As he neared the mountaintop, he felt another twinge in his chest. He reined in his aura, slipped into the sparse trees at the summit, and moved quickly through cracks in the rocks until he reached the mountainside.

Here lay a restrictive formation he had set up earlier.

Li Xun had been very deliberate in choosing the spot.

The view here was relatively open, while grass and rocks above and below provided good cover, making it extremely well hidden.

No matter if the enemy attacked from above or below, they would never expect such a deadly trap here. It was the perfect way to catch them off guard.

For the moment, Li Xun didn’t need to worry about anything overhead. He kept his eyes fixed on the flashing sword-light on the opposite mountain peak.

His vision was sharp, and he knew the sect’s sword techniques inside and out. With just a glance, he could tell his fellow disciples over there were in serious trouble.

All around the mountain, at least thirty people were attacking with flying swords. Most of them seemed to have reached a level where sword-qi wrapped around their bodies, capable of flying and treading the void. But their methods were scattered, clearly not from any unified tradition.

Rogue cultivators? Li Xun immediately thought of the Rogue Cultivators’ Alliance, but he dismissed the idea just as quickly. He had seen clearly: among the attackers was none other than Qin Wanru, who had just left on her errand. Though her face was veiled and her strikes deliberately restrained, it was obviously her. She must have her own reasons for being there.

The sight of Qin Wanru shocked him. He had known she was handling business somewhere near Mocang Ridge, but he never imagined it was just on the other side of this very mountain.

Just moments ago, Li Xun had been humiliating her master. If Qin Wanru were to witness that scene, who knew what kind of fallout it would bring?

But precisely because of this, Li Xun recalled the exchange between master and disciple, and a thought leapt into his mind: “Ruyi Jade Infant?”

From the hints in their words, he realized that this so-called Ruyi Jade Infant had to be an extraordinary treasure.

What he hadn’t expected was that so many others were also lying in wait besides Qin Wanru. Could it be that when she mentioned it earlier, she was actually trying to get Yin Wanderer’s help?

As he was mulling it over, someone on the other side shouted, “We don’t want to make enemies of the Mingxin Sword Sect. You don’t need to meddle further. Hand over that little brat and be on your way. We won’t stop you!”

That was nonsense.

For a disciple of the great Mingxin Sword Sect to cower at a single threat, wouldn’t that drag their thousand-year reputation straight through the mud?

Sure enough, someone cursed in reply, and the fighting grew even fiercer. Before long, many were already wounded.

Li Xun frawned. If Qin Wanru weren’t mixed up in this, it would be simple. He’d just leap in and start cutting them down. But right now, they had only just parted ways, and in her eyes he ought to be getting “disciplined” by Yin Wanderer. If he suddenly jumped out here, how would he ever explain it later?

That moment of hesitation cost dearly. Four out of the fifteen fellow disciples were already down, their fates uncertain.

Li Xun spat a curse. He might not have been close to any of them, but they were still members of the same sect. To just stand by and watch them get cut down was no different than taking a slap to his own face.

Right then, he made up his mind. Rising to his full height, he drew his sword and let out a piercing cry: “Shameless dogs! Who dares lay a hand on my sect brothers?”

Before the echo faded, he was already one with his blade, flashing across nearly a thousand feet in an instant. Sword-light streaked through the air like lightning, and with a scream, one enemy tumbled lifeless from the sky.

The sudden turn shocked everyone. Before friend or foe could react, sword-light blazed again, splitting left and right. Each stroke felled an opponent. Two gone in the blink of an eye.

The whole battlefield froze in astonishment.

Some even stopped mid-strike, turning to stare.

Li Xun pressed his sword down in the void, sweeping the field with a cold gaze. His aura alone crushed the atmosphere, sending chills through everyone’s hearts.

In truth, the rogue cultivators surrounding them were no weaklings, and under normal circumstances they wouldn’t have been cut down so easily. But Li Xun had been watching from the sidelines for some time. When he struck, he picked only the vulnerable targets. What’s more, he wielded a close-combat sword style rarely seen among orthodox sects. It lacked the showy brilliance of sword-qi flashing through the air, but it was brutal, direct, and devastatingly effective. That was why his assault had such a flawless impact.

Below, his fellow disciples cried out in delight: “Junior Brother Xun!” “Senior Brother Spirit Bamboo!”

The names rang out, and another ripple of commotion spread through the crowd.

There was no doubt about it: in the last twenty years, among all the rising talents of the Tongxuan Realm, Mingxin Spirit Bamboo stood at the very top. Or close to it. He was already seen as a symbol not only of the Mingxin Sword Sect, but of the entire righteous path.

His three-year campaign to outwit and outmaneuvered the Skyhawk Demon King was what people talk about most. After a long battle of wits and a final, earth-shattering restriction that destroyed the demon king for good, many now compare the feat to the legendary deeds that marked the debut of Zhong Yin in his era.

Since then, Li Xun had earned the title of “First in Restrictions among the third-generation disciples of the Ten Righteous Sects.” Even more, he had been personally praised by Li Douliang, the Soul Suppression Sect’s master and foremost figure of the righteous path, as “the most resilient of the younger generation.”

With such a string of titles behind his name, Li Xun didn’t even need to lift a finger to command respect. And now that he had struck down three men in a single move, any lingering doubts in the crowd were completely erased.

He stood suspended in midair, appearing every bit the peerless figure, though the corner of his eye was always watching Qin Wanru.

When he revealed himself, Qin Wanru had clearly frozen for a moment. But she didn’t seem suspicious. Instead, she regarded him with a look of amusement. Whenever their gazes happened to meet, both would quickly glance away.

In this way, the two of them reached a kind of unspoken understanding.

After Li Xun had basked in the spotlight long enough, he gave a cold smile and descended to the ground, where he was greeted by his fellow disciples like a returning hero, as though they had already secured victory.

It was Wenhai, ever the steady one, who called out in a low voice, “Quiet. This matter is far from settled.”

Only then did he have a moment to properly acknowledge Li Xun.

The two had been in the sect together for more than seventy years, but their relationship was no more than ordinary. It was Wenhai’s dao Companion, Qi Bi, who had always gotten along better with Li Xun.

After a brief greeting, both men quickly turned to the real business at hand.

“What’s going on?” Li Xun asked in a low voice, though his eyes drifted toward the outer circle of rogue cultivators. The first shock had passed, and those people were clearly restless again, looking like they had no intention of backing down.

Wenhai’s handsome face twisted into a bitter smile. “It’s a long story. To put it simply, we’re protecting an orphaned girl. Those evil cultivators seem intent on capturing her to use in alchemy.”

“An orphan? For alchemy?” Li Xun swept his gaze around and finally spotted a young girl curled up in the grass behind a few of his fellow disciples, sobbing quietly.

She looked no more than thirteen or fourteen.

“That’s right, Brother Xun,” another voice cut in. On an otherwise ordinary face, excitement lit up at the sight of Li Xun. “They even killed her parents to get her for their alchemy. We barely managed to save her!”

Li Xun turned his head and brightened as well.

“Brother Ling Ji, you came down the mountain too!”

Ling Ji had been his closest roommate when Li Xun first joined Lianxia Mountain, warm-hearted and loyal through and through.

Back when Li Xun had been harshly scolded by Qingxu and was on the verge of being sent down the mountain, it was Ling Ji who comforted him in every way he could. It hadn’t really changed anything, but Li Xun had been deeply moved all the same.

Over the decades since, Li Xun had spent far more time down the mountain than on it, rarely interacting with his fellow disciples. Among the many of their generation, the only one he had maintained a close friendship with was this former roommate.

Seeing an old friend again left them no time for chatter. They simply exchanged a smile before Li Xun went straight to the point. “Use her for alchemy? What is she, a Primordial Embryo Dao Body?”

Wen Hai and Lingji both stared at him in shock. Li Xun drew in a sharp breath. “No way. She really is a Primordial Embryo Dao Body?”

Wasn’t it supposed to be a Ruyi Jade Infant? He felt even more puzzled. From the name, he had assumed it was some kind of infant-shaped thing, not a young girl who hadn’t even come of age.

And now it had somehow turned into being about the Primordial Embryo Dao Body? He had only heard the words “for alchemy” and casually made the connection to himself.

But whether she was a Ruyi Jade Infant or a Primordial Embryo Dao Body, one thing was certain: they had really taken on a massive burden.

But with the situation at hand, there was no point in overthinking it. Smiling, Li Xun raised his sword. “So that’s how it is. These fiends truly have no conscience and deserve nothing but death. Brothers, let us join forces and rid the world of this evil!”

His voice rang out so loudly it seemed to echo across the entire mountain. The surrounding rogue cultivators broke into an uproar, and without further words, the battle flared up again.

Li Xun, however, didn’t charge forward right away. Instead, he grabbed Wenhai and whispered, “I’ve set up a restriction around us. Take the girl and follow me!”

Wenhai’s face lit up with relief. Everyone knew of Li Xun’s skill in restrictive techniques, and after so many years as fellow disciples, he also knew this junior brother always planned carefully before acting.

Which meant he clearly had a solid plan in mind.

Wenhai nodded without hesitation, then turned to direct a few younger disciples to escort the orphan girl and the wounded as they fought their way out.

As the most promising candidate to inherit the sect leader’s mantle, Wenhai’s strength among the third-generation disciples was second to none. But earlier he had been forced to hold back, protecting his fellow disciples and unable to fully unleash his power. Now, with Li Xun joining the fight, he was finally free to strike without restraint.

With a deep shout, Wenhai’s Profound Darkness Divine Sword, passed down from Luo Nanchuan, gave off a resonant hum. With the slightest adjustment in midair, it shifted by several tiny angles, scattering the crushing force pressing in from all sides. In the next instant the sword light flared, crossing dozens of feet in a blink and piercing straight through an enemy’s chest and abdomen, shattering his organs and leaving him beyond saving.

This display of long-range sword energy contrasted perfectly with Li Xun’s close-combat swordplay.

After four of their number fell in quick succession, the hastily gathered rogue cultivators began to lose their nerve.

Li Xun saw it clearly. At once his sword light burst outward, sweeping in all directions. Though he didn’t manage to kill anyone, the chaos it caused completely disrupted the enemy’s formation.

It was then that Li Xun turned his gaze toward Qin Wanru and, ever so subtly, gave her a look.

His intention was clear: he wanted Qin Wanru to seize the opening he had created, take hold of the so-called Ruyi Jade Infant, and slip away.

As for himself, all he needed to do was shield his fellow disciples. That way everyone would come away satisfied, and his careful plan would be fulfilled.

But to his surprise, Qin Wanru didn’t seem to understand his signal. Instead of moving forward, she drew back, keeping an even lower profile.

What caught Li Xun’s attention most was the way her eyes kept flicking toward the northern mountains. Beneath the veil covering her face, her delicate brows were furrowed, as if she had noticed something troubling.

A few breaths later, Li Xun’s suspicion became reality. Qin Wanru’s bright eyes, almost speaking on their own, flashed as she threw him a look. Before he could grasp her meaning, she suddenly pulled back, slipped out of the battlefield, and vanished without a trace.

Not good! The thought rose instinctively in Li Xun’s mind, though he couldn’t yet tell what exactly was wrong.

He swung his sword to scatter several incoming strikes of true qi, then turned his gaze north. At first glance, nothing seemed unusual. But on the second… what was that?