Hidden Ploy

Outside of the Royal Forest

Leaders of the Three Sects were sitting in a large tent. They would wait in the tent for two months until all the disciples were out. If there were anyone missing, they would go inside to find them or their bodies.

"Abbot, what do you know about the Wu Family of Gu River?" asked the leader of the Lynx Family, Riley Lynx.

"It is not something you, I, or this kingdom can deal with," Abbot said indifferently. He wasn't going to speak about a Family so strong.

"So powerful?" Riley Lynx asked bewilderedly. "It is good that we didn't offend them."

"Haven't we?" asked Cane Cotton with a snort. "We never let any families in the cities gain power. We always suppressed them. What do you think the bastard of the Lin Family will do when he grows up?"

"There is nothing we can do about it now." Riley Lynx sighed helplessly.

"How do you know them?" he asked Abbot.

"I encountered one of them before. Not a big deal." Abbot was still reluctant to speak any further.

As they were speaking, a commotion caught their attention.

"Let's go out and see what is going on."

When they left the tent, one of the elders of the Lynx Family was about to barge in. His face was bitter and angry. "Leader, one of the disciples inside the forest started to hunt our disciples."

"What?" Riley Lynx was blazing with anger. "Who would dare?"

"One of our disciples left the forest with half breath in him and reported that the perpetrator is from the Cleansing Buddhist Sect." the elder said fearfully as he looked at Abbot.

Abbot knit his eyebrows and looked at the man coldly. Before he could speak, another elder rushed over shouting; "Leader, a disciple of the Cleansing Buddhist Sect started to kill our disciples." He was from Crimson Fire Sect.

"Even our disciples?" Cane Cotton was fuming. He was already angry because of what happened the day before, now his disciples were being murdered.

"What is the meaning of this?" They questioned Abbot.

"I would also like to know." Abbot was calm on his face, but his insides were burning with anger. "When we opened the inner part of the Royal Forest, all those who entered were in the Qi Force Opening Realm or below. He must have broken through inside."

"Then why didn't he come out? And why didn't the formation alert us?" Riley Lynx questioned harshly. "We would have felt it if he were to break through."

"Quickly send all Qi Solidification Realm cultivators of our sect to Inner Forest." Cane Cotton ordered.

"You too, go and order all Qi Solidification Realm disciples to go inside." Riley Lynx also said.

"Stop it at once," Abbot said with Qi breaking the air and some of the elders froze on their feet. They couldn't even move.

"What is the meaning of this, Abbot?" Cane Cotton was ready to fight. "Your disciple kills our disciples and you expect us to watch from outside?"

"Only three disciples will enter from each sect to catch the criminal, and they will work together. Otherwise, I will not allow any of you to send anyone inside." Abbot said domineeringly.

"You dare?" Riley Lynx asked and took out a great sword. Lightning was cracking the air around the sword.

"Let's not fight at this juncture." Cane Cotton surprisingly took a step back and compromised. "Three disciples each, and they will work together."

Abbot long sensed there was something amiss, but at this point, there wasn't much he could do. He lit a talisman and sent a message to all disciples inside the forest to know people with cultivation at the Qi Solidification Realm were coming to the forest, and also ordered three elders at the Qi Solidification Realm to enter inside the forest.

The other two leaders also lit their own talismans and let the disciples inside the forest know it was the time.

Inside the cave

Ezio and his group have been following the path for more than a week without finding anything. At this point, the others already had lost their hope of finding Millennium Yin Cherry. But Ezio was resolute.

They would walk for two hours and rest for 30 minutes. After 12 hours they would sleep for three hours. They were all cultivators and could stay awake for a week without a problem. But Ezio insisted on resting as much as they could.

Resting for 30 minutes was okay because the Wuchuge wouldn't be able to hurt them in a short time. But when Yang Yu was sleeping, the light would also go out. In that three hour Wuchuge started to feed on them, and it was putting a toll on their minds.

After a week, Ezio suddenly smelled something from the end of the tunnel. "We are here." He chuckled and let them know they had arrived. After a few more steps they arrived at the mouth of a cave and looked inside. The interior was expansive, and Yang Yu couldn't illuminate it all. But they could see a lake inside the cave and in the middle a shadow of a plant.

"Increase the radiance." Xian Zhou said to Yang Yu, and the latter nodded. But Ezio hastily grabbed her wrist.

"Don't! It will kill Millenium Yin Cherry." Ezio said and heaved a sigh of relief. If he couldn't stop in time, all this torture would be for nothing.

"Let's listen to Little Ezio from now on before doing something hastily." Yang Yu said to Xian Zhou and the latter snorted silently.

"Sister Yu, I want you to control your light so it would not reach Millennium Yin Cherry. We will circle around it once, and when we repel all the Wuchuge, I will pluck the fruits. When I do that, you have to blaze the light to protect me, otherwise, they attack me with everything they have.

After I pluck all fruits, the plant will wither and they will chase us, so we have to run all the way to the outside. If you are tired, we should rest now. We will not have a chance to rest later." Ezio explained patiently.

"Then let's rest for a while." Yang Yu accepted and they left the cave and walked back a little bit further. The cave was filled with Wuchuge, they couldn't turn off the light there.

After resting for 15 minutes, as they were about to enter the cave, a message arrived; "Qi Solidification Realm Cultivators of other two sects entered the forest and they are looking for trouble. Breakthrough to the next Realm if you can, and be safe."

***

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