"How should I cooperate with you?" Yan Peng stopped and asked.

"Elder Liu secretly usurped power and drove me out of the Floating Cloud Sect. All you need to do is..." Qi Qingshan's voice lowered as he slowly relayed his plan to Yan Peng.

"Qi Qingshan," Yan Peng said with a grim face after hearing the plan, "our cooperation is still contingent on the fact that you're not deceiving me!"

"I understand," Qi Qingshan nodded. "I swear I won't trick you this time!"

"There's one more thing!" All of a sudden, Yan Peng's gaze turned to the room next door, and he shouted fiercely, "Let that boy out! Damn it, he snuck into my house, captured me and my wife, and brought us here! If word of this gets out, how could I ever show my face again?"

"He's on our side." Qi Qingshan tugged at Yan Peng's arm, leaning in to whisper something into his ear.

But upon hearing it, Yan Peng became even more enraged.

He strode to the next room and, upon seeing Su Xuan, slammed a palm down with all his might!

Su Xuan raised a palm in response and retreated three steps. Yan Peng, however, stumbled back four steps!

After steadying himself, Yan Peng gave Su Xuan a cold look and clenched his fist as if to attack again. But Su Xuan simply spread his hand, summoning a mass of Undying Earth Fire. "Sect Leader Yan, the effects of the drug haven't fully dissipated from your body yet. I advise you to wait. Let's save Qi Li first. After that, if you want to fight me, I'll be at your service anytime."

"Hmph!" Yan Peng snorted coldly but lowered his fist.

He knew Su Xuan spoke the truth; his Heaven Severing Combat Power was significantly diminished. If he really fought Su Xuan now, he might not come out on top. Besides, the terrifying fire in Su Xuan's palm was something he had never seen before. If I get burned by that fire...

"Let's focus on what's important," Dai Xiu quickly intervened to smooth things over, pushing Yan Peng toward the door.

Qi Qingshan also came over to pull Yan Peng away.

"You listen to me!" Yan Peng, however, glared at Su Xuan and said, "If you want to marry my niece, Li'er, you have to at least be in the Heaven Severing Realm. Otherwise, it's out of the question!"

Su Xuan was left dumbfounded. What is this act all about?

"Qi Qingshan!" Yan Peng ignored Su Xuan and turned to Qi Qingshan. "Tonight, I took advantage of the heavy rain and arranged for twenty dead soldiers to infiltrate your Floating Cloud Sect. These twenty men should be useful!"

This time, it was Qi Qingshan's turn to be stunned.

...

The heavy downpour showed no signs of stopping, as if someone were dumping water from the heavens, washing over the mountains. The Floating Cloud Sect was shrouded in a thick veil of rain.

"Why is there still no movement?" an elder muttered to himself. He stood atop a pavilion within the Floating Cloud Sect, gazing out the window toward the Spirit-Taming Sect. Could it be that Yan Peng doesn't want to seize this golden opportunity? The Floating Cloud Sect is already prepared!

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

The door was suddenly knocked upon.

The elder drew his gaze back and said in a deep voice, "Come in!"

The door opened and a figure stepped into the room.

As soon as the figure saw the elder, he announced, "Elder Liu, the mission is complete. Qi Qingshan is dead!"

With that, the figure held up an object. It was wrapped in a piece of torn cloth, round and stained with blood, looking horrifying.

"Haha!" Elder Liu suddenly burst into hearty laughter. "Dai Xiu, you've done very well. Qi Qingshan probably never imagined I would send his own best friend to kill him!"

"Yes," Dai Xiu said expressionlessly. "He never saw it coming, so I killed him with ease."

"Open it!" Elder Liu motioned with his hand. "I want to see the expression on his face at the moment of his death."

"Alright!" Dai Xiu reached out and began to unwrap the cloth, bit by bit.

Elder Liu narrowed his eyes into slits, watching with a cold sneer.

CRASH!

With a sudden exertion of force, Dai Xiu slammed the bundle onto the floor. It landed with a thud, as if something inside had shattered. But that was the only sound. The bundle fell completely open from the impact.

Elder Liu glanced down and saw only a broken gourd inside, nothing else.

"Dai Xiu, what is the meaning of this?" Elder Liu became vigilant, staring into Dai Xiu's eyes as he questioned, "Are you trying to trick me with a gourd?"

He had used the Mind Control Technique on Dai Xiu, but his behavior at this moment was far too abnormal.

Dai Xiu stood there without saying a word.

Ignoring the object on the floor, Elder Liu began to walk toward him, step by step. Dai Xiu remained motionless. Elder Liu closed the distance: five steps, four, three...

Just then, Dai Xiu flipped his wrist, revealing a gleaming dagger, and lunged at Elder Liu!

"You're seeking death!" Elder Liu did not retreat or dodge, but reached straight for Dai Xiu's wrist!

But in the next second, his expression changed dramatically! His arm felt inexplicably numb and unresponsive, moving far more sluggishly than usual!

SQUELCH!

Dai Xiu's dagger slipped past Elder Liu's hand and plunged into his shoulder before being wrenched out!

As blood gushed from the wound, Dai Xiu raised the dagger to strike again!

Elder Liu stretched out both hands and firmly grasped Dai Xiu's, demanding, "Why can't I exert my strength? Was the gourd poisoned?"

Dai Xiu didn't answer. Holding his breath, he pressed down hard with the dagger.

THUD!

Elder Liu fell to his knees, but his hands still held Dai Xiu's in a death grip.

Dai Xiu kicked Elder Liu to the floor and brought the dagger to his neck.

But Elder Liu suddenly ignored him, scrambling toward the window. With a sweep of his sleeve, he flung an object outside! The object resembled a specially-made firework. Once outside, it shot into the sky and exploded, forming a bright, three-petaled flower amid the downpour.

"There's trouble at Elder Liu's place, hurry over and check!"

Several members of the Floating Cloud Sect saw the three-petaled flower and began surging toward Elder Liu's location. Most of them were high-ranking members of the sect.

SQUELCH!

Back inside the room, Dai Xiu's dagger plunged unhesitatingly into Elder Liu's back.

Elder Liu didn't seem to feel the pain. He simply turned, looked at Dai Xiu with incomprehension, and said, "Can't you see the situation? The entire Floating Cloud Sect obeys me now. How could you kill me?"

"So what if he kills you?" Another figure appeared at the doorway. "You schemed, usurped power, and stole his position. Don't you deserve to die?"

"Qi Qingshan!" Elder Liu stared at the man, his face ashen.

"Are you surprised?" Qi Qingshan said to Elder Liu. "I ask you, why did you do it? What was in it for you? Who put you up to this?"

"It's about time."

"It's about time."

Elder Liu didn't answer Qi Qingshan's questions, instead muttering to himself, I've waited a lifetime in the Floating Cloud Sect, and now the time is finally at hand. What a pity... what a pity I won't be able to see it with my own eyes...

Black blood suddenly frothed from Elder Liu's mouth as he collapsed to the floor, his legs twitching nonstop.

Qi Qingshan immediately rushed over, grabbed Elder Liu by the shoulders, and demanded anxiously, "What do you mean 'it's about time'? What is it you won't be able to see?"

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