Chapter 18: Forced to Appear

Xia Chenyu released all the vitality within the cauldron. With the aid of the Soul Perception technique, he could clearly see the continuous flow of vitality spilling from the cauldron, slowly moving toward Shinan Village.

Before long, the vitality would return to its rightful owner.

A subordinate of the Tian Luo Sect led Xia Chenyu to a canyon. Looking up from within, a wooden pathway stretched from the cliff’s edge, winding upward to a great height. From the bottom of the cliff, one could see the eaves protruding from the rock crevices.

The height was estimated to be around one hundred feet.

“The end of this pathway leads to the headquarters of our sect. I can only take you this far. If anyone from the sect sees me, I will be dead,” the man said.

“This won’t do,” Xia Chenyu laughed and summoned the dry yang cauldron in his palm. “Enter under the pretense of delivering the cauldron and take me to meet your leader.”

With that, he cast an invisibility spell, placing the sword’s hilt against the man’s back. “Try any tricks, and you’ll know the consequences.”

The man sighed and took the cauldron, slowly walking onto the pathway.

At the end of the pathway, they saw a massive, jagged crack in the cliff, about two to three feet tall. Following the cliff’s shape, a two-story wooden palace had been built, standing imposingly.

Xia Chenyu quietly asked, “Is this the main sect?”

The man glanced sideways but didn’t respond, muttering a vague affirmative.

At the entrance, the guards stepped forward to ask for a token and, without further inquiry, allowed them to enter.

Inside, a person approached to greet them. Upon seeing the cauldron, they asked, “Why is it just you returning?”

With the sword hilt pressing against his back, the man quickly cleared his throat and replied, “They went to the village to inspect the disrupted array.”

The other person frowned slightly but didn’t press further, simply saying, “Go report in.”

Before long, they reached the heavily guarded door. Xia Chenyu had been carefully observing, and noticed that the people in this sect seemed to be of low cultivation. His initial concerns faded as his confidence grew.

“Send them in,” the guide instructed.

The door opened, and the man carefully entered with the cauldron. He bowed and said, “I present myself before the Sect Leader.”

But the sight before Xia Chenyu stunned him. Even Anran, who had always been calm while hidden in the shadows, revealed a look of shock and anger.

In the dimly lit stone room, which was devoid of sunlight, the walls were lined with lit candles. Along the walls stood hundreds of cabinets, each containing a cauldron exactly like the one they carried. Each cauldron glowed faintly, clearly filled with vitality.

Looking around, the large room sparkled with countless glints of light, resembling stars.

Xia Chenyu was dumbfounded.

He tried to count the number of cauldrons but couldn’t keep up. If each cauldron represented the souls of a village, how many vengeful spirits must be contained in this room?

Anran, unable to contain his fury, clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles whitened, the sound of grinding bones echoing in the room.

Before Xia Chenyu could recover from his shock, a voice came from across the room. Standing at the top of some stairs, a man with his hands behind his back turned his head and coldly said, “Why did you bring a tail with you?”

The man pretended to be surprised, stepped forward, and knelt with a thud, “I didn’t know.”

He then looked around cautiously, asking, “Where is it?”

Xia Chenyu thought to himself that the man was really good at acting, pretending ignorance to distance himself from the situation.

Before he could draw his sword, a sudden flash of spiritual light struck at him. He instinctively raised his hand to block, and in the moment the two spiritual lights collided, his invisibility spell was dispelled.

Xia Chenyu, wearing a dark robe, appeared in the dim room.

The sect leader tilted his body slightly, gesturing with his hand. Immediately, a dozen guards armed with swords appeared from all directions, surrounding the uninvited guest.

The faint candlelight reflected off the swords, creating bright gleams that directly pierced Xia Chenyu’s eyes.

The young man appeared unfazed, slowly drawing his sword. The sharp sound of the blade echoed through the vast stone room.

“Kid, you have quite the nerve to barge into the Tian Luo Sect,” the man at the top of the stairs said in a deep voice.

Xia Chenyu smiled coldly. “Let’s talk after we fight.” With that, he swung his sword, engaging with the dozen guards.

Anran’s invisibility technique was undetectable in this realm, and he casually glanced around, finding a side cabinet. He jumped lightly onto it, propping his chin in his hands as he watched the fight.

Hmm, this technique isn’t bad, he thought. The Flying Rainbow Sword Technique truly stands out. Even if the kid isn’t at the Golden Core stage, with that sword technique, he can easily handle these small fry.

After watching for a while, Anran furrowed his brow. The kid still hadn’t mastered the technique. If that last sword move had been an inch higher, his opponent would have been dead. Anran felt an urge to step forward and correct him, but quickly suppressed the thought.

Xia Chenyu had hardly received much martial training under him these past few years. Most of the time, he was either reading scriptures or doing hard labor. For him to have this level of cultivation through self-learning was a gift from the heavens, and his talent was something others could only envy.

Before long, the dozen guards were nearly all down, with only two trembling ones left, too afraid to approach.

The sect leader’s face grew dark with anger, and he clapped his hands a few times.

Moments later, a new group of people rushed in. Xia Chenyu raised an eyebrow. “Is it never going to end?”

Another round of fighting ensued. Anran, however, felt that something was missing as he watched, feeling like the scene lacked something — if only there were some tea.

Finally, the person on the stairs couldn’t watch any longer. He raised his hand to the sky, and a sword appeared in his palm. He shouted, “Move aside.”

Then, he drew the sword and lunged at Xia Chenyu.

Compared to the previous guards, this person was on an entirely different level.

As the swift blow approached, Xia Chenyu hurriedly parried, forcing the attack back with his own spiritual energy.

The two collided with a flash of bright light, and Xia Chenyu was sent flying, crashing into the wall. A row of cabinets collapsed under the impact.

The other person remained standing firmly in place.

The difference in cultivation was clear, and Xia Chenyu spat blood from the corner of his mouth.

“You dare intrude as a mere Golden Core cultivator?” the man sneered, slashing again.

Xia Chenyu shifted his body, but the sword turned and aimed directly at his neck.

In that critical moment, a flash of spiritual light appeared, and the man’s wrist seemed to be struck by something. With a clang, his sword fell to the ground.

“Who is it?” the sect leader asked, clutching his wrist, his face full of tension.

Xia Chenyu’s eyes lit up. “Senior?”

Anran, still hidden in the shadows, raised an eyebrow, clearly annoyed. “Senior? I should just give this kid a good knock on the head.”

There was no response, and the sect leader grew more anxious. Not only had he, a Yuan Ying cultivator, failed to detect the invisibility technique, but even when the opponent attacked, they left no trace. Such skill was beyond comprehension.

Seeing the sect leader injured, Xia Chenyu seized the opportunity and thrust his sword.

With his right hand injured, the man fought with his left, and although somewhat uncoordinated, he was still more than enough to handle Xia Chenyu.

Anran watched for a moment before shaking his head. It was clear this opponent was too difficult for the boy. He flipped his wrist and sent a spiritual push toward the man. The opponent was thrown back several feet, crashing into the stone wall and creating a deep crater.

The man who had led them here initially thought the sect leader could easily defeat Xia Chenyu. However, the situation had taken a drastic turn. Not wanting to die, he planned to slip away unnoticed.

But this attempt did not escape Anran’s notice. A flash of spiritual light surrounded the man’s feet, preventing him from moving, no matter how he tried.

The man was trapped, his body rigid and pinned to the wall.

Xia Chenyu grinned and bowed to the air, “Thank you, Senior!”

Anran couldn’t take it anymore and coldly asked, “How many times have I heard you call out ‘Senior’? Who is this senior, exactly?”

A figure dressed in white appeared out of thin air, its robes glowing softly in the dim candlelight, radiating a celestial aura like an immortal from another realm.

Xia Chenyu stood stunned for a moment before finally stammering, “Master… Master?”

It turned out the one who had been secretly aiding him was his Master! Xia Chenyu couldn’t believe it. His Master had been so worried about him, following and secretly protecting him all along.

Returning to his senses, Xia Chenyu was overjoyed and called out again, “Master!”

“Disciple, thank you for saving me!” he said as he ran toward the figure.

Anran, though, was slightly displeased. “I have a question for you,” he said, his tone firm. “Can you not change the subject?”

Xia Chenyu hesitated. “Well… I… don’t know who they are,” he stammered.

“They’re always talking in my head. I thought I was just hallucinating before,” he added, his voice growing softer.

Anran believed him, as multiple searches with the Heavenly Eye had shown that the person had never actually appeared.

Meanwhile, the person embedded in the wall seemed to stir and make a faint sound.

Their attention shifted toward him.

“Still alive?” Anran muttered in surprise. The person had survived his strike — what a tough soul.

Xia Chenyu approached the wall, grabbing the man by the neck and pulling him up.

“I heard your subordinate call you ‘Sect Leader.’ Is this a branch sect? Where is the main sect?”

The man gasped for air, struggling to speak. With great effort, he managed a weak, broken reply: “I… don’t… know…”

Then his head suddenly dropped, and all life left his body.

Xia Chenyu reluctantly released his grip, and the lifeless body fell with a thud. A token slipped from the man’s body, bearing an intricate crescent-shaped design. Xia Chenyu, intrigued, picked it up.

Anran, seeing this, sighed. He had overdone it — he should have left the man alive for questioning. But then his gaze shifted to the man still trapped in the light circle, and he smiled.

“How could I forget about you?”

The man collapsed in terror. He didn’t want to endure any more suffering. The pain felt like a thousand ants gnawing at his heart, and just thinking about it made his legs weak.

“I… I really don’t know. Only the sect leaders know where the main sect is.”

“Is that so?” Anran asked coldly. “Well then, you’re no use to me.”