Chapter 3232: The Suspicious Bian Hong

Tiamu Island, a secluded manor.

Bian Hong sat in a stone pavilion, his expression grim.

Bi Dong knelt on the ground, pale and trembling.

Bian Yun, Bian Lei, and a burly man in a golden robe stood by, their expressions indifferent.

“Senior Bian, I swear every word I’m saying is true; I’m not deceiving you at all. Wu Ku made me use Immortal Bingxi’s cave dwelling as a pretext to lure and capture Madam Bian. Wu Hao implanted the Heart-Devouring Worm in me. If I defy his orders, I'll die immediately, so I truly couldn't refuse. However, I’ve already planned to find a way to stall and won't actually lead Madam Bian to Immortal Bingxi’s cave dwelling. Please, for the sake of our Rong Clan’s long-standing loyalty, spare me this time!” Bi Dong kowtowed and begged for mercy, tears and snot streaming down his face.

Wu Ku’s plan was meticulously crafted. He believed luring Bian Yun would be straightforward, and with her help, the Zhou Clan could navigate gracefully between the Tiamu Clan and the Wu Clan, playing both sides. The plan's feasibility was quite high. Who would have thought that the matter would alarm the Tiamu Clan’s Integration Stage cultivators?

“Cooperate with me obediently, let this old man perform soul-searching, and I can spare your life,” Bian Hong said gravely. His right hand glowed with dazzling spiritual light as he pressed it towards Bi Dong’s head. Bi Dong dared not evade and cooperated willingly.

A moment later, Bian Hong retracted his hand, looked at Bian Yun, and said in a deep voice, “It’s a good thing this old man found out about this; otherwise, you would have either betrayed the clan or been killed.”

“Hmph, you traitor! I’ve been friends with you for years, and you colluded with Wu Clan cultivators to harm me? I’ll send you on your way.” Bian Yun snorted coldly, her face filled with murderous intent, and was about to move to kill Bi Dong.

“Hold on. Since he cooperated honestly, spare his life for now. Wu Hao’s target might not necessarily be you.” Bian Hong stopped Bian Yun.

Bian Yun was close to Bian Lei, so Wu Ku’s true target might be Bian Lei. Turning Bian Yun might have just been a ruse to deceive Bi Dong; how could Wu Hao reveal his real intentions to Bi Dong? The Tiamu Clan had killed Wu Clan cultivators, so Wu Shan might be seeking revenge. Luring Bian Yun was likely false, while eliminating Bian Lei was the true objective. As for Immortal Bingxi’s cave dwelling, that was merely an excuse.

“You will come with this old man on a trip. If we capture Wu Zao alive, I will spare your life. Bian Yun, you go along too; we need to see this act through completely.” Bian Hong instructed, wanting to get to the bottom of the matter, hoping his suspicions weren't unfounded.

Bi Dong and Bian Yun readily agreed and left Tiamu Island with Bian Hong.

An uninhabited island, hundreds of miles in size, was densely covered with vegetation. The spiritual energy there was sparse, and high-level cultivators rarely stayed.

In a hidden underground cave, Wang Yonghao and two other individuals gathered, their expressions solemn.

“They’re coming, and there are quite a few of them,” said a portly man in a green robe.

“Be careful. If we can’t lure Bian Yun, killing these Void Refinement cultivators will also suffice. Consider it revenge for Daoist Shang,” Wang Yonghao said gravely.

Luring Bian Yun was merely a pretense for Bi Dong. To the Wu Clan high-ups, Wang Yonghao's explanation was about inserting spies; if that wasn't possible, then killing a few Tiamu Clan Void Refinement cultivators to avenge their fallen clansmen would be acceptable. In the eyes of the Wu Clan high-ups, luring and killing a few Tiamu Clan Void Refinement cultivators was no big deal, and they readily agreed.

With a thunderous roar, the cave they were in shattered, and large quantities of rubble fell, crashing down upon them.

“Damn it, Bi Dong betrayed us! Activate the Heart-Devouring Worm to kill him!” Wang Yonghao said with a frown, conjuring a treasure to destroy the falling rubble, as dust filled the air.

Bian Hong and over a dozen other cultivators stood high in the sky, their expressions varied.

“An Integration Stage cultivator!” The man in green robes exclaimed in shock.

Wang Yonghao’s pupils contracted. A Tiamu Clan Integration Stage cultivator had personally taken action! Immortal Bingxi was most likely killed by the Tiamu Clan; otherwise, given Bian Yun’s status, an Integration Stage cultivator wouldn't have come in person.

“Retreat quickly!” Wang Yonghao roared. With a flick of his right hand, a large swathe of golden-glowing sand shot out, transforming into a gigantic sand dragon that lunged towards Bian Hong and the others. A small green Conjoined Cicada also flew out. Two Wu Clan cultivators fled in different directions at high speed.

Bian Lei flicked his sleeve, and five small, golden-glowing mirrors shot out, radiating astonishing spiritual energy. As he chanted an incantation, countless golden electric arcs surged from the surfaces of the five golden mirrors. With a flash of golden light, five thick golden lightning bolts shot out, heading straight for Wang Yonghao and his companions.

Bian Yun and the others all made their moves, attacking Wang Yonghao and his companions.

Wang Yonghao chanted under his breath, and profound runes emerged on his body—it was a form of witchcraft. He absolutely couldn't be captured alive, or Cui Yao would also be exposed, and this would also help cover Bian Yun. All sorts of memories from the past flashed through his mind: his family's wild joy when his spiritual root was detected, his curiosity during outdoor missions, his high spirits holding important positions in the secret hall, his apprehension traveling to the Azure Glaze Sea, the relief of successfully performing the Spirit Fusion Grand Art…

The golden lightning struck the yellow sand dragon, causing its body to explode into countless yellow grains of sand. The golden lightning then hit the Conjoined Cicada, which instantly turned to ash, leaving not a trace.

Bian Hong snorted coldly, and a golden beam shot from his vertical eye, heading straight for Wang Yonghao. Wang Yonghao was hit by the golden light and stood motionless, but a sanguine flame surged from his body, and his aura rapidly weakened.

“Bloodflame Spirit Annihilation Art!” Bian Hong frowned. This was a unique curse from the Wu Clan, a spell performed by burning one’s own vital blood.

The Seven Star Soul Annihilation Arrow was a secret art only Integration Stage cultivators could perform, while the Bloodflame Spirit Annihilation Art was a witchcraft spell that Void Refinement cultivators could use. The former was more powerful. Wang Yonghao, using the Bloodflame Spirit Annihilation Art, could at most kill other Void Refinement cultivators, but not an Integration Stage cultivator. Having used this secret art, Wang Yonghao would not survive; even if he were to be controlled by the enemy, he would still perish.

The sanguine flame on Wang Yonghao’s body flared intensely, and his body shriveled at a visible rate. Bound by the golden light, he couldn't break free.

Bian Hong frowned. Although the chance of a Void Refinement cultivator harming him was negligible, he still didn't want to perform soul-searching on Wu Hao to prevent any hidden traps. Besides, there wasn't just one Wu Clan cultivator; others might know the truth.

Wang Yonghao vanished into ash on the spot, leaving no trace.

By this time, Bian Lei and the others had captured two Wu Clan cultivators and performed soul-searching on them, learning the full story.

Wu Hao was seeking revenge for his clansmen. Luring Bian Yun was only one objective; if the capture failed, they would resort to killing. Fabricating the tale of Immortal Bingxi’s cave dwelling was meant to attract more Tiamu Clan Void Refinement cultivators to seek treasure, thereby allowing them to kill more of them.

Having uncovered the truth, Bian Hong breathed a sigh of relief. It appeared Wu Ku was unaware that Immortal Bingxi had been killed by the Tiamu Clan. This operation was merely planned for revenge for his clansmen. Fortunately, Bian Hong had seen through it, otherwise Bian Yun and the others would have perished.

If Wu Shan hadn't set up an ambush here, Bian Hong would have suspected Bian Yun was lying. As it turned out, Bian Yun was also a victim.

“Let’s go! We’re heading back! No one is to speak of this!” Bian Hong said gravely, leading Bian Yun and the others away. As for Bi Dong, he naturally couldn't be spared.