Chapter 124: Meeting — Are you sure you want to fight me?…

“The Fire Core Flower is about to bloom.”

Shen Wusang stopped drawing talismans and suddenly opened his eyes.

The Crimson Sky Sect was stationed on the sand dunes, searching for traces of demonic beasts. When everyone heard his words, they turned to look at him.

Lu Feishuang asked, “What’s wrong?”

“The Fire Core Flower is about to bloom, in the Second Realm,” Shen Wusang said. “I have a hunch.”

Lu Feishuang frowned slightly. “So soon? That’s odd. It’s five or six days earlier than we estimated. How could it bloom ahead of time…”

The others also found it hard to believe. In this desert environment, they had expected a delay, not an early bloom.

“Something’s happened.” Shen Wusang furrowed his brows. “Leader, let’s go to the Second Realm now.”

Lu Feishuang pondered for a moment, then decided to trust him this once. “Return to Azure Dragon Bronze Platform immediately.”

“Now that we’re allied with the Azure Profound Sect, should we inform them?” Changsun Li asked.

Tang Jianming shot him a cold glance. “Allies? I remember clearly it was they who offered spirit materials in exchange for our help. It’s just a contract. Where’s the ‘friendship’ in that?”

Lu Feishuang said, “We’ve already found out who made the move against them. The rest isn’t the Crimson Sky Sect’s business. We’re leaving.”

At her order, the Crimson Sky Sect disciples began packing up to depart.

However, they hadn’t expected to run right into the Azure Profound Sect’s Chief Team on the way.

When the two groups collided, both sides were stunned for a moment.

Almost simultaneously, Ying You guessed their purpose. “The Fire Core Flower is stirring?”

Lu Feishuang didn’t answer his question but countered, “Why are you headed this way?”

Jiang Yuechen replied, “Looking for the Returning Immortal Sect.”

Changsun Li frowned. “They’re nearby too?”

Jiang Yuechen looked into the distance and answered offhandedly, “Mm…”

In fact, this wasn’t the Chief Team’s first time passing through here. Jiang Yuechen had a strong feeling the Returning Immortal Sect was hiding nearby, but despite several passes, he’d found nothing.

She thought for a moment, then crouched down, grabbed a handful of sand, and examined it closely.

Lu Feishuang said, “You keep looking. We have other matters. We’ll go ahead.”

Ying You watched her retreating figure, then abruptly turned to the others. “To the Second Realm. Now.”

Gu Qingyu asked, “Why? The Fire Core Flower in the desert is still growing, and in the Second Realm—”

Before he could finish, Jiang Yuechen, who was probing the sand, pulled out a talisman, stuck it in the air, and murmured an incantation.

In the next instant, the once-empty sand plain revealed an oasis, where a few familiar faces sat around a pot, eating.

As the hidden barrier shattered, the group turned their heads in unison. Xu Xianxing still had half a rabbit leg in his mouth, frozen in place.

Jiang Yuechen stepped back a few paces. “So you really were here. Unfortunately, your concealment array can’t fool my eyes.”

The Azure Profound Sect’s Chief Team stopped in their tracks. The Crimson Sky Sect, not far away, also turned back to look.

The three groups locked eyes. The air fell silent for a beat: “…”

Lian Mu stood up, helplessly brushing off her clothes. “Still found. And we ran into two sects at once.”

Bai Li Que, who had been maintaining the barrier, spread his hands. “I told you she’s good. My concealment can’t hide us for long.”

The Returning Immortal Sect had all gathered here. After contacting Guan Huailin, they had left the flower picking to him and just waited.

When the Azure Profound Sect’s Chief Team first drew near, they knew they couldn’t outrun them, so Bai Li Que set up a barrier to hide the oasis.

Jiang Yuechen hadn’t noticed the first time, but after passing by multiple times, she sensed something was off.

Now exposed, the Returning Immortal Sect members didn’t seem too surprised. Lian Mu greeted them first, smiling sweetly. “Everyone, we meet again.”

Her smile only made tempers flare more.

Gu Qingyu shouted angrily, “You tricked the Clear Thought Sect into attacking us, didn’t you?”

Lian Mu said mildly, “Chief Gu, that’s such an unpleasant thing to say. All’s fair in war—how can you call it trickery?”

Yuan Huai, recalling their previous humiliation, clenched his fists in fury. “What did the Azure Profound Sect ever do to you? We didn’t even fight back when you provoked our leader, and yet you keep targeting us. What exactly do you want?”

Xu Xianxing silently stowed away his half-eaten rabbit leg. “Artifact refiners talk too much. Now that we’re all here, are we fighting or not? Say it clearly.”

Wen Yun had been about to sneer but choked. He hadn’t expected Xu Xianxing to curse himself too.

Not far off, Lu Feishuang observed them. Seeing all the Returning Immortal Sect’s top members here meant the Second Realm only had Guan Huailin left—no other core disciples.

She stopped, turned around, and said unhurriedly, “Looks like some people aren’t getting away today.”

Lian Mu scanned the scene. The Azure Profound Sect blocked the front, the Crimson Sky Sect the rear—arrayed in formation. She immediately understood they had joined forces.

The others realized it too but remained utterly calm.

Both the Crimson Sky Sect and the Azure Profound Sect’s Chief Team were here. This meant only Guan Huailin was in the Second Realm, with no one else to threaten him.

Without hesitation, Lian Mu drew her sword. Wen Yun readied himself to strike at any moment. Bai Li Que threw up a barrier to shield Xu Xianxing and Ji Mingyue.

Ying You narrowed his gaze at Lian Mu. “Return what you stole, and maybe we’ll spare the Returning Immortal Sect.”

In the illusion realm, Ying You’s voice was cold and hard. Perhaps the Chief Team’s previous fiasco had truly enraged him—he looked more aloof than ever.

Lian Mu lightly caressed the begonia pattern on her sword hilt, watching him. He hadn’t even drawn yet but already acted as if victory were certain.

Lian Mu: “…”

So arrogant?

Changsun Li smiled. “Leader Ying, the Crimson Sky Sect also has unsettled scores with the Returning Immortal Sect. Now that we’ve caught them, we can’t let the Azure Profound Sect have all the fun. There are six of them—why don’t we compete to see who takes out more?”

Lu Feishuang shot him a glance, her expression unreadable, but didn’t stop him.

Wen Yun chuckled. “Changsun Li, didn’t you get beaten enough last time? Looks like I’ll have to knock out a few of your teeth today so your mouth whistles when you talk.”

Changsun Li sneered. “You think you alone can take us?”

As the three sides faced off, Shen Wusang of the Crimson Sky Sect began studying the Returning Immortal Sect members. He glanced at the only two sword cultivators among them, pressing his lips together.

Since seeing the Returning Immortal Sect, Shen Wusang had been guessing who had forcibly broken his barrier before.

He’d checked with the Azure Profound Sect—definitely not their people. And it couldn’t be the Clear Thought Sect; he’d come from the White Tiger West himself and knew exactly which Heavenly Spiritual Roots they had.

So it could only be the Returning Immortal Sect.

He had a strong hunch that person was here—and his hunches were rarely wrong.

His gaze lingered briefly on Lian Mu: “…”

Impossible.

The Returning Immortal Sect’s second-seat sword cultivator was formidable, but during her duel with the Clear Thought Sect’s second-seat, it was clear she was a solid three-spiritual-root cultivator.

He then shifted his eyes to Guan Shize beside Lian Mu. At first glance, he realized he had never seen this person before.

Shen Wusang narrowed his eyes. He noticed the crimson streak at the tip of Guan Shize’s sword—a sign that, in this illusion realm, fire spiritual root sword cultivators received an enhancement allowing their swords to ignore the damage from ground flames.

A hidden genius, a fire spiritual root sword cultivator…

Shen Wusang nudged Lu Feishuang and gave her a look.

Lu Feishuang also looked at Guan Shize opposite them. After a moment of scrutiny, she murmured, “So it’s him? Well hidden… looks pretty ordinary at first glance…”

She pressed her hand against the sword at her waist, pivoted on her toes, and turned toward Guan Shize.

Over on the Azure Profound Sect’s side, their demand that the Returning Immortal Sect return the spiritual materials and plants and voluntarily destroy the contract was flatly rejected by Lian Mu.

Lian Mu said, “Anything that’s passed through my hands has never found its way back.”

Gu Qingyu slowly clenched his fists. “Refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit? In that case, there’s no need for more words.”

Ying You finally drew his sword. His face was expressionless; the tip of the Flying Swan Sword skimmed across the sand, yet left not a single mark.

Lian Mu found his aloof posture unbearable. Anyway, Guan Huailin was already on his way to pick the flower—there was nothing left to worry about on their end. In this illusion realm, no one could truly die. She had been wanting to test just how strong this so-called genius sword cultivator really was.

Sword in hand, she was just about to charge when a sudden gust of wind swept past her—Wen Yun beat her to it.

“He can resonate and control other people’s swords. You and Guan Shize, don’t fight him head-on.”

As he brushed past her, Wen Yun left her with this low warning.

When she looked up again, Wen Yun’s fist was already crashing against the edge of Ying You’s sword. He still smiled at Ying You. “I’ve long heard of Captain Ying, the genius sword cultivator. Today, allow this young master to test you personally.”

The Returning Immortal Sect’s chief body cultivator and the Azure Profound Sect’s leader clashed head-on. The others naturally didn’t stay idle—Gu Qingyu and Jiang Yuechen closed in on Bai Li Que from both sides.

On the Crimson Sky Sect’s side, the usually quiet Lu Feishuang suddenly unsheathed her sword and charged at the Returning Immortal Sect along with Shen Wusang.

Guan Shize had just drawn his sword, ready to back up the two chiefs from the rear, but the moment he moved his foot, he saw the Crimson Sky Sect’s chief sword cultivator coming straight at him, while the chief talisman cultivator moved to block him from behind—trapping him between the two.

Guan Shize: “???”

For a moment, the corner of his mouth twitched.

“……”

Seriously? Did it really take two chiefs to deal with him alone?

While he was stunned, Lu Feishuang’s sword was already slashing down right between his brows. Lian Mu deflected it with her own blade and pulled him aside.

Seeing he wasn’t fighting back, Lu Feishuang said, “Still pretending? You’re quite something.”

Lian Mu, noticing everyone targeting Guan Shize, teased, “Your luck’s here—make good use of this chance to learn from two chiefs.”

No sooner had she finished than Changsun Li attacked from the side, forcing Lian Mu to retreat to the other end, leaving Guan Shize alone in place.

Guan Shize: “……”

Lu Feishuang and Shen Wusang pressed the attack, determined to force out his true strength. Guan Shize had no choice but to grit his teeth and respond.

Meanwhile, Changsun Li alone kept relentlessly hounding Lian Mu, cutting off all her escape routes.

He slammed a fist at her. “I hear Wen Yun’s quite close with you. If I cripple you right in front of him, will he be so enraged he tries to kill me?”

Lian Mu raised her sword to block his hand. “You sure you want to fight me?”

Changsun Li sneered, “Dealing with a mere three-spiritual-root second-seat? Three moves, tops.”

With that, he caught Lian Mu’s sword barehanded—