Inside a side hall of the Shenxiao Sword Sect.

After Lin Feng and Su Xiyao left, Luo Yuntian finally spoke, "Everyone, proceed according to the plan."

"Yes, Headmaster Senior Brother!" the other five replied in unison.

"Junior Sister Leng!" Luo Yuntian looked at Leng Hanshuang and instructed, "For now, you will not participate in the operation against the Luosha Gate. Go back and thoroughly research the Jiuyou Secret Realm. Your age falls just within the rules. When the realm opens in a month, you will go in alone, under a hidden identity, to search for the Red Spider Lily. I will dispatch others to draw the attention of the outside world. No matter what, we must obtain the Red Spider Lily and save Senior Brother Mubai. He has given so much for our Shenxiao Sword Sect; we cannot let a man of such merit be disheartened."

"Rest assured, Headmaster Senior Brother! I will complete the mission," Leng Hanshuang replied.

"Good. You are all dismissed," Luo Yuntian nodded.

After the others had left, Luo Yuntian remained standing where he was.

A few doubts still lingered in his mind.

Logically, the Luosha Gate would never dare to provoke the Shenxiao Sword Sect.

Yet this time, they not only gravely injured Senior Brother Su Mubai but also stole the Haoran Sword.

How could a mere Luosha Gate withstand the wrath of the Shenxiao Sword Sect?

Could someone be pulling the strings from behind the scenes?

Who could it be?

The Wu Ji Demon Sect? Or the Seven Kill Sect?

Furthermore, the opening of the Jiuyou Secret Realm was imminent, and Senior Brother Mubai just happened to be poisoned with Devouring Soul Powder at this exact moment, requiring the Red Spider Lily from the secret realm as the only antidote. Could it be that someone wanted to lure the Shenxiao Sword Sect into dispatching more of its forces into the Jiuyou Secret Realm?

And for what purpose?

These were all questions that Luo Yuntian would have to unravel slowly.

In any case, the score with Su Mubai had to be settled, and the Haoran Sword could not be lost.

Whatever the enemy's objective, if they dared to provoke the Shenxiao Sword Sect, they had better be prepared to face its fury.

Gucun Peak.

Upon returning, Lin Feng began to pore over ancient texts.

The library on Gucun Peak was vast, with books piled up like mountains.

Gucun Peak had once been glorious, but it had since fallen into decline.

Thanks to Lin Feng's unflagging efforts, his perseverance paid off. Three days later, in an ancient tome detailing the various rare and precious spirit herbs of the Jiuzhou Continent, he finally found the Red Spider Lily.

"Red Spider Lily, a flower that thrives in the cold, primarily grows in places of extreme frost. Its flower resembles a dragon's claw, vivid red, with a scaly root. Its leaves grow in clusters, long and slender with pointed tips. The calyx is solitary, with an umbel-shaped inflorescence at its apex. Legend says the Red Spider Lily is the flower of the underworld..."

After reading the description, Lin Feng learned that the Red Spider Lily had once appeared in a place called the Jiuyou Secret Realm.

He immediately began searching for information on the Jiuyou Secret Realm.

He quickly found it.

"Jiuyou Secret Realm, rumored to be a passage to the underworld. The realm is saturated with a cold, yin energy and receives no sunlight. The flora and fauna living within it constantly absorb this yin energy, and a small portion may mutate, giving rise to many spirit herbs and exotic beasts. Those who enter must be exceptionally careful, for a moment of carelessness could mean death. The Jiuyou Secret Realm opens once every hundred years..."

Lin Feng calculated the time of the next opening and felt a flicker of joy.

The Jiuyou Secret Realm would open in just over a month and remain open for three months. His Master could hold on for half a year. There was enough time.

As long as he could find the Red Spider Lily in the Jiuyou Secret Realm and concoct an elixir with the supplementary herbs from the Shenxiao Sword Sect, he could cure his Master's poison.

But then, Lin Feng suddenly froze.

The Jiuyou Secret Realm only opened once a century, yet his Master had been poisoned with Devouring Soul Powder at this exact time, forcing a trip to the realm to find the Red Spider Lily.

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Was it a coincidence?

Unlikely.

This meant someone was targeting the Shenxiao Sword Sect.

It seemed he couldn't pin all his hopes on the Shenxiao Sword Sect. He would have to rely on himself to find the Red Spider Lily.

Having found a way to save his Master, Lin Feng turned his focus to another matter.

Who had harmed his Master so grievously?

As his disciple, it was his duty to avenge his master.

However, finding out who the culprit was would likely not be easy. After all, his Uncle Master, the Headmaster, had said it was a secret of the Shenxiao Sword Sect. Probably only a few high-ranking members of the sect knew anything about it.

At this thought, Lin Feng found himself in a difficult position.

Although he was the Senior Brother of his generation in the Shenxiao Sword Sect and had been there for twenty years, he had rarely left Gucun Peak. As a result, he knew very few of the sect's upper echelons.

He was only relatively familiar with the other six members of the Shenxiao Seven Swords, his Master Su Mubai's peers. He hardly knew anyone else.

Therefore, to find out who harmed his Master, he could only start with his six Uncle Masters.

But who should he approach?

The Headmaster was out of the question. He was the leader of the Shenxiao Sword Sect; if he had been willing to tell him, he would have done so already.

Of the remaining five, Lin Feng mulled it over and finally settled on Leng Hanshuang.

He knew that Uncle Master Leng was actually a person with a cold exterior but a warm heart.

When Lin Feng was very young, Su Mubai was often away from the sect and would entrust him to Leng Hanshuang's care.

Of course, that was more than twenty years ago. Ever since Lin Feng could take care of himself, he had lived on Gucun Peak with his junior sister, Su Xiyao, until she became a disciple under Liu Hongluan.

Having made his choice, Lin Feng made his way to Yunv Peak, which was under Leng Hanshuang's charge.

The moment he set foot on it, he was stopped by two female disciples.

Yunv Peak only accepted female disciples. Male disciples from other peaks had to be announced before they could enter.

"Please wait, Senior Brother! May I ask where you are from and what business you have on Yunv Peak?" the two female disciples asked politely as they blocked Lin Feng's path.

They could tell Lin Feng was a True Disciple, but they didn't recognize him.

"My name is Lin Feng, from Gucun Peak. I wish to see Uncle Master Leng. Could I trouble you two junior sisters to announce me? Thank you," Lin Feng replied courteously.

Lin Feng?

Gucun Peak?

The two disciples from Yunv Peak thought for a moment, then exclaimed in unison, their voices filled with shock, "You're Senior Brother Lin Feng?"

Being called "Senior Brother" like that caught Lin Feng off guard.

Ever since joining the Shenxiao Sword Sect, he had rarely left Gucun Peak. His goal, naturally, was to keep a low profile and survive.

In his past life on Earth, he had been arrogant and reckless in his youth, which ended with not even his ashes remaining.

Now that he was reborn, he certainly wouldn't repeat the same mistakes.

The top empires on Earth had trump cards as powerful as nuclear bombs, and the major powers of Lizhou were no pushovers either.

What puzzled Lin Feng was how people still recognized him when he had been so deliberately low-key.

He didn't know that as the Senior Brother of the Shenxiao Sword Sect, the title itself was not something one could simply keep under wraps.

If Lin Feng had ranked outside the top ten of his generation, perhaps no one in the Shenxiao Sword Sect would have even known he existed.

But while Lin Feng was famous, it wasn't for a good reason.

The impression the Shenxiao Sword Sect's upper echelons had of Lin Feng could be summed up in one word.

Useless!

The sect's disciples added another word after that.

Mysterious!

The "useless" part was common gossip.

The "mysterious" part was because no one had ever seen him.

Seeing the legendary Senior Brother for the first time, it was no wonder the two disciples from Yunv Peak were so astonished.

"I am Lin Feng. I must ask you two junior sisters to announce me to Uncle Master Leng," Lin Feng said again.

"O-Okay! Please wait a moment, Senior Brother Lin! I'll go report right away!" one of the Yunv Peak disciples replied.

She immediately turned and headed into Yunv Peak.

The other disciple remained, carefully sizing up Lin Feng.

In Lizhou, the Senior Brother of a sect was typically a formidable figure.

After all, they were the face of their sect.

Only the Shenxiao Sword Sect's Senior Brother was a piece of trash.

This was a frequent topic of discussion among the sect's disciples.

Faced with this Senior Brother who was both mysterious and useless, anyone would be curious.

The remaining Yunv Peak disciple looked at Lin Feng, thinking with a sigh of regret, "Senior Brother Lin Feng is so handsome. It's a shame his cultivation is so weak. Otherwise, who knows how many senior and junior sisters he would have captivated."

Lin Feng didn't care what others thought of him.

Soon, the disciple who had gone to make the report returned.

"Senior Brother Lin Feng, please follow me."

"Thank you, junior sisters."

"You're welcome, Senior Brother."

Lin Feng followed the disciple into Yunv Peak. It was his first time here.

There were two places in the Shenxiao Sword Sect that male disciples yearned for.

The first was this Yunv Peak, where every female disciple was as fresh and lovely as a spring blossom.

The second was Chaoxia Peak, managed by Liu Hongluan.

However, there was a difference between the two peaks.

Yunv Peak, under Leng Hanshuang's charge, only accepted female disciples. Chaoxia Peak, managed by Liu Hongluan, accepted both men and women.

Comparatively, Yunv Peak was all the more alluring.

Walking along the path under the curious gazes of numerous female disciples, Lin Feng finally saw Leng Hanshuang.

"Lin Feng pays his respects to Uncle Master Leng," Lin Feng said respectfully.

"No need for formalities, Nephew Lin Feng. If you have something to say, just say it," Leng Hanshuang replied, her face devoid of expression.

Her name suited her.

Leng Hanshuang's personality was just like her name, always giving off an icy feeling, no matter who she was with.

If she were on Earth, she would be the very definition of an ice queen.

"Uncle Master Leng, your nephew has come here presumptuously today to ask who injured my Master so badly. I beg Uncle Master to enlighten me," Lin Feng said, cupping his hands as he stated his purpose.

From what he knew of her, Leng Hanshuang disliked beating around the bush. It was better to be direct.

"Nephew Lin Feng, Headmaster Senior Brother has already said that the Shenxiao Sword Sect will handle Senior Brother Mubai's matter. You should focus your mind on cultivation. Strive to inherit Senior Brother Mubai's mantle as soon as possible, lest others covet it. Do not concern yourself with other matters," Leng Hanshuang replied.

"Uncle Master misunderstands. I only wish to know the enemy's identity. I have no intention of doing anything, and with my current strength, there is nothing I can do. As Master's only disciple, I should have the right to know who the enemy is. This knowledge will serve as a constant spur to drive me forward. I implore Uncle Master to tell me," Lin Feng said with a look of utmost sincerity.

Leng Hanshuang fell silent for a moment upon hearing his words.

After some thought, she felt that Lin Feng had a point.

Senior Brother Mubai had only this one disciple, whom he had raised from a young age. The two were not just master and disciple, but also like father and son. There was no harm in telling him.

Having come to this conclusion, Leng Hanshuang no longer concealed the truth.

"Nephew Lin Feng, I can tell you, but you must not speak of it to anyone. This is a secret of our Shenxiao Sword Sect. I've only decided to tell you because you are Senior Brother Mubai's sole disciple."

"Please rest assured, Uncle Master Leng! I will be as silent as the grave and will not reveal a single word," Lin Feng's heart leaped with joy, and he quickly gave his assurance.

"The ones who harmed your Master... were the Luosha Gate!"

---

Proofreader: Peter Pan