Chapter 326 - 321: The Fish Is Hooked, Prepare to Reel in the Net

After that day, Master Wu Ai went into seclusion again and didn’t emerge for many days.

’She’s not avoiding me, is she? It’s just a normal seclusion, right?’

’Yeah, she’s definitely not avoiding me.’

’What’s there to avoid?’

’Master Wu Ai must have heard that melody somewhere before, she just couldn’t recall it right away.’

Du Youqian thought for a moment and recalled that the siblings, Du Yuxi and Du Yuhuan, had also heard him play "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer Melody."

’Maybe they once tried to replicate the melody in the Imperial Palace, and a court attendant overheard it, secretly recorded it, and it spread to the Dai Kingdom... Nah, I can’t even make that story work.’

’So, Master Wu Ai is probably someone’s reincarnation.’

’That someone could be Du Yuxi, or Du Yuhuan, or maybe...’

But Du Youqian didn’t intend to find out.

Even if it were true, so what?

Master Wu Ai hadn’t overcome the Mystery of the Womb, so saying anything at this point would be meaningless.

And right now, he had no way of helping others overcome the Mystery of the Womb.

One day, Du Youqian suddenly felt a sense of unease.

It seemed his intuition was sending him a warning from the unseen world.

However, the warning wasn’t that strong; it didn’t feel like a great disaster was imminent.

He immediately bathed, burned incense, and performed a divination.

The result of the Divination confirmed his intuitive warning—Pang Master was about to make a move.

And it would be soon, likely within the next few days.

Du Youqian felt a little apprehensive. Although this was the very fish he wanted to bait, it was also possible that the fish was too big and would drag him into the water as well.

He forced himself to calm down, carefully went over his previous arrangements, and after repeatedly scrutinizing them and finding no flaws, he felt much more at ease.

But now that he had confirmed the fish was on the hook, Du Youqian could no longer keep the Beautiful Daoist Nun in the dark.

A powerful enemy was about to come knocking. He had to tell her so she could prepare.

Even if it was just sharpening her spear before battle... well, she didn’t have a spear to sharpen, but she could prepare her Divine Abilities, Secret Techniques, Elixirs, Talismans, and so on.

So, Du Youqian called the Beautiful Daoist Nun out of her seclusion and briefly explained the situation.

"...So, that’s the situation. I knew that the mastermind would find a chance to eliminate us, which is why I brought you to Soul-shaking Mountain. I wanted to lure the snake out of its hole. If you blame me for this, Fellow Daoist Wu Ai, I will bear the rod and beg for your forgiveness afterward."

Unsurprisingly, Master Wu Ai was not angry about being used as bait.

She was just that kind of person, so selfless it almost seemed disingenuous.

But if a person truly feigned selflessness for one or two hundred years without ever slipping up...

...then they could probably be called a "Saint."

"Fellow Daoist, you are doing this to eradicate an evil power. What crime is there in that! But, when do you think they will come? I must prepare. If I can avenge Martial Uncle Wu Jiu, I would not hesitate to sacrifice my life," the Beautiful Daoist Nun said. Her voice wasn’t impassioned, but the firm resolve within it was something that even a tempest could not shake.

Du Youqian smiled faintly. "Fellow Daoist Wu Ai, you mustn’t think that way. If you weren’t here to wield your sword alongside me, who could balance the Yin and Yang, comb the Earth Veins, and save Momenan from its plight? The future of millions of lives rests on your shoulders. So no matter what happens, you must survive. I have a detailed plan for this. As long as we hold out for a while, reinforcements will arrive."

The Beautiful Daoist Nun was one to listen to reason. She gave a solemn bow. "Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist. You’re right. In this battle, I must preserve my life. You must be careful as well, Fellow Daoist. To save Momenan, neither of us can be spared."

Du Youqian nodded. "Fellow Daoist Wu Ai, what Divine Abilities have you comprehended? Could you tell me? If I have some understanding of your combat style and methods, we can coordinate better. In the initial stage of the battle, it will be just the two of us. We must work in close concert to hold out until reinforcements arrive."

The Beautiful Daoist Nun gave a bashful smile. "You are a master strategist, Fellow Daoist; I am not worried. As for my Divine Abilities, I’m ashamed to say that despite having achieved Core Formation for decades, I still haven’t comprehended any. I observe, Fellow Daoist, that you seem to have reached Core Formation through Body Refining. I wonder if the Divine Abilities you’ve comprehended are related to your Physique?"

Du Youqian chuckled. "Fellow Daoist Wu Ai, you guessed correctly. The Divine Ability I’ve comprehended can temporarily strengthen my Physique. I won’t be at a disadvantage even if I clash head-on with a Treasure."

The Beautiful Daoist Nun’s eyes widened slightly. "That’s truly incredible."

Her slightly startled expression was so adorable, a stark contrast to her usual ethereal demeanor that seemed detached from the Human World. It made even Du Youqian’s heart skip a beat.

What Du Youqian had actually told her about was the "Copper Skin Iron Bones" Divine Ability.

But in this life, after more than forty years of Core Formation and with the aid of Human Dao Fortune, he had finally comprehended a new Divine Ability.

This was also a Divine Ability related to Body Refining.

As for its effect... how to put it? It could easily cause a person to die violently.

If anyone else comprehended such a Divine Ability, they would probably have mixed feelings of joy and worry.

But for Du Youqian, it was quite suitable.

With this newly comprehended Divine Ability, Du Youqian was even more confident in taking down the attacking Pang Master.

That’s right. Du Youqian had deliberately baited the hook to get Pang Master to come over, and it certainly wasn’t to invite him for dinner!

Luring the snake out of its hole was, naturally, for the purpose of killing it!

Otherwise, who could stand having a venomous snake lurking outside, ready to launch a sneak attack at any moment?

You’d have to worry about being ambushed before doing anything.

It was better to take a little risk for a once-and-for-all solution.

For this reason, Du Youqian had naturally contacted many people in secret to set up this scheme.

But for Cultivators, ultimate power resides within oneself. Borrowing power from others was possible, of course, but the greatest source of confidence should be one’s own strength.

This newly comprehended Divine Ability was Du Youqian’s greatest trump card.

After confirming Pang Master’s impending attack through the Divination Art, Du Youqian had to find a way to notify Fang Hua and the others.

In this situation, Du Youqian didn’t dare let Little Wukong take action. He had simply sent Little Wukong away to the Hundred Thousand Mountains, so it was impossible to use him as a messenger now.

But on Soul-shaking Mountain, there was a long-established Communication Array.

With just a flick of his finger, the fishing net Du Youqian had prepared in advance would begin to tighten.

Soon, all over Momenan, the people whom Du Youqian had secretly informed beforehand began to receive the message one after another.

Aboard her Flying Boat, Fang Hua looked at the words that appeared on the Communication Spiritual Artifact: "Fish on the hook. Reel in the net."

Her expression was placid as she changed the Flying Boat’s direction.

In the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion, Zeng Baoming, who was gulping down wine, put down his gourd, touched his Communication Spiritual Artifact, and perceived the message within.

A mysterious smile appeared on his face, but his eyes revealed a bone-deep hatred.

Holding the wine jug, he soon appeared before Master Luo Yan’s grave. He silently tilted the jug, the amber-colored nectar moistening the fragrant wildflowers in front of the tombstone and slowly seeping into the soil. "Junior Sister, your Senior Brother is useless. It’s taken me so many years to finally avenge you. Just you wait. I will bring everyone who harmed you before you to atone for their sins!"

In the Taihe Sect, Elder Wu Fei opened his eyes. He perceived the contents of the Communication Spiritual Artifact with his Divine Sense and couldn’t help but shake his head.

He did not approve of taking such a risk at this critical moment, but the one in charge of this matter was Du Youqian, not him.

Nor could he force Du Youqian to change his mind.

There was nothing to be done, then. He could only cooperate as much as possible to ensure the safety of Du Youqian and Wu Ai.

If anything happened to those two, all hope for Momenan would be lost.

From this perspective, Du Youqian had tied the entire Human Race of Momenan to his war chariot as hostages, forcing the Taihe Sect to concede.

But although Elder Wu Fei was worried, he was not averse to it.

"Wu Jiu... this old man is about to avenge you. After waiting so long, you’re not angry with me, are you? There’s no other way. With such a large family and enterprise, one must be more considerate. Often, I can’t just do as I please."

With a flick of his hand, Elder Wu Fei summoned a blank Jade Slip into his grasp.

He held the Jade Slip, and a moment later, imprinted a message onto it.

Then, a Scroll flew out from his Dantian. It was a Lifebound Treasure crafted in the likeness of the Rivers and Mountains Map.

The Scroll opened slightly, like unfolding wings, and the Jade Slip flew onto it. The two of them became concealed together, to the point that even a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator would have difficulty sensing them.

The Scroll carried the Jade Slip and flew outside Taiyi Pavilion.

Before long, a Core Formation Master of the Taihe Sect, Master Li Xiang, lazily extended a jade-like arm and caught the Scroll and Jade Slip as they materialized.

When her Divine Sense probed the Jade Slip, she was like a startled cat, her fur nearly standing on end.

Looking around, she forced herself to calm down and fell into deep thought, mulling over the words in the Jade Slip.

After a long moment, she took out a blank Jade Slip and began imprinting her reply: "I made a terrible mistake in a moment of weakness, and my regret is overwhelming. Back when Master Wu Jiu and the others were ambushed, although I was swept up in it, I never struck a blow against Master Wu Jiu. But whenever I recall that day, I feel crushed by the weight of my sin. It was my cowardice, my failure to warn Master Wu Jiu in time, that led to his fall. Elder, you perceive all with great clarity and are magnanimous. I am moved to tears by your earnest care. This time, I will follow your instructions to the letter, hoping to atone for my transgressions and serve the Sect."

Once she finished imprinting the message, she quickly placed the Jade Slip on the Scroll.

The Scroll trembled slightly, as if nodding at her. Master Li Xiang did not dare to be disrespectful; she knew this was Elder Wu Fei’s Lifebound Treasure, which was almost equivalent to the Elder being there in person.

She returned the bow, and the Scroll concealed itself once more, carrying the Jade Slip as it flew back to Elder Wu Fei’s side.