Chapter 222: A Nascent Soul Attacks
WHOOSH!
After a moment’s hesitation, Zhang Chi immediately flew toward Master Jian’s cave mansion, deep within the Sect.
Simultaneously, he took out three Communication Talismans, recorded messages on them, and crushed them.
One was for Qin Susu, warning her of the Demon Sect’s attack and telling her to be extra careful and find a place to hide.
He told her not to worry too much about White Cloud Marketplace, which was under his jurisdiction.
After all, White Cloud Marketplace was only a Tier Two establishment. If the Demon Sect truly set their sights on it, she wouldn’t be able to protect it anyway. Trying to would only get her killed for nothing.
The second and third talismans were for Lu Daoyi and the Sect Leader, ensuring the Sect could respond in time.
He wasn’t blindly loyal to the Sect like some of his peers, but as a Nascent Soul Seed, he was part of the privileged upper echelon. Therefore, he wouldn’t just stand by and watch the Sect face a catastrophe.
He would never die for the Sect, but sending a warning—so long as it didn’t endanger him—was perfectly fine.
Zhang Chi didn’t go out of his way to notify Master Jian or anyone else.
For one, he was already on his way to see Master Jian. For another, that area was deep within the Sect and relatively safe.
And third, once the Sect Leader and the others got the message, they would surely inform the Sect’s Golden Core elders.
Master Jian, in turn, would inform Zhong Yu and the rest.
Besides, if he notified everyone individually, it might reveal that he was the one who sent the warnings.
Even in his message to Qin Susu, he claimed the Sect had informed him and he was merely passing the news along.
Furthermore, he had altered his Magical Power aura before messaging the Sect Leader and Lu Daoyi to keep his warning anonymous.
This way, the Sect would be alerted without bringing any trouble upon himself.
Otherwise, if they knew he was the one who raised the alarm, they would undoubtedly ask how he knew about the Demon Sect’s movements.
Explaining himself would be a huge hassle and could very well expose his great secret: the Turtle Shell Divination Skill.
Just a short while after he left Nine Peaks Lake, a Floating Airship came to a halt within the Nine Heavens Gang Wind Layer, high above the Cangwu Sect.
SWISH SWISH...
Then, streaks of Escape Light—some black, some blood-red, some a ghastly green—descended menacingly from the sky like a meteor shower.
Within the lights were the Golden Core cultivators of the Demon Sect, the vast majority of them from the Celestial Corpse Sect.
Their leader was a withered old man in black robes with an ashen complexion. His aura was both incredibly powerful and sinister—he was none other than the Nascent Soul Stage Sect Leader of the Celestial Corpse Sect.
They made no attempt at concealment, focusing on one thing: a lightning-fast strike, too swift to be countered.
And despite their speed, their attack was far from chaotic; their roles were clearly defined.
Some Golden Core cultivators descended upon various locations within the Cangwu Sect, while others flew toward the surrounding marketplaces.
White Cloud Marketplace, for instance, was one of their targets.
Nine Peaks Lake, where Zhang Chi resided, was also a target—and the one heading there was the Celestial Corpse Sect Leader himself.
Just in case, the Nascent Soul True Monarch had even brought five Golden Core Peak powerhouses with him.
"Sect Leader, you’re being too cautious. He’s just a Nascent Soul Seed in the Golden Core Early Stage. Even if he has a few protective measures, the five of us are more than enough to deal with him!"
"Exactly! Of all the Nascent Soul Seeds in Yuan South, this Zhang Chi from the Cangwu Sect is the weakest. People even joke that he’s the ’weakest Top Grade Golden Core’!"
"It’s true. He has a Top Grade Golden Core but he’s an Alchemy Master who almost never fights. The few victories to his name were all achieved with the help of arrays or other tricks. What a waste!"
The five Golden Core Peak cultivators cackled as they hurtled downward.
"You don’t know a thing! Every cultivator with a Top Grade Golden Core is a child of destiny with their own secrets. They’re never as simple as they seem. Besides, even if this Zhang Chi is weak, killing him will inflict a huge loss on the Cangwu Sect. It will also keep Lu Daoyi too busy to aid the Golden Sun Sect and the Pill King Sect."
"That alone would mean our mission is mostly complete. And since the kid has a Top Grade Golden Core, he’ll make an excellent Corpse Puppet if we can refine him."
"Once we find the Celestial Corpse Coffin, this boy will be a prime candidate."
The Celestial Corpse Sect Leader replied with a sinister laugh.
They made a tremendous racket as they flew, but it didn’t impede their conversation in the slightest.
For one, their voices were focused and didn’t disperse, carrying with incredible penetrating power. For another, their hearing was exceptionally sharp.
"Sect Leader, are you really going to kill the kid? If you do, the Cangwu Sect will surely fight us to the death!"
The five Golden Core Peak cultivators couldn’t help but worry.
"Heh, so what if they fight us to the death? Did you think we came to Yuan South for a friendly visit? We’re here to seize territory and resources. This was always going to be a fight to the death."
"Yuan South may be vast, but its Spiritual Veins and resources are finite. To establish a foothold here, a great many Cultivators must die to make room. The leaders on both sides are well aware of this."
"Besides, even if we don’t kill him, our factions will be at each other’s throats after today’s events regardless. Killing him now weakens them and prevents us from facing another Nascent Soul enemy in the future."
"And no matter how much of a genius he is, dead is dead. He’ll be forgotten soon enough. If he has anyone to blame, it’s his own bad luck for picking a cave mansion so close to the Sect’s border. And for the Cangwu Sect becoming my Celestial Corpse Sect’s target..."
The Celestial Corpse Sect Leader was in a fine mood, so he elaborated at length.
"The Sect Leader is absolutely right!"
"Your foresight is profound, Sect Leader! We are in awe!"
The five Golden Core cultivators immediately ceased their questioning. However, they secretly resolved to let their Sect Leader deliver the final blow when the time came.
That way, any blame from the Cangwu Sect would fall on him, not them.
After all, their Sect Leader was a Nascent Soul Elder Monster and had no fear of retaliation. They, on the other hand, had no desire to become Lu Daoyi’s target.
As they spoke, the Demon Cultivators caught sight of the Cangwu Sect’s main gate. They quickly closed in on their respective targets and began their assault.
The Celestial Corpse Sect Leader and his five Golden Core Peak followers arrived above the Nine Peaks Lake Cave Mansion in an instant.
Of course, the Celestial Corpse Sect Leader had deliberately suppressed his flight speed. He wanted his Golden Core disciples to strike simultaneously, overwhelming the Cangwu Sect’s defenses so they couldn’t respond effectively. Otherwise, he would have arrived here much sooner.
"Huh? The cave mansion is empty? There’s no one here at all, and the array isn’t even active?"
"Did the kid just happen to be away? Or did he somehow know we were coming? His luck is a little too good, don’t you think?"
The Celestial Corpse Sect Leader and his followers had been relaxed, their faces bearing cruel smiles, certain that killing Zhang Chi would be an effortless task.
But when they swept the area with their Divine Thought, they were all stunned. The smiles on their faces froze instantly.
Forget Zhang Chi—at that moment, not a single servant or Spirit Beast could be found in the entire cave mansion.
There were some Spirit Medicines, but they were all low-level and utterly worthless to cultivators of their station.
BOOM!
While they were still reeling in confusion, before they could even pick a new target, a clap of thunder echoed through the sky.
A vast, white curtain of light materialized in an instant, enveloping the entire Cangwu Sect.
"Celestial Corpse Old Demon! You dare try to harm a Nascent Soul Seed of my Cangwu Sect? Did you ask for my permission, Lu Daoyi?"
The cold shout echoed throughout the entire Cangwu Sect, and in the blink of an eye, a golden Sword Light appeared high above Nine Peaks Lake.