Qiu Yue’s Malicious Scheme

At this moment, in the central region of the secret realm, Qiu Yue had already gathered her forces, establishing their stronghold there.

She stood before a colossal black basalt rock, her gaze sweeping upwards.

This was a ‘Ten Thousand Manifestation Scoreboard,’ capable of displaying real-time rankings and revealing those who had been eliminated.

“Useless!”

Behind Qiu Yue, a sharp rebuke rang out, laced with a hint of impatience. The oppressive, scorching heat of the ‘Flowing Fire’ region, where they currently stood, evidently frayed the nerves of most present.

The one roaring in anger was none other than Nangong Xuan, a member of Qiu Yue’s faction, who had just finished listening to a report from a Yi-Domain disciple.

The report detailed how a small team had suddenly vanished. When it came time for the scheduled rendezvous, two members were missing. Following their search path, traces of Lin Mo’s presence were discovered: ice, condensed from Profound Yin energy, that stubbornly refused to melt. Yet, the two disciples were nowhere to be found, leading to the suspicion that they had been eliminated.

“An entire day and night!” Nangong Xuan raged. “Even with the tracking spirit butterflies I personally dispatched, you couldn’t even find a scrap of Lin Wan’er’s clothing?! What good are any of you?!” Her fury was palpable; had this not been the Xuan Nv Sect, her folding fan would undoubtedly be rapping against the heads of these dolts.

Tracking spirit butterflies were incredibly powerful, capable of sensing a target’s aura from afar, locking onto their movements, and even emitting spiritual sense comparable to that of a Golden Core cultivator. Though her current stock consisted only of larvae, fully grown, their spiritual sense could rival a Nascent Soul, or even a Soul Transformation cultivator!

She had nurtured these spirit butterflies for years. Now, to use so many on a mere Qi Condensation cripple, only to fail to find him, how could she not feel a pang of heartache, how could she not be enraged?

These spirit butterfly larvae were single-use. This deployment meant years of her painstaking efforts had been utterly squandered.

No matter how vast the secret realm, how truly immense could it be?

So vast that even a crippled Qi Condensation cultivator couldn’t be located?

Qiu Yue let out a soft, chilling chuckle.

“Heh…”

Her laugh, though retaining its usual gentle lilt, sent a shiver down their spines, even as the oppressive heat enveloped them all.

“After all, with so few people, a few stragglers are inevitable,” she mused. “Perhaps this isn’t a bad thing at all? Now that there’s been some activity, it at least indicates that Lin Wan’er has grown impatient and begun to act. Coupled with the false information we’ve disseminated, he’ll surely believe it to be true.”

The news of over twenty eliminations was, in fact, a fabrication.

With the scoreboard under their constant vigilance, the precise number of those eliminated remained an unknown.

Beyond her own faction, no one knew the true tally of eliminations.

Thus, Qiu Yue instructed all those dispatched for searches to standardize their reports, informing others that over twenty individuals had already been eliminated.

This deception would lead Lin Mo to believe her faction’s numbers were dwindling, leaving fewer than ten members.

Wouldn’t that, in turn, make Lin Mo’s movements more active and audacious?

At this juncture, wouldn’t Lin Mo’s optimal course of action be to seek out the vixen who had so thoroughly bewitched him?

Finally, she slowly turned, and in the depths of her azure eyes, a rage suppressed to its very limit seethed.

The calm before the storm was now subtly manifesting.

“A day has already passed,” she stated, “and now he’ll be further misled by the false information I’ve released, surely growing frantic. Perhaps it’s time we took the initiative and struck first.”

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze returning to the scoreboard, precisely locking onto two names. “Don’t you think,” she inquired, “that two individuals, in particular, have been far too quiet?”

Following her line of sight, everyone looked to the top of the scoreboard: Ji Xue (First in Yi-Domain), Liu Ruyan (Fourth in Jia-Domain).

Nangong Xuan suddenly understood. “It’s Ji Xue and that Liu Ruyan!” she exclaimed. “Ever since Lin Mo was drawn into the secret realm, those two seem to have deliberately avoided the core region and our main forces, their movements proving equally elusive!”

“Yes, Ji Xue, that wretch!” Nangong Xuan seethed. “That wretch who stole Lin Mo’s insights! Who stole Lin Mo’s very heart!”

She vowed to reclaim him! To reclaim Lin Mo’s body and mind—every last piece of him!

The rage in her heart surged, and though she struggled to maintain her outward composure, it relentlessly plucked at her heartstrings, pushing her precariously close to an outburst.

She instinctively caressed the cheek Lin Mo had once held, the public humiliation and the heart-piercing words—’not even as good as Yan Lingyun’s status’—once again grating on her nerves.

The Lin Mo of the past would never have struck her; he would have cherished her too much to ever raise a hand.

But ever since Lin Mo had aligned himself with that vixen, he had utterly transformed, becoming cold-blooded, unfeeling, and utterly deranged.

The Lin Mo she remembered—adorable, clinging to her, with eyes only for her—had vanished without a trace.

Even if she was an imperial princess, she would make her pay the price.

A clear and malicious plan instantly took shape within Qiu Yue’s twisted heart.

Rather than idly waiting for a rabbit by a stump, it was better to lure the snake out of its hole.

Qiu Yue abruptly flicked her sleeve, and the searing heat of the Flowing Fire region seemed to drop several degrees, quelled by the icy killing intent radiating from her.

‘What did Lin Mo truly care about now?’

‘None other than the vixen who had so thoroughly bewitched his heart.’

Her gaze swept over Nangong Xuan and several other capable Jia-Domain disciples standing nearby.

Initially, Qiu Yue had intended to assign the task of capturing Ji Xue to others, but upon carefully considering Ji Xue’s past performance, her brows furrowed deeply.

It wasn’t merely that she was wary of Ji Xue’s mutated cultivation technique; rather, she felt that if she went herself, the endeavor would prove far more entertaining.

Wouldn’t it be far better if she personally apprehended Ji Xue?

“Nangong Xuan,” Qiu Yue commanded, “select two teams of experts whose cultivation techniques excel in tracking and ambush. Devote all your efforts to locating Ji Xue. As for Liu Ruyan, she can be disregarded for the moment.”

Qiu Yue turned to the disciple in charge of intelligence. “Where was her location last captured?”

“Reporting, Senior Sister,” the disciple replied, “at the border between the Gusty Wind Zone and the Misty Zone.”

“But she quickly vanished into the mist, as if her presence had been obstructed.”

“Excellent,” Qiu Yue said, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. “Nangong Xuan, take a team directly to that area! While Ji Xue’s temperament is arrogant, she is no reckless fool. If you encounter her, call for me immediately. Your primary objective should be to entangle and wear her down.”

“Remember,” she emphasized, “the greater the commotion you create, the better. Use as many tracking spirit butterflies as you have; if they run out, I will replenish them for you later.”

“Very well,” Nangong Xuan replied, a flicker of excitement in her eyes. It wasn’t entirely due to the chance for revenge; more significantly, the Qiu family possessed an abundance of tracking spirit butterflies.

“As for you—”

Qiu Yue’s gaze shifted, landing on Lu Ping’an, who had been kneeling on the ground since some unknown moment. A chilling smile spread across Qiu Yue’s face. “Lu Ping’an,” she purred, “I’m offering you a chance to atone for your past mistakes. Do you accept?”

“Yes!” Lu Ping’an’s body trembled, her voice ringing with powerful conviction, devoid of any hesitation!

She had always believed she had nearly ruined Qiu Yue’s grand plan, nearly shattered her family’s hope for rebirth!

“Even if it means enduring unimaginable pain?”

“I don’t care!”

Lu Ping’an remained resolute.

Qiu Yue leaned down, whispering into her ear: “Even if you are tormented?”

“I won’t hesitate!”

“Then, would you dare to impersonate the Imperial Princess?”

‘What was there to hesitate about?’

‘No, nothing.’

Lu Ping’an’s answer remained firm: “I am willing! Senior Sister Qiu! For your grand scheme, I will brave death without regret!”