After finishing everything, Xie Zhaolin put away the jade slip. She wasn't in any rush to return and check on the situation at the Northern Ice Palace.
News needed time to spread, and all factions needed time to mobilize. If she went over now, she'd basically be walking right into a trap, maybe even getting dragged into the first wave of conflict as cannon fodder.
"Elder Chou, let's go." She turned around, her voice once again calm. "We're changing direction. Let's check out the Youhun Ravine marked on the map."
Youhun Ravine was another area on the map provided by Yingsha, a place where strange energy fluctuations had recently appeared. Rumor had it that a soul nourishing spiritual item had emerged there.
It wasn't as valuable as the Star Core Essence, but it'd still help Xie Zhaolin temper her Primordial Soul. It worked out well. She could explore while waiting for "good news" from the Northern Ice Palace.
Elder Chou naturally had no objections.
After adjusting their breaths for a moment, they sped toward Youhun Ravine, a direction completely opposite from the Northern Ice Palace.
The journey passed in silence.
Several hours later, they reached the entrance of a gloomy, deathly valley. Thick gray and black mist filled the valley. Faint, mournful wails echoed from within, unsettling the mind.
This was Youhun Ravine.
They concealed their auras and carefully slipped inside.
The terrain within the valley was complicated, littered with jagged rocks and strange plants that thrived in darkness. Pure yin energy permeated the air, gently nourishing the Primordial Soul, yet carrying a subtle, mind eroding force.
Following the map and You You's sensing, they moved toward the core area where the yin energy was thickest. But just as they neared a messy stone field covered in black moss, faint voices and spiritual power fluctuations drifted from ahead.
Someone had arrived first.
Xie Zhaolin's eyes turned cold. She exchanged a glance with Elder Chou, then hid her presence again and moved forward soundlessly.
Pushing aside dense gray shrubs, the scene ahead came into view. Four cultivators in pale blue robes embroidered with flowing cloud patterns were gathered around a small black plant growing from a crack between rocks. A single fruit sat on top, glowing faintly blue. They were speaking in low voices.
Recognizing the robe style, Xie Zhaolin lifted a brow beneath her mask. A flicker of cold killing intent flashed in her eyes.
Tianyin Sect.
What a narrow road fate liked to force them onto.
The four Tianyin Sect cultivators were three men and one woman. The leader was a refined looking middle aged man holding a jade flute. His cultivation was at late Golden Core.
The other two men and the woman were all mid Golden Core. Judging from their stance, they were guarding the Youhun Fruit as it neared maturity, clearly waiting for others to arrive.
"Senior Brother Liu, why haven't Elder Zhang and Junior Brother Zhao arrived yet? They didn't respond to the transmission talisman either," the female cultivator asked anxiously.
"Maybe they ran into trouble along the way," the middle aged man said in a deep voice. "The Youhun Fruit will fully mature within one or two hours. When that happens, the phenomenon will be more obvious. We must guard this place. Once the elders arrive, we can harvest it."
Xie Zhaolin wasn't surprised. Tianyin Sect wasn't as strong as it used to be, but it was still a first rate sect. There was no way they only sent four people in.
Besides, she already killed three of their people outside Tianxing City.
And now she ran into four more.
Looked like Tianyin Sect was fated to lose even more at her hands.
Xie Zhaolin glanced at the nearly mature Youhun Fruit, then at the four Tianyin Sect cultivators standing guard. A strange smile curved her lips.
She sent a voice transmission to Elder Chou. "Elder Chou, support me from here and block their escape. I'll strike from the front."
Elder Chou nodded lightly, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes.
She understood Xie Zhaolin's intention.
In this secret realm, killing for treasure was normal. And Golden Core cultivators from a major sect? Their bags were walking treasure troves.
Their storage pouches definitely held items they collected in the secret realm, plus their own magic tools. Not to mention the Youhun Fruit right in front of them. If they pulled this off, the harvest would be enormous.
She silently shifted to the side like a ghost, taking a position that could block the valley's exit. The formation disk in her hand glowed faintly, ready to activate at any moment.
Xie Zhaolin hesitated no further.
Opportunities? She'd take them.
People… she'd kill them too.
The grudge from last time was already set in stone. Killing a few more or a few less didn't matter.
A deep hum echoed.
She shot from her hiding place in an instant. The Jingxiao Ribbon turned into a streak of dark purple light that flew straight at the late Golden Core Senior Brother Liu.
"Enemy attack!" Senior Brother Liu reacted fast. He sensed something the moment she appeared.
He shouted and lifted the jade flute to his lips. A piercing, physical sound wave exploded outward.
But Xie Zhaolin was too fast. And her baleful qi suppressed sound based attacks. The Jingxiao Ribbon tore through the sound wave without slowing down.
With a muffled crack, the ribbon slammed into the heart protecting mirror Senior Brother Liu threw up in panic. Light flared wildly as he coughed blood and flew backward.
"Form the array!" The other three Tianyin Sect cultivators froze in shock, then roared in anger as they summoned their magic tools.
One played a zither, sending wind blades slicing through the air. One blew a flute, causing earthen spikes to erupt from the ground. The woman shook a bell that released a haunting, mind disturbing sound.
Their coordination was impressive.
"Jingxiao, Illusion." Xie Zhaolin's voice was low as the Jingxiao Ribbon split into dozens of false and real shadows, enveloping all four.
At the same time, she formed a hand seal. Her baleful qi condensed into several cold black needles that shot silently at the woman shaking the bell.
Always destroy the mind disturbing attack first.
"Junior Sister, watch out!" one man cried, trying to help.
But the woman reacted quickly. When the black needles flew toward her, her face drained of color and she crushed a jade pendant at her waist without hesitation.
A pale blue barrier wrapped around her instantly.
Strong defensive waves flowed across it. This was clearly a life saving magic tool.
The black needles struck the barrier, thudding heavily. The shield trembled violently, its light dimming until it finally shattered.
But it blocked the deadly attack.
The female cultivator's eyes flickered with pain and fear. That pendant was a tool she worked hard to obtain, strong enough to withstand a full powered strike from a late Golden Core cultivator. Yet it shattered instantly from those strange black needles.
This black robed woman's attack power was terrifying.
Xie Zhaolin didn't show the slightest reaction. Golden Core cultivators from a major sect who qualified to enter the Tianxu Secret Realm were loaded with life saving tricks.
Their battle experience wasn't something a loose cultivator could compare to. Trying to kill them instantly with a sneak attack wasn't easy.
But she didn't care.
Magic tools cost resources.
She could spend them. Her baleful qi was extremely condensed, and anywhere death lingered, baleful qi surged. In this secret realm where countless people schemed and fought, replenishing it was even faster than replenishing spiritual energy.
The Jingxiao Ribbon was her life bound tool, perfectly responsive. As for the enemy… how many times could they block her?
Every life saving tool used was a huge loss.
"Interesting," Xie Zhaolin said softly. "Let's see how many times you can block me."
Before the words faded, she moved again.
The Jingxiao Ribbon abandoned its illusions and reformed into a single, sharper, deadlier blade of violet light.
She aimed straight at the female cultivator.
Since the woman showed her trump card first, she'd be the first sacrifice.