Of course, cultivation remained his top priority. He practiced Muscle and Marrow Cleansing and cultivated the Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture on schedule every day.
One day, he was in his courtyard reading up on the Weapon Forging Skill when a sudden burst of wailing reached his ears. It was the sound of a woman and a child crying.
At first, he paid it no mind, but after a long while, the heartbroken crying still hadn’t stopped. He had no choice but to push open his door and check on the situation.
The crying was coming from the courtyard opposite his. An older disciple who had started a family lived there; his child seemed to be about seven or eight years old.
The disciple’s surname was Zhang, and he had spoken with Xu Yang a few times.
The family was now weeping inconsolably together, and many disciples who lived nearby had come out of their courtyards.
"Senior Brother Yang, what’s going on?" Xu Yang asked his next-door neighbor, Yang Song, with curiosity.
Yang Song said in a heavy voice, "Senior Brother Zhang and his group were escorting a batch of medicinal herbs to Fufeng County. They were ambushed and killed by members of the Blood Lotus Sect along the way. Everyone died."
Xu Yang’s heart sank upon hearing this.
Senior Brother Zhang was over forty, and his Cultivation had long since reached Marrow Cleansing Minor Achievement, yet even he couldn’t escape the clutches of the Blood Lotus Sect. The ambushes weren’t just limited to Outer Disciples.
"How will the Sect handle his family?" Xu Yang asked.
"They’ll give them some compensation and send them to Cyan Yang City. Ensuring they have food and clothing for the rest of their lives won’t be an issue."
Xu Yang returned to his courtyard with a heavy heart. He hadn’t been close with that Senior Brother Zhang, but the Blood Lotus Sect’s Demons were targeting all disciples of the Purple Sun Sect, and he himself had run into them several times.
’Hopefully, this is just an isolated incident.’
The Purple Sun Sect wouldn’t mobilize its forces if only one or two disciples were occasionally killed by Blood Lotus Sect Demons. But if too many died, the Sect would be forced to retaliate.
And when that happened, his peaceful days would be over.
However, things did not go as he wished. Over the next few days, reports of more Inner Sect Disciples suffering brutal deaths at the hands of Blood Lotus Sect Demons kept coming in.
Many of the Purple Sun Sect’s businesses, mines, and even Cyan Yang City itself came under attack by Blood Lotus Sect Demons. In a short span of time, seven or eight Inner Sect Disciples had died.
The atmosphere across the Four Peaks grew visibly tense.
Xu Yang had run out of Gathering Essence Pills and was planning to head down the mountain to concoct more, but seeing the situation, he no longer dared to leave so casually.
...
Fire Cloud Elder Hall!
Gao Lin strode in, cupped his hands, and said, "Master, you were looking for me?"
From his large, gilded chair, Elder Huoyun opened his eyes. "We’ve accumulated enough Spirit Iron Ore. Go arrange for manpower to head to the Earth Vein Fire Valley for refining."
Gao Lin’s pupils constricted. "Master, aren’t you afraid something will happen if we arrange for people to refine Spirit Iron at the Earth Vein Fire Valley now?"
Recently, disciples of the Purple Sun Sect had been successively ambushed and killed by Blood Lotus Sect Demons. The sect hadn’t just lost manpower; a large quantity of resources had also been plundered.
"We want them to show up!"
Elder Huoyun’s face was filled with killing intent. "These recent events have thoroughly enraged the Sect Leader. He has given the order to lure these rats out and exterminate them. Spirit Iron is too important a resource. If the Blood Lotus Sect is still in the area, they won’t be able to resist taking the bait."
’More talented disciples are about to be used as bait.’
Gao Lin said, "My only fear is that they won’t fall for the trap, just like before."
"It doesn’t matter. The Sect has made several preparations. The Earth Vein Fire Valley is only one trap; others are waiting for them elsewhere," Elder Huoyun snorted coldly.
One of the Inner Sect Disciples who had recently died was his. Though only a Named Disciple, he was a disciple nonetheless.
As high-ranking figures in the Purple Sun Sect, the plundered resources were practically their own private property. The Sect Leader was far from the only one who was enraged.
"Master, which two disciples do you think would be suitable to garrison the Fire Valley?" Gao Lin asked.
If not for the threat of the Blood Lotus Sect, he could have casually assigned a few people to the Earth Vein Fire Valley. But since this was to set a trap, he didn’t dare make the decision on his own.
Elder Huoyun pondered for a moment before saying, "Let it be Xu Yang and Zhuang Tao. The two of them will serve as the public-facing guards. Arrange for your third and fourth junior brothers to hide in secret, and you will coordinate and monitor the situation. As long as the Blood Lotus Sect doesn’t send a Celestial Essence expert, there shouldn’t be a problem."
"As for contribution points, give them one hundred for the half-month assignment. If the Blood Lotus Sect truly appears, they’ll be rewarded further based on merit."
Gao Lin nodded. "When should I arrange for Junior Brother Xu and the others to head over?"
"First, go to the Outer Sect and arrange to select some talented disciples. Then, go inform them. It should be in the next three to five days."
Gao Lin cupped his hands and departed.
...
"Is Junior Brother Xu in?"
Xu Yang was in his courtyard studying the Weapon Forging Skill when he heard Gao Lin’s voice from outside.
He got up and opened the door, and sure enough, Gao Lin’s imposing figure was standing there.
He hastily bowed and invited Gao Lin inside.
"There’s a batch of Spirit Iron that needs to be sent to the Earth Vein Fire Valley for refining. Master has assigned you to go and stand guard. I’m here to tell you to get ready; you’ll likely be leaving in the next three to five days."
Xu Yang’s heart dropped. He knew what he had been dreading had finally come to pass.
"Is this to lure out the Blood Lotus Sect?" Xu Yang asked.
Gao Lin nodded. "That is one of the goals, yes. So, you need to be mentally prepared, and don’t speak of this to outsiders."
He didn’t try to hide it from Xu Yang. Xu Yang had been through this sort of thing before; it would have been pointless to try.
Xu Yang took a deep breath. "I understand."
He didn’t say he wouldn’t go, because there would be no point.
’If you, Xu Yang, aren’t willing to take the risk, who is?’
Unless he defected from the Purple Sun Sect, he had to obediently follow the Sect’s arrangements. There was no such thing as reaping the rewards without taking any risks.
"Don’t worry too much," Gao Lin said. "Those bastards from the Blood Lotus Sect might not even show up. Besides, you and Zhuang Tao are just the visible targets. Your third and fourth senior brothers will be hidden nearby, and Master and I will be paying close attention as well."
He didn’t stay long and quickly took his leave.
’Not worry? How could I not?’ Xu Yang took a deep breath.
’This trap is too obvious. The Blood Lotus Sect will either not show up at all, or they’ll strike with overwhelming force, fully prepared. If that happens, I’m afraid even Elder Huoyun, watching from the shadows, will be in trouble.’
"The tree longs for stillness, but the wind will not stop!"
He no longer had any mind to study the Weapon Forging Skill. He put the book away, took out Cold Abyss, and wrapped it carefully in cloth, intending to bring it with him to the Earth Vein Fire Valley.
’If real danger arises, exposing it will be a trivial matter. Survival is what’s most important.’
’With a Half-Spirit Weapon in hand, he was confident he could escape with his life, so long as no Celestial Essence expert showed up.’
After a moment’s thought, he also wrapped Su Xiuyuan’s Starlight in cloth and headed down from Li Fire Peak.
’If by some chance I don’t return, at least Starlight will go to Xu Qing.’
In the Outer Sect, many disciples had already learned that Li Fire Peak was selecting a group of experts to go to a Cultivation Treasure Land and refine Spirit Iron.
Those without connections could only watch with envy, while those with connections were already pulling strings.
Before he had even left Li Fire Peak, Xu Yang ran into several Outer Disciples on the mountainside, Qiao Yong among them.
Like Kong Yu from before, he was also a member of the Heroic Assembly. In fact, all of them were.
He kept his head down, his gaze averted, not daring to meet Xu Yang’s eyes.
"Greetings, Brother Xu." The disciples recognized Xu Yang and hurried forward to bow.
The Outer Sect Hall Master of the Heroic Assembly cut straight to the point, "I’ve heard that Li Fire Peak is sending people to the Earth Vein Fire Valley. Brother Xu, may I ask if this is true?"
Xu Yang narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Yes, that’s right."
Overjoyed, the group hastily took their leave of Xu Yang and hurried up the mountain to use their connections.
’Bait, and the kind that delivers itself to the hook, no less.’
’Their current joy would be matched only by their misery when the Blood Lotus Sect appeared. Even I’m prepared for a one-way trip. If the Blood Lotus Sect truly shows up, almost none of these people will make it back alive.’
After descending from Li Fire Peak, he hadn’t yet found Xu Qing when he ran into Tian Li and Qiu Wenjie.
"Brother Xu, we heard Li Fire Peak is sending people to a Cultivation Treasure Land to refine Spirit Iron. Could you help us get a spot?"
Even Qiu Wenjie and Tian Li wanted to go to the Earth Vein Fire Valley.
Neither of them had yet reached Gang Qi Minor Achievement, and a trip to the Earth Vein Fire Valley might genuinely give them the opportunity to break through.
Under normal circumstances, Xu Yang wouldn’t have minded helping them secure a spot. But now, he certainly didn’t want to lead them to their doom.
His expression hardened. "Have you forgotten what I told you before? You’ve had one year of peace and you think the danger has passed?"
The expressions on their faces changed. They immediately understood that this Cultivation Treasure Land was not a safe place, that it was dangerous, and they didn’t dare press the issue.
"Oh, right, Brother Xu," Qiu Wenjie said before they parted, "Senior Brother Sun Tao is back."
Xu Yang nodded. He soon found Xu Qing and handed Starlight to her.
Xu Qing moved to unwrap it, but Xu Yang stopped her, transmitting his voice directly to her mind. "This is the Half-Spirit Weapon, Starlight. I got it when I killed Su Xiuyuan of the Su Family. I’m giving it to you for protection. Do not let anyone see it unless you have absolutely no other choice."
Xu Qing’s eyes went wide. The infamous Blazing Blade, who had caused such an uproar throughout the Purple Sun Sect, was actually her own older brother.