Wangquan Sheng’s eyes trembled. 【What?】
He had considered that she might play the role of the oriole stalking the mantis and the cicada, waiting until he and Wangquan Gusui had fought to the point of mutual exhaustion before emerging to claim the Moon Soul Arrow. Thus, he had also schemed against her, deliberately setting ten traps to test her strength and leaving Spiritual Energy Induction Talismans on the disciples in the Outer Hall.
He had kept her as a backup pawn whose usefulness was uncertain. If she couldn’t break through the ten traps, it would prove she was merely at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment and therefore useless, serving only as someone to be guarded against. But if she truly reached the Inner Hall, it would mean her power went beyond her surface cultivation and that she had a more formidable trump card. In that case, when he found himself unable to defeat Wangquan Gusui, he would have joined forces with her to deal with him.
After solving the problem of Wangquan Gusui, he would then compete with her for the Moon Soul Arrow. He didn’t believe that she, also a Foundation Establishment cultivator, would possess a master with such heaven-defying opportunities to provide her with the strength to rival someone at the Early-Stage Nascent Soul realm. In the end, he was certain he would still be the victor.
Yet, unexpectedly...
He never imagined that he would be the one pinned down by Wangquan Qihuan, becoming a pawn in her game. Or perhaps...
No, she knew his identity. How could she know? He had never revealed his identity to anyone. If she knew who he was, that he had come for the Moon Soul Arrow, and that he possessed the power to contend with Wangquan Qihuan, then wouldn’t that mean...
Wangquan Sheng’s pupils contracted as his heart sank.
【Master, do you think... she knows of your existence?】
If she didn’t know he possessed a trump card that could boost his cultivation to the Early-Stage Nascent Soul realm, how would she have dared to come to this Inner Hall and rely on him to pin down Wangquan Qihuan? Her strength was strange; it was clearly more than Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, yet it didn’t seem to exceed the Late-Stage Golden Core realm. Otherwise, she wouldn't have relied on the disciples he hadn't killed in the Outer Hall to delay Wangquan Qihuan.
The old man in the bone ring instantly understood the underlying implication.
【You mean to say she set up this game long ago? That she knew about Wangquan Qihuan’s possession plan and my existence? That she intentionally provoked us in front of the pond in the Outer Hall just so I would lend you my power, allowing you to enter the Inner Hall early to fight Wangquan Gusui, only to use you to keep Wangquan Qihuan occupied in the end?】
【No, impossible.】
The old man in the bone ring felt his scalp tingle and immediately denied it. 【Even though I am merely a remnant soul with fallen cultivation, my existence is not something any cultivator in the Eastern Province could possibly detect. It’s impossible; she cannot know about me, nor could she have set such a massive trap from the very beginning.】
He refused to believe such a person existed in the Eastern Province, let alone that Wen Li possessed such calculating foresight to predict every one of Wangquan Sheng’s moves.
Hearing this, Wangquan Sheng fell into self-doubt. Was it truly impossible? Every step he took now felt as if he were falling precisely into a trap she had set.
【Master, didn’t you also fall from the Central Province to this place? What if she is also from the Central Province?】
These words gave the old man in the bone ring pause. It wasn't entirely impossible, but...
Even if those old fogies from the Central Province who knew of him had fallen to the Eastern Province, why would they have the heart to stay here and toy with a bunch of ants?
Wangquan Sheng didn’t have time for further contemplation. Seeing Wangquan Qihuan attacking again, he immediately struck back with the Moon Soul Arrow while quickly moving toward the sarcophagus.
He wanted to see exactly what Yin Fengcong was trying to do.
However, before he could even get close to the sarcophagus, Wangquan Qihuan was in pursuit behind him, while the three surviving Golden Core cultivators—Luo Yuntian, Helian Zhou, and Bai Jinshui—blocked his path in front.
“Senior, we are guarding this place. You should focus on dealing with Wangquan Qihuan so that everyone can survive,” Helian Zhou spoke.
Clearly, the three had been persuaded or coerced by Wen Li to intercept Wangquan Sheng here.
Luo Yuntian and Bai Jinshui, in particular, knew full well that if Wen Li hadn't suddenly exposed Wangquan Sheng’s identity to attract Wangquan Qihuan’s attention, they would have been killed. In such a situation, even if Wangquan Sheng’s cultivation was formidable, they had to gamble and side with Wen Li.
More importantly, they had personally witnessed Wen Li saying something to Yuepo that filled the spirit with such fear that she actually helped Wangquan Sheng resist Wangquan Qihuan. Such a person was naturally more convincing than Wangquan Sheng, who had been completely played by her.
Seeing this, Wangquan Sheng finally realized why she had exposed his identity just as Wangquan Qihuan was about to kill the two of them. She was using him as a display of power to win over their hearts.
“Good, very good!”
He was suddenly struck with an angry laugh, his laughter carrying a rare hint of hatred.
He had always been indifferent to grudges; he only made enemies over resources and rarely sought to kill unless the grievance was extreme. He had almost never been so thoroughly outmaneuvered at every turn. The killing intent in his heart surged uncontrollably.
If this person wasn't removed, she would surely become a major threat in the future!
Wangquan Sheng looked toward Wen Li from a distance.
Guarding the sarcophagus and performing hand signs, Wen Li looked up as if sensing something. Their eyes met. Her expression was neutral, her eyes holding only a cold indifference, yet Wangquan Sheng could still see a trace of disdain—as if he were merely an ant, a single piece on her chessboard.
Sensing the killing intent in his eyes and knowing he had likely guessed something, a shallow arc formed on Wen Li’s red lips. Her cold eyes glinted with a touch of wicked malice.
Her lips moved silently.
Wangquan Sheng read her lips. She said:
“Trash.”
“...”
Wangquan Sheng’s expression darkened. His grip on the Moon Soul Arrow tightened until his knuckles turned white, his body trembling with rage.
But he had no way to stop Wen Li; he was forced to be dragged down by Wangquan Qihuan.
Wangquan Sheng immediately shouted at him, “Royal Uncle! That female cultivator is after the remnant soul of Wangquan Wuho! There is no point in you and me continuing to fight; we are only laboring for the benefit of others! If we stop now, I won’t leave—you go kill her! Otherwise, the remnant soul will be gone!”
Anyone could burn bridges after crossing them.
Hearing this, the disheveled, bloodshot-eyed Wangquan Qihuan finally noticed Wen Li sitting by the sarcophagus. He didn't know what strange hand signs she was making, but the light surrounding the sarcophagus was becoming increasingly bright.
He instantly understood that the two of them had been schemed against by Wen Li to keep each other occupied.
“A mere ant dares to seek death!” How dare she plot against him!
He immediately abandoned Wangquan Sheng and flew toward the sarcophagus. He performed a hand sign and brought his palms together before throwing them open; a powerful surge of crimson spiritual energy, entwined with the power of lightning, shot forward rapidly, transforming into a fierce tiger that lunged at Wen Li.
“Roar!”
The Moon Soul Arrow in Wangquan Sheng’s hand suddenly trembled and flew out of his grasp in a flash of teleportation light.
Whoosh!
When it reappeared, it had already landed in front of Wen Li.
She laid down the final layer of the array. Seeing that Zongzheng Huangyue was grinding down the consciousness of Wangquan Wuho’s remnant soul inside the sarcophagus and that the process was entering its most critical stage, she stood up and caught the Moon Soul Arrow. The black fur-ball on her shoulder jumped off and squatted on the sarcophagus to avoid interfering with her.
Yuepo manifested a phantom. Before she could even integrate her Divine Sense, the phantom automatically transformed into an arrow and fell into Wen Li's right hand.
“Since you want to play, then catch this.”
Wen Li closed her eyes. Her long, elegant fingers gripped the arrow as she nocked it and drew the bow. The moment she opened her eyes, a glimmer of light appeared in her pupils, and she released her fingers.
She fired!
“Whoosh!!!”
The Moon Soul Arrow left behind a trail of afterimages. At the moment of release, purple-gold lightning converged to form a giant dragon. It let out a heaven-shaking roar and lunged with its sharp claws. The violent surge of spiritual energy whipped up a tidal wave of power that shook the very earth and sky as it rushed toward the incoming tiger.
“Roar—!”
She wasn’t finished. Wen Li pulled two talismans from her storage bag.
Her fingers moved quickly, tapping the talismans and performing hand signs. The talismans expanded instantly, manifesting into two massive, rotating gilded-gold halo arrays. With a wave of her right hand, she sent them flying.
The two halo arrays surged toward Wangquan Qihuan and Wangquan Sheng like falling meteors.
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