain calm, straightened his Taoist robe, and took the lead in walking out of the hall.

Zhen Zhibing quickly followed, and the other disciples also drew their swords and followed.

However, an ominous shadow had already fallen over everyone's hearts.

……

Chongyang Palace Mountain Gate Square.

Li Mochou stood in the center of the field in an apricot-yellow Taoist robe, her sleeves fluttering even without wind.

Behind her stood Yang Guo, dressed in a splendid blue robe, and Xiaolongnu, dressed in a snow-white dress, with Granny Sun, Lu Wushuang, and Hong Lingbo standing on either side.

Yang Guo's expression was calm, but his eyes were as deep and unfathomable as a cold pool.

Li Mochou's eyes were filled with murderous intent, and the Ice Soul Silver Needle was already tucked into her sleeve.

She had never liked the Quanzhen Sect, and now that they dared to poison the water source of the ancient tomb, it had crossed her bottom line.

Even though she was no longer a disciple of the Ancient Tomb Sect, her junior sister and Yang Guo were still considered family.

The Little Dragon Goddess's expression remained aloof, but the chill in her eyes was even greater than before.

The ancient tomb is the legacy left by her master, and also the place where she grew up.

If someone wants to destroy it, that person is a mortal enemy.

Hong Lingbo lowered her head, feeling a little uneasy.

After all, this matter arose because of her design of the Jade Bee Array; if it really escalates...

She was afraid of becoming a sinner...

Although the six people stood quietly, they possessed an air of profound composure and unwavering strength.

Especially Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü, one with a deep and profound aura like the sea, and the other with a cold and aloof demeanor like ice, made the dozens of Quanzhen disciples who rushed over upon hearing the news dare not step forward rashly.

"Where is Ma Yu, the leader of the Quanzhen Sect?!"

Li Mochou let out a clear shout, her voice infused with internal energy, echoing like metal striking stone in the air above the plaza:

"Get out here!"

This blunt and unceremonious remark, addressing the sect leader by name and even using the word "get lost," immediately caused an uproar throughout the hall!

"presumptuous!"

"How dare you, you vixen, insult my sect leader!"

Several third-generation disciples shouted angrily, but none of them dared to step forward first.

They already knew that the woman was Li Mochou.

However, the Scarlet Serpent Fairy's fearsome reputation was something they dared not offend.

When Zhao Zhijing and Zhen Zhibing arrived with their men, they were met with this tense scene.

Zhao Zhijing quickly scanned the area and saw that the six people in the ancient tomb looked normal and their breathing was steady. The last bit of hope in his heart was completely extinguished.

The Dissolving Powder... really hasn't worked!

He suppressed his shock, stepped forward, and said in a deep voice:

"So you are guests from the Ancient Tomb Sect. May I ask what brings you here today? If it is to seek an explanation for the Jade Bee Formation that injured my disciple this morning, then I would like to ask, what is the justification for your sect releasing bees to harm people?"

Zhao Zhijing immediately turned the tables and seized the initiative.

Upon hearing this, Li Mochou was so angry that she laughed instead.

"Shameless Quanzhen Sect! Today, it was your disciple who coerced my disciple into leading the way, trespassing into the forbidden area of ​​the ancient tomb. Being stung by the jade bees is his own fault! Today, I've come to ask—"

She took a sudden step forward, her apricot-yellow Taoist robe billowing even without wind, exuding a chilling aura of killing intent.

"Who cast 'Power-Dissolving Powder' into the water source of my ancient tomb?!"

Upon hearing the words "Dissolving Power Powder," the expressions of several disciples behind Zhao Zhijing changed slightly.

Zhao Zhijing's heart pounded, but he forced himself to speak:

"What 'Power-Dissolving Powder'? This humble Taoist doesn't understand. Although the Ancient Tomb Sect and my Quanzhen Sect are both located in Zhongnan Mountain, we have always kept to ourselves. Young lady, you have no evidence, so don't make baseless accusations!"

"Without any evidence?" Yang Guo slowly raised his hand, holding the blue-patterned jade bottle in his palm. "Is this bottle an item of the Quanzhen Sect?"

Under the sunlight, the jade bottle's texture is clearly visible, and a faint gray powder remains at the bottom.

Zhao Zhijing's face paled, and he retorted, "There are countless jade bottles in the world, how can you be sure it's from my Quanzhen Sect? Perhaps someone has framed me!"

"A frame-up?" Li Mochou scoffed. "This Qingwen jade is a specialty of Zhongnan Mountain. Its texture and patterns are exactly the same as the jade bottle used in the alchemy room of Chongyang Palace. If you disagree, Daoist, you are welcome to bring the jade bottle from the alchemy room for comparison!"

Zhao Zhijing was speechless.

Seeing this, Zhen Zhibing quickly stepped forward and said in a deep voice:

"Even if the jade bottle is similar, it does not prove that we were the ones who poisoned it! If the Ancient Tomb Sect insists on framing us, our Quanzhen Sect will not stand idly by!"

Although his words were firm, his eyes flickered uncertainly.

This jade bottle... is the container that held the Dissolving Power Powder!

I never expected my senior brother to be so careless, failing to properly handle the evidence after poisoning the poison.

Instead, they gave others a handle to use against them.

Damn it!

However, as long as they stubbornly insist that it was not their doing, they will be safe.

It is expected that the people in the ancient tomb will be unable to do anything to him.