Jun Mo Xie took a deep breath and accelerated once more, maintaining a distance of three zhang behind the trio, trailing them at an unhurried, steady pace. Suddenly, his spiritual sense wavered, detecting movement from another direction—someone else was tracking them. And the movement technique of this other individual was far superior to that of the three masked figures ahead.

“Could it be… the Royal family?” Jun Mo Xie calculated in his mind, his feet never faltering, already devising a new plan.

Meanwhile, in the other direction, Mr. Wen suddenly uttered an “Eh?” as if sensing something, but as he scanned his surroundings, he found nothing amiss. Yet, with his profound spiritual sense, he distinctly felt the presence of another master, impossibly powerful, who had arrived at this very spot!

But why had he detected nothing at all?

Ahead lay a wide, open expanse. Several figures leaped down from the city wall almost simultaneously, vanishing swiftly into the distance. Mr. Wen intentionally lagged behind, lingering slightly. He never expected the younger individuals ahead to escape his pursuit. He was determined to see how that person managed to elude his observation in this vast, unobstructed area.

“Even the First Supreme Yun Bie Chen could not conceal himself from my eyes in such open ground!”

But Mr. Wen was disappointed.

He waited a moment, finding nothing. The only sensation left was that powerful aura gradually receding, moving away across that immense open field, and yet, he still could not see a thing!

How was this possible?!

Such a person actually existed in this world! Mr. Wen sucked in a sharp breath, but an intense surge of ambition and valor suddenly ignited within him: to spar with such a master… what a magnificent joy that would be in life!

With a rush of air, Mr. Wen swiftly adjusted his state to that of the Peak Realm. With a flash, he drifted down from the city wall like a wisp of green smoke, and amid the bewildered oblivion of the gate guards, the Emperor vanished into the distance.

“Senior Brother, Fifth Brother’s condition is extremely grim. The Profound Qi I input has had no effect whatsoever; we need to treat his injuries immediately, otherwise, I fear…” Zhou Jian Ming’s voice was rushed and anxious.

“Ye Gu Han is truly merciless. Fourth Brother is in the same state on my end!” Lei Jian Hong gritted his teeth in hatred, never stopping his pace. “Although Fifth Brother’s injuries are severe, with proper care, he might recover someday. But Fourth Brother is doomed to be crippled. Even half of his shoulder was severed, and his face is ruined. Damn that Ye Gu Han!”

“I never thought Ye Gu Han would be so troublesome! The five of us today are all at the Profound Heaven Realm; none of us is inferior to him in cultivation. Yet, even the five of us joining forces against him led to this outcome!” Third Junior Sister Fang Piaohong sighed. “Fortunately, he won’t live long either! It’s just such a pity about Fourth Junior Brother…”

“It’s all because of that slut Ling Meng!” Lei Jian Hong roared in anger. “Once I find out the whereabouts of that throwing-knife wielder, I’ll make that slut regret living in this world! Never mind what so-called princess she is!”

“It’s just that even if we get the answers now, we have to wait for Master to arrive before we can act,” Fang Piaohong sighed. “Fourth and Fifth Brothers are critically injured, and Sixth Brother’s recovery is hopeless for life; the four Junior Brothers, Seventh through Tenth, are already buried in Tian Xiang… Who would have thought coming out this time would result in this outcome!” She sighed mournfully. “If Master finds out, he will surely be furious! Senior Brother, Master will be here in the next couple of days; you need to prepare properly.”

“What can I prepare for?” Lei Jian Hong felt somewhat deflated. “This time, even if my father doesn’t beat me to death, he’ll likely keep me bedridden for half a year… I came out with nine Junior Brothers, and now only the three of us are whole… What a devastating blow that will be to the old man! It’s unlikely he’ll go easy on me!”

Zhou Jian Ming sighed. “I imagine none of us will have an easy time. Master will arrive within the next two days at most; by then… alas! I truly can’t imagine what expression he will wear.”

“Master spent so much effort on us eleven; now… alas, I don’t know how heartbroken he will be.” Fang Piaohong sighed, her own eyes involuntarily reddening.

While the three spoke, a forest appeared ahead. Seeing no one following them, the three plunged in without hesitation. Jun, the Great Killer, who had been tailing them closely, followed as if without substance or form. Now, Jun Mo Xie had finally discerned that the group kidnapping Princess Ling Meng were the disciples of Lei Wu Bei, who had participated in the struggle for the Profound Pill.

He felt a jolt of surprise in his heart: Cold Blood Supreme Lei Wu Bei would arrive in Tian Xiang City within these two days?

This was huge news!

Even within the dense forest, the three remained extremely cautious, twisting and turning left and right before suddenly stopping before a dead tree stump. After glancing left and right to confirm they were alone, the Senior Brother, Lei Jian Hong, suddenly reached out and pressed somewhere unseen. The stump slowly moved aside, revealing a large square stone slab. He then pushed that slab away, exposing a round hole.

However, the very instant that opening was revealed, the Great Killer Jun had already vanished, slipping inside a step ahead. The tunnel was truly safest at that moment. Only then did the three of Lei Jian Hong carefully adjust the positions of the two brothers they were carrying before slowly and cautiously squeezing in. The interior was narrow, and the two injured brothers couldn’t suffer any more bumps. Little did they know that Young Master Jun was already inside, waiting for them to walk into the trap.

As the tree stump slowly closed, the ground regained its stillness, showing no hint of disturbance.

Mr. Wen followed them all the way. He had clearly seen them enter the woods earlier, and they had not exited his range of spiritual detection. But because he still had to search for that supremely powerful entity, he was a step too late. When he arrived, the entrance had already returned to its original state, without the slightest flaw. Try as he might, Mr. Wen scoured the entire forest but could not find where those people had gone; even sweeping with his spiritual sense, he could only feel that they were nearby. The sensation was clear, but he could not pinpoint their exact location! He grew terribly anxious! This was a genuine case of the old cat making a blunder!

Mr. Wen even guessed that they must have used a mechanism to burrow underground to conceal their tracks, but exactly where they entered? If he unleashed his power and swept the area, he would certainly dig them out, but that would certainly alert the snake and ruin any subsequent plans.

But if he didn't find them, Princess Ling Meng was still in their hands. What if something happened to her? How could he report back to the Sovereign? Mr. Wen immediately found himself in a difficult position, frowning deeply as he contemplated a solution.

The tunnel led to a vast space, the surrounding earth packed solid. Being underground, there was a faint smell of dampness.

“You two, hurry up and treat Fourth and Fifth Brothers’ injuries; I’ll interrogate this slut!” Lei Jian Hong said with a menacing, murderous air.

“Senior Brother, I understand you are furious with Princess Ling Meng because of our brothers’ condition, but your methods… still require some careful consideration,” Fang Piaohong said after a moment of hesitation. “This time, I could see that Junior Brother You Ran was suffering quite intensely in his heart. I think… since our identities are not exposed anyway, if we can get the information, perhaps we should let Junior Brother You Ran play the hero, save this girl, and if it can help You Ran’s prospects, that would be…”

“Fine. For You Ran’s sake, I won’t take her life then!” Lei Jian Hong gritted his teeth.

Fang Piaohong hummed in acknowledgement and said no more, focusing entirely on healing her junior brother.

Jun Mo Xie, hidden in the shadows, felt a thump in his heart. “Junior Brother You Ran…?”

Just those two words, “Junior Brother You Ran,” meant that Li Youran could never escape this entanglement!

Could it be that Li Youran was involved in this major incident?

Lei Jian Hong dragged Ling Meng to the side and set her down against the wall. He reached out and tapped her forehead, injecting pure Profound Qi. Princess Ling Meng immediately woke up.

“You villain! Let me out!” As soon as Princess Ling Meng opened her eyes, she shouted out in extreme fury. “I want to see my Uncle Ye! Let me go quickly!”

“Your Highness, getting out is quite simple. You just need to honestly answer me one question. Then you can leave!” Lei Jian Hong sneered coldly. “Those few throwing knives you cherish so much—the ones you hold dear. Princess, you are certainly not unfamiliar with them? Noble Princess Ling Meng, just tell me the origin of that knife owner, and I will let you go! I swear I won’t break my word!”

“The origin of the throwing knives?” Princess Ling Meng’s eyes widened in shock. She never expected that these people would kidnap her over this matter! “I have never met that senior expert. How could I know anything about his origin?”

“Haha, the Princess’s words make it seem like you take us for three-year-olds!” Lei Jian Hong laughed fiercely. “All my martial brothers were killed by that person’s hand. Before that, we had never even heard of such an expert existing in the martial world. And as far as we know, that expert’s only move was saving the Princess! Has the Princess forgotten? The last time she was assassinated, that person intervened to save her. That was his only time acting! If the Princess still insists she knows nothing, then it’s truly the work of the devil…”

Jun Mo Xie’s heart jolted. It turned out that the reason for Princess Ling Meng’s assassination this time was his own covert intervention to save her previously! This meant he had saved her, but in turn, implicated her? This complexity of gratitude and grievance was hard to untangle!

However, how did these people know the connection between those two events? Jun Mo Xie’s thoughts raced, and he immediately linked it back to Li Youran.

So that’s it! If one looks from the perspective of the Li family, all questions are instantly answered!

“For the sake of this question, you killed my Uncle Ye?” Princess Ling Meng, unable to move, glared at him with venomous eyes, looking as if she could spew fire.

“Indeed! If the Princess still refuses to reveal that person’s origin, she won’t leave here alive tonight!” Lei Jian Hong snarled softly. “If the Princess still refuses to speak, then I have several other methods to make you talk!”

Jun Mo Xie frantically began calculating countermeasures in his mind. He had already approached Princess Ling Meng earlier, intending to whisk her into the Grandmist Pagoda so he could disappear silently. But after several attempts, he had achieved nothing! It seemed the Grandmist Pagoda could not be entered by anyone other than himself? Or perhaps his cultivation level was not yet sufficient?

But since this path was blocked, more than half of Jun Mo Xie’s plan had fallen apart. After all, if he could take the Princess into the Grandmist Pagoda, he would have no worries and could confidently take advantage of the chaos to gain benefits, or at the very least, eliminate the already injured kidnappers!

But right now, just managing to rescue Princess Ling Meng would be a victory. These men were all Heaven Profound experts. If he revealed himself, he was likely to suffer a significant loss!

Lei Jian Hong grabbed Princess Ling Meng’s jaw, forcing her head up, and asked fiercely, “I ask you one last time, are you going to speak or not? If the Princess continues to be obstinate, then I shall have to offend you!”

Just then, a sudden, cold laugh echoed through the void, and a strange, chilling voice rang out coldly: “So Lei Wu Bei taught only such trash? What Cold Blood Supreme? Truly laughable!”

Before the voice faded, the dark space suddenly blazed with blue light. A small throwing knife, as if manifesting from the void, sailed slowly through the air, carrying an ethereal hue that cast a deep azure reflection on everyone’s face!

Thwack!

The throwing knife lodged itself into the packed earth of the wall, emitting a sound like wood rotting as it sank in.

The three jumped up simultaneously. Lei Jian Hong shielded his chest with both palms and roared, “Since you have arrived, why hide your head and tail? I’ve waited for you long enough!”

Zhou Jian Ming and Fang Piaohong simultaneously drew their long swords, holding them horizontally before their chests, scanning all directions as if facing a great enemy!

A faint voice sneered, “Do you few juniors even qualify to challenge this Venerable One? Overestimating yourselves!”

Princess Ling Meng’s eyes instantly filled with excited, rolling tears. She struggled and pleaded, “Senior… is that you? I beg you! I beg you… take me to see my Uncle Ye! I beg you to kill them and avenge my Uncle Ye!”

The commotion underground was significant, especially Lei Jian Hong’s loud roar, which echoed for miles. Outside, Mr. Wen instantly perceived the disturbance.

He had been closely monitoring every rustle in this area, and Lei Jian Hong’s shout provided him with the best directional cue. Mr. Wen, moving as if driven by the wind, shot to the entrance of the cave and continued holding his breath, listening. As long as he located where the group was hiding, everything would return to his control.

But now, Lei Jian Hong and the other two discovered something utterly shocking—a terrifying and bizarre sight!

Princess Ling Meng’s delicate body, leaning against the wall, suddenly floated upward out of thin air, suspended in the air as if alive. Then, like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, she shot out at incredible speed!

Lei Jian Hong was greatly alarmed and lunged after her, but he was ultimately a step too late. How swift was the speed Jun Mo Xie unleashed with the Yin-Yang Evasion! Just as Lei Jian Hong initiated his upward leap, Jun Mo Xie burst through the stone slab above with a loud crash, bringing the tunnel into sudden, brilliant light as illumination streamed in.

Lei Jian Hong and the other two roared in fury and lunged up right behind them.

Mr. Wen was pacing near the tree stump, debating whether to immediately shatter the underground barrier to rescue Princess Ling Meng or wait a moment longer. Suddenly, he heard a thunderous roar like a landslide. The stone slab beneath his feet shattered, and the intense explosion almost sent the unprepared Mr. Wen tumbling down. He hurriedly sidestepped, about to shout a query, when he saw a graceful figure thrown directly into his arms—it was Princess Ling Meng’s body!

Immediately following, the three masked figures shot out one after another, surrounding him in a triangular formation. One roared, “You skulking, cowardly old bastard! Keep hiding! Keep dodging! Why aren’t you running? You deceptive thing, let’s see where you run this time!”

Mr. Wen had just scrambled to hold Princess Ling Meng when he realized he was surrounded. A thought flashed through his mind, and he cried out in despair!

This was a frame-up of the worst kind!