“What happened here…”
“Senior Brother Jing Ao is dead, and so is Senior Brother Han Zhong!”
“What exactly happened?!”
The Clear Sun Sect disciples who had arrived on the scene were all visibly shaken.
In just a single day, the sect had lost two Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Even during the conflict over the Mid-Grade Spirit Mine more than a decade ago, it was rare to lose two Foundation Establishment cultivators in a single battle.
Elder Li Yuan, the Fake Core expert, suddenly closed his eyes.
His Divine Sense swept across the battlefield—
Covering every inch as he reconstructed the sequence of events from every trace left behind.
The disciples around him dared not make a sound, afraid to disturb him.
Only after a long while—
Li Yuan finally opened his eyes and waved his hand, causing several charred fragments to drift into his palm.
He said calmly, “Yu Xiong is also dead.”
The hearts of all present trembled even more.
So the sect hadn’t just lost two Foundation Establishment cultivators… but three!
The cost of this battle was too heavy!
“Jing Ao was poisoned. He didn’t even have a chance to activate his artifacts before being slain by the Bone Banner—he must have been set up by Horse Face of Death.”
“Han Zhong fought the demonic cultivator head-on and was killed when Horse Face of Death bit his throat open.”
Li Yuan spoke flatly.
But he did not mention how Yu Xiong died.
As a Fake Core expert, he naturally saw through it—Yu Xiong had clearly perished under Han Zhong’s True Flame Talisman.
But revealing that would disgrace Han Zhong, the sect’s Inner Sect Chief Disciple, and harm the sect’s reputation.
Yu Xiong was already dead, and as a station guard, had little political backing within the Inner Sect.
So Li Yuan simply omitted the truth of his death.
“As for Horse Face of Death, it appears he was first heavily wounded by Han Zhong, then finished off by the Second-Grade Formation, and finally decapitated by this little cultivator—”
He turned to look at Li An.
From the state of the battlefield, he found no contradictions.
The slain demon was indeed the real Horse Face of Death.
Though the price was great, killing such a notorious figure was a major victory.
At the side, Xu Qiuhui’s expression grew increasingly complicated…
She still couldn’t fathom how Li An, a mere outer disciple, had survived such carnage and even beheaded Horse Face of Death?
She couldn’t help but feel a flicker of regret.
Perhaps… she really had gone too far back then.
Now Li An had not only survived but become a hero who had killed Horse Face of Death.
His standing in the sect would surely soar overnight!
Li Yuan stepped forward to inspect Li An’s condition.
“Hmm… he was poisoned, but took Detoxification Pills. His injuries are quite severe.”
He retrieved a white pill from his sleeve and personally fed it to Li An, sustaining his life force. Then he said, “Return to the sect!”
Immediately, the disciples of Clear Sun Sect gathered up the corpses of Han Zhong, Jing Ao, Horse Face of Death, and the Bone Banner and other items, then rushed back toward the sect headquarters.
Three days later
Li An finally awoke.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying in a lavishly adorned bed, covered in silk bedding as soft and warm as clouds.
Looking around, he saw the room crowded with people—
The white-haired Elder Li Yuan, the familiar Xu Qiuhui, and several other elders.
“Where… am I?”
Li An spoke weakly.
“Junior Brother Li, you’re finally awake!”
Xu Qiuhui quickly stepped forward and gently helped him sit up with a smile, “You’ve been unconscious for three days. Elder Li Yuan saved your life.”
“You’re safe now. No need to worry.”
Li An was visibly moved. He struggled to get off the bed and bowed deeply.
“Many thanks, Elder, for saving my life!”
Li Yuan scanned Li An, and seeing how respectful and composed he was, gave a small approving nod.
“Come here.”
He gestured with his hand.
Xu Qiuhui quickly supported Li An and brought him to sit by Li Yuan’s side.
“I want to ask you… what exactly happened?”
Li Yuan smiled warmly as he asked.
But behind his aged eyes, light flickered like lanterns—seemingly able to peer into a person’s soul.
Li An recalled the events of that day. His expression trembled slightly with fear.
“That day… I was working at the shop like usual. Suddenly, a middle-aged man walked in. He said he wanted to buy thirty Breaking Talisman Seals. Since the shop only had five, I told him I’d fetch the rest from the back. But he insisted on following me…
I became a bit suspicious, but the man didn’t seem like a demonic cultivator. So I took him inside. But when we reached the garden, he suddenly laughed and said he’d make me into stew for his dog…
I tried to attack, but my body seized up. I barely managed to release a few High-Grade First-Level Talismans, but he easily slapped me unconscious…”
Li An's face still carried lingering fear. “When I woke up, Senior Brother Jing Ao was already dead, and Senior Yu Xiong and another senior I didn’t recognize were fighting that demonic cultivator. I took a few Detoxification Pills and could barely move…”
He hesitated. “I wanted to escape… so I crawled along the outer edge of the battlefield. But just as I got halfway, I heard an explosion. Senior Yu Xiong seemed to shout something—”
Li Yuan interjected calmly, “Yu Xiong was killed by the demonic cultivator. Then what?”
Li An continued, “I was panicking… then noticed Senior Brother Jing Ao still clutching a jade talisman. I recognized it as the one used to activate the Second-Grade Array. I guessed that the array hadn’t been triggered yet…”
Li Yuan asked, “How did you know it was a Second-Grade Array?”
“I was the one who originally set it up…”
Li An lowered his head in grievance. “Sister Qiuhui told me I might be in danger, so I used all my and Qingxue’s savings to buy a Second-Grade Formation for self-defense… But then Senior Brother Jing Ao took my jade talisman away…”
Li Yuan gave Xu Qiuhui a glance.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly replied, “Reporting to Elder, because I was close to Qingxue and Li An, I let my emotions get the better of me and warned them ahead of time, hoping they could spend those three days together and… leave a child behind.
I informed Junior Brother Jing Ao about the talisman the moment he arrived—I did not keep it secret!”
Li Yuan nodded.
That matched what he had found.
He had seen a sect-issued Second-Grade Array inside Jing Ao’s storage pouch.
Clearly, the young talisman master had laid the formation, and Jing Ao simply took it over.
“I struggled to activate the array. It took all my strength to finally crush the jade talisman. But by then, the other senior was already killed by the demon. Elder… that demon, he… he bit that senior’s throat off with his teeth!”
Li An’s voice trembled with genuine horror.
“Mhm. Continue.”
Li Yuan waved his hand.
Li An said, “I thought I was doomed too. But after the array activated, it struck the demon and froze him. So I used the Star Glow Dagger to kill him. I didn’t think it’d be enough, but… it took his head off…
Then I passed out.”
He finished.
Li Yuan fell into thought.
He had been using a special secret art: the Heartwatching Technique.
This technique could detect any lie spoken aloud.
And everything Li An had said checked out.
It also matched what he had observed at the scene.
He had personally inspected every cultivator’s storage pouch. Li An’s only unusual possession was the number of High-Grade First-Level Talismans.
A sign that this small-time cultivator was hiding some real talent with talismans, but nothing suspicious.
The Third-Grade Spirit Herb and other rare treasures in Horse Face of Death’s pouch were still present.
Even the storage pouches of Han Zhong and the others showed no sign of tampering.
It truly seemed like… this young man had been excessively lucky.
“Rest well. Killing Horse Face of Death… is a tremendous contribution.”
Li Yuan gave a light smile and rose.
The other elders also left the room.
“Junior Brother Li,”
Xu Qiuhui stayed behind and spoke gently, “Do you resent me?”
Li An fell silent for a moment, then forced a smile.
“I wouldn’t dare… You did what you could. Telling me three days in advance was already a great favor. And what you revealed earlier might cause you trouble. I hope… you won’t mind.”
In truth, he didn’t truly hate Xu Qiuhui.
If their roles had been reversed, he likely would’ve made the same decision.
And if she hadn’t warned him ahead of time, he wouldn’t have had time to prepare anything…
“I’m glad you think that way.”
Xu Qiuhui said softly, “By the way… while you're recovering these next few days, you should carefully consider what to do with the reward the sect will give you. It's The Foundation Establishment Pill.”
With those words, she turned and left.
Li An’s eyes narrowed slightly.
What did she mean by that?
Could the Foundation Establishment Pill… bring trouble?
(End of Chapter)