Everything still traced back to the turmoil of Sky Rift Valley.

From the lips of Old Daoist, Yu Ci learned that the Mountain Gate of the Lichen Sect had already responded to the upheaval in Sky Rift Valley. The powerful force of the Sect had been mobilized, and the situation around Sky Rift Valley had been largely controlled.

Victorious reports kept coming in: every day, Golden Elixir Stage demons fell under the prowess of Lichen Sect cultivators; the "passageway" through which the demons invaded this realm had been located, and no new demons could enter; the experts in Void Magic that the Sect had invited had begun to control or seal the passageway; the Underworld Cold Tide was diminishing day by day, predicted to cease completely within half a month.

Such was the astonishing strength of the Lichen Sect. However, behind this display of power, there was also the pressing issue of manpower shortage within the Sect.

According to Yu Zhou, the Lichen Sect was not populous. The sum of direct disciples and Outer Disciples did not exceed two thousand, and many disciples were away on spiritual journeys, not within the Sect's Mountain Gate. What they were facing was a vast region affected by the cold tide, spanning tens of thousands of miles. Within this area, hunting demons, sealing the passageway between the two realms, and managing the species circle - all these tasks required manpower. Even with the assistance from the Sunset Sect across the Sky Rift Valley, they were still stretched thin, unable to cover all areas.

Under such circumstances, newcomers to the Sect like Jin Chuan and Kuang Yan Qi, who had only started their spiritual practice recently, were also recruited to help. Officially, they were assisting Old Daoist Yu Zhou in handling affairs in the direction of Cliff City, but in reality, they were acting as liaisons between Cliff City and the Lichen Sect. This arrangement was probably due to their relationship with the White Sun Mansion, and perhaps also because no one on the mountain had time to spare for them.

According to the plan, Jin Chuan and his companion would return to Cliff City in a few days, and come back to the Sect to continue their unfinished spiritual practice once the matters in Sky Rift Valley were resolved. But what did the two young men plan to do in the meantime?

Yu Ci's gaze swept over their faces. Jin Chuan's attitude was laughable, yet intriguing. If the informants in the Still Heart Temple had relayed all relevant information, Jin Chuan should understand that purely in terms of strength, they were at a disadvantage. Even though all three of them were at the Initial Stage of Nature-Connecting and had just begun to Separate Consciousness & Thoughts, Yu Ci's impressive record in and around Sky Rift Valley was more tangible and effective than any realm standard.

Yu Ci was curious about what the two young men, especially Jin Chuan, were counting on.

"Yu Ci, you're in trouble!"

The first sentence made Yu Ci couldn't help but laugh. The young man's tone was reminiscent of city guards in mundane city-states. Back in Chen Country, he had seen plenty. However, Jin Chuan's arrival without directly seeking justice for the White Sun Mansion was somewhat unexpected.

At his laughter, Jin Chuan's countenance turned even grimmer, his gaze fixed intently on him, "Don't feign ignorance. Your deeds may deceive others, but not me. You've colluded with the Demons in the Sky Rift Valley, haven't you?"

This time, Yu Ci stopped laughing. Being inexplicably accused, if he continued to laugh, it would be overly pretentious. He frowned at Jin Chuan, "Master Jin, have you spent over two months at the Sect's Mountain Gate only to learn how to spout baseless accusations?"

His words were a subtle mockery of Jin Chuan's childish behavior. Unfortunately, such veiled language was too obscure for the current Jin Chuan.

"Don't give me that!"

Jin Chuan waved his hand forcefully, his attitude unbending, "I've seen all the testimonies you've reported to the Sect. Many key details are deliberately vague. Don't think others are unaware of your secrets! You only arrived in Cliff City last year and it was your first time in Sky Rift Valley, yet you're so familiar with the environment there? Many precious medicinal herbs, and that Fish-Dragon, are they all raised by your family? The Demons just broke through the boundary, yet how did you lead Elder Tu straight to them? Once is a coincidence, twice is a coincidence, do you expect us to believe that it was still a coincidence the third and fourth time?"

Setting aside the term "testimony", Jin Chuan's relentless focus on these details was somewhat unexpected for Yu Ci.

Indeed, nothing is difficult if one sets one's mind to it. People like Jin Chuan, who simply wanted to frame him, could find so many weak points in his description. If they were to elaborate on these, would he not become an unforgivable criminal?

These weak points, when it came down to it, were all about the "Divine Bronze Mirror". However, not all of the points Jin Chuan found necessarily came from his reports. Given Jin Chuan's status, the White Sun Mansion's spies here naturally provided many detailed reports. When combined, some issues emerged.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Of course, the so-called issues depended on who was handling them. Old Daoist Yu Zhou might not have overlooked these matters, but he would most likely just dismiss them with a laugh.

Therefore, there was no need for Yu Ci to respond to such nitpicking. He was merely curious about what Jin Chuan would do next after his lengthy tirade. So, he replied, "And then?"

Jin Chuan gritted his teeth, "You demon spawn, I will bind you and expose your true face in front of the Immortal Elders."

As he spoke, he seemed about to take action. Yu Ci had already sensed this in advance, his body slightly tilted, ready to make a move, when a shout came from above, "Jin Chuan, don't you dare!"

At the same time, Kuang Yan Qi, who had been silent all along, rushed forward. However, he did not charge at Yu Ci, but instead grabbed Jin Chuan's arm tightly, shouting, "Brother Jin, don't!"

Jin Chuan was first taken aback, then filled with rage. He tried to break free from Kuang Yan Qi's restraint with punches and kicks, but his cultivation level was weaker than Kuang Yan Qi's. Not to mention, the shrill call from above had already filled him with fear. After struggling for a while, he was still entangled, leaving Yu Ci to the side.

Yu Ci watched on, unable to suppress a chuckle, and looked up. In the mid-air, the Ghost Yarn Cloud was suspended twenty feet high. Before it could stabilize, a figure flashed on the cloud. Bao Guang jumped down, or more accurately, he was carried down by someone.

The rapid descent from twenty feet high, without any cushioning in the middle, could only be safely managed by Yu Ci through the Foggy Sword Divine, driving the "Primordial Qi" within his body. However, the person carrying Bao Guang made it look effortless. Yu Ci only saw a blur before the two had already landed, clean and neat.

"Brother Yu, are you alright?"

Bao Guang hurriedly took two steps, saw that Yu Ci was unharmed, then turned back to point at the still struggling Jin Chuan and yelled, "What shameless creatures you White Sun Mansion are! Bullying the weak with your numbers in the Sky Rift Valley wasn't enough, now in the Still Heart Temple, you even borrowed Brother Li's magical instrument to harm others. Have your hearts turned black? Wait for it, I will definitely report this to my master."

He was a young Taoist of about seventeen or eighteen years old with just a basic cultivation level, and he was scolding Jin Chuan and Kuang Yan Qi, both of whom were pampered young masters. Not only Jin Chuan, even Kuang Yan Qi's face turned ugly. Seeing that the atmosphere was about to take a turn for the worse, the man who came with Bao Guang laughed:

"Little guy, mind your manners. If you curse people, I'll tell your master too!"

The speaker had already caught Yu Ci's attention. He was dressed in ordinary clothes, unlike the two young masters. He wore a simple green shirt that was clean and ironed. Underneath his thin outer garment, his muscular contours were clearly visible. Although his physique was like a lion, he had a round face, especially the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, giving the impression that he was always smiling, very casual and lively.

Seeing him approaching, Jin Chuan and Kuang Yan Qi had to suppress their anger. When he spoke, they stopped their struggle, separated, and respectfully called out, "Brother Li."

This Brother Li first nodded to Yu Ci, then turned to Jin Chuan and still smiling, said, "Little Jin, I don't think you're in the mood to practice the Dragon-Catching and Crane-Releasing method now. You borrowed my Thousand Knot Yin Thunder Net, it's time to return it, isn't it?"

On the other side, Bao Guang was explaining to Yu Ci. Jin Chuan had borrowed the pretext of assisting Old Daoist Yu Zhou in handling the affairs of Cliff City, read the news about the Sky Rift Valley as narrated by Yu Ci and organized by the Old Daoist, and twisted the facts to frame Yu Ci. He then found an excuse to take Brother Li's "Thousand Knot Yin Thunder Net" and came here to harm Yu Ci.

Within the confines of Still Heart Temple, Bao Guang was one who had many eyes and ears. Upon receiving the news promptly, he stormed off to find Brother Li, dragging him along to come to the rescue, and thus the current scene unfolded.

Jin Chuan's face was filled with embarrassment. After stuttering for a while, he was unable to find an excuse and could only blush, handing over a black, round bead hidden in his sleeve. Brother Li received it with a beaming smile, tossing it in his hand a couple of times before saying to Jin Chuan, "You should be more cautious. Although what you're doing now seems harmless, and I don't particularly care, I've heard that Sister Meng is coming in the next few days. If she catches you, I doubt anyone in the entire Sect's Mountain Gate would dare to plead for you!"

Jin Chuan and his companion let the comment pass, but Bao Guang took great offense. "What do you mean by that, Brother Li? What do you mean by 'harmless'? Your Thousand Knot Yin Thunder Net can cover a square mile and is adept at capturing people. Did you really allow those two heartless individuals to tie up Brother Yu?"

Brother Li turned around with a smile, walking towards them. "If they really did tie him up, it would indeed be a problem. But they haven't, have they?"

Bao Guang was instantly irritated. "What kind of talk is that?"

Brother Li quickly waved his hand. "Don't be angry with me, I'm just stating the facts. Look, your Brother Yu is still standing there, isn't he?"

"That's because I intervened in time!" Bao Guang stomped his foot, exasperated. "Brother Li, are you trying to curry favor because you're planning to enjoy yourself in Cliff City in the near future?"

"Of course not!" Knowing that Bao Guang was just venting, Brother Li didn't take it to heart. His smile seemed intended to tease the young Taoist. Then he extended his hand, letting everyone see the black bead in his palm.

"Look, just like this."

Before he could finish his sentence, a "bang" echoed in the air. In Brother Li's palm, a ring of dark clouds expanded. The rolling clouds were blown around like they were caught in a strong wind, and before them, an almost invisible net spread out, forming a large web structure. The black clouds and the net rubbed against each other, creating countless tiny sparks that swept a square mile. The accumulated snow on the surrounding trees was shaken off by the electrical current, leaving a bare landscape.

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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e