Meanwhile, in a hidden chamber within the Zen Sect that no detection artifact could penetrate…
“Ugh, just kill me already!”
Shen Qinghan sat on a chair, turning her head away, her face full of humiliation.
Several Jiedan cultivators stared silently at Shen Qinghan’s fair, unblemished face and intact clothes, speechless.
No, sister, we tortured you with harsh methods for three full days and nights, exhausting thirteen Jiedan cultivators, and yet we couldn’t harm you in the slightest.
And you’re still playing the martyr act?!
Isn’t this a classic case of the villain crying victim first!
“Hmph, Xu Muqing really is worthy of being the only great cultivator in the East Victory Divine Continent back then. Even after all these years since his dissolution, the magical restrictions he left behind are still so formidable.”
Jingchen Layperson finally lost her patience. She stood up from her seat and approached Shen Qinghan.
“Daoist Shen, what exactly will it take for you to hand over the Sect Master Command Token? Just surrender it.”
Shen Qinghan rolled her eyes.
“I’ve said it before, it’s not that I won’t give it up—it really isn’t on me.”
“Then where is it?”
“On Xu Muqing, obviously.”
“You’re Xu Muqing’s direct disciple. Would he not entrust you with the Sect Master Command Token?”
Jingchen said coldly.
Seeing Shen Qinghan’s stubborn, unbothered expression, Jingchen suddenly sneered, “We may not be able to hurt you, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything to you.”
“Oh, right, I almost forgot—what about that little fox? She’s Xu Muqing’s disciple too, isn’t she?”
Jingchen’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“You killed Xu Muqing yourself, yet you treat this little junior sister with such care.”
She waved to a Foundation Establishment disciple guarding outside. The disciple understood and turned into a flash of light, flying towards where Xu Muxue was being held.
“We can’t hurt you, but making that little fox suffer a bit isn’t hard. Maybe she’s also bound by Xu Muqing’s restrictions?”
“Haha, but she’s only a Foundation Establishment cultivator. With me and Master Qin acting together, breaking the restriction forcibly isn’t impossible. Although at that time, that little fox’s life…”
For the first time, Shen Qinghan’s expression genuinely changed.
She knew it was a trap, yet she still dared to come. The restrictions Xu Muqing planted inside her body were her greatest leverage.
That was also why she didn’t want Xu Muxue to come.
No matter how strong Xu Muxue was, as long as she couldn’t surpass a Nascent Soul cultivator, she would always be a burden.
If it weren’t for the need to maintain a certain scale for the Sword Sect’s council, she wouldn’t even want to bring these ten disciples.
These were the cream of the sect’s disciples, the future pillars of the sect.
But… in the end, she still harbored hope.
All of them were from reputable sects—the Sword, Qin, and Zen sects supporting each other and thriving in the East Victory Divine Continent. Wasn’t that better than constant strife and infighting?
She believed that the senior cultivators were smart enough to understand this.
“Come at me if you’ve got any skill. What kind of accomplishment is it to target the juniors still at Foundation Establishment?”
Shen Qinghan gritted her teeth.
Although the restrictions inside her body made her untouchable by Nascent Soul cultivators, the Binding Spirit Shackle suppressed all her spiritual power, leaving her without any means to attack.
“We are peers with Xu Muqing. Since you’re his disciple, I should address you as my junior nephew. That little fox is also Xu Muqing’s disciple, my junior nephew as well. So, why can I strike you but not her?”
Jingchen Layperson smiled sweetly, but her kind expression sent chills down Shen Qinghan’s spine.
“Junior nephew Shen, why make things so ugly? Xu Muqing once dominated the Eastern Domain. Every one of us old folks admires him. Just hand over the Sect Master Command Token obediently, and you can still be the Peak Master of Zuo Wang Peak. Would we really make things hard for you two sisters?”
Shen Qinghan clenched her silver teeth. “But the Sect Master Command Token… really isn’t on me.”
“Since you’re so stubborn, don’t blame me.”
Jingchen snorted coldly, waving her sleeve to leave. Just then, the Foundation Establishment cultivator who had left suddenly rushed back in, panting.
“R-Report, Great Elder, something’s wrong…”
“What is it? Catch your breath first. Running around like a madman is unbecoming.”
“A prisoner named Daoming escaped from the deep valley prison.”
“Daoming?”
Jingchen frowned. “There’s no one by that name among the disciples from the Sword Sect this time, is there?”
“Reporting, Great Elder, he was caught on the road by the senior brother.”
“Why capture him?”
“He offended the senior brother, and also the Qin Sect’s senior brother, so he was brought here.”
“…Kids messing around. If he ran, then he ran. Why are you so panicked over this?”
Hearing Jingchen’s displeasure, the disciple hurriedly knelt and kowtowed, “Great Elder, please forgive me!”
“What about that little fox? Did you bring her?”
“Oh right, Great Elder, she escaped too.”
“What?! Why wasn’t this big matter reported sooner?!”
A surge of pressure suddenly exploded from Jingchen, blowing the disciple flying into the wall, embedding him motionless.
Shen Qinghan was also pushed off balance, but couldn’t help secretly delighted.
She knew that little junior sister was clever and wouldn’t just wait to be captured!
“What are you standing there for? Go find them! Mobilize all available personnel and search immediately, now!”
Jingchen roared.
The disciple, trembling under the Nascent Soul cultivator’s pressure, quickly pulled himself out of the wall, saluted, and dashed out.
A corner of Shen Qinghan’s mouth twitched.
“What are you smiling at?”
Jingchen turned viciously.
“She’s just a little Foundation Establishment cultivator. Do you really think she can escape my palm?”
Shen Qinghan gave a cold smile. “She’s different.”
“Then watch carefully. I’ll torture her to death right before your eyes, and you’ll be powerless to stop it.”
Jingchen snorted three times and swept her sleeve as she exited. The chamber instantly fell silent.
Shen Qinghan sighed softly, closing her eyes to meditate, but the shadow of worry never left her brow.
***
At that moment, Xu Muxue stood atop a high platform, wielding a leather whip, lashing at a group of big bald Zen Sect disciples below.
“Hurry up, hurry! Move your hands and feet faster!”
Xu Muxue snapped the whip, striking one Zen Sect disciple squarely on the forehead.
“If this batch of materials is delayed, the Inviting Spirit Array won’t be completed on time. Without the Inviting Spirit Array, we can’t draw Sword Sect’s spiritual energy into our two sects.”
“Without their spiritual energy, the disciples’ cultivation will slow down. If cultivation slows, we won’t be able to defeat the invading Demonic Path! When that happens, countless lives will be lost. Can you bear that responsibility?”
“Yes, Senior Sister!”
The whipped big bald disciple winced but still saluted respectfully and increased his spiritual output, continuing to refine the Inviting Spirit Array materials.
Xu Muxue nodded approvingly, letting out two satisfied hums.
Now she understood those Zen Sect disciples who had beaten Daoming a hundred and eighty times.
Beating big bald heads really is satisfying!