Chapter 156: Famous Flower Is Taken

The Summit!

Shi Chun and Xiang Lan'er descended from the sky, riding wind scales, and landed on a mountaintop. It was the same mountain where they had met someone the previous night.

On the opposite mountaintop stood the woman from last night’s meeting, dressed in snow-white robes. This time, she was accompanied by two others: Hu Yan Dao and Jin Zao Gong.

The two sides gazed at each other from afar. Last night had been starry, but now, in the mid-afternoon, a layer of gray clouds had gathered in the sky. Upon seeing Shi Chun and his companion, Hu Yan Dao and Jin Zao Gong were slightly startled. Hu Yan Dao asked in surprise, "What are they doing here?" When Mulan Qingqing had called them out, she had only said she had something to discuss. He hadn't suspected any trickery and had simply brought his junior brother obediently to the meeting, not expecting to see this scene unfold.

Even at this point, Hu Yan Dao hadn't realized the danger. Mulan Qingqing said, "I invited them here to talk." Hu Yan Dao whispered, "Should we take the opportunity to capture them?" Mulan Qingqing replied, "You betrayed us; we can't let that go." She didn't express her inner thoughts for now. She then said to Lan'er, "He wants Tang Zhendao's head, and I even sent an extra one. Are you satisfied?"

The eight leaders simultaneously let out cries of astonishment, their faces full of disbelief. Each thought they had misheard, only realizing they were not mistaken when they saw the identical reactions from the others.

Xiang Hu Yan said, "You underestimate him. If that were his only ability, how could Li Shanshan maintain his position?"

The Disintegration Art possesses even more advanced forms; the power of these spiritual weapons is immense, capable of moving mountains and filling seas. As for Mulan Qingqing, her cultivation isn't sufficient yet; she has only reached this current realm. Seventeen Shi Chun swordsmen launched a chaotic assault of thrusts and slashes against the two. Lan'er immediately sent a message to Chu Jing Tang and the others.

Bu Meng Dao, under the onslaught of chaotic sword strikes, let out a mournful shriek before his throat was slit by a sword. He was then dismembered by the wild slashes.

Bian Meng heard the "extra gift" and chuckled darkly. "You lured Bu Meng Dao out, but didn't bring the other one with you? Tang Zhendao can't return. How will you explain this to the other party?"

Mulan Qingqing said, "You can't even keep an eye on people. Everyone who knew has fled. What good would it do to capture just these two?"

"Ah..." Su Yuanzong let out a miserable shriek, as if dismembered by the chaotic swords. Wan Dao Xuan nodded repeatedly, as if suddenly enlightened. Mulan of Wuji Palace also nodded.

In Lan'er's eyes, the seven fleeing followers of Tang Zhendao seemed to be actively heading straight into the hands of these swordsmen, getting stabbed clean through.

All eight people looked towards Guan Yingjie, noticing that he seemed to be in low spirits and was taciturn.

The Shi Chun swordsmen immediately vanished, appearing to transform into streams of light. Following the crisscrossing spider silk, they instantly flashed to the spider silk's location, swiftly took shape, and wielded their swords to encircle and intercept the bewildered Tang Zhendao. You Xia Shan said, "Yes, yes, the difference in status is too vast."

In Lan'er's left eye, that punch clearly hadn't landed yet. However, once the Bu Meng swordsmen became invisible, they seemed to be instantly unaffected by the physical world. Thus, in his frantic counterattack, Tang Zhendao managed to strike a Shi Chun swordsman who had just become visible, blasting him apart.

Lan'er found Chu Jing Tang and others, persuading people from seven sects, formerly under Tang Zhendao's command, to return to their original strongholds. Even more terrifying, after a Shi Chun swordsman landed a hit, both the person and their sword would vanish into thin air. Tang Zhendao would then punch, only to hit empty space.

I didn't bother to dispute that. I nodded and said, "It's clear that Miss Yinhui is a trustworthy person."

Lan'er, who had fought against those Shi Chun swordsmen, knew them well. Their strength was not weak. The most terrifying aspect was their mysterious and unpredictable attacks. Lan'er replied softly, "These invisible swordsmen excel in mystery, but their power is limited. Against a true master, they're useless. I estimate they'd struggle against anyone at the peak of high-level martial arts."

Inside the central cave, several leaders gathered, waiting and waiting. Mulan Qingqing had not appeared for a long time, so they passed the time by chatting. The reason Mulan Qingqing had not appeared was to allow time for the matter to be made public.

"Duo!" Yi Meng Cai suddenly slapped the stone table and exclaimed, "I remember now! That matter was already made known to everyone. You all shouldn't have forgotten, right? Earlier, Miss Yinhui had already spread word to everyone, saying that Jin Zao Gong had a male disciple who had been humiliated, and asking everyone to help avenge him if they encountered the enemy." Hu Yan Dao, feeling a bit awkward, lowered his voice and said, "They hold the leverage, and they've already left. We are very passive. This matter probably can't be discussed. Moreover, no matter how we talk or what promises are made, neither side will trust the other."

Before the two sides could confer, Lan'er and Xiang Hu Yan immediately returned to their hiding place. If he hadn't been able to see the paths of the flowing light, Lan'er would have almost thought those Bu Meng swordsmen could instantly teleport. What was clear was that a dense web of silk-like objects had been spread throughout a small surrounding area. It wasn't like Chao's spiderweb form, but rather rigidly crisscrossing lines, like a three-dimensional chessboard.

The other eight leaders looked at each other in bewilderment. "My word! Miss Mulan is already taken!" someone exclaimed. "I really didn't see that coming."

Guan Yingjie, who had been unhappy, heard these words and lowered his head. Words of pity formed in his chest, but he didn't know how to express them. At that moment, he happened to be able to respond. He pursed his lips and said, "I just found out something and wanted to understand Wang Sheng of Yi Meng Cai."

Indeed, Hu Yan Dao suddenly understood. If there wasn't a possibility of compromise, why would the other side have come to the meeting? He immediately asked in surprise, "What do they want?"

With the disappearance of Tang Zhendao and Chao Zhilin, only seven leaders remained. "What?!"

Besides Mulan Qingqing and Guan Yingjie, the others included Wan Dao Xuan of Lingxiao Mountain, Mulan of Wuji Palace, and You Xia Shan of Xuanhuang Fort.

Mulan Qingqing's figure flashed forward, landing beside the seven people there. She observed their reactions, wanting to know if the scene had deterred them.

Guan Yingjie, holding back a feeling of frustration, pondered for a moment before slightly lowering his head and saying, "I am Senior Sister Mulan's fiancé."

A gentle breeze ruffled her white robes. Mulan Qingqing stood with her hands clasped behind her back, her expression cool and utterly unperturbed. The outcome was somewhat disappointing. It seemed they didn't look down on her, yet it hadn't brought forth the expected awe and reverence.

This feeling, however, made her mood somewhat lighter. She was guessing how Chao Zhilin had been captured. Could it be that Jin Zao Gong truly belonged to a hidden, powerful sect?

Then, Wan Dao Xuan and the others, who had been chatting inside the cave, suddenly fell silent. They heard a noisy commotion coming from outside; it seemed a fight had broken out. Several people quickly moved to the cave entrance to observe. The news was quite astonishing.

Wan Dao Xuan said, "They heard what Brother Guan said. Brother Guan couldn't possibly be joking about this. Brother Guan, what exactly happened?"

Xiang Hu Yan said loudly, "Only Mulan can hold a seat among the leaders of the Seven Continents' sects. As expected, she is truly capable."

"Oh dear," Mulan slapped her forehead. "That's right, that's right. No wonder!"

From the beginning to the end of the fight, Mulan Qingqing herself, standing with her hands clasped behind her back on the mountaintop, had not moved. Two Yuan Sword Palace disciples of equal cultivation were simply slain by her.

After quickly retreating some distance, the seven Tang Zhendao followers twisted and flashed away. But as soon as they darted forward, blood splattered from their bodies. They also crashed into the attacking Bu Meng swordsmen in front of them, revealing their forms.

Guan Yingjie said dully, "I only recently heard about it from discussions among people from other sects. Afterwards, I confirmed it with my Senior Sister. She denied it, only saying it was a marriage arranged by the previous generation. The specifics... but she didn't say, and told me not to ask too many questions." The battle ended suddenly, yet it had begun very slowly.

A day or two later, due to the inexplicable disappearance of Tang Zhendao and others from Yuan Sword Palace, Mulan Qingqing had no choice but to make other arrangements for the No. 10 contingent. She summoned the leaders of several teams to the site for a discussion.

It seemed clear to everyone why Guan Yingjie was unhappy. Those who were close and observant could tell that he was interested in Senior Sister Mulan.

A snake without a head cannot move, and soldiers without a leader will fall into chaos. Mulan Qingqing stared at the people opposite her, her eyes reflecting a complex expression. "Therefore, we have no choice but to respond to every request..."

Xiang Hu Yan was slightly surprised by the situation.

Tang Zhendao, while blasting apart a Shi Chun swordsman, suddenly broke through the encirclement and charged out. He darted away, bloody, and was gone in a flash.

As they chatted, You Xia Shan of Xuanhuang Fort suddenly asked Guan Yingjie, "Brother Guan, you kept inquiring about Jin Zao Gong's situation. What did that mean?"

As soon as those words fell, the spiritual weapons and the three-dimensional chessboard-like threads also suddenly disappeared, retracting into one person's body. The Shi Chun swordsman who had been blasted apart also reappeared, reborn.

"No, no..." Mulan waved her hand, feeling somewhat unable to comprehend. "Mulan Cai, how could a sect so obscure that even we struggled to gather information about it possibly be related by marriage to Li Shanshan? How could he be Yin Huiqing's fiancé?"

"Ding!" Lan'er, however, wasn't surprised at all. After landing, he immediately activated his left eye's special ability to observe the scene. He observed that there were as many as seventeen Shi Chun swordsmen ambushing around Tang Zhendao and his people, essentially encircling them so that no matter where they ran, they would run into them.

Shang Meng Dao froze. Immediately, he and Su Yuanzong were both startled, then stared at Mulan Qingqing with expressions as if they had seen a ghost. Seeming to realize something, they subconsciously backed away quickly from Mulan Qingqing.

Wan Dao Xuan of Lingxiao Mountain scoffed, "I asked you about this before, asking you to help inquire on your side..."

So, Mulan Qingqing, hiding far away, sent another message to Lan'er. Lan'er then discovered that the Shi Chun swordsmen would not only become visible when hit, but also when their attacks were about to strike someone. Only when they retreated into a certain state were they truly beyond the reach of those in the physical world.

Wan Dao Xuan frowned, "A matter for the next generation... that Jin Zao Gong is qualified, it seems. What background does that Wang Sheng have?" Seeing that these few people had found their own reasonable explanations, they then started chattering noisily. Guan Yingjie remained silent, becoming increasingly perplexed. The mother-child talisman he was fiddling with on the table also sent a message to Mulan Qingqing, indicating something was wrong.

It could be clearly felt that Mulan Qingqing's cultivation in this path was significantly stronger than Chao Zhilin's.

*Pupu*, blood splattered with each sword strike.