"What?!"
Ruoshui Yao's words left i Qiuyuan utterly shocked. Without any hesitation, she swept up Chu Feifei and Ruoshui Yao and sped toward the Sect Leader's Hall.
"Junior Sister, this kind of flustered rush really doesn't suit you," Fei Lianlian remarked with a soft smile as she saw i Qiuyuan arrive in a hurry.
"Senior Sister, please check—could it be..." i Qiuyuan quickly explained the demonic sect's sche targeting her.
"You an this?"
Fei Lianlian raised her hand, revealing a swirl of gray mist coalescing in her palm—the very abnormal energy she had found on the Smoke Beast.
"Yes, that's it!"
Feeling i Qiuyuan's inquiring gaze, Ruoshui Yao nodded. In her mory, this was the exact thod the demonic sect planned to use to secretly control the sect leader.
And she had been the one to deliver this dangerous substance to the Sect Leader.
"Phew~"
Seeing that Fei Lianlian had successfully neutralized the demonic sect's ploy, i Qiuyuan let out a long breath of relief. She imdiately prepared to interrogate the high-ranking spy from the demonic sect.
However, Fei Lianlian's next words left her utterly dumbfounded.
"Oh, that demonic sect spy? I let him go."
"Senior Sister, why?! How could you let such a high-level spy go just like that? Even if we couldn't extract any information, we could've traded him to the demonic sect in exchange for our captured scouts!" i Qiuyuan couldn't understand it at all.
While the demonic sect stirred up trouble in righteous territory, the righteous sects were likewise conducting operations in demonic lands—so spies captured by accident, so due to misfortune.
If they had a valuable demonic spy, they could use him in a prisoner exchange to get their people back.
That made such a spy extrely valuable.
"Relax. I let him go on purpose. He'll lead us to more spies. It's a long-ga tactic—setting a long line to catch a big fish," Fei Lianlian said with a wave of her hand.
"But..."
i Qiuyuan tried to protest, but Fei Lianlian cut her off.
Though she still disagreed with the idea of letting the spy go, i Qiuyuan didn't press the issue. Fei Lianlian's reasoning had so rit, though in her view, it was still a mistake.
High-level spies from the demonic sect had many tricks to escape pursuit. Although the Hundred Blossom Sect's scent-tracking techniques were strong, they weren't unbreakable.
Instinctively, i Qiuyuan activated her own scent-tracking technique, trying to pinpoint the spy's location. Since she and Fei Lianlian cultivated the sa tracking art, she should be able to trace any mark her senior sister had left.
"Nothing—the tracking anchor's gone!"
Monts later, i Qiuyuan's expression turned wooden. The Sect Leader's plan had failed. They'd let a high-level demonic spy slip away for nothing.
"What?!"
Hearing this, Fei Lianlian's gaze froze for a split second. Then she waved it off. "No plan is foolproof. At least we managed to thwart the demonic sect's plot this ti—that's still a win for the Hundred Blossom Sect."
"Senior Sister... sothing's off about you."
i Qiuyuan stared at her intently. She'd begun to notice behavior that didn't match Fei Lianlian's usual self. Others might not pick up on it, but after centuries together, she could tell.
"What could be off about ?"
Fei Lianlian rolled her eyes. "Why don't you examine and see for yourself?"
"Then don't bla your junior sister for being rude."
Normally, i Qiuyuan trusted her senior sister implicitly, but this ti, the situation was too serious for blind faith.
"Well? Didn't I say there's nothing wrong?"
Fei Lianlian asked as i Qiuyuan finished her inspection.
"Yes."
i Qiuyuan nodded. She hadn't found anything strange—but that persistent sense of wrongness wouldn't go away.
"Master, I think sothing's not right with Sect Leader ," Ruoshui Yao said hesitantly after they'd left the hall.
Having been affected by demonic techniques before, she was particularly sensitive to such influences.
"I know... but I can't find the cause."
i Qiuyuan rubbed her temples. She'd used every ans available in her check earlier and still found nothing unusual. And yet the feeling only grew stronger—that her senior sister had been subtly influenced by the demonic sect.
Not controlled per se—full control over a Nascent Soul cultivator was nearly impossible. But influence? That was plausible. As long as the target wasn't pushed to harm the sect directly, such a sche had a high success rate.
Letting the spy go was a perfect example—"setting a long line to catch a big fish" was a legitimate tactic. A bit of influence to push Fei Lianlian toward that choice wouldn't raise any internal alarms.
Letting the spy go was still a small matter—after all, he was caught by the Hundred Blossom Sect, and how they dealt with him was their own business.
But in the future, if she were influenced during key righteous-versus-demonic conflicts, a single wrong decision could tarnish the sect's reputation.
The Hundred Blossom Sect might be average among Nascent Soul sects in terms of power, but it had a vast and prestigious network. If the demonic sect exploited that network...
The thought filled i Qiuyuan with urgency. But how to dispel the demonic technique?
Her gaze turned to Chu Feifei, rembering how she'd used a tier-3 supre Solar yang pill to purge the magic influence from Ruoshui Yao.
But then she shook her head. A tier-3 pill wouldn't work on a Nascent Soul cultivator. She would need a tier-4 Solar yang pill.
And to date, no such pill had ever been seen—no one had succeeded in cultivating a tier-4 Sunlight Glaze Flower, the key ingredient.
Given ti, she had hope that Gu Mo might succeed in cultivating one. But the Hundred Blossom Sect no longer had that luxury.
"Do I really have to take the Sect Leader's position from my sister?" i Qiuyuan considered the only option left—forcing her senior sister into seclusion.
But if the demonic sect's influence rely made Fei Lianlian unwilling to step down, the resulting clash between the Hundred Blossom Sect's two Nascent Soul cultivators would be catastrophic.
Sigh...
The more she thought, the more vexed i Qiuyuan felt, letting out a long sigh.
Chu Feifei stood nearby, clearly conflicted, opening her mouth several tis without speaking. She wanted to say she had a tier-4 Solar yang pill that could help the Sect Leader.
But Gu Mo had specifically told her not to reveal it lightly. He had trusted her with sothing so rare—she couldn't betray that trust.
And yet, she didn't want to see the Sect Leader fall to the demonic sect, or see the Hundred Blossom Sect dragged into danger.
"Things haven't reached the worst-case scenario yet."
Seeing the somber expressions on her two disciples, i Qiuyuan unexpectedly tried to comfort them. After all, Fei Lianlian was only influenced, not controlled.
She wouldn't do anything actively harmful to the sect—for now, the situation was still manageable. But the longer it went on, the greater the risk.
If all else failed, i Qiuyuan could call in reinforcents. With the Hundred Blossom Sect's connections, they could appeal to a Soul Transformation cultivator in a worst-case scenario.
But that was a trump card the sect wouldn't use lightly. As long as they held that card, no one dared move against them.
---
Hundred Blossom Sect, Flower Fields
Gu Mo sighed as he looked at the scattered Condensing Spirit Grass before him. The Demon Vine had destroyed most of it—he'd only managed to salvage a little. This batch of Tranquility Incense would be significantly reduced.
Still, with the standard Solar yang pills refined by Elder Liu's faction, the righteous side wouldn't fall behind—in fact, they might even gain a slight edge.
"Gu Mo!"
Chu Feifei appeared as Gu Mo was tending to the field. By his calculations, today was the day she could activate her special divine ability again.
Using the enlightennt state brought on by Chu Feifei's ability, Gu Mo had made rapid progress in his cultivation techniques and secret arts. His Concealnt Art was even showing signs of reaching perfection.
This art was the one he had cultivated the longest and used the most. If he could master it, it would greatly help him hide his secrets.
Inside the cottage, Gu Mo and Chu Feifei sat across from each other. The pink mist surrounding them was being absorbed by the pink rabbit-like Smoke Beast in her arms.
This ti, Gu Mo finally achieved perfection in the Concealnt Art.
Once perfected, the technique not only hid one's cultivation and aura but could even alter one's aura—making it far easier for Gu Mo to disguise himself as soone else.
"You've made progress, haven't you?"
Seeing his expression, Chu Feifei smiled. She was genuinely happy to be able to help him.
"Huge progress."
Gu Mo nodded. Beyond the Concealnt Art, his other techniques had also improved. If anyone else knew about Chu Feifei's power, they'd definitely be envious.
But only the Hundred Blossom Sect's two Nascent Soul cultivators were aware of it—and their cultivation was too high for her to assist. Unless Chu Feifei herself reached the Nascent Soul stage, she wouldn't be able to help her two masters enter enlightennt.
For now, Gu Mo was the sole beneficiary of her unique divine ability.
"You can go ahead and use the tier-4 Solar yang pill—just keep it secret," Gu Mo said suddenly.
"Huh?!"
Chu Feifei blinked. "How did you know?!"
"You've been visibly burdened. Sothing must've happened in the Hundred Blossom Sect. Combine that with the demonic sect's recent moves... it's not hard to guess," Gu Mo said with a shrug.
"But if it gets exposed..."
Chu Feifei was worried. She knew full well what the exposure of a tier-4 Solar yang pill would an—Gu Mo would beco the target of the demonic sect's most lethal assassins.
Tier-3 pills, while powerful, no longer worked on Nascent Soul cultivators. In a righteous-versus-demonic war, where Soul Transformation powerhouses rarely acted, Nascent Soul cultivators decided the outco.
The demonic sect could tolerate tier-3 pills—but not tier-4.
"It's fine."
Gu Mo waved it off. As long as it didn't leak too soon, he'd be okay. With his acquisition of a tier-4 spiritual field, he was rapidly approaching Nascent Soul level himself.
Give him a little more ti, and even if he wasn't a true Nascent Soul cultivator, he'd have the power of one.
Once that happened—even if the demonic sect found out—so what? As long as he didn't roam freely, and stayed within Shennong Valley, the demonic sect wouldn't be able to touch him.
Even a Soul Transformation powerhouse wouldn't succeed—after all, Shennong Valley had their own Soul Transformation cultivators too. That's the benefit of being backed by a top-tier sect.
"Thank you!"
Chu Feifei took a deep breath. The matter had been tornting her—now Gu Mo had finally relieved her of the burden. She imdiately departed, preparing to use the tier-4 Solar yang pill to remove the demonic influence on the Sect Leader.
---
"What?! You have a tier-4..."
i Qiuyuan stared at Chu Feifei in shock. But she cut herself off halfway, realizing just how sensitive this information was.
"Disciple, where did you get that?" she asked via voice transmission.
"It was a relic my friend found during an exploration."
Chu Feifei quickly ca up with an excuse—she didn't want to expose Gu Mo.
i Qiuyuan's eyes clearly showed disbelief, but now wasn't the ti to dig deeper. Without delay, she took Chu Feifei to see Fei Lianlian again.
"Go ahead, check again."
Fei Lianlian lay back willingly. Over the past few days, i Qiuyuan had inspected her many tis. If not for their extrely close relationship, such repeated probing would've been impossible.
"Disciple, do it!"
i Qiuyuan activated the hall's wards to block any external spying, then restrained Fei Lianlian in a firm hug. Since Ruoshui Yao had instinctively resisted the Solar yang pill before, i Qiuyuan feared her senior sister might do the sa—and she wouldn't be easy to suppress.
So before Chu Feifei even took out the pill, i Qiuyuan immobilized her senior sister.
"Junior Sister, are you trying to smother with those deadly weapons of yours?" Fei Lianlian said dryly, clearly amused but also curious.
She knew i Qiuyuan wouldn't harm her, and the technique used was only ant to restrict movent.
"Ahem!"
i Qiuyuan quickly adjusted her position, making it easier for Chu Feifei to administer the pill.
"Forgive , Sect Leader."
Chu Feifei blinked her bright eyes. She'd never seen her two masters behave like this before. But she quickly refocused and took out the jade bottle containing the tier-4 Solar yang pill.
Pop!
The mont the bottle opened, a brilliant aura of solar radiance burst forth. Feeling the energy, Fei Lianlian instantly reacted with strong rejection.
"As I thought!"
Sensing her sister's repulsion, i Qiuyuan knew the truth—her senior sister had indeed been affected by a demonic technique. At that mont, she couldn't help but feel grateful that Chu Feifei had obtained this precious pill.
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