Chapter 118: Chapter 116: Tribulation Cultivator’s Action Log

The Zhao Family had a talented young man named Zhao Tianxing.

He was strikingly handsome and possessed considerable talent for cultivation. Not long ago, through his family’s arrangements, he was accepted into the Flame God Palace, one of the three major sects in Yun Country.

The Flame God Palace was a Xuanmen Orthodox Sect in Yun Country with a long and storied history. Its foundation ran even deeper than that of the Yinluo Sect. The sect currently had two Supreme Elders at the Life Soul Realm, making it second only to the other great sect, Taihao Mountain.

After entering the Flame God Palace, Zhao Tianxing made many friends and was known for his generosity, quickly building a fine reputation for himself.

He became sworn brothers with a scion of the Zheng Family, one of the families subordinate to the Flame God Palace, and the two were as close as blood.

The Zheng Family had been attached to the Flame God Palace for many years, placing them on a completely different level than the Zhao Family, which was rooted in the Jiujiang Alliance, a territory inhabited by a mix of cultivation families and Loose Cultivators.

Zhao Tianxing’s actions were also a deliberate attempt to curry favor with the powers within the Flame God Palace.

Half a year ago, Zhao Tianxing brought his sworn brother from the Zheng Family back to the Jiujiang Alliance as a guest, where he stayed for over a month.

Later, an elder of the Zhao Family had some business to attend to and took Zhao Tianxing with him, so he left the family estate.

Logically, Young Master Zheng should have left as well. But unexpectedly, he showed no intention of leaving, insisting that he would wait at the Zhao estate for his sworn brother to return.

The Zhao Family could hardly kick him out, so they had no choice but to entertain him with the best food and drink, terrified of causing offense.

In reality, however, Young Master Zheng had taken a liking to Zhao Tianxing’s Daoist companion, a member of the Li family!

Unfortunately, the woman from the Li family was quite virtuous. She ignored Young Master Zheng’s flirtatious advances and frequently avoided her husband’s sworn brother.

Young Master Zheng tried various schemes but failed to succeed. Left with no other choice, he decided to achieve his goal by a roundabout route and first seduced Zhao Tianxing’s mother.

The very same Elder Qi of the Zhao Family!

Elder Qi was a beautiful middle-aged woman whose cultivation was much higher than her husband’s. She held considerable power in the Zhao Family, but she and her husband had been estranged for many years.

Thus, her body had long been lonely... With just a minor scheme, Young Master Zheng easily succeeded.

Then, he deliberately arranged for the woman from the Li family to see them in the act!

Fearing exposure and the ruin of her reputation, Elder Qi asked what they should do. Young Master Zheng took the opportunity to say that there was only one solution: drag the woman from the Li family down with them.

Only then could their affair be maintained long-term...

Bewitched by the man’s sweet talk, Elder Qi took the initiative to help him, ultimately allowing Young Master Zheng to successfully force himself upon her daughter-in-law from the Li family.

Young Master Zheng stayed at the Zhao estate, secretly enjoying himself with both the mother and daughter-in-law every night, having the time of his life.

When the wronged Zhao Tianxing finally returned, he discovered that his Daoist companion was not her usual self. This was especially true in their marital affairs, where she seemed to be forcing herself to participate, unlike her usual eager and joyful passion.

After they were finished, his wife then casually praised Young Master Zheng’s virtues, which made Zhao Tianxing extremely displeased.

The truth will always come out.

One day, Zhao Tianxing finally discovered Young Master Zheng in the act with his mother and his wife...

A conflict erupted between the two sworn brothers, and they fought. Zhao Tianxing was no match for Young Master Zheng and was defeated and injured. In a fit of rage, he killed his wife, the member of the Li family.

The Zhao Family dared not offend the Flame God Palace or the Zheng Family, so they could only watch helplessly as Young Master Zheng departed with a swagger.

The affair with Elder Qi became a family scandal. All the servants who knew about it were silenced permanently.

Now, only a handful of people in the entire Zhao Family know the truth.

The Zhao Family wanted to eliminate Elder Qi but couldn’t do it themselves, so they sought out "professionals."

After Monk Po Jie Shan Ba finished telling the story, he noticed everyone had been listening with great interest, looking as if they wanted to hear more.

He added, "Elder Qi has now been sent to guard a Spirit Field in a remote location owned by the Zhao Family. This is the perfect opportunity for us to make our move."

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The Jiujiang Alliance was located two thousand li east of Netherworld Valley.

Here, nine great rivers crisscrossed a vast expanse of flat, fertile land that stretched for a thousand li.

Further east lay the territory of the Flame God Palace.

Thirteen Life Talisman Families had formed an alliance to jointly resist the pressure from both the Yinluo Sect and the Flame God Palace. They gradually established a foothold in this region, attracting many Loose Cultivators and developing into a major, if loosely organized, power in Yun Country.

Although they couldn’t compare to the three major sects, they were much stronger than ordinary Cultivation Families.

The Zhao Family ranked last among the thirteen Life Talisman Families. Their only Life Talisman Elder was in seclusion for ascetic cultivation year-round. The Grand Elder who managed the family’s affairs was only at the Peak of Sensing Nine Layers, with no hope in sight of breaking through to the Life Talisman realm.

Now, with this incident involving Elder Qi, the Grand Elder had become even more anxious and agitated.

Fortunately, Elder Qi was also concerned about her reputation and had voluntarily left the family to stand guard at a remote Spirit Field, presumably hoping the matter would just blow over.

This was Fang Cheng’s first time acting as a Tribulation Cultivator, and he found it quite novel.

The job didn’t significantly hinder his cultivation, allowed him to conceal his identity, and helped him blend in with the Loose Cultivators of Netherworld Valley. It created the perfect conditions for him to wait for and explore the ruins of the Myriad Phenomena Immortal Sect.

Why wouldn’t he do it?

He and Wang Daqian’s group of four set out from Netherworld Valley, traveled east, and reached the territory of the Jiujiang Alliance within a few days.

They concealed their tracks and went straight to the Spirit Field guarded by the Zhao Family’s Elder Qi.

It was a sandbar in the middle of a river, also known as an islet.

Because it was situated at a confluence of the great river’s Spirit Veins, the Spiritual Qi was dense, making it extremely suitable for growing Spiritual Medicine.

On the sandbar were seven or eight medicine fields, with a bamboo grove in the center containing a few bamboo houses.

According to the information provided by the Zhao Family, Elder Qi was in one of those bamboo houses.

The group waited secretly in the woods by the riverbank. Only after sunset, when the moon had risen and darkness had fallen, did they don their masks and fly out silently, arriving at the perimeter of the sandbar.

Heart Inquiry Cave Master He Yujing took out a talisman that flickered with blue light and silently activated it.

A silent flash of blue light cut through the air, forming an opening in the void.

A Second-grade Lower Grade Talisman: the Breaking Charm.

Fang Cheng’s eyes flickered. He couldn’t help but think more highly of the scholar.

Before this talisman, the defensive restrictions on the sandbar were completely useless!

The five of them filed in one by one. He Yujing entered last, then quietly put away the Breaking Charm.

Next, it was time for the Array Master, Ning Suyun, to act. She took out an Array Disc and nine Array Flags, arranging them around the bamboo grove.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the array took shape, transforming into a faint white mist that enveloped the sky above the grove.

A First-tier Top-grade Array, the Fire Cloud Prohibition Array.

This array used the power of fire clouds to suppress and refine Cultivators. It was an extremely domineering technique.

Wang Daqian, Monk Po Jie, and He Yujing entered the array without a sound, while Ning Suyun remained outside, controlling the Array Disc and presiding over the Grand Array.

Fang Cheng stood guard behind her, serving as a lookout while also ensuring her safety.

"Fellow Daoist," Ning Suyun said gently, "you can take this opportunity to pick some Spiritual Medicine from the fields. I will be fine here for the time being."

Hearing this, Fang Cheng nodded and smiled. "I suppose I should."

With that, he walked into the Spirit Fields and began picking the mature Spiritual Medicines. Regardless of whether he recognized them or not, he plucked them all and placed them in his storage bag.

A moment later, a loud explosion erupted from the center of the bamboo grove!

Ning Suyun’s expression turned grim. She tapped the Array Disc, and the white mist above the grove instantly turned crimson. Roaring flames pressed down into the woods.

The lush green bamboo grove was immediately set ablaze.

The surrounding Spiritual Qi boiled like a cauldron!

The explosive sounds of an intense magical battle rang out.

Fang Cheng observed the situation secretly while quickly harvesting Spiritual Medicine, waiting for Wang Daqian and the others to finish their business.

’Logically, it shouldn’t be too difficult for three male Late Sensing Stage cultivators to assassinate a female cultivator of the same realm, right?’

’Unless something unexpected happened.’

Suddenly, Wang Daqian’s voice, altered and sinister, cackled, "Elder Qi, to think you’d be hiding a man in your golden nest out here. You’ve utterly disgraced the Zhao Family."

This was a psychological tactic.

The goal was to strike decisively and take her life while her mind was in turmoil.

But a mature, alluring, and gentle voice replied, "No matter who sent you, since you have come here today, you can leave your lives behind."

After she spoke, the sounds of battle grew even more intense.

Ning Suyun had already unleashed the full power of the Fire Cloud Prohibition Array. The fire clouds pressed down to the ground, and the bamboo grove and houses were reduced to ashes.

Flashes of spiritual light flickered within the fire clouds. Elder Qi was holding on for much longer than Fang Cheng had expected.

Fang Cheng swept the area with his Divine Sense and discovered two hidden Spiritual Mechanisms lurking within the fire clouds. If his Divine Sense hadn’t been strengthened by the Glazed Jade Golden Flower, and if he hadn’t been deliberately searching, he would have never noticed those two!

Suddenly, Wang Daqian laughed. "Elder Qi, please go to your death!"

BOOM!

With a massive explosion, the sandbar shook.

Ning Suyun’s face was grim. "Mr. Chen, someone is about to break out of the array!"

Before she could finish, two figures, wrapped in a tyrannical and fierce blade aura, burst out of the Fire Cloud Prohibition Array.

The two figures, one old and one young, were precisely the two hidden auras Fang Cheng had just detected with his Divine Sense.

’So these two were helping Elder Qi... No wonder Wang Daqian’s group couldn’t succeed after so long!’

Fang Cheng’s thoughts raced. Without a word, his Cold Wave Radiance Sword shot out, as graceful as a startled swan and as powerful as a soaring dragon, slashing down toward the two figures.

"Little brother, be careful! That man is an Honored Guest Elder of the Zheng Family."

Wang Daqian’s weak voice drifted from within the Fire Cloud Prohibition Array.

TING!

A clear, melodious ring of a sword sounded.

The sword light was blocked by a jet-black long saber.

In the next moment, the sword light flashed repeatedly, blooming like a firework.

The old man brandished his saber, and after parrying several strikes, the sword light before him suddenly erupted in a dazzling glare.

In that instant, the old man’s vision went white!

It was as if everything between heaven and earth had lost its color.

Only a single, fleeting streak of sword light, seeming to move both slowly and swiftly, seared itself across the void and remained etched in his vision, refusing to fade.

"Urk..."

’What a fast sword!’

The old man’s body swayed. He slowly raised his head, gave Fang Cheng a complicated look, and opened his mouth to speak, but had no strength to make a sound. Finally, his eyes filled with the stillness of death, and he collapsed to the ground.

Only after he hit the ground did a thin line split open between his eyebrows, from which a trace of crimson quietly emerged.

As for the young man beside him, at some unknown point, the sword light had wrapped around his neck. His head rolled to the ground with a THUD.

Judging by his face, he was quite handsome, with a slightly roguish look.

Fang Cheng retracted his sword light, walked over to the two corpses, and silently collected their storage bags and the black long saber.

At that moment, Wang Daqian and the other two walked out of the Fire Cloud Forbidden Array.

All three were injured, most of their wounds deep saber cuts that reached the bone. Monk Po Jie’s injuries were the most severe.

It seemed they had all been wounded by the saber-wielding old man.

The monk was carrying the head of a female cultivator. When he saw the corpses at Fang Cheng’s feet, a look of astonishment crossed his face. "You killed them?"

Fang Cheng nodded. "Enough idle talk. Let’s clean up the mess and leave quickly."

Thick confusion and shock were written all over Monk Po Jie’s face. He opened his mouth to speak, but not a single word came out.

Wang Daqian and He Yujing glanced at each other, both seeing the surprise in the other’s eyes, but neither said anything.

The five of them quickly cleaned up the scene. They used a fire technique to incinerate the three corpses, leaving only Elder Qi’s head to turn in for the job.

A moment later, the five of them left the sandbar and disappeared into the night.

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