Junior sister took first place again

Cheng Yan returned to the rear camp and just as he sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing, he heard a familiar voice from outside: "Big Sister, can I come in to see you?"

Cheng Yan recognized that this was one of the disciples who had come with her this time, and a warm feeling came over her heart. She said loudly, "Thank you, I'm fine. I'll be fine after a few moments of rest. You can go and rest."

There was silence outside for a while, and then the man said, "Senior Sister, I made some food for you. It's just a small token of my appreciation. Please accept it." Then, he walked in with a tray and lifted the curtain.

Cheng Yan's heart moved. She could feel the disciple's sincerity and concern, but the moment he put down the tray, a strong sense of crisis suddenly hit her. A trace of vigilance flashed in Cheng Yan's eyes, and her years of combat experience allowed her to react instantly.

"Ding—" Cheng Yan quickly retreated, and at the same time, he formed a long sword to block the sudden cold light. A trace of surprise flashed in the disciple's eyes, obviously not expecting Cheng Yan to be able to avoid his attack so quickly.

In his hand, he held a sharp dagger, gleaming with cold light, clearly coated with a deadly poison. "Who are you?" Cheng Yan asked coldly, her eyes filled with vigilance and anger.

The disciple sneered, his body suddenly becoming blurry, and then transformed into a dark shadow, attacking Cheng Yan. His speed was extremely fast, and he arrived in front of Cheng Yan almost instantly.

Cheng Yan reacted quickly, swinging out a sword energy that collided with the black shadow's attack, making a deafening explosion. The black shadow was shocked and retreated repeatedly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Obviously, he didn't expect that Cheng Yan could still have such strong fighting ability after being injured.

"Cheng Yan, you must die today!" There was a hint of madness in the black shadow's voice. His body turned into a black light again and attacked Cheng Yan.

Cheng Yan took a deep breath, and suddenly a strong sword energy burst out of her body. The long sword swung in the air, forming a series of sword shadows, blocking all the attacks of the black shadow.

The battle was raging in the rear camp, and Cheng Yan's fight with the black shadow attracted the attention of others. Luo Qinghan, Ye Mu, Pei Youzhi and others quickly rushed over and joined the battle.

Seeing this, the black shadow knew that he could not succeed. His body suddenly became illusory, then turned into a black light and fled into the distance.

Cheng Yan and others pursued him relentlessly, knowing that there must be a bigger conspiracy behind the killer. They had to find out the black hand behind it to ensure the safety of Zongxianmen.

Finally, after a fierce battle, Cheng Yan and his team successfully captured the killer. They began to interrogate the killer, trying to find out the truth behind the incident. "Tell me, who sent you?" Cheng Yan's voice was cold.

A trace of fear appeared on the killer's face. He knew that he could no longer escape.

Under the coercion and inducement of Cheng Yan and others, he finally told the truth. "It's... it's from the demon clan..." Before the killer could finish his words, a black light suddenly burst out from his body, and his body instantly turned to ashes.

Cheng Yan and the others' expressions became solemn. They knew that this battle would be more difficult than they had imagined. They had to be prepared to meet the upcoming challenge.

Back in the tent, Cheng Yan, Luo Qinghan, Ye Mu, and Pei Youzhi sat together, their faces solemn. Although they had successfully repelled the assassin, the suspicion in their hearts grew stronger.

"This is not the first time. Every assassination attempt targets Senior Sister Cheng, and the methods are becoming more and more cunning." There was a hint of worry in Luo Qinghan's voice.

Pei Youzhi nodded, his brow furrowed. "Yes, if it's because of our identities, we're all here, but all the assassinations seem to be targeting only Junior Sister Cheng. There must be some reason behind this."

Cheng Yan was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Why is it that every time we fight, some demon cultivators or demons always take extra care of me? Even the Crescent Moon City Lord, her goal is not just to defeat us, but to get rid of me alone."

Luo Qinghan and Pei Youzhi looked at each other, and they saw the same doubt in each other's eyes.

At this moment, Ye Mu, who had always been silent and as quiet as the moon in the dark night, suddenly broke the silence: "Senior Sister Cheng, let me tell you a fortune."

Hearing this, Cheng Yan and the other two turned their eyes in the direction of Ye Mu. Ye Mu felt a little embarrassed by the gazes.

In fact, the reason why Ye Mu didn't like to talk much was not just because her status in the sect was slightly lower than that of the other three.

The main reason is that she is shy and introverted by nature. When faced with too much attention from others, she always feels nervous and restrained unconsciously.

However, after fighting side by side for this period of time, these smart and intelligent disciples have already understood each other's personality traits.

So when they noticed Ye Mu's embarrassment, Luo Qinghan and Pei Youzhi quickly and tacitly looked away.

Cheng Yan smiled gently, looked at Ye Mu and said softly, "Great! It's truly an honor to have a disciple of the Xingchen Sect take the initiative to tell fortunes for me. I wonder what the fee is for Junior Sister Ye?"

Ye Mu laughed sheepishly and whispered, "Just one spirit stone will be enough."

Cheng Yan nodded and took out a top-grade spirit stone from his space ring and handed it over.

After Ye Mu took it and put it away, he summoned the star plate and said, "Senior Sister Cheng, please place your hand on the star plate, concentrate, and think about what you want in your heart." Ye Mu instructed softly.

Cheng Yan did as she was told. She gently placed her palm on the astrolabe, closed her eyes, and silently thought about her doubts and worries about the future.

The starlight on the astrolabe changed with the fluctuations of her thoughts, gradually forming a complex star map.

Ye Mu sat cross-legged in front of the star chart, her hands in seals, muttering something. Her voice was low and rhythmic, as if resonating with some power between heaven and earth.

As she chanted the spell, the stars on the astrolabe began to twinkle, emitting a faint light, as if responding to her call.

"Qian represents the sky, Kun represents the earth. The sky and the earth are positioned, and the mountains and lakes are connected." Ye Mu's voice echoed in the tent. She closed her eyes tightly, relying entirely on induction to communicate with the astrolabe.

Cheng Yan, Luo Qinghan and Pei Youzhi stood quietly by, not daring to make any sound, for fear of disturbing Ye Mu's fortune-telling.

As we all know, the divination technique of the Xingchen Sect is mysterious and powerful, and can peek into the secrets of heaven and predict the future.

Ye Mu's fingers slid gently across the astrolabe. Following her guidance, the stars on the astrolabe moved slowly and eventually formed a hexagram.

She opened her eyes and stared at the pattern on the astrolabe, her brow furrowed. "Senior Sister Cheng, this hexagram is 'Shui Shan Jian.'" Ye Mu's voice was solemn. "Jian means difficult. Shui Shan Jian means the road ahead will be difficult and full of obstacles."

Cheng Yan's expression changed slightly. She knew the meaning of the "Shui Shan Jian" hexagram, which is a hexagram in the Book of Changes, representing difficulties and obstacles.

She took a deep breath and asked, "Junior Sister Ye, is there any way to resolve this?"

Ye Mu nodded and continued to explain, "In the Jian hexagram, mountains and water are interdependent. Although there are obstacles, there are also hidden opportunities. The hexagram says: 'Jian means difficulty, and danger lies ahead. If you can see danger and stop in time, you will be wise.' This means that as long as we can foresee danger and stop in time, we can avoid disaster."

Luo Qinghan frowned and asked, "Does the hexagram indicate the specific source of the crisis?"

Ye Mu examined the horoscope again and said, "The hexagram shows that 'water' is above 'mountain'. Water represents danger, while mountain represents end. This implies that the crisis comes from within and is related to someone in a high position."

Pei Youzhi said in a deep voice, "In other words, Junior Sister Cheng's crisis may come from someone high up in the Xuanling Sect?"

Ye Mu nodded, a trace of worry flashing in her eyes: "That's right. Moreover, the hexagram also shows that 'water' is under 'mountain', which may mean that the root of the crisis is hidden deep and difficult to detect."

Cheng Yan, Luo Qinghan and Pei Youzhi's expressions all turned serious.

Cheng Yan took a deep breath, and a hint of determination flashed in her eyes: "Junior Sister Ye, can you be more specific?"

Ye Mu shook his head: "The guidance of the stars can only tell us the general direction, and the specific details need to be explored by ourselves."

Luo Qinghan said in a deep voice: "If the crisis comes from within the Xuanling Sect, then we must notify Sect Master Jiyun and Immortal Qinglian immediately."

Luo Qinghan's voice was filled with worry, "This matter is no longer something we can handle alone."

Ye Mu and Pei Youzhi both nodded. They knew that Cheng Yan had already sent a message to Sect Master Yu Jiyun once before, but at that time they thought it was a conspiracy of the demons and had been looking in the wrong direction.

If it is not corrected immediately, the consequences will be disastrous.

Cheng Yan immediately took out the jade slip and sent a general message to his master, then released another spiritual crane.

After she finished, Luo Qinghan asked again: "Senior Sister Cheng, have you ever offended anyone in the sect?"

Cheng Yan pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "I believe I have acted honestly and honestly, and have never intentionally offended anyone."

Pei Youzhi frowned and took over the conversation: "If that's the case, then the problem may lie in some unknown secrets of the sect. Sister Cheng, have you been exposed to any secret affairs of the sect recently?"

Pei Youzhi, who was also being trained as the successor to a major sect and had already independently handled the affairs of the Fuhua Sect, of course knew that Cheng Yan must have been exposed to some matters of the Xuanling Sect very early on.

Therefore, he emphasized the word "recently".

A complex light flashed in Cheng Yan's eyes. She was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Ever since the news was released from the Cangwu Secret Realm, I have indeed been handling some of the sect's secrets, but these were all instructed by Master personally, and I have never mentioned them to outsiders."

Things were once again mired in confusion. Cheng Yan took a deep breath and said firmly, "No matter where the crisis comes from, I will face it bravely. Junior Sister Ye, thank you for your divination. It has prepared me well."

"Next, let's find out the details of the person who just assassinated us."

After saying that, she took out the jade slip and ordered all the Xuanling Sect disciples who followed her this time to gather here within a quarter of an hour.

In a secluded place in Zhongzhou, Immortal Master Mengze stood in a stone chamber with a gloomy face. The atmosphere was tense and depressing.

Immortal Master Mengze's eyes flashed with rage. The successive assassination attempts had left him feeling angrier than ever before. "Master, we..." True Lord Xuansu's voice seemed weak in the face of Immortal Master Mengze's fury. Immortal Master Mengze slammed the stone table, interrupting True Lord Xuansu's words. "You useless piece of shit! How can you possibly manage after so many consecutive assassination attempts?"

Zhenjun Xuansu lowered his head, not daring to meet Immortal Master Mengze's gaze. "Master, the Immortal Sect's defenses are tight, and the strength of Cheng Yan and the younger generations around him..."

"Shut up!" Immortal Master Mengze interrupted True Lord Xuansu's words, and his body lowered even lower.

After venting his anger, Immortal Master Mengze calmed down a little. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He knew that anger would not solve the problem. If his strength had not recovered, he would not be so restrained in doing things.

Suddenly, he recalled what Xuansu Zhenjun had said when he first woke up. A ruthless light flashed in his eyes: "You said before that the Cangwu Secret Realm is opening now?"

Xuansu Zhenjun was stunned, then nodded, "That's right, Master. The Cangwu Secret Realm opens every six hundred years, but this time, due to the prophecy of Nanming Xianzun, it opened twenty-five years earlier. Elite disciples from all the major sects have already entered to train within."

A sinister glint flashed across Immortal Master Meng Ze's eyes: "Cangwu Secret Realm... Perhaps we can take advantage of this opportunity."

"?"

Master Xuansu looked at his master blankly.

Immortal Master Mengze's eyes flashed with cunning. "Is Immortal Master Qinglian's disciple, the one called Ning Jiasheng, also in the secret realm now?"

Xuansu Zhenjun was stunned for a moment, then replied, "Yes, Ning Jiasheng is currently training in the secret realm. She is only at the Jindan stage."

Immortal Master Mengze smiled coldly, "Jiedan stage? Compared to Cheng Yan, he's much easier to deal with. Xuansu, mobilize your forces immediately. I want to attack Ning Jiasheng in the secret realm."

Xuan Su Zhenjun was horrified. "Master, Ning Jiasheng is just an insignificant little character. Although he's cherished by Qing Lian Xianzun, it seems... "

Immortal Master Mengze interrupted him, "No, you don't know. Although Ning Jiasheng's cultivation is low, she is Immortal Master Qinglian's disciple. And according to what you said, she is highly valued by the sect."

"If Ning Jiasheng were to encounter any misfortune, Immortal Qinglian and Zhong Yu would undoubtedly be distraught. Then, if we were to attack Cheng Yan, our chances of victory would greatly increase."

Xuan Su Zhenjun suddenly realized, and a cruel look flashed in his eyes: "Master, your opinion is great. I will arrange it right away."

After saying this, he bowed to Immortal Master Mengze again, then turned around and left in a hurry.

Watching True Lord Xuansu's retreating figure, Immortal Master Mengze nodded slightly in satisfaction. A flicker of satisfaction, the triumph of a successful plan, flickered across his deep eyes. "Remember, this operation must be flawless and extremely secretive. We absolutely cannot let anyone know we were behind this. Otherwise, if word leaks out, the consequences will be disastrous."