Almost out

Feng Xin decided to take advantage of the calm and serene atmosphere created by the Tupelo tree to meditate and ensure he was in his best state once the green swallows spotted Peng Zhen and the others.

Even though the tree had already been uprooted, its effects lingered. Years of growth had completely transformed the environment, leaving behind a gentle yet vigorous Qi that was both refreshing and energizing. The area maintained a natural balance between elements, aiding comprehension and subtly nurturing cultivation breakthroughs.

"I really hope this case doesn't spiral into something unexpected," Feng Xin thought as his brows furrowed.

"How did Peng Zhen and the others even manage to carry the tree out? A tree like that is far more valuable alive than dead. They must have some treasure capable of preserving it safely after uprooting it. But how could they afford such a treasure?

Judging by the lingering effects here, that tree is anything but ordinary—likely far more valuable than the sect ever realized. An item capable of accommodating it would have to be at least monarch-grade.

But if that's the case, how could they possibly afford it? Even with their high status within the sect, the entire Green Fog Swamp Sect wouldn't be able to afford something of that caliber—unless they offered the tree as part of the deal."

Feng Xin's frown deepened as his thoughts churned.

"I really hope I'm just overthinking this," he muttered to himself before pushing aside all distractions. Clearing his mind, he entered meditation. A white fog slowly emerged, enveloping him before spreading across the entire peak.

...

Meanwhile, a few miles away from the Green Fog Swamp Sect, five figures could be seen moving rapidly through the forest. The green fog around them grew thinner with each step, signaling they were nearing the edge of the Green Fog region.

The group consisted of five elderly men who appeared to be in their seventies, though their movements betrayed their age. They soared through the forest like kites riding the wind. To a cultivator in the early stages of the foundation establishment realm, their movements would appear as nothing more than fleeting blurs.

All five wore similar green robes, each adorned with a white paper talisman affixed to the back. A faint, dark-grey glow radiated from the talismans.

"Dong Yanlin, are you sure these talismans can actually hide us? Even from someone from the Order?"

One of the elderly men voiced his concern, his tone tinged with unease as he kept glancing back nervously, half-expecting a pursuer to appear at any moment.

"What are you so worried about, Elder Hao Ye?" Elder Dong Yanlin said without breaking stride. "I've already explained—these talismans are top-grade. They were crafted using sky-rank ingredients by an expert with considerable skill in talisman-making. They weren't cheap either. We purchased them from the White Rose Pavilion."

He shot a brief glance back at Elder Hao Ye before continuing confidently.

"You should be well aware of the Pavilion's reputation. Their strength alone rivals that of any rank 1 sect. That means they have a soul formation expert holding the helm and if the rumors circulating around are believed to be true, they likely have more than one."

"These talismans will be more than enough to keep us hidden, even from whoever the Order sent after us," he added in an assuring tone.

"And given our sect's rank, the case was most likely assigned to an inquisitor and a judge both at the core formation realm and likely at the later stages of it.

These talismans should work against them as I saw it tested against the senses of a ninth stage core formation ghost eye owl the White Rose Pavilion had on hand."

His words carried a calm assurance, but Elder Hao Ye's nervous expression only eased after hearing the last part.

Ghost eye owls were infamous for their vision. They could pierce through most illusion arrays and camouflage techniques. It was even said they could see through a cultivator's meridians.

If a spirit beast with such renowned senses had failed to detect Elder Dong Yanlin, then the likelihood of a human cultivator in the same realm managing it was slim at best. The other elders visibly relaxed as well, though none of them had voiced their concerns.

Only one remained unfazed from the beginning.

That elder had a wizened face and a serene demeanor. His presence felt like that of a still mountain—unyielding and eternal, weathering all that nature threw its way. His calm, undaunted air stood out sharply amidst the group's earlier tension.

This was Elder Peng Zhen, the vice sect master of the Green Fog Swamp Sect—and Cheng Yuan's martial sibling.

He led the group, with Elder Hao Ye flanking his lower right and a sturdily built elder on his lower left. The latter carried himself with an arrogant bearing likely shaped by years of authority.

This was Elder Jia Tingfeng, the former trainer of the sect's core disciples before Cheng Yuan assumed the role.

Behind them, two more elders moved in sync, positioned centrally.

One looked noticeably younger than the others. Strands of white streaked his tied-up hair, complementing his amiable features and soft smile.

This was Elder Dong Yanlin, the outer sect deacon.

To his left was a slim, sharp-eyed elder with an air of strict order and meticulousness.

This was Elder Gui Bingwen, the vice head of the disciplinary hall.

Together, the five elders pressed forward. The dense green fog thinned as they neared the edge of the Green Fog region. The towering trees and vines gradually gave way to clearer paths, signaling they were close to leaving the area behind.

"I really wish I could see Cheng Yuan's face when he finds the treasury emptied and that tree he values more than his own life stolen," Elder Jia Tingfeng said, his voice dripping with venom. "He'll probably cough up blood and die from sheer frustration. Serves him right for all the shame he put us through.

How dare he promote those wet-behind-the-ears children to the same level as us? Reducing our resources, shrinking our authority and responsibilities—all for the sake of those upstarts!"

His fists clenched tightly, veins bulging as his anger flared.

"We were the ones who risked our lives every day to keep this sect standing during those chaotic times—when spirit beasts ravaged the sect and attacks came from rival sects and vagrant cultivators after the Tupelo tree. And what do we get in return? Cheng Yuan has the gall to use 'letting us rest' as an excuse to push us out to pasture.

If I were in the core formation realm, I'd deal with him myself. Having his precious sect cleaned out like this is far too light a punishment!"

Elder Hao Ye scoffed, his eyes flashing with malice.

"That hypocritical failure of a sect master deserves even worse. He dared cut the support for my alchemy experiments, claiming poison research isn't what the sect needs right now.

Has he already forgotten where this sect is? Or the deaths we suffered before the illusory and protection arrays were set up?

The number of elders and disciples who died from poison was astronomical! If we're to truly cement our position in the swamp, we need a potent poison of our own—to fight back, especially against those false kings and their underlings."

His lips curled in disdain.

"The other elders in the alchemy hall agreed with me at first, but the moment Cheng Yuan spoke, they all turned into spineless sycophants, licking his boots. Not one dared stand against him."

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he sneered.

"Even that old geezer Hu Qiu had the nerve to claim I'd lost the true spirit of alchemy and would never advance my dao in alchemy again.

Heh… And now? Who's the one who passed out because of the fruits of my research?" Elder Hao Ye let out a mocking laugh.

His expression hardened as he turned to Elder Peng Zhen.

"Peng Zhen, you should've just let me kill them with the original version. Leaving them alive feels like a complete waste."

Peng Zhen had altered Hao Ye's original recipe, creating a version that would merely knock them unconscious and stagnate their qi flow. It was far tamer than the original, which not only incapacitated its victims but slowly corroded their qi, then their meridians, and finally their internal organs—liquefying them from the inside.

Hao Ye had based that poison on the abilities of the red glyph spider, a creature that fascinated and inspired his research.

The red glyph spider was a terrifying predator—its body completely black except for a single crimson glyph emblazoned on its abdomen. It spun webs enhanced by the glyph, sealing and paralyzing its prey. Once ensnared, the victim's qi would be drained, replaced slowly by the spider's own qi through the web's threads.

The process was agonizing. Victims would scream endlessly, their bodies writhing in pain until the spider's qi completely took over. It was slow, gruesome, and relentless. The spider would then either devour the victim bit by bit while they were still barely alive—or worse—use their body as an incubator. After feeding on the victim's qi, the spider would lay eggs inside the still-living host, leaving them to nourish the unborn spiders. When the eggs hatched, the hatchlings would consume what little remained of the victim from the inside.

Few ever escaped such a fate. Most who fell into its snares chose to self-detonate rather than endure the horrors that awaited them.

Hao Ye had become obsessed with the creature's abilities, using them as the foundation for his poison research.

"I may have betrayed the sect for my own selfish interests to further my cultivation," Peng Zhen began, his voice calm and steady, "but I won't drag it further into the abyss.

I know it's hypocritical to say this after all I've done, but I owe the sect a lot. I still want to see it survive, maybe even flourish."

He glanced at Hao Ye briefly before turning his attention back to the path ahead.

"Hao Ye, don't forget—everything you have was given to you by the sect. It's fine to hold misgivings about Cheng Yuan, but the sect as a whole isn't to blame for his actions.

Besides," he continued, his voice taking on a sharper edge, "if we completely massacred the sect as you wanted, the Order would descend upon us with full force. And let's be honest—no amount of Dong Yanlin's tricks would protect us from that."

Hao Ye grunted in displeasure, his lips curling as a flicker of hatred flashed in his eyes. He stared at Peng Zhen's back, his expression darkening.

Dong Yanlin noticed Hao Ye's look, his polite smile still firmly in place. Yet, beneath that mask, no one could guess what thoughts were running through his mind.

The group was only a few meters away from emerging out of the Green Fog region. Bright rays of sunlight had already begun to pierce through the thinning canopy, bathing the edges of the swamp in a warm glow. Excitement flickered across some of the elders' faces—they were so close to making their escape.

Traversing the swamp had been an excruciatingly tense experience. The pressure came not only from the fear of being pursued by the Order but also from the threat posed by the spirit beasts lurking within the Green Fog region.

Having spent centuries in the swamp, they knew all too well how terrifying its creatures could be. In truth, they feared the beasts more than the inquisitor. After all, surrender was still an option with the Order. But to a spirit beast? Death—and likely a gruesome one—was the only outcome.

Human cultivators were a rare delicacy to such creatures, a shortcut to strengthening their cultivation. And the stronger the cultivator, the greater the benefit. It was precisely why the elders had been on edge throughout their journey.

"Stay sharp. Now's not the time to let your guard down," Peng Zhen warned, noticing the gradual relaxation in some of their stances.

"Dong Yanlin, is your contact going to make it in time? If there's a delay, we're finished," Elder Gui Bingwen asked suddenly, breaking his silence.

Of all the elders present, Gui Bingwen had known Peng Zhen and Cheng Yuan the longest. His betrayal had come as the greatest surprise, given his reputation for being straight-laced and inflexible. He had always abided by the sect's rules to the letter and enforced them with unwavering discipline.

Hao Ye suspected Gui Bingwen's decision stemmed from desperation. With his lifespan nearing its end, the elder likely saw this as his only chance to break through to the core formation realm. Foundation stage cultivators lived for roughly a thousand years, and Gui Bingwen was already approaching nine hundred. Time was running out for him.

"Don't worry," Dong Yanlin replied, his tone smooth and confident. "He'll be there. He has quite the interest in the Tupelo tree, so this is just as important to him as it is to us.

Once this is done, he'll reward us handsomely—and with his backing, you can all expect to be accepted into the Jade Autumn Sect without issue."

Dong Yanlin's fingers brushed against the leopard-skin pouch hanging at his waist, a faint green glow seeping through its seams. A satisfied smile spread across his face as he patted it lightly, as though reassuring himself of the treasure it contained.