Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Mastermind Behind the Scenes

The next morning, the Luo family manor was already in order. Although the surviving clansmen looked weary, their eyes shone with the relief of having escaped death and anticipation for the future.

Luo Zhennan was supervising the servants as they tallied the losses. Seeing Ye Chentian and Luo Ningshuang emerge from the inner chamber, he hurried to greet them.

"Sect Master, Ningshuang, all was peaceful last night," Luo Zhennan said, bowing. "As you instructed, thirty menial disciples have been selected. They are waiting outside the courtyard, ready to take orders at any time."

Ye Chentian nodded. "No need to rush. We will deal with that after settling matters with the Qingxu Sect." He looked at Luo Ningshuang. "Let us go."

The two ascended into the sky, reaching the old site of the Qingxu Sect in mere moments. This sect, which had occupied the west side of the capital, was now in total disarray. Disciples were either running about in panic or packing their belongings, preparing to flee—they had clearly learned of Wei Tong’s death. After all, the person they had offended was Ye Chentian, Sect Master of the Xuantian Sect.

By now, Ye Chentian’s reputation in the Great Qian Dynasty was thunderous: he had effortlessly wiped out the Zixiao Sacred Land and the Blood Shadow Hall; with a single strike of his sword, even cultivators in the Transformation Realm would meet their doom. The name "Ye Chentian" had become synonymous with "untouchable," to the point that even the royal family treated him with a degree of deference.

"As expected of my master, this level of intimidation is truly extraordinary," Luo Ningshuang remarked softly, looking down at the chaos below.

Ye Chentian made no reply. With a flicker of his figure, he landed before the main hall of the Qingxu Sect. The spiritual pressure radiating from him was as deep as an abyss and as heavy as a prison, causing the entire hall to tremble—it was the intangible aura possessed only by an Immortal Emperor who once wielded the laws of the Nine Heavens.

"Ye... Ye Chentian?" Several elders arguing inside the hall were frightened out of their wits at the sight.

"Who sent you to the Luo residence to seize the source of the spirit vein?" Ye Chentian asked, his tone flat yet carrying an unquestionable pressure. "I will give you two choices: confess honestly, or die!"

The elders’ knees went weak, and they nearly collapsed to the floor. Ma Kun, the elder in yellow, shifted his eyes nervously, while Qian Feng, the elder in green, shrank his neck, afraid to speak. In the end, it was the white-haired Elder Sun Mo who hardened his heart and stepped forward, stammering, "Sect Master Ye, t-this was entirely Wei Tong’s own decision! It has nothing to do with us!" He felt hollow inside; that scoundrel Wei Tong was only at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm, yet he dared to covet the Luo family’s spirit vein. Now that he had died by Ye Chentian’s hand, he had dragged the entire Qingxu Sect down with him.

"Oh?" Ye Chentian’s brows arched slightly, and the spiritual power at his fingertips surged violently. "It seems you are determined to take the fall for someone else."

Before he could finish his sentence, he flicked his sleeve sharply.

*Puff! Puff! Puff!*

Three sprays of blood erupted simultaneously. The yellow-clad and green-clad elders, both in the Void Refinement Realm, didn't even have time to scream before they were decapitated, their hot blood splattering across Sun Mo’s face. Two Nascent Soul Realm deacons standing in the corner of the hall also collapsed, each with a gaping, bloody hole through their chests.

A heavy scent of blood instantly filled the hall. Cracks spread across the beams and pillars, and wood chips mixed with droplets of blood rained down. Sun Mo trembled violently, the blood on his face tracking through his wrinkles and dripping onto the golden bricks with a rhythmic *tap-tap* sound. Looking at the wide, staring eyes of Ma Kun at his feet, a warm stream uncontrollably soaked his trousers. The last shred of hope was thoroughly crushed—the man before him could slaughter Void Refinement cultivators with a casual gesture; his own meager cultivation was nothing in comparison.

"Are you going to talk?" Ye Chentian’s voice was like the ice of the Nine Netherworlds. "You are next."

"I’ll talk! I’ll talk!" Sun Mo collapsed to the ground, kowtowing frantically. "It was the Xuanshui Pavilion! It was Elder Xuanfeng of the Xuanshui Pavilion who incited us! He said that if we obtained the source of the spirit vein, he would grant us thirty percent of the resources from their branch! I beg Sect Master Ye to spare my life!" At this moment, how could he care about retaliation from the Xuanshui Pavilion? Even though Xuanfeng was at the peak of the Void Refinement Realm, the man before him was a ruthless killer who could slay Transformation Realm experts with ease. The difference in strength was clear.

"Xuanshui Pavilion?" Luo Ningshuang frowned. "That is the other major water-element sect in the capital. Their strength is on par with the Chixia Sect, and they have always kept to themselves regarding our Luo family. Why would they suddenly target the spirit vein?"

"Interesting," Ye Chentian said, looking at Sun Mo. "Who is the Pavilion Master of the Xuanshui Pavilion, and how strong are they?"

"The Pavilion Master is named Xuankongzi. He is already a Transformation Realm cultivator. His 'Mystic Ice Palm' is perfected, and he is a once-in-a-century genius of the Xuanshui Pavilion. He is also the only one in the pavilion who has reached the Transformation Realm!" Sun Mo dared not hide anything and revealed all.

Ye Chentian nodded and said coldly, "I will spare your lives today. However, you must hand over half of the Qingxu Sect’s treasury to the Luo family as compensation. If you dare to commit evil again, I will show no mercy."

The few surviving Nascent Soul disciples behind Sun Mo were already paralyzed with fear. Hearing this, they scrambled to agree, "Yes! Yes! We will move it right now! We wouldn't dare have a single complaint!" Looking at the corpses littering the floor, they only regretted that their parents hadn't given them a few extra legs to run with. If even Void Refinement elders died so quickly, they, as Nascent Soul cultivators, were not even worth a snack.

At this moment, a system notification rang in Ye Chentian's mind:

【Ding! Mission triggered: Destroy the Xuanshui Pavilion】
【Mission objective: Uncover the true purpose behind the Xuanshui Pavilion’s coveting of the spirit vein and destroy them completely.】
【Mission rewards: Mystic Ice Body Tempering Fluid x50, the complete "Ten Thousand Waters Homage Scripture," 5 catties of Millennium Enlightenment Tea, and unlocking the Xuantian Sect’s core area and sect-protecting treasure.】
【Mission hint: The Xuanshui Pavilion appears to be supported by another power; proceed with caution.】

Ye Chentian understood: the Xuanshui Pavilion was indeed not simple. A Transformation Realm expert daring to covet a spirit vein must have something to rely on. It was just as well; he would settle it all today.

The Immortal Origin flowed within his body—that primal power belonging only to an Immortal Emperor, awaiting a cleansing.

"Let’s go, we are heading to the Xuanshui Pavilion," Ye Chentian said, turning to walk outside.

"Master, this disciple wishes to accompany you to the Xuanshui Pavilion!" A trace of ferocity flashed in Luo Ningshuang’s eyes as she tightened her grip on the jade pendant at her waist. "The Xuanshui Pavilion colluded with the Qingxu Sect and nearly wiped out my Luo family; this debt must be settled!" Although she was only in the middle stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, she could already sense the hidden, sinister aura emanating from the Xuanshui Pavilion.

Without another word, Ye Chentian’s figure transformed into a green streak of light that shot into the sky, moving so fast he left only a blur in his wake. Luo Ningshuang quickly followed, the wind whistling in her ears, her heart burning with resolve—she knew her master was going to strike them down directly.