All the sects were an uproar as they tried to figure out their next steps. Many of the Spirit Initiate Realm fighters that didn't get to compete argued for their participation in the new year-long contest. Anything could happen in one year and they all wanted the chance.
Li Yuechan and her sisters seemed to have gotten a similar idea. She tugged on Chen Wentian's as she begged him, "Please, master. My sisters and I know this is a very dangerous situation. But we want to help the innocent people!"
"Please, master! We'll still train hard at the same time!" Xu Lanyi also pitched in.
Chen Wentian wasn't really sure. "I still haven't found a suitable ice art for you guys. All you can use is the Nineteen Palms..."
"Master, the Nineteen Palms are more than sufficient." Song Wushuang argued, "Also, we are all inspired by Senior Sister Qianyu's dedication to training through peril and struggle. We are not weak flowers that need to hide indoors."
He looked at the five determined faces and finally agreed. "Only condition, while Wu Qianyu is used to being operating alone, I want all five of you to be together."
Li Yuechan and the rest bowed, "Thank you master, naturally we shall obey."
"Good, let me send the other two back to the sect and we'll chat more." Chen Wentian said.
After that, he led Lin Qingcheng and Zhou Ziyun to the teleportation area with Beast God City. The teleportation array for outsiders was opened so that the visitors could evacuate quickly.
"Qingcheng, Ziyun, continue your normal cultivation. You guys have free reign over the sect matters. I'll come find you in a day." Chen Wentian said after it was finally their turn.
"Yes, master."
Chen Wentian let the two girls stand in the middle of the platform and sent his spiritual energy into the inscriptions to activate it. His province was relatively sparse but deep within human territory so it should safe. As he felt the spiritual energy response from the array, he reliazed something was wrong, but it was too late to react. The destination of the teleportation had been forcibly changed without him noticing at the last moment!
When he looked up, Lin Qingcheng and Zhou Ziyun were already gone to who knows where...
Boom!
Chen Wentian's spiritual energy exploded in rage. Every single person around him was knocked off their feet. He found the teleportation platform operators and instantly appeared by their side.
"Speak! Where did you send my disciples!" He roared as his spiritual pressure clamped down on their limbs, preventing them from escaping.
"Ahh! Sir... immortal..."
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Another one yelled in defiance.
Whoosh!
"Kyaaaaa!!!" The offending person screamed in agony as he was lit up like a bonfire.
He couldn't utter anything else as he was turned into ash in an instant. The crowed shrank back in horror upon seeing a person murdered.
Chen Wentian looked at the remaining two who were shaking in fear. "If you don't want to be like him, you'd better talk."
"Sir... it wasn't our fault, we were ordered!" One of the two cried. The other nodded in agreement.
"Go on..."
But before they could speak anymore, a phantom beast paw the size of a house crashed down upon them. Chen Wentian had to dodge away quickly but the two unfortunate men were flattened into meat paste. He looked up to see the old man who was responsible floating in the sky above.
"He Zicheng! Do you want to die?" Chen Wentian roared as he exploded into a ball of blue flame.
Chen Wentian had no regard for human life as he flatted half the city square, launching himself at He Zicheng. He didn't care if his opponent was a Spirit King, whoever touched his disciples had to pay!
He Zicheng withdrew his phantom limb and turned into a half lion to meet Chen Wentian's full powered flame strike with his own fists.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The capital city shook as if an earthquake had gone off. Buildings collapsed within the vicinity as people screamed in terror and tried to run away from the battle. Some stronger cultivators had managed to retreat to a safe distance and were watching the fight with great interest.
Chen Wentian was forced back several hundred meters in the air after a brutal exchange. His head felt a bit dizzy from the shock waves but he was unharmed. He Zicheng was fine as well except for the blue flames that covered half of his body. He growled in frustration as he failed to extinguish the stubborn flames.
"Stop! You two!" The other three Spirit Lords had finally arrived and put themselves in between the two.
Huang Wuji turned to Chen Wentian, "You, speak!"
"Tch! The teleportation of my disciples was tampered with, they were sent to some unknown location." Chen Wentian said. He glared at He Zicheng again, "If they die because you, I'll kill you."
"Haha! Do you have proof? All I saw was you killing my citizens." He Zicheng growled.
"I don't have time to argue with you. Gong Liyun, can you take care of my other six disciples for me for a little while." Chen Wentian said as he flew off.
"Okay, but you'll owe me!" Gong Liyun squealed, seeming strangely happy at being ordered around by a junior.
"You!" Huang Wuji wanted to stop him but was blocked by Gong Liyun for some strange reason.
Chen Wentian's flew into the air unhindered and shot off towards his disciples' location.
---
Lin Qingcheng and Zhou Ziyun didn't feel anything wrong with the teleportation but their cultivation was too low. The people who set the trap were very crafty. They kept the same teleportation direction but altered the distance slightly, which was why Chen Wentian didn't detect it until it the trap was sprung.
Lin Qingcheng and Zhou Ziyun looked around after the blinding light of teleportation faded. They expected to see the familiar immortal island they've been to multiple times but were instead met with a large flat grassland. There was nothing but waist high grass as far as the eye could see. It was a complete wilderness with no humans in sight.
Alerting the teleportation between two arrays required a massive amount of spiritual energy. It was obvious this was a trap by a powerful person.
"Something's wrong, be alert!" Zhou Ziyun said as she withdrew her saber.
"Elder sister, should we send off the emergency talisman?" Lin Qingcheng asked.
"Already sent!" Zhou Ziyun said, eyeing the grass that seemed to move unnaturally. "Careful!"
Ping! Ping!
Both girls managed to block the flying daggers that flew in their direction. They looked on in growing dread as fourteen figures stood up from the grass, completely surrounding them. Lin Qingcheng couldn't sense their cultivation, meaning they were all at least at the mid-level of the Spirit Initiate Realm.
An assassination!
Zhou Ziyun stared at the enemies around her and they also stared back in silence. They didn't bother to hide their faces and her excellent memory recalled the ones she had seen parading along with the Beast God Sanctum and the Lion Lord faction.
"The Lion Lord is an esteemed cultivator with hundreds of years of reputation and fame. Yet he wants to use such underhanded means to take care of two juniors?" Zhou Ziyun called out.
"See, this is the reason why the lord wanted them dead!" One of the men said.
"Hahaha," Another one laughed, "Little bitches, you can't escape! We'll make you suffer until you beg for death!"
It seemed it was useless trying to negotiate. Zhou Ziyun tried to think of any way possible to increase their chances but it was still slim. "Qingcheng, take a power pill! We have to stall until master gets here!"
"Mm!" Lin Qingcheng nodded as they both swallowed a recently acquired power boost pill. Their cultivation shot upwards, Lin Qingcheng by one level and Zhou Ziyun by a surprising two levels. It was still nowhere near enough to deal with these fourteen people but it was better than nothing.
A tall one that looked like the leader stared at the two beautiful girls with dirty eyes. "We have more than enough time, let's play with them for a bit, make them pay for what they did to our princes!"