The Unveiling of Hidden Power

“The people of your Black Wind Fortress are nothing more than dogs kept by our Wen family!”

“If our Wen family decrees your death, you shall not live; if we permit your life, you cannot perish!”

“Why was it Wen Liu and Wen Yun, those sisters, who met with misfortune, and not you?!”

The green-skirted woman’s face contorted, her voice dripping with venomous resentment.

Hearing this, Yu Qingxuan’s brow furrowed slightly. Having descended the mountain countless times, she was no stranger to such incidents, accustomed to enduring curses and bitter hatred—mere hysterics from the weak.

The woman before her had clearly been terrified by the preceding events, now venting her emotions without restraint.

While Yu Qingxuan could tolerate such abuse herself, she absolutely refused to allow her junior brother to be subjected to it. She observed Wen He, who appeared lost in thought, and the green-skirted woman, weighing whether to unleash her fury.

Killing both of them here and now, no one would ever know what transpired.

Qin Yan, however, maintained his composure. This tirade of insults sounded akin to a childish squabble. He watched as his senior sister, her hands clasped behind her back, formed sword seals, clearly preparing for battle.

“Enough!”

Just then, Wen He cried out loudly.

Her foxy eyes held a hint of gloom. Their Wen family had suffered immense losses, and if they were to lose these two formidable combatants as well, how could they contend with the other two families?

‘A woman’s revenge is never too late, even after ten years,’ she thought. ‘It wouldn’t be impossible to settle accounts later.’

Seeing Wen He speak, the green-skirted woman clamped her mouth shut, though her expression remained furious. She scoffed coldly at Yu Qingxuan and Qin Yan, then turned to Wen He and asked:

“Sister He, should we go look for Wen Xuan?”

“No, wait…”

Wen He shook her head, pulling a compass-like object from her robes. This was a Treasure-Seeking Compass. She observed its needle, which pointed north.

“Wen Xuan is a blessed individual, destined for good fortune. However, if the treasure falls into the hands of the other two families, we’ll have failed our mission. As long as we secure the treasure, nothing else truly matters!”

She quickly assessed the implications in her mind before addressing the green-skirted woman.

“Let’s go!”

Wen He declared.

Qin Yan and Yu Qingxuan exchanged glances, then Qin Yan saw his senior sister give a subtle nod.

****

As they continued on their way, a towering giant suddenly appeared before them.

The giant wielded a bronze longsword, which it swung with fierce, whistling force, creating dazzling, multicolored light and a phoenix-like cry from the blade as it clearly engaged in combat.

From a considerable distance, Wen He recognized the combatants as members of the Yang family. Four individuals were 围攻 the giant, their coordinated movements allowing them to fight it to a standstill.

It was evident that defeating this giant was merely a matter of time for them.

“Oh, isn’t that Wen He?”

Just then, a voice drifted into everyone’s ears.

The speaker, clad in green robes, stood atop a flying sword, actively distracting the giant by tugging at its bronze longsword.

This was Yang Xiao, the Yang family’s leader, a cultivator at the third layer of the Foundation Establishment realm.

Her tone carried a hint of mockery as she observed the disheveled Wen He, then glanced at those accompanying her, scrutinizing the two unfamiliar faces.

“Hmph!”

Hearing this, Wen He couldn’t help but let out a cold snort.

Yang Xiao surveyed her own somewhat disheveled Yang family members, then looked at Wen He, and finally, considering the Huang family, an idea sparked in her mind.

“Fellow Daoist Wen He, how about assisting us in dealing with this puppet?”

She called out.

“Why should we?”

Wen He retorted with a sneer.

“Because the Huang family boasts superior numbers and the highest cultivation. If we don’t unite and instead continue to squabble amongst ourselves, won’t we merely be ‘the snipe and clam fighting, allowing the fisherman to profit’?”

Yang Xiao replied.

Wen He was no fool; she recognized the validity of Yang Xiao’s words.

Yu Qingxuan, overhearing their conversation, realized these minor aristocratic families were not as foolish as she might have assumed. Anticipating the subsequent developments, she transmitted a message to Qin Yan via her spiritual sense.

[Just go through the motions during the fight later. Don’t get injured for others.]

[Understood, Senior Sister.]

Qin Yan replied through his spiritual sense, knowing he would have done so even without his senior sister’s instruction.

“Very well! Then let us forge a powerful alliance!”

Wen He announced at this moment.

Subsequently, the Wen family members joined the fray, with eight cultivators collectively besieging the giant. Even with its myriad techniques, the giant was now riddled with vulnerabilities.

Drawing closer to the giant, Yu Qingxuan noted the signs of its extensive disrepair, a silent testament to its age. She couldn’t help but sigh, realizing that if its master hadn’t perished, this giant would have possessed at least Core Formation cultivation; now, it had fallen to the Foundation Establishment realm.

Had they arrived a few centuries later, it likely wouldn’t have been able to move at all.

Embracing the strategy of merely ‘going through the motions,’ she led Qin Yan as they moved through the battle, appearing to exert great effort while in reality, they were simply strolling.

It wasn’t until the giant crashed to the ground that the Wen and Yang families began to dispute its ownership. She remained silent, knowing that once her true cultivation was revealed, all these treasures would ultimately be hers.

Rather than arduously searching for treasures, it was better to simply block the exit point and reap a sudden fortune.

Soon, after a period of intense argument, the Wen and Yang families reached an agreement. The two families then formed a temporary alliance and continued northward!

****

Once more, they pressed onward.

The group halted, their gaze falling upon a pond before them.

Lotus flowers bloomed on the pond’s surface, and seated cross-legged upon a large lotus leaf was a middle-aged woman dressed in profound black daoist robes. Although her physical body showed no signs of decay, she was utterly devoid of life force.

This, presumably, was the Core Formation cultivator who had transcended mortal form in this very spot.

Everyone eyed the storage ring on her hand, unconsciously swallowing. It contained five centuries of a Core Formation cultivator’s insights, cultivation techniques, and treasures—a bounty impossible not to covet.

However, before they could claim the storage ring, they noticed two more giants approaching from the distance; one carried a long mace, while the other cradled a pipa.

Moreover, members of the Huang family had also arrived at this juncture. Their leader, a cultivator at the fifth layer of the Foundation Establishment realm, commanded a force of six individuals, surpassing both the Wen and Yang families in terms of both quality and quantity.

“Junior Brother, watch my move!”

Yu Qingxuan observed the Core Formation cultivator’s corpse before them, then scanned the three great families. This was the moment for her to make her move and conclude matters.

With that declaration, her Core Formation cultivation instantly burst forth!

The members of the three great families stared, aghast, at Yu Qingxuan, who now floated in mid-air. A moment ago, they had been strategizing about alliances and conflicts amongst themselves; how had a Core Formation expert suddenly appeared?

And this Core Formation expert had emerged from within the Wen family’s ranks!

“Wen He! Is your Wen family trying to incite conflict among the families?!”

“Wen He, do you even realize what you’re doing?!”

The Yang and Huang family members cried out in utter shock.

Wen He, at this moment, was utterly bewildered. ‘Wasn’t this just a hired thug from their Wen family? A mere bandit from Black Wind Fortress? How could they possibly be at the Core Formation realm?’

‘With such power, how could they possibly be manipulated by the Wen family? They would have long since established their own sect and claimed their own territory.’

“Hmph!”

Yu Qingxuan let out a cold snort, and two flying swords materialized beside her, darting towards the two giants. In an instant, the giants’ heads were cleanly severed, plummeting to the ground with thunderous thuds.