A Clumsy Scheme

When Li Guanqi sent the voice transmission, Meng Jiangchu glanced at him. Earlier, when Meng Jiangchu mentioned seeing Qin Wushang in the Seventh Domain, Li Guanqi's expression had noticeably changed. He had clearly anticipated something, though there were many things Li Guanqi did that even Meng Jiangchu knew nothing about. Sipping his tea, Gu Changsheng muttered a low curse. "Cursing out that old bastard has made my throat dry. "Still, I haven't figured out why Zhao Bin's death would be connected to the Nine Dragons Immortal Sect." His gaze swept back and forth between Li Guanqi and Meng Jiangchu, genuinely perplexed. Leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, Li Guanqi sorted through everything in his mind. From the moment Ye Bingxin appeared, he had felt an inexplicable instinct. He had sensed a bizarre discordance in her. The feeling was not strong; in fact, it was minuscule. Yet the instant his eyes met hers, the strangely complex ripple of emotion in her gaze had put him on his guard. Logically speaking, this was his first time in the Ethereal Immortal Domain, and he didn't know anyone here— to say nothing of the Saintess of the Nine Dragons Immortal Sect, a supreme sect of this domain. He hadn't even heard of her before. How could two people who were utter strangers produce such complex ripples in her eyes the very first time she saw him? Because of that, he had been wondering whether the figures behind the scenes had made another move. Was it the person behind Cang Lu? Or the puppeteer behind Lu Wuhen? Both operated with extreme secrecy, but Li Guanqi felt the one behind Lu Wuhen was even more covert in their methods. He therefore leaned toward the culprit being the person behind Cang Lu. After what happened with Li Shenzhi, he was on maximum alert against that person's methods. Moreover... A name flashed unbidden into his mind. "Song Zhi'ang!" Ever since Li Guanqi expelled Song Zhi'ang from the sect, he had sent people regularly to check on her father. Yet her father had not visited Song Zhi'ang even once... That struck him as rather thought-provoking, which was why Li Guanqi had felt suspicious about it from the start. Still... he hadn't anticipated Zhao Bin's murder. However, when Meng Jiangchu was spying on Qin Wushang's movements, he had overheard Ye Bingxin mention the Seventh Domain! That meant she knew something. Li Guanqi tapped his fingers lightly on the tabletop, his brow furrowed. It seemed he would have to find a way to visit the Nine Dragons Immortal Sect in the future to probe the truth. If the Ye Bingxin he met next time was the same as today's Ye Bingxin, that would be intriguing. And if Ye Xuan discovered something, that would be equally interesting. *** Nine Dragons Immortal Sect. "Father, did you need me for something?" Boom! An incomparably formidable pressure instantly erupted from Ye Xuan, whose back was turned to Ye Bingxin! Ye Bingxin felt as if plunged into an icehouse as chilling killing intent surged wildly through the room. Her shoulders trembled slightly, her entire body sealed in place by an invisible force, unable to move an inch. In an instant, sword qi crisscrossed the room, horrifying slashes carving through the surrounding space and rending it with rifts. With his back still turned, Ye Xuan spoke, his voice heavy with suppressed, icy killing intent. "Who are you!" It was not an inquiry, but an absolute declaration! Confusion showed in Ye Bingxin's eyes. Resisting the crushing pressure to steady her mind, she said, "Father... what... what are you talking about... "I'm your daughter! I'm Xin'er!" Boom! The tyrannical pressure surged yet again. Ye Xuan spun around abruptly, fixing his eyes on Ye Bingxin as he snarled coldly, "No, you are not my daughter. Who on earth are you? And what is your purpose?" Ye Bingxin suddenly broke into a bright smile. The grievance on her face and the confusion in her eyes vanished entirely. In their place, a calm gaze met Ye Xuan's. Boom! Ye Xuan seized Ye Bingxin by the throat and hoisted her into the air, a flicker of heartache crossing the depths of his eyes. Yet his movements did not slow in the slightest! "Boundless Realm · Soul Truth!" Space shifted in an instant, and an azure altar manifested out of nowhere! Countless azure rays of light bound the woman in midair above the altar. Forming a sword hand with his left fingers, he struck thirty-nine acupoints across Ye Bingxin's body in rapid succession, sealing her origin spirit and dantian. With a grim expression, Ye Xuan formed hand seals and slammed both palms onto the altar, barking out, "Extract!" Boom! Ye Bingxin's head jerked back as if struck by a heavy blow, and an illusory origin spirit was forced out of her body! Countless azure beams pierced through the origin spirit, drawing a muffled groan from it. Immediately after, wisps of black qi seeped out from within the origin spirit! A cold glint flared in Ye Xuan's eyes. Clenching his hand tightly around that wisp of black smoke, he roared furiously, "Trifling wretch lurking in the dark! I'd like to see what manner of monster dares lay a hand on my daughter! "Boundless Rite · Reverse Trace!" Boom! Azure threads burrowed into the black smoke, and Ye Xuan's divine sense surged into it like an overwhelming tide. His divine sense traversed millions of li, appearing in the blink of an eye within a pitch-black hall. Within his mind's sight, perched on a throne high above the pitch-black hall, sat a figure completely enveloped in blood-red robes. The figure was slightly surprised by the arrival of Ye Xuan's divine will, yet displayed little panic. As their gazes collided, the eyes beneath the mask swept coldly over him. Raising a hand, a flash of black-red light erupted, shattering Ye Xuan's prying divine sense with a booming roar. The corners of his lips curved upward. With a faint smirk, the man murmured softly, "Just as I thought. This method is still too easy to uncover. "Ah, what a headache... "Top-tier powerhouses like Ye Xuan of the Nine Dragons Immortal Sect really are tricky to deal with." Splash! A naked body rose abruptly from the black pool! The black floral mark flickering between her brows gradually faded, while beside her lay a female husk identical in appearance to Ye Bingxin. The Sha Leader slowly rose and said with a smile, "Pick someone else. Ye Bingxin's own will to resist is also very strong; she's not someone you can control right now." With that, he turned back to Song Zhi'ang and said in a low voice, "From the moment Qin Wushang severed your wrist with a single sword strike, he was probably already suspicious of you. "Without the strength of the Body Integration Realm, that sense of discordance is unavoidable." Song Zhi'ang draped on a blood-red robe, slowly rose, took a few steps forward on slender legs, and bowed. "Yes. I abide entirely by the Leader's arrangements." A strange cackle rang out. "Heh heh. Did Li Guanqi look at you differently this time?" Song Zhi'ang's mind churned with ripples, her gaze turning momentarily vacant. It seemed... it really had been different... Yet the voice beneath the mask grew steadily colder, uttering harsh words: "Use your head before doing things next time. Such a clumsy scheme brings me nothing but shame. "Wasting such a fine husk for nothing—do you have any idea how difficult it is to pull this off in the Ethereal Immortal Domain?" Trembling, Song Zhi'ang dropped to the ground with a thud, swallowed hard, and said in haste, "I understand..."