Chapter 686: Chapter 679: Misunderstanding?

Overseas, above the boundless sea.

The violent wind howled, lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled, transforming the azure waters, at times into columns reaching the sky, and at other times into water dragons sweeping in all directions.

The ferocious energy filled the entire region, occasionally catching flying birds by surprise. Before they could react, they would “puff” into a pile of indistinct flesh and blood, falling into the sea.

Such a scene had persisted for several days.

It was not until today that the brutal energy and the howling winds had somewhat diminished.

One gray and one white, two figures slowly emerged from within.

“Shangguan Hong, are you out of your freaking mind?”

“I already told you, after wiping out the Bloodthirsty Sect, I returned to the Holy Fire Sect. The search for the remnants of the Bloodthirsty Sect and the tracking of the Gathering Spirit Stone are all being handled by my subordinates. The death of Zuo Yunxiao from the Huayun Sect has nothing to do with me.”

“Like a mad dog, you’ve clung relentlessly to this matter. Both of us have battled over a dozen times. What are you trying to achieve? Do you want our two sects to fight to the death so that other forces can reap the benefits?”

The man who spoke was dressed in a white robe, appearing to be in his forties or fifties.

His name was Jiang Bieli, from the Holy Fire Sect, which is a part of the Sect Alliance.

After fighting fiercely with Shangguan Hong for several days, although he had no injuries, his clothing was somewhat disheveled, and his breathing was noticeably hurried.

Of course, this situation was quite normal.

After all, even though he was a Heavenly Immortal, he wasn’t a perpetual motion machine. Battling with Shangguan Hong, who was also a Heavenly Immortal, for so long was equally taxing for him.

As for his opponent, Shangguan Hong, he appeared even more disheveled. At the moment, he was breathing heavily.

More than a decade ago, when he truly stepped into the Heavenly Immortal Realm, he had been targeting the Holy Fire Sect.

Unfortunately, having just advanced to the realm not long ago, compared to Jiang Bieli who had been established in the Heavenly Immortal Realm for some years, he was just slightly lacking.

However, in Shangguan Hong’s view, this minor difference was irrelevant.

After all, battling for a few days would only end with each returning to their own sects, unable to harm each other.

Based on his guess, the Gathering Spirit Stone must be with the Holy Fire Sect. Since he couldn’t gain an advantage from Jiang Bieli, he stubbornly persisted.

“Elder Zuo wasn’t killed by you? You returned to the Holy Fire Sect after annihilating the Bloodthirsty Sect?”

“Jiang Bieli, such words might deceive a child, but do you really think I have no knowledge of your whereabouts?”

“I am one hundred percent sure that on the day Elder Zuo died, you were not within the Holy Fire Sect.”

“The afternoon before the incident occurred, you mysteriously left the Holy Fire Sect and did not return until three days later, visibly exhausted.”

“If Elder Zuo’s death wasn’t your doing, then who else could it be?”

“The same as before, hand over the Gathering Spirit Stone, and I can let go of you harming our sect’s Elder Zuo. Otherwise, it will be a fight to the death between our two sects.”

Staring coldly at Jiang Bieli, Shangguan Hong snorted and said in a deep voice.

Although both the Holy Fire Sect and the Huayun Sect were members of the Sect Alliance, the alliance itself was rather loose, and the relationships between the powers were never harmonious.

Inside the Holy Fire Sect, the Huayun Sect had arranged a few spies.

Using a remaining imprint in Zuo Yunxiao’s Soul Lamp, Shangguan Hong glimpsed some scenes from before his death. He felt that Zuo Yunxiao’s death at the hands of Jiang Bieli was merely a conjecture.

Knowing from the implanted spy within the Holy Fire Sect that Jiang Bieli had been absent during those days, Shangguan Hong had already believed at least mostly that Jiang had killed Zuo Yunxiao and taken the Gathering Spirit Stone.

That was precisely why, after successfully advancing to the Heavenly Immortal, he made a decisive move against the Holy Fire Sect.

Truthfully, avenging Zuo Yunxiao was just an excuse; his ultimate goal was naturally the Acquired Spiritual Treasure, the Gathering Spirit Stone.

With his strength, wanting to kill Jiang Bieli was definitely unrealistic, but to harass and trouble Jiang Bieli and the Holy Fire Sect to the point of annoyance was still possible.

The benefits brought by the Gathering Spirit Stone, unless shared with his Huayun Sect, Jiang Bieli and his backing, the Holy Fire Sect, should not expect peace.

That was what Shangguan Hong believed.

When the topic of where Zuo Yunxiao had been the days around his death came up, Jiang Bieli started to stammer.

Such a reaction made Shangguan Hong even more certain that Jiang Bieli was responsible.

“I’ve never met Zuo Yunxiao, and I know nothing about any Gathering Spirit Stone, so stop goddamn bothering me!”

“You want to know my whereabouts during those days? Fine, I’ll tell you.”

Jiang Bieli gritted his teeth, glaring at Shangguan Hong not far away.

His face struggled for a while, as if he had finally made a major decision, “Before I tell you this, you must swear by your Tao Heart that apart from you and me, this matter must absolutely not reach a third person’s ears.”

For the Gathering Spirit Stone, Shangguan Hong was completely unscrupulous.

If Jiang Bieli did not show up, he would attack other people from the Holy Fire Sect, but once Jiang Bieli appeared, he would stick to him like glue.

Because of this, Jiang Bieli was extremely frustrated.

Thinking it over, he felt that although his whereabouts during those days being known to Shangguan Hong might provide a handle, it was slightly better than having this man sticking to him constantly.

“Alright, I swear by my Tao Heart that as long as you, Jiang Bieli, tell me your whereabouts during those days, I guarantee not to let a third person know.”

“If not, may I remain at my current realm forever, never progressing one step further in strength.”

After a slight hesitation, Shangguan Hong nodded and made the oath.

“During those days, I was near Red Cloud Island, together with the Alliance Leader’s Wife, Liu Qingshao, and didn’t leave her side.”

“That lady, taking advantage of the Alliance Hierarch’s seclusion to come out and fool around, almost drained me dry…”

Seeing that Shangguan Hong had finished swearing, Jiang Bieli gritted his teeth and finally disclosed his whereabouts during those days.

The Alliance Hierarch he referred to was naturally the leader of their Sect Alliance, known as the first person overseas, Ling Canghai.

Giving Ling Canghai such a substantial and colorful problem, Jiang Bieli naturally hesitated, reluctant to reveal this matter.

If it weren’t for being driven to desperation by Shangguan Hong’s incessant pestering, he would have definitely kept this to himself.

After all, if this matter were to reach Ling Canghai’s ears, not only him but even the Holy Fire Sect behind him could be dragged down and possibly directly destroyed.

“Together with the Alliance Leader’s Wife? Is that for real?”

“So, this means the death of Elder Zuo is someone else’s doing, and truly has nothing to do with you?”

With a face full of astonishment, Shangguan Hong stared at Jiang Bieli for a long while.

Only when he was certain that Jiang Bieli was not the type to joke about such a matter did he speak again.

“Would there be any point in me lying to you about this?”

“If you still don’t believe it, sometime later, I can arrange to meet with Liu Qingshao, and you can ask her yourself.” Jiang Bieli responded with a shrug.

“Alright, I believe you!”

“Since this has all been a misunderstanding, and the Gathering Spirit Stone really isn’t with you, Brother Jiang, I owe you an apology.”

“I wonder if you’d be interested in thoroughly investigating this matter together to discover the true whereabouts of the Gathering Spirit Stone?”

As his eyes turned shrewdly, Shangguan Hong spoke again, inquiring.