Schemes

Upon the stone platform, Dongyang Bo channeled his vajra ring, concealing his figure. Qin Sang waited for a while. Seeing Dongyang Bo remain standing there motionless, he grew even more curious. By the look of things, Dongyang Bo had arrived quite some time ago. Dongyang Bo held a position akin to an alliance leader among the righteous path of the Xiaohan Realm. Disrupting Old Demon Ye's plans carried immense significance for the entire war effort. Rather than hurrying to regroup with the others and devise a strategy, he had come all the way out here alone. It was exceedingly strange. At first, Qin Sang suspected there might be a treasure hidden nearby, that Dongyang Bo had uncovered some clue from an ancient text and planned to pocket the prize for himself before joining the others. Yet the longer he watched, the more amiss it felt. A long time passed, and Dongyang Bo still did nothing, merely standing there idle. If he were waiting for a treasure to emerge, there was no need to go to such pains, deliberately hiding himself with his natal magic treasure—unless a spiritual beast guarded the treasure. Given that even the Heavenly Eye Butterfly had nearly overlooked him, it was clear just how cautious Dongyang Bo was being. Qin Sang commanded the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to keep an eye on Dongyang Bo's movements while keeping his distance, creeping around to observe their surroundings and fathom Dongyang Bo's purpose. Having unexpectedly run into his enemy while staying hidden in the shadows, how could Qin Sang let such an opportunity slip by? Thus, he had decisively stowed Fat Chick away, intending to wait and see what Dongyang Bo was scheming. It would be best if he could take his revenge right then and there. Yet even if an opportune moment did not present itself, being able to foil Dongyang Bo's plans and snatch whatever treasure he had his sights on would still vent his pent-up fury, something Qin Sang was more than happy to do. After looking all around, Qin Sang failed to spot another living soul. Dongyang Bo was the only person here. Furthermore, aside from the ancient restrictions upon the two hilltops beside Qin Sang, there were no other anomalies in the vicinity, nor any signs that a treasure was about to appear. Consequently, Dongyang Bo's behavior seemed all the stranger. *What is he waiting for?* Completely baffled, Qin Sang decided to dig in and wait Dongyang Bo out. *Rumble...* Curtains of blood lightning plummeted from the heavens, incessantly bombarding the hilltops. Rumbles echoed all around, yet they could not drown out the dead silence and desolation of this place. In such an environment, two strange figures remained hidden in the shadows, neither moving an inch for a long time, both waiting for who knew what. Qin Sang was remarkably patient, yet he also began to wonder whether his eyes had deceived him—whether the white glow concealed not the vajra ring, but some similar magic treasure. However, he could not allow the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to scrutinize it too closely. Dongyang Bo's cultivation was a cut above his own, and because the man was not distracted by anything else right now, being peered at might trigger a sudden premonition, revealing Qin Sang's presence. Right at that moment, someone suddenly flew over from the distance. Qin Sang had been watching Dongyang Bo all along and noticed a subtle ripple in the white glow before he even detected the uninvited guest. Turning his head, he saw a streak of light speeding toward them from afar. *Dongyang Bo was waiting for this person.* Qin Sang's heart stirred. Contrary to his expectations, Dongyang Bo had not come to hunt for treasure, but to wait for someone. Just then, an almost imperceptible sigh sounded from within the white light. "You have finally come. I was beginning to think I had misjudged you." Immediately after, the white glow receded as Dongyang Bo restrained the fluctuations of the vajra ring, ducking down behind the rocks to conceal himself in an even more secluded spot. *Could it be an enemy of Dongyang Bo?* Watching Dongyang Bo's movements, Qin Sang swiftly ran through every Nascent Soul cultivator who had entered the Blood Lake. Those who had ventured into the Blood Lake this time were almost all Nascent Soul cultivators hailing from the Xiaohan Realm. Dongyang Bo was adept at playing both sides. He only had rivals who clashed with him over conflicting interests, such as Daoist Chongyi, but none had reached the point of life-and-death enmity. Even Qin Sang had failed to find an ally against him. As the figure drew closer, Qin Sang realized the newcomer was not a Nascent Soul cultivator at all, but rather the palace master of the Shangyuan Pure Tranquility Palace—Gongliang Yu. Qin Sang had seen him back at Mount Shiqu and recognized him at once. *Why is it him?* Qin Sang was completely stunned. The Shangyuan Pure Tranquility Palace boasted a profound foundation and ranked among the super sects. Unfortunately, over the past few centuries, spanning several generations of disciples, not a single Nascent Soul cultivator had emerged, rendering their reputation somewhat hollow. Because of this, the Shangyuan Pure Tranquility Palace had no choice but to choose a powerful ally to avoid getting the short end of the stick when competing for resources with other sects. Since their relationship with Shaohua Mountain was decent, they consistently advanced and retreated alongside Shaohua Mountain. Both the previous palace master, Tie Guanzi, and the current one, Gongliang Yu, had followed this policy. Back when Qin Sang was still at Shaohua Mountain, whenever he met seniors from the Shangyuan Pure Tranquility Palace, he had addressed them as Martial Uncle. By all logic, Gongliang Yu and Dongyang Bo ought to be exceedingly close. Shaohua Mountain and the Shangyuan Pure Tranquility Palace shared deep ties of mutual support, and there had never been any word of friction between them. Yet Dongyang Bo's current behavior seemed aimed at ambushing Gongliang Yu, leaving Qin Sang utterly perplexed and unable to fathom his intent. Gongliang Yu was completely oblivious to the fact that he had fallen under the watchful gaze of two Nascent Soul cultivators. Clutching a wooden carving in one hand and a jade jue in the other, he flew up to the site. When he laid eyes upon the nearly identical Twin Peaks, delight broke across his face. "I finally found it!" He descended through the air and landed between the two peaks. Qin Sang silently backed away a bit further, putting some distance between himself and Gongliang Yu to see what Dongyang Bo intended to do. Given Dongyang Bo's cultivation, killing Gongliang Yu hardly required a sneak attack. Of course, as the master of the Shangyuan Pure Tranquility Palace, Gongliang Yu had inherited the full legacy of the sect and was a peak Core Formation expert himself; he undoubtedly possessed life-saving means. However, in a place like the Blood Lake, those means might be restricted. Perhaps that was precisely why Dongyang Bo had chosen to act here. Seeing the joyful expression on Gongliang Yu's face, Qin Sang could not help but sigh for him inwardly. Having touched down on the ground, Gongliang Yu was extremely vigilant, but it was impossible for him to imagine that two Nascent Soul cultivators were scheming against him. "Twin Peaks... this is the place!" Gongliang Yu looked up, taking in the two peaks beside him. They matched the description in that piece of information to the letter. "A dozen or so li north from here, and I'll arrive at the destination. Once I obtain that Blood Zhi Herb and achieve Nascent Soul, why should I ever have to look at others' faces again?" Gongliang Yu seemed to recall some unpleasant memory. A cold sneer curled his lips, and he eagerly conjured his escape light, shooting away toward the north. Remaining where he was, Qin Sang watched as the white light concealing Dongyang Bo drifted after Gongliang Yu like a phantom. Waiting a moment longer, Qin Sang finally set off. As the saying went: the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Even so, Qin Sang could not fathom Dongyang Bo's true motive, making it difficult to reach a decision on the spot. Dongyang Bo's desire to kill Gongliang Yu was most likely driven by the ambition to swallow the Shangyuan Pure Tranquility Palace. If he absorbed the Shangyuan Pure Tranquility Palace, not only would Shaohua Mountain's might expand drastically, but Dongyang Bo would also acquire their cultivation techniques and secret arts, making him even harder to deal with in the future. Whether out of reason or sentiment, Qin Sang could not simply sit by and watch Dongyang Bo kill Gongliang Yu. Rescuing the man would not only clip one of Dongyang Bo's wings, but also leave him with a sworn enemy. With various thoughts flashing through his mind, Qin Sang remained composed, trailing far behind in the rear. Before long, Gongliang Yu came to a halt up ahead. Before Gongliang Yu lay an ordinary, unremarkable hill. Yet at its base was a cave, its interior a vivid shade of crimson, continuously belching out plumes of blood mist in an eerie, unsettling display.