Chapter 471: Uproar
The situation was urgent, so after night fell, the three of them had no desire to rest.
However, they also discovered that after nightfall, both the Mutants and Mutated Demon Beasts became far less active as long as they weren’t directly provoked.
During the day, even the slightest rustle would send them into a frenzy.
But at night, as long as the creatures didn’t see them, they could rush past nearby without attracting much attention.
After traveling all night, they stopped a few people for directions the next morning.
A little past mid-morning on the second day, Chu Qingyun’s trio finally arrived at the main hall—the very core of the ruins, where the remnants of the Blood Sect had stored their Secret Manuals and Secret Techniques.
Even from a great distance, they could detect faint fluctuations of Primordial Power around the main hall, causing both Chu Qingyun and Mu Xiaoxiao to sigh in relief.
The hall’s seal was still intact, which meant it hadn’t been broken yet.
If they just waited here, they were sure to find the groups from the Saint Extreme Sect, the Celestial Sword Sect, and the No-Life Gang.
Naturally, a large crowd had also gathered outside the main hall, the most valuable location in the ruins.
However, everyone was gathered in the plaza outside the main hall, yet no one was trying to break the seal. Chu Qingyun and Mu Xiaoxiao found this odd.
As they walked over, the two of them carefully observed the people there.
The vast majority of those drawn to the main hall and its trove of Secret Manuals and Secret Techniques were Earth Spirit Realm experts from the vicinity of Blood Abyss City.
Of course, there were also a few scattered individuals at the Celestial Spirit Realm, either from smaller factions in Blood Abyss City or early recruits from sects other than the Celestial Sword Sect and Saint Extreme Sect.
Soon, Chu Qingyun and his companions spotted the groups led by Zhou Wushang and Huo Yuguang in the crowd.
As the two most powerful groups present, they had claimed the area closest to the main hall’s entrance and forbade anyone else from approaching.
However, the two groups also kept their distance from one another, clearly on guard against each other.
As Chu Qingyun’s trio drew near, Zhou Wushang, Huo Yuguang, and their men all fixed their gazes on Chu Qingyun. Zhou Wushang’s expression, in particular, was grim and uncertain.
"Mu Xiaoxiao, Dai, stay sharp. If things go south, we pull back," Chu Qingyun whispered to the two beside him as they walked.
Although they had come seeking to cooperate, one could never be too careful. They had to prepare for the worst.
If he were to face a siege from more than a dozen seventh-level Martial Spirits at once, Chu Qingyun feared he wouldn’t be able to handle it without using every trick up his sleeve.
Mu Xiaoxiao and Dai both nodded to show they understood.
"Chu Qingyun, I’m surprised you actually made it here... Where are Huo Qinggang and those two from the Qianshui Dynasty?" Huo Yuguang said, staring at Chu Qingyun with a dark expression.
It had been three days with no word from the three they had sent out. They had long suspected that something had happened to Huo Qinggang’s group.
Now, seeing Chu Qingyun and his two companions alive and well, their fears were essentially confirmed.
"All three of them are dead. I killed them." Chu Qingyun saw no reason to hide it.
Hearing this, Zhou Wushang’s face fell, and his heart skipped a beat.
’The worst-case scenario has happened after all,’ he thought.
’Not only did the people sent to kill Chu Qingyun fail, but he killed them instead. Once we leave the Blood Sect ruins, if Chu Qingyun tells the Saint Extreme Sect’s Inner Sect Disciple, Qi Hao, about this... things are going to get messy.’
’Even though none of them had reached Celestial Martial City yet, they had technically already joined the Saint Extreme Sect.’
’Killing a fellow disciple was a major taboo in any sect.’
’And with Chu Qingyun’s astonishing talent, if Qi Hao got angry enough to make a real issue out of it, Zhou Wushang feared that even his own powerful background wouldn’t save him from misfortune.’
Zhou Wushang’s expression was grim, his eyes darting about.
As for Huo Yuguang, his eyes openly betrayed his chilling killing intent. "You killed our men, and you still dare to show your face here? Do you have a death wish, or does breaking through to a Fifth-level Martial Spirit make you think you can look down on over a dozen of us at the Celestial Spirit Realm?"
Huo Yuguang’s tone was glacial, his mind consumed with murderous intent for Chu Qingyun.
Before entering the ruins, he had promised Chen Yuqi of the Celestial Sword Sect that he would eliminate Chu Qingyun within these very grounds.
And unlike Zhou Wushang, Huo Yuguang had no powerful connections within his sect. If he failed his mission and offended an Inner Sect Disciple like Chen Yuqi, his life would be difficult even after he officially joined the Celestial Sword Sect.
"Why waste your breath on him? Let’s just kill him!" Huo Yuchen, who was standing next to Huo Yuguang, suddenly interjected.
The plan to kill Chu Qingyun had been his idea. If it succeeded, it would be a huge accomplishment for him; at the very least, Chen Yuqi would remember his name.
"Ninth Brother, is this your place to speak?" Huo Yuguang said, his eyes darkening.
The corner of Huo Yuchen’s mouth twitched. He suppressed his anger and fell silent.
Watching their petty squabbles, Chu Qingyun snorted inwardly with contempt.
Then, ignoring Zhou Wushang and Huo Yuguang, he scanned the crowd and spoke in a clear, loud voice, "Everyone, as you can see, the three of us have an irreconcilable conflict with these dozen-plus Celestial Spirit Realm cultivators. So why, then, would we come here?"
His question immediately piqued the curiosity of the surrounding Earth Spirit Realm experts, and even that of the few unaffiliated cultivators at the Celestial Spirit Realm.
’That’s right,’ they thought. ’He’s mortally offended two of the three most powerful groups in the ruins, and they happen to be the Celestial Sword Sect and the Saint Extreme Sect, both of which have immense backing. So why would he come here?’
"Hmph. Just playing to the crowd. What other reason could there be for coming here? Obviously, it’s for the Secret Manuals and Secret Techniques in the main hall!" Zhou Wushang snorted.
Chu Qingyun shot him a look but ignored him, continuing, "We risked our lives to come here today to bring you all a message: members of the Martial Soul Hall have infiltrated the Blood Sect ruins!"
At his words, everyone present—including the members of the Celestial Sword Sect and the Saint Extreme Sect—was utterly astonished.
The Martial Soul Hall was the public enemy of all human Martial Artists!
Everyone present was an expert at the Earth Spirit Realm or above, so they all had some knowledge of the Martial Soul Hall. At the very least, they were all aware of its practice of converting human Martial Artists into its own twisted minions.
Before they could even process this, Chu Qingyun dropped another bombshell.
"The goal of the Martial Soul Hall members who snuck in here is to destroy the seals within the ruins and unleash all the Mutants and Mutated Demon Beasts into the Blood-soaked Land!"
An even greater uproar instantly erupted from the crowd.
To break the seals within the Blood Sect ruins and release those highly aggressive and contagious monsters into the Blood-soaked Land...
The plan was simply insane!