Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Su Xiao and Han Lin exchanged a glance. Outside the window, the warning bell rang again, this time even more urgently.

"Granted." Su Xiao finally nodded. "But there are two conditions: First, the new disciples will only be responsible for guarding and relaying messages; second, you, Shi Tie, must come back alive—the Battle Hall cannot be without its leader."

Shi Tie laughed loudly, his breastplate clanging: "Don't worry! I'm tough as nails!" With that, he grabbed his axe and rushed out, almost knocking over Zhao Qingyan who was rushing over at the door.

"Senior Sister Su! The southwest array core needs reinforcement!" Zhao Qingyan, disregarding her askew hairpin, placed a cracked array plate on the table. "The enemy planted 'Spirit-Eating Insects' in the array core, specifically designed to devour spiritual energy! If it weren't for Zhou Yi's alertness..."

Su Xiao took the array plate, and as his fingertips traced the cracks, he felt the lingering chill. This was a method of the Five Poisons Sect—it seemed they had indeed joined forces with the Burning Heaven Valley.

"What materials do you need?" she asked directly.

"The more Void Stones, the better!" Zhao Qingyan spoke rapidly. "We also need the Pill Hall's 'Spirit Purifying Powder' to eliminate the insect eggs... In addition, the Array Hall is short-handed, so we need the Battle Hall to send a team to help transport the building materials."

Su Xiao immediately looked at Han Lin: "Open the warehouse, and prioritize supplying the Array Hall with all the Void Stones. As for manpower..." She hesitated for a moment, "Have Jin Hao lead a team of inner disciples to help; he's meticulous."

"Jin Hao?" Shi Tie interjected. "Isn't that kid training new disciples in swordsmanship on the back mountain?"

"That's precisely where his meticulousness comes in." Su Xiao looked out the window, where the figures of his disciples rushing about could be vaguely seen in the twilight. "Tell Jin Hao to pay close attention to the ground when setting up the formation, as the Five Poisons Sect loves to burrow underground."

The others obeyed and left. Su Xiao remained alone in front of the sand table, pulling up the small red flags representing the enemy one by one and replacing them with a deeper blood color.

When she inserted it at the entrance to the secret realm, her fingertips paused slightly—a small black array flag had appeared there, embroidered with strange spider patterns.

"Even the 'Old Man of the Ghost Spider' has come out of seclusion..." she muttered to herself, crushing the black flag to pieces. It seems the Five Poisons Sect has come out in full force this time.

As night deepened, Qingyun Mountain remained brightly lit. A rich aroma of medicinal herbs wafted from the direction of the Pill Hall, as Li Xiaocao and her disciples worked through the night to prepare antidote pills.

The sound of forging echoed from the Weapon Hall, where Zhao Tiechui was reinforcing defensive magical artifacts; the most bustling place was the Array Hall—Zhao Qingyan was leading hundreds of disciples to set up a new array at the mountain gate, the spiritual light turning half the sky a pale blue.

When Su Xiao reached the entrance to the secret realm, he saw Zhou Yi lying on the ground examining the array patterns. The boy's face was covered in mud and grime, but his eyes shone with an astonishing light: "Elder Su! I found this beneath the southwest array eye!"

He held up a withered branch as if presenting a treasure; the branch was crawling with tiny red worms, as thin as hair, writhing wildly.

"Bloodworms..." Su Xiao's pupils contracted. "These things can bite through protective spiritual energy. Does Qingyan know about them?"

"Elder Zhao is modifying the array diagram!" Zhou Yi said excitedly. "She said she wants to add a layer of 'Blazing Sun Pattern' outside the array's core to use fire elemental power to suppress the poisonous insects!"

Just then, a commotion arose in the distance. Wang Ergou scrambled over, shouting, "Elder Su! The people from Burning Heaven Valley are challenging us outside the mountain gate! They want to see the sect leader!"

Su Xiao's eyes turned cold: "How many people came?"

"Just... just three!" Wang Ergou gasped for breath. "But the one leading them is the Third Elder of Burning Heaven Valley, True Man Blazing Fire! Elder Shi has already gone with his men!"

Su Xiao soared into the air on his sword, transforming into a streak of light as he shot towards the mountain gate. Before he even landed, he heard the arrogant voice of True Immortal Liehuo: "...If Shen Mo doesn't emerge from seclusion soon, don't blame us for personally 'visiting' the secret realm!"

Outside the mountain gate, three hundred cultivators from Burning Heaven Valley formed a battle formation, their crimson robes blending into a sea of ​​fire. Shi Tie, leading dozens of disciples from the Battle Hall, blocked the entrance, their numbers overwhelming yet refusing to yield an inch.

"Fiery Old Man!" The giant iron axe slammed down. "If you want to enter the Azure Cloud Sect, you'll have to get past my axe first!"

Master Liehuo sneered, "Shi Tie, do you think you can stop the elite of my Burning Heaven Valley with your shrimp soldiers and crab generals?" The two Foundation Establishment cultivators behind him released their spiritual pressure at the same time, and the air suddenly became scorching hot.

The disciples of the Battle Hall turned pale, but none of them retreated. Wang Ergou secretly gripped the hilt of his sword, his palms sweating profusely—he recognized the two Foundation Establishment cultivators as the infamous "Crimson Flame Duo" of Burning Heaven Valley, who had joined forces to severely injure an elder of the Blazing Sun Sect three years ago.

"Master Liehuo, you are quite imposing." Su Xiao landed gracefully in front of the formation, his voice not loud but clearly reaching everyone's ears, "But have you forgotten that Qingyun Sect also has a protective formation?"

She lightly raised her fingertip, and the entire mountain suddenly hummed! Countless flowing runes appeared amidst the churning clouds and mist, and the immense spiritual power caused the Burning Heaven Valley cultivators' formation to become slightly disrupted.

Master Liehuo's expression changed: "Flowing Cloud Lock? You actually..." He clearly did not expect that Qingyun Sect would dare to directly activate the highest level of defense.

"Get lost." Su Xiao only said one word.

A commotion broke out within the Burning Heaven Valley formation. The Crimson Flame Duo tried to step forward, but were forced back by the oppressive spiritual energy.

Master Liehuo's expression shifted several times before he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Let's go! But Su Xiao, you can protect him for a while, but not forever! Once Master Xuanyang emerges from seclusion..."

"No need to trouble yourself." Su Xiao turned and walked towards the mountain gate, his robes fluttering in the spiritual wind. "The affairs of Qingyun Sect will be taken care of by the people of Qingyun."

The protective array's light barrier slowly closed, isolating the Burning Heaven Valley members from the outside. Shi Tie leaned closer and whispered, "Senior Sister Su, why don't we just go for it? I think that old man Liehuo is just bluffing..."

"He's stalling for time." Su Xiao looked towards the dark, distant mountains. "The Five Poisons Sect should already be on the north side of the secret realm by now."

As if confirming her words, a violent surge of spiritual energy suddenly emanated from the direction of the secret realm! A beam of green light shot into the sky, and a spiderweb-like poisonous mist could be vaguely seen spreading out. The Old Man of the Ghost Spider had made his move!

"Not good!" Shi Tie swung his axe and was about to rush over.

"Stop." Su Xiao pressed him down. "Qingyan can handle it. You take the elite warriors of the Battle Hall to Blackwater Marsh now—if I'm not mistaken, the Blazing Sun Sect's 'caravan' will make a move tonight."

Shi Tie was taken aback: "How did you know?"

Su Xiao took out a charred piece of clothing from his sleeve, still bearing the distinctive scorching aura of the Blazing Sun Sect: "The Shadow Guards found this in Eagle's Beak Gorge. The Blazing Sun Sect is outwardly in seclusion, but secretly..."

She sneered, "Want to be the cicada that stalks the cicada? You'd better see if you even have the appetite!"

That night, a fierce conflict broke out in the Blackwater Marsh.

Shi Tie squatted in the reeds, his battle axe across his knees. The dew on the axe blade mixed with the bloodstains from the previous night, condensing into dark red droplets that fell one by one into the mud.

Behind him, twenty elite warriors of the Battle Hall lay in ambush, holding their breath. Wang Ergou stood close to him, able to hear his own heart pounding like a drum.

"Master, Master," Wang Ergou's throat was dry, "Would the people of Burning Heaven Valley really take this path?"

"Nonsense." Shi Tie didn't turn his head, his eyes fixed on the faintly visible path on the other side of the swamp. "The secret letter that Old Man Han intercepted clearly states that the Third Elder of Burning Heaven Valley, True Man Liehuo, sent the 'Crimson Flame Duo' to lead a team to take a shortcut through the Blackwater Swamp and sneak into the back of the secret realm."

He spat, "Damn it, do they think we're dead?"