Chapter 769 Sudden Contact at the Conference

Ximen Jianqiu paused, then reached out, plucked the two leaves, and put them in his mouth.

The verdant young leaves dissolved the moment they entered his mouth, transforming into a faint stream of Vitality Power that began to mend Ximen Jianqiu’s ravaged body.

Fanx Chengxin was using a Tier Two Growth Technique, and with a Cultivation of only Tai Chi Three Lives, its healing effect on a Duality Cultivator’s severe injuries wasn’t very powerful—in fact, it was quite weak. It only stabilized Ximen Jianqiu’s condition slightly, allowing him to catch his breath.

The group rested for a moment, their gazes unanimously turning to the youth at the center of their formation—a young man who radiated a cold aura and was clearly their leader.

Fanx Chengxin looked at the young man. Though they were peers at the Tai Chi Cultivator realm, he still performed the salute of a junior. “Master Ji Ming,” he said, “what do we do now? If this keeps up, never mind them catching us—this Hengduan Mountain Range alone will be the death of us.”

That’s right. The young man at the center of the group was none other than Ji Ming, the disciple Yuee Mengsheng had deliberately sent out to recruit for the Sect.

And, as if cursed with bad luck, he had been away from the sect for less than a year—not even half the time before the earliest wave of recruitment teams was due to return—when he encountered the chaos of the Martial Calamity.

Luanzhou’s extreme poverty had actually spared it from major impact, but Yuee Mengsheng grew worried. Since rescue teams were being organized anyway, he dispatched disciples from Spirit Nurturing Peak to Luanzhou, sending them first to the area where Ji Ming’s team was operating.

But they couldn’t find any trace of them. Furthermore, once the Communication Control Room was repaired, there was still no word from the Luanzhou recruitment team. It was as if they had vanished.

For this reason, Yuee Mengsheng had even visited the Celestial Secret Computation Department (the Strategy Department) several times to speak with its head, Gengg Cuiling—Minister Gengg.

But Gengg Cuiling had no news for him. Besides, when she had first suggested that Yuee Mengsheng let Ji Ming leave the sect, she had warned him that a heaven-defying opportunity came with heaven-defying danger, and that the choice was his to make.

So, the Celestial Secret Computation Department certainly wasn’t going to take the blame, which left Yuee Mengsheng incredibly frustrated. After all, the Celestial Secret Computation Department was one of the few departments in the Celestial Spirit Sect that even Spirit Nurturing Peak dared not offend.

Especially when facing Gengg Cuiling and her eyes that seemed to perceive time itself, even Guk Liancai didn’t dare act presumptuously. Unlike the “awe” he felt for Dang Xiangjun, which was born of intimidation, his reluctance to provoke Gengg Cuiling and the Celestial Secret Computation Department was genuine and came from the heart.

* * *

Ji Ming paused, then spoke. “After we escaped, I messaged my master. He said the Sect has Teleportation Gates now and told us to hold on for about an hour. He can make it here by then.”

Hearing this, the faces of the other four lit up with joyous surprise. “Really?!” they exclaimed.

Ji Ming nodded. To give the others hope and the confidence to keep going, he pulled out a special Array Card and activated a Light Screen, which displayed a message from Yuee Mengsheng.

“Activate your locator and stall for time. Thanks to your Master Zhang, the Sect now has Teleportation Gates. I’m already on my way to Luanzhou with two of your martial uncles. We’ll arrive in an hour at the latest. Do not take any foolish risks!”

Seeing the message, everyone’s face filled with renewed hope.

But before Ji Ming could offer further encouragement, his expression suddenly hardened. He turned to stare grimly in a specific direction in the forest.

At the sight of his changed expression, the four disciples beside him—be they his martial brothers or nephews—all froze. A moment later, as if they had also sensed something, their own expressions turned grim.

TAP… TAP…

A strange, rhythmic sound slowly drifted toward them.

A graceful Female Cultivator, with the delicate beauty of a sheltered maiden, strolled out from the woods. She appeared quite young, but her bright eyes held a world-weariness that could only be honed by time. She was clearly no girl.

With every step she took, the ground beneath her feet transformed into marshland, emitting a soft tapping sound.

CLAP… CLAP…

A faint smile played on her lips as she emerged, her eyes fixed on the five frozen figures of Ji Ming’s group. She clapped her hands slowly and chuckled. “As expected of the genius disciples of the Celestial Spirit Sect. To think you could escape the Abyss of Extinction with such a low level of Cultivation. You almost slipped right through my fingers!”

She glided forward in a perfect line, her feet crossing one in front of the other. Her enchanting figure swayed as she let out a flirtatious laugh and came to a stop before them.

“A. Three. Talents. Great. Cultivator,” Ji Ming bit out, his voice heavy. “You certainly think highly of us, sending a Great Cultivator of your stature merely to hunt down a group of insignificant Tai Chi Cultivators.”

Having become Yuee Mengsheng’s closed-door disciple, Ji Ming was quite familiar with the aura of a Three Talents Cultivator. Since the woman wasn’t making any effort to conceal it, he recognized her level at a single glance.

His words struck the four other disciples like a physical blow. The spark of hope that had just ignited in their hearts was instantly doused, as if by a bucket of ice water, leaving them chilled to the bone.

“Hee hee…” Guan Lijuan giggled, covering her mouth with one hand as her body swayed with her steps. “You’ve got a sharp eye, little brother. So sharp, I almost don’t want to take you back. I’d much rather have some fun with you myself! A little brother who can lead people out of the Abyss of Extinction with nothing more than a Tai Chi Cultivation… how could someone like me not take special notice? More than notice, actually. I find myself getting quite greedy.”

As she spoke, she gave her crimson lips a seductive lick, her expression pure temptation.

Watching Guan Lijuan’s captivating movements, the disciples found themselves momentarily lost in a daze. When they snapped back to their senses a moment later, a chill shot through their hearts.

She hadn’t even used a Technique. Just by radiating her innate Dao Essence, her every move could affect their Heart Spirits. The sheer, insurmountable gap in power caused the disciples’ hearts to sink completely.