Wutai Sect.

Nie Shanshan, her clothes stained with blood and her breathing slightly ragged, strode into the Council Hall. She bowed to He Yuzhou, who sat at the head of the hall, and the others present.

Seeing the wounds on her body, Chu Jinyun’s brow furrowed slightly as she asked with concern, "Shanshan, how are your injuries? What happened with the Liu Family?"

"Thank you for your concern, Master. I’m fine. They’re just superficial wounds, though I’ve used up a fair bit of True Qi."

Nie Shanshan shook her head and clasped her fist toward the head of the hall. "The pursuit of the Liu Family’s main force was quite complicated. As expected, they were prepared. Not only did we have to contend with experts from Fengle Prefecture’s Rain Listening Tower, but there were also people from the Demon Sect providing support from the shadows, trying to escort away the Liu Family’s core disciples and their wealth."

"I clashed with them several times. Fortunately, when the experts from Fengle Prefecture saw the Demon Sect appear, they realized the gravity of the situation and joined forces with me. Only then were we able to repel the Demon Sect without any major disasters. Unfortunately, the people from the Rain Listening Tower took advantage of the chaos to divide and carry off most of the Liu Family’s wealth. We couldn’t recover all of it, but..."

As she spoke, she took a yellowed, ancient book from her robes. On the cover, in large, archaic script, were the two words: *Convergence Force*. "I fought with all my might and recovered the Liu Family’s ancestral Heart Method, this *Convergence Force*!"

"Excellent!"

Upon hearing this, a smile bloomed on Sect Leader He Yuzhou’s face, his eyes filled with admiration. "Very well done! To be able to assess the situation, unite with potential allies under such complex and dangerous circumstances, and ultimately recover this crucial Heart Method is a great merit! As for the wealth, its loss is regrettable, but it is secondary compared to the Heart Method. This achievement must be handsomely rewarded!"

Nie Shanshan bowed her head slightly. "Thank you, Sect Leader. It is merely my duty as a disciple."

She calmed her breathing slightly and turned her gaze to Chu Jinyun, a trace of curiosity and confusion in her eyes. "Master, you’ve returned so soon? What about West Sun Mountain...?"

According to the original plan, Chu Jinyun and Hong Yuandong were to join forces with the experts from Cold Jade Valley and Qixia Manor to encircle and annihilate the Demon Sect’s stronghold on West Sun Mountain. That was meant to be the most dangerous part of the mission, a direct confrontation with the Demon Sect’s top masters.

Hong Yuandong, standing to the side, picked up the wine gourd at his waist, tilted his head back for a long drink, and waved his hand dismissively. "Don’t even mention it. It was a complete waste of a trip. By the time we reached that godforsaken West Sun Mountain, the stronghold was already empty. All that was left were a few third-rate small fry who didn’t know a thing. We didn’t catch a single one of the Demon Sect’s core members."

Chu Jinyun’s expression was cold as she interjected, her tone grave. "They got word of it in advance. Before we even arrived, the place was completely deserted. They had cleared out, leaving nothing behind."

"They vanished?"

Nie Shanshan’s elegant brows knitted together as she thought to herself, ’This operation was secretly planned by the upper echelons of the four sects. Only the core members knew the specific target and time. How could the Demon Sect find out in advance and retreat so calmly? Could it be...?’

An unsettling thought rose in her mind: Was it a leak, or... was there a mole from the Demon Sect within the four sects?

The idea was too horrifying, so she didn’t voice it.

No one present was a fool. Their expressions all grew somber, and a brief silence fell over the Council Hall.

Just then, a Steward Disciple rushed into the Council Hall, his expression frantic. He spoke urgently, "Sect Leader, Deans! We’ve received a secret report from Yan Yaoyang, Chief of the Geng Metal Institute, and Li Lei, Chief of the Kun Earth Institute! The two of them were ambushed by Demon Sect elites near Black Water Pier..."

Hearing this, Tan Yang immediately took a step forward and cut in, asking anxiously, "Ambushed by the Demon Sect? What’s their condition? Are their injuries serious?"

Yan Yaoyang was his most prized disciple, so naturally, he was concerned.

Peng Zhen’s brow also tightened.

The Steward Disciple hurriedly replied, "To Master Tan and Dean Peng, the secret report says that although the two senior brothers were injured, their foundations were not harmed. Their lives are not in danger, and they are currently rushing back to the Sect. However..."

The Steward Disciple’s voice faltered, then dropped. "According to the report from Senior Brother Yan and Senior Brother Li, Chen Qing, the Chief of the Cyan Wood Institute... he... he fought hard against the Demon Sect’s masters and may... may have already perished!"

"What?!"

"Chen Qing is dead?!"

"How is that possible?!"

The moment the Steward Disciple finished speaking, the entire Council Hall erupted into an uproar.

The faces of the Elders and Stewards all showed shock and disbelief. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Who was Chen Qing?

He was the Sect’s most dazzling new star in recent years. Though he had been an entry-level disciple for only a short time, he had created one miracle after another, defeating Xiao Bieli of Cold Jade Valley with lightning speed and becoming one of the "Yunlin Five Heroes" in a single leap!

His fame was at its peak, his potential limitless. He was considered one of the future pillars of the Sect!

Such a genius... had fallen prematurely?

The expressions of the several Deans were also varied.

Peng Zhen was first stunned, then a deep sense of regret and sorrow filled his eyes. He shook his head and sighed to himself, ’A pity! Such a terrible pity! A piece of unpolished jade that a million taels of silver couldn’t buy, destroyed just like that?’

After his initial shock, Tan Yang felt an irrepressible sliver of relief rise from the bottom of his heart.

’As long as Yan Yaoyang is all right, that’s all that matters... Chen Qing’s death is a pity, but in the end, he belonged to the Cyan Wood Institute...’

The thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately felt it was inappropriate, quickly reigning in his Heart and Spirit.

Chu Jinyun’s face was as still as water, her thoughts unreadable.

Hong Yuandong lowered his wine gourd, his face also grave. He muttered, "Black Water Pier... The Nether and Ghost Guards? To think they ran into those two fiends..."

Nie Shanshan, for her part, looked as if she had been struck by lightning, her eyes flying wide open.

Sect Leader He Yuzhou’s expression suddenly darkened. An invisible pressure instantly enveloped the entire Council Hall, causing all discussion to cease abruptly.

His gaze was like lightning as he stared at the reporting Steward Disciple. "Speak clearly! What exactly does the secret report say? What really happened? We need to see a person if he’s alive, or a body if he’s dead. Is this information confirmed?"