hotmtlnovel Chapter 97: Melee and Betrayal
Chapter 97: Melee and Betrayal
Chapter 97: Melee and Betrayal
Zhou Yu's heart twitched uneasily. Chosen because he was the weakest? This kind of supposedly easy job landing on him just seemed like a setup to push him into danger.
However, he managed to keep his composure and instead expressed a calculated surprise, "Fellow Daoist Lu, I've heard that your master Zhao Wuya has some private dealings with Wan Wuying of the Extreme Yin Cave. Would he agree to you targeting them?"
Lu Yin laughed heartily, "My master will not know of this. Whether the Extreme Yin lineage is wiped out or not, his agreement or disagreement is irrelevant."
Zhou Yu pretended to mull over the proposal, taking his time much to Lu Yin's growing impatience. Finally, with a look of difficulty, he spoke, "Fellow Daoist Lu, I believe that the cultivators of the Extreme Yin Cave are not to be trifled with lightly. I'd rather not get involved in this murky business."
Lu Yin frowned, "Are you truly not joining?"
Zhou Yu gave a bitter smile, "Demonic cultivators are desperate folk, and I'm afraid they might drag me down with them in their last moments. Let's forget it."
He added, "But rest assured, I will not speak of this to anyone. I can swear a Heart Devil Oath to that effect! After all, as you said, the injuries I bear were caused by those from the Extreme Yin Cave."
With that, he indeed made a Heart Devil Oath. Such oaths were serious commitments, taken by Foundation Establishment stage cultivators and above. Violating them often led to severe spiritual tribulations, akin to a blemish on pristine white jade, potentially obstructing a cultivator's Dao to immortality. Few dared to break a Heart Devil Oath.
Of course, these oaths mostly bound the righteous cultivators. Demonic cultivators had numerous ways to deceive or even break such oaths.
Initially, Lu Yin's eyes had glinted with dangerous intent, but seeing Zhou Yu make the oath on the spot, he relaxed. Killing Zhou Yu, if it ever came to that, would require some effort.
Moreover, being a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Zhou Yu wasn't likely to be so easily fooled. Despite claims of having depleted his resources, who could say for sure if he wasn't still hiding something?
"Alright, Fellow Daoist Zhou, you are a wise man. Until next time," Lu Yin said, and without further ado, turned and left.
Watching Lu Yin's retreating figure, Zhou Yu sighed deeply. "Li Xuanming, Liu Zhenxiong, Wu Teng, Chu Xuan... among the four from the Extreme Yin Cave, you just had picked the strongest. If you don't die, who will..."
As days turned into months, the fierce offensive of the Heavenly Seal Sect suddenly slowed. The main combatants, Golden Core cultivators Zhao Wuya and Huang Yuanwu, were recalled by an urgent order back to the main hall. Replacing them were Zhu Taiji, Guo Zhen, and Chu Qiong, who adopted a strategy of siege without attack.
Golden Core fought Golden Core, Foundation Establishment clashed with Foundation Establishment.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sounds of battle between Golden Core cultivators echoed through the sky, sending terrifying shockwaves in all directions. Wherever these forces passed, towering trees were instantly reduced to splinters.
The Foundation Establishment cultivators tactically retreated while fighting, keen to distance themselves from the battlefield of the more powerful Golden Core cultivators. None wished to be inadvertently killed by the stray shockwaves.
Chu Xuan faced off against a Gu cultivator from the Thousand Insects Sect, swiftly withdrawing from the main fray. He did not reveal his full strength, maintaining the guise of a middling second-level Foundation Establishment cultivator. His opponent from the Thousand Insects Sect, in stark contrast, unleashed all his hidden abilities, fighting with flushed cheeks and fiery ears.
Once he had completely disengaged from the battle and found himself unobserved, Chu Xuan employed the Yin Evil Demon Claw, instantly crushing the life out of the Thousand Insects Sect cultivator and casting his body into the Corpse Nurturing Tower.
A few flickers later, Chu Xuan vanished using the Yin Evil Escape technique.
Shortly after his disappearance, two figures arrived together, both familiar faces—Lu Yin and Zheng Changqing. The two were senior brother disciples within the same sect and shared a close bond.
After failing to enlist Zhou Yu for the hunt, Lu Yin turned to Zheng Changqing, who readily agreed. Hunting demonic cultivators was a lucrative affair, rarely as easy as taking down a second-level Foundation Establishment soft target like Chu Xuan.
"Where is he? Wasn't he just here?" Zheng Changqing furrowed his brow. They had clearly seen Chu Xuan engaging with the Gu cultivator from the Thousand Insects Sect as they entered the woods.
Lu Yin sneered, "No hurry, I have a scent-tracker worm. It will find him soon." He then produced a plump worm and allowed it to sniff a low-grade magic tool.
"This magic tool..." Zheng Changqing expressed his surprise.
Lu Yin offered a sinister laugh, "Bought it from Wu Teng; it was once used by Chu Xuan. That fellow has been acting suspicious and has already betrayed the Extreme Yin Cave." He explained, "The scent-tracker worm would stand erect in the direction of its target, growing more upright the closer it was."
Zheng Changqing, astounded, exclaimed, "What? Why is it standing as straight as a chopstick? And it's pointing behind us?"