Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

From the moment Wu Guihong left, Ruan Ayao sensed something; when it came to being sensitive to fluctuations in spiritual energy, no one could surpass her.

The regular customers from Tongzhou started their game early.

With Hu Sanlang and Rong Zhao acting as the sellers and customers, and Luo Budao finding good locations and manpower.

As soon as Wu Guihong explained his purpose, he saw the person opposite him stammering and unable to explain anything clearly, as if he was hiding something.

This further confirms that there is more to it than meets the eye.

The people Luo Budao brought were unaware of Wu Guihong's background and only regarded him as a rogue cultivator trying to deceive them. After some back and forth, they pretended to relent.

They led Wu Guihong underground, and after many twists and turns, they finally arrived at a stone chamber.

He sat down.

He realized that the formation was merely a means to isolate the inside from the outside, and that he could easily remove it if he wanted to, so he sat down with peace of mind.

Little did they know, this was exactly what they wanted—

This prevented him from noticing the changes at the Juque base for the time being.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The night in Tongzhou is quiet.

Rats and ants move in the shadows; in the thick, silent night, there seems to be an undercurrent of activity, with countless schemes and changes taking place.

But amidst this silent clamor, a loud "boom" resounded!

The buildings collapsed, accompanied by countless curses, and the Taibai Sect's headquarters was turned upside down.

Countless stone blades pointed menacingly towards the sky.

The building shook so badly that it collapsed and the painted pillars broke.

Sword-wielding cultivators hovered in twos and threes above the ruins, glaring angrily at the newcomers—

"Who dares to be so insolent!"

"How dare they attack the Taibai Sect?!"

Zhu Wuyao disguised himself as Wu Guihong, standing on a sword made by the Juque Sect, holding a talisman of the Juque Sect, and wearing a robe of the Juque Sect.

Not to mention others, even the Juque Sect itself might not have such a complete set of accessories.

The moment he appeared, the angry man recognized his face—

"The Juque School, Wu Guihong!"

"Have you gone mad?"

"The other day when I asked you to talk about the Blood Corrosion Curse, you were all smiles. Why did you attack my Taibai Sect for no reason today?"

Zhu Wuyao was invited to take the stage, and Ruan Ayao made her appearance at the opportune moment.

His worn linen clothes remained unchanged. Holding a long flute, he looked at the actor he was performing with and said:

“Wu Guihong…I suspected back then that you might have been controlled by the Blood Erosion Curse, which is why you brought your disciples to visit me.”

"So now you're not even pretending anymore?"

After he finished speaking, the sound of the flute suddenly arose.

Zhu Wuyao, disguised as Wu Guihong, dodged the incoming wind blade spirit sword, displaying the demeanor of a Golden Core expert with exceptional composure and a hint of arrogance.

"Hahahahaha!

"It is clear that your Taibai Sect is controlled by the Blood Erosion Curse. My actions today are to uphold justice!"

Zhu Wuyao perfectly captured the demeanor of a "villain".

Even though it's just acting, it's not good if the act is overdone.

Only through this interweaving of truth and falsehood, and with such certainty, can countless conspiracy theories be conceived, leading onlookers to deduce the so-called truth on their own.

Both Taibai Sect and Wu Guihong's faction claimed to be acting on behalf of Heaven.

The Juque Sect cultivators not far away had already noticed.

He immediately went and knocked on Wu Guihong's door—

"Master is not here!"

Wu Guihong was certainly not there.

The Juque cultivators exchanged glances. Although they didn't know what had happened, Wu Guihong had long exerted his authority over them, and now that they knew he was fighting enemies outside, they naturally dared not stand idly by.

They were afraid that once Wu Guihong's matter was settled, he would come back to settle scores later.

Even though they didn't know what had happened, they gritted their teeth and broke through the formation to support Wu Guihong, who was hostile to the Taibai Sect.

The appearance of the Juque Sect disciple completely confirmed the identity of "Wu Guihong" in the minds of the onlookers.

The two sides were locked in combat, and there was no time to spare.

"Master! What happened?!"

The disciples of the Juque Sect only knew that they had fought with the Taibai Sect, but they didn't know the ins and outs of it, and they were still completely confused.

Zhu Wuyao scolded:

"Enough with the idle talk, let's annihilate all the evil cultivators of the Tai Bai Sect who are controlled by the Blood Erosion Curse!"

She couldn't possibly have the power of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, but Ruan Ayao pretended to be weaker.

A flurry of flashing swords and shadows.

The Taibai Sect was showing signs of collapse after being attacked.

I hope you'll know when to stop, no questions asked.

They were afraid that the real Wu Guihong, who had been led to a distant place and sealed underground, would notice something amiss and rush over, creating a bizarre scene of "two Wus soaring into the sky".

But right now!

The sky over Tongzhou was torn apart by purple lightning, like shattered crystal.

Zhu Wuyao suddenly felt an intense pressure, his entire body screaming danger.

A streak of purple lightning darted about like a dragon.

They came from afar to lend their support!

He chopped down directly at "Wu Guihong".

This unexpected turn of events not only made Zhu Wuyao feel wronged, but even Ruan Ayao was stunned for a moment.

Gu Yiguan!

Before anyone even arrived, accompanied by a deafening clap of thunder, several bolts of purple lightning struck the formation, and as the shockwaves spread outward, they separated the opposing sides.

A long halberd stood before the crowd.

Zhu Wuyao felt uneasy.

Why did Gu Yiguan have to come now of all times?

She had no doubt—

Seeing this scene, Gu Yiguan would surely see it as a golden opportunity. Given the chance, he would not hesitate to confirm that Wu Guihong had fallen into demonic possession and kill him right there!

But unfortunately... the current Wu Guihong is actually Zhu Wuyao in disguise.

A barely visible plume of smoke rose into the sky.

Zhu Wuyao's heart skipped a beat.

This is a signal from Luo Budao!

Gu Yiguan made an exceptionally decisive assessment of the situation. Without considering the consequences, he first unleashed a bolt of purple lightning that struck the Juque Sect.

This surge of energy completely alarmed the real Wu Guihong, who was in the underground stone chamber!

Zhu Wuyao coughed up blood and staggered back several steps.

The dantian and spiritual sea trembled incessantly.

At this critical moment, she managed to change into a new outfit, which was the real Wu Guihong's attire for tonight, and then quickly fled.

The instant Zhu Wuyao disappeared, lightning flashed beside the halberd.

With his well-defined fingers gripping the halberd shaft, Gu Yiguan's expression was solemn, but a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes.

"What kind of evil spirit dares to control the mind of a righteous cultivator like me!"

"Fellow Daoists of the Taibai and Juque sects, do not be deceived by him. Follow me to slay this villain and restore the righteous path to a bright and clear future!"

Gu Yiguan was originally at a distance, watching the two sects fight from afar.

She already knew that Ruan Ayao was leading the Taibai Sect here, and immediately made a judgment that the person opposite her should be a heretical cultivator.

Let's chop it up first.

But as they approached the battlefield, they realized that something was amiss.

Seeing that Zhu Wuyao had escaped and hearing Gu Yiguan's voice, and noticing that she was about to pursue and point her halberd at the "evil cultivator," Ruan Ayao immediately leaped forward and urgently said:

"Gu Yiguan! When will you return my 30,000 spirit stones?!"

When will you return my 30,000 spirit stones?

Back when the five of them traveled the world together, they always liked to set up secret codes to gauge the situation.

The situation was urgent.

Before Ruan Ayao could explain, she used the code from back then, pointing out that this was a setup and that no one should act rashly.

Gu Yiguan paused slightly.

The remaining disciples of the Juque and Taibai sects looked bewildered... That person just now seemed extremely powerful, but was only at the early stage of the Golden Core realm... Zhu Wuyao and Ruan Ayao should have been together, but now they were nowhere to be seen, and they were still wearing the Thousand-Faced Mask...

Her eyes flickered slightly, and she immediately grasped the situation.

Just then, a streak of light appeared in the distance, hurtling towards them.

It was indeed the real Wu Guihong!