Chapter 1687: One Qi Transforms into Three Purities

“You’re right to admonish me, Brother Wang. The main reason is your incredibly high cultivation, and this is your True Yang Sect’s territory. I, Li, had no choice but to resort to this inferior tactic, and I feel quite ashamed in my heart.” Li Changsheng’s face showed deep remorse, clearly indicating he also felt this method was somewhat despicable.

Wang Wuxie snorted coldly: “You speak grandly, but your actions are vile. Li Changsheng, how can you still pursue the Great Dao like this? In this life, you are destined to never achieve immortality.”

Li Changsheng’s expression remained calm: “Throughout history, how many have achieved immortality? It’s perfectly normal for me not to.”

Witnessing his impassive reaction, Wang Wuxie felt like he was punching cotton. “How on earth did you get Yan Xuehen’s personal letter? That even I couldn’t detect a flaw?”

This was what puzzled him the most, and why he had fallen for it so easily.

Li Changsheng seemed surprised: “You don’t suspect Junior Sister Yan is in league with us?”

Wang Wuxie replied coldly: “How could Fairy Yan, so transcendent and refined, possibly stoop to colluding with you?”

Never in his life had Wang Wuxie admired a woman so much; he had absolute confidence in his judgment.

Li Changsheng mused, “Everyone says you, Wang Wuxie, are infatuated with Junior Sister Yan, and seeing you today, it’s clear they’re right. Indeed, this letter was not written by Junior Sister Yan. Instead, I pieced it together by taking individual characters from her usual correspondence. Although the letter wasn’t composed by Junior Sister Yan, every single character was written by her own hand, which is why you couldn’t detect any flaws.”

Only as a fellow disciple of White Jade Capital could he obtain so much of Yan Xuehen’s handwriting without arousing suspicion.

At this moment, Xuan Bajing couldn't help but laugh: “Actually, the letter wasn’t without flaws; after all, it was pieced together. At first, I worried you were too shrewd to fall for it, but I never expected you’d still be ensnared in the end. Now it seems, Wang Wuxie, you’re not as clever as the legends say.”

“For other matters, Brother Wang is quite intelligent, but when it comes to Fairy Yan, he’s not so clever,” Guan Chouhai chuckled. “Men are foolish. When it involves a beloved woman, even if there are obvious inconsistencies or flaws, they’ll deceive themselves.”

Wang Wuxie felt a loss of face: “Guan Chouhai, you have the nerve to say that about me? For years, you’ve been fawning over Yan Xuehen, trailing after her like a lapdog. I could never do such a thing.”

He prided himself on being quite dignified and had never pestered Yan Xuehen relentlessly. In contrast, Guan Chouhai had behaved like a clown, jumping through hoops for her.

Guan Chouhai retorted angrily: “I can’t stand your self-righteousness, caring about your ‘face’ while pursuing a woman! As the saying goes, even a good woman can be worn down by persistence. How many words have you exchanged with Yan Xuehen over the years, compared to how many I have? I’m afraid she’s far more familiar with me in her heart, isn’t she?”

“So, you, Wang, truly lack self-awareness. If Yan Xuehen were truly to fall for anyone, it would only be me. Why would she arrange a late-night rendezvous with someone as dull as you?”

“Shameless!” Wang Wuxie couldn't even be bothered to get angry with him. He knew Yan Xuehen’s temperament best; how could she possibly be interested in someone like Guan Chouhai?

Guan Chouhai felt the disdain in his eyes and immediately couldn't stand it. He clamored to settle their dispute with a fight.

Xuan Bajing couldn't bear to watch any longer: “Brother Guan, serious matters are at hand. Stop bickering over trifles!”

Guan Chouhai looked awkward but still refocused.

Feeling the auras of several people secretly locking onto him, Wang Wuxie grew anxious. He decided to buy some time: “There’s one thing I don’t understand. Although I haven’t been exceedingly kind to you all these years, I certainly haven’t bullied you either, have I? Why are you joining forces against me today?”

As he spoke, his eyes darted around, observing his surroundings. A barrier had secretly been erected nearby, meaning any fighting would likely not be heard outside. Realizing this, alerting the True Yang Sect members was probably impossible. He could only devise a way to break out himself.

Li Changsheng sighed: “Brother Wang, you’ve enjoyed great success these past years. Naturally, you wouldn’t understand our suffering.”

Xuan Bajing snorted: “Remember, in the past, our Kunlun Void was the leader of the Daoist sects. These past years, we’ve been oppressed and dismembered by the imperial court to such an extent. Only you, a lackey who curried favor with the court, have prospered. The other eight sects have all been miserable.”

Wang Wuxie’s heart stirred: “It seems you intend to rebel.”

He knew the Emperor was coming to Purple Mountain for the Fengshan ceremony. For them to attack him at this very moment, it was clear they were targeting the Emperor.

“Brother Wang is indeed clever,” Li Changsheng nodded approvingly. “If you agree to cooperate with us, Brother Wang, our nine Daoist sects can stand united and confront Zhao Hao together.”

“Even if I agreed now, would you trust me?” Wang Wuxie, of course, wouldn't be swayed by a casual remark.

Li Changsheng smiled faintly: “Of course, Brother Wang would need to show some sincerity.”

Wang Wuxie didn’t ask what this ‘sincerity’ entailed. It would be nothing more than temporarily sealing his meridians or surrendering. There was no way he would agree to that.

“Was Peng Wuyan from Kongming Island captured by you?” he asked directly. Everyone had been searching for Peng Wuyan for days to no avail. No one knew who possessed such formidable power to abduct an accomplished disciple with significant cultivation so silently amidst the numerous masters on Purple Mountain.

Li Changsheng shook his head slightly: “We don’t know what happened either. It seems there’s another formidable figure hidden on Purple Mountain.”

“How many sects are involved in this?” Wang Wuxie asked again, thinking that if all eight other sects were involved, the entire True Yang Sect might face annihilation.

Li Changsheng stroked his beard and smiled: “Brother Wang, you’ll find out once you join us.”

Xuan Bajing grew impatient: “Why are we wasting words with him? He’s clearly just stalling for time.”

Guan Chouhai, however, looked relaxed: “Let him stall if he wants to. He’s been poisoned anyway; the longer he waits, the deeper the poison will seep in.”

Wang Wuxie had actually felt his vision blur slightly moments ago. Recalling the white smoke he had just inhaled, he frowned and asked, “What kind of poison did you use?”

Given his cultivation level, ordinary poisons shouldn’t have any effect on him.

“Brother Wang, your cultivation is too high. We’ll tell you after you’ve been completely subdued.” Guan Chouhai chuckled triumphantly, clearly delighted to see his greatest romantic rival in such a predicament. Normally, this fellow always acted so superior, but now he’s finally gotten his comeuppance.

Just then, Wang Wuxie made his move. He knew that if he delayed any longer, he would become increasingly disadvantaged.

At the same time, the other three also struck. Given their respective statuses, they would ordinarily never join forces against an enemy. However, firstly, Wang Wuxie was incredibly powerful, and secondly, today’s matter was of immense importance. Should they fail, no one could bear the consequences.

Soon, the four became embroiled in a fierce battle. Divine radiance flashed across the field, each person unleashing their most formidable skills. Everywhere, energy collisions resulted in annihilation. Even a Grandmaster passing by would have their meridians shattered and die from the terrifying aftershocks.

In just a few breaths, the four had exchanged dozens of blows. Each exchange was perilous, with life and death hanging in the balance with every lapse in concentration.

A moment later, the figures separated again. Wang Wuxie stood in the center, panting heavily. He had several injuries, and his hair was no longer as refined and neat as usual. Clearly, he was not lightly wounded.

The other three had shifted their positions, their robes torn in places, indicating they too had sustained injuries.

Li Changsheng sighed in admiration: “They used to say you were the foremost person in the Daoist sects, and we were somewhat unconvinced. But seeing you today, we are truly convinced.”

It should be noted that they were all sect masters, usually on equal footing with Wang Wuxie. Yet, even with a surprise attack and a three-on-one advantage, they still couldn’t subdue him. This showed how terrifying his strength was.

Wang Wuxie, however, knew his own difficulties. The reason he could hold his own against three opponents was primarily because the three of them lacked coordination and didn't fully trust each other. They held back some strength during the fight, guarding against a sudden ambush from their own allies. This was the only reason he could barely hold on.

But he knew that his three opponents could make countless mistakes, while a single mistake from him would lead to utter ruin.

Moreover, he felt the poison beginning to erode his meridians. His vital energy was gradually becoming sluggish throughout his body. If this continued, defeat was inevitable.

With this thought, he ceased to prolong the fight. He suddenly let out a loud shout, and his figure instantly split into three, charging out in three different directions.

“One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones?” Li Changsheng and the others were greatly alarmed. They couldn’t tell which of the figures was real.