Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

"Good! What a cunning old man! What a clever scheme of feigning one move while secretly advancing another!" The Blazing Sun Sword suddenly stood up, his sword energy erupting uncontrollably, tearing several rips in the tent's curtains.

"What nonsense about old grudges with the Qingyun Sect! It's all bullshit! The real fangs are aimed at our mines! Using the Qingyun Sect as a cover, trying to lure our main force away so he can take the opportunity to wipe out our base? Dream on!"

His chest heaved violently, clearly enraged to the extreme. The thought of the losses—if Liu Feng hadn't luckily intercepted the secret order, and the mine had been attacked three days later, leaving the disciples unprepared—was unbearable! The Heavenly Sword Sect's foundation built over decades in the Black Wind Mountains might have been destroyed in an instant!

"Elder, please calm down!" A mid-Foundation Establishment stage deacon stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "This matter is of great importance. This jade slip... could it be a forgery? Perhaps it's a trick by the Qingyun Sect to incite conflict between us and the Xuanyin Sect so they can reap the benefits?"

"A forgery?" Lieyang Sword sneered, tossing the jade slip to the steward. "See for yourself! This ghostly aura, the level of refinement of this divine imprint—who but a core member of the Xuan Yin Sect could imitate it so realistically? Besides, the attack on Luo Yingzui is a real event!"

"Could the injuries on Liu Feng and the others, the poison from the Xuan Yin Bone-Corroding Arrows, be faked?! Qingyun Sect? If they had the ability to forge secret orders and ambush and severely damage my patrol team, would they have needed to be cornered at the mountain gate by the Xuan Yin Sect like cowards?"

The steward took the jade slip and examined it carefully. His expression grew increasingly grim, and he finally nodded helplessly: "The mark... it certainly doesn't seem fake. The Yin energy is absolutely pure."

"Moreover!" The Blazing Sun Sword's voice was as cold as ice, "Do you all remember the news circulating on the black market these past few days? The rumor about clues to the Mysterious Yin Realm appearing in 'Ghost Soul Valley'?"

Everyone was taken aback, then suddenly realized.

"Does the elder mean... that rumor is likely a smokescreen released by the Xuan Yin Sect? Is it to cover up their real actions of gathering troops near 'Ghost Valley' and preparing to launch a surprise attack on the mine?" Another deacon gasped.

"Excellent!" A chilling killing intent flashed in Lieyang's eyes. "First, spread rumors about the secret realm to attract attention, then pretended to be entangled with the Qingyun Sect, making us lower our guard against the Black Wind Mountains! In reality, they were secretly gathering their elite forces, preparing for a swift and decisive strike! What a vicious scheme! You old devil, it seems you're determined to make trouble for my Heavenly Sword Sect!"

The more the people inside the tent thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. All the clues appeared to connect, pointing to a shocking conspiracy! The Xuan Yin Sect's target had always been the Tian Jian Sect! The Qing Yun Sect was nothing more than a pitiful bait and a decoy!

"Pass on my orders!" The Blazing Sun Sword shouted without hesitation.

"Effective immediately, all mines and strongholds in the Black Wind Mountains are placed at the highest alert level! Activate the 'Gengjin Sky-Splitting Sword Formation'! Double the number of patrol teams, extending the patrol area outwards by a hundred miles! Send another team of 'Sword Guards' to secretly infiltrate the vicinity of 'Ghost Valley' and keep a close watch on them! If any unusual movements are detected by the Xuan Yin Sect's main force, immediately raise the alarm and seize the opportunity to sabotage them!"

"Yes!" The deacons answered solemnly.

"Furthermore," the Blazing Sun Sword said, its gaze sweeping over the crowd, "report this matter and the copy of the jade slip to the sect as quickly as possible! Request that the main sect send additional experts to oversee the situation! Since the Xuan Yin Sect dared to interfere, they should be prepared to have their claws chopped off!"

"Understood!"

The Heavenly Sword Sect's war machine was set in full swing thanks to a small jade slip, its swords aimed directly at the Profound Yin Sect! A tense and deadly atmosphere enveloped the entire Black Wind Mountain Range as if it were a tangible reality.

At almost the same time, outside Qingyun Mountain, in the temporary camp of the Xuan Yin Sect.

Master Guiyin sat cross-legged inside a black tent exuding a sinister aura, toying with a string of prayer beads composed of nine shrunken skulls in his hand. His green eyes gleamed with doubt and irritation. Before him, a disciple in charge of intelligence was bowing and reporting.

"Master, news has come from Blackwater Marsh. Recently, there has indeed been a rumor circulating in the rogue cultivator circle... It is said that a clue suspected to be related to our sect's ancient secret realm has been discovered in the 'Ghost Valley' area of ​​the Black Wind Mountains, and some marked fragments of magical artifacts have also been leaked out... The rumor is quite detailed."

"Ghost Valley?" Ghost Yin Venerable frowned. "Isn't that near the Heavenly Sword Sect's mine? How come there's suddenly a clue to a secret realm there? Is the source reliable?"

"The source is vague, it seems to have spread among a few rogue cultivators drinking and bragging at 'Wild Fox Gathering,' and it's currently only circulating in a small circle among the lower-level rogue cultivators. But... I think there's no smoke without fire. Moreover..." The disciple hesitated for a moment, "and there are rumors that the Heavenly Sword Sect seems to have heard about it and is secretly investigating, and it seems... they're taking it very seriously."

"The Heavenly Sword Sect?" A green light flashed in Ghost Yin Venerable's eyes. "They value it?"

His mind was filled with doubts. The Ghostly Valley was indeed filled with yin energy, but it was also extremely desolate. Previous members of the sect had explored it before and found no secret realm. Why, of all times, did such rumors emerge? And why did it involve the Heavenly Sword Sect?

Is it a coincidence? Or...is someone deliberately spreading rumors? Is it the Heavenly Sword Sect creating a false impression? Or...is it the Azure Cloud Sect's doing? Trying to shift the blame?

But if it was spread by the Qingyun Sect, what would they gain? To absolve themselves of responsibility? The problem is, we're using the banner of "blood feud," so what benefit would clues to the secret realm bring to the Qingyun Sect? Could the secret realm be real? Is the Qingyun Sect trying to use us as a pawn, drawing us into a fight with the Tianjian Sect so they can escape?

Various thoughts raced through Ghost Yin Shangren's mind, making him restless and agitated. He was inherently suspicious, and this sudden "clue to the secret realm" disrupted his original plan to pressure Qingyun Sect and force them to comply.

"Send men!" He abruptly stopped his fingers from spinning the prayer beads and said in a deep voice, "Send two clever ones to quietly investigate over at Ghost Valley and see if there's anything unusual! Remember, it must be absolutely secretive; you mustn't alert the Heavenly Sword Sect!"

"Yes, Master!" The disciple accepted the order and left.

Master Guiyin sat alone in his tent, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty. The three-day deadline for the Qingyun Sect was fast approaching; should they launch a full-scale attack or continue applying pressure? Meanwhile, a strange rumor about a secret realm had surfaced… He felt as if an invisible net was quietly tightening, and he himself seemed to be the prey caught in its web.

"Hmph! What do you care about your schemes and tricks! Before absolute power, they're all just chickens and dogs!" He sneered, suppressing his unease. "Once tomorrow's deadline arrives, I'll break through Qingyun Mountain's shell first, obtain the Flowing Cloud Inheritance, and then we can talk about that! If the rumors about that secret realm are true... it's not too late to investigate after destroying the Qingyun Sect!"