CHAPTER 48: WU SHU TOLD ME

After the final cup was drained and the last words spoken, Xiao Ning flicked his sleeve gently. A faint flash of spiritual light passed through the air, and three thin, talisman slips appeared before the seated men, floating in midair.

"These are one-way sound transmission talismans," he said plainly. "They’re linked directly to me. No one else will be able to trace or intercept them—not even someone a realm higher."

Du San blinked. "One-way?"

Xiao Ning nodded. "If you use them, I will hear. If I wish to speak, I will find you."

He flicked his fingers, and each talisman gently floated down before Du San, Xu Jie, and Liu Qing.

The three men looked at the talismans with a mix of curiosity and caution. Du San reached out first, catching his with both hands before carefully tucking it into his robe. Liu Qing examined his for a moment, nodded silently, and stored it as well. Xu Jie didn’t say anything, but his eyes stayed locked on Xiao Ning for a moment longer.

"Don’t use them unless absolutely necessary," Xiao Ning added. "If you do—be brief."

Without another word, Xiao Ning turned and left.

He neither walked nor flew, but his figure simply blurred and vanished entirely.

***

Not far from the Ironclad Mountain Range where the headquarters of the Shadowclaw Sect stood, a faint ripple spread through the sky.

From the shadow of a lone boulder, Xiao Ning’s figure silently emerged.

His gaze swept the towering peaks ahead—sharp ridgelines cloaked in mist, high pavilions carved into the mountainside, and countless formations layered like spiderwebs across the sect’s perimeter.

After confirming no one had noticed him, he pressed two fingers to his brow.

A silvery-black light spread across his body, and in the next breath, he faded from sight.

This was the Mirror Burial Technique—an advanced concealment art. Once activated, it not only cloaked the user’s body, but also suppressed any spiritual fluctuations. Even Nascent Soul elders wouldn’t detect anything unless he passed right under their noses.

Xiao Ning’s form flickered once... and was gone.

Like a shadow walking through the fog, he slipped past the outer formations and patrols with ease.

Before long, he arrived at the core region of the sect—the inner sanctum, where only elders and core disciples were permitted to tread.

At the edge of a quiet courtyard surrounded by silent stone pavilions, he stopped in front of one particular chamber.

Without so much as disturbing a grain of dust, he slipped through the protective array and passed silently into the chamber.

Inside, in a meditation chamber lined with polished black stone, a beautiful woman sat cross-legged on a futon, her brows lightly furrowed in deep concentration.

Suddenly, her expression changed.

Her eyes snapped open, A chill ran down her spine, and she turned sharply—

But when she saw the man who now stood behind her, she let out a long breath.

"...It’s you."

Seeing his calm expression, she finally relaxed.

"You nearly scared me to death."

Xiao Ning didn’t answer at first. He studied her face for a moment, then glanced around the room.

"Hmm. It seems like both you and the sect are doing quite well."

His tone was casual, but Mei Lin caught the faint edge beneath the words.

She gave a wry smile. "We were lucky—even if I showed up late."

She stood and brushed the edge of her robe aside, then took a deep breath and began recounting all that had transpired since his departure—

When she finished, she looked at him, serious. "So what do you think? Are they really the Wu Clan?"

Xiao Ning shook his head without hesitation.

"No. The Wu Clan has already withdrawn. They wouldn’t dare antagonize this woman."

Mie Lin’s eyes narrowed slightly. "How can you be sure?"

He smiled faintly. "Wu Shu told me."

She blinked in disbelief. "You... met him?"

He gave a quiet laugh. "Not just met. We had quite the conversation."

She stared at him in disbelief, but didn’t push further. There were things she knew better than to ask. She knew this man well enough by now.

"...So if not the Wu Clan, then who?"

Xiao Ning didn’t respond right away.

Instead, he turned slightly and gazed out the chamber window where moonlight spilled across the distant peaks.

"You said the black ray emerged from the southeast, yes?"

Mi Ling nodded quickly. "Many saw it. There’s no mistake."

He turned to her slowly, his expression serious for the first time.

"Are you certain?"

"I’m sure."

He fell silent again, his brows faintly furrowed.

After a long moment, he nodded. "You needn’t worry about it anymore. She won’t come again."

Mi Ling’s eyes narrowed even more. "How can you be certain?"

Xiao Ning looked at her with a faint smile. "You don’t need to know."

That answer made her pause. For a while, she said nothing.

But then her voice came quietly, almost hesitant.

"...Did you know this would happen beforehand?"

She met his gaze steadily. "Is that why you didn’t return to the sect with me?"

Xiao Ning didn’t respond. But the slight curve at the corner of his lips said enough.

In truth, he hadn’t known anything at the time. But to Mei Lin, his silence seemed like quiet confirmation

She looked down for a moment, her face unreadable.

There was a Dao Heart Oath between them. If Xiao Ning had really abandoned the sect, he would have suffered backlash. At the time, she hadn’t thought about it, but now that things had calmed down, it didn’t make sense.

"I understand."

After a long breath, Xiao Ning spoke again. "I want you to arrange a meeting tomorrow. Bring every elder—Foundation Establishment and above. Don’t leave anyone out."

Mi Ling blinked. "Why?"

He looked at her, his smile turning a little mysterious.

"Just do it."

After giving his final instructions to Mei Lin, Xiao Ning didn’t linger. His figure flickered once, and without a trace, he vanished from the chamber.

Beneath the main hall of the Shadowclaw Sect, in a place even the elders did not know existed, a narrow stone corridor stretched deep underground.

With a flicker of light, Xiao Ning’s figure silently emerged at the corridor’s entrance.

After several dozen steps, he arrived at a massive bronze door embedded into the wall. Its surface was engraved with faint runes and illusory runes almost on the verge of dissipating .

What caught the eye most was the pitch-black claw symbol at the center—positioned exactly where a handle would have been.

This was no ordinary door.

Its entire frame had been forged from Smelting Dragon Bronze Essence, a rare divine-rank material once said to be used in the palaces of ancient True Spirits.

Even a Divine Transformation expert would find themselves helpless before its defenses.

Moreover, should anyone try to force it open, a hidden mechanism would activate—igniting a Destruction Seal Array. The entire chamber would collapse in a flash of obliteration, turning everything within into ashes.