Chapter 158: The Mastermind, Who is the Oriole?

The backlash of the Houtu Oath turned the idyllic scene in the rift valley into a sudden nightmare of continuous screams.

As the one who initiated the attack, True Person Huoqian suffered the most severe backlash. He vomited mouthfuls of blood, rolling and twisting among the soil and rocks like a boiled prawn.

The only one left standing among those present was Gong Zhongze, the servant of True Person Huoqian.

"Old Fiend Huoqian, you... how ruthless!"

"Old Fiend Huoqian, what are you trying to do?"

Xu Qianzong and the others forcefully resisted the force of the backlash and looked toward True Person Huoqian. At this moment, they no longer addressed him as a True Person, spitting out the title "Old Fiend" instead.

What normal True Person would do such a thing?

They were willing to endure the backlash of the Houtu Oath just to inflict heavy injuries on them.

Gong Zhongze swiftly scooped up six storage bracelets. "Suppress the backlash and find the remaining two."

"Condense!"

...

The fact that everything was quiet now could only mean there was some other connection between the two.

"Puff! Puff! Puff!"

Instantly, the flames in this area seemed to be compressed into solidity, and Shen Lian's figure shattered inch by inch within the fire.

This sight left Gong Zhongze stunned.

Upon detecting Shen Lian's position, Gong Zhongze had concealed himself within the flames, letting True Person Huoqian go first.

"This is Fiery Brew, this is Beauty's Brew... Ah, this one is the best. I specially captured some virgin female cultivators, made them bathe in spiritual spring water for three days and three nights, and then had them stomp the wine with their bare feet..."

"I cultivate merit."

Unexpectedly, Xue Zishou followed right after, neatly carving out a small underground cave and setting out wine and food.

With that, Xue Zishou put away his wine flask.

With a flick of his hand, a cyan medicinal pill flew out and landed near True Person Huoqian's mouth, while the fire spiritual energy around Gong Zhongze transformed into blade lights.

Gong Zhongze let out a startled cry.

Yet...

Red light radiated from the fire sword, whipping up more than a dozen fire serpents several feet long.

This object was perfectly round, with black flames burning inside it.

Gong Zhongze surveyed the fallen figures and noticed two were missing; he hadn't perceived how those people had disappeared just moments ago.

Shen Lian raised an eyebrow, discovering that Gong Zhongze was also an adept at combat, executing spells with effortless fluidity.

However, he smiled indifferently. "Can you run?"

"Found you!"

Shen Lian glanced at Xue Zishou; this fellow's train of thought was far too erratic.

A fire practitioner?

Seeing this, Shen Lian silently signaled his spiritual puppet to step back.

Huoqian, you are a ruthless individual!

By now, how could everyone fail to understand that the smiling Gong Zhongze standing off to the side was actually the trump card of the old fiend Huoqian.

Heavens above, the natural order had been completely inverted.

"Thunder spell to break the formation!"

Shen Lian glanced at Xue Zishou, continuing to spout utter nonsense without blinking.

The reason he hadn't made a move was actually to be on guard against Xue Zishou, who might slip away.

Outside the valley, Xue Zishou, who vaguely sensed the scene within the formation, scratched his head.

The function of the Houtu Oath was to lure them in and slaughter them.

After countless electric arcs and gliding serpents converged, the soil and rocks before him, along with the formations hidden within them, were sliced open to form a narrow passageway as easily as poking through a window paper.

Originally playing the role of the mantis stalking the cicada, he was now very likely about to become the cicada itself.

The eight people invited this time had all been carefully considered; they were either lone cultivators or external practitioners who had come to hunt demonic beasts during this tide.

Seeing this, Gong Zhongze fiercely grabbed at the black flames within the fire cauldron, kneading a ball of black fire in his hand to form a dense, massive black net.

Having swallowed a medicinal pill, True Person Huoqian's face remained deathly pale as he once again produced that rare treasure, the fire bead, and hurled it into the air.

"Hmm."

Shen Lian raised an eyebrow. He observed that Xue Zishou was clearly not a lightning-attribute root cultivator; the only explanation was that he possessed a lightning-attribute magical instrument, or even a magic treasure, within his body.

Shen Lian gathered the storage magical instruments, reduced the remains to ashes, and spotted True Person Huoqian, who had been scorched pitch-black within the fiery grand formation.

Moreover, in that very instant, Xue Zishou had unleashed not just a thunder spell, but also a wisp of wind.

With a sweeping gesture inside his robes, he hurled out a fire-burning formation disk.

"Hehehe... Are you all surprised?"

To defy the Houtu Oath twice in succession was to utterly disregard the rules of heaven and earth.

Before Gong Zhongze could react, five colors burst forth simultaneously from the split palm of fire, with a speck of golden light arriving first.

This fellow certainly had plenty of magical instruments.

"Puff!"

Since he couldn't catch him, he would simply envelop the entire fire formation.

How could he possibly allow himself to be manipulated by a Foundation Establishment cultivator?

"Go!"

True Person Huoqian became a servant.

Everything happened too quickly. While Gong Zhongze's eyes still reflected the crimson flames, his body swayed and he crashed heavily to the ground.

The carefully laid plans had gone awry: six of the eight Foundation Establishment cultivators were dead, one's whereabouts were uncertain, and the other's aura couldn't be found at all.

Amidst the rolling, raging flames, they converged into a fire-breathing flood dragon that churned through the sea of fire.

Finding no trace of Xue Zishou, Shen Lian decided not to waste any more time, casually shaping a crimson fire palm about a foot in size.

"Is it Fellow Daoist Lu?"

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Farewell."

True Person Huoqian screamed continuously as he coughed up three large mouthfuls of blood, twitching endlessly as he lay in the sea of fire.

Within the rift valley.

Without a moment's hesitation, Gong Zhongze urged the fire cauldron, pouring the black flames from within straight down toward the spot where the obstruction had appeared.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, this is my real name, but it doesn't matter, I've remembered Fellow Daoist Lu's aura."

Seeing the lethal light descend, the fallen cultivators wanted to resist, but severely injured as they were, how could they possibly withstand the incoming fire blades?

The dozen long serpents whipped up by Gong Zhongze's fire sword instantly shrank to a size of just one or two feet.

Especially this crimson sword; its aura was a notch fiercer than the previous fire cauldron's.

Xue Zishou offered a series of critiques regarding Gong Zhongze, who was searching the rift valley.

As he spoke, Xue Zishou produced several more gourds.

"Tsk tsk, what kind of fire technique is this? It's so profound. It's a pity this deity isn't inside the rift valley, otherwise I'd get to witness such exquisite mastery."

This showed that he was the truly deeply hidden mastermind behind the scenes.

...

"Hehe, you delivered yourself right to our door."

Gong Zhongze remembered Shen Lian vividly; Shen Lian had not been among the originally planned invitees.

However, the fact that a lethal array was hidden beneath the soil and rocks here prevented him from escaping directly. He had chosen to temporarily shelter under this patch of earth and rock to observe the situation.

Sensing the fluctuations within the grand formation, Gong Zhongze opened his mouth and spat out a fire cauldron that soared into the air.

...

Within the melting magma, a microscopic needle-like object was indistinguishable from the magma itself.

"Lu Shan."

This was also quite normal; if True Person Huoqian and Gong Zhongze had a contractual relationship, then when the backlash of the Houtu Oath struck, Gong Zhongze would naturally be implicated as well.

"Tianyuan Sect, Xue Zishou."

Just as Xue Zishou finished speaking, an earthy-yellow spiritual light swirled around his body, crackling with arcs of electricity that snapped like gliding serpents.

Having long since prepared his divine sense, he converged his mental power and pointed fiercely. The five colors, carrying the golden speck, transformed into a fire serpent the size of a finger, piercing through Gong Zhongze's defense and driving straight into his skull.

The fellow vanished into thin air so elusively that even Shen Lian couldn't accurately perceive whether he had escaped using an earth-escaper technique or hidden nearby.

This fellow was not dead yet.

Seeing his thug crippled, Gong Zhongze cursed aloud, a flash of anxiety crossing his eyes.

Not to mention that this person was also a weapon refiner.

Seeing Shen Lian finally flushed out, Gong Zhongze's face lit up with joy, but the thought that another one remained unrevealed sank his mood once more.

"Useless trash!"

...

Coupled with the pre-arranged grand formation, not to mention ten Foundation Establishment cultivators, even if ten more were added, he could take them all in stride.

Xue Zishou's attack caused a massive commotion, which Gong Zhongze, currently searching the area, instantly detected.

To put it bluntly, before Gong Zhongze even made a move, Shen Lian had already anticipated it.

At this moment, the flames within the grand formation were stirred into a spin. At a certain spot, the rotating flames seemed to encounter an obstruction, splitting off into a branch.

Yet in the blink of an eye, the flame palm emitted a sharp chime, sweeping away three-quarters of the surging crimson fire within the grand formation and transforming into a fiery palm several feet wide.

"Boom!"

This was a situation that had never occurred in any of the previous attempts.

One had to admit that Gong Zhongze's scheme was exceptionally thorough. Bound by the oath, anyone harboring the intent to fight True Person Huoqian would suffer the backlash of the Houtu Oath.

Naturally, Shen Lian had no fear of playing with fire. The slightest fluctuation of the flames throughout the entire fiery killing array was completely transparent under his formidable perception.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, how long would it take you to snuff me out?"

Seeing the flaming palm descend, in his haste he gripped the crimson fire sword with both hands, attempting to cleave the palm apart.

"Fake!"

"As expected, my intuition wasn't wrong. I just wonder how much strength this Fellow Daoist Lu used to take down Gong Zhongze."

Xue Zishou winked at Shen Lian, wearing an expression that seemed to say, "You know what I mean without me spelling it out."

Beneath a pile of rubble in the rift valley, Xue Zishou raised his cup in a toast to Shen Lian.

At the same time, Shen Lian didn't linger. The miniature avatar within his sea of consciousness raised a finger, and the ghostly demonic phantom formed by the Soul-Binding Seal darted straight into the sea of consciousness of the battered Gong Zhongze.

Immediately afterward, he chopped his hand like a blade, slicing gently through the black net and revealing his figure inside the flame formation.

As the black net descended, Shen Lian felt a faint pressure trying to sluggishly suppress his fire spiritual energy.

"This time, I'll gift this fortuitous encounter to Fellow Daoist Lu. Mountains don't meet, but people do—we'll meet again. Let's make a fortune together next time."

Furthermore, daring to pull off such a scheme meant he was thoroughly prepared; he had also arranged overlapping killing arrays within this rift valley. He always considered every possible angle.

He had originally thought True Person Huoqian was a ruthless individual, but it turned out there was an even darker force behind him.

This was the Houtu Oath itself!

Where was the justice of heaven? Where was the virtue of the immortals?

"You... you..."

For a split second, Xue Zishou leaped out of the grand formation, and his entire figure vanished without a trace.

"Even without the previous contractual backlash, with the combined strength of Fellow Daoist Lu and myself, wiping out Huoqian that pseudo-core cultivator plus those pieces of trash shouldn't be much of a problem, right?"

He would also suffer backlash if he engaged in combat with Gong Zhongze.

"What makes Fellow Daoist Xue say that?"

"It seems Fellow Daoist Lu admits it. My perception is never wrong."

As the black flames flowed downward, the soil and rocks that had been scorched into crystal by the crimson fire were melted back into liquid.

Even if a pseudo-core true person wasn't a genuine golden core, in terms of divine sense and realm, none of the present ninth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivators could possibly be a match for one.

Gong Zhongze operated the formation compass, continuously directing the fire flood dragon to sweep the surroundings as he sensed Shen Lian's location.

Disciples of the Tianyuan Sect truly lived up to their reputation.

"Old Huo did well."

"Open!"

With a burst of sword light, the giant flame palm was cleaved apart by the crimson fire sword. The bisected palm collapsed, reverting into roaring, blazing infernos.

With that, Xue Zishou put away his wine gourd and cupped his fists toward Shen Lian.

Though Shen Lian had never heard of the Tianyuan Sect.

There was no need to clean up the battle scene too much; the Five Elements Fire Palm and Fire Serpent techniques he had employed were all directed squarely at Gong Zhongze, whose flesh and blood became the best concealment.

"A Foundation Establishment cultivator manipulating a pseudo-core cultivator, impressive. That servant act was so convincing, it really fooled m... us."

"Hiss-la!"

Clearly, at this moment, even though Shen Lian was suppressed by the fire array, Gong Zhongze still guarded himself airtight, preparing to rely on the Houtu Oath to resolve the situation.

"Hurry up and attack!"

Yet despite this, True Person Huoqian's newly stabilized injuries flared up again, causing him to cough up a large mouthful of blood as he crashed heavily to the ground, clutching his head in agonizing screams.

With several muffled thuds, those who attempted to resist or flee were struck down by the fire blades, reduced to shattered remains.

"Puff, puff!"

"Crack!"

Suddenly, he turned his head and looked toward Shen Lian.

"Old Huo, he's right there!"

However, this strike missed once again.

As Shen Lian appeared within the fire formation, he watched as Gong Zhongze opened his mouth again, blowing out a breath of fire that transformed into a crimson longsword.

Gong Zhongze channeled the flames from the formation into the fire cauldron, which spun rapidly, whipping up rolling vortices of fire.

After activating the formation, Gong Zhongze signaled True Person Huoqian to attack while he took control of the formation to hunt down the final remaining person.

In an instant, the rift valley erupted like a volcano, raging with fierce flames.

The entire rift valley had long since been sealed off by the grand formation; the Thousand Mountains Myriad Manifestations Formation was not merely an illusion array, but a lethal killing array.

The fire bead transformed into a giant hand, pressing down viciously toward the area where Shen Lian stood.

Shen Lian glanced at his fellow Daoist beside him; the moment True Person Huoqian launched his sudden ambush, this person had already retreated in advance.

He plucked up the formation disks hidden beneath the earth one by one, storing them away neatly, before dragging True Person Huoqian out of the rift valley.

Standing within the valley, Shen Lian surveyed his surroundings.

"Fellow Daoist Xue, we split this fifty-fifty."

(End of Chapter)