Chapter 133: Carnage and Survival

Chapter 133: Carnage and Survival

This sudden turn of events took everyone by surprise.

As the Yin Demon Sect's old monster howled outside, a hint of schadenfreude flashed in the eyes of the Qingxi Sect disciples.

After all, they may not have obtained the Wood Spirit Species, but the Yin Demon Sect, who had repeatedly interfered, had also failed miserably.

The old Yin Demon, who had possessed the bald man, roared and vented for a while before turning his gaze back, his eyes cold as the black mist around him churned.

"Was it you who played this trick?" he asked, staring at Xin Wuyao.

Xin Wuyao's face and eyes were filled with a myriad of emotions. "If I could get a Nascent Soul stage senior to help, I wouldn't have let you force my hand."

The old Yin Demon gave Xin Wuyao a deep look, knowing that he spoke the truth. Only a Nascent Soul cultivator could withstand his possession attack. If the Qingxi Sect could enlist the help of a Nascent Soul cultivator, Xin Wuyao wouldn't have let go of the Wood Spirit Species earlier.

"Let's go!" The old Yin Demon growled in frustration.

The black mist immediately retracted into the bald man's body, and in the blink of an eye, it disappeared without a trace.

The bald man, now back to normal, had a pale complexion, whether from the backlash of the grand formation or the effects of the old Yin Demon's possession.

And he wasn't the only one with a bad complexion. Elders Xie Chang, Heikou Laozhi, Xin Wuyao, and Qingpao Yang all wore grim expressions. The Golden Core cultivators present were far from happy.

After all their efforts, none of them had gained anything.

The bald man glared at the Qingxi Sect disciples within the formation before leaving with a resentful remark, "Let's go."

The six Golden Core cultivators transformed into six beams of light and disappeared from the sky.

Xin Wuyao stood in the air, watching the departing beams of light for a long time before heaving a long sigh.

He turned to face the others—Elder Yang in his green robe, Tong Wanqing, who had stepped forward, the silver-haired Elder Mu, and the stern-faced Elder Zhu. His eyes were filled with disappointment and a myriad of complex emotions.

"This step we took was a mistake. The opportunity for the Great Dao..." Xin Wuyao trailed off, his voice heavy with regret.

The others remained silent, none of them responding to Xin Wuyao's words. What they were thinking, however, remained unknown.

At that moment, Elder Mu's face changed. "Not good! Our Qi Refining disciples are still outside!"

With that, she transformed into a beam of light and flew toward the outer sect.

"Elder Mu, I'll come with you," Elder Zhu said, following closely behind.

As the two elders flew away, the six members of the Yin Demon Sect appeared in the sky hundreds of miles away.

Looking at the black mist below, the skinny, black-robed elder who had thrown the Soul-Summoning Banner raised his hand and said with a cold laugh, "Let's use these Qingxi Sect disciples to sacrifice to my Soul-Summoning Banner."

"Hold on, Brother!" Elder Xie Chang, plump and round, suddenly spoke up.

"The previous sect master of the Qingxi Sect owes me a great debt of gratitude. Their actions this time were out of desperation, largely due to Xin Wuyao.

These are merely Qi Refining disciples. It's unfortunate enough that they were used by the sect master. Brother, please do me a small favor and spare their lives."

Hearing Xie Chang's words, the skinny, black-robed elder let out a sneering laugh. "Staying with those so-called righteous sects for too long will make you fake and hypocritical."

Despite his words, the skinny, black-robed elder lowered his hand. With a casual wave toward the Soul-Summoning Banner, all the black mist and ghostly shadows returned to it.

The banner then flew back into the elder's hand.

Without another glance downward, the six cultivators continued on their way.

Below, where the black mist had dissipated, a group of Qi Refining disciples lay on the ground.

The scene in the forest was nothing short of gruesome. Bodies lay everywhere, and blood flowed like rivers.

Out of the nearly two thousand Qi Refining disciples, only about three to four hundred were still standing.

And among those who were still standing, almost everyone was engaged in a fight with those around them.

In one corner stood Chu Ning and Mu Ling, surrounded by several fallen bodies.

The two of them showed relief when the black mist dissipated, but their faces turned grim again when they took in the scene before them.

Mu Ling even turned her head away, unable to bear the sight.

Just then, a Qi Refining Level 9 cultivator nearby charged toward them with bloodshot eyes, clearly intending to attack.

Chu Ning shouted, "Stop!"

As the ghostly mist had dissipated, Chu Ning was able to use his spiritual sense slightly as he shouted.

Hearing Chu Ning's command, the Qi Refining Level 9 cultivator showed a glimmer of clarity in his eyes, and his movements paused for a moment.

However, he soon raised his weapon again, ready to strike.

Just as Chu Ning sighed and raised his high-grade weapon to take the initiative, an angry voice rang out from the sky.

"Stop right there!"

"Grandma?" Mu Ling exclaimed, her face lighting up with joy as she looked toward the sky.

Chu Ning followed her gaze and saw the silver-haired Elder Mu and the stern-faced Elder Zhu. He, too, breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, he noticed that Elder Zhu was holding a gourd-shaped treasure.

The gourd's mouth was aimed downward, and streams of yellow light fell, enveloping the three to four hundred disciples who had stopped due to Elder Mu's earlier shout.

Chu Ning and Mu Ling were also included in the light's reach.

As soon as the yellow light made contact, the three hundred disciples, who had been dazed and confused, collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Apparently, this object only drove away the yin spirits and ghosts, but couldn't help nurture his spiritual sense.

At this moment, the two Golden Core elders finally descended from the air, their gazes filled with surprise as they turned to Chu Ning and Mu Ling.

Then, they looked at Chu Ning.

Mu Ling's jade scepter was originally given to her by the black-faced Elder Zhu, and Elder Mu, the silver-haired old woman, had also contributed.

They naturally knew that this object could ward off yin spirit ghosts.

So it was quite unexpected that Chu Ning, who was only at the 6th level of Qi Refining, had emerged unscathed.

The black-faced elder's gaze fell on the Soul-Calming Pearl in Chu Ning's hand, and he asked in surprise:

"You actually have a treasure that wards off yin spirit ghosts?"

Although Chu Ning hadn't bought this Soul-Calming Pearl with his own identity, at this moment, he could only grit his teeth and say:

"I happened to buy a Soul-Calming Pearl in the market outside."

Hearing Chu Ning's reply, the black-faced elder nodded but didn't ask further.

Elder Mu, the silver-haired old woman, didn't even spare it a second glance.

Obviously, treasures of this level were not worth their attention as Golden Core cultivators.

The two elders scanned the surroundings, exchanged a glance, and then shook their heads.

Elder Mu sighed and said:

"Some were directly killed by the ghostly beings, and some died in mutual slaughter.

For those who are still alive, even if they return, it will take at least a year or half a year for their spiritual sense to recover.

This time, the sect has suffered tremendous losses.

And those disciples with wood-attribute cultivation techniques, most of them couldn't make it out. Sect Master..."

As she spoke, Elder Mu's words suddenly stopped, and she looked at Chu Ning and Mu Ling.

"The task is now completely over. You two are the only ones conscious at the scene, and I'm afraid that when you return to the sect, the Sect Master will have many more questions for you.

Remember to answer truthfully."

After saying this, Elder Mu, the silver-haired old woman, turned to the black-faced elder and said:

"Elder Zhu, let's take the survivors back. As for the others..."

"Let's leave them here. Taking them back to the sect will only cause trouble. Later, the sect will send others to collect their storage bags."

As the black-faced Elder Zhu spoke, he waved his hand and cast spells one after another.

The surviving disciples were picked up by him one by one and thrown into the huge flying boat that had carried them earlier.

Then, Chu Ning was also called onto the flying boat.

The flying boat rose into the air and headed towards the Qingxi Sect.

As for Mu Ling, she naturally followed Elder Mu.

Seeing that the black-faced elder seemed quite reasonable, Chu Ning couldn't help but ask in confusion:

"Elder, this place doesn't seem far from our sect. Why did it take us so long to get here earlier?"

"We took a detour to keep things discreet," the black-faced elder replied without hiding anything.

"But I never expected that the Spirit Species would be so close to the sect. That was beyond my expectations as well."

Although Chu Ning didn't experience the great battle outside the sect earlier, he did see the green light in the direction of the sect.

And recalling how he had directly entered from within the sect under Ling Xiao Bai's guidance, breaking through the restrictions, he couldn't help but ask:

"Elder, this Spirit Domain is so close to us. Why didn't we sense any restrictions nearby when we passed by before?"

"This Spirit Domain was formed because of the Spirit Species, and it's a small world.

It overlaps with our world in terms of space, so if you don't enter it, you naturally won't discover it."

Hearing Elder Zhu's explanation, Chu Ning nodded. In fact, he had already guessed as much.

He just wanted confirmation, and now his doubts were truly dispelled.

Chu Ning opened his mouth as if to ask about the Yin Demon Sect and the Spirit Species, but when he saw that the black-faced Elder Zhu and Elder Mu, the silver-haired old woman, had arrived with grim expressions earlier, he decided not to ask further.

After all, they would be back at the sect soon, and he should be able to hear some news there.

Since the matter of the Spirit Species was now public knowledge, he believed that there would be a lot of information circulating within the sect upon their return.

Soon, the group returned to the sect. After experiencing so many events, the two Golden Core elders naturally had no time to deal with the two of them.

They left Chu Ning and Mu Ling in the outer court, telling them to wait in their respective courtyards, and that the sect would call them if they needed to understand the situation.

Then, the two elders flew directly towards the inner court.

"You're saying that the Sect Master of the Yin Demon Sect, a Nascent Soul cultivator, appeared through possession and forced our Sect Master to hand over the Wood Spirit Species.

And then another Nascent Soul cultivator intervened, causing the Spirit Species to escape?"

As they walked back to their courtyards, Chu Ning listened to Mu Ling's report, his eyes widening in shock.

On the way back, Elder Mu had already told Mu Ling about what had happened, and Mu Ling relayed the information to Chu Ning.

Chu Ning's heart pounded as he heard the news.

So Elder Tong had indeed been a Golden Core elder in the past, and this time, he had forcibly unleashed his Golden Core power with the help of a secret treasure to aid in dispelling the formation.

It was said that he could only live for another month.

As for Elder Yang in the green robe, his Golden Core had been destroyed, and his cultivation had been completely wiped out.

Even if he recuperated and recovered, he could only reach the Foundation Establishment stage at most, and there was a possibility that he would fall back to the Qi Refining stage.

And that kind-looking, plump Elder Xie had actually betrayed the sect and joined the Yin Demon Sect.

Elder Gui, who had asked everyone to take the Mirror Breaking Pill earlier, was severely injured and his whereabouts were unknown.

Moreover, despite all of this, the Wood Spirit Species had still not been obtained as the sect had hoped.

After bidding farewell to Mu Ling and returning to his own courtyard, Chu Ning looked up, his expression incredibly complex.

Even though he had witnessed his fair share of life and death since becoming a cultivator, and had taken numerous lives himself, having a thousand or more people die before his very eyes still filled him with a sense of profound sadness, an experience that was new to him.

Looking at his own courtyard, he felt an inexplicable urge to flee.

"I guess my experiences and mental fortitude are still lacking." Chu Ning bitterly smiled and shook his head.

At that moment, he didn't feel like staying in his courtyard, nor did he have the heart to cultivate. So, he left once more and headed in the direction of the Spirit Planting House.

Along the way, Chu Ning passed by Zhuang Yunde's courtyard and paused, taking a few extra glances.

Although his initial interactions with this Senior Brother Zhuang had been purely transactional, their relationship gradually evolved, and they had developed a certain degree of camaraderie.

However, their fates within the Five Elements Grand Array had diverged, despite being on the same side.

According to Chu Ning's understanding, Senior Brother Zhuang should have had a substantial number of spirit stones, so he couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't prepared better protective artifacts.

Chu Ning shook his head, dismissing these pointless thoughts.

He left the outer gate and made his way to Qiu Shunyi's residence.

Qiu Shunyi was equally astonished to see Chu Ning and eagerly asked if he had witnessed the great battle outside the sect earlier.

Qiu Shunyi's eyes lit up as he enthusiastically narrated the events.

"I saw it, we all saw it..."

Unlike Mu Ling's secondhand account, Qiu Shunyi, who had witnessed the battle firsthand just a short while ago, provided a more detailed description.

Listening intently, Chu Ning gazed at the spot where the intense battle had taken place not long ago.

"Nascent Soul cultivators.

In the cultivation world, strength truly reigns supreme.

That old Yin Demon was a Nascent Soul cultivator, and even without lifting a finger, he forced Xin Wuyao, the sect master of Qingxi Sect, to hand over the Wood Spirit Species.

Even though Xin Wuyao knew that doing so would waste decades of the sect's efforts and the lives of countless disciples."

Chu Ning exhaled softly, "Might makes right."

Having witnessed these events, Chu Ning felt like he had gained a deeper understanding of certain matters.

"Chu Ning?"

Just as Chu Ning was about to continue the conversation with Qiu Shunyi, a familiar voice called out from the courtyard.

Chu Ning stepped out and saw He Changyou and Liao Yunming approaching together.

"Greetings, Executors."

Chu Ning immediately bowed in salute, but Liao Yunming stopped him.

"No need for such formalities. Hurry up, the Sect Master and the elders are waiting for you."

Chu Ning nodded, not surprised as Elder Mu had mentioned this earlier.

However, he was taken aback by the fact that the two executors had managed to find him so precisely...

This realization sent a chill down his spine.

"So, my every move has been under observation since I returned to the sect, and I wasn't even aware of it?"

Chu Ning felt a sense of unease at this thought.

Nevertheless, he refrained from asking the two executors how they had located him.

"The Sect Master and the elders are waiting. Let's go directly by air, Chu Ning, get on."

As He Changyou spoke, he produced a spirit boat capable of carrying seven or eight people.

After Chu Ning boarded, the boat flew straight toward the inner gate.

Back in the courtyard, Qiu Shunyi stared at the direction of Chu Ning's departure, his mouth agape.

"The Sect Master and the elders are summoning Chu Ning?"

Lush spiritual energy, swirling white fog, and exquisite jade pavilions...

Upon entering the inner gate, Chu Ning was struck by the imposing atmosphere unique to cultivation sects.

The inner gate was a world apart from the outer gate.

He Changyou piloted the spirit boat, carrying Chu Ning upward until they reached a grand hall with a plaque that read 'Qingxin Hall'. There, they landed.

"Go on in, the Sect Master and the others are waiting for you."

Chu Ning was taken aback by these words and hesitated.

"Aren't you coming in, Executor?"

"The Sect Master and the elders only asked for you, not us," Liao Yunming replied with a smile.

Hearing this, Chu Ning nodded and stepped into Qingxin Hall.

Within the spacious hall, only a handful of people were present.

Seated in the center was Xin Wuyao, flanked by the green-robed Elder Yang, whose hair had turned completely white, and the silver-haired female Elder Mu.

Next to them was the black-faced Elder Zhu and the previously injured red-robed Elder Gui, who had returned to the sect after recovering.

Notably absent was Elder Tong, which Chu Ning found curious.

Perhaps due to his impending death, he chose not to involve himself in these matters.

In addition to the elders, Mu Ling was also present.

As Chu Ning entered the hall, all eyes turned to him.

Chu Ning quickly strode forward and bowed respectfully.

"Disciple Chu Ning, greetings to the Sect Master and the elders."

Having experienced a series of events and understanding the purpose of this meeting, Chu Ning maintained a respectful demeanor despite the scrutiny of several Golden Core cultivators.

His composure surprised the Golden Core cultivators.

The refined and elegant Xin Wuyao spoke gently, "Chu Ning, tell us what happened after you entered the Spirit Domain."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end