"Junior Brother Lin's magnanimity… even I, as his senior brother, cannot compare!" Zhou Damao exclaimed with a sigh. When he had learned that Fei Yuming had taken a group of disciples and left, he had nearly fainted from anger. What kind of nonsense was this? But there was nothing they could do about it now except to follow and see what happened.
Lin Yun just smiled. "We are all fellow disciples, after all. I would hate for them to run into danger."
Zhou Damao patted Lin Yun's shoulder and looked at the few remaining disciples. "We'll move together, but we must be cautious from here on out. If Junior Brother Fei and the others have truly found trouble, we'll have to consider other ways to rescue them."
This was a decision Zhou Damao had made after deep consideration. No matter what, as the senior-most disciple of the sect, he couldn't possibly abandon so many of his peers. He just hadn't expected Lin Yun to willingly join him. This boy was truly a person of genuine character.
In the gloomy forest, Fei Yuming and his followers were beaming with joy.
"Senior Brother Zhou is just too wooden. He's always so rigid and by-the-book," a female disciple whispered. Her name was Cen Xiuer, a seventh-stage Origin Sea cultivator, so her strength was decent. She had been the first to agree with Fei Yuming's decision to leave the main group.
"I know, right? It's because he's so naive and honest that he's always being deceived!"
"That Lin Yun is just hateful. I don't know what the Sect Master and Senior Brother Zhou are thinking!"
Listening to their chatter, Fei Yuming was very pleased. He had been annoyed with Lin Yun for a long time. Not long ago, they were the ones being groomed as the future of the Beast Taming Sect. It made sense; if the sect wanted to stand out in the Grand Tournament, they needed a group of exceptionally talented disciples, and the selection had to come from their generation. They had received quite a few benefits because of it.
But all of that had come to an abrupt halt the moment Lin Yun arrived.
As a result, many within the Beast Taming Sect saw Lin Yun as their enemy. In their view, it was this newcomer, so highly valued by Jiang Zhengqing, who had stolen what was rightfully theirs. They should have been the ones receiving more cultivation resources, with bright futures ahead of them.
"That Lin Yun kid, not a single true word ever comes out of his mouth!" Fei Yuming exclaimed with earnest indignation. "Think about it! A man wanted by the entire cultivation world, how could he possibly be a good person? Only naive old souls like the Sect Master and Senior Brother Zhou would believe him! What a pity they've been so thoroughly deceived!"
His words immediately struck a chord with many in the group.
Fei Yuming waved his hand grandly. "Everyone, pick up the pace! When we get back, we'll be able to rest for a long time!"
"Alright!"
The group grew even more excited. In their minds, they were a victorious army returning in triumph. How could they not be a little conceited? Fei Yuming was already fantasizing about how he would demand his rewards later.
The group moved quickly, arriving at the exit point of the Spirit Realm in short order.
There was no one there. The surroundings were perfectly still, with no sign of danger.
Fei Yuming laughed aloud. "See? That idiot Lin Yun was just talking nonsense! Saying someone would ambush us here! What a joke! Even if there was an ambush, they'd be targeting the Flowing Cloud Sect. Why would they bother with us?"
He laughed.
But at that very moment, a disharmonious voice sounded out.
"How did you know we made a move on the Flowing Cloud Sect? Of course, every sect in the Spirit Realm is our target. We've captured quite a lot of people recently."
The voice was ethereal, like a ghost whispering in their ears.
The moment they heard it, the triumphant expression on Fei Yuming's face was wiped away, replaced by a deathly pallor. The disciples behind him were all frozen with terror.
Before them, a group of figures in black robes and masks had appeared out of nowhere.
Fei Yuming knew who they were. The Crimson Ghost Sect.
The man who was speaking wore no mask, but the fake smile on his face—a smile that didn't reach his eyes—was enough to make one's hair stand on end.
Fei Yuming tried to resist. But the moment he channeled his Yuan Qi, a sharp, violent pain wracked his body. He collapsed to his knees, beads of sweat the size of beans breaking out on his forehead.
"Hehe, trying to fight back?" the man laughed, clapping his hands. "Did you really think I'd come here without preparing a little something to deal with you? Everyone, stop resisting. Otherwise, once the poison seeps into your organs, you're all finished!"
Cen Xiuer looked at the crowd of Crimson Ghost Sect disciples, whose reputation for evil deeds was well-known. In her panic, tears began to stream down her face.
"Senior Brother Fei, is this what you called 'no problem'?"
"Yes! We should have listened to Senior Brother Zhou!"
The disciples immediately became like grass on a wall, swaying with the wind.
Fei Yuming sneered. "Fine! You were all so supportive before, and now you're blaming me? How was I supposed to know there would be an ambush here? Besides, I never forced any of you!" He immediately began to shift the blame, then looked at the man with the fake smile. "Your Excellency, may I have a private word?"
The man glanced at Fei Yuming and let out a cold laugh. "You think you're worthy?" He spat on the ground and waved his hand. "Take them all away!"
"Yes, sir!"
Several Crimson Ghost Sect disciples swarmed forward. The group from the Beast Taming Sect had never imagined they would encounter danger at the exit portal. Just like that, they were all captured alive.
As she was being led away, Cen Xiuer couldn't stop crying. She had truly put her faith in the wrong person. Who knew that everything Fei Yuming had said was just nonsense? She thought of Zhou Damao's kindness. She thought of Lin Yun's warning.
But still, a part of her felt some resentment. If only Zhou Damao and Lin Yun had been a little more vigilant, they wouldn't have been deceived by Fei Yuming and fallen into this trap. At this thought, Cen Xiuer sighed, her eyes welling with fresh tears.
"Senior Brother Zhou, Senior Brother Lin… where are you?"
Hearing her, a male disciple nearby suddenly became agitated. "Senior Brother Zhou and Senior Brother Lin won't abandon us! They will definitely come to save us and beat you all so badly you'll piss your pants!"
The man with the fake smile snorted. He had counted them when they were rounded up and knew the numbers didn't match. But being short one or two was no big deal. "Oh really? Then let's see if they are truly of such high moral character that they would come to rescue you. A pity for you, though. You won't be around to see it."
After he spoke, his sword flashed, piercing the defiant disciple's heart.
Instantly, the entire group fell silent.
These were ruthless men. They would actually kill without hesitation.