CH 65.1

The young man’s tone was bright and clear . He had only carelessly placed a hand on Xuan YangZi’s shoulder, extremely ordinarily. However, an incorporeal sense of pressure descended quietly. Xuan YangZi seized up completely, his body reacting in fear before his brain.

“You……” Xuan YangZi started saying before finally realizing that even his voice was shaking right now. He did his best to subdue the inexplicit sense of terror and yelled: “Who are you!” 

“You shouldn’t be unaware of my identity.” Feng Ci tilted his head slightly and said slowly: “Confinement Array, right?”

Feng Ci’s idle hand swiftly made a hand gesture; his wrist turned and raised: “Seal.”

In the open area, a magic array appeared abruptly. It was even stronger in power, with a glow even purer, than the one just now.

It was a Confinement Array. 

Xuan YangZi’s face color changed.

The magic array instantly trapped the various living corpses inside it. Sensing the impending danger, the living corpses roared and slammed relentlessly into the bright wall of the magic array. However, they were deflected by the wall of light from the array and fell to the ground in a bloody mess.

This scene could be considered pretty hair-raising. The LingXiao Gates disciples, who were present, raised the magic weapons in their hands one after the other and pointed them at Feng Ci.

“Just who exactly are you?!”

“How could you know our LingXiao Gates’ talisman array?!”

“Release the Sect Leader!”

“Don’t move.” Feng Ci said languidly: “Otherwise, I can’t promise what will happen to your respected and beloved Sect Leader.”

As he spoke, he looked towards Xuan YangZi with even a bit of amusement in his eyes: “Sect Leader Xuan YangZi, why don’t you guess again right now, who am I?” 

The Confinement Array was one of the magic arrays that LingXiao Gates would never divulge to outsiders. In this world, the only person who would know this technique, besides the LingXiao Gates disciples, was its creator, Grandmaster QianQiu.

“You……” Xuan YangZi’s face color instantly turned even more pale white: “Impossible…… You can’t be……”

Feng Ci smiled. He was just about to say something else when he heard an extremely soft, suppressed cough next to him.

The amusement in his eyes faded slightly. He turned his head and asked Pei QianYue: “Uncomfortable?” 

The LangFeng City Master wasn’t even the slightest flustered when he was subdued. Yet now, after being asked this question, he actually lowered his head and coughed softly a few more times: “……En.”

He even appeared a bit pitiful.

Feng Ci looked suspiciously at him.

This asshole habitually enjoyed pretending to be pitiful in front of him. Feng Ci had fallen to his deceit plenty of times before, who knew if he was pretending right now. 

But that might also not be the case.

The Demon(妖) Imprisonment Talisman Array had been created specifically to deal with demons(妖) after all. It dealt great damage to the demon(妖) clan. Not to mention, the current Demon(妖) Imprisonment Talisman Array was much stronger than the one on LinXian Terrace originally.

Thinking this, Feng Ci grabbed Xuan YangZi’s shoulder and gave him a push: “Go dispel the array.”

Thrown without any warning at all, Xuan YangZi actually lost his balance and rolled several times on the ground. He tumbled to the feet of the LingXiao Gates disciples in a wretched state. 

The LingXiao Gates disciples hastily went to help him up in a flurry of hands.

Feng Ci ignored him.

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The corners of Pei QianYue’s lips rose in a slight smile: “But Master is here.”

“……” Feng Ci, indignantly: “I knew you did it deliberately.”

It can be said that Pei QianYue was quite proficient in his ability to feign weakness and act pitiful.

Feng Ci smiled, too lazy to argue with him. 

Someone suddenly exclaimed in alarm from the open area. It was actually because Xuan YangZi had pulled out his magic weapon while Feng Ci was unprepared and attacked him from behind. Feng Ci didn’t even turn his head. Right before the thin threads of the horsetail whisk were about to touch him, an invisible force halted them in their tracks.

Feng Ci steadied Pei QianYue first before slowly and leisurely turning around: “Xuan YangZi, you dare attack me?”

“Why wouldn’t I dare?!” The glow of the horsetail whisk in Xuan YangZi’s hand expanded. Instantly, it broke free from Feng Ci’s control: “Don’t think just because you’re collaborating with Pei QianYue that this old man would be tricked by you. Where did you learn your Confinement Array? Could it be…that Pei QianYue taught you?”

Feng Ci: “Pfft.” 

So this person had thought about it for so long and this was the reason he came up with?

However, after thinking about it carefully, this assumption actually felt slightly logical. 

Although the Confinement Array was created by Grandmaster QianQiu, Pei QianYue had received Grandmaster QianQiu’s entire legacy. It’s not strange for him to know this array.

Xuan YangZi seemed fairly convinced by his guesswork. With a wave of his horsetail whisk, he said solemnly: “This old man’s actions today are entirely under the direct orders of Grandmaster QianQiu. Pei QianYue has performed injustice under many circumstances. The Grand Founder has specifically set up this array in the ancient city of JiangBei to cleanse his lineage.” 

“……Who are you? How dare you pretend to be the Grand Founder!”

Feng Ci fell silent for a moment. He understood now.

“In other words, everything you did was under the orders of Grandmaster QianQiu. It has absolutely nothing to do with you. Even if you find out later on that you were wrong, you can blame it on being deceived; it’s not bad enough to be punishable by death. Is that what you mean?” Feng Ci nodded in awe: “You really washed your hands pretty clean here, Sect Leader Xuan YangZi.”

“What about refining your own direct disciple into a living corpse, altering the magic arrays inside the Heavenly Spirit Ruins, and tricking the innocent LangFeng City disciples into the secret realm to become the sacrificial offerings of your schemes…… Are these things also Grandmaster QianQiu’s orders?” 

“And also, you said that Grandmaster QianQiu wanted to cleanse his lineage and eliminate Pei QianYue……”

Feng Ci paused, took a glance at Pei QianYue, and continued to say: “If your so-called Grandmaster QianQiu really wanted to eliminate Pei QianYue for good, then why didn’t he tell you about my existence? Why didn’t he prepare you to guard against me in advance?”

After he said these words, not only was Xuan YangZi stunned, even Pei QianYue raised his head.

The puppet only listened to the Heavenly Principles’ commands. When it did those things, naturally, the puppet wasn’t genuinely trying to help Xuan YangZi get revenge. 

It was nothing more than trying to stall for time and trap Feng Ci and Pei QianYue.

Nevertheless, even if that were the case, the puppet could have divulged Feng Ci’s existence, so Xuan YangZi wouldn’t have to face him unprepared, creating the current situation.

There was only one explanation for this.

The puppet perhaps…… didn’t want to endanger Pei QianYue. 

Even though the puppet didn’t understand human emotions, even though it was only an empty shell that operated under orders, it possessed Feng Ci’s memories and had a connection with Feng Ci’s soul. Other than obeying orders, it still possessed the instincts left behind by the body and soul.

It can slaughter an entire sect without even blinking. In its eyes, there was no distinction between the numerous living beings within this world. Everything can be discarded and forsaken.

Only Pei QianYue’s existence… exceeded the rest.

There was a slightly cold touch to Feng Ci’s fingertips. It was Pei QianYue gently hooking onto his fingers. Feng Ci turned his head to look over. Pei QianYue had lowered his head slightly. There was a faint upward curve to his lips. 

So extraordinarily smug.

Inexplicably, Feng Ci felt a bit embarrassed. He coughed softly and shifted his gaze: “We can talk about it later.”

Gaze falling onto Xuan YangZi in front of them, Feng Ci then said quietly: “Wait a second for me.”

Immediately afterwards, he leaped into the air. 

The power of his soul has fully merged his physical body now. Feng Ci didn’t even need to borrow strength from any magic weapons. He raised his hand and waved his palm. The hem of his robes fluttered wildly in the wind.

Boom—

The magic array shattered with a loud rumble.

Countless fragments of golden light rained down like a fine drizzle. Under the curtain of golden rain, Feng Ci descended. 

Xuan YangZi finally understood how Feng Ci had appeared behind him just now, because in the next instant, the plain white robed young man appeared in front of him. Everything happened too quickly. Xuan YangZi only felt a hand grabbing him by the neck. A powerful force struck him and sent his body flying backwards swiftly, until he slammed into a firm hard wall.

No, it wasn’t a wall.

A pale golden light reflected off of Feng Ci’s face. The young man started smiling, but there was no hint of a smile in his eyes: “Now do you know who I am?”

Strangled by the throat, Xuan YangZi struggled to speak: “Qian…… QianQiu……” 

“En, that’s right.” Feng Ci smiled and released his grip.

Xuan YangZi slid down against the wall of light from the Confinement Array and fell to the ground in a decrepit state. Feng Ci looked down at him condescendingly from above: “Where is that so-called ‘Grandmaster QianQiu’ you speak of right now?”

Xuan YangZi: “I, I don’t know……”

Feng Ci looked at him coldly. 

“I really don’t know.” Xuan YangZi’s voice shook: “The Grand Founder, no, that person only had me help him infiltrate the patrolling disciples to enter the secret realm. I really don’t know where he is right now.”

Sure enough, the puppet had entered the secret realm ahead of time.

Xuan YangZi didn’t look like he was lying. Feng Ci withdrew his gaze and turned around: “LingXiao Gates Sect Leader, Xuan YangZi, has attempted to murder the Immortal Alliance Leader. As the Ground Founder of the Six Sects, this Venerable One has decided to abolish your position as a sect leader and expel you out of the Six Sects henceforth. As for allowing you to remain in the cultivation world……”

Feng Ci raised his eyes and looked ahead. When encountering that black robed figure, he revealed a hint of a smile again: “This decision will be left for the Immortal Alliance Leader.” 

Pei QianYue also started smiling softly.

Immediately afterwards, he knelt down one knee and replied: “Yes, all according to Grandmaster QianQiu’s decree.”

If the disciples present still didn’t understand what had happened a moment ago, now with these words from Pei QianYue, everything became pretty much self-evident. Astonished and apprehensive, the crowd of disciples looked at each other in dismay, as if they didn’t know what to do.

Within the crowd, the heavily injured Lin ChangAn pushed away the support of the person next to him, walked to the front, and took the lead in kneeling and bowing down to Feng Ci: “I will follow sincerely…according to Grandmaster QianQiu’s decree!” 

The other disciples finally jolted like waking up from a dream and knelt down on the ground to say in unison: “All according to Grandmaster QianQiu’s decree!”

The voices of the disciple echoed in the air of the abandoned city. With a smile, Feng Ci walked forward. He went over to Lin ChangAn’s side and helped him stand up: “You can get up, Lin-Shixiong.”

Lin ChangAn: “Saint Sovereign……”

A spiritual light gathered in Feng Ci’s palm. When his hand landed on Lin ChangAn’s stomach, the penetrating wound healed up swiftly. 

Feng Ci was just about to say something when he heard Lin ChangAn suddenly shout in alarm: “Watch out!”

There was a slight breeze behind him.

Simultaneously, some golden chains suddenly flew out of the Confinement Array. Feng Ci leisurely turned his head. Xuan YangZi was frozen in a posture of ambush. However, his four limbs and neck were already bound by the golden chains.

Feng Ci’s eyes reflected the golden light from the magic array, glowing faintly: “Xuan YangZi, I already gave you a chance.” 

After he finished speaking, the chains moved.

Xuan YangZi’s body was dragged backwards slowly by the chains. He realized something and started to struggle: “QianQiu!! You can’t— This old man had devoted my entire life to the care of LingXiao Gates. What have you done for LingXiao Gates?! LingXiao Gate’s legacy is about to end, yet you’d rather trust in that snake demon(妖) than save us from our miseries. In your eyes, is there still the Six Sects? What about all living beings in this world?! What rights do you have—”

His body slammed against the wall of the magic array once again. However, this time, the center of the wall caved in. Xuan YangZi’s body sank into the magic array little by little. He heard the sound of bones creaking and grinding against each other behind him.

Forcing himself to turn around, he looked into a face that has already become bloodstained and mutilated. 

That person’s robes were already dyed so deeply by blood that the original color was lost. There was a jade ornament tied on his waist. It was the same ornament that Xuan YangZi had tied for him when he was accepted as a disciple.

This was his own head disciple.

“Ahhh—”

Xuan YangZi’s scream stopped spontaneously after it started. The instant the living corpses surrounded him, the light from the magic array dimmed. As if enveloped by an outer shell that rejected light, all of the visual and sounds within the array were blocked off completely from the outside. 

Accompanied by a sense of terror, a deathly stillness spread throughout the open area. Feng Ci closed his eyes briefly and called out, saying: “Lin-Shixiong.”

Lin ChangAn hastily replied: “Yes, Saint Sovereign.” 

Feng Ci said: “The remaining LingXiao Gates disciples have all conspired against……”

Before he even finished speaking, the dozens of LingXiao Disciples in front of him all began to plead for mercy. 

“Grandmaster QianQiu, please spare us!”

“We were only following the Sect Leader’s commands. As disciples, we don’t dare to disobey him!”

“We won’t do it ever again. Please let us live, Grand Founder!”

Feng Ci: “…..” 

According to customs, the crime of treason should result in eradication from the roots. Not to mention, LingXiao Gates kept repeating their wrongdoings. Feng Ci understood the logic completely. However, if he had to do it himself, he still felt a bit reluctant.

He’s actually really not good at dealing with this kind of issue. Feng Ci looked up at Pei QianYue, who was a distance away. The latter was still kneeling in place obediently, without even raising his head once.

Without any intentions of helping him.

Feng Ci sighed silently and continued to say his unfinished words just now: “You lead the LangFeng City disciples to first detain this group of people here temporarily, until…… until the trial finishes. They can be dealt with some other way after leaving the secret realm.” 

Lin ChangAn: “As you wish.”