Raise a sword!

Danhuo Peak.

Jiang Peng was sitting in the elder's room, reviewing the various affairs of the Moon Pill Hall.

Since taking over the Pill Hall, Jiang Peng's approach of delegating authority has proven effective; it has been shown that the Pill Hall can function well whether or not he, as an elder, is present.

However, as she watched, Jiang Peng suddenly realized something and quickly summoned Steward Wang.

As Deacon Wang entered the room and was about to bow, he felt a spiritual energy pulling his body back.

"You should have said so earlier, no need to be so polite. We've known each other for a long time," Jiang Peng said casually, then unfolded a document and tapped it lightly a few times with his finger.

"Why has the sect purchased such a large quantity of Rejuvenation Pill materials this month? Is there some rumor that the price of these materials is going to rise, so the sect is stockpiling them in advance?"

Jiang Peng had witnessed the merchants' methods when he was in the market. Back then, the Li family, an ordinary Foundation Establishment family, was able to monopolize the pills and spiritual materials in the entire market to a considerable extent, thereby obtaining huge profits.

After taking over the affairs of the Pill Hall, Jiang Peng often saw unusual fluctuations in the prices of the supplies purchased by the sect.

Many of these are manipulated behind the scenes by those large trading companies.

Therefore, Jiang Peng was just asking as usual.

But Deacon Wang's answer was beyond his expectations.

"It was requested by higher-ups. The disciples of the main peak brought the sect leader's order, but the elders were in seclusion on Biwu Peak a few days ago, so I had my colleagues in charge of procurement act as they saw fit."

Jiang Peng went into seclusion to change the formula for the Purple Cloud Pill, and specifically instructed that he should not be disturbed.

After hearing Deacon Wang's explanation, Jiang Peng's heart sank.

He looked up at Deacon Wang, only to find that Deacon Wang also had a mysterious and enigmatic expression.

"Ha, you figured it out too, didn't you?" Jiang Peng couldn't help but chuckle.

Deacon Wang appeared calm and composed.

"Having been in the Pill Hall for a long time, I've witnessed similar situations in other sects before, and I know what happens afterward."

Those who can gain a foothold in the Pill Hall and firmly grasp a certain amount of power are certainly not fools.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Peng quickly calculated the days and said, "The beast tide hasn't been brought forward, has it?"

"When a sect wants to incite a beast tide, it always does so openly. Those useless families who don't want to fight will naturally know when to leave. Those who want to take a gamble will be rewarded by the sect if they achieve some merit."

"Moreover, clearing out the number of demonic beasts on the northern slope is good for everyone. Outsiders might just say that the Cangshan Sect is not benevolent enough, and even those small families who are willing to fight to the death feel the same way."

Jiang Peng nodded gently.

"Okay, you can go ahead and get busy."

"I shall take my leave."

Watching Deacon Wang leave, Jiang Peng couldn't help but feel restless.

"It seems the sects are about to wage a major war, but looking at the northern foothills, who could be the target? It can't be the other two sects, can it? They've only fought on and off for hundreds of years without ever truly breaking ties."

The three sects on the northern slopes had their own internal grudges, but they always shared a common hatred against external enemies.

After all, only the three sects can secure their position in the northern foothills. If any one of them is missing, it might attract the covetous eyes of outsiders.

Jiang Peng quickly thought of the State of Chen.

His eyes lit up slightly.

"The Li family is currently in Chen State. If the sect really intends to take action against Chen State, the Li family will definitely be implicated..."

Although he didn't know what the higher-ups were thinking, since the sect had the confidence to start a war, Jiang Peng didn't mind taking advantage of the chaos to see if he could get his hands on the Foundation Establishment chapter of the "Golden Flame Technique".

"I need to find out more details," Jiang Peng thought to himself.

As evening fell, Jiang Peng left Danhuo Peak, preparing to return to Biwu Peak to rest.

While walking on the road, someone suddenly blocked my way.

The visitor was none other than Elder Zhou from Fufeng.

Jiang Peng was somewhat surprised, but still immediately greeted him.

"It's Senior Brother Zhou from Fufeng. Greetings, Senior Brother."

"Junior brother, there's no need for such formalities." After returning the greeting, Elder Zhou said directly, "There's a small matter that I've thought about and decided to inform you of."

"What is it?"

"Regarding my disciple Lan Yingying," Elder Zhou said with a worried expression, "I never expected that just because I saw her firm resolve to pursue the Dao, I suggested she go out and gain experience, but I didn't expect her to encounter this kind of trouble."

"What is it?" Jiang Peng asked quickly.

"A few days ago, one of the sect's spiritual fields in the mountains was attacked, and Lan Yingying was one of the disciples guarding that spiritual field."

Jiang Peng's heart tightened.

"How is she?"

"The soul lamp is still lit, but it's a little dim, it must have been injured... but it's still alive."

...

The western side of the Drumming Mountains.

In the dense forest.

Two figures were hiding in a cave.

The cave was cold and dark, but they made no attempt to light a fire, fearing that too much noise would attract their pursuers.

However, the two had been fleeing for their lives for several days, and were injured. Their medicines had long been used up, and their spiritual energy was almost depleted. As a result, even this slight chill made them shiver.

Lan Yingying tore off a sleeve from her dress and tied it simply to the wound on her arm, which barely managed to stop the bleeding.

Then he took out another talisman and barely managed to activate it with his spiritual power.

A moment later, she smiled bitterly and said, "The tracking talisman has disappeared again. In the two hours we've been hiding in a different place, another fellow disciple has fallen victim to the treacherous cultivators."

A moment later, she smiled bitterly and said, "The tracking talisman has disappeared again. In the two hours we've been hiding in a different place, another fellow disciple has fallen victim to the treacherous cultivators."

Opposite Lan Yingying was Chu Qiushui, Fu Feng's senior sister, who had only recently been accepted as a true disciple by Elder Zhou and possessed the cultivation of the seventh level of Qi Refining.

Upon hearing Lan Yingying's words, Chu Qiushui couldn't help but complain, "Why hasn't the sect sent reinforcements yet? It's been so many days!"

Lan Yingying remained silent.

Seeing this, Chu Qiushui didn't say anything more.

In fact, the sect's support had already arrived, and even forced the enemy's hidden Foundation Establishment cultivators to show themselves, elevating the nature of this attack to a higher level.

But no one expected that the other side had more than one Foundation Establishment cultivator hidden in secret.

Even after the other party revealed their cultivation level, they still harbored the intention to kill them all.

Now, the Cangshan Sect disciples guarding that spirit field have scattered and fled, and the sect is unable to take care of them all for the time being.

"I suspect there's a traitor within the sect," Chu Qiushui sighed. "The spirit fields we're guarding are in a very secluded location, protected by array formations. How could those cultivators possibly enter without alerting the formations?"

"If they hadn't come so quietly, we wouldn't have been defeated so quickly."

Lan Yingying nodded gently, just about to say something.

Suddenly, she realized something and quickly took out a talisman.

But then the talisman spontaneously combusted.

Upon seeing this, Lan Yingying and Chu Qiushui's expressions changed drastically.

This is a simple talisman that all disciples of Fufeng can refine; its function is merely to provide some early warning.

When the talisman spontaneously combusts, it means that the enemy has triggered the warning measures they left behind and is not far from their hiding place.

"Hurry up!"

Without hesitation, the two turned and fled.

But they had only just stepped out of the cave when a sinister voice came from behind them.

"Hehe, I knew someone was hiding nearby. I tricked them out with a little trickery."