After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Yong and Su Ming dashed toward the side mountain like lightning, their bodies glinting under the moonlight as they cut through the darkness.
When they arrived at the side mountain, the two began to scan the area, but the killing intent had vanished.
"What was that just now?" Su Ming couldn't help but ask in confusion. "Were you imagining things?"
Zhang Yong was not convinced that what he had felt was merely an illusion.
His crimson eyes gleamed in the darkness as he surveyed the area with his Heavenly Eyes.
"No, I wasn't imagining things," Zhang Yong said in a calm but firm voice. "There was a clear killing intent."
Suddenly, a light entered his field of vision — a golden thread of energy flying toward him.
From among the shadows of the trees, a golden token shot forth, glowing with a faint yellow light, heading directly for Zhang Yong.
Zhang Yong raised his arm and caught it swiftly. The token felt hot to the touch, but barely enough to burn.
"This...!" Su Ming was momentarily stunned. "A communication token? And it emits the aura of the Lightning Peak Elder."
Zhang Yong turned the golden token between his fingers. There was a spiritual message engraved upon it.
But it was sealed and could only be read by someone who knew the method — the sender and the recipient. The slightest mistake in opening it would send an alert to the sender, letting them know the message had been discovered.
Naturally, with his current experience, Zhang Yong could not open it. But he knew who could.
'Ling Xi, open it'
Instantly, one of his eyes turned pitch black, and he calmly placed the token against his forehead.
Then, a moment later, his eye shifted to a blood-red and widened. This message contained the movements of sect members, instructions on how to break the protective array, the individuals to be wary of, and the opportune time for battle — which would be in one week.
It clearly bore the spiritual imprint of the Lightning Peak Elder. Did that not make that elder a traitor?!
Su Ming saw the expression that crossed Zhang Yong's face and felt a sense of unease creep into his heart. "What did you find?"
Zhang Yong closed his eyes for a moment, then slowly opened them and handed the token to Su Ming. "See for yourself."
Su Ming carefully took the golden token, closed his eyes
Suddenly, his entire body trembled. His eyes flew wide open, filled with shock and anger.
"This... impossible!" he whispered, his voice muffled. "The Lightning Peak Elder... is collaborating with the Demonic Spring Sect? How can an inner sect elder be a traitor?!"
Zhang Yong pressed his lips together coldly. "Don't ask meaningless questions. Benefits have always been more valuable than loyalty. As long as the right price is offered, even an ally will become an enemy."
"We can't just watch this," Su Ming said, turning and starting to walk toward the sect.
"Where are you going?" Zhang Yong asked, grabbing Su Ming by the shoulder.
Su Ming's fist tightened around the token. "Where am I going? We need to warn the Sect Leader and inform everyone about this!"
Zhang Yong smacked Su Ming on the head. "Wait, don't be hasty. If the Lightning Peak Elder has collaborated with them, who knows who else might be involved? There could be other spies among the elders or even among the disciples. If we suddenly expose this, we might push them into acting prematurely, making the situation even more catastrophic and increasing our losses."
Su Ming understood the logic of Zhang Yong's words, but his heart burned with anger. "So what do we do? Just sit and wait while they conspire to destroy our sect?"
Zhang Yong sighed in exasperation. "Use your head. The most logical choice would be not to tell anyone. To resolve this, we'll go to our master, and then with his support, we'll speak to the Sect Leader."
Su Ming took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, then slowly nodded. "You're right... going to our master is the most reasonable choice."
Zhang Yong carefully put the golden token back into his robe, then looked into the distance in a specific direction before turning around. "Let's go now. We can't waste time."
The two moved swiftly through the sect grounds, avoiding the main paths and using less crowded side passages.
Even though it was already quite late, the streets were still scattered with disciples.
There was already a palpable sense of fear and anxiety spreading. Who could sleep knowing they might die at any moment?
Soon, the two reached the peak and headed directly toward Master Gu's residence.
Zhang Yong and Su Ming arrived in front of Master Gu's residence, where faint light filtered through the window curtains.
Zhang Yong paused for a moment, then raised his hand and knocked firmly three times on the door.
After a few seconds, a calm voice came from inside: "Enter."
When the door opened, they found Master Gu sitting in meditation on a purple satin cushion, his eyes half-closed as if in deep contemplation.
Gu Zixian occasionally cultivated to raise his own training level and was already making progress.
Although his body currently resembled a child's, his cultivation level had already reached the third grade of War Lord, which would be considered genius-level if his age matched his body's appearance.
"So, what urgent matter brings you two here?" Gu Zixian said in a teasing tone.
His disciples never showed up at his residence late at night unless there was trouble, and he had already grown accustomed to it.
The two bowed respectfully before sitting down. Zhang Yong took the golden token from his robe and placed it on the floor between them. "Master... we found this."
Gu didn't touch the token, but his wide eyes immediately noticed the spiritual imprint on it. "The Lightning Peak Elder's imprint..." he murmured, then raised his surprised eyes to his disciples. "How did you get this?"
Zhang Yong immediately explained the matter clearly and simply.
"This will be a headache, even for these old bones," Gu finished the sentence in a strange tone — not angry, but almost as if he had expected it.
Then he picked up the token between his small fingers and placed it on his forehead.
After a moment, he opened his eyes, which now glowed with a faint purple light.
"Zhang Yong, you said it flew toward you? That seems hard to believe. However, the matter is also suspicious, because the hardest thing to forge is a person's spiritual imprint, as it is tied to their unique cultivation technique. I won't ask how you opened it, but if the content is true, this will be a problem."
"So what do we do?" Su Ming clenched his fist.
"Isn't it obvious? We go to the Sect Leader immediately," Elder Gu said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
After all, directly accusing an elder would cause many problems.
Master Gu turned quickly, his purple robe fluttering behind him as he moved toward the door. "Come on, we have no time to waste."
Zhang Yong and Su Ming followed their master in silence. The night air was heavy, filled with tension. Even the sounds of the night insects seemed loud.
Zhang Yong leaped swiftly onto Elder Gu's back along with Su Ming, and they shot off toward the main peak without any delay.
When they reached the main palace gate, the guards stood alert. "Elder Gu, it is very late. Is there an urgent matter?"
"Yes, a matter of utmost importance," Gu replied in his calm, serious voice. "I need to see the Sect Leader immediately."
The guards exchanged glances, then opened the gates. "The Sect Leader is in the main hall. You may go directly to him."
The three entered the palace, where the hallways lit with spiritual lamps gleamed like stars. But even amidst this beauty, a sense of danger loomed on the horizon.
When they reached the main hall, the door opened automatically. The Sect Leader was sitting on a wooden chair, a book in his hand.
"Gu Zixian... what brings you here at this late hour?" the Sect Leader asked in his deep voice.
Master Gu bowed respectfully. "Sect Leader, my disciples have discovered something extremely alarming." He then took out the golden token and presented it to the Sect Leader.
The Sect Leader took the token seriously, his eyes widening as he felt the spiritual imprint. He placed it on his forehead, and after a moment of silence, his expression turned to one of intense fury.
"The Lightning Peak Elder... how dare he?!" His roar made the walls of the hall tremble. "How did you obtain this information?"
Zhang Yong then recounted the entire story... again. He was already tired of repeating the same tale at this point.
The Sect Leader pressed the golden token hard until it began to crack under his grip, his eyes blazing with suppressed anger. "This means we have a spy among us... and worse, one of our own elders. However, we cannot be certain based solely on this message. This world is vast; there is a chance that a method to forge such an imprint exists. If it was sent to Zhang Yong, there is a possibility that this entire matter is merely a plot by the Demonic Spring Sect, especially since he has encountered them before, making him known to them."
"So, will you ignore this matter, Sect Leader?" Zhang Yong couldn't help but frown at the Sect Leader's reaction.
The Sect Leader slowly turned around, his eyes like two pieces of cold ice. "We cannot attack an elder without definitive proof."
Zhang Yong looked away for a moment before his eyes widened and he smiled. "What if I had a way not only to expose his true nature to you but also to protect the sect?"
A heavy silence fell over the room after Zhang Yong's words. The gazes of the Sect Leader, Master Gu, and Su Ming all focused intently on him. Even the dim lights in the hall seemed to dim under the weight of the moment.
"And what method is this you speak of?" the Sect Leader asked in a calm voice that carried a hidden threat.
"First, I would ask the Sect Leader to isolate the sound around us," Zhang Yong said with a quiet smile.
The Sect Leader made a slight wave of his hand, and a purple energy bubble appeared around the room, sealing off all sound from the outside. "Speak your mind now."
"This will be simple. We must let the communication token complete its journey. If the token does not reach the enemy, the other party will suspect their plan has been uncovered, which would be against our interests," Zhang Yong stated clearly.
If the message was not delivered and sudden changes appeared in the sect's movements, that would signal that they knew about the spy.
"Secondly, since the token contains all the sect's defenses, we cannot allow them to strike us freely. Therefore, I will work with Master Gu to create a Seventh-Grade Armored Turtle Formation!"
A heavy silence filled the room after Zhang Yong announced the plan to create the Seventh-Grade Armored Turtle Formation. Even Master Gu, accustomed to his disciple's surprises, found himself raising his eyebrows in astonishment.
"Seventh-Grade Armored Turtle Formation?!" Master Gu whispered, his voice a mix of admiration and shock. "This formation possesses multiple layers of defense. Its structure requires many sub-formations, but its defensive power is guaranteed. However, its drawback is the consumption of resources. So, I wonder if the Sect Leader is generous enough."
The Sect Leader contemplated for a moment, then let out a sudden, deep laugh. "The sect's resources are at your disposal. If this formation can protect the sect, I have no objections."
Zhang Yong nodded gratefully. "As you see, Sect Leader, whether the elder is a traitor or not, in either case, we will have a Seventh-Grade protective formation."
The Sect Leader stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Seventh-Grade formations can withstand a Venerable, and they are certainly complex. The attack mentioned is in seven days. Can it be completed by that time, and what if they decide to attack earlier?"
Zhang Yong raised three fingers. "Three days. If I collaborate with Master Gu and all the resources are available, we will finish it within that timeframe, even if I have to push myself to the edge."
The Sect Leader closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. "You have it, then. You have my full support. Tell me what you need, and I will provide it. As for the matter of the elder..."
"Alright, here is my plan..."