Chapter 246: One Sword

Lan Haitan stood on the rooftop of a tall building, watching the woman in sunglasses and Tuoba Wanyi walking along the street below. A mysterious smile appeared on his face.

"Are those the two?" he turned and asked the middle-aged man beside him, who was bound by the power of origin magnetism and sprawled on the concrete.

"Yes, that's right. She was the one who contacted me."

The middle-aged man was the Ascendant Cult's representative in Danxia City. He had located the target according to the woman in sunglasses' instructions. However, to his surprise, Lan Haitan captured him that very night. He was in charge of intelligence, not a combatant. The moment he saw Lan Haitan and recalled the latter's fearsome reputation, he was so terrified that he confessed everything.

"Hmm, so it's her."

Lan Haitan glanced at the pre-dawn street, at the woman in sunglasses slowly approaching the apartment building. He couldn't help but marvel.

"Team Leader Lan," the middle-aged man on the rooftop, still pinned down by the power of origin magnetism, secretly asked, "Is it too late for me to turn over a new leaf now?"

"Don't worry," Lan Haitan said with a smile. "I'm very merciful. As long as an opponent doesn't resist, I generally spare their life."

Lan Haitan smiled as he spoke, but the middle-aged man trembled with fear, cold sweat pouring out and drenching his clothes.

"Team Leader Lan, please spare me..."

*Thud!*

Annoyed by his noise, Lan Haitan knocked him unconscious.

"Hm?"

Down in front of the apartment building, the woman in sunglasses seemed to hear something. She looked up at the sky.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied. "I just suddenly felt a bit suppressed."

The woman in sunglasses clutched her chest, then followed Tuoba Wanyi into the elevator.

A short while later, Qing Nu's scream and Kong Feichen's furious roar rang out. However, suppressed by two Foundation Establishment cultivators, no matter how talented they were, they couldn't break free.

"Good," the woman in sunglasses said. "Confirmed to be a Dark Spirit Root."

The woman in sunglasses held down Yang Jing, took a drop of blood from her fingertip for a test, and nodded with satisfaction.

"What about those two? Should we kill them?"

Tuoba Wanyi's right hand shot out snowy white spider silk from his five fingers, binding Qing Nu and Kong Feichen into two white cocoons, which hung upside down from the ceiling.

"We're not like those lunatics from the Demonic Sect," the woman in sunglasses shook her head. "There's no need to sever mundane ties for new recruits." She stood up and walked towards the door.

Yang Jing struggled continuously, but she seemed to be lifted by an invisible, transparent person. The woman in sunglasses extended a finger and lightly touched Yang Jing's pale, slender neck. Yang Jing's eyes immediately became vacant, and she fainted.

"Let's go," she said. "Set up your spider silk to bind them for three days; that should be enough."

Three days would be enough time for them to take Yang Jing out of the Immortal Sect's territory.

"Troublesome work."

Tuoba Wanyi clicked his tongue. But he still waved his hand, and two more clumps of spider silk shot out, wrapping Qing Nu and Kong Feichen, who had previously managed to get their heads out, completely inside the white cocoons.

"Aren't you going to make a move?"

A slightly magnetic female voice echoed in the void beside Lan Haitan, as if an invisible person stood there.

"I was originally planning to make a move," Lan Haitan replied, "but my Dao heart is warning me."

"Oh," the voice said, "is there a Core Formation cultivator of the evil cult hiding in the shadows?"

"Whether there is or not," Lan Haitan said, "we'll find out by testing."

Lan Haitan watched the woman in sunglasses and Tuoba Wanyi walk out of the first-floor lobby with Yang Jing. A mysterious smile played on his lips.

"Same old rule," he said. "I'll handle the weaker one, you take care of the stronger one."

"No, don't make a move this time."

Lan Haitan, however, said something baffling to his hidden companion.

"What do you mean?"

"I just think that the two Ascendant Cult members chose a perfect target."

With a smile, Lan Haitan plucked a button from his sleeve, then jumped directly from the rooftop. After dropping over thirty meters, he stopped in mid-air outside Qing Nu's apartment window and gently flicked the button in his hand. The spider silk, which could have sealed Qing Nu and Kong Feichen for three days, instantly lost its spiritual glow.

"What's the meaning of doing this?"

The slightly magnetic female voice spoke again. Lan Haitan smiled and said something that confused her even more.

"It can make someone who doesn't want to act, act."

*Ring, ring, ring!*

Late at night, Chen Mobai was cultivating the Pure Yang Dharma Body and the Azure Sun Fire Seed, wondering if he could use the Pure Yang Scroll's spells to control the Azure Sun Fire, when he suddenly heard his phone ring.

"So late?" he mumbled. "Is it a spam call?" Just as he was about to hang up, he saw the caller's name.

Qing Nu!

What's wrong?

He immediately picked up.

"What?" he exclaimed. "Yang Jing was taken by two Foundation Establishment cultivators!"

After hearing this, Chen Mobai hesitated, but hearing Qing Nu's sobbing voice in his ear, he couldn't stand idly by.

"Wait for me at home, I'll be right there!"

After saying this, he grabbed his storage bag and jumped out of his room's window.

The Immortal Sect had a rule: cultivators were forbidden from flying above the Thirty-Six Heavenly Grottoes and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands. However, moving swiftly across rooftops was not an issue.

Chen Mobai sped towards Qing Nu's apartment, and at the same time, called Lan Haitan.

"Hello!"

"Two Foundation Establishment cultivators abducted a friend of mine," Chen Mobai explained. "I suspect it was the Ascendant Cult."

"Oh, that's serious," Lan Haitan replied. "But I'm currently chasing down the two companions of the Golden Stone Temple disciple from earlier today; I can't break away."

"Aren't you incredibly powerful?" Chen Mobai asked, a hint of suspicion in his tone. "How have you been fighting these two for so long?"

Chen Mobai's tone held suspicion. Recalling Qing Nu's words that two people had abducted Yang Jing, a thought suddenly struck him.

"You fella," Chen Mobai accused, "you wouldn't happen to have just been watching this happen, would you!"

"Don't talk nonsense," Lan Haitan immediately denied. "I've been working hard chasing down cultists. However, no matter how powerful I am, I'm just one person. I killed one, but the other one escaped, and I'm not good at tracking, which is why I'm still delayed."

Lan Haitan immediately denied it. Chen Mobai had no evidence, so he couldn't accuse him further. Besides, he still needed this guy's help.

"How about coming to help me first?"

"That won't do," Lan Haitan replied. "The Ascendant Cult members are fanatics. I'm worried the one who escaped might harm the public. I should keep looking; we must eliminate all evil."

"It might also be cultists who acted on my side," Chen Mobai argued. "We have some acquaintance, wouldn't you say? Aren't you going to help me with this?"

Chen Mobai could only play the emotional card. Although he had reached the Sword Rainbow Splitting Light realm and possessed the Azure Sun Fire Seed (Meng Hong had said he could fight any Foundation Establishment cultivator except those in the late stage), two Foundation Establishment cultivators had abducted Yang Jing. What if they were two cultists at Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer or above? To ensure safety, it would be best to enlist Lan Haitan, a renowned individual.

"So, about joining the Heaven-Mending Group..."

From the other end of the phone, Lan Haitan's subtle condition for assistance came through. Chen Mobai's eyebrows twitched, and he resumed negotiating.

"Joining always involves an interview process," Chen Mobai countered. "I haven't even witnessed the power of the Heaven-Mending Group yet. You should at least give me a chance to see it for myself."

Lan Haitan hung up the phone with a speechless expression.

"Is this kid worth so much effort from you?"

The magnetic female voice spoke again. Her words revealed a sense of incomprehension.

"After I retire," Lan Haitan explained, "the higher-ups should have you take over as Team Six leader. He's the deputy leader I found for you."

"Oh," the voice said, "is he as outstanding as I am?"

"In terms of killing, he's probably not as good as you," Lan Haitan replied, "but in terms of combat talent, he's quickly catching up to me."

Lan Haitan's words silenced the invisible woman.

"I don't believe it!"

After a long silence, this sentence echoed from the void.

"He's here."

Lan Haitan watched Chen Mobai leap over the tops of several tall buildings. A dark shadow covered his entire body, erasing any trace of his presence from the rooftop.

Chen Mobai rushed into Qing Nu's room. He saw the two individuals still wrapped in white spider silk cocoons, though Qing Nu had managed to free half of her head.

Amidst a sword hum! Two streaks of crimson sword energy slashed into the cocoons. Subsequently, the snowy white spider silk, which Qing Nu and Kong Feichen couldn't even rip apart with all their spiritual power, glowed with a crimson, fiery aura, as if dyed. In an instant, they shattered into pieces!

Chen Mobai caught Qing Nu as she fell from the shattered cocoon. Kong Feichen, however, hit the floor with a heavy thud.

"Do you have a way to track Yang Jing?"

"Her phone should have location services on," Qing Nu said, her face pale. "I'll try." Qing Nu, her face pale, took out her phone, but found Yang Jing's phone had been left by the door.

"What about the Aura Link Spell or Bloodline Curse?"

Chen Mobai recalled these tracking spells from the Immortal Sect. A relative's blood or an item used by the missing person could both be used for tracking.

"The Bloodline Curse won't work," Kong Feichen said. "We're not related by blood." Kong Feichen spoke, picking up a cloth doll from the sofa. "This is her favorite," he offered. "We can try the 'Aura Link Spell' with it."

Chen Mobai nodded, then opened the Immortal Sect's spell library and immediately downloaded the tracking spell.

"At this rate," Lan Haitan's voice echoed from outside the window, "by the time you've mastered the spell, the enemies will probably have run far away."

Lan Haitan's voice echoed from outside the window. Kong Feichen and Qing Nu jumped in surprise. The former even instinctively cast a Wind Blade spell, but Chen Mobai casually crushed it.

"He's a friend I asked to help," Chen Mobai explained.

"I had the Heaven-Mending Group check the Sky Eyes nearby," Lan Haitan stated, "and we found footage of their departure."

"Take me there!"

Kong Feichen immediately rushed to the window, in front of Lan Haitan, and pleaded with wide eyes.

"You two are too weak." Lan Haitan shook his head, then pointed at Chen Mobai.

"There are two enemies," Chen Mobai said, "and we are exactly two. That's enough."

At this point, Chen Mobai was already in too deep to back out.

"Let's go."

He went to the window, ready to leave with Lan Haitan.

"Please," Kong Feichen earnestly implored the two, "you must bring her back."

Chen Mobai looked at Qing Nu. Her eyes were filled with hope and worry. She wanted her sister to return safely, but she also feared Chen Mobai might encounter danger. In the end, her feelings condensed into one sentence.

"Both of you, please come back safely."

"Take care of her," Chen Mobai instructed Kong Feichen. "We'll be back soon." After instructing Kong Feichen, Chen Mobai and Lan Haitan disappeared directly from the window.

"Aren't we not allowed to fly?"

Carried by Lan Haitan's power of origin magnetism, the two flew through the air, speeding towards a certain location outside the city.

"We are the Heaven-Mending Group," Lan Haitan said casually. "In special circumstances, we can disregard some of the Immortal Sect's rules. We just need to file a report afterward."

"Tell me the truth," Chen Mobai asked, "the opponents must be the two Ascendant Cult members who came to Danxia City with the bald man, right?"

"I wouldn't know about that," Lan Haitan replied. "But I can assure you, I did apprehend an Ascendant Cult member today." That intelligence agent, though a bit weak, was indeed a genuine cultist. Lan Haitan's words were watertight.

"Thank you for being willing to help me."

Seeing that he couldn't get any more information, Chen Mobai could only express his gratitude for now.

"So, about joining the Heaven-Mending Group..."

"Let's talk about it after we bring Yang Jing back," Chen Mobai said. "I'll consider it."

Chen Mobai continued to negotiate. Lan Haitan didn't push too hard; as long as he started considering, there was a chance of success.

"I'm going to speed up."

He intended to demonstrate his strength. His power of origin magnetism erupted fully. Chen Mobai felt the tall buildings and streets below blur into streaks of shadows, like fleeting glimpses of light. In just three short minutes, Lan Haitan, with the two of them, had already left Danxia City.

They continued at lightning speed, as if the earth itself was propelling them forward. After only half an hour, they spotted two figures flying in the sky.

"I'll make the first move to rescue the hostage," Lan Haitan said, briefly outlining his strategy. "You're responsible for catching and protecting her. They'll definitely split up and run when they see me. You don't need to pursue; just protect yourself and the hostage."

Afterwards, Chen Mobai felt as if the vast earth had awakened, trembling with every breath of the Heaven-Mending Group Team Six leader beside him.

"Who's there!"

The two figures in mid-air ahead turned to look. The woman in sunglasses then felt a part of her divine sense being severed, and Yang Jing, who was originally under her control, suddenly slipped away. As if teleporting, Chen Mobai saw Yang Jing, who had suddenly vanished from beside the woman in sunglasses, suddenly fall out of thin air in front of him. He quickly extended his arms and caught her.

"What kind of spell is this?" Chen Mobai asked. "Is it 'Sleight of Hand'?"

Lan Haitan, who was about to demonstrate his power as the foremost Foundation Establishment cultivator, nearly lost control of his breathing upon hearing Chen Mobai's words. He sensed the anger of his invisible deputy. To use a thief's term to describe her proudest skill!

"Oh no," the woman in sunglasses exclaimed from the other side, her face turning pale. "It's Lan Haitan! How is he here?"

"You have the Divine Imperial Pavilion Master's mark," Tuoba Wanyi suddenly asked beside her. "How far can you fight against Lan Haitan?"

"Although I'm not confident I can defeat him," the woman in sunglasses replied, "escaping will be more than enough."

The woman in sunglasses was originally a master at Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer. After receiving the Divine Imperial Pavilion Master's transmission of power, she could elevate her sect's secret arts to the Core Formation level. If it were any other Foundation Establishment opponent, even Fairy Qiongzhi of the Natural Academy, she would be confident in defeating them. But Lan Haitan was the sole exception! This was a combat genius who had cultivated one of the Six Imperial Scriptures and condensed a Golden Core domain even before forming a Core. However, although she might still not be able to defeat him, she felt she could stall him.

"I'll go kill that kid, retrieve the target, and escape," Tuoba Wanyi said. "Before I disappear, you must use all your strength to stall Lan Haitan."

"Alright," the woman replied, "even if I die, I will stall Lan Haitan!"

After formulating the battle plan, the woman took off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of terrifying eyes that had only whites, with no pupils.

"Heaven's will is with me!"

She unleashed the supreme secret technique of her sect. In an instant, lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky, accompanied by fierce winds and torrential rain. With her at the center, she seemed like the master of myriad phenomena, an embodiment of the will of heaven and earth!

"Oh," Lan Haitan said, "do you think you can stop me?"

Lan Haitan was originally a hundred meters away, but in the blink of an eye, he found himself drawn into the celestial phenomena.

"You have become the inner demon of many in our Ascendant Cult," the woman with only eye whites said. "If I can use my life today to drag you into the abyss, I will die content!"

After saying this, the silver fire-mark on the brow of the woman with only eye whites began to burn fiercely. Her aura instantly surged higher and higher: Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer Perfection, Eighth Layer, Ninth Layer, Foundation Establishment Perfection... Then, a trace of dazzling Golden Core radiance even emerged from her Dantian Qi Sea. The already chaotic celestial phenomena erupted several times more fiercely in an instant, surging towards Lan Haitan like a doomsday catastrophe.

"This is a bit troublesome," Lan Haitan muttered, seeing his opponent's state. "I might not be able to take her down without going all out."

Once he went all out, he wouldn't be able to delay his Core Formation anymore. He might have to retire from the Heaven-Mending Group early.

"Do you need me to help him?"

His deputy's voice rang in his ear. Lan Haitan glanced at Tuoba Wanyi in the distance, whose hands had become wings and feet had become giant palms. He sighed faintly.

"You stay by his side and protect him," Lan Haitan replied. "Only intervene when he can't hold on any longer. I might not be able to look after you two from here."

Lan Haitan had originally thought his trip to Danxia City would be a vacation. He didn't expect it to become the catalyst for his unavoidable Core Formation.

"If I make a move," the deputy's voice said, "the lie you told earlier will be exposed."

"There's no other way then," Lan Haitan sighed. "We can't just watch him get killed by the cultist, can we?"

Lan Haitan sighed, his mind now clear of all hesitation. He closed his eyes, then opened them. Amidst a booming tremor, the myriad phenomena of heaven and earth were pierced and torn apart by his gaze. The Kunpeng Dao Academy's most powerful technique, unrivaled across the Thirty-Six Heavenly Grottoes and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, the Six Imperial Scriptures, was about to be unleashed.

And at that very moment, a dazzling, deep purple sword light shot up into the sky nearby, like a divine sword piercing the heavens, silently rending the celestial dome. Wind, rain, thunder, lightning, ice, and cold currents, under this deep purple sword light, were partly dispelled and partially melted.

The three simultaneously turned their heads to look. They saw Chen Mobai holding the awakened Yang Jing in his left arm, while his right hand returned a wooden hairpin to his hair. In front of him, Tuoba Wanyi was being consumed by a streak of purple flame sword light, burning from his brow to his chest. It began to incinerate him from the middle, turning him into two halves of a burning torch, as he fell from the sky in disbelief. However, before he even hit the ground, he was burned to ashes by the purple flames and scattered by the strong winds.

"Do you need my help?" Chen Mobai hesitated for a moment, thinking that slacking off wouldn't be good. He then asked Lan Haitan, who seemed about to engage in a monumental battle not far away.