Chapter 654: Chapter 654

Five-Insect Sect’s sect leader’s hall had not escaped the aftermath of the battle. Once grand and majestic, it now lay in ruins. The plaza in front of the hall was riddled with craters and fissures, scorched and soaked in places. There were clear signs of a cultivator battle.

Inside the hall, deathly silence reigned.

Cui Xuanzi stood with a dark expression, gazing silently at the devastated mountain gate outside and the corpses of his fellow sect members. His face was filled with sorrow.

Across from him stood two middle-aged men, both Fake Core Realm experts.

At their waists hung identical tokens engraved with the character "Li."[1]

One of them stood with hands behind his back, exuding a strong presence. Compared to him, Cui Xuanzi’s aura appeared noticeably weaker.

The other was a burly man, but his aura was feeble. Clutching his chest and abdomen, he sat in a chair, face pale and bloodless. Clearly, he had suffered serious injuries.

Both were disciples of Black Witch Palace. The standing one was named Du Xian, and the injured one was Jiu Shan.

Aside from them, another man lay unconscious on the ground, in even worse condition. Though his breathing was stable, he remained comatose.

Seeing Cui Xuanzi’s solemn demeanor, Du Xian scoffed dismissively and said, "Sect Leader Cui, must you put on such a pitiful act? So what if a few useless disciples died? Once my junior brother invites our master here and captures that Old Ghost Qin, we’ll retrieve the Thousand-Hand Spider Fruit. At that point, we’ll report your contribution to our master. With you still here and Black Witch Palace’s protection, what difficulty would there be in restoring Five-Insect Sect?"

Jiu Shan suddenly coughed violently. After regaining composure with great effort, he glared at Cui Xuanzi and roared, "You dare defy orders from Black Witch Palace and used a talisman astra to injure me and my junior brother? Only killing a few of your disciples was already letting you off easy. If not for my senior brother pleading on your behalf, I would have wiped you out on the spot!"

Cui Xuanzi clenched his fists and suppressed his fury. "You used the name of Black Witch Palace to search for someone, tricked me into opening the mountain gate to welcome you in, and then suddenly attacked. Did you expect me to just stand there and be slaughtered? The Thousand-Hand Spider Fruit was taken by Old Ghost Qin long ago. Had you simply asked for it from the start, would this battle have happened? Would so many of my Five-Insect Sect disciples have died in vain?"

Du Xian and Jiu Shan exchanged a glance, both looking slightly embarrassed.

Their senior brother had brought them here for the Thousand-Hand Spider Fruit. They had two Fake Core Realm cultivators, and the weakest among the rest was middle-stage Foundation Building Realm. All of them were trained in joint battle formations. They hadn’t thought much of Five-Insect Sect.

They never expected Cui Xuanzi to possess a talisman astra and catch them off guard, seriously injuring Jiu Shan and another junior brother.

Fortunately, while Cui Xuanzi was preparing the talisman, Five-Insect Sect’s other Foundation Building cultivators had already been killed or captured. Cui Xuanzi stood alone and could not resist them for long.

Had they not used Black Witch Palace’s name to trick their way inside, the outcome of the battle might not have been so easy.

Yet what truly shocked them was Cui Xuanzi’s claim that the Thousand-Hand Spider Fruit was no longer in their hands. A Golden Core cultivator had already taken it. They had come for the wrong target.

Du Xian gave a dry cough and turned to look outside the mountain gate. "Where exactly is that woman hiding? Your people and my junior brother have been gone a long time. Why haven’t they returned yet?"

Cui Xuanzi snorted coldly. "Why so impatient? Old Ghost Qin has multiple cave dwellings in the Bear Mountain region. That woman could be hiding in any of them. My Junior Brother Tong can only search one by one."

Jiu Shan narrowed his eyes and suddenly barked, "You old wretch. If you dare play any more tricks, I’ll have Five-Insect Sect erased from Xijiang by tomorrow!"

Cui Xuanzi exploded in fury and gritted his teeth. "My Junior Brother Tong is being restrained by your people, I’ve been imprisoned here, my sect has been seized, and our treasured possessions looted. What schemes could I possibly carry out? I’m the only Fake Core Realm cultivator left in Five-Insect Sect. You’ve seen my life-bound insect gu. It’s still stuck at its second metamorphosis. It’s completely useless for refining the Thousand-Hand Spider Fruit. I already brought you to Black Wind Valley to see for yourselves. Once the fruit ripens, its fragrance cannot be hidden. As soon as it matured, it was taken by Old Ghost Qin. If he were still here, none of you would have escaped alive!"

"If that Golden Core cultivator were still around, we wouldn’t have barged in so rashly."

Du Xian replied disdainfully. "He just formed his core. My master reached the Golden Core Realm decades ago and is already close to the mid-stage breakthrough. Once he arrives, killing that man will be effortless. You’d best give up hoping he’ll save you. Serve us well, and you’ll be properly rewarded."

Cui Xuanzi suddenly fell silent. He no longer argued. Instead, he lowered his head, eyes flashing with intense killing intent.

He didn’t believe a single word Du Xian said. Thıs content belongs to novel(ꜰ)ire.net

Cui Xuanzi knew very well that once Mute Girl was found, he would no longer be of use. These people would kill him to vent their frustration. That was why, when Junior Brother Tong set out to search for her, Cui Xuanzi had secretly hinted that he should take a longer route and delay as much as possible.

Little did they know, this action had bought Mute Girl precious time.

Du Xian seemed unaware of Cui Xuanzi’s thoughts. He turned and said to Jiu Shan, "Junior Brother, where exactly did that man go? We need to capture the woman to find out. If he went to look for spiritual insects, he might not return for three to five years. Remember how Senior Uncle Qiu once waited eight years outside a den just to catch an Ice Toad, and still almost failed in the end? Even so, we must remain cautious. Your trip to fetch Master will take half a month round-trip at best. During that time, we should find somewhere to hide to avoid any accidents."

Mentioning that man caused even Jiu Shan’s hostility to subside. His expression grew solemn.

Though they spoke so casually, both of them knew full well how vast the gap was between the Fake Core Realm and the true Golden Core Realm. Even a newly formed core cultivator could wipe them all out with ease.

While Du Xian and Jiu Shan discussed their plans, they suddenly felt the ground tremble beneath them.

All three of them turned pale and spun around toward the mountain gate. A brilliant arc of sword qi came crashing down from the sky, cleaving straight into the Lotus Array.

The sword qi shone with thunderous brilliance.

The Five-Insect Sect’s protective array quaked violently. With a single strike, cracks spread across the barrier, and the lotus-like array became fragile like glass, on the verge of collapse.

One strike shattered the array.

The thunderous roar of sword resonance finally arrived, howling through the air.

The surrounding mountains trembled. The power of that one sword sent chills down the spines of all three men.

Du Xian was utterly shocked.

Cui Xuanzi’s heart trembled violently. He had already recognized the sword qi. A strange expression surfaced on his face as he muttered under his breath, "Why now... Why return now... Just give me a few more hours. Just a few more hours..."

His face twisted with a mix of unwillingness and regret, looking deeply unsettled.

"Five-Insect Sect is finished!"

Cui Xuanzi cried out in despair, then fell backward with a thud. His body struck the ground, and he severed his own heart meridian on the spot, dying instantly.

His eyes remained wide open, death without peace.

Du Xian and Jiu Shan were both stunned by Cui Xuanzi’s decisive action. Before they could react, a second sword followed swiftly behind. With a thunderous crack, the Five-Insect Sect’s protective array shattered completely.

1. The "Li" character can mean "Black" for Black Witch Palace. ☜