Moreover, the Tiger and Pig had not spoken a word until now. It should be known that these two were also Innate masters; even if they were hiding their strength, they shouldn't be as silent as the remaining three who were of the Acquired realm, especially since the Tiger was suspected to be a fully realized Innate master.
But at this moment, the arrow was on the string and had to be released.
Bai Yichen suppressed many distracting thoughts and activated the Sitting and Forgetting Heart Refinement method, focusing his mind clearly on the battle.
With a single sword strike, he unleashed an astonishing force, and the sword energy shimmered with a dazzling white light.
Everyone except Yan Bei was caught off guard by Bai Yichen's sudden attack. Did he go mad, intending to take on multiple opponents alone?
The new Monkey, in a fluster, could only retreat!
But the Simplified Sword technique Bai Yichen had carefully honed was not something one could easily evade.
The sword light and his form resembled a continuously moving dragon, extending forward, directly stabbing through.
"Haha, you are far inferior to the Hai Lin!"
With the sword below him, the kill was clean and bloodless.
The new Monkey looked at the words "Bishui" engraved on the sword and finally understood the meaning of the previous words; this young man before him was the one who had slain the Hai Lin.
But before he could utter a word, he suddenly collapsed to the ground.
Bai Yichen had long ceased to look at him; instead, alarm bells were ringing in his heart!
Something was off; the Tiger and Pig were reacting too slowly, unless they were not…
At the same time, the Wheel King saw Yan Bei, who had attained full Innate mastery, attack Wuya, moving like a ghost to his side.
Just as Wuya hastily received Bai Yichen's mask and was about to be struck down by Yan Bei's enormous iron palm, the Wheel King pointed with a finger, causing the cycle of the heavens to turn, manifesting an extreme Yin softness that broke through the attack.
"Who would have thought you would still be here!!!"
Suddenly, a heart-wrenching cry rang out.
In an instant, everyone was drawn to it, but the Wheel King remained unfazed, his eyes gleaming with triumph.
The source of the voice was the hidden spot of Yun Shou Zhenren and the three from Yukun Mountain.
...
A few moments earlier.
When everyone heard Bai Yichen asking about the treasure map fragments, they knew it was time to act. This was the signal they had agreed upon to attack.
Qingsong Zhenren held the Kuntian Sword, poised to strike.
At that moment, a hidden dagger, like a venomous snake, silently attacked from the left, aimed at Qingsong Zhenren's heart.
However, Qingsong Zhenren was already on guard; he shifted his foot and evaded the strike.
In that instant of turning, he saw the attacker's face—his own junior brother, Qingtian Daoren.
"Just as I suspected it was you!"
A flash of sorrow and disappointment crossed Qingsong Zhenren's eyes.
Ever since he learned that the disciple who had sent the treasure map fragment was ambushed along the way, doubt had arisen in his heart. Last night, he learned that the Wheel King had discovered that Yukun Mountain was hiding the last piece of the treasure map.
And such information could only be known to the highest echelons of Yukun Mountain, leading him to feel suspicious.
Especially regarding this junior brother, who, despite being older, had not made any progress for years, suddenly breaking through to the Innate level outside.
With all these incidents combined, Qingsong Zhenren felt compelled to bring along this junior brother, who was only a few years younger than him, to keep him close and observe for any signs of danger.
Otherwise, he would have summoned Mo Mei Daogu, who was at the prime of her Innate abilities.
As soon as Qingsong Zhenren finished speaking and turned to carry out his solemn duty of dealing with his traitorous junior, a sharp sword light sliced through the air with precision, piercing his abdomen.
Splurt!
A mouthful of blood spurted out as Qingsong Zhenren stared in disbelief at the sword in his stomach. The sword belonged to his disciple, Moqiu Daoren.
"You too?!"
Nearby, Yunshou Zhenren watched in shock as the situation changed drastically in just a few breaths. He had witnessed the brothers turn on each other and commit the unforgivable act of betraying their master.
He was horrified, but he knew he couldn't lose his composure. Quickly calming his mind, he struck out at Qingliu Daoren to prevent him and Moqiu from surrounding and killing Qingsong Zhenren.
Qingsong Zhenren steadied himself, and with a dragon-like sword strike, forced Moqiu to withdraw his sword and retreat.
"Surprised, brother? Both of us are rebels. No, after today, we will be the real masters of Yukun Mountain!" Qingliu Daoren taunted while fending off Yunshou's attack. "And you, Yunshou, why aren't you off saving your precious disciple? With the Wheel King, Wuya, and the new Monkey, your disciple might be in trouble by now…"
"Despicable scoundrel! Stop your arrogance!" Yunshou Zhenren's palm strike roared like a dragon, crashing down with immense force, leaving Qingliu Daoren struggling to defend himself as he retreated step by step.
"Yunshou, go and help Shaochong and the others!" Qingsong Zhenren sent a voice transmission while dueling Moqiu Daoren using the same sword technique, though it was now filled with killing intent, devoid of their past warmth.
As Yunshou was about to protest, Qingsong Zhenren continued, "Do not hesitate. This mess was caused by my own carelessness, and it's up to me to clean up our house!"
As he finished speaking, Qingsong Zhenren took out a small red pill and swallowed it. His sword light began to shimmer, and his movements became as graceful as a celestial crane. In no time, he suppressed his injury and pushed Moqiu back.
Seeing this, and concerned about Bai Yichen's safety, Yunshou Zhenren struck Qingliu with a final palm, then clenched his teeth and sped toward Bai Yichen.
"Good, now that the outsiders have left, I no longer care about your reasons or what dissatisfaction you may have had." Qingsong Zhenren cast a complex gaze at Moqiu Daoren. "But since you've done this, be ready to face the consequences."
Suddenly, Moqiu Daoren, who had been silent until now, spoke: "Once the outcome is decided, only then will we know who can stand tall. The fallen have no voice."
Qingsong Zhenren looked once more at the disciple who had followed him for decades, as though seeing him for the first time.
A cold wind swept by, and the stars above seemed sorrowful.
Then, in the same instant, three streaks of sword light flashed, crossing each other in a brilliant, swift dance.
The sound of swords clashing rang out, sharp and crisp, producing sparks that flickered like stars, brief yet dazzling.
On the ground and among the red maples, sharp gashes marred the scene, adding to the desolate and bleak atmosphere.
...
Shifting the perspective.
Bai Yichen, hearing the startled cry and seeing the odd behavior of the fake Tiger and Pig, realized something was terribly wrong.
With changes happening on Yunshou's side, it seemed that he and Yan Bei would have to face everyone present on their own.
Fortunately, Bai Yichen had taken them by surprise, killing the new Monkey with a swift sword strike.
Even so, the situation wasn't looking good.
Bai Yichen divided his sword strike into two, aiming for the fake Tiger and Pig closest to him.
Suddenly, a rain of flower-like darts descended, accompanied by cold, starlike glints, forcing him to retract his sword and set up a defensive net.
It was none other than Wuya who had launched the attack. After the Wheel King engaged with Yan Bei, it seemed Wuya had received some command to shift his focus toward Bai Yichen.
Several rounds passed as hidden weapons and sword light interwove, preventing Bai Yichen from getting close to Wuya.
In just a few breaths, Wu Ma, You Ji, and Xu Gou had arrived, joining the fake Tiger and Pig. The five of them stood together, seemingly forming a battle formation with Bai Yichen as their target.