Chapter 82: A Visitor in the Dead of Night

Although those gathered at the Bamboo Peak appeared scattered, some east, some west, their gazes would unfailingly drift toward the lotus floating in the pool, shimmering with seven hues. They all knew, in their hearts, that such a treasure was beyond their reach. Yet even so, their eyes could not help but steal glances.

In general, everyone kept their distance from the ancestral lotus, feigning indifference toward it.

"Tch, disciples of Bamboo Peak—how lucky can they get!"

No one noticed that someone had already slipped in.

"Exactly! We lost two junior brothers today, and look at them—they stumble upon the ancestral lotus!"

Three shadowy figures moved like phantoms, utterly silent, melding into the ghostly valley until they vanished from sight.

"Stop it—just talking about it gets me riled up!"

The third figure lowered his voice, saying, "The monsters spawned in this valley are bizarre beyond belief—not only are they hideous, but their spit can corrode spiritual power and artifacts. If not for that, would those two brothers have ended up buried here?"

"Hush... keep it down!" The figure beside him tapped his shoulder, reminding him, "Do you want them to notice us? Where's the fun in that?"

"Tch, so what if they do? This team is known to be the weakest—there's not a single cultivator at the Spirit Phase. If you ask me, they've made it this far on luck alone."

Hearing this, the other two nodded in agreement, convinced that luck was the only explanation.

Monsters bred in the ghostly valley were so powerful that even teams led by Spirit Phase cultivators had lost two Foundation Stage members; the weakest team would surely be wiped out if they encountered them. So their arrival here could only be attributed to good fortune.

"But you have to admit, their luck is remarkable. How else could they have stumbled upon the ancestral lotus?"

"Still, no matter how lucky, isn't the lotus about to fall into our hands?"

Another turned his gaze toward the lotus radiating seven colors at the heart of the pool. He spoke, "Let's move quickly—once the flower withers, we'll harvest the seed pod and leave at once."

"What's the rush? We have the Concealment Technique—they won't notice us in the valley," said the shadow on the right, glancing around. "Senior Sister Wu is in their team, but where is she?"

Seeing him like this, the other two couldn't help but laugh. One suppressed his amusement and whispered, "Still haven't given up? Was Senior Sister Wu's beating not harsh enough, or do you wish she hit you harder?"

"Cut it out." Embarrassment flickered across his face, though thankfully, with the Concealment Technique active, no one could see it.

"I admire Senior Sister Wu—pursuing her is another matter."

"Please, you're just scared. Look at Ling Xiao—he hasn't given up yet!"

"And you haven't seen how badly he gets beaten."

"Keep your voices down! Do you want us to be discovered?"

"Right, right..."

"Enjoying your conversation, are you?"

A voice immediately silenced them, making them tense and glance toward the darkness.

Two figures stepped out—none other than Shen Qingyun.

Their hearts raced. Shen Qingyun was only a dozen paces away, and his words unsettled them. Was he speaking to them?

"Stay calm. With the Concealment Technique, he can't possibly see us."

They reassured themselves—the Concealment Technique was a spell for hiding one's presence, though it could only be used in darkness. In the ghostly valley, they had every advantage—the pervasive shadows provided the perfect cover.

"Unwilling to show yourselves?" Shen Qingyun smiled lightly. "I'll count to three. If you haven't revealed yourselves by then, I'll treat you as intruders."

"One..."

As Shen Qingyun began counting, the three tensed. They couldn't be sure if he'd really spotted them or was just bluffing. Either way, they must not be discovered; if they were, how could they stand their ground at Bamboo Peak? How could they lift their heads in Cangyun Sect?

"Two..." Shen Qingyun spoke slowly, drawing out each number.

"Three..."

As he uttered the final count, one of them spoke in a low, tense voice, "Scatter!"

The three immediately darted off in different directions. Had their forms been visible, one would have seen sweat beading on their foreheads and their nervous expressions.

In the end, they couldn't hold out; fear of the consequences of their identities being exposed drove them to flee.

Sensing the three escaping in separate directions, Shen Qingyun narrowed his eyes and said, "Since you refuse to show yourselves, you can hardly blame me."

He then turned to Feng Chuxun and asked, "Can you sense which direction they're fleeing?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Chuxun closed his eyes to focus, then opened them and pointed in the direction one had fled. "That way—there's one."

Shen Qingyun nodded. "Good. Are you confident you can catch him?"

A rare hesitation appeared on Feng Chuxun's face, but after a moment, he nodded. "I'll try."

Noticing the change, Shen Qingyun smiled gently at him. "Just do your best."

Feng Chuxun nodded and sped off in the direction he'd indicated.

Shen Qingyun also stepped forward. Strangely, with a single stride, he crossed several yards.

Shrinking the earth—a feat few could accomplish. Though Shen Qingyun's execution fell short of mastery, it was still remarkable.

One shadow, after fleeing, hid behind a stone at a bend—he was the one who had called out to scatter. With only two pursuers, there was a chance he could escape.

Peering out and confirming no one was following, he exhaled deeply, relief mingling with tension.

Yet before he could savor his luck, a calm voice sounded above him, freezing his smile and sending a chill from head to toe.

"Still trying to run?"

Sensing the escaping presence, Shen Qingyun's spiritual power surged at his left, manifesting as a halberd that shot off like an arrow toward one direction.

Feeling the sharp, chilling aura behind him, he knew if struck, he would be gravely wounded and the Concealment Technique would fail. So he spun and flung three precious talismans toward the halberd.

The loss pained him—each talisman could save his life in the valley. Now, to avoid exposure, he had to use them.

Not only had he failed to obtain the ancestral lotus, but he'd lost three talismans—a bitter trade.

The talismans flared with mysterious light, projecting arcane symbols that wove together into a net. Amid deafening explosions, they managed to block Shen Qingyun's halberd.

Such noise was sure to alert those resting nearby—escape would be much harder now.

Already, people hurried over and saw Shen Qingyun standing atop a large stone. One approached and asked, "Chief Shen, what was that commotion just now?"

"Someone came visiting our territory in the dead of night," Shen Qingyun replied softly, glancing at the few behind him.

They were shocked to learn an intruder had entered their camp—without them noticing. If the visitor had malicious intent, the consequences...

They dared not imagine further.

"Chief Shen, where is the infiltrator now?" someone asked, visibly furious.

Shen Qingyun looked at him, then raised his head toward a certain direction and said quietly, "The fish is in the net."

...

A figure stared in confusion at the formation rising around him—it had suddenly emerged from the ground, blocking his way. The abrupt collision had also ended the Concealment Technique.

Unable to find an exit, anxiety crept across his face.

"Liu Mo, how can it be you?!"

A voice of suspicious shock rang out, making Liu Mo—trapped in the array—freeze. He slowly turned to face those who gazed at him in disbelief. Several others stood by, equally stunned.

"So, you know him," Shen Qingyun observed, watching calmly.

The Bamboo Peak disciples looked at Shen Qingyun and said, "Chief Shen, there must be some misunderstanding!"

"Misunderstanding?" Shen Qingyun raised a languid brow and smiled. "You see who's trapped in the array. What misunderstanding could there be? Explain it to me."

"This..." Someone tried to defend Liu Mo, but found no words. Before facts, all explanations were powerless.

Liu Mo was well known among them, popular on Bamboo Peak. Precisely because they knew him, they were reluctant to believe he would sneak into their camp.

But when and by whom was this array set?

"Before I return, I hope you've prepared your explanation and intend to tell me everything," Shen Qingyun said to Liu Mo. "As for the other two, they won't escape either."

With that, Shen Qingyun turned and left. The other Bamboo Peak disciples glanced at Liu Mo, their expressions complicated, then followed.

It was over—everything was over.

Liu Mo watched them leave, grasped his head, and sank to the ground, his eyes filled with despair.

Elsewhere, Wu Xier gripped her long whip, anger rising in her eyes as she shouted, "I'll give you one more chance—show your face!"