Chapter 2300: Water Mirror Got Blurred

This was Xu Wenqin's primordial spirit.

The solidity of an immortal's primordial spirit is beyond the imagination of ordinary people. However, he had previously burned his primordial spirit almost completely to resist the invasion of the white fungus and delay his body's death. Consequently, his primordial spirit was severely wounded and now as weak as a candle in the wind, barely able to coalesce into a spirit form.

Liu Qingdao bowed solemnly to him and took out the prepared Juluo wood.

Xu Wenqin's primordial spirit immediately entered the Juluo wood and settled there.

A severely wounded primordial spirit, much like a severely wounded body, will immediately fall into a deep sleep to recover its vitality once it finds a place to settle.

This meant he would not be able to leave the Juluo wood for some time, nor would he be able to come out and explain the truth to the sect.

But there was no other choice. If he hadn't burned his primordial spirit to fight with all his might, his body would have long perished, and the war between the Qixia Sect and Cang Yan would have erupted even sooner.

Liu Qingdao murmured, "The time Elder Xu bought for us was unexpectedly long."

The wind rustled through the trees; at the foot of Xunyang Mountain, it was as if nothing had happened.

***

Qixia Sect's Minor Grotto-Heaven.

Inside the side hall, a shrine was kept, where incense burned continuously year-round. Within the shrine lay three palm-sized crystals.

The crystals were originally colorless, but each contained a wisp of dark blue floating within, known as a "crystal soul."

Each one had a name written on it:

Yuan Xilin, Chu Xuanhe, Xu Wenqin.

At that moment, the crystal inscribed with Xu Wenqin's name suddenly made a snapping sound and broke in two.

The sound within the shrine was faint, but when it reached the outside, it resonated like an earthquake, instantly echoing throughout the entire Minor Grotto-Heaven.

Disciples outside the hall were startled and about to rush in when, in a flash, Sect Master Yuan and Elder Chu appeared before them.

"Junior Brother Xu's Soul-Pillar!"

The expressions of both were a mix of shock and anger.

Elder Chu picked up the broken crystal from the shrine, observing that the fracture was jagged and the blue crystal soul within had vanished.

Ancient immortal sects possessed methods to monitor the well-being of their members. Regardless of whether it was a soul lamp or a soul-pillar, their underlying principles were largely the same: they could show the state of the soul's owner — alive or dead, suicide or homicide. A soul-pillar, however, could also indicate whether the owner was healthy or injured.

However, soul-pillars were difficult to refine, and within the Qixia Sect, only those of elder rank or higher were entitled to possess one.

The sudden breakage of Xu Wenqin's soul-pillar, with its jagged fracture, indicated that he had first sustained severe injuries before passing away.

What could cause an immortal to sustain such severe injuries? Only combat.

Xu Wenqin had gone to Wei'an City to gather information while also overseeing the sect from afar. His sudden, violent death—

"It must have been a sneak attack by Cang Yan!" Elder Chu gnashed his teeth. "Junior Brother Xu merely entered the city; he did nothing to provoke anyone, so how dare Cang Yan treat him like this!"

They hadn't engaged in widespread slaughter in Wei'an City, nor had they clashed directly with the authorities. They had even spoken courteously with the Bingyuan Division, demonstrating remarkable restraint!

As for using golden nuclei to cut off Wei'an City's water supply, that was just one of their methods.

Yuan Xilin picked up the broken pillar and clenched it in his hand, his killing intent surging.

"Yes! It could only be Cang Yan!"

Xu Wenqin was an immortal; how could an ordinary person even get close to him? In Wei'an City, only Cang Yan possessed the power to kill him.

The Qixia Sect was an ancient immortal sect. Over the past three millennia, powerful cultivators had continuously fallen, leaving only the three fellow disciples who had supported each other through thick and thin, forging an exceptionally deep bond.

They had endured for three millennia, finally waiting for the revival of the world's spiritual energy so the immortal sect could once again expand its influence. Yet, Xu Wenqin had fallen just before the Qixia Sect's resurgence!

How could the two of them not be enraged by this?

"Sect Master, Junior Brother Xu was accompanied by several disciples. Though he met with misfortune, those disciples may not all be dead." Elder Chu's eyes flickered. "If they fall into enemy hands, the Qixia Sect's location and our transit passes will be compromised!"

They were currently on Cang Yan's territory; even if the Qixia Sect wanted to leave, where could they go?

If Cang Yan would kill even the gentle and harmless Elder Xu, would they spare the Qixia Sect?

"Bring out all the profound crystals; awaken the Colossal Spirit God and Qionglong!" Yuan Xilin's face was grim. "Cang Yan caused Elder Xu's death, so we will bathe Wei'an City in blood. This is what you call reciprocity!"

With Xu Wenqin, one of the Qixia Sect's three pillars, suddenly killed, the sect's combat strength was greatly diminished, and their mountain gate's entrance was likely exposed. The Qixia Sect had, in an instant, reached a critical juncture of life and death!

Facing such a formidable, unfamiliar nation, Yuan Xilin knew that compromise was now futile, and retreating into seclusion would merely be awaiting death. The Qixia Sect had to bare its fangs and demonstrate its power, forcing Cang Yan to recognize its might; only then would they dare not invade again.

At that time, the million residents of Wei'an City would all be their hostages.

Just then, a disciple suddenly rushed over, speaking urgently:

"Master-Ancestor, the water mirror is blurry!"

The water mirror was blurry again, and at precisely this moment? The two powerful cultivators exchanged glances, then turned and rushed back to the main hall.

The water surface in the courtyard well rippled ceaselessly, no longer smooth as a mirror, and the images projected were hazy and indistinct.

"They've targeted the stone-skin grass sprites?" Elder Chu gnashed his teeth. "What swift action!"

"How is this possible?" Yuan Xilin's gaze flickered. "The Qixia Sect's methods for monitoring the outside world are secret; only the three of us know them! Even if Cang Yan captured Elder Xu's disciples, they couldn't possibly uncover this secret!"

"Then..." Elder Chu also realized that stone-skin grass covered the mountains, forming a vast network of perception. It would be impossible for the enemy to uproot them all. If Cang Yan possessed such an ability, what would be the point of their resistance? They might as well surrender.

Yet, the idea of an opponent precisely capturing stone-skin grass sprites to sever the Qixia Sect's external surveillance was equally unbelievable.

How did Cang Yan know how the water mirror technique and stone-skin grass sprites worked together?

How did Cang Yan know the location of the stone-skin grass sprites?

Unless Elder Xu told them.

Hah, a joke.

Yuan Xilin asked a disciple, "How long has this anomaly lasted?"

"Well... we just walked in, and as soon as we saw it, we reported it to you."

No one was specifically stationed by the courtyard well, so this disciple only noticed the anomaly upon entering.

Thus, no one knew precisely how long it had been happening.

"Stone-skin grass sprites occasionally malfunction; perhaps this is just another coincidence," Sect Master Yuan said, trying to remain objective despite his grief and anger. "Lately, there have been a lot of idlers wandering Xunyang Mountain. Just two quarters of an hour ago, a large group of farmers and hunters passed by Butterfly Creek."

The Qixia Sect was located deep within Xunyang Mountain, a place where, normally, no one would venture for months, especially since the revival of spiritual energy had made the deep mountains far more perilous.

However, in the past two days, too many idle groups had been wandering around; two or three groups alone had passed by Butterfly Creek. Fortunately, the mountain gate entrance was protected by a restriction that couldn't be bypassed without special methods, otherwise the Qixia Sect would have to bother dealing with them.

If someone happened to wander to Baishu Creek and coincidentally spotted that particular stone-skin grass sprite... After all, scaling cliffs and rock climbing were inherent skills for herb gatherers. Sect Master Yuan pressed his forehead, hesitating for a moment before speaking:

"Send someone to check."

To be on the safe side.