Chapter 823: Fortresses Are Always Breached from Within

Lu Gang's body plunged into the sea, sinking to the seabed. The Sea-Suppressing Ape dove underwater to retrieve his corpse.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan exchanged glances, both exhaling a sigh of relief.

At this moment, Wang Qingjun also emerged from his residence, his face filled with unwillingness. Clearly, he had been interrupted by an enemy attack.

Wang Changsheng flew down in front of Wang Qingjun and asked with concern, "Qingjun, are you alright?"

Wang Qingjun's mouth was full of bitterness, and he said with a wry smile, "Ninth Uncle, I've lost my chance."

"Heal your injuries first. I have matters to attend to, but I'll come see you later. Trust Ninth Uncle," Wang Changsheng said before flying back to the manor.

Wang Ruyan had already confiscated the belongings of Ye Xuan and the other two. Discovering that two Cloud Sea Sect Core Formation cultivators were among them, she estimated the Cloud Sea Sect had at most one more Core Formation cultivator remaining. If Wang Changsheng and his wife hadn't mastered their secret techniques, they might not have been able to defeat the Cloud Sea Sect in this attack. To cut grass, one must remove the roots, so Wang Changsheng decided to destroy the Cloud Sea Sect and seize the opportunity to acquire wealth.

"Junior Sister Tian, please help look after my family members. We need to go out for a while."

Fairy Ziyue nodded and said, "Be careful. I'll make sure your family members are safe."

Wang Changsheng, Wang Ruyan, and Wang Tianqi left Silver Serpent Island and headed directly towards the Cloud Sea Sect. Assuming the Cloud Sea Sect still had a Core Formation cultivator, they were likely in seclusion or recovering from injuries; otherwise, they would have come together. After all, the Wang family openly had three Core Formation cultivators, and even a lion uses its full strength to catch a rabbit. Regardless, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan were determined to destroy the Cloud Sea Sect.

They used the secret technique "Heavenly Moon Escape Light," moving very quickly.

Chen Tiandong, the Cloud Sea Sect's sect master, had cultivated to the seventh level of Foundation Establishment. As sect master, he didn't need to personally handle every matter; most affairs were managed by several elder deacons.

One day, as he was cultivating in his residence, a series of urgent, high-pitched cries rang out. Chen Tiandong suddenly opened his eyes, his brows furrowed. He took out a communication plate, cast a spell into it, and a panicked male voice abruptly sounded: "Sect Master Brother, something terrible has happened! Elder Liu and Elder Song's soul lamps extinguished almost simultaneously."

A soul lamp is a special magic treasure crafted using secret methods. If a cultivator dies, the soul lamp will extinguish regardless of the distance. However, crafting soul lamps is very difficult, with each lamp costing over a million spirit stones, making them inaccessible to most ordinary forces. The Cloud Sea Sect had paid a significant price to acquire five soul lamps. Originally, two were still lit, but now those two had extinguished, indicating that the Cloud Sea Sect's only two remaining Core Formation cultivators had died.

"What exactly happened? Where did Elder Liu and the others go? How did this suddenly occur?" Chen Tiandong asked with a frown. He had been in seclusion and was unaware of the two Core Formation cultivators' whereabouts.

"We don't know either; Elder Liu didn't say." The Cloud Sea Sect's Core Formation cultivators felt they had victory assured. Since Silver Serpent Island wasn't far from the Cloud Sea Sect, they hadn't informed their disciples. If too many people knew, the news might leak, and even if the Cloud Sea Sect could destroy the Wang family, the Zhang family wouldn't let it go, given their marital ties with the Wang family.

"This matter is not to be spread outside. Seal off all information. Additionally, heighten vigilance and strictly guard against enemy attacks."

"Yes, Sect Master Brother."

Chen Tiandong's brows were tightly furrowed, his mind in a turmoil. The soul lamps of two Core Formation cultivators extinguishing almost simultaneously—could there have been a cultivation deviation? It was impossible for both to encounter problems at the same time. Therefore, they were most likely ambushed and killed in a fight. The Cloud Sea Sect had many enemies.

"Could it be the Wang family from Silver Serpent Island?" A terrifying thought surfaced in Chen Tiandong's mind: if the Wang family truly wiped out the Cloud Sea Sect's Core Formation cultivators, then the next step would be for the Wang family to destroy the Cloud Sea Sect itself.

He had to leave the Cloud Sea Sect as soon as possible. Of course, before escaping, he needed to take a batch of treasures and trusted subordinates as capital for his future endeavors. Without a Core Formation cultivator overseeing the sect, the Cloud Sea Sect certainly couldn't be saved if the Wang family's Core Formation cultivators attacked. In this situation, he could only escape with some wealth and trusted followers.

He changed his hand seals and cast a spell into the communication plate: "Junior Brother Ye, come to my residence. I have something very important to discuss with you."

Not long after, a middle-aged man in his early thirties appeared before Chen Tiandong. This was Ye Bin, one of Chen Tiandong's trusted confidants, who enjoyed his deep trust. However, Ye Bin was greedy for wealth and lustful, having once committed a grave error that, according to sect rules, should have resulted in the annulment of his cultivation. If not for Chen Tiandong's strong advocacy, Ye Bin would have long lost his life. Currently serving in the Deacon Hall, he was unwavering in his loyalty to Chen Tiandong.

Chen Tiandong briefly explained the situation and instructed, "The Wang family's Core Formation cultivators will likely arrive soon. Go bring Senior Brother Sun and the others here. Help me kill them, use their tokens to open the sect treasury, take the wealth, and leave." Although he was the sect master, it didn't mean he could empty the entire sect treasury. The keys to open the treasury were held by three Foundation Establishment cultivators, and all three keys were required to open it. This measure was implemented to prevent anyone from abusing their authority and embezzling the sect's assets.

"Yes, Sect Master Brother," Ye Bin agreed and turned to leave.

Not long after, a loud bang was heard outside. Ye Bin rushed in, his face full of panic: "This is bad, Sect Master Brother, something terrible has happened! Senior Brother Sun and the others have broken in!"

"What?" Chen Tiandong's expression changed drastically. He immediately rushed out with Ye Bin, but before Chen Tiandong could even exit the secret room, he felt a chill in his chest as a sharp sword pierced through him.

"Junior Brother Ye, you..." Chen Tiandong's face was filled with disbelief.

"Sect Master Brother, I apologize. I was cursed with a restriction and forced to take a unique poison by the Wang family cultivators. If I had gone with you, I would have certainly died." Chen Tiandong sighed. It turned out that Ye Bin was one of the spies the Wang family had cultivated. Over the years, he had provided much intelligence to the Wang family, gained considerable wealth, and had even married a female cultivator from their family. He had long been devoted to serving the Wang family wholeheartedly. He was greedy for wealth and women, and the sect's Core Formation cultivators disliked him. Thus, Ye Bin never sought their help to remove the restriction or detoxify himself. The Wang family could give him everything he wanted, so why wouldn't he side with them?

With a flick of his wrist, the sharp sword in his hand churned Chen Tiandong's heart, and Chen Tiandong collapsed to the ground. "Better the poor Taoist dies than a fellow Taoist. Senior Brother Chen, don't blame me; I had no other choice."

Ye Bin let out a soft sigh, put away his flying sword, searched Chen Tiandong's body for valuables, and then quickly headed outside. He intended to present a grand gift to the Wang family, while also securing a path for himself.

Using Chen Tiandong's authority, Ye Bin summoned the disciple guarding the soul lamps and killed him. This ensured the Cloud Sea Sect would continue to operate normally; no one would know the Wang family was coming to attack, nor would they realize that a major catastrophe had already befallen the sect.