Hearing this, Li Yan was repeatedly astounded.
'This Xing Ming is truly determined to kill him. His own realm is the same as the enemy's, yet besides himself, he has invited two other masters to join.'
'His hatred is truly palpable. And to have someone of Xuan Caijun's level act, Xing Ming must have really paid a heavy price.'
To ask an outsider to act, who knows what kind of conditions Xing Ming had offered to move him.
This price would definitely be painful for "Falling Star Valley," but the current "Falling Star Valley" was wealthy and could afford it.
To invite a late-stage Golden Core and a Pseudo-Nascent Soul cultivator at the same time, if anything were to happen, it would really cause great damage to those two sects.
The relationship between the 'Green Wind Sect' and the 'Six Plates Hall' and his own sect, Li Yan had already known when he was promoted to sect elder. It was a relatively solid alliance.
Back then, all the cultivation resources of the four sects of the Wind-Rending Clan were divided with these two sects, so they would agree to help out of this consideration.
Li Yan nodded.
"With these two helping, if the enemy is unaware, the certainty of an instant kill will increase by at least half."
Xing Ming certainly agreed with this. This was exactly what he had in mind. He then continued to talk about that person's situation.
"That villain's name is Jiang Baibi. He was the third elder of the Luminous Feather Parrot Clan back then. The cultivation method he practices focuses on agile movement and long-range attacks."
"He is good at attacking while dodging. At the same time, he cultivates a sound wave divine ability. Besides confusing the opponent's mind, he can also shatter the opponent's internal organs with sound waves without a sound..."
Xing Ming explained Jiang Baibi's information to Li Yan in detail.
"...Now he should have re-refined the 'Seven-Colored Glazed Lamp,' so we must be extra careful when dealing with him."
"After casting the 'Seven-Colored Glazed Lamp,' it can emit seven-colored light, a combination of hardness and softness. It can either form a net or be as sharp as an arrow, with the momentum of a thunderbolt. Even the physical body of a Golden Core cultivator can be pierced through..."
The two drank and talked. After they finished talking about the 'Seven-Colored Glazed Lamp,' Xing Ming thought for a moment.
"Oh, by the way, there's something that I don't know much about because I wasn't in 'Sacred Demon City.' I wonder how much you know, Junior Brother. Could you tell me a little?"
Hearing this, Li Yan had already guessed what the other wanted to ask.
"Are you asking about the recent events concerning the 'Ghost Flood Dragon Clan,' Senior Brother?"
"That's it. You're indeed quick-witted, Junior Brother, guessing it right away. The news I got is that the 'Ghost Flood Dragon Clan' were spies for the Black Demon Clan and were uprooted. This..."
At this point, a look of undisguised suspicion appeared on Xing Ming's face, and his gaze was fixed on Li Yan.
Recently, because he was busy with the matter of Jiang Baibi, he had paid less attention to the 'Ghost Flood Dragon Clan.' The news he had received was from Su Yuan.
In addition, he had also received some news from other cultivators outside. Comparing the two, he was surprised to find that the timing of the 'Ghost Flood Dragon Clan's' incident was a bit too coincidental.
The incident with the 'Ghost Flood Dragon Clan' happened to be on the same few days that he had sent the message, which was also the time Zhang Ming had disappeared.
Even though Su Yuan didn't know the content of the voice transmission, when he saw the Sect Master directly use the small teleportation formation, he knew that the Sect Master had something urgent for Elder Zhang.
So, he didn't hesitate to spend spirit stones, sending back a message almost every day to inform them that he couldn't contact Elder Zhang and that he had gone out.
In this way, it was not just a coincidence in time.
And they were already at odds with the 'Ghost Flood Dragon Clan' and wanted to get rid of them. In the end, their wish was fulfilled so smoothly.
This made Xing Ming have to suspect Li Yan. However, he did not hide his thoughts, giving Li Yan a feeling of being extremely close.
Li Yan gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
"This matter has nothing to do with me, Senior Brother. I even feel like someone is secretly helping the sect."
"Those few days, I was indeed near the 'Ghost Flood Dragon Clan' because I heard that 'Elder Longjiao' had come out of seclusion some time ago. So, I wanted to gather more information."
"Who knew that while I was lurking, the nearby mountain range suddenly collapsed, and I felt an extremely terrifying aura overflowing from it."
"Under such circumstances, I didn't dare to stay there and quickly fled."
"After hiding outside for a few days, I returned to the city. Only then did I learn that the 'Ghost Flood Dragon Clan' had assassinated a Nascent Soul cultivator from the 'Sacred Demon Palace'..."
Li Yan told a half-true, half-false story of what he "knew." Of course, seventy to eighty percent of it was false. Hearing it made Xing Ming gasp.
Although he also knew some of the situation, when he heard from Li Yan that 'Sacred Demon City' was even in a state of lockdown, and Li Yan had only managed to get out after being vouched for by a cultivator surnamed Chu from the 'Sacred Demon Palace' whom he knew, he understood the seriousness of the matter.
"Did the 'Sacred Demon Palace' really lose a Nascent Soul cultivator? Do you know his name, Junior Brother?"
Xing Ming still couldn't believe that a Nascent Soul cultivator had died just like that. What level of existence was that? How could they fall so easily?
"The rumor in the city is that his name is Dongli Qing. He is suspected to have died from a potent poison from the 'Ghost Flood Dragon Clan.' Do you know this person, Senior Brother?"
"Dongli Qing... from the Dongli lineage..."
Xing Ming muttered to himself and nodded.
"I do know of this person. He can be considered one of the youngest generation of Nascent Soul experts. Although I have not met him, I have heard of his name..."
Afterward, the two chatted about some other things. An hour later, Xing Ming stood up and drifted away.
In the following days, Li Yan meditated in his cave residence, waiting for Xing Ming to gather his forces.
Five days later, Li Yan did not see Xing Ming, but Zhu Luomu came first.
"Martial Uncle, today a person named Shuang Chongshan, along with two other cultivators, came to the sect. He claims to know you, but he can't clearly state his relationship with you. He only says that you invited him."
"For now, I have arranged for them to stay in another courtyard. I am here to inform you, Martial Uncle. I wonder if you know this person?"
Zhu Luomu, who was bowing, secretly glanced at his convenient Martial Uncle. After hearing his report, the other's face showed a slightly astonished expression.
Then it returned to calm, and his heart skipped a beat.
'Oh no, could it be that Martial Uncle doesn't know this person? Nowadays, many people know Martial Uncle's name, but few have actually met him. Is this someone trying to see Martial Uncle...'
As "Falling Star Valley" grew stronger day by day, people would occasionally come to pay their respects to Xing Ming and the others. Zhu Luomu would decide whether to pass on the message after evaluating them.
Of course, some of them were Golden Core cultivators who came in person. Zhu Luomu did not dare to be disrespectful to these seniors and would often report directly.
It was just that Elder Zhang had not been in the sect in recent years, so such things had become much rarer.
There were also some cultivators who came to deliver messages on behalf of their elders...
The person who came today did not report his family or sect, just wanted to see Martial Uncle Zhang directly.
But after questioning, the other party seemed not very familiar with Martial Uncle Zhang, but swore that it was Elder Zhang who had invited him.
This made Zhu Luomu suspicious, but he could only come and report. But now, seeing Martial Uncle Zhang's surprised and uncertain expression, he lost his confidence.
He was afraid that the other would blame him for bothering him with everything. The higher the cultivation of a cultivator, the more they disliked being disturbed by outsiders.
Li Yan, after a moment of surprise, was also happy.
'This is unexpected. That Shuang Chongshan, after thinking it over these few days, must have felt that my proposal was a good one.'
Then, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Li Yan's mouth.
"Oh, he's here? Take me to him!"
In a separate courtyard in the front mountain of "Falling Star Valley," Shuang Chongshan's face was an unhealthy pale. He was holding a teacup in one hand, lost in thought.
'I wonder if this decision is really correct?'
'Ming Ling's delivery is imminent. If we continue to hide and flee, who knows where would be a more suitable place to settle down. My biggest fear is that Ma Yaoqi's duo left some clues, and someone will follow them...'
Shuang Chongshan knew that Ma Yaoqi's duo were cunning by nature. Even if they were dead, he had no way of knowing if they had left any backup plans.
If someone were to get the clues, then his family would still be in danger.
And after recuperating for these few days, that elder from "Falling Star Valley" had not come to their hidden cave. With his methods, tracking the three of them would have been an easy task.
From this point, Shuang Chongshan felt that the other party really had no other intentions. He just valued his ability to refine puppets, which was why he had invited him to join the sect.
He had also heard of "Falling Star Valley." It was a sect that refined pills and artifacts. He ran a shop selling these things, so of course he had heard of it.
This kind of sect certainly needed a large number of pill refiners and artifact refiners.
He had heard that "Falling Star Valley" had four Golden Core cultivators. He didn't know any of them, but Shuang Chongshan still matched the young man in green who had saved his family that night with Zhang Ming.
The matter of Zhang Ming's promotion to sect elder was not known to the world, only some sects were notified.
However, "Falling Star Valley" was, after all, a second-rate sect. Among the cultivators who could attend the ceremony, there would certainly not be someone like Shuang Chongshan.
But he remembered that the person had referred to himself as "this Zhang!" at the time.
"Father, it's been a long time. Is that senior not in the sect, or was he just saying it casually that day? We refused him then. Will the senior have forgotten about this matter..."
On the side, Shuang Lianzhou sat sideways on a chair, holding his wife's small hand, and said worriedly.
Last night, after Shuang Chongshan's injuries had just recovered a little, the three of them had immediately discussed it many times and felt that finding a place of refuge was the top priority.
Ma Yaoqi's duo had been dead for many days. If they had left a backup plan, someone might already be looking for them.
After several discussions, they still felt that the green-robed senior's proposal was tempting. The key was that the other party was not interested in their family's inheritance. This was the result they wanted most.
Once the decision was made, Shuang Chongshan did not want to stay outside for another moment. They could be found by someone with ill intentions at any time.
But now that they had really arrived at "Falling Star Valley" and had been waiting for so long without anyone coming over, it seemed as if they had been left out in the cold.
Shuang Lianzhou began to grow anxious. After all, his wife was about to give birth. He was extremely unwilling to wander around again, without a fixed place to live.
"Zhou'er, don't speak carelessly about a senior. You are also a Foundation Establishment cultivator. How can you not control your tongue..."
Shuang Chongshan knew that his son was not a reckless speaker. He was just immersed in the art of artifact refining all year round and had little interaction with others. It was just his personality.
But for such words that discussed a powerful senior, it was best not to mention them at all, whether in front of others or behind their backs. Those people had heavenly means, and what one said could very well be sensed or heard by them.
If some sentence inadvertently angered the other, then this time, they would be delivering themselves to their deaths.
And just as Shuang Chongshan was scolding his son, they felt the light at the entrance of the hall dim, and then two figures flashed out.
The three of them quickly looked up and saw two cultivators in green robes walking in one after the other. The one in front was the cultivator surnamed Zhu who had arranged for them earlier.