As a transmigrator, Jiang Mo—along with Yun Qingyue who ca from the righteous path—found it difficult to bring themselves to forcibly take others' possessions. However, since they weren't the ones doing the taking now, they felt no pressure about it.
The Crimson Blood Sect elder unceremoniously seized the storage ring containing the Spirit Nourishing Pill. Turning around, he noticed Jiang Mo pinning down the enemy without finishing him off, so he promptly helped dispatch the captive—perhaps his excessive brutality caused the flickering defiance on the young man's face to stutter, and in the end, with his mouth half-open, he still said nothing.
What more could he say? In the cultivation world, the strong preyed on the weak; being allowed to keep one's life after being robbed was already considered fortunate.
No one cared about the weak's thoughts. The Crimson Blood Sect elder had achieved his goal and eliminated his opponent, his heart greatly relieved. He shifted his gaze to the two before him and sincerely asked: "The Sect Leader is currently at Mount Xuanyin. Would the Young Sect Leader like to go see her?"
Yun Qingyue felt deeply helpless about his persistent form of address, but his suggestion left her sowhat hesitant—true, she didn't want to be associated with the demonic sect, but Zhu Baiyi was still her birth mother, and their relationship over these past few years had been decent. Now, knowing that she was severely injured and even needed a Spirit Nourishing Pill for treatnt, how could she pretend not to know?
Jiang Mo noticed her hesitation and took the initiative to persuade her: "If you want to go, then go. Why worry so much?"
Yun Qingyue was already wavering, and this imdiately tipped the balance in her heart, leaving only one final concern: "I've long left the sect, but your identity isn't suitable to appear in a demonic sect."
Jiang Mo had far fewer concerns than her. She imdiately transford, changing her face, then extended her palm where a peculiarly-shaped longsword rapidly materialized. Jiang Mo casually perford a sword flourish, and though it couldn't be called a technique, with her current level of cultivation, even a casual wave carried overwhelming power, enough to fool others.
"How's this?" Jiang Mo raised her eyebrows, her every gesture filled with youthful vigor, completely unlike her previous self.
Yun Qingyue naturally understood her aning. Changing identities was remarkably easy for the current Jiang Mo. As long as she didn't encounter soone with higher cultivation than herself, she was confident she wouldn't be exposed... Moreover, taking a step back, Yun Qingyue only wanted to check on Sect Leader Zhu's condition and had no intention of ddling in demonic sect internal conflicts, so they probably wouldn't directly face Grand Achievent realm experts.
Their conversation wasn't hidden from others. Although the young man in rich attire and his group had been sent away early, the nearby Crimson Blood Sect elder had witnessed Jiang Mo changing her face. This displeased him sowhat—why was it as if their Crimson Blood Sect was sothing that couldn't be seen publicly?
Yun Qingyue paid no attention to his expression; she had been persuaded by Jiang Mo: "Very well, let's go."
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The cultivation world was vast and boundless, with forces of both righteous and demonic paths distributed throughout, each clustering together due to their different stances.
Now that the Crimson Blood Sect and Nine Abyss Sect were at war, an internal conflict among demonic sects, the battlefield of Mount Xuanyin was naturally within demonic sect territory. If the righteous path wanted to intervene, the journey would take considerable ti, but traveling from the Harmony Sect was not too distant.
Cloud Stream City was originally not far from Linglong City, where the Harmony Sect was located, so reaching Mount Xuanyin took only seven or eight days. Upon arriving at their destination, they could see from afar a treacherous peak soaring into the clouds, giving people an inexplicable sense of oppression. Moreover, what encircled the mountain peak wasn't ordinary white mist, but rolling black clouds, causing an ominous feeling in those who beheld it.
"This is Mount Xuanyin?" Yun Qingyue gazed at the distant mountain, every feather radiating distaste.
Jiang Mo felt much the sa. The White Tiger and Swan Goose were both auspicious beasts, naturally inclined toward the righteous path. The distant mountain and those clouds gave them trendous pressure, creating discomfort both physiologically and psychologically.
In fact, they weren't the only ones feeling uncomfortable. Even the Crimson Blood Sect elder, who practiced the path of killing, disliked this gloomy environnt. He imdiately said: "Yes, this is Mount Xuanyin. However, the environnt on Mount Xuanyin isn't suitable for our Crimson Blood Sect's cultivation, so our sect's residence isn't on the mountain but occupies a small town at the foot of the mountain. After the Sect Leader was injured, she returned to the small town to recuperate."
Hearing this, Yun Qingyue felt slightly more at ease and shifted her gaze from the oppressive distant peak: "That's good. Lead us to the town so we can deliver the dicine quickly."
Delivering the dicine was the priority. In fact, one major reason Yun Qingyue had initially agreed to co was to escort the dicine—the elder who had seized the pill was not of insignificant cultivation, but neither was he soone who could move unhindered throughout the cultivation world, especially when the Nine Abyss Sect was clearly targeting this dicine. Beyond the initial struggle, they had encountered multiple ambushes on their return journey.
The Crimson Blood Sect elder nodded in agreent and led them toward the small town at the mountain's foot.
Moving around Mount Xuanyin's obstruction, they could see a demonic ship hovering above the small town, with the Crimson Blood Sect's banner fluttering in the wind. Crimson Blood Sect disciples dressed in red robes patrolled in groups of two or three, not overlooking any potential danger.
This scene was sowhat familiar. Compared to the battle at Mount Mingzong years ago, the Crimson Blood Sect's current lineup was considerably larger than before. Not only were many elders and high-level disciples residing on the demonic ship, but the small town below was also filled with Crimson Blood Sect disciples—from Grand Achievent realm down to Golden Core, the Crimson Blood Sect had gathered almost all their available forces here, presenting a stance ready to fight to the death.
Perhaps intimidated by the Crimson Blood Sect's desperate ferocity, the Nine Abyss Sect forces, even with their slight advantage, didn't dare engage in direct confrontation, causing the battle between the two sects to reach a stalemate.
As for how Zhu Baiyi was injured? That was confidential, known only to a select few.
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As soon as the three approached, they were discovered and questioned by the patrolling disciples. Only when the accompanying elder presented his identity token were they allowed to pass. Even so, Jiang Mo and Yun Qingyue weren't imdiately permitted to board the demonic ship.
Not everyone recognized Yun Qingyue. The elder went forward to negotiate but was unsuccessful. He could only face the two with an apologetic expression: "The Sect Leader doesn't yet know of the Young Sect Leader's arrival. Without instructions, the subordinates don't dare to let you pass. I'm afraid the Young Sect Leader will have to rest briefly in the town below. Once I deliver the dicine to the Sect Leader, she will surely send soone to escort the Young Sect Leader aboard."
Yun Qingyue and Jiang Mo weren't particularly concerned about this and readily agreed. They were then guided to the small town below.
It was evident that this was just an ordinary town, modest in size with neat houses. Under normal circumstances, the town's residents would live peacefully, creating a lively atmosphere. However, now the town had been occupied by the Crimson Blood Sect, and the original residents had been driven away. Currently, the entire small town couldn't be called desolate, but the atmosphere was tense, very much like that of an impending major battle.
Jiang Mo and Yun Qingyue didn't reveal their identities, but at the very least, their cultivation levels were difficult for others to discern. Thus, the guiding disciple didn't dare to show any negligence. The two were settled in the finest mansion in the town. Before anyone from the demonic ship arrived, night had fallen.
Darkness wouldn't affect cultivators' vision, but out of habit, Jiang Mo still lit the candles in the room.
The flickering candlelight illuminated the dwelling. After lighting the lamps, Jiang Mo casually pushed open the adjacent window.
The night breeze entered, causing the candle flas to waver. Jiang Mo poked her head out for a look and saw heavy clouds overhead, without a trace of moonlight. Listening more carefully, she discovered there wasn't even the sound of insects at night; the surroundings were quiet enough to make one uneasy.
If this had been before her transmigration, Jiang Mo would have been frightened by such an atmosphere. But now, with the confidence that ca from her strength, she showed no unusual expression on her face. Turning back to Yun Qingyue, she could even rationally say: "Ah Yue, sothing's not right outside. It got dark too quickly, and the atmosphere is unusual. Sothing might happen."
The Swan Goose, having reverted to a size that could perch on Jiang Mo's shoulder, spread her wings and landed on the windowsill upon hearing this. She also poked her head out for a look but paid no attention to the excessively quiet surroundings, instead raising her head to stare at the gloomy sky for a long ti.
After a while, Yun Qingyue finally returned inside and said: "It's probably the influence of this place." After a pause, she added: "According to earlier rumors, in this conflict between the Nine Abyss Sect and Crimson Blood Sect, the Nine Abyss Sect deliberately provoked it. Perhaps they learned that the Crimson Blood Sect couldn't contact their Sect Leader and decided to risk trying to take down the Crimson Blood Sect in one move, choosing a battlefield advantageous to them."
Demonic sects differed from righteous path sects; demonic sects more strongly advocated survival of the fittest. The Sect Leader was often the strongest in the sect, and the entire demonic sect operated at the Sect Leader's command. For instance, the Nine Abyss Sect Leader was ambitious, and under his influence, the entire Nine Abyss Sect even dared to tamper with the sealing formation of the demonic realm. Another example was Zhu Baiyi, who wasn't bloodthirsty; under her control, the Crimson Blood Sect, known for its killing, hadn't committed massacres or city exterminations for many years.
Given the Sect Leader's strength and their control over the demonic sect, one can imagine how significant it would be for Sect Leader Zhu to go underground and completely lose contact. It made perfect sense for the Nine Abyss Sect to act at this ti. They probably hadn't anticipated the coincidence—just as they made their move, Zhu Baiyi appeared, leading to the current awkward situation.
Jiang Mo thought this made sense, but the gloomy environnt outside still made her uncomfortable. She shook her head, closed the open window, and turned to Yun Qingyue: "Never mind, let's just stay alert tonight."
Yun Qingyue agreed. Neither of them planned to sleep or rest that night, and the candles they had lit burned out by the ti night deepened.
Jiang Mo sat cross-legged on the bed in ditation, while holding the Swan Goose in her arms—both absorbed spiritual energy rapidly, and cultivating together produced an effect similar to setting up a spirit-gathering formation. Although such cultivation was rely a drop in the bucket for Yun Qingyue's recovery, having sothing was better than nothing. Since Jiang Mo had discovered this, the two had been cultivating this way.
Tonight was no different. As the two cultivated, the spiritual energy within a hundred miles quickly gathered around them. The Crimson Blood Sect disciples in the small town, also taking advantage of the night to cultivate, couldn't compete at all and could only watch as a vortex of spiritual energy gradually ford above the mansion.
Deep into the night, dark clouds obscured the moon, and the small town was shrouded in profound darkness.
Perhaps because the spiritual energy vortex that appeared tonight was too "conspicuous," with rustling sounds, sothing gathered under the cover of darkness, gradually surrounding the mansion...
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