"Huh. Are you all right? Hú Yì!" Lán Tíng pushed herself up from the dusty floor, having been thrown violently by Mò Zhàn's power. Not just her, but every disciple of the Green Pine Sect was scattered, bruised, and weak. Hú Yì, in particular, remained unconscious from the crushing blow he'd endured.
"That contemptible brat from the Jīn Yàn Sect will absolutely pay for this," Lán Tíng vowed, her hands clenching into furious fists.
"Who was that guy?" a nearby member asked, painfully struggling to stand.
"I didn't recognize him," Lán Tíng admitted, "but I'd wager he's a Jīn Yàn disciple, considering the man who stopped him was their Sect Master, Yáng Zhàn."
"Oh, it's horrifying. If that man hadn't intervened, we would have all been killed. It's clear they were specifically targeting Brother Lei."
Lán Tíng's eyes narrowed, sweeping the empty hall. "Lei Ze, where are you?" she muttered, quickly helping the others stabilize themselves.
Two disciples hurried to lift Hú Yì. "Ugh, Brother Hú Yì is surprisingly heavy," one groaned.
Lán Tíng summoned her flying sword and mounted it immediately. "We must depart. Brother Lei may need our assistance."
They quickly flew out of the temple.
Back at the Green Pine Mountain, a disciple, clearly terrified, burst into the main hall, trembling uncontrollably.
Lǐ Yúnzhōu, looked up, puzzled, as did Jìng Xū. "Is there an issue, Jié?" Jìng Xū asked, addressing the disciple.
Jié bowed low, still shaking. "Lord Master, our disciples were severely wounded by Mò Zhàn!"
Jìng Xū's eyes widened in disbelief and alarm. "Mò Zhàn? The most powerful young cultivator in the Eastern Lands? I thought he had left the region."
Lǐ Yúnzhōu paced thoughtfully. "Hmph, Yáng Zhàn must be involved. He knew we possessed the knowledge of the Jade Sun Pagoda's location, and he sent his son to claim the artifact."
"Lord Master," Jié added, his voice strained, "Sect Master Yáng Zhàn is also present at the hunt, and they were actively pursuing Lei Ze. We cannot locate Lei Ze anywhere."
"What! Yáng Zhàn is there? And Lei Ze is missing?"
Jìng Xū staggered backward, a sudden wave of fear washing over him. He thought: "Yáng Zhàn and I were close friends once, but we fell out because of the terrible things he and Yǒng Yì tried to do... and I was the one who caused Lei Ze's mother's death in that terrible incident."
Jìng Xū instantly shot off, rushing toward the Wǔ Yán Gǔ territory. Lǐ Yúnzhōu, with quiet authority, commanded the three remaining sect leaders to protect the sect before he, too, flew toward the valley.
In the fiery Wǔ Yán Gǔ, the Jīn Yàn Sect and the Bì Yù Zōng Sect disciples were already facing off.
"It's the Jīn Yàn Sect! Attack!" The Bì Yù Zōng members conjured numerous spiritual attacks, launching them at the Jīn Yàn group.
Fortunately, Yáng Zhàn, Mò Zhàn, and Měi Lín arrived just in time. Yáng Zhàn effortlessly extended his hand, absorbing and dissipating all incoming attacks.
"It is Lord Yáng Zhàn!" a Bì Yù Zōng disciple gasped.
Moments later, the Green Pine Sect arrived, led by Lán Tíng. Lán Tíng charged forward, pointing her sword accusingly at the Jīn Yàn group. "You ruthless sect! Where is Lei Ze?" she demanded.
Měi Lín stepped forward, meeting her challenge. "How dare you speak to my sect with such insolence!"
Měi Lín, a skilled sword artist, flew toward Lán Tíng with incredible speed. Lán Tíng, also a dedicated sword artist perhaps Mid Tier, raised her weapon, and the two were about to clash.
Before their swords could meet, a familiar golden Vajra Barrier, the Buddha Bell Shield technique materialized between them.
When their swords struck the shield, the impact violently threw both girls backward.
"Huh? What was that technique?"
Yáng Zhàn smiled faintly, recognizing the technique immediately. "An old friend," he murmured to himself.
Jìng Xū flew down and landed among his Green Pine disciples, facing the Jīn Yàn Sect Master directly. "How dare you, Yáng Zhàn!"
Yáng Zhàn maintained his composed smile.
"Relax, old friend."
Everyone present, even Mò Zhàn, was visibly shocked.
"Old friend? How does Lord Yáng Zhàn know Master Jìng Xū?" Murmurs and rumors instantly erupted among the disciples.
"Enough of this, Yáng Zhàn," Lǐ Yúnzhōu's voice cut through the air. He slowly descended from the sky, exuding a quiet, formidable presence.
"What! Lord Lǐ Yúnzhōu is here too?"
"What in the world is happening?"
Lǐ Yúnzhōu stood between the two Masters, his hands clasped behind his back. "This is a treasure hunt for the junior generation, not a playground for Lords."
Yáng Zhàn showed a fleeting sign of unease, quickly replaced by a boastful pride.
"I simply came to observe how the hunt was progressing, and we were just about to leave."
Jìng Xū clenched his fists. "Where is Lei Ze?"
Yáng Zhàn's smile turned mocking. "Oh, Lei Ze? We encountered him earlier. He claimed the Pagoda, but his mind shattered soon after."
Jìng Xū panicked, sensing Yáng Zhàn was baiting him with a horrible truth. "What do you mean, 'mind shattered'?"
"So simple," Yáng Zhàn taunted. "Think carefully, and you'll realize why. He will very soon become your greatest enemy. And the enemy of the entire Green Pine Sect."
Lǐ Yúnzhōu's anger flared, and he released a powerful wave of compressed Qi, knocking the Jīn Yàn members back a step. Yáng Zhàn, however, stood firm. "Hmph."
"Let's retreat, this is turning into a battle of Lords," the Bì Yù Zōng sect members quickly agreed, making their escape.
Yáng Zhàn began to turn away, but at that exact moment, Lei Ze flew toward them, consumed by explosive rage aimed squarely at Jìng Xū.
"You lied to me!"
Black Qi erupted violently from Lei Ze's body, his fury overflowing. "You lied, Master Jìng Xū!"
He was coming with a devastating, black-infused punch.
"Demonic Energy!" Lǐ Yúnzhōu and Yáng Zhàn shouted the realization simultaneously.
Jìng Xū's eyes went wide with dread. The punch landed, but Jìng Xū managed to block it with the Vajra Barrier technique.
Lei Ze's fist pressed hard against the golden shield, coiling dark energy around the Buddhist technique, trying to shatter it with sheer force. Massive waves of energy burst outward from the point of impact.
"You were the reason my mother died!"
The shield began to crack, the pure gold surface spiderwebbing under the pressure of the overwhelming dark energy.
"Lei Ze, listen to me!" Jìng Xū pleaded, desperately holding onto the technique.
"Liar!"
Yáng Zhàn watched, a triumphant, satisfied smile creeping across his face, savoring the spectacular betrayal.
Lei Ze pulled his fist back momentarily, then smashed it down again, hard. The Vajra Barrier shattered like brittle glass, exploding into fragments.