Chapter 220 – Opportunity and Trap
The borderlands between the righteous and demonic sects.
With the news spreading that the cave mansion of an ancient powerhouse had emerged, countless cultivators flocked here in hopes of treasure. However, the time had not yet come when the mansion's restrictions would be at their weakest. Moreover, since the mansion lay within demonic sect territory, the righteous cultivators were only active near the border for now, not daring to step into enemy ground.
Everyone was waiting—for the moment the mansion's barriers weakened before making their move. Though the risk was immense, whether it be spirit weapons or Nascent Soul Pills, the lure was irresistible.
Thus, even with danger looming, there was no shortage of ambitious Core Formation cultivators eager to try their luck.
This was especially true for those on the Heavenly Chosen Ranking. Their combat power already surpassed ordinary peers of the same realm, and with that strength to rely on, they longed even more for the chance at greater fortunes.
So far, no Nascent Soul True Lords had appeared. After all, Nascent Soul Pills were useless to them. As for spirit weapons, they were indeed part of a True Lord's standard arsenal, but unless one was newly advanced, any Nascent Soul cultivator could, with enough years, nurture a spirit weapon of their own.
And such self-nurtured weapons were far more attuned to oneself than a ready-made piece. Unless the mansion held a weapon of extraordinary grade, few Nascent Soul True Lords would be moved.
But their absence did not mean indifference. If something inside could tempt even them, they would act.
Days passed, until the barriers of the mansion reached their weakest point. At once, righteous cultivators surged toward it.
The demonic sects, having also received the news, rushed in at the same time.
The two sides clashed instantly. Very quickly, the righteous gained the upper hand, for among them stood many from the Heavenly Chosen Ranking—their might became a sharp spear thrust deep into the demonic ranks.
By contrast, the demonic side had no Heavenly Chosen present—only loose cultivators, whose strength was no match for their righteous counterparts.
"Something's wrong!"
Some cultivators, watching this unfold, felt unease. For a cave mansion so valuable, how could the demonic sects send no Heavenly Chosen at all? Their disciples faced far fiercer competition than the righteous, and their hunger for opportunities was greater still.
"Presumptuous! This is demonic sect territory—you dare trespass so freely?"
Just as certain cultivators prepared to retreat, a cold voice rang out.
A heartbeat later, a terrifying aura erupted—Nascent Soul level. A tide of devilish qi swept across the battlefield, annihilating all the righteous cultivators who had stepped into demonic territory, including more than a dozen Heavenly Chosen.
"Stop!"
Sensing the ambush, the righteous Nascent Soul True Lords rushed over at once, attempting a rescue.
But against a prepared trap, they were too late.
"You—!"
One righteous True Lord pointed at the demonic Nascent Soul expert, furious. Striking down juniors with such overwhelming advantage—utterly shameless.
"What of it? They trespassed into demonic territory. Should they not be slain?" the demonic cultivator replied coolly.
"Very well!"
The righteous True Lord swallowed his rage. It was true—trespassers into enemy lands had no excuse if they died. Unless both sides wanted all-out war.
But if war was truly on the table, there would be no need to hold a so-called Heavenly Chosen War in the first place.
Having suffered such a loss, the righteous sects soon sought revenge in another form: a massive sweep for infiltrators. After all, many demonic Heavenly Chosen were known to have slipped into righteous territory to gather materials for their arts.
Though costly, such large-scale probes could not be avoided—not after losing over a dozen Heavenly Chosen in one blow. Without action, their side would be at a severe disadvantage when the Heavenly Chosen War arrived.
Their efforts bore fruit: seven or eight demonic Heavenly Chosen were uncovered. Few in number, but those bold enough to infiltrate righteous lands ranked high on the list. The demonic sects thus suffered painful losses as well.
Before the Heavenly Chosen War even began, one-tenth of the roster had already perished. Both sides now recognized the gravity of the situation.
In the end, righteous and demonic sects were forced back to the negotiation table. To prevent the Heavenly Chosen War from collapsing, both agreed to replenish their lost contestants.
The conditions: participants must not exceed Core Formation, and must be under a hundred years of age.
With this rule, the stakes of the competition clearly rose. Each side would almost certainly dispatch their true disciples.
Before, opponents were chosen by the other side, giving no say in selection. Now, with the power to choose their own representatives, ensuring victory meant sending their very best—true disciples were the safest bet.
Yet the cost was high. If true disciples clashed, any loss would be a grievous wound to their sects. But if they withheld them and lost, the humiliation would be unbearable.
The Heavenly Chosen War had already been advertised far and wide. Not only the Tianyuan Realm, but even other cultivation realms would send observers. Losing here meant disgrace broadcast across the cultivation world.
To protect their disciples' lives, or their sects' honor—that was a bitter dilemma.
"All of this is the work of the Corpse Yin Sect! Were it not for their schemes, none of this would've happened!" one righteous True Lord thundered. The so-called ancient cave mansion was but bait, drawing righteous cultivators in to be slaughtered.
"The Corpse Yin Sect lost a true disciple. Naturally, they would not accept it quietly," another True Lord remarked. The demonic sects' seemingly senseless ploy, once investigated, revealed the cause: one of Corpse Yin's true disciples had perished within righteous territory.
"Then it seems we profited!"
Hearing that, the righteous side suddenly felt they had come out ahead. Yes, they had lost over a dozen Heavenly Chosen, but none were true disciples of the top sects.
Those true disciples were the real prodigies among prodigies—losing even one would cause their sects unbearable grief.
"By the way, who was it that struck the killing blow? Why weren't we informed in advance, so we could prepare accordingly?" asked one True Lord.
At that, the room fell silent.
"You mean it wasn't any of you?"
The Taiqing Sect's Great Elder, who had led negotiations with the demonic side, broke the silence.
"Then it must have been some reclusive Nascent Soul cultivator." In the cultivation world, beyond sect-bound True Lords, there existed solitary ones—rogues without sect or banner, who devoted themselves entirely to cultivation. Their dao-hearts were firm, and their strength not weak.
Of course, while such hermits could focus solely on training, they lacked the backing of a sect. In the end, the most powerful cultivators almost always belonged to the great sects.
"Could it have been done by a Core Formation cultivator?" another True Lord suggested. It was still within the realm of possibility.
"In that case, which sect's true disciples have been traveling abroad recently?" another asked.
Only the true disciples of the three great sects could have slain a Corpse Yin Sect true disciple—and even then, it would need to be one of the higher-ranked ones.
Yet the representatives of the Taiqing Sect, Yin-Yang Sword Sect, and Shennong Valley all shook their heads.
"Sword Lord Tianhen, what about your disciple?"
Suddenly, one of the Nascent Soul True Lords turned his gaze toward the corner, where Xuan Tianhen sat. As the sole Nascent Soul of the Grand Yan Sect, he was naturally present at this meeting.
Of course, he was here only to make up the numbers. Unless it came to an outright battle, he was essentially invisible. Negotiations didn't interest him in the slightest—he cared only for killing demonic sect cultivators.
That question, however, drew the attention of many True Lords. If one were to name the most remarkable anomaly on the Heavenly Chosen Ranking lately, it would be Grand Yan Sect's Lin Wu.
The only cultivator from outside the three great sects to break into the top ten of the rankings.
Many speculated Lin Wu possessed strength fully equal to a true disciple of the top sects. No—there was no need to speculate. The fact that he had formed an Immortal Golden Core already proved it. That was the standard of a true disciple from the greatest sects—and not just any true disciple, but among the most elite.
If it were him, with a sword cultivator's terrifying killing edge, a sudden strike absolutely could have slain a Corpse Yin Sect true disciple.
"He's in seclusion," Xuan Tianhen replied flatly without even lifting his head.
From what he knew of Lin Wu, facing that Corpse Yin disciple, there was no need for ambush. He could have slain him head-on.
But in truth, this incident had nothing to do with his disciple. Xuan Tianhen had no wish to attract further enmity toward Lin Wu—his disciple was already marked as a must-kill target by the demonic sects.
Last time, they had even dispatched a Nascent Soul Demon Lord against him. If not for a passing Nascent Soul cultivator intervening, the result would have been catastrophic.
If he admitted now that Lin Wu had slain a Corpse Yin true disciple, the Corpse Yin Sect would explode in fury.
"In that case, it must have been some reclusive Nascent Soul cultivator." In the end, the matter was officially written off as such. Whether anyone truly believed it or not, that was the explanation given.
---
Shennong Valley.
"As expected, a sudden opportunity can just as easily be a trap."
Gu Mo looked over the latest intelligence report, which detailed the so-called ancient cave mansion incident.
Learning that the supposed fortune was in fact a Corpse Yin Sect snare, Gu Mo couldn't help but feel relieved. Of course, had he gone, he could likely have escaped even from a Nascent Soul Demon Lord's strike—but only by exposing many of his hidden cards.
Gu Mo still preferred to remain low-key. That way, even if someone schemed against him, they wouldn't commit overwhelming force, and he could deal with it easily.
As for enemies he did want to eliminate, his sword-cultivator avatar would act. Hatred would be drawn to the avatar; so would the chance to flaunt power.
Thus, maintaining the avatar's strength was crucial. After all, without sufficient power, showing off only invited disaster.
"Xiaohua!"
Gu Mo produced a petal and touched it lightly with his divine sense. In an instant, the palm-sized Xiaohua appeared.
"Xiao Mo, what do you need from me?" she asked brightly.
"I've got a delivery for you."
Gu Mo handed her a storage pouch. Inside was an ice-element pseudo-spirit sword that had already awakened its spirit, along with a new batch of top-grade third-rank Swordheart Bamboo.
By studying the fourth-rank Swordheart Bamboo, Ding Shiyan had improved her cultivation of the plant. The newest batch she had raised had already reached third-rank top grade.
Of course, her success was not only due to the insights from observing the fourth-rank bamboo, but also Gu Mo's steady supply of Sun Essence.
With a Sun-Glaze Blossom as cover, all the Sun Essence Gu Mo handed out could be passed off as harvested from it.
So long as his master Qi Chunde, Ding Shiyan, and Elder Liu Shulan of the alchemy line didn't all compare notes, no one would ever realize the Sun Essence Gu Mo was producing had already exceeded the blossom field's limits many times over.
"Alrighty!"
Hearing it was a delivery, Xiaohua's eyes lit up. It was the easiest job with the best reward: run an errand, get good food. Unlike tending the Sun-Glaze Blossoms, which required painstaking effort before reaping Solar Energy in return.
Taking the pouch, Xiaohua cast Wood Escape and vanished.
---
Grand Yan Sect.
When his true body summoned Xiaohua, Gu Mo's avatar was already waiting. Xiaohua blinked in surprise—this "Little Lin" always seemed mysterious, able to anticipate her arrival every time.
"Don't forget to leave a good review," she chirped as she set the pouch down before disappearing again. Long ago, she and Gu Mo had agreed that a "good review" meant extra pay.
So after every delivery, she would remind him. In fact, to earn such reviews, if the recipient was in danger, Xiaohua wouldn't hesitate to lend a hand.
That was the real purpose behind Gu Mo's "review system"—a subtle way to ensure Xiaohua would intervene when needed. And the targets weren't limited to his avatar. Whoever received a delivery could gain her aid.
Though Xiaohua had only recently advanced to a fourth-rank demon king, her power was growing with startling speed—all thanks to Gu Mo's steady feeding of Sun Essence.
The Sun Essence benefitted spirit plants even more than spirit beasts. Xiao li also enjoyed Gu Mo's frequent gifts, yet still lingered at peak third rank, unable to break through.
For Xiao li to advance, Gu Mo would likely need to prepare a substantial amount of fourth-rank Sun Essence. But since even he never had enough for himself, that plan would have to wait.
Only once he had a surplus could he help Xiao li ascend.
As Gu Mo pondered this, a powerful aura suddenly surged from nearby. He instantly recognized the sensation. He had felt something similar once before from Xiaohua.
Of course, this aura was different in nature—but that feeling of imminent breakthrough was the same.
This time, however, it was not a spirit plant ascending, but a human cultivator.
"Master is breaking through!"
When Gu Mo arrived at the source, he found it was none other than Qi Chunde's secluded courtyard.
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