Yun Jin turned around and noticed that on both sides of the platform, a cluster of shuang guo trees had been planted.
It was the season when shuang guo trees were in bloom. Snow-white blossoms blanketed the branches, delicate and pristine. The sight was genuinely beautiful.
The blossoms carried a subtle, refined fragrance. During this season, it was common to see people placing shuang guo flowers in their rooms. The scent was pleasant, never overpowering.
But Yun Jin faintly sensed something off about that scent.
"System, investigate the shuang guo trees."
[Deducting simplified analysis attempts.]
The system returned its results.
[The shuang guo flowers have been sprayed with a highly volatile solution.]
Yun Jin narrowed her eyes. "Analyze the solution!"
This time, the cost was much steeper.
Just the analysis alone burned through one hundred advanced attempts.
Fortunately, she still had enough stock saved up.
And tonight, she had no intention of being frugal.
If Emotional Value had to be spent, so be it. If she could take down both Zhao Wuji and Yang Yun in one stroke, what she stood to gain was far beyond a few attempts.
[Analysis result as follows. The solution is identified as: Shengyang Minglu. Preparation recipe: 3g ting li zi, 10g huang du…]
Those one hundred attempts weren't wasted. The system even broke down the full preparation method.
[Shengyang Minglu is colorless and odorless. Whether dissolved in liquid or dispersed in the air, it remains effective. After ingestion or inhalation, effects begin after one incense stick's worth of time. Depending on cultivation level and exposure, the victim will enter a weakened state lasting from half an hour to twenty-four hours. During this time, spiritual power cannot be used.]
Yun Jin squinted slightly.
She glanced toward the detoxification method.
[Antidote for Shengyang Minglu: 5g mu niu zi…]
The system provided a complete recipe for the antidote, but it was useless.
She didn't have the time to concoct a cure right now. Zhao Wuji had clearly inhaled the Shengyang Minglu too, but he showed no symptoms. He must have taken the antidote in advance. Just to be safe, he was likely carrying one or two doses, though definitely not in large quantities.
So using the antidote was out of the question.
Yun Jin kept reading.
[Additionally, Shengyang Minglu is highly susceptible to scorching fire. If such fire is introduced into the body, it will burn away the toxin. However, the user must possess complete control over this fire, or risk severe injury to the cultivator.]
Scorching fire?
Yun Jin paused, then relaxed.
That wouldn't be a problem.
She had already fully mastered the scorching concept. Naturally, she had absolute control over the scorching fire.
When the time came—
All she needed to do was implant a sliver of scorching fire into each person. That alone would detoxify them.
Zhao Wuji was still breathing in the faint aroma in the air, the corners of his mouth curling with a smile. It had been some time now. By this point, everyone should have been poisoned.
The demon clan would arrive soon.
When they struck, Tianxing Sect would be powerless to resist. That would be Zhao Wuji's moment to shine.
Even though he had been ostracized by his sect, he was willing to let bygones be bygones. In this moment of crisis, he had invited a savior to protect Tianxing Sect and preserve their lives. What greater favor could there be?
Of course—
Most of the people in Tianxing Sect didn't deserve to live anyway. Whether it was the Grand Elders, Lin Ya, or any of the others who had offended him, they would all die during the demonfolk assault. He would have tried his best, but if they couldn't be saved, well... he would just have to express his regrets.
Perfect. Let the script play out exactly like this. A subtle smile crept up Zhao Wuji's face again.
Lin Ya frowned as he caught sight of that smile.
Given how provocatively he'd taunted Zhao Wuji today, under normal circumstances, Zhao Wuji would've already exploded in fury. But tonight, the man had maintained a strangely calm and cheerful demeanor.
Clearly, Zhao Wuji had absolute confidence in tonight's operation.
Lin Ya wasn't sure what kind of plan Yun Jin and the others had prepared, but he only had one goal tonight—keep a close eye on Zhao Wuji.
Wherever Zhao Wuji went, he would follow.
And if Zhao Wuji made any suspicious moves, he'd be the first to strike.
While everyone was still drinking and chatting, basking in the apparent harmony, Yun Jin glanced at the map and noticed the demonfolk had already reached the base of Tianxing Sect's mountain range. They were preparing to infiltrate the sect in secret.
Yang Yun and the others had clearly noticed the intruders too. But they showed no signs of stepping in. They remained in hiding.
Obviously—
They intended to borrow the demon clan's blade to butcher Tianxing Sect themselves.
Yun Jin let out a cold laugh.
Trying to hide? That won't be so easy.
She quietly issued a command to the sword spirit. "Senior Sword Spirit, you may take action against the ones hiding on He Shan. Make a good amount of noise."
The sword spirit acknowledged.
She was already concealed on He Shan. Not being a living being in the traditional sense, she emitted no aura. Once hidden, not a soul could detect her presence.
But the figures hiding atop He Shan were all within her line of sight.
"Your Majesty, they've arrived," came a voice.
Yang Yun smiled faintly. "Good. Let them search. If they want me, they'll have to find me first."
"These fools can only dance in the palm of Your Majesty," another said, chuckling.
There—
Two Mahayana black-robed cultivators stood at Yang Yun's sides, guarding him closely.
Just as the three were about to speak again—
The sword spirit suddenly appeared in silence.
"Who's there?" The two black-robed cultivators snapped their heads up.
The sword spirit didn't respond. She drew her blade and charged forward without hesitation.
"Courting death!"
Both black-robed cultivators met her head-on.
Yang Yun frowned and quickly retreated.
A stranger… at Mahayana level?
How could there be a Mahayana here?
He had only recovered to the Divine Transformation stage. In a fight like this, he had no choice but to hide. Watching for a moment, Yang Yun couldn't help but reveal a hint of surprise. He knew his two subordinates well.
While not top-tier, they were seasoned Mahayana cultivators. Yet this mysterious expert was holding her ground against both of them without losing any momentum.
Three Mahayana cultivators clashed, and at first, the black-robed men fought cautiously to avoid drawing attention.
But the sword spirit had no such concerns. Each of her strikes came down with terrifying force, shaking all of He Shan.
Yun Jin had instructed her to make as much noise as possible. Suddenly, waves of intense battle aura surged from the direction of He Shan.
A fight. A high-level one.
Lin Ya's expression shifted slightly.
Several Grand Elders rose to their feet.
Even Zhao Wuji frowned.
He Shan?
Why would there be a battle on He Shan?
If he remembered correctly, Yang Yun and his group were supposed to be hiding there!
Could something have gone wrong on their end?
A flicker of unease passed through Zhao Wuji's eyes.
Right now, all his hopes were pinned on Yang Yun.
If anything happened to Yang Yun, he'd lose any chance of turning things around.
No. Impossible.
Zhao Wuji reassured himself.
That was the Demon Sovereign.
Even when four Holy Lands joined forces to encircle him, he still escaped.
This minor skirmish couldn't possibly trouble him.
Maybe—
The Demon Sovereign had simply changed the plan again?
The Grand Elder's face darkened. "Come. Let's go take a look."
Everyone immediately dropped their drinks and followed.
Whoever it was—
Daring to fight on Tianxing Sect's territory was a direct act of provocation.
At the mountain's base, the demonfolk who had been preparing to ascend also noticed the commotion.
They halted in place.
That aura—
It felt like multiple Mahayana cultivators clashing.
Their central forces were limited. The ones here were essentially their entire contingent. Among them, only one had reached the Mahayana stage.
Wasn't Tianxing Sect supposed to be a mid-tier sect?
Why was a Mahayana-level battle breaking out?