Chapter 148: Closing the Net

Fairy Jianyun redeployed the Heavenly Sword Formation. This time, the Flying Swords used were surplus stock found in the Xuanming Sect's warehouse, and their quality was even better than the previous batch. Seventy-two Flying Swords hovered above the city wall, their blades shimmering with a pale golden light, looking like a row of silent guards from afar.

Valley Master Su Yao recovered the fastest. She hadn't really fought much to begin with; she had just stood on the city wall watching the battle and was shaken a few times by the shockwaves. After taking two Medicinal Pills, she was fine. She brought out a dozen bottles of healing Medicinal Pills from the Pill Refining Room, distributed them to the injured female Disciples, and personally checked on a few who were seriously injured to ensure they were all right before she felt relieved.

Zi Wuji returned to the Purple Mansion and brought Zi Ling over. Zi Ling was now at the Mid Nascent Soul Stage, which counted as decent combat power among this batch of Disciples in Qinghe City. She stood before Su Yun and called him "Master," her Face slightly flushed. Su Yun nodded and let her follow Zhou Yuanshuang to familiarize herself with the city's defenses.

Fairy Jianyun's injuries were the most severe. She had taken over a dozen strikes head-on from an Initial Stage of Soul Transformation Elder of the Tianxuan Sect, and her internal organs were shaken. However, she refused to rest and still stood on the city wall practicing her sword skills every day. When Su Yun went to see her, she was thrusting her sword into the air, one strike at a time. Her movements were slow, and every strike carried the full power of the Initial Stage of Soul Transformation.

"You are practicing while injured; aren't you afraid of leaving behind hidden damage?" Su Yun asked.

Fairy Jianyun retracted her sword stance. "It is no matter. The people from the Tianxuan Sect could come back at any time; I cannot just lie here and wait."

Su Yun did not try to persuade her. Sword Cultivators were all like this; their swords were more important than their lives. He turned and left to find Valley Master Su Yao.

The Pill Refining Room was filled with the fragrance of medicine, and Valley Master Su Yao was frowning at a furnace of Medicinal Pills. Seeing Su Yun enter, she quickly stood up.

"Master, three more Soul Transformation Stage Pills have been produced. The quality is even better than last time."

Su Yun took the jade bottle and glanced at it. "Has it been sent to Wanhua Valley?"

Valley Master Su Yao said, "One has been sent. The Master of Wanhua Valley is very satisfied and said that the next time Sect Leader Zhao Tianxing makes a move, she will notify us in advance."

Su Yun nodded. The Master of Wanhua Valley was a smart person; she knew that the recipe for the Soul Transformation Stage Pill was in his hands, so she would not let him die easily. The Sword Sect Master had an ambiguous attitude, but at least he did not stand on the side of the Tianxuan Sect. Sect Leader Zhao Tianxing was now isolated and helpless; it was the perfect time to strike.

"I am going to the Western Region," he said.

Valley Master Su Yao was stunned. "Does Master want to go to the Tianxuan Sect?"

Su Yun shook his head. "Not to fight the Tianxuan Sect. I am going to collect people."

Valley Master Su Yao did not understand. Su Yun did not explain. He let Valley Master Su Yao stay in Qinghe City and set off with Fairy Jianyun and Zi Wuji. Three people—one Mid Spirit Severing Stage and two Initial Stage of Soul Transformation—were enough.

After flying for seven days, crossing the Cangwu Mountain Range, and passing through the Sunset Plains, they arrived at a small town near the Tianxuan Sect on the eighth day. Su Yun did not go to the Qinghe Sect, nor did he alert anyone. He found an inn to stay in, told Fairy Jianyun and Zi Wuji to wait in the room, and went out alone.

He circled the town and found a shop selling Spiritual Plants. The shop was not big, and the owner was a middle-aged woman at the Golden Core Late Stage. Su Yun walked in, picked out a few Spiritual Plants, and paid with Spirit Stones. When checking out, he lowered his voice and asked, "Do the female Disciples of the Tianxuan Sect usually come to town?"

The owner looked at him without asking too many questions. "A group comes to purchase supplies on the 15th of every month. Today is the 12th, so there are three days left."

Su Yun nodded and left the shop.

Three days later, in the early morning, the female Disciples of the Tianxuan Sect arrived as expected. There were more than twenty people in the group, led by a female cultivator at the Early Nascent Soul Stage with delicate features, wearing the golden Daoist robes of the Tianxuan Sect. She led her people to purchase supplies in the town, buying a large pile of everything from Spiritual Plants to Medicinal Pills, and from Magical Artifacts to daily necessities.

Su Yun did not make a move. He followed this group until they left the town and reached the foot of the Tianxuan Sect. The mountain gate of the Tianxuan Sect was huge, and a dozen Disciples, both male and female, stood at the entrance. After those female Disciples went inside, the mountain gate closed. Su Yun did not force his way in and turned to leave.

Over the next half month, he figured out the activity patterns of the female Disciples of the Tianxuan Sect. On the 15th of every month, a group of female Disciples would go down the mountain to purchase supplies. At the end of every month, a group of female Disciples would go to Wanhua Valley to deliver items. At the beginning of every month, a group of female Disciples would go to the Sword Sect to exchange sword techniques. There were over eight hundred female Disciples in the Tianxuan Sect, distributed throughout the Sect, rarely gathered together.

Su Yun was not in a hurry to act. He was waiting for an opportunity.

On the twentieth day, the opportunity came. Sect Leader Zhao Tianxing of the Tianxuan Sect took two Elders at the Initial Stage of Soul Transformation to attend a banquet at Wanhua Valley. The Master of Wanhua Valley held a Pill Appreciation Conference every three years, and all the major Sects in the Western Region would attend. Although Sect Leader Zhao Tianxing had a grudge with Su Yun, he could not refuse to give Face to the Master of Wanhua Valley. He took his people away, leaving only one Elder at the Initial Stage of Soul Transformation to hold down the fort at the Tianxuan Sect.

Su Yun made his move.

That night, he took Fairy Jianyun and Zi Wuji and crept to the foot of the Tianxuan Sect. The mountain gate was closed, and two Disciples on night watch stood at the entrance, both at the Golden Core Stage. Su Yun raised his hand, and two rays of light shot out; both fell to the ground simultaneously. He did not kill them, just knocked them unconscious.

The three of them entered the mountain gate silently. The Tianxuan Sect was huge, with continuous mountain Peaks and layers of palaces. Su Yun did not go to find the male Disciples, nor did he go to Sect Leader Zhao Tianxing's sleeping quarters. He went straight to the living quarters of the female Disciples.

The female Disciples of the Tianxuan Sect lived in a complex of palaces on the west side of the mountainside. The palace complex was huge, divided into several courtyards, housing over eight hundred people. Su Yun landed in front of the palace; guarding the door were two female cultivators at the Early Nascent Soul Stage. They saw Su Yun, their expressions changed drastically, and just as they were about to speak, Su Yun had already attacked.

With one palm each, he knocked them both unconscious. A golden light flashed.

[Enslavement successful × 2] [New slaves acquired: Zhou Ruotong, Zhou Ruomei; Loyalty 52, 55]

Su Yun pushed open the palace door and walked in. It was very quiet inside; most of the female Disciples were already asleep. He did not look for them one by one but stood in the center of the hall and released his full pressure as a cultivator at the Mid Spirit Severing Stage.

The pressure spread like a tidal wave, instantly enveloping the entire palace complex. All the female Disciples were awakened; some screamed, some drew their swords, and some tried to run out. But the pressure of the Mid Spirit Severing Stage was too strong; Disciples below the Nascent Soul Stage could not move at all. Those female Disciples at the Nascent Soul Stage could barely stand up, but their Faces were pale and they were trembling all over.

Su Yun spoke. "Those who do not want to die, kneel."

The palace was quiet for a moment. Then, a female cultivator at the Early Nascent Soul Stage knelt down. Behind her, the second, the third, the fourth—one after another, they knelt down. Over eight hundred female Disciples knelt, filling the floor.

Su Yun walked to the first female cultivator. It was a young woman in her early twenties at the Early Nascent Soul Stage with delicate features. Su Yun raised his hand and tapped her between the eyebrows. A golden light flashed.

[Enslavement successful] [New slave acquired: Zhao Lingxuan; Loyalty 61]

He walked toward the second. The third. The fourth. Golden light flashed one after another, and one female cultivator after another became his slaves. Those at the Nascent Soul Stage, Golden Core Stage, Foundation Establishment Stage—he did not let a single one go. Over eight hundred people, he tapped them for an entire night.

In his Dantian, the feedback of spiritual power surged like a tidal wave. The spiritual power generated by the cultivation of over eight hundred female Disciples gathered into a river and poured into his Dantian. His cultivation base climbed all the way from the Mid Spirit Severing Stage—to the Peak of the Mid Spirit Severing Stage, and then to the Late Huashen Stage.

He opened his eyes, and a nine-colored divine light flashed in his pupils. Late Huashen Stage.

The sky was already turning white. Sect Leader Zhao Tianxing would be back soon. Su Yun turned and walked out of the palace. Behind him, over eight hundred female cultivators followed, a dense crowd.

He stood before the mountain gate of the Tianxuan Sect and looked back. From this day on, this golden mountain belonged to Su.