In the center of the clearing, the Chiyang Vermillion Fruit still shimmered with a tempting glow, yet no one was looking at it anymore.
The burly man's furious roar shattered the brief silence.
The woman in purple hid a playful smile behind her hand. Her eyes curved as she threw him a teasing glance. "Oh my, what a temper you've got. I only stepped in because you were bullying someone weaker. I couldn't watch it and helped that handsome Xuantian Sect boy a little. What, are you planning to repay kindness with vengeance?"
Her voice sounded sweet, but every word carried a thorn.
"Bullshit!" The burly man exploded. "That was a Soulshadow Needle, it kills on contact! You were clearly trying to take me and that Xuantian Sect brat out together!"
The feminine man beside her lifted a hand to stop her from provoking things further. His gaze swept past the burly man's group and finally settled on Xie Zhaolin and Elder Chou. "Treasure belongs to the worthy. We're taking the Chiyang Vermillion Fruit. As for your grudges, they've got nothing to do with us."
It sounded like he was talking to the burly man, but his real goal was to test Xie Zhaolin and Elder Chou, stirring the water and isolating them.
Elder Chou stepped forward with a cold snort. "Treasure belongs to the worthy? You hid in the dark, launched a sneak attack, and derailed the entire fight. That's your so called worthiness? My Qingxi Sect has always acted upright and honest. We've got no intention of associating with the likes of you."
She made their identity clear to intimidate them while also placing herself and Xie Zhaolin firmly on the righteous side. More importantly, she wanted to gain the support of the four small sect cultivators nearby. Even if Qingxi Sect was only a second rate sect, it was still far stronger than their little groups.
And compared to working with ambushers like these people, siding with Qingxi Sect was obviously better.
As expected, the four cultivators' expressions shifted. Their eyes turned wary as they looked at the feminine man's group.
They'd all heard of Qingxi Sect.
A shadow briefly darkened the feminine man's eyes, yet he didn't get angry. He simply laughed."Qingxi Sect? Well well. Elder Chou, is it? I've heard the name. However…"
His gaze suddenly turned toward the silent Xie Zhaolin. "This Daoyou seems unfamiliar. Your aura's rather unique. Which elder of Qingxi Sect might you be?"
He'd already noticed that the one in black was the true threat and radiated a suffocating danger.
Xie Zhaolin lifted her eyes. Her cold gaze swept across the four assassins like a blade. She didn't answer his question. "You're from Yingsha?"
The moment those two syllables fell, all four of them froze. Even the purple robed woman's flirtatious smile stiffened. Killing intent burst from all their eyes.
Yingsha.
A deadly, secretive assassin organization that lurked in the shadows. Few in the Cultivation Realm could identify them at a glance.
"Who are you?" The feminine man's voice turned icy. A lethal aura rolled from his body. Since their identities were exposed, they had to kill her.
The four loose cultivators were terrified out of their minds.
Yingsha.
Even major sects feared them. How did they end up trapped in a fight of this level?
They desperately wished they could flee right this instant.
Xie Zhaolin sneered inwardly.
In her previous life she'd dealt with all kinds of people, including those from Yingsha. She knew their aura and their tendencies all too well.
The purple robed woman's Soulshadow Needle, their sinister timing, and the faint bloodthirst on the feminine man had already made her suspicious.
Her sudden accusation confirmed everything. Their reaction was too telling.
"Who I am doesn't matter," Xie Zhaolin said calmly. "What matters is that you're standing in my way."
Before her voice even finished echoing, her figure flickered.
She didn't charge toward the Yingsha assassins. She didn't go for the Chiyang Vermillion Fruit either.
She lunged straight at the four terrified small sect cultivators.
"Twist."
The dark purple Jingxiao Ribbon snapped toward them with unbelievable speed, targeting the burly man who'd already been poisoned and weakened.
"You!" The burly man's eyes widened with shock and rage. He hadn't expected her to ignore the stronger enemy and target them first. He frantically summoned his spirit power and threw up a shield.
Xie Zhaolin was too fast. Her killing intent surged like a blade.
Crack.
The shield shattered instantly, and the Jingxiao Ribbon wrapped around his neck.
"Big brother, watch out!" the other three shouted, trying to help.
At that exact moment…
"Move!" The feminine man shouted sharply. His shock at Xie Zhaolin's identity didn't matter now. He wasn't letting the chance slip.
All four assassins attacked the same target.
The same four cultivators.
Clear the weak first.
Xie Zhaolin and the Yingsha assassins attacked simultaneously. Not even a breath apart.All of it aimed at the four small sect cultivators.
The clearing plunged into chaos.
Elder Chou's eyes went wide. She couldn't make sense of it at all.
From her perspective, since they'd already declared Qingxi Sect's identity, they should've joined forces with the four small sect cultivators against the far bigger threat, Yingsha.
Why would this "Elder Mo" attack the very allies they needed? This was cutting off their own arm.
But she had no time to think.
"No!"
The burly man let out a final desperate scream. Already poisoned and weakened, he had no way to withstand Xie Zhaolin's deliberate ambush.
Splat.
The Jingxiao Ribbon tightened. Killing intent burst from it. His head flew skyward, blood spraying like a fountain.
Almost at the same time, the Yingsha assassins struck.
The feminine man's sleeve flicked. A jet black dagger appeared and darted forward, plunging straight into the back of a Jindan stage cultivator. The man collapsed before he could let out a scream.
The purple robed woman flicked her fingers. Several blue poison needles shot out. The Jindan stage cultivator she targeted blocked most, but two still sank into his throat and brow.
The tall skinny man's silhouette blurred. He appeared behind the last Jindan stage cultivator. His hands curled like claws and pierced straight into the back of the man's skull.
Crack.
Instant death.
Too fast. Far too fast.
Four small sect cultivators didn't even manage real resistance before being slaughtered by the combined assault of Xie Zhaolin and the Yingsha assassins.
Even as they died, their expressions were full of disbelief and confusion.
Why?
Why did it turn out like this?
Weren't they supposed to join Qingxi Sect?
Why did attacks come from both sides?
The battle began fast and ended even faster.
Only Xie Zhaolin, Elder Chou, the four Yingsha assassins, and the lonely Chiyang Vermillion Fruit remained.
The instant the last small sect cultivator fell, murderous intent erupted from the four assassins.
Their gazes locked on Xie Zhaolin and Elder Chou.
Next…
It was time to silence the witnesses.