The sudden sneak attack caused Su Chan and the others to cry out in alarm, each shouting, "Shameless!"

Ziyuan let out an enraged roar, "Stop!"

But their shouts were slower than Li Yundong’s reaction. He felt a gust of fierce wind above his head, and the pores near his Baihui acupoint flared violently. He instantly knew things were bad. Holding the ballpoint pen, without thinking, he shot it toward the attacker's chest like lightning.

Li Yundong could feel the blow coming like a thunderclap; it was not only immensely powerful, capable of punching a hole in granite, let alone his skull. If he met the attack head-on, he might not be able to block this well-prepared strike.

So, he deliberately let the attacker strike his Tianlinggai while he drove his attack toward the opponent's Huagai acupoint.

All of Li Yundong’s true essence poured into that ballpoint pen. At this moment of life and death, never mind a person's chest, even a diamond would be pierced by this thrust.

The Huagai acupoint was a vital spot. If Li Yundong pierced this man’s Huagai, his vital energy would dissipate immediately, resulting in death. Li Yundong was betting that the attacker wouldn't dare exchange life for life.

Furthermore, Li Yundong’s ballpoint pen was an inch longer than the attacker's fingers. Although it moved second, it arrived first!

As the saying goes, an inch longer means an inch stronger.

The attacker never imagined that giving Li Yundong a pen would ultimately foil his grand scheme. Filled with hatred, he had no choice but to pivot on his foot, spinning to evade Li Yundong’s ferocious and sharp thrust. His fingers, aimed at Li Yundong’s Baihui, swiftly retreated and clamped down on the tip of the pen.

With a sharp snap, the instant his fingertips gripped the pen, their true essences violently collided, like two fierce armies meeting in a sudden tidal surge. The impact shuddered through both their bodies, and with a crack, the pen exploded into countless fragments.

The very moment the pen shattered, the elevator in the stairwell doors burst open with a whir. Li Yundong’s heart tightened. He saw the fragments scattering everywhere, some flying straight toward the elevator car.

These fragments were propelled with immense force; for an ordinary person hit by one, it would be no different from being struck by shrapnel, resulting in certain death or serious injury.

Li Yundong moved with astonishing speed, twisting his body, instantly retracting his arm into his sleeve. The sleeve snapped outward like a wide, long soft whip, sweeping up all the fragments flying toward the elevator.

However, as Li Yundong twisted, he immediately turned his back to the attacker, exposing all his vital points—the most disadvantageous posture in combat.

The attacker saw Li Yundong willingly expose himself, leaving an opening, and without hesitation, stepped forward to slam down a palm strike. If this blow landed solidly, even granite would shatter into pieces.

Yet, Li Yundong seemed to have anticipated the counterattack. He used the sleeve that had just gathered the fragments and debris and violently whipped it backward.

At this move, Ziyuan’s eyes flashed with brilliance, and Su Chan, Ruan Hongling, Cao Yi, and the other cultivators cheered. Ziyuan exclaimed internally, "That maneuver by Li Yundong was a stroke of genius! His cultivation aptitude is rare in this world, and his combat intuition is terrifying. To devise such a countermeasure in such a short time, utilizing his surroundings and clothing to defeat the enemy—it's astounding, truly astounding!"

Just as Su Chan and the others started to cheer, snap, Li Yundong’s sleeve struck the attacker’s hand squarely, driving all those fragments firmly into his palm.

In less time than it takes to speak, their exchange was as swift as lightning and thunder. The man let out a muffled groan, clutching his hand as he staggered back a step. Only then did Su Chan and the others’ cheers finally emerge, just as two young women, deep in conversation, stepped out of the elevator.

The moment the two women emerged, they heard the cheers and were startled, their eyes widening. They looked confusedly at Li Yundong and the man opposite him, who was holding his hand, head bowed, wearing a helmet and sunglasses, unsure of what had just transpired.

Seeing secular mortals present, the attacker immediately clutched his hand and turned, retreating into the elevator.

Since there were two ordinary people witnessing the scene, Li Yundong did not pursue. He merely watched the elevator door close with an intense gaze. He spared a glance for the two bewildered girls, nudged the dropped bag on the ground with his foot, and then turned to enter the doorway.

Once the door was shut, the others crowded around, bombarding him with questions: "Are you okay?"

Su Chan patted her chest and said, "Yundong, your reaction was so fast! I hadn't even processed what was happening. If that had been me, I would definitely be dead by now!"

Ziyuan nodded in agreement. "Li Yundong's reaction is secondary; that sleeve-flick was exquisite, absolutely brilliant. It seems you haven't neglected your practice these past few days."

Cao Yi and the others chimed in with praise: "Sect Master is amazing! That moment was incredibly dangerous; I thought you wouldn't survive it."

Although Li Yundong had dispatched the enemy in the blink of an eye, making it look easy to outsiders, now that he and the others had settled down, a wave of lingering fear washed over him, making cold sweat bead on his back.

Li Yundong’s expression turned grim. "This person’s cultivation skill is definitely no less than mine. I didn't detect any intention of a sneak attack from him at all. This means his skill at concealing his presence is nearly at the stage of returning to simplicity. Logically, he should be a top master from some sect. Why would someone like that resort to such base tactics as a sneak attack?"

Ziyuan sighed. "This is the trouble that comes with fame, Yundong. Everyone wants to defeat you so they can boast about it everywhere. Historically, while literature has no absolute hierarchy, martial arts do—the cultivation world is the same. When I became famous, many people challenged me. If I hadn’t chosen the path of secluded cultivation, I would have been pestered to death. You have chosen worldly cultivation; you must be much more careful."

As Ziyuan finished speaking, Ruan Hongling started, glancing curiously at Ziyuan, opening her mouth as if to say something, but quickly swallowed the words and remained silent.

Li Yundong’s face was grave. "I wonder which sect he belongs to, to be so despicable and vile!"

Ziyuan frowned. "He wore a helmet and sunglasses, clearly not wanting us to recognize him. He used martial arts techniques to attack you, also trying to hide his sect affiliation from his magical methods. Trying to find out his identity... I think it will be very difficult..."

Li Yundong’s expression was heavy as water. He looked up and said, "In any case, everyone be careful. We move to the new house tomorrow. We will need to be more spread out, so you must be extra vigilant."

The others responded in unison. After they dispersed, Li Yundong called Su Chan back. "Little miss, judging by these two sneak attacks, the opponent’s methods are growing cruder and more shameless. You must stay close to me, don’t wander off anywhere, and never leave my sight. Do you understand?"

Su Chan nodded cheerfully. "I understand, Master. Although my cultivation isn't high, it’s not that easy for people to capture me either!"

Only then did Li Yundong smile, patting her head.

Ziyuan, however, took Ruan Hongling aside and spoke to her quietly in a room. Ziyuan lowered her voice. "Hongling, I feel something is amiss."

Ruan Hongling looked puzzled. "Sister Ziyuan, why do you feel something is wrong?"

Ziyuan said, "I have a feeling that ever since Li Yundong inherited the position of Fox Zen Sect Master, there has been a hidden hand manipulating things, a series of events targeting him. Especially these successive sneak attacks—it’s utterly baffling!"

Ruan Hongling looked confused and said, "I was just wondering why you mentioned people attacking you after you became famous. Your reputation spread because of your inherent beauty, talent, and profound cultivation—making you revered as the top expert of the younger generation—it wasn't forged in battle like Li Yundong's. Therefore, no one ever challenged you."

Ziyuan nodded. "That's right. Everyone gave way to me. Male cultivators felt it was dishonorable to defeat a female cultivator, and even more shameful to lose. Thus, no one ever sought to challenge me."

Ruan Hongling asked curiously, "Then why did you say that?"

Ziyuan smiled faintly. "I said that for Li Yundong’s benefit, and even more so for the mole within the Fox Zen Sect."

Ruan Hongling gasped. "A mole? There’s a mole in the Fox Zen Sect?"

Ziyuan nodded. "Exactly. Li Yundong suspected there was a mole in the sect when he spoke with me privately last time. Now I suspect it even more strongly. Since Li Yundong took over, a string of incidents has occurred: first, Changsun Hong was killed; Liu Ye's corpse vanished without a trace; the bodies of the two great golden snakes were stolen; followed by these continuous attacks. Add to that the emergence of the Human Origin Golden Elixir, the subsequent siege of the Fox Zen Sect, and the recent news about the Elixir King Cauldron and the Immortal Brush about to surface. Moreover, the sect-wide Lotus Harvesting Convention, held every four years where sect masters gather to compete and redefine power structures, is approaching."

Ziyuan's delicate eyebrows knitted together. "This chain of events makes me vaguely feel that someone in the cultivation world is planning a horrifying conspiracy! Based on my knowledge, while some cultivators in various sects might disagree with Li Yundong, they wouldn't go to such insane lengths. Someone must be instigating and directing this behind the scenes, focusing all the arrows onto Li Yundong."

Speaking of which, Ziyuan's voice suddenly deepened. "I even suspect that if Li Yundong hadn't blocked that strike just now, and if this person had succeeded in killing him, I suspect they would have gone on a massacre; the entire Fox Zen Sect would have been wiped out!"

Ruan Hongling’s mouth fell open. "Sister Ziyuan, aren't you worrying too much?"

Ziyuan shook her head. "No. You heard our Second Martial Aunt mention a great calamity was coming to the cultivation world last time. While she has an extreme temperament, she is not one to bluff. I am now wondering what this calamity could be, how it relates to the Fox Zen Sect, how it relates to the mole in the sect, and how it relates to Li Yundong? How do all these targeted actions against Li Yundong connect to this so-called great calamity?"

Ruan Hongling gasped. "Sister Ziyuan, I think I know! Could that mole be..."

Before she could finish, Ziyuan interrupted. "It’s impossible to be sure yet, but the reason I spoke to Li Yundong the way I did was precisely to put that person off guard, to make them unable to restrain themselves, reveal their true face, and walk right into our trap!"

Ruan Hongling suddenly let out a soft laugh. "Sister Ziyuan, this entire room is full of foxes. If every one of them has a fox tail, doesn't that mean every one of them is a mole?"

Ziyuan smiled faintly in return. "I never expected that a successor of our Spirit Palace Sect would share a room with a Fox Zen Sect cultivator. This is indeed an anomaly."

Ruan Hongling formed her hand into a palm, bowing slightly. "Boundless blessings and longevity. I don't know about anomalies, but I know someone is being tenderhearted toward someone else, thinking of doing everything for him, wanting to complete everything perfectly for him. That's why you've stooped so low!"

Ziyuan’s heart trembled, her cheeks flushing crimson, and she glared at Ruan Hongling, scolding sharply, "Hongling, what nonsense are you spouting!"

Ruan Hongling giggled. "I hit the mark! Your face is all red!"

Ziyuan’s expression turned serious. She formed her hand into a palm and bowed solemnly. "Hongling, my greatest wish in this life is to follow in my Master’s footsteps and achieve immortal ascension. The only reason I walked this path in the mortal world is because the emergence of the Golden Elixir matched my Master's cryptic poem. Everything here is just water reflections and passing clouds to me."

Ruan Hongling rarely saw Ziyuan so serious. She also dropped her smile and asked softly, "Sister Ziyuan, are you truly not moved by him at all?"

Ziyuan lowered her gaze and whispered softly, "What if I am moved? What if I am not? Hongling, the current situation is murky, like a tangled mess. This is the time we must carefully unravel the threads and prevent disaster before it strikes. Don't get entangled in these matters of romantic affection."

Ruan Hongling made an 'oh' sound and said nothing further, but in her heart, she sighed lightly: Sister Ziyuan, you still haven’t answered my question! Even someone with Second Martial Aunt’s cultivation couldn’t escape the love, hate, and emotional entanglements of the mortal world. Since you chose to cultivate in the world, how can you remain completely detached?

Thinking this, Ruan Hongling momentarily drifted into a daze.

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