Chapter 97

Even though Yun Zong and the others had the seal of Qinghe, and Qinghe must have long thought of leaving a way out for Qiu Xianyun, they encountered no obstacles along the way and saved a lot of time.

For them, the best way was of course not to come and save Qiu Xianyun, but to find a way to leave Shangxuan Sect first. However, the situation was now beyond their control.

Not to mention that the two of them had the seals of the Sect Leader and Tianxuan Peak, even if Qingyan would let them go, even if they wanted to set things right in the future, just the two of them alone would be futile, let alone commanding the entire Shangxuan Sect. So one more person meant one more chance to confront Qingyan and even the Upper Realm in the future.

Although Qiu Xianyun had fallen to this state, there is a saying that even a rotten ship has three inches of nails. Moreover, he had been deeply rooted in Tianquan Peak for many years. Even if others wanted to settle scores, it was impossible to clear out the entire Tianquan Peak in a short time.

The sound of water dripping was particularly piercing in the quiet night.

The dungeon of Shangxuan Sect was actually a karst cave. Walking in from the entrance, there was only a narrow, slippery and cold stone path, with collapsed cliffs on both sides. Only at the end would a flight of steps appear.

Following the steps down, it split into three winding narrow paths. The paths on both sides were filled with cave water, forming pools of unknown depth. The people to be imprisoned were placed in these pools.

With their lower bodies soaked in the pool and their upper bodies nailed to the rock wall by iron chains through the shoulder blades, an arrangement that prevented them from falling into the water, their movement was also limited. Once it rained and the rainwater poured in, the water level would rise. The water that was originally only at the waist could spread to the shoulders or even the neck. That feeling could be imagined without personally experiencing it.

Therefore, the disciples of Shangxuan Sect were all filled with awe and fear of this dungeon. Since its establishment, only two or three people had been imprisoned here. Qiu Xianyun was fortunate enough to become the latest one.

Yun Zong had never been here before, but the terrain here was not complicated. He quickly saw the figure shackled on the rock wall. Although the long hair was scattered and covered the face, he recognized it at a glance. It was undoubtedly Qiu Xianyun.

"Qiu-shishu?"

The person who was originally motionless only slightly raised his head when he heard Yun Zong's voice. Only then did Yun Zong see that his face was covered in dirt, his eyes were dull, and saliva flowed from the corners of his mouth. The original unrestrained demeanor could no longer be seen.

Yun Zong couldn't help frowning.

The other party made a chuckling sound from his mouth, looking at him with a mixture of laughter and tears.

Yun Zong said nothing, drew out the Wuchang Blade, and the sharp blade light shot towards Qiu Xianyun, cutting the two iron chains binding his arms in succession. He leapt up, grabbed Qiu Xianyun's falling body, and holding his clothes, sent him back to the ground.

"Who told you to come, get lost!" Qiu Xianyun suddenly sent a voice transmission, but his face still had that foolish smile.

Just from this sentence, Yun Zong knew that he was not completely deprived of his cultivation as it appeared on the surface, but for some reason, he had to pretend to be crazy and foolish here.

"Master told us to come and save you." Yun Zong also sent a voice transmission.

Qiu Xianyun's expression moved. "Then leave quickly, my cultivation has been temporarily sealed, you carry me!"

Yun Zong put one hand under his armpit, half supporting and half holding up the whole person, and walked out with quick steps.

It was quiet outside the cave entrance, and Zhou Yin had not yet arrived, but Zhou Chen was still by his side, so Yun Zong was not too worried. Moreover, he now had an extra burden and couldn't wait for long. So he decided to take Qiu Xianyun out first.

Qiu Xianyun suddenly said in a low voice, "If you take me now, you won't be able to get out. Go to Tianquan Peak first, I have arrangements there!"

Yun Zong said, "I have preparations, let's go out first, to avoid unforeseen changes!"

Could it be that Senior Brother Qinghe also gave him the Sect Leader's seal? Qiu Xianyun pondered and said no more. "Alright then."

The two left the dungeon and walked west. After walking not far, Yun Zong suddenly stopped, summoned his flying magic weapon, pulled Qiu Xianyun up, and flew down the mountain, no longer caring about the danger of being discovered.

At this moment, three beams of white light flew straight towards Yun Zong and the others from three directions, and the light suddenly split into thousands of beams, forming a heaven and earth net to surround them.

Yun Zong's right hand was still holding Qiu Xianyun to prevent him from falling, and his left hand chopped forward with the Wuchang Blade. The red light carrying a chilling murderous intent instantly chopped a gap in the white light net, and almost at the same time, Yun Zong flew out of the gap with Qiu Xianyun.

However, purple and yellow sword lights attacked head-on, and he had to dodge sideways. Due to the high speed, Qiu Xianyun's body swayed slightly, unable to maintain balance, and fell from the flying magic weapon.

Without thinking, Yun Zong reached out to catch him, while having to avoid the two sword lights that seemed to contain the wrath of thunder. These two sword lights were even more fierce than those of Zhou Yin, who he had seen was the best at fighting with a sword. Only a Nascent Soul cultivator could unleash them.

He landed lightly on the ground with Qiu Xianyun in his grasp, and was about to face a situation of being besieged on all sides.

Torches came from all directions, led by the acting Sect Leader Qingyan Zhenren and a group of Shangxuan Sect disciples.

People were all over the mountains, densely packed, a spectacular sight.

Even two of the six great elders who had not been involved in affairs for a long time had come. The two sword lights just now must have been from their hands.

It would be difficult to end well today.

This thought flashed through Yun Zong's mind. He gripped the Wuchang Blade tightly in his hand, already prepared to fight to the death.

Qingyan Zhenren said solemnly, "Yun Zong, you are the personal disciple of the Sect Leader, with a noble identity, and have received the nurturing grace of Senior Brother Qinghe. Yet for the sake of seizing the Sect Leader's seal, you committed the act of killing your master. What else do you have to say!"

Master is dead?

Yun Zong was slightly dazed for a moment, then calmed down and said coldly, "You exhausted my master's lifelong cultivation, confining him to a small room. To prevent the Sect Leader's seal from falling into your hands, he ordered me to keep it. Now you are turning the tables, could it be that you want to silence me!"

Qingyan laughed angrily, "You have really gone mad! Fine! Even if there are still doubts about Senior Brother Qinghe's death, what is your intention in taking the traitor Qiu Xianyun out now? Don't tell me you still want to quibble?!"

Yun Zong said indifferently, "Qiu-shishu has been wronged. Now that he is imprisoned, I naturally have to save him from the fire and water."

Among all the people, Yun Zong's cultivation was not the highest, but at this moment, he still maintained his aloof and composed demeanor in the face of thousands of troops and horses.

Indeed worthy of being the Sect Leader's personal disciple!

If it weren't for the wrong time and place, many people would have almost applauded his magnanimity. Even the two elders, moved by his talent, said without waiting for Qingyan to speak, "No matter what misunderstandings there are, release the person first and come back with us to discuss it!"

The implication was that there was room for leniency.

The six great elders had never interfered in secular affairs, as it was more symbolic than practical. This time, they had to step in to assist only because Qinghe had lost his cultivation and the seven peak lords were incomplete. The elders through the generations were loyal to the Shangxuan Sect, not to any individual.

They didn't care who held the position of Sect Leader, and would not intervene unless the sect faced life and death. They would certainly not meddle in affairs otherwise.

After Qinghe was injured and went into seclusion, Qingyan took over as acting Sect Leader. The six great elders also returned to seclusion one after another, but at Qingyan's repeated requests, two of them stayed to preside.

But tonight, under the eyes of everyone, Yun Zong wanted to take Qiu Xianyun away, and the two elders had to intervene. However, seeing Yun Zong's exceptional talent and his calm demeanor without any guilt, they felt there was more to the story. Not wanting to go to extremes, they had the intention to spare him.

Hearing this, Qingyan also said loudly, "That's right, release Qiu Xianyun. If there's anything, we elders will handle it for you. If you didn't kill Qinghe, you should stay. Once everything is investigated, we will clear your name!"

Yun Zong said coldly, "If I surrender, I'll be the one dead tomorrow."

He didn't have Zhou Yin's venomous tongue that cut to the heart of the matter, but stating it so bluntly made everyone pause for a moment.

Qingyan sighed, "Things have come to this point. Since you insist on going your own way and refuse to turn back, don't blame us for not giving you any leeway... Men, seize Yun Zong!"

As soon as he finished speaking, four sword lights flew towards Yun Zong and the others at the same time.

One person, two swords.

Yun Zong recognized the sword wielders. They were two Core Formation cultivators under Qingyan, slightly inferior to him in cultivation. But with the two of them joining forces, they were undoubtedly formidable opponents.

He activated a defensive formation and quickly retreated.

But there were two more golden lights attacking from behind, exceptionally dazzling in the night, forming a pincer attack from front and rear.

Yun Zong summoned his thin, sword-like Wuchang Blade and unhesitatingly slashed it horizontally in front, the red light like a rainbow across the sky, instantly chopping at the golden lights, severing them. One of the disciples wielding the double swords spat out a mouthful of blood and retreated several steps.

Yun Zong moved sideways a few steps, turned around and plunged the Wuchang Blade into the ground. The sand and earth began to crack inch by inch from under the blade, quickly spreading to where the four sword lights were.

When it met the sword lights, with a boom, as if metal and stone were shattering, it stirred up layers of sand and soil. The two forces collided, blasting all the surrounding soil into powder!

The low-level disciples nearby who didn't dodge in time were forced by this power to have their qi and blood surging, almost unable to hold on.

The two Core Formation cultivators, failing in their first attack, directly summoned their swords back. Wielding the double swords, they flew forward, sword qi crisscrossing, pointing straight at Yun Zong!

Yun Zong gave a cold laugh. Without pulling out the Wuchang Blade, he directly took out the Angu Qin he obtained from the Tianyan Sect. Casually plucking the strings a few times, the qin sound imbued with spiritual power was like blade edges, condensing the sound into lines.

Each note pierced into the opponents' ears, causing the two Core Formation cultivators' attacks to involuntarily slow down.

This was the opportunity!

He suddenly pulled out the Wuchang Blade, leaped forward, the blade and sword qi penetrating the four sword lights, and also penetrating the two people's protective barriers. Turning around and sweeping, he made the two people cry out in pain. They each had a wound on their waists that was so deep the bones could be seen, blood flowing out in streams.

This move was extremely swift and decisive. Not to mention the surrounding disciples were all dumbfounded, even the two elders couldn't help inwardly exclaiming "Good!"

On the other side, Qiu Xianyun had already laughed out loud, "How refreshing!"

His body was in a wretched state like a beggar due to the wounds from the torture, but at this time, he straightened his back, brushed his hair back, and no longer had that crazed and foolish expression.

However, after Yun Zong injured the two people, without a moment's delay, he immediately turned around, grabbed Qiu Xianyun and wanted to leave.

He knew very well that although most of the people present did not pose a threat, the two elders had profound cultivation, and Qingyan could not be ignored. Moreover, he had also brought Qiu Xianyun along.

It was difficult for two fists to fight four palms, so naturally it was best to leave as quickly as possible before they could react.

However, just as the two turned around, Qingyan had already leaped up and reached out to grab Yun Zong's back!

Yun Zong naturally also sensed the abnormality behind him, but he now faced two choices: one was to abandon Qiu Xianyun and then dodge, and the other was to be hit squarely by Qingyan.

No matter which choice, the consequences would not be too good.

At the critical moment, a fierce sword qi flew straight towards Qingyan!

That sword qi was originally black, seemingly blending into the night at first glance, like black mist. But because it was moving too fast at this time, there was actually a faint white light emanating around the black mist.

Qingyan was startled and had no choice but to give up on Yun Zong first. He pressed his palm down, his robe fluttering, and an invisible qi wall was erected in front of him, blocking the sword qi.

However, immediately after, one purple and one cyan sword light flanked him from the left and right. Although they could not break through Qingyan's barrier for the time being, they also left him no time to stop Yun Zong.

Qingyan did not expect that the Ziwei Sword he had given to Zhou Yin as a favor would be used against him, while the cyan one was the Seven Kills Sword that Zhou Yin had obtained from the Tianyan Sect.

Zhou Yin stood in mid-air, his black robe like ink, looking at him coldly, as handsome as a deity.

In the confrontation between masters, the situation changed in an instant. The disciples watched with wide eyes and gaping mouths, having long forgotten to go up and help.

Having said that, even if they helped, they would only be adding to the cannon fodder. Moreover, after the incidents with the demon beasts and the Tianyan Sect, Yun Zong and the others had a formidable reputation within the Shangxuan Sect. Many people were not willing to go up and be the scapegoat.

For example, the people from Tianquan Peak were all Qiu Xianyun's disciples and followers. Also, people like Cao Hang and Pang Yi from Yuheng Peak had long had a rapport with Zhou Yin and the others. They did not believe they would kill the Sect Leader.

So although they were all in the crowd, they had already made up their minds not to take action.

Qingyan had no time to split his attention. He shouted sternly, "Elders, hurry and stop him!"

The two elders originally wanted to watch from the sidelines. Hearing Qingyan speak up now, they had no choice but to take action.

It all happened in an instant. Qiu Xianyun, who was originally beside Yun Zong, suddenly erupted into action. His figure swiftly darted out, reaching out and grabbing one of the Core Formation cultivators who, having been injured and fallen to the ground, was sitting cross-legged to meditate.

"Whoever dares to come up, I will kill him." His voice was not loud and his tone was very gentle, but no one could ignore his hand that was clutching the Core Formation cultivator's neck.

At this moment, how did Qiu Xianyun resemble someone who was crazed and had lost his cultivation! The two elders had no desire to wade into these murky waters where the truth was difficult to discern, so they naturally ceased their actions at this point.

It was even more impossible for Qingyan to disregard the situation and allow the killing to continue. After all, this was merely an internal conflict within the Shangxuan Sect, and everyone present was a disciple of the sect.

If Qingyan didn't even care about the lives of his disciples, not to mention whether the others would feel a sense of "when the hare dies, the fox grieves," his originally illegitimate authority would inevitably be greatly diminished.

Qingyan said calmly, "Junior Brother Qiu, I remember that when we joined forces to capture you and throw you into the dungeon last time, you had already lost your cultivation and your sanity."

Qiu Xianyun smiled and said, "If I hadn't done that, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to stand here now."

Qingyan looked at him for a long time before uttering a single sentence: "Release him!"