Chapter 214

Chapter 214: Then They Head East

Feng He Yun was not like Lu Shi Qing. He would not break away from his team at all costs just to bring her a letter. So it could only be that he and Bai Mu Mu had planned it together, or that it was Bai Mu Mu’s idea from the start. [There is probably a trap waiting for us.]

As for friendship or forgiveness, she saw none of that in the letter. From start to finish, all she saw was Wen Xuan’s hunger for Ninghua Sect points. The good thing was that their goal was obvious. They wanted to lure them to the west side of the Heaven-grade Zone? Simple: they would not go. [Then we just will not go.]

With one day left, Shen Sang Ruo still wanted to gather more materials as spare resources for Ninghua Sect. After the Sect Grand Tournament ended, Ninghua Sect would become lively, and she needed to prepare supplies for the cultivators who would soon join.

She looked at her team and said calmly: “Senior Brother, Senior Sister, we stick to the original plan and head to the east side of the Heaven-grade Zone.”

It was the exact opposite of the west. The south and north sides were already being searched by the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Red Desert Jiang Clan.

Her teammates answered without hesitation: “We will follow you.”

When Bai Mu Mu received the news that Feng He Yun had been eliminated, her face stayed cool, as if she had expected it. She raised her hand toward her moving group and ordered: “Turn now and head for the east side of the Heaven-grade Zone.”

Before the puzzled team members could speak, Wen Xuan pulled her aside and lowered his voice: “Didn’t you tell me to draw Little Ruo to the west? Why change to the east?”

Bai Mu Mu met Wen Xuan’s confused, slightly angry stare, and a sneer spread in her eyes. She arched a brow and said with mockery: “Shouldn’t I be asking you that, Second Senior Brother? You told Shen Sang Ruo to go west. Why did she go east? If we do not turn east, are we going to the west just to come up empty?”

Wen Xuan shook his head and muttered: “Impossible. She will definitely go west.” He had written it clearly in the letter. Once she reached the west, he would hand her the Access Jade Token. There were many other matters too, including how he would atone to her. How could Little Ruo not go?

He glared at Bai Mu Mu and ground out the words: “How can you be so sure?”

Bai Mu Mu answered without hurry, her tone firm: “Go east and you will see whether I am right, Second Senior Brother.”

His confidence faltered. She added with a cold curl of her lip: “By the way, First Senior Brother was also eliminated by them without mercy. It seems your so-called bond with Shen Sang Ruo is not as deep as you imagined.”

Wen Xuan’s hands clenched his sleeves until they creased beyond repair. [Does Little Ruo truly not want to see us?] She had gone to the east, the farthest place from the west. He closed his eyes and let out a long breath. In his mind he saw again the disgust in Shen Sang Ruo’s eyes when she looked at him. Yes, it was disgust. The Shen Sang Ruo who once gazed at them with joy now showed only disgust.

Seeing his pain, Bai Mu Mu felt a rush of pleasure. She could have skipped sending people with that letter, but she wanted to watch them sink into their own wishful thinking and then be crushed by the blow. She wanted them to wake up: Shen Sang Ruo did not hold them in her eyes at all. Only by seeing their pain could she vent the baleful miasma that had built up from the humiliations she had suffered recently. She leaned closer and said with meaning: “Second Senior Brother, do not forget what you promised me. Your Access Jade Token is still in my hand. What happens next depends on you.”

Luo Chu, seeing Wen Xuan’s strange expression from a distance, strode over with open hostility toward Bai Mu Mu and asked bluntly: “Second Senior Brother, what are you two talking about?” In this team trial, Bai Mu Mu had never discussed anything with him, and being ignored left him very unhappy.

Wen Xuan took a deep breath to push down the surge of feelings, then said flatly: “It is nothing. Let’s go east.”

The Flying Cloud Sect’s position was already closer to the east. Using the System, they moved ahead of time to the route Ninghua Sect would have to pass. But Bai Mu Mu did not have them ambush Ninghua Sect. She had them do something else.

Up on Fengling Terrace, spectators scratched their heads. Shen Dao Chen glanced over the scoreboard and rankings. Bai Mu Mu’s personal performance was brilliant, but the final outcome still depended on points. Yet she was spending time on vague maneuvers and had even given Feng He Yun’s points to Shen Sang Ruo. He sighed inwardly and chose to trust her once more. After all, she was his own blood. He would see what she did next. [I will trust her again. She is mine by blood.]

However, when the Flying Cloud Sect reached the east side of the Heaven-grade Zone, all related projections were suddenly cut off.

Voices rose across the stands: “Huh? Why did the projection vanish?” “Only the Heaven-grade Zone went dark. The other areas are fine.” This had never happened before. Cultivators and sects alike stared in shock. “Did the Projection Stone in the Heaven-grade Zone break because it went too long without anyone entering?” “Come on, we are at the most exciting stage and it breaks now?”

True Lord Gu Ci’s brows tightened as he stepped forward to calm the unrest: “Everyone, please remain patient. I will check the cause at once.”

Shen Sang Ruo and Ye Huai’s group knew none of this. As they headed east, they continued to search for easy-to-find materials. But as they stepped into a certain area, the Dodder Flower Sprite in Shen Sang Ruo’s hair suddenly shrieked and stopped them: “Stop! Do not go any farther! I can feel its aura.” A tiny vine tip poked up from her hair, trembling.

The team halted and looked at the quivering tendril. Someone asked in a low voice: “Its aura?”

Shen Sang Ruo frowned and asked the sprite: “Is it the Mid Nascent Soul Stage Demonic Beast you told me about before?”

The sprite’s voice shook: “Yes, it is that one. It feels even stronger than last time. Go, go, go. We need to leave now.” That creature loved to roam all over the Heaven-grade Zone. Running into it was bad luck. With only one day left, Shen Sang Ruo had no wish to waste time in a brutal fight.

After a quick weigh of options, she gave the order: “Leave here at once.”

Just as they were about to withdraw, mournful screams rang out behind them, mixed with a harsh hissing sound. They turned in surprise.

Shen Sang Ruo’s first thought was that the Heavenly Sword Sect or the Red Desert Jiang Clan had run into the fearsome Demonic Beast that spooked the Dodder Flower Sprite. But in the next moment she realized those two teams were searching the south and north. They could not be here. That meant it could only be the remaining team.

As if to prove her guess right, Wen Xuan came staggering toward them, drenched in blood. He looked like he had just been fished out of a Blood Pool. With every stumbling step, drops of blood fell to the ground. Seeing Shen Sang Ruo, the despair in his eyes flashed into hope. He choked out a plea: “Little Ruo, save me. Save us.”