Jiangnan, Gantang Channel.
Just outside the clan grounds of the Sea-Farer Li Clan, groups of Qi Refining disciples were working overtime, hurriedly setting up formations and constructing Dao platforms.
Before long, restricting formations rose from the ground, encircling a Dao platform. Centered around this platform, the formations enveloped the entirety of Gantang Channel like a spider's web. Upon the Dao platform stood a young cultivator with his hands behind his back. The radiant light of divine abilities swirled around him as he gazed forward with a dark, sinister expression.
A moment later, he suddenly transmitted a divine sense message:
"Two Senior Uncles, do you think the Sea-Farer Li Clan will come out?"
Before his words faded, a divine sense transmission immediately replied: "Of course. In the end, they are merely rogue cultivators. Seeing us establishing a formation here, fear will inevitably strike their hearts."
This was an incredibly bizarre scene.
In truth, even if someone proficient in heavenly eye arts, possessing acute divine sense, and capable of calculating heavenly mysteries were present, they wouldn't be able to see where the speaker was located.
Only a Great Perfected One at the late stage of Foundation Establishment would be able to faintly perceive a thin veil of smoke beside the young cultivator. This smoke screen severed all divine sense perception. And behind the smoke screen stood two cultivators with surging auras and higher statures, each wreathed in the radiant light of their Life-Bound Divine Abilities.
"This spiritual treasure of yours is quite extraordinary, Fellow Daoist."
One of them, dressed in a black robe, looked at the smoke screen and sighed softly:
"With our cultivation bases, standing here should be like cranes standing among a flock of chickens, striking terror into the hearts of these rogue cultivators in Jiangnan. Yet, no one has noticed anything amiss."
The other shook his head and spoke in a deep voice:
"This treasure is not mine; it was lent to me by Perfected One Xiang Ye. Furthermore, its effect is limited to those below the Great Perfected One level. A Great Perfected One would be able to see through this concealment."
"Even so, it is still a wondrous treasure."
If Lu Yang were here, he would definitely recognize the two of them.
After all, one of them was Chen Taihe, Master of Heaven-Mending Peak, and the other was Wu Cang. Both were Lu Yang's old acquaintances, and they had even shared life-and-death experiences with him in the past.
"If you ask me, there's no need for all this hassle, setting up an ambush on purpose," Wu Cang shook his head. "With our cultivation bases, unless a Great Perfected One from the Sword Pavilion arrives in person, who could possibly stop us? We should just violently breach the formation, wipe out Gantang Channel, and return as quickly as possible. Skulking around like this only invites unexpected variables."
Hearing this, the Master of Heaven-Mending Peak glanced at Wu Cang and chuckled:
"A typical rogue cultivator."
Wu Cang: "???"
The moment these words were spoken, Wu Cang's previously calm expression instantly contorted. His face darkened terrifyingly, and a hint of ferocity surfaced in his eyes.
"Fellow Daoist... what do you mean by that?"
As a Foundation Establishment Perfected One who joined the Saint Sect only after reincarnating, his past as a rogue cultivator had always been the greatest sore spot in his heart, a lifelong stain on his record.
Therefore, he hated it the most when people called him a rogue cultivator!
Seeing this, the Master of Heaven-Mending Peak shook his head and continued, "Fellow Daoist Wu Cang, if you don't want people calling you a rogue cultivator, you need to shed the mindset of a rogue cultivator."
"If you constantly maintain this rogue cultivator mindset, then even if people don't openly call you one, they will only ever look at you through the lens of a rogue cultivator behind your back... Take your suggestion just now, for example: violently breach the formation? That's exactly the kind of logical reasoning a rogue cultivator, who only knows how to act tough and fight ruthlessly, would have."
Hearing this, Wu Cang grew exasperated and retorted:
"Then according to you, fishing here is completely fine? Will the person inside Gantang Channel actually come out? What if he chooses to turtle up and defend?"
"Is that so?"
The Master of Heaven-Mending Peak nodded, then changed his tone: "Then let me ask you, Fellow Daoist. If you were Perfected One Xiaohai of Gantang Channel, would you make a move?"
"Of course not."
Wu Cang instinctively shook his head. "As someone also at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, how would I dare to take on a Perfected One of the Saint Sect? Of course I would defend. Waiting until reinforcements from the Sword Pavilion arrive is the most logical choice."
"And what if the reinforcements from the Sword Pavilion have already arrived?"
"Oh? Who?"
"Ye Guyue, Foundation Establishment Perfection."
"Then what is there to fear? Just directly—"
Wu Cang instinctively blurted out, but before he could finish, he closed his mouth, his face completely black. Seeing this, the Master of Heaven-Mending Peak laughed. "This is the mindset of a rogue cultivator."
As if verifying his words, the next second, the formation gates of Gantang Channel swung wide open. Two streaks of light flew out, charging straight toward the three of them.
"They really came!"
The Master of Heaven-Mending Peak grinned widely. Ever since he obtained intelligence that Ye Guyue had already arrived at Gantang Channel, he had been prepared to besiege the point and strike the reinforcements.
As for how he knew this information... it was actually quite simple. He managed to capture a Foundation Establishment guest elder of the Ye family. Then, using the Heaven-Mending True Scripture, he extracted the method of contacting the Ye family and intercepted their communications. Thus, he learned of Ye Guyue's movement toward Gantang Channel.
"The time has come. You strike first, Fellow Daoist."
The Master of Heaven-Mending Peak spoke in a deep voice. "Your appearance will lower their guard, Fellow Daoist. After that, fight while retreating, and lure the two of them into the restricting formation I've set up."
Hearing this, Wu Cang walked out with a sour expression on his face.
Damn it! What's wrong with being a rogue cultivator? Did a rogue cultivator eat your family's rice? You talk all that big talk, but in the end, don't you still have to rely on this rogue cultivator?
Meanwhile, the Master of Heaven-Mending Peak was calculating inwardly.
'I offended Hong Yun previously. Making this trip for him now can be considered mending our relationship. He might even support me in breaking through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment in the future.'
Following that, he cast another glance toward Gantang Channel.
'Interesting. That Perfected One Xiaohai actually broke through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment? No wonder Ye Guyue made a special trip. Is she planning to use this momentum to send him into the Sword Pavilion?'
'That works out nicely. I'll just have Wu Cang and Tuan Xu delay them. That will make Ye Guyue think the situation is under control and that she can win on her own even without Perfected One Xiaohai. If things go well, I won't even need to make a move—she'll kill him herself. Then I'll strike, achieving victory without expending any effort...'
At this thought, his confidence soared even higher.
No matter how you looked at it, the ratio of Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones was three to one. Their side had an extra early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from the direct lineage of the Saint Sect. The advantage lay with him!
However...
The Master of Heaven-Mending Peak was completely unaware that just above the smoke screen he was hiding in, a figure was sitting amidst the clouds, observing him coldly.
"So it's Chen Taihe."
Chong Guang frowned slightly. "This is going to be tricky. The Master of Heaven-Mending Peak is definitely carrying an Imperial Decree Jade Tablet. I can't just kill him; it would be too easy to alert the snake in the grass."
The Imperial Order Jade Tablets of the four inner peaks of the Saint Sect were different from other methods.
Not only was the jade tablet itself bound to the soul, but it was also bound to karma. It could be activated manually, but it could also trigger passively. It was personally forged by a Perfected Lord.
Acting rashly would only backfire.
But very quickly, a smile blossomed on Chong Guang's face. "This is also an opportunity. Since it's inconvenient to make a move against the Saint Sect's side, I'll just use the Sword Pavilion as my target."
"I'll take this chance to lure out another Great Perfected One from the Sword Pavilion and let the inner demon eat them."
"Once the Sword Pavilion increase the stakes, I'll have a legitimate reason to deal with the Master of Heaven-Mending Peak, forcing the Saint Sect to increase the stakes as well. We'll just keep escalating until the Perfected Lords themselves descend!"
Thinking of this, he even felt a little excited.
After all, ever since becoming the Acting Sect Master of the Saint Sect, he rarely schemed against individuals anymore. He usually relied on grand momentum to crush people. He hadn't expected to return to his old profession today.