Chapter 59 : Sudden Upheaval! Opportunity!
Chapter 59: Sudden Upheaval! Opportunity!
The Cloud Vessel of the Wuyi Sect slowly descended, and a squad of elite disciples filed out in orderly succession.
However, Long Tao immediately sensed that something was off.
These disciples, just like their Golden Core elders, showed no trace of tension—there was even a hint of leisure about them.
They looked nothing like a group about to explore a Secret Realm.
This was absolutely not the state Wuyi Sect elite disciples should have been in.
Long Tao knew something was amiss.
At the Secret Realm entrance, the three True Persons—True Person Mingzhu, True Person Zhiying, and True Person Duanyue—also instantly perceived the irregularity.
The two sides had been hostile for many years and knew each other well, including detailed intelligence on each other’s outstanding disciples.
Yet among the Wuyi Sect disciples before them, there was not a single renowned Sect Prodigy.
Long Tao also keenly realized that the Wuyi Sect’s intentions were far from a simple, by-the-book exploration of the Secret Realm.
An instinct told him that the long-awaited opportunity might be about to arrive.
He swiftly returned to the vessel cabin, slung the bulging bundle onto his back, and prepared himself to act at a moment’s notice.
At the stern, Elder Xu wore a grave expression.
His gaze was not directed toward the main stage at the Secret Realm entrance but was instead locked tightly on the direction where the independent cultivators had gathered.
Although he was a lowest-grade Golden Core cultivator not specializing in combat, anyone who could reach the Golden Core realm had survived countless battles and possessed an extraordinary sensitivity to danger and hostility.
At this moment, Elder Xu clearly sensed a thick wave of malice spreading from the independent cultivators.
A group of Foundation Establishment independent cultivators would never dare release hostility of this magnitude.
This meant that among them, there had to be Golden Core cultivators hiding! Combined with the unnaturally relaxed demeanor of the Wuyi Sect disciples, Elder Xu immediately thought of the worst possibility: the Wuyi Sect had a greater scheme, and among these independent cultivators, at least one Golden Core cultivator had already colluded with the Wuyi Sect in advance!
But why? For a mid-to-low-tier Secret Realm, why would the Wuyi Sect mobilize such force? According to convention, the two major sects would first take the primary resources, then allow the independent cultivators to enter and scavenge the leftovers—a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Unless… the Wuyi Sect had learned of some unknown secret, something hidden within this Secret Realm that was worth tearing all pretenses apart to obtain!
At this thought, Elder Xu hesitated no longer.
He immediately barked orders to restart the Cloud Vessel, fully activate all defensive mechanisms, and simultaneously sent a voice transmission to the three True Persons at the entrance: the Wuyi Sect was plotting something!
At the very instant the defensive formation flared to life, a sharp True Essence spell erupted from the independent cultivator crowd and slammed into the side of the Cloud Vessel.
Fortunately, it was blocked by the shield that had just risen, but the entire Cloud Vessel was still shaken violently.
Almost at the same time, the Wuyi Sect disciples—who had been pretending to stand in formation—tore off their disguises.
Their figures flickered like ghosts as they simultaneously employed the Illusory Body Art, charging into the Secret Realm at speeds indistinguishable to the naked eye.
“These are not ordinary disciples—they are Wuyi’s assassination unit! They are here to kill!” True Person Duanyue shouted harshly.
The three, who had just received Elder Xu’s transmission and did not yet fully understand the situation, saw the enemy suddenly launch a killing move and immediately stopped holding back.
Each unleashed lethal attacks toward the assassins rushing into the Secret Realm.
However, the Wuyi Sect’s Golden Core cultivators had long been prepared and intercepted every attack.
Just as the opposing side was secretly congratulating themselves, they were horrified to discover that among the assassination unit that had just rushed into the Secret Realm, four had already turned into corpses and reappeared outside the entrance, collapsing one after another before True Person Zhiying.
Of the twelve elite assassins dispatched by the Wuyi Sect, fully one-third had fallen right at the entrance—and no one had even seen how she struck.
“Zhiying! You—!” A Wuyi Sect Golden Core True Person exclaimed in shock and fury.
Everything had been meticulously prepared; all twelve had successfully rushed in under their cover, yet four had still been killed in such an eerie manner.
That damned time-based cultivation art—it truly defied all reason!
What answered him was True Person Zhiying’s contemptuous snort.
“Pity that the flow of time inside and outside the Secret Realm is slightly out of sync. Otherwise, I could have slaughtered them all. I should actually thank you—those boring Divine Sense clashes just now were almost putting me to sleep.”
She lightly flicked the longsword in her hand, the tip pointing remotely at the three Wuyi Sect Golden Core cultivators, and said clearly, “I do not know why you could no longer restrain yourselves and chose to tear off the mask, but… the two rats hiding among the independent cultivators should come out as well! With me, Zhiying, here, three against five is still an advantage on our side!”
The two Golden Core cultivators lurking among the independent cultivators felt deeply insulted by True Person Zhiying’s words.
They immediately stopped hiding, leaping into the air from the crowd and shedding all disguises.
When these two revealed their true appearances, the surrounding Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining independent cultivators turned deathly pale and fled outward in a mad rush like a receding tide.
“Acrid Unforgiven, Withered-Hand Elder? Your Wuyi Sect has already fallen so far as to associate with trash like this?” Zhiying mocked, her gaze sweeping over the three Wuyi Sect Golden Core True Persons.
The three snorted coldly in unison.
Though they offered no reply, the undisguised disgust on their faces clearly showed that they too held these infamous independent cultivators in contempt.
“Zhiying and Mingzhu… two great beauties of the Nine-Xia Heavenly Sect gathered together—this job was truly worth taking!” Withered-Hand Elder split his mouth into a grin, revealing a mouthful of yellowed teeth.
His right hand, withered like dead wood, trembled slightly as his lewd gaze roamed back and forth over the two female cultivators, showing no fear whatsoever of these long-famous Golden Core cultivators.
On the other side, Acrid Unforgiven remained expressionless.
His longsword pointed straight at Zhiying, killing intent surging around him, clearly treating her as the only opponent worthy of serious attention.
Both independent cultivators had already reached the Late Golden Core Stage.
To cultivate to such a realm as independent cultivators, their methods and strength were anything but ordinary.
Although Zhiying had spoken boldly moments ago, she now dared not show the slightest carelessness and focused her mind fully, preparing for battle.
…
Just as the Golden Core clash was about to erupt, the Cloud Vessel on the other side began to rock violently after enduring consecutive fierce assaults from the two independent Golden Core cultivators.
Seizing the moment, Long Tao pretended to lose his footing, staggering to the edge of the vessel.
Seeing that no one was paying attention and that Elder Xu was fully focused on controlling the defensive formation, he made a decisive choice and leapt off the Cloud Vessel.
By the time Elder Xu noticed, Long Tao had already landed on the ground.
The elder cried out inwardly in alarm: a Qi Refining disciple falling into a Golden Core battlefield could be reduced to ash at any moment.
Yet he had no choice but to maintain the Cloud Vessel’s defenses with all his strength.
He could not recklessly descend—otherwise, the lives of all the maintenance masters aboard would be lost.
If the Cloud Vessel landed, desperate individuals among the fleeing independent cultivators would certainly take the chance to loot it.
Should they encounter a well-coordinated raiding group, he would have no spare attention to deal with them.
Just as Elder Xu anxiously pondered how to rescue Long Tao, he saw the boy wave at him from the ground, then point toward the Secret Realm entrance.
Immediately after, Long Tao hoisted the massive bundle onto his back and ran straight toward the core area where the Golden Core cultivators were clashing!
Elder Xu instantly understood Long Tao’s intent: charging directly toward the Secret Realm at this moment was actually the choice with the highest survival probability.
Staying put would mean being swept up in the Golden Core battle, while fleeing outward risked being robbed or killed by independent cultivators.
In contrast, heading toward the Secret Realm entrance might allow him to receive incidental protection from the three Golden Core cultivators, and after entering the Secret Realm, he might even reunite with his own team if luck favored him.
Though it was still a nine-deaths-one-life gamble, there was at least a sliver of hope.
Elder Xu could not help but reassess Long Tao.
A mere Qi Refining disciple, yet in such a desperate situation he remained calm and made a decision that seemed reckless but was in fact correct at the first opportunity.
This boy was absolutely not simple… though Elder Xu could not help wondering why he insisted on carrying that huge bundle.
As for Long Tao, although this sudden crisis was perilous, it also gave him a perfect opportunity and excuse to charge into the Secret Realm.
If he were lucky enough to come out alive, he would even have a plausible explanation, avoiding being treated by the sect as a spy.
When the three Golden Core cultivators at the entrance saw him rushing over, their expressions differed.
True Person Mingzhu frowned slightly, then understood, signaling with her eyes for him to quickly enter the Secret Realm.
True Person Zhiying smiled charmingly, as if she had seen an interesting toy, and casually blocked a sneak attack from Withered-Hand Elder with a single sword strike.
True Person Duanyue directly deployed a layer of True Essence shielding around him and said in a deep voice,
“If you encounter our own people after going in, tell them that eight Wuyi assassins have infiltrated the Secret Realm. This exploration has already become a life-and-death battle. Fang Wuqi will know what to do.”
Long Tao nodded heavily.
He could not help but glance back at the battlefield.
Three against five—the situation was utterly dire.
But the only thing he could do now was choose to trust these Golden Core True Persons of his own sect and rush into the vortex-like Secret Realm entrance at the fastest speed possible.