"What force is it?" Li Sheng asked.

"The Evil Reverse Alliance!" Zhuge Fu said seriously, word by word.

"The one labeled as a cult?"

"If you're scared, just expel that girl, and I can take her away," Zhuge Fu looked at Li Sheng expectantly.

"Friend Zhuge, you jest. I have no such intention; I merely wish to request a token from your alliance," Li Sheng replied calmly.

"You're welcome to join us," Zhuge Fu glanced deeply at Li Sheng.

"I wish to join as well," Liu Hongfeng interjected.

"Of course," Zhuge Fu threw out two stones, smiling, "Farewell, take care of the girl!"

"Zhuge Dao-you, please!"

His figure vanished in an instant.

A light laugh followed, "I almost forgot this small gift; hope you like it."

Three dark objects shot from the forest and landed in front of them, rolling to a stop.

"Are these Feng Luoyi, Lu Ying, and Lu Qinghong?" Bai Ye exclaimed in surprise.

"Things have changed."

Li Sheng sighed, using his energy to create a small pit and bury their heads within.

"Senior Brother, Senior Sister, you didn't need to join this Evil Reverse Alliance with me..." Bai Ye said, her expression sorrowful.

"Don't overthink it; we've already offended the dynasty and the holy land. With the impending disaster, I've lost all hope in those two forces. Joining the Evil Reverse Alliance might be a wise move," her brother reassured her.

"While things are still stable, I should gather more resources in the city," Liu Hongfeng suggested.

"Let's discuss it tomorrow; we might have guests tonight."

"Guests?" Both were puzzled.

Li Sheng didn't explain, turning back to the sect and instructing them to visit the Secret Realm of Divine Powers.

Instead of rushing to train, he contemplated recent events.

He had intended to go to the capital for the triannual disciple recruitment, seeking talented students and high-grade medicinal materials. But the deaths of Fei and Li had drawn him into a web of complications, severing his path to the capital.

If it weren't for the impending demon cave opening, he might have had to abandon the sect and leave the Great Yan Empire entirely.

"Perhaps it's a blessing in disguise... Fei and Li were likely killed by Zhuge Fu. He acted impulsively, while they may have had plans long in place. He just happened to be caught in the mix."

Li Sheng sighed and called out, "Tuan Tuan."

"Wah wah wah..."

A white light appeared, sticking to his cheek.

Seeing this, Li Sheng frowned and firmly grabbed the little creature, saying sternly, "No more playing with Hong Ying, and stop making noise, understand?"

The creature wriggled free and flew up, chirping.

"Chirp! Chirp!"

"That's more like it. If someone comes to the mountain gate tonight, let me know. I'm going to train now."

"Chirp chirp~"

The white light spiraled out, heading back toward Hong Ying.

Li Sheng shook his head helplessly, focused his thoughts, and took a premium pill to begin his training.

---

Two hours later, outside Qingling Sect, five figures approached quickly, arriving at the great formation in mere moments.

"Chen Hu actually has high-grade pills; let's hope it's not a wasted trip."

"Don't worry, Sect Master, he definitely has them; otherwise, he'd be dead by now," Chen Hu replied confidently.

"Good to hear. I've heard Fei and Li met their end at this guy's hands; we should be careful."

"That guy doesn't have that capability; he must be taking the fall for someone else," the Sect Master assured.

"Alright, enter the formation. Destroy the sect!"

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Their sudden intrusion startled Tuan Tuan.

"Chirp chirp!!"

In the gathering room, Li Sheng opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in the dim space.

"They're here... I've been waiting for you!" He licked his lips, his intent suddenly rising, seeing the entire Qingling Sect.

"Five of them!"

"One at fifth-level perfection, three in major achievement, and one newly entered but possessing a rare martial domain prototype."

Li Sheng muttered, then ordered, "Tuan Tuan, abandon killing and trapping; maximize the illusions!"

"Chirp chirp!"

With that, both vanished from the gathering room.

Inside the formation, the five moved rapidly, about to burst into the sect.

Suddenly, their surroundings shifted, landing them in a lush forest.

"An illusion formation?" Chen Hu frowned and struck a nearby ancient tree with a glowing fist.

The thick trunk splintered, and a strange pulling force yanked him forward.

In an instant, Chen Hu vanished into the ancient forest.

The Sect Master frowned, commanding, "Use true energy to break the surroundings; avoid touching anything with your bodies."

"A mere second-tier illusion formation, thinking it could confuse Blood-transporting Warriors—ridiculous!"

"Attack!"

Hearing their words, Li Sheng smirked; a standard second-tier illusion formation wouldn't usually stop them.

But Qingling Sect's protective formation had self-repair capabilities, and with Tuan Tuan's adjustments, it could trap them for a while.

With Tuan Tuan's help, Chen Hu escaped the illusion.

Before he could grasp his surroundings, a cold light with sharp killing intent fell upon him.

Though startled, Chen Hu remained calm, already expecting an ambush.

The martial domain prototype unfolded, unleashing nearly 150,000 pounds of power in a single axe swing, aimed to repel the attack and then unleash a powerful sonic assault.

"Clang!"

The axe and sword clashed, a terrifying force surging down.

"Crack~"

His arm shattered, bones exploding.

A glint of cold light flashed, freezing his shocked expression.

"Bang!"

A whirlwind spun, and Chen Hu murmured weakly in his fading consciousness, "How... how could..."

Seeing Chen Hu slain in one blow, Li Sheng looked at the remaining four; if they had detonated their martial domains directly and used sound wave attacks, they could have delayed the outcome by at least five moves.

But after those five moves, the result wouldn't change.

Watching the remaining four continually bombarding their surroundings, Li Sheng found it challenging to engage closely.

He had to rely on Tuan Tuan to confuse three of them.

In the illusion, one person's foot fell through a gap, disappearing from the sight of the others.

"Master, this isn't good; the second-tier formation should've broken by now... Could this be a third-tier formation?" One looked grim.

Li Sheng, already prepared, advanced as soon as the person stabilized.

His sword, glowing green, struck down decisively. The target didn't have time to react before their soul departed.

The third person, skilled in defensive martial arts, withstood three strikes before finally being broken down, and the fourth sword ended their threat.

Now only one remained, the Sect Master of Spark Sect, at fifth-level perfection, capable of unleashing immense strength.

In other circumstances, Li Sheng might have fought them to test his skills.

But given the current tumultuous times, he had no interest in such a battle.

Under Tuan Tuan's guidance, the illusion formation became increasingly realistic.