“Not good, enem—”

The frantic cry was cut short by a wet gurgle.

Shing!

A flash of snow-white sword light sliced through the gloomy valley. The Golden Core patrol captain stiffened, his eyes bulging in shock as a fountain of blood erupted from his throat. He toppled backward, dead before he hit the ground.

“Kill!”

Having silently dispatched the perimeter guards, the female disciples of the Exquisite Sanctuary dropped their stealth. Their pretty faces were cold masks of killing intent as they dashed like lightning toward the mine’s core.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Dozens of high-level attack spells rained down like a meteor shower, hammering the defensive Formation shielding the valley. The explosions merged into a continuous, deafening roar that shook the earth.

Countless rocks crumbled from the cliff faces, kicking up choking clouds of dust.

Cr-crack!

The defensive array, already strained, couldn’t withstand the bombardment. Spiderweb cracks raced across the translucent white barrier before it shattered with a thunderous bang.

“The Formation is down! Charge!”

Morale soaring, the female cultivators surged into the breach.

“Spare the laborers! Capture Situ Yun alive! Kill the rest!”

The Nether Fiend Sect disciples inside were caught completely off guard. Before they could even rally a defense, the enemy was already among them. Panic spread like wildfire.

It wasn’t a battle. It was a one-sided slaughter.

Inside the Steward’s office.

“What is that noise…?”

Situ Yun leaped from his chair, his face draining of blood as the explosions rocked the building. “Has the False Righteous Path attacked?!”

From the moment he was exiled to this remote hellhole, he had feared this day would come. He just hadn’t expected it so soon.

Fight back? Defend the sect’s property? The thought didn’t even cross his mind.

Situ Yun immediately shoved a heavy cabinet aside, revealing the dark maw of a secret escape tunnel.

“Found you, demon scum!”

Just as he was about to dive into the hole, a sharp female shout rang out behind him.

Situ Yun’s soul nearly left his body. Terrified, he scrambled forward, trying to throw himself into the darkness.

But he was too slow.

A massive force slammed into his back like a battering ram. He vomited a mouthful of blood and smashed face-first onto the stone floor, his vision fading to black.

Meanwhile.

As chaos engulfed the mine, Qi Yuan calmly snapped the shackles on his wrists and ankles. He dusted off his ragged clothes and strolled out of his tunnel as if he were taking a morning walk.

By the time he emerged, the fighting was already over.

The ground was littered with the corpses of Nether Fiend Sect disciples. Most had been killed with a single, clean strike—the hallmark of the Exquisite Sanctuary. Unlike the Demonic Sects, they didn’t indulge in torture or mutilation.

Outside the main adit, thousands of rescued laborers gathered in a weeping, kneeling mass. They bowed their heads to the ground before the group of female cultivators, their voices trembling with reverence.

“Thank you, Immortal Maidens, for saving us!”

“This place was a living hell! If not for your kind hearts, we would have died in these pits!”

“We can never repay this grace! Please, accept this humble one’s kowtow!”

“Truly, you are living Bodhisattvas…”

Facing the tsunami of praise, the leader of the Exquisite Sanctuary group—a Soul Formation cultivator—nodded slightly. Her expression remained cool and detached.

“There is no need for thanks. We are merely following orders to eradicate evil.”

“This is still Demonic Sect territory. You should flee immediately. Be cautious in the future, and do not let yourselves be captured again.”

Hearing this, the laborers seemed to wake from a dream. Realizing they were still in danger, they scrambled to their feet and scattered into the wilderness, disappearing within minutes.

Once the civilians were gone, the leader’s expression sharpened. She turned to her disciples.

“Guard the perimeter. Do not let Situ Yun escape.”

She tossed the unconscious body of Situ Yun onto the dirt like a sack of potatoes and flew toward the nearby woods without looking back.

A few moments later.

In a dense forest outside the valley.

“Who exactly are you?”

The female leader scrutinized the ragged man standing before her. Her eyes were filled with suspicion. “Why did the Headmaster personally instruct us to follow your orders?”

Qi Yuan blinked calmly, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“Senior Sister, let me give you a piece of advice: Don’t ask questions above your pay grade. My identity involves the highest level of clearance within the Righteous Alliance. Are you sure you want to know?”

“What?”

The woman’s expression instantly changed from suspicion to awe. She hastily bowed, her demeanor becoming respectful.

“This humble girl was presumptuous. I beg the Young Master’s forgiveness.”

Although she was an Outer Hall Elder, she was far from the core leadership. If this man was involved in top-secret operations regarding the Great War, asking too many questions could get her silenced—or worse.

Qi Yuan nodded, maintaining his mysterious air.

“You all performed well today. However, for the next act, you need to stay behind the curtain. If you handle it personally, it will look fake.”

“Tonight, instruct your subordinates to find an opportunity to ‘accidentally’ let Situ Yun escape.”

“Of course, don’t just open the door for him. He needs to believe he escaped through his own cunning and grit…”

Qi Yuan proceeded to lay out the plan in detail, even coaching her on specific acting beats to ensure her disciples didn’t botch the performance.

The female cultivator listened, stunned at first, before nodding firmly.

“Understood. We will do exactly as you say.”

Night fell over the camp.

Situ Yun groaned as consciousness slowly returned.

He found himself trussed up like a pig in the middle of a temporary camp. Two female disciples from the Exquisite Sanctuary stood guard nearby, their backs straight and swords ready.

He tried to circulate his Qi, but his meridians were blocked solid. Not a wisp of spiritual power responded.

It’s over!

Situ Yun’s face turned the color of ash. Despair clawed at his throat.

Falling into the hands of the Hypocritical Righteous Path meant death was a luxury. But he knew why he was still alive.

He was a Legacy Disciple of the Saint Sect. Even if he was a minor one, he knew secrets. They wanted to Soul Search him.

But the Saint Sect had placed mental seals on all Legacy Disciples to prevent exactly that. These women likely didn’t have the cultivation base to break the seals without shattering his mind, so they were taking him back to their sect.

Once a high-level Elder got hold of him…

Situ Yun shuddered violently. The thought of a forced Soul Search—having his memories ripped out while his mind disintegrated—was a fate worse than a thousand deaths.

“Senior Sister Meng, he seems to be awake,” one of the guards whispered. “Should we start the interrogation?”

The other guard, Meng, shook her head. “No rush. Elder Liang has gone out on business. We’ll wait for her return.”

The Soul Formation cultivator is gone!

Situ Yun’s heart skipped a beat. A tiny flame of hope ignited in the ashes of his despair.

He thought furiously. After a moment, he let out a loud groan and started wriggling against the ropes.

“Two Immortal Maidens! Hey! Can you loosen these ropes a bit? I need to take a piss!”

“Shut up!” Meng snapped, glaring at him. “You’re a Nascent Soul cultivator. Don’t tell me you can’t hold your bladder.”

“I warn you, don’t try any tricks.”

Situ Yun put on a bitter expression. “My cultivation is sealed! I’m no different from a mortal right now. Before your people jumped me, I drank three pots of tea! I’m about to burst here. Unless… you two want to come over and help me aim?”

“Pervert!”

Meng’s beautiful brows shot up in anger. “You wish! Let me tell you, even if you piss your pants right now, we aren’t untying you!”

“But…”

Before he could argue, a dark stain began to spread across the front of Situ Yun’s trousers. A warm, pungent smell wafted through the night air.

“You… you actually did it…”

The two female disciples froze, eyes wide with shock and disgust.

Realizing what had happened, their faces flushed crimson.

“You dirty demon scum! You… you actually pissed yourself?!”

They wanted to step forward and kick him, but the spreading stain made them hesitate. Touching him now would mean getting… that on their boots.

“Immortal Maidens, wait!”

Situ Yun’s face twisted in sudden agony. He groaned deeply, his stomach audibly rumbling.

“It… it seems the tea was bad. Or maybe it was the kick to the gut. I… I think the other end is coming next. If you don’t untie me and let me go to the woods, I’m going to…”

Pfft. A wet, ominous sound came from his lower body.

“Ah?!”

The two women exchanged horrified glances. The thought of guarding a man who had soiled himself on both ends—in the middle of their clean camp—was unbearable.

“Senior Sister Meng,” the younger disciple whispered, pinching her nose. “His magic power is sealed. Even without the ropes, he can’t try anything funny.”

“Why don’t we just loosen the bonds and march him to the latrine pit? I don’t want to smell that all night.”

Meng hesitated, looking at the wretched, stinking man on the ground. Finally, disgusted beyond words, she nodded.

“Fine. If he actually craps in the tent, I might vomit. Untie his legs, but keep your sword on his neck…”