Chapter Forty-Five: Exposed

At the summit of Moonclear Peak stood a small courtyard. Upon hearing Wang Broadsword’s report, Li Liao’s expression darkened instantly, his tone icy as he demanded, “Such crucial information, and you’re only telling me now?”

Sensing the chill in Li Liao’s voice, Wang Broadsword shuddered, his voice trembling as he replied, “Elder, Liu Pan only spent the entire day in the Medicine Hall. Other than going to Daye Peak to eat, he did nothing out of the ordinary. If there’s anything worth mentioning, it’s that he went to the outer disciples’ dining hall at the mountainside during yesterday’s dinner, but he was out in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. When Zhu Jiangyang told me about this, it was already quite late, so I didn’t think it important enough to disturb you.”

“You know nothing!” Li Liao slammed the table in anger at Wang Broadsword’s explanation. “Liu Pan spent an entire day in the Medicine Hall—an entire day! Do you realize what that means? Your senior brother Zhou Qin started studying alchemy a month ago; with a cultivation of Martial Disciple, third stage, he only managed an hour in the Medicine Hall on his first day. And Liu Pan? He’s only just broken through to the Martial Disciple realm a few days ago! How could someone at the first stage, with so little foundation, last a whole day in there? Unless his true cultivation is much higher, or he possesses spiritual sense.”

Li Liao paused, suddenly struck by a thought; a keen glimmer flashed in the depths of his eyes. In a swift movement, he left the courtyard.

A broad-bladed saber emerged from the storage pouch at Li Liao’s waist. With a casual toss, the saber rose into the air. Li Liao leaped onto it, and the weapon carried him swiftly down Moonclear Peak.

Beneath Moonclear Peak, as Liu Pan sensed the wave of spiritual force scanning the area, his expression changed drastically. In a split second, he chose a direction and fled at full speed.

For those at the Martial Master realm, condensing the Core and awakening spiritual sense, the uses of such awareness went far beyond mere detection—it was vital in refining weapons, making them recognize their master. While spiritual sense could not directly control weapons, once refined and paired with the Art of Weapon Command, one could ride and control weapons in flight. With strong enough spiritual sense, even slaying an enemy a kilometer away was effortless.

Weapon flight served not only as a means to kill, but more commonly, as a means of swift travel. For a cultivator atop a flying weapon, journeying or escaping became extraordinarily convenient.

When Wang Broadsword first arrived at Moonclear Peak, Liu Pan had already begun to suspect something but did not immediately withdraw, unable to confirm his suspicions.

In truth, it was Liu Pan’s carelessness. He hadn’t anticipated that, after only a brief conversation with Wang Broadsword, Li Liao would descend by flying saber so quickly. Even as he pondered how to “resist,” Li Liao was already upon him.

When Li Liao first heard Wang Broadsword say that Liu Pan had spent the entire day in the Medicine Hall, he considered the possibility that Liu Pan possessed spiritual sense, but did not plan to check the mountain himself. In Li Liao’s view, Liu Pan probably just spent the day reading about alchemy and hadn’t actually tried refining pills. After all, the odds of someone attempting alchemy their first day were slim, not to mention how rare spiritual sense was on the Heavenly Peak Continent. Li Liao found it hard to believe Liu Pan was one of those rare individuals.

His mention of spiritual sense was meant only as a warning, to make Wang Broadsword more vigilant in the future.

However, as the words “spiritual sense” left his lips, Li Liao suddenly recalled something else Wang Broadsword had said: Liu Pan had wandered through the outer disciples’ dining hall at Daye Peak during yesterday’s dinner.

The outer disciples’ dining hall? Why would a personal disciple like Liu Pan do something so odd? The distance from the summit to the dining hall was only about thirty meters—had Liu Pan “seen” something inside that drew him in?

It was precisely because Liu Pan had made this unusual detour that Li Liao’s suspicions doubled. If Liu Pan truly had spiritual sense, then he must have been fully aware that Zhu Jiangyang was secretly observing him. And if he knew about Zhu Jiangyang, then when Zhu Jiangyang reported to Wang Broadsword, Liu Pan might have “seen” that too, meaning Wang Broadsword was also exposed.

If Wang Broadsword was compromised, and Liu Pan became curious enough to track him to Moonclear Peak, then Liu Pan could very well be beneath the peak right now—or perhaps had even infiltrated it.

Better to be overly cautious than caught unprepared. Li Liao had always been meticulous. Realizing Liu Pan might be following Wang Broadsword, he couldn’t remain idle. He decided at once to descend the mountain and investigate. If Liu Pan truly had followed, then Wang Broadsword’s connection was already exposed. If Liu Pan returned and told Elder Lin, his plan to seize control of the Baiyang Sect would be ruined!

Liu Pan moved swiftly, but Li Liao was even faster.

Liu Pan felt a surge of anxiety. Against cultivators below the Martial Master realm, he could have simply found a place to hide. But Li Liao, with his awakened spiritual sense, rendered such tricks useless. All Liu Pan could do was escape as far as possible before Li Liao’s senses detected him.

But Li Liao’s speed was truly astonishing. In the end, Liu Pan did not escape his spiritual probe. When he was about six hundred meters from Moonclear Peak, Li Liao locked onto him.

The instant he felt this, Liu Pan’s heart sank. He did not pause for a moment, continuing his desperate flight, but the energy in his dantian was already surging, prepared for a fight.

To leave one’s back exposed in battle was unwise, but Liu Pan did so deliberately now. For cultivators with spiritual sense, every disturbance within their surroundings was known; being attacked from behind was hardly a disadvantage, as they could react in time—unless, of course, the opponent’s level or speed was overwhelmingly superior.

Li Liao was momentarily stunned to detect Liu Pan with his spiritual sense, his face turning grim. He had expected to find Liu Pan, but not so far away.

Descending Moonclear Peak, Li Liao had breathed a slight sigh of relief after searching two or three hundred meters and finding nothing. He had thought that even with spiritual sense, Liu Pan could at most probe three or four hundred meters. Compared to his own speed on the flying saber, Liu Pan would only have managed to escape a hundred or so meters after detecting him. Still, for safety’s sake, Li Liao extended his search, not expecting to find Liu Pan nearly six hundred meters out.

This brought him a sense of relief—if he hadn’t extended his search, Liu Pan might have escaped, and his scheme to control the Baiyang Sect would have failed. Yet, he was puzzled: how could a first-stage Martial Disciple have covered such a distance in so short a time? Had Liu Pan already planned to leave before Li Liao’s descent, or was his spiritual sense range greater than three or four hundred meters?

While these questions lingered, Li Liao wasted no time. If Liu Pan had really discovered his secret, then, regardless of whether he was a genius with spiritual sense, he had to die.

A hundred meters meant less than a breath’s time for Li Liao, riding his saber. When the saber came within ten meters of Liu Pan, Li Liao leaped from it. The saber continued its flight, even faster, shooting straight for Liu Pan’s back.

Under his spiritual scan, Liu Pan saw everything. In an instant, his feet struck the ground, halting his mad dash. In the next moment, the broad saber whistled past his shoulder, embedding itself in the earth ahead, half its blade sinking into the soil.

Having dodged the speeding blade, Liu Pan did not spare Li Liao a glance; keeping his direction, he pressed on with his flight. At the same time, he stretched his right hand forward, as if to seize the saber planted in the ground ahead.

Seeing that Liu Pan continued fleeing in the same direction and even seemed to want to take his saber, Li Liao was briefly surprised, then sneered—how naive. Could a weapon refined with spiritual sense be treated like an ordinary blade?

Liu Pan’s successful evasion confirmed to Li Liao that he truly possessed spiritual sense.

With this certainty, Li Liao’s desire to kill Liu Pan intensified. Even if Liu Pan were to kneel and beg for mercy, Li Liao would never let him live. A cultivator with spiritual sense, even if not an exceptional genius, was far beyond the ordinary. Li Liao had no illusions about controlling such a person; besides, his attempt to kill Liu Pan had already made them enemies. He could not let Liu Pan survive.

Because Liu Pan’s path did not change, he soon drew close to the saber.

As Liu Pan reached for the weapon, a cold smile played at Li Liao’s lips. With a thought, the saber sprang from the earth with a metallic ring, slashing toward Liu Pan’s hand.

A sharp clang of metal sounded—the saber was deflected, and Liu Pan’s stride faltered only slightly before he resumed his desperate run.