When Li Xun saw Ming Ji’s incredible, masterfully controlled flying sword, he clapped his fist into his palm with a loud smack and called out, “Nice!”

Ming Ji gave a small smile but didn’t say anything. She simply recalled the sword and turned to a nearby disciple from Nightless City who was helping with bandages. “Bring me a bottle of Xuluo Skin Regrowth Powder,” she said.

The disciple seemed completely stunned by her fierce presence and didn’t react right away. It wasn’t until Li Xun gave him a little shove that he snapped out of it. The disciple rushed to get the medicine, then offered it up with both hands, his face full of admiration.

Li Xun shot him a glare for being so clueless, took the medicine from his hands, and was about to apply it for Ming Ji.

But just as he opened the lid, Ming Ji snatched the bottle from him and pressed a firm hand down on his shoulder.

Unfortunately, her hand landed right on one of his sword wounds. Pain shot through him, and his whole body went limp.

Showing no hesitation, Ming Ji tore open the top of his shirt, smeared the medicine onto her hand, and used her true breath to guide it as she pressed it directly onto the wound. She laughed. “If you’ve got the guts to charge in like that, then you’d better have the guts to tough it out. You looked like you had plenty of fight in you just now; what happened?”

Li Xun flushed red, but inside, he was a little rattled.

What Ming Ji said referred exactly to the way he’d just risked his life in a desperate move. Clearly, she’d been watching him closely the whole time. She meant well, but if she ended up catching on because of that, it’d be a real headache for him.

Off to the side, Qingxu stroked his beard with a smile and finally chimed in, “It’s rare to see a young one like Xun’er keep his head so clear in the middle of a fierce battle. That flash of thunder he unleashed... it reminds me a lot of ‘Lightning Ling’ in her younger days.”

Ming Ji gave a faint smile at that but didn’t say anything. Li Xun, however, knew exactly what that meant. Her title was the Lightning Sword, and “Ling” must’ve been what the elders used to call her in private.

To be mentioned in the same breath as Ming Ji… it actually felt kind of nice.

Before long, Ming Ji had finished treating all of Li Xun’s wounds. Meanwhile, Qingxu asked an elder from the Mystic Cycle Sect for a Restorative Bone Elixir.

This was one of the finest bone-healing medicines in the entire Tongxuan Realm. With its gentle, nourishing properties, even injuries like Li Xun’s would fully heal in just two or three days.

Once his side was taken care of, his thoughts turned to the wound on Ming Ji’s shoulder.

But just as he was about to speak up, it suddenly hit him: Sure, there was a clear senior-junior dynamic between them, but they were still man and woman. In a demonic sect, maybe it wouldn’t matter. But now that he was technically a disciple of a righteous sect, how could he just… help her undress and apply medicine?

Only then did he realize what that Nightless City disciple’s “lack of boundaries” had really meant.

Ming Ji caught the look on his face and let out a soft, amused laugh. “Now I see why you’ve never paid much attention during practice. If you’d really reached the Void Infant Transformation stage, little surface wounds like this wouldn’t even need medicine.”

Li Xun could only give a wry smile. Outwardly, she was teasing him, but really, she was helping him save face.

Still, judging from the way she moved, her injury must have mostly closed up already. She hadn’t even done much, yet somehow it seemed to be healing just fine. The bloodstains on her clothes, though, they were still glaringly visible.

Qingxu had still been smiling, but when his gaze swept across the battlefield, that smile faded into something a bit grim. “What exactly is Gu Zhixuan thinking? What is he really trying to do? Ever since the Forty-Ninth Heavenly Tribulation passed, when has the Tongxuan Realm seen chaos like this?”

“Just trying to give us a show of force, nothing but a mob of rabble!”

The one speaking was Daoist Xuanfu, the elder from Mystic Cycle Sect who had given Qingxu the Restorative Bone Elixir.

He was one of the five elders who hadn’t taken the field yet. Though his beard was white as snow, his face was rosy and round like a baby’s. Straightforward by nature, he got along well with Qingxu.

Qingxu knew his temperament better than anyone and could only shake his head at the comment.

Li Xun smirked inwardly. He understood exactly what Qingxu meant.

A rabble? If they really were just a disorganized mob, who’d be willing to throw away centuries of cultivation to fight for someone like Jade Wanderer? Those rogue cultivators and demonic beasts usually go their own way, tangled up in their own feuds. For them to suddenly fight with such unity, it’s much more likely there’s something big in it for them.

What Qingxu couldn’t figure out was what kind of offer Jade Wanderer had made to bring such a scattered, chaotic bunch together and convince them to risk everything for him.

Li Xun didn’t know either.

Off to the side, Ming Ji was deep in thought. “Jade Wanderer’s still holding back. The truly dangerous ones barely lifted a finger today. People like Iron Ox, the Ice Witch, the Ten Current-Reversed Demons, that Three-Headed Flood Serpent… all of them major names among the heretics, and not one of them has shown up yet. That alone is worth considering.”

As Xuanfu listened to the list of the infamous names, his lips twitched, and he let out a low hiss. “Forget the rest. Even if Jade Wanderer shows up alone, that could be enough to tip the whole battle…”

The old Daoist was nothing if not direct; he didn’t hesitate to change his tune the moment he realized the situation wasn’t as simple as he thought.

Qingxu’s brow furrowed deeply. “I didn’t think so at first, but looking at how things are unfolding, and factoring in the demonic cultivators who’ve yet to show themselves, it’s likely their side is actually stronger than ours…”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but Li Xun could guess the rest well enough.

Right now, a good number of elite cultivators from the righteous sects had gathered here. By all accounts, our strength should be overwhelming. But this so-called 'Rogue Cultivators Alliance' had somehow pulled together an even more powerful force. With this kind of momentum, things could really spiral out of control.

Yeah... who would've thought they had this kind of strength?

Li Xun had heard about a number of dangerous figures among the rogue cultivators before, but it was always bits and pieces; he’d never thought to add them up. Seeing them all gathered like this was a real eye-opener.

Never mind how Jade Wanderer managed to bring all these rogue cultivators and demons together, just the idea of it, the sheer audacity of the move, was enough to send a chill down the spine.

Compared to the other two Wanderers who shared his rank, maybe they were just as cunning or powerful, but in terms of sheer boldness, Jade Wanderer left them in the dust.

He truly lived up to his name as one of the Three Wanderers.

Unfortunately, Li Xun didn’t have time to keep thinking about it. A disciple from Nightless City had already come over to report that the quiet rooms for the injured had been prepared, and they were starting to relocate all the wounded to a safer area.

As one of the injured, Li Xun was of course included.

Just before leaving, Li Xun glanced around, then asked in surprise "Eh? Fourth Martial Aunt isn’t coming?"

Ming Ji smiled and tapped him on the waist with her sheathed sword. “Such bad manners. Do I look injured to you?”

Li Xun let out a small sound, realizing she clearly didn’t see his wounds as anything worth mentioning. He said nothing more, just called out, “Take care, honored elders,” then helped a seriously injured disciple to his feet and followed the guide out.

Xuanfu watched Li Xun walk away and nodded thoughtfully. Then, turning suddenly to Daoist Yu Lan, who hadn’t spoken in quite a while, he chuckled and said, “Diviner Seer, what do you think of that kid? How about reading his destiny?”

A flicker of emotion crossed Yu Lan’s plain-looking face, but she only smiled and said nothing.

Xuanfu was about to press further when Qingxu stopped him. “Don’t make things harder for Daoist Yu Lan. A disciple’s future should be in his own hands. Asking the heavens for answers is rarely the wisest path.”

“What Daoist Qingxu said aligns perfectly with the principles of our sect,” Yu Lan added with a nod and a smile. “Seeking divinations and auguries; it’s like chasing a reflection in the water. Beautiful, perhaps, but always out of reach. Still, reading a person’s aura, getting a sense of how their momentum may rise or fall… that much can be glimpsed, and there’s no harm in speaking of it.”

As she said this, even Ming Ji who had been about to rejoin the battle paused mid-step and turned back with interest.

Not far from them, sword light and mystical energies clashed in chaos as the fight raged on. But within this small circle of five or six people, it was like a peaceful little world of its own.

Then they heard Yu Lan speak: “Not meant for still waters. Not one to follow the rules.”

“That’s it? Just eleven words?” Xuanfu rolled his eyes. “You people from the Water Mirror Sect sure know how to play sly. Anyone with eyes can tell that kid’s got a bright future ahead of him. And judging by his skills, it’s like he was cut from the same cloth as the ‘Lightning Sword’ from back in the day. Definitely not some boring rule-follower, that’s for sure.”

He looked at Ming Ji and let out a hearty laugh, more or less a way of saying sorry, then muttered with a smirk, “Diviner Seer, come on. Even if you’re just going through the motions, you don’t have to be this lazy about it!”

Yu Lan just smiled and said nothing.

Standing nearby, Su Yao of the Heavenly Vigorous Sect chuckled. “Brother Xuanfu, that’s not fair. Friend Yulan made it clear from the start; life or death, fortune or misfortune wasn’t the point, only the rise and fall of their momentum. Nothing wrong with putting it that way. Besides, who doesn’t know that when someone from the Water Mirror Sect finally decides to speak, it’s never just empty words?

“At the very least, now you know that kid’s destined to go far. Why not build a connection now? It’s a win-win.”

Among the Heavenly Vigorous Sect, Immortal Master Su Yao truly was an oddity. He was round and chubby, had a friendly, honest face, and always acted like a good-natured man. Talkative, sociable, and quick to make friends; he could strike up a conversation with just about anyone.

Only someone like him could speak that way without annoying anyone, and even smooth things over in the process.

Xuanfu laughed and cursed in mock annoyance. He’d been bored anyway, so seeing Su Yao jump in like that lifted his mood. Naturally, he started trading playful jabs with him.

After bantering back and forth for a while, he suddenly glanced over and noticed Elder Tianhe of Nightless City staring intently at a compass-like device in his hand. Xuanfu called out, “Hey old man Tianhe, what are you doing with that Celestial Instrument Plate? Trying to find a lucky burial spot for Gu Zhixuan?”

Tianhe shot him a glare, his long, narrow face looking a bit tense. “Quiet! This is strange... There was definitely a reaction just now. Why is it gone?”

He muttered to himself for a moment. The surroundings were quiet. Lifting his head, he glanced around at everyone’s faces and couldn’t help twitching at the corners of his mouth. “Did any of you sense anything just now?”

“Huh?”

“I mean, did anyone feel someone sneaking past us?”

The four elders and one outstanding second-generation disciple all shook their heads. But the moment Daoist Yu Lan started to shake hers, her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

A thought flashed through her mind and, before she could even form it fully, it turned into words and burst from her mouth: “Southeast. Danger approaching! A powerful enemy!”

Penetrating the heart of heaven, without any falsehood or pretense, spoken off the cuff; this was precisely the Water Mirror Sect’s admired Heaven’s Heart technique.

But this time, that Heaven’s Heart came just a moment too late.

No sooner had she spoken than a sharp, blood-curdling scream tore through the air from the southeast. At the same instant, a murderous aura surged across the city like a sudden storm sweeping the plains. It was fierce, violent, and merciless.

The stench of blood and suffocating pressure bore straight into the depths of the soul.

“That’s where the wounded disciples are recovering!”

With Elder Tianhe’s shout, all six of them launched into motion at once, shooting straight toward the source of the attack.