Cui Xuanzi turned and cast a glance into the hall. Seeing Qin Sang looking utterly detached, as if none of this concerned him, Cui Xuanzi's expression shifted uncertainly. In the end, he did not dare utter a word, turning his somber gaze toward the sect gates outside.
The moment the mountain-protecting grand array manifested, the streaks of escaping light reined in their momentum and touched down one after another on a towering peak outside the Five Insects Sect, revealing a mix of men and women.
Some, like Cui Xuanzi, wore no extraneous ornaments.
Most, however, resembled the priests of Yihui Stockade, their faces and bodies tattooed with divine patterns, adorned with assorted jewelry of beast bones and fangs.
With each figure that came into view, Cui Xuanzi's expression darkened by another degree.
Finally, all the streaks of light descended, confronting the Five Insects Sect across the mountain-protecting grand array.
These people clearly divided into two factions, standing behind a withered, gaunt old man and an alluring woman respectively. Yet their objective was aligned—they were all gunning for the Five Insects Sect.
Both the gaunt old man and the alluring woman were late Foundation Establishment cultivators. Judging by their auras, they were not far from the False Core stage. Individually, neither was a match for Cui Xuanzi at the False Core stage, but if the two joined forces to besiege him, Cui Xuanzi's only outcome would be defeat and flight.
Just then, a figure flitted in a panic before the Sect Master Hall—it was none other than Junior Brother Tong.
He stole a glance inside the hall, looking inquiringly at Cui Xuanzi. Seeing Cui Xuanzi shake his head slightly, his expression instantly dimmed. In an anxious voice, he said, "Sect Master Senior Brother, Thunder Ghost Elder of Jinglei Stockade and that old harpy of the Hundred Flowers Palace have both arrived! The few skulking behind them are faces we've never seen before—they must be helpers invited to back them up. It seems they are hellbent on tearing up the pact Martial Uncle left behind to seize Black Wind Valley..."
"I've already seen them," Cui Xuanzi snorted coldly. "However, Junior Brother Tong, do you think they are the only ones?"
Junior Brother Tong started, only to see Cui Xuanzi raise his wooden staff and point toward the south of the Five Insects Sect.
Not far south of the Five Insects Sect ran a great river resembling a jade sash—the Qingyi River. At this hour, the morning sun had just risen, and the light mist hovering over the water had yet to disperse, leaving the scene hazy.
Junior Brother Tong narrowed his eyes and looked closely. Amidst the mist by the riverbank, dim and indistinct shadows flickered; people seemed to be concealed there, barely noticeable unless one looked carefully.
Downstream of the Qingyi River lay the various stockades of the Bear Mountain region.
Seeing this, how could Junior Brother Tong fail to understand who was hiding there?
"Those ungrateful white-eyed wolves!" Junior Brother Tong ground his teeth in fury. "Only thanks to our Five Insects Sect has the Bear Mountain region enjoyed peace! We even shared the spirit stones from Black Wind Valley with them, yet it was all thrown to the dogs! If our Five Insects Sect is destroyed, aren't they afraid of inviting a wolf into the house?"
Cui Xuanzi sighed softly. "A greedy heart is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. While they received a share of the spirit stones, Martial Uncle overruled all opposition and forcibly allocated the venom spring to our Five Insects Sect. Back then, Martial Uncle's lingering might kept them in line, so even if they were dissatisfied, they dared not make a move. In all these years, there has been no word from Martial Uncle, while our Five Insects Sect has lacked successors and steadily declined. Their thoughts began to waver long ago, secretly colluding with external enemies. Still, they surely won't dare tear away all pretense of civility right now—they merely hope to fish in troubled waters and force us to yield. So, there is no need to send out a distress signal. This calamity is something our Five Insects Sect must weather on our own."
As the two were speaking, another wave of clamorous shouting rang out from outside the mountain gates.
"Old Cui Xuan, hiding in your tortoise shell, not even daring to show your face! What, is the entire Five Insects Sect full of green-haired turtles?"
Thunder Ghost Elder magnified his voice with an incantation, his mocking laughter echoing throughout the mountains.
The Five Insects Sect disciples heard every word clearly, gnashing their teeth and itching to charge out and tear his mouth to shreds.
"Tee-hee..."
The alluring woman giggled coquettishly, shaking like a blossoming branch, utterly enchanting. Yet her words were venomously malicious. "The disciples of the Five Insects Sect are all cuckolded turtles, how terribly pitiable! Why not join our Hundred Flowers Palace? Every single disciple of our Hundred Flowers Palace is a chaste, virtuous woman..."
Her voice was laced with seductive allure; some disciples with weaker willpower actually flushed beet-red, losing their composure and acting unsightly.
"Silence!"
Cui Xuanzi shouted loudly, jolting those disciples awake. With a tap of his foot, he flew to the edge of the mountain-protecting grand array and said in a heavy voice, "Cultivators from two regions joining forces, suddenly invading my mountain gate and spouting insolence—what exactly do you want?"
Thunder Ghost Elder sneered, "Old Cui Xuan, why we have come, you know full well in your heart! Your Five Insects Sect has occupied Black Wind Valley for long enough."
Cui Xuanzi said angrily, "Back then, you personally established the agreement that Black Wind Valley would belong to my Five Insects Sect for a century. There are still eight years remaining, yet you dare forcibly tear up that pact!"
The alluring woman gasped in mock surprise. "Fellow Daoist Cui Xuan, your words are quite mistaken. Back then, it was clearly your sect that relied on the might of a golden core to force the cultivators of our two regions to bow our heads, handing over Black Wind Valley—a land overflowing with treasures—on a silver platter. At that time, this humble one stayed by Master's side and saw with my own eyes how a Core Formation stage mighty figure commanded reality with a word, immensely majestic. Oh, how envious I was!"
The alluring woman put on an affected display, yet every gesture of hers exuded peak seduction, making even her companions steal sideways glances at her.
Thunder Ghost Elder chimed in, "Back then, a golden core emerged from your Five Insects Sect, and our skills fell short—there was nothing to say. Now a hundred years have passed, and times have changed. Those things you shouldn't have taken should be handed over."
Seeing how the two acted, Cui Xuanzi knew it would be difficult to resolve this peacefully today. "Aren't you afraid my Martial Uncle will return to the sect and wipe you all out?"
Cui Xuanzi glared furiously, sweeping his gaze across their faces one by one as he spat fiercely, "You are welcome to try! If you destroy my Five Insects Sect today, you had better not let a single one of us escape! Otherwise, I will firmly etch every one of your faces into my memory, and when my Martial Uncle returns, he will avenge us!"
The crowd's expressions froze.
Catching Cui Xuanzi's gaze, many looked hesitant, especially those who had been invited to lend a hand.
After all, they still feared that martial uncle of his.
Cui Xuanzi breathed a secret sigh of relief. Softening his tone, he said, "If you withdraw right now, we can treat today's matter as having never happened. Our sect currently has an esteemed guest, so we will not see you out."
"Hold on!"
Thunder Ghost Elder sneered, utterly resolute and showing no fear whatsoever.
"An esteemed guest? That unknown Golden Core? Old Cui Xuan, stop playing this trick time and time again!
"We of Jinglei Stockade and Hundred Flowers Palace came for Black Wind Valley, and originally had no wish to tear away all civility. But if you stubbornly persist, we will be forced by circumstance to do something we'd rather not.
"As for avenging you, that can only happen if your martial uncle can even return. Heaven only knows whether your martial uncle has already turned into a pile of dry bones, buried on some island out at sea.
"Otherwise, why hasn't he returned to take a look all this time?"
With that, Thunder Ghost Elder turned to look at the others, his tone dripping with heavy incitement. "The Five Insects Sect has entrenched itself in Black Wind Valley for a hundred years, accumulating no small number of spirit stones. Jinglei Stockade and Hundred Flowers Palace want none of them—we will cede them entirely to all of you Fellow Daoists as compensation for your assistance. Even if the Five Insects Sect's Golden Core is still alive, you are all wanderers without fixed dwellings anyway; could you really fail to find a place to hide?"
Chapter 637