Severing Ties: The Sect Regrets My Departure

“This entire area is sealed by a Grand Inheritance Formation. You can enter, but you cannot take anything out.”

“That is because this formation is secretly aligned with the laws of the realm itself. It cannot be altered or broken by brute force. The only way to bypass it is to obtain the core Inheritance Treasure. Only then can the items stored within be retrieved.”

“In other words…”

Jiang Xun stood before the Azure Wave Sect Elders, his voice brimming with confidence. “In this entire world, only I can remove the treasures inside.”

He swept his gaze across the skeptical faces. “I ask you all to rest assured. Once I enter, I will spare no effort in searching for the Profound Yin Soul-Protecting Pill. I will certainly not fail to live up to everyone’s…”

Jiang Xun was in the middle of his persuasive speech, attempting to placate the anxious Elders, when a sudden, sharp warning screamed in his heart.

He turned his head instinctively.

Two droplets of water were drifting toward him.

They looked like ordinary condensation, harmless and mundane. Yet, within those crystal-clear spheres, Jiang Xun saw a reflection—a sword finger, gently pointing right at him.

What is this? A sword intent hidden within rain?

Jiang Xun’s eyes widened. Without a second thought, his body reacted on instinct, twisting sideways to dodge.

Slash!

Horror dawned on his face.

The cloak that completely obscured his features had been torn open. A thin, bloody line appeared on his cheek.

He was, after all, a Golden Core cultivator. Although the ambush had caught him off guard, he had managed to avoid a fatal blow. The sword Qi had only grazed his skin.

But as he touched the blood on his face, shock replaced his fear.

Because he recognized the technique.

“Falling Blossom!”

“These raindrops contain my Falling Blossom Sword!”

As the creator of the technique, Jiang Xun recognized it instantly. This was the move he had created after stealing inspiration from Gu Xiu’s Startling Swan, Swimming Dragon.

But more importantly…

He could feel that the strike hidden within those tiny droplets was even more powerful than when he executed it himself. The person who left this trap possessed a comprehension of the Sword Dao that far surpassed his own!

Who?

Before he could process who might have set this trap, the alarm bells in his mind rang louder than ever.

Jiang Xun stomped his foot, his figure blurring as he attempted to flee again.

He was fast.

But… not fast enough.

The moment his foot left the ground, a terrible agony exploded in his lower back.

Bang!

He reappeared stumbling forward, unable to hold back a mouthful of blood that sprayed onto the stone floor. He whipped his head around.

The attacker was one of the stone statues that had been standing motionless just moments ago!

“It was the rain!”

Jiang Xun understood instantly.

The sword intent hidden in the raindrops hadn’t just been meant for him. When he dodged, the strike had continued onward, slamming directly into the stone guardian. The Falling Blossom Sword was his signature move; naturally, the mindless statue assumed Jiang Xun had launched the attack.

These statues might stand guard quietly, but they were not fish on a chopping block to be slaughtered at will. Provoke them, and they would retaliate with lethal force.

I… I’ve been set up!

Someone had planted this trap. Not to kill him with the water drops, but to trigger the guardians!

“Not good!!!”

A terrifying realization hit him. There were two statues. If one moved, the other would follow to complete the kill formation.

Where was the second one?

Jiang Xun instinctively tried to dodge again.

Too late.

CRACK!

A massive fist slammed into his chest. The ribs he had just healed shattered instantly.

Jiang Xun was sent flying backward like a broken kite, blood gushing from his mouth in a frantic torrent.

The scene had unfolded too quickly.

Neither Jiang Xun nor Leng Mingshu and her entourage had expected the confident, boasting young man to be suddenly mauled by the guardians.

More critically, these stone statues were terrifying entities capable of gravely injuring even the Sect Leader, Leng Mingyu. Now, joining forces to hunt down a mere Golden Core cultivator?

In an instant, Jiang Xun found he had no road to heaven and no door to earth.

“He lied to us! He has no special constitution at all!”

“The statues are attacking him! We’ve been deceived!”

“People from Azure Mystic can never be trusted!”

The Azure Wave Sect Elders erupted in anger, feeling like fools. Even Leng Mingshu’s expression turned icy cold.

Bang!

Jiang Xun took another heavy blow, nearly beaten to death on the spot. Desperate, he frantically summoned his trump card.

The Heaven-Bestowed Ruyi!

A soft cyan halo instantly bloomed from the artifact.

The moment that divine light touched the air, the two statues pursuing Jiang Xun froze mid-stride. Their murderous aura vanished. Mechanically, they turned around, walked back to the entrance, and resumed their vigil as if nothing had happened.

Jiang Xun collapsed, gasping for air. His face was a mask of pain and humiliation. In that brief exchange, at least five of his bones had been snapped.

These guardians are terrifying! If I had been a second slower, I would be a paste on the floor right now!

Who? Who plotted against me?

Boundless resentment surged in his heart. But when he looked up and saw the cold gazes of Leng Mingshu and the others, his anger evaporated, replaced by sharp vigilance.

“Deputy Sect Leader Leng,” he rasped, clutching his chest. “Do not tell me you intend to rob a Junior of Azure Mystic?”

He saw where their eyes were looking. They were staring at the Heaven-Bestowed Ruyi hovering above him. The greed in their eyes was unmistakable.

They had realized the truth.

“So,” Leng Mingshu said slowly, the light in her eyes dimming slightly as she regained her composure. “Fellow Daoist Jiang’s reliance is not some special constitution, but a powerful Dharma Treasure.”

“Whether it is a Dharma Treasure or a constitution, it is a method that works, is it not?” Jiang Xun countered, his voice steady despite the pain. “As long as I can retrieve the Profound Yin Soul-Protecting Pill for Sect Leader Leng, the method is irrelevant.”

Leng Mingshu frowned, neither confirming nor denying.

Jiang Xun narrowed his eyes. “Or perhaps, Deputy Sect Leader Leng wishes to seize a Dharma Treasure belonging to Azure Mystic Sacred Land?”

The name ‘Azure Mystic’ carried weight. It was a heavy mountain pressing down on her greed. Even if Leng Mingshu wanted the treasure, she couldn’t risk a war with a Sacred Land.

“My method is proven,” Jiang Xun said, a strained smile returning to his face. “May I enter now to help you retrieve the pill?”

“Of course,” Leng Mingshu replied curtly.

The time was not right. She couldn’t make a move yet. It would ruin the greater plan.

Having secured his safety, Jiang Xun didn’t waste another breath. “In that case, please await my good news.”

Leaving those words behind, he stepped into the formation.

This time, he didn’t dare be arrogant. The Heaven-Bestowed Ruyi remained suspended high above his head, bathing him in its protective light. Under its aegis, he passed through the barrier smoothly, the statues remaining still.

The moment he crossed the threshold, Jiang Xun let out a long, shaky breath.

He had been genuinely terrified. If Leng Mingshu had let greed overcome reason and attacked, even with the Ruyi, he might not have been able to secure the treasures inside.

“I am the only Golden Core cultivator in here. Even if she regrets it now, she cannot reach me.”

His face darkened, twisting into a scowl.

“Damn it! Who left that trap? Who tried to kill me?”

“Gu Xiu?”

“Is he here?”

Jiang Xun muttered to himself, his expression turning gloomy. He sensed that something in the ruins had changed. He couldn’t afford to delay.

He hurried deeper into the complex.

However, his mood shifted instantly when he arrived at the massive material storage chamber.

Rows upon rows of rare refining materials were categorized and stacked neatly on the shelves. Jiang Xun’s eyes lit up with feverish excitement.

“These… these are all treasures!”

“With the inheritance of this place, I could forge a Heaven-Grade Divine Artifact myself!”

Without hesitation, Jiang Xun began a frantic sweep. He acted like a locust, stuffing every piece of material he could touch into his Storage Ring.

His looting attracted the attention of the two internal stone guardians.

But under the suppression of the Heaven-Bestowed Ruyi, the statues merely followed him around like docile pets, unable to attack.

This emboldened Jiang Xun further. He grew reckless, stripping the shelves bare.

Outside, the Azure Wave Sect disciples watched the scene through their viewing artifacts, frowning in disgust. Yu Xueqing’s brows were knitted tight.

Jiang Xun sensed their displeasure, but he ignored it. In fact, he did it on purpose. He wanted to show the Azure Wave Sect who was in charge.

The message was received. Leng Mingshu, hearing the reports of Jiang Xun’s greed, could only grit her teeth and endure it. She even sent a message via a disciple:

“Fellow Daoist Jiang is clearly destined for this place. It does not matter if you empty the ruins of their opportunities. We only hope you honor the agreement and deliver the Profound Yin Soul-Protecting Pill.”

Jiang Xun agreed verbally, but internally, he sneered.

Give you the pill? Keep dreaming.

That item was crucial for him. Why would he hand it over? When the time came, he would toss them a useless casing and use the distraction to escape.

What Jiang Xun swallowed, he never spat back out.

He glanced toward the depths of the ruins, seemingly addressing an imaginary rival.

“Gu Xiu… your Providence is truly formidable.”

“What a pity…”

“A cripple like you will ultimately only serve as my stepping stone!”

At this moment, Jiang Xun felt like the king of the world. He was wounded, yes, but he had entered the treasury.

He had earned a full basin and an overflowing bowl!

But he did not know what kind of “surprise” his bountiful harvest would bring him.

And what he knew even less…

Was that while he busied himself ignoring the stone statues, deep within the ruins, Gu Xiu had just finished constructing his fifth Dao Platform.

And silently, calmly…

He pulled out a Green Bamboo Rod.