Chapter 175: The Second Bluff—Success!

As the Flying Swan Sword was drawn, the white bird let out a sharp cry. The hollow patterns etched into the blade gradually turned crimson—a sign of resonance, proving that Feihong had indeed once wielded it.

Shen Wuxie’s eyes widened. “You… this dirt goose can actually control a famed sword?”

“Of course. Didn’t I already demonstrate it?” Lian Mu said. “I’ll give you the sword—just let Fengyun Yi go. With Feihong in your hand, even Ying You won’t be able to touch you.”

Shen Wuxie sneered. “I didn’t expect you to go this far for Fengyun Yi. You’re willing to give up a legendary sword just to protect him? What’s so great about him? A weak little alchemy cultivator, easy prey when he’s alone. Someone like you falling for a powerless alchemist—aren’t you just handing over your own weakness?”

Lian Mu replied, “…Does your Chief Alchemist know how much you look down on alchemy cultivators?”

Shen Wuxie admitted it openly, “Of course she knows. So what? Even if she’s the young master of the Feng Clan, what can she do to me?”

Lian Mu: “…”

As expected of a young master from the top talisman cultivator family—arrogant to the bone. But Lian Mu wasn’t here to lecture him, only to encourage. “Honestly, I don’t like alchemy cultivators either, but what can I do? He’s Fengyun Yi.”

Let him keep being arrogant. Who knows—maybe one day all the alchemy cultivators will just give up on him.

Shen Wuxie tilted his chin. “Alchemy cultivators are just as useless as artifact refiners.”

Lian Mu couldn’t be bothered to argue. “Just give me a straight answer—deal or not?”

Shen Wuxie said, “Of course it’s a deal. Everything on you will be mine eventually—this sword is no exception.”

As they spoke, Shen Wuxie’s sleeve twitched—someone had tugged on it. He turned his head and saw Fengyun Yi’s eyelids flutter open. He was awake.

Lian Mu narrowed her eyes. She’d thought Fengyun Yi would be stuck in the Heart Realm Trial for quite a while. She didn’t expect him to come out so soon. Time to change plans.

Shen Wuxie immediately slapped a water talisman onto Fengyun Yi. Just as Fengyun Yi opened his eyes, he was hit—his throat filled with water, choking him into a fit of coughing.

Lian Mu said, “Didn’t we agree—no violence?”

“If you want me to keep my hands off, then hurry up and hand it over!” Shen Wuxie snapped.

Lian Mu lowered her head, unfastened all the spatial pouches hanging from her waist, and tossed them to Shen Wuxie along with the Flying Swan Sword and the white bird.

The white bird flapped its wings twice, tilting its head in confusion, as if it didn’t understand what she was doing.

Shen Wuxie hooked the items toward himself with his foot. Once he confirmed they were under his control, he threw another talisman at Fengyun Yi.

Now that Fengyun Yi was awake, his protective barrier had vanished. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, the corner of his lips twitching.

That talisman had carried eighty percent of Shen Wuxie’s strength—he clearly wanted to knock Fengyun Yi out of the game.

Shen Wuxie said, “Lian Mu, you’re too naive. I was never planning to let him go.”

He stomped on the hilt of the Flying Swan Sword, kicking it into the air and catching it in his hand.

“You and Ying You are close. If I use the Flying Swan Sword to eliminate you, would that make you feel better?” Shen Wuxie said to Fengyun Yi.

Fengyun Yi gasped, “You guys… ugh—”

What the hell is going on?!

Wasn’t he supposed to be with his team? Why was it these two enemies he saw the moment he opened his eyes?!

While Fengyun Yi was still too weak to resist, Shen Wuxie grabbed one of the spatial pouches from the ground—only to freeze.

“Empty? Lian Mu, you dare trick me? Fine, then watch me kill him.”

Just as his fury peaked and he pressed the sword against Fengyun Yi’s neck, a strange fragrance wafted up from the Flying Swan Sword.

Shen Wuxie frowned. “What is this…?”

Suddenly, he felt dizzy and disoriented.

Lian Mu grinned. “Oops, forgot to mention—Flying Swan Sword was with Ying You before. He accidentally got some of the Heart Realm Trial trigger on it when he handled it barehanded.”

Back in Ying You’s Heart Realm, Lian Mu had suspected that the key to triggering the trial was that strange blue Yinghui Flower. It had been the only thing that stood out as abnormal.

She’d tested her theory—and she’d been right.

Shen Wuxie was already struggling to stay upright, but he still tried to strike Fengyun Yi. Before he could, Lian Mu charged forward and drove her sword straight through his chest.

What Shen Wuxie didn’t expect was that she also impaled Fengyun Yi.

Both of them were now skewered on her blade, like a pair of grasshoppers strung together on a straw rope.

Shen Wuxie gasped, “You were faking…?”

Before he could finish the sentence, he passed out.

Fengyun Yi coughed up blood, staring in disbelief at the sword lodged in his chest. He couldn’t hold back anymore. “Lian Mu, damn it, what the hell did I ever do to you…?”

He didn’t get to finish. Blood soaked through his robes.

This was the second time.

The first time, she’d stripped him clean of anything useful. The second time, he’d fallen into her hands for no reason—and this time was even worse. He was eliminated right from the start.

Lian Mu’s strike had been precise—just enough to knock Fengyun Yi out of the game. Shen Wuxie, however, wasn’t quite finished yet.

Fengyun Yi asked, “All that stuff you said earlier… was it all a lie?”

Lian Mu replied, “Sorry, I know it hurts a bit. But this is just the Illusion Realm. Once we’re out, it won’t be a big deal. Just hang in there.”

Truthfully, she hadn’t wanted to hurt Fengyun Yi. He’d never done anything to her. But she had no choice—he had something she needed. And at this moment, he had extra value.

Fengyun Yi never got his answer. His body began to fade, carried out of the Illusion Realm by his spirit jade token.

Lian Mu glanced at Shen Wuxie. He had already entered the Heart Realm Trial, surrounded by a protective barrier.

She had no intention of eliminating him. Instead, she shoved the fallen Flying Swan Sword back into his hand and didn’t take back the spatial pouch Ji Mingyue had given her.

That strike just now—she had deliberately aimed for Fengyun Yi’s vital point, while avoiding Shen Wuxie’s. The two looked different; Shen Wuxie was taller than Fengyun Yi. If she had wanted to hit Shen Wuxie fatally, Fengyun Yi would’ve gotten off scot-free.

But Lian Mu would much rather see Fengyun Yi out than Shen Wuxie. After all, Fengyun Yi, for all his weakness, still had a brain. If he managed to contact the Azure Profound Sect’s Chief team, that would be a real headache.

By comparison, Shen Wuxie was far better suited to stirring up trouble.

Lian Mu planned to leave him here. When the white bird saw she was about to go, it hopped after her, but she stopped it.

Lian Mu patted the bird’s head and said, “Go back into the sword for now. I’ll come play with you after I leave the Illusion Realm.”

She said it casually, using the classic tone adults use to coax children.

The white bird pecked at her palm, then its front half turned into a streak of white light. Its long tail feathers floated in the air like white ribbons before it whooshed into the Flying Swan Sword.

Only in that moment did it resemble the sword spirit of a famed blade—not a clumsy ground-walking chicken, nor a dirt-covered goose that couldn’t even roll over.

Lian Mu thought it looked quite elegant when it flew properly. Though its appearance was a bit odd—like a goose with a long tail and a voice like a nightingale—it had its own charm.

If her own sword, Wealth Bringer, could give birth to a sword spirit, it certainly wouldn’t be inferior.

With that thought, Lian Mu raised her hand and dispelled the Fire Barrier at the cave entrance. Stepping outside, she saw Gong Rumei unconscious beneath a tree. When Shen Wuxie had smelled the flower’s scent, all disciples of the Clear Thought Sect had been affected as well.

Lian Mu found the Crimson Sky Sect’s modified Illusion Realm rather interesting. Once everyone was under its spell, she could just pick through the spoils at her leisure.

Now that she knew the Clear Thought Sect and Azure Profound Sect were both down for the count, it was likely her own sect hadn’t escaped unscathed either. Only the Crimson Sky Sect remained unaccounted for.

Given the grudges from earlier rounds, the Crimson Sky Sect wouldn’t let them off easily. If they were still conscious and happened upon the unconscious Chief team of the Returning Immortal Sect, they definitely wouldn’t show mercy.

She had already gotten what she came for. Now she needed to find her sect’s Chief team and regroup.

If none of the Chief team had regained consciousness, then at the very least, she had to ensure their belongings weren’t stolen.

……

……

“Azure Profound Sect Chief Alchemist Fengyun Yi has been eliminated. He has been removed from the Illusion Realm by his spirit jade token…”

Hearing this, Tang Wuxun whipped his head around, instinctively asking, “What happened? Who did it?”

The question was almost redundant. Fengyun Yi had been with Lian Mu—defeating him was the same as defeating her.

There were only two people guarding Lian Mu’s cave: Gong Rumei and the newly dispatched Shen Wuxie.

With Shen Wuxie’s brain, it’d take him a few hundred years to beat Lian Mu. So it had to be Gong Rumei.

Tang Wuxun was quite satisfied. Feng Huanyin, however, hesitated, as if she wanted to say something.

Feng Huanyin said, “I get the feeling you and Shen Wuxie are hiding something from me.”

Tang Wuxun’s fingers paused slightly. “It’s nothing serious. Don’t worry about it.”

Feng Huanyin and Shen Wuxie didn’t get along. The two were constantly belittling each other. He didn’t want to stir up another fight among the Chief team, nor did he want her to know that he’d had Shen Wuxie use Fengyun Yi to threaten Lian Mu.

Feng Huanyin seemed to sense something. “Does it have to do with Fengyun Yi?”

“No.”

Tang Wuxun denied it without batting an eye.

After a moment’s thought, he asked, “Do you still care about Fengyun Yi?”

Feng Huanyin lowered her gaze, fell silent for a moment, then said coldly, “He’s no longer part of the Feng Clan. Whether he lives or dies has nothing to do with me. But let me remind you—he has the Azure Profound Sect backing him. If you use him, the Azure Profound Sect won’t let us off.”

Tang Wuxun smiled faintly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

At this point, it didn’t matter whether the other sects would let them off or not.

Before the Immortal Sect Grand Competition, he had been ordered by the Sect Master to use the tournament as a chance to mend relations with the other sects.

A few months ago, the Clear Thought Sect had sent disciples to guard the Shifang Nether Soil, but they ended up causing trouble for the Returning Immortal Sect, injuring Xin Wanbai in the process. That incident completely severed ties between the Returning Immortal Sect and the Clear Thought Sect, and made the other two sects wary of them as well.

After learning of this, Sect Master Shen had wanted to clear things up, but the first Venerable Elder he sent to apologize only made things worse.

From the moment he received his orders, Tang Wuxun had been walking on eggshells around the disciples of the other sects, constantly worried he wouldn’t be able to fulfill his mission.

But things hadn’t gone as smoothly as he’d hoped. In fact, they’d only gotten worse.

When he decided to send Shen Wuxie out, Tang Wuxun had felt a rare sense of satisfaction.

He’d been cautious for so long, and still ended up offending every other sect. He might as well stop holding back.

He was a Heavenly Spiritual Root Team Leader—his background and talent were on par with anyone else’s. Why should he have to swallow his pride?

Tang Wuxun’s expression turned grim. “If the Azure Profound Sect wants to come, let them come.”

Yuan Wuxu asked, “Team Leader, we’re not going to hide anymore?”

Tang Wuxun replied, “Of course not.”

Whether they could actually snatch the pills from Lian Mu’s hands would depend entirely on luck.

Just as Tang Wuxun finished that thought, a wave of dizziness hit him, and his head throbbed. He instinctively turned to look behind him—his fellow disciples were in the same state, suddenly reeling and disoriented.

Right before he collapsed, one last thought flashed through Tang Wuxun’s mind: Please don’t tell me Shen Wuxie got duped again.