Chapter 438: Dongxuan Academy

“Reporting to the Seventh Elder.

It has been confirmed that Shen Yifeng has left the city with Su Jingzhen and the others, including Dantai Xuening.

Their destination is Dan Holy City, the Dantai Clan’s ruins!

At present, the main sect’s attention is also focused on the Dantai Clan’s ruins. It seems they don’t intend to concern themselves too much with the Linjiang Branch.

After all, our initial target was only Dantai Xuening. Now that they’ve learned this information, even if they go against the Elder Council’s decision, it’s unlikely they will hand over Dantai Xuening to cooperate with the main sect.

What should be our next move?”

In a hidden courtyard within Linjiang City, a man dressed in black reported to Xiong Wensheng, the Seventh Elder of the Evil Moon Sect.

Xiong Wensheng’s expression was rather grim.

“It’s now certain. That old fox Shen Yifeng wants to help Luo Yuebai, defying the will of everyone in the Elder Council.

He aims to groom Luo Yuebai to become the next sect master.

But even the Grand Elder is unwilling to see this outcome.

The Saintess has always been destined to assist the Holy Son—this has been an unchanging rule in our Evil Moon Sect for countless years.

To change that would mean bloodshed.

Since we’re already here, we must do something.”

Xiong Wensheng and his group held considerable power and influence within the main sect of the Evil Moon Sect. Having spent several days in Linjiang City, gathering information was naturally not an issue for them.

They were well aware of the unusual relationship between Luo Yuebai and Su Jingzhen.

In the eyes of some extremists, Luo Yuebai had betrayed the Holy Son Zou Zeyu.

Thus, in the hearts of the Seventh Elder and his followers, Luo Yuebai was no longer pure and had even become a traitor to the Evil Moon Sect.

As a result, much of the reverence they once held for her had naturally dissipated.

After a moment of silence, Xiong Wensheng continued, “The Six Heavenly Generals under the Second Elder should still be in Linjiang City.

Reach out to them. Even if we can’t openly move against Luo Yuebai, taking control of their Dan Hall should be feasible.

Many forces from Yunmeng City have chosen to cooperate with the Linjiang Branch. This is something we can’t change.

However, the alchemists of the Dan Hall are the most crucial arm of the Linjiang Branch.

Once it’s severed, gaining any advantage in the competition with the Holy Son will be impossible!”

“By the way, when taking action, make sure not to reveal your identities.

Leave no evidence behind. After all, Shen Yifeng is a notorious madman.

If any evidence is left that proves your identity, and you get killed by him, the Elder Council might not be able to avenge you.”

Xiong Wensheng’s tone was quite serious as he spoke these words.

On the surface, the competition between the Holy Son and the Saintess was supposed to be fair and just!

Aside from the Second Elder and Shen Yifeng, no other Nascent Soul cultivators from the Evil Moon Sect were permitted to interfere.

Otherwise, it would be a violation of the sect’s doctrine!

Just like Wind and Yin under the Second Elder’s command, who were directly killed by Shen Yifeng.

Although they reported the incident to the main sect, Xiong Wensheng knew that the most that would come of it was a verbal reprimand.

It wouldn’t cause any real damage to Shen Yifeng.

“Understood!”

The black-clad figures behind him immediately took their orders and dispersed.

…

Su Jingzhen was aware that after they departed there would inevitably be some restless individuals who would stir up trouble in the shadows.

But right now, he couldn’t afford to worry about that.

He could only trust that Luo Yuebai would handle it well.

At this moment, the white-feathered eagle they were riding had already flown several hundred miles away from Linjiang City.

The former Dan Holy City, which was the place of the Dantai Clan, lay thousands of miles away from Linjiang City.

Even with the speed of the white-feathered eagle, it would likely take a full day to reach it.

Along the way, they passed through several smaller cities.

Each of these cities had many cultivators either flying on their magical artifacts or riding spirit beasts.

And all of them were heading in the same direction.

“It seems that the appearance of the Dantai Clan’s ruins this time has attracted even more attention than we anticipated.

Not only the top-tier factions but even these smaller city forces want to get a piece of the action,” Su Jingzhen remarked with a faint smile, glancing at a nearby spirit beast flying alongside them.

Ye Zhiqiu responded, “Ever since the Evil Moon Sect retreated from public view, there haven’t been any major events in the Qingzhou region.

During the last alchemist gathering hosted in Yunmeng City, most factions couldn’t participate.

Now that the Dantai ruins have emerged, the prospect of exploring such relics always excites people.

After all, there’s no cost involved.

In the cultivation world, anyone who has achieved a certain level of cultivation tends to think of themselves as the favored of the heavens, believing they have extraordinary luck and that entering a ruin would grant them supreme treasures.”

Ye Zhiqiu’s tone was filled with emotion as her gaze lingered on Shen Yifeng and Xuening.

She understood that these two were the key to the Dantai ruins expedition.

“When we arrive at the ruins, it’s best if you all stay close to me.

Against ordinary Soul Formation stage opponents, I can protect you, but in this event, there may be no shortage of Soul Formation stage cultivators and perhaps even stronger Divine Intent Realm experts,” Shen Yifeng suddenly said.

However, just as his words fell, Su Jingzhen and the others had yet to respond when the spirit beast that had been flying alongside them suddenly accelerated, veering closer.

Su Jingzhen and the others tensed up.

He glanced at the scene below. They were now above a desolate mountain range, a place where the spiritual energy was so low that there were likely very few, if any, demonic beasts.

There was also no chance of encountering other cultivators here.

This made it a perfect place for robbery and murder.

“What does this mean? Are we being targeted before we even reach the ruins?” Su Jingzhen muttered to himself as the spirit beast swooped ahead of them, blocking their path.

“Skree!”

The white-feathered eagle let out another cry, circling in the air before stopping as well.

Their path was now obstructed by a Divine Wind Eagle, a second-tier demonic beast with strength comparable to a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator.

The Divine Wind Eagle’s eyes were blood-red, staring at their white-feathered eagle with a challenging gaze.

Standing on the back of the Divine Wind Eagle was a group of about ten people.

At the front stood two elderly men with gray hair, while behind them were eight younger individuals, all dressed in luxurious robes.

There were both men and women among them, but each had an air of arrogance.

At first, Su Jingzhen assumed they were from one of the small factions near Linjiang City.

But upon seeing their appearances more clearly, he quickly revised his opinion. Searᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

These people likely had a significant background.

Shen Yifeng, however, remained calm, his expression neutral as he observed this group. His hands were still clasped behind his back, and there was a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Su Jingzhen, on the other hand, stepped forward with a smile on his face. “You’ve blocked our path. May I ask what business you have with us?”

Hearing Su Jingzhen’s words, the two elderly men looked at them coldly but stepped aside, making way.

“You youngsters, hurry it up. Within several hundred miles of this place, it’s nothing but a barren backwater of Qingzhou. No exceptional talents will come from here.

If you’re itching for a fight, wait until we reach the Dantai Clan’s ruins. All the young geniuses of Qingzhou will surely gather there.

I really don’t understand why you’d bother stopping a small faction like this.”

The two elderly men suddenly addressed the eight young people behind them, their tone laced with disdain toward Su Jingzhen’s group, while also urging them forward.

Upon hearing this, Su Jingzhen and the others were momentarily stunned.

These people were actually from outside the province.

And it seemed they had blocked their path merely out of a desire to test the abilities of Qingzhou’s so-called geniuses?

“They sure know how to pick their targets if they want to test Qingzhou’s talents,” Su Jingzhen thought to himself.

Although the two elders concealed their auras, Shen Yifeng remained as calm as ever.

This assured Su Jingzhen that his master was likely unperturbed by these two elders in the slightest.

If Shen Yifeng showed no concern, it meant everything was under control.

They had just left Linjiang City and already encountered such an incident. It was a clear sign that the journey ahead, especially at the Dantai Clan ruins, would be anything but dull.

However, Su Jingzhen soon realized he had underestimated the situation.

As soon as the two elders finished speaking, a young man in white robes, fanning himself with a folding fan, suddenly stepped to the front of the Divine Wind Eagle.

This young man exuded an extraordinary aura, clearly a distinguished figure.

His gaze was fixed solely on Xuening, ignoring everyone else.

“I am Cang Yun of Dongxuan Academy in Huangzhou. May I have the honor of knowing your name, young lady? Would you care to join us and travel together as friends?”

His eyes, when looking at Xuening, were clear and full of genuine admiration.

As for Su Jingzhen, who stood at the forefront, Cang Yun didn’t spare him a single glance.

Su Jingzhen was taken aback.

No wonder the Divine Wind Eagle had been flying alongside their white-feathered eagle for so long—they had been watching Xuening all along.

This was awkward. Su Jingzhen had initially thought they had recognized him as some extraordinary genius.

But Cang Yun’s direct approach was bold; he didn’t seem worried about offending the young lady.

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Su Jingzhen stepped forward, positioning himself between Cang Yun and Xuening, blocking Cang Yun’s view of her.

Today, Su Jingzhen decided to play the role of the protective shield.

“Su Xiaoman of Qingzhou’s Shenwu Sect at your service,” he announced, casually inventing a sect and adopting a different name.

Su Jingzhen hesitated to directly mention the name of Evil Moon Sect, fearing it might scare them off.

After all, as the most notorious demonic sect in Qingzhou, its reputation was likely well-known across neighboring provinces.

As expected, when the group on the Divine Wind Eagle heard his words, they looked momentarily thoughtful, but they couldn’t recall what the “Shenwu Sect” was. They simply assumed it was an obscure minor force.

Cang Yun, in particular, visibly relaxed.

Initially, he had been somewhat nervous, worried they might have encountered a top-tier force from Qingzhou.

After all, the white-feathered eagle that Su Jingzhen’s group was riding was of the same rank as their Divine Wind Eagle.

But since they had knowledge of all the top-tier forces in Qingzhou, and this “Shenwu Sect” wasn’t among them, there was no need for concern.

Shen Yifeng and Ye Zhiqiu exchanged a glance, slightly surprised but quickly understanding Su Jingzhen’s intention. Ye Zhiqiu’s lips curled into a subtle smile.

Dongxuan Academy, she had certainly heard of it. It was one of the top-tier forces in Huangzhou!

Moreover, it was an academy that gathered the brightest young talents from all the major families and top forces in Huangzhou, making it a revered place, almost a sacred ground.

In terms of status, if one were to compare, Dongxuan Academy might be on par with Evil Moon Sect, disregarding special organizations like the Treasure Gathering Pavilion and the Alchemist Association.

Thinking this through, Ye Zhiqiu became intrigued.

Su Jingzhen had performed few public deeds in Qingzhou, but each one had been nothing short of miraculous, often turning dire situations around with mysterious ease.

So, while the talents of Dongxuan Academy were surely exceptional, Ye Zhiqiu believed they might still fall short compared to Su Jingzhen.

At this point, Cang Yun’s gaze settled on Su Jingzhen.

His brow furrowed slightly as he said, “Daoist Su, please step aside. I wasn’t speaking to you.”

Upon realizing that Su Jingzhen wasn’t from a top-tier force, Cang Yun’s tone had shifted to one of cold indifference.