The Quest for Immortality Chapter 2231: Traitor (3)

During the entire Sword Discussion, he never clashed with Mo Hua and held no grudge against him personally.

Thus, his perspective remained fairly impartial.

His desire to eliminate Mo Hua didn't stem from any private animosity.

Rather, it arose from the fact that Mo Hua's sly and bizarre "survival" abilities posed a significant threat.

On this brutal Asura Battlefield, failing to act decisively and take out Mo Hua soon could allow him to truly "endure" all the way to the finish.

Such an outcome would be completely absurd.

Being a premier Heavenly Pride Disciple among the Eight Great Gates, Ye Qingfeng's statements were readily embraced by fellow Eight Gates members.

His power also granted him the authority to discuss matters with the Heavenly Pride Disciples from the Four Great Sects.

As a result, his opinions gained "universal agreement."

"For now, at least locate the Taixu Gate folks..."

"Agreed."

...

The Heavenly Pride Disciples of various sects scattered, intersecting as they moved like a "net," scouring the whole Asura Battlefield—from every blade of grass to every mound and gorge.

Divine Sense swept across repeatedly.

Their stares pierced with remarkable accuracy.

They even deployed concealed Spiritual Artifacts.

Yet, oddly, no trace of Mo Hua appeared.

No sign of Taixu Gate showed up either.

The group muttered curses under their breath while pressing on with the hunt.

Worry started to brew among the participants.

The deadlock was fueling their frustration too.

"Where on earth is Mo Hua concealed?"

"Slippery as a specter..."

"Curses, how much longer will this drag on?"

...

Besides, this Asura Battlefield decided personal destinies and sect gains. Inevitably, amid the impasse, certain individuals grew restless.

They did yearn to slay Mo Hua.

However, if slaying Mo Hua proved impossible, things shifted.

They recalled this was fundamentally a sword discussion, where disciples from other sects were foes.

They couldn't derail the sect's vital objectives just for a single "Mo Hua."

The so-called Tu Mo "alliance" amounted to mere "spoken promises," which nobody truly honored.

Particularly when sect benefits hung in the balance.

Slowly, doubts crept into some minds.

Balancing Mo Hua against sect priorities, they recognized the priorities clearly.

Across the Four Sects, Eight Gates, and Twelve Streams, not all bore deep hatred for Mo Hua.

Furthermore, hidden among them were "insiders" backed by Mo Hua.

In the Sever Gold Sect lineup.

Song Jian addressed the head Sever Gold Sect disciple, "Song Kui, time to begin the slaughter."

Song Kui paused in surprise.

As the mightiest disciple of this batch from Sever Gold Sect and their leader, he still respected Song Jian's status—thanks to his solid family ties and standout performance at the Sword Discussion Conference, which won elder approval.

Hence, he couldn't brush off Song Jian's suggestion.

Though...

Begin the killing?

Target who?

Song Kui pieced together Song Jian's intent and furrowed his brow, "This...feels off."

Song Jian replied, "On an Asura Battlefield like this, in tense situations, you need to act boldly and without scruples."

"But what about Mo Hua..."

"With so many hunting Mo Hua, missing one from Sever Gold Sect changes nothing."

Song Kui remained undecided.

Song Jian added, "Remember, Sever Gold Sect sits at the bottom of the Eight Gates right now."

"The top sects won't yield their spots to us."

"Even slaying Mo Hua and implicating Taixu Gate won't alter our standing."

"Our true rivals are the sects just one or two ranks above."

"We must crush them to rise..."

"Rise first, then deal with Taixu Gate, then pursue Mo Hua. Without rising, it's all for naught..."

Song Kui, ever the realist, saw a fierce glint in his eyes and agreed with a nod:

"Fine, let's strike!"

Song Kui charged ahead, Song Jian gripping his Spirit Sword, as they guided the Sever Gold Sect disciples in a stealthy pursuit of Mo Hua's location.

Shortly after, they ran into the Purple Mist Sect.

Song Kui approached with greetings.

As Purple Mist Sect let their guard down, Song Jian abruptly unsheathed his sword—flaring with golden radiance—and struck at a Purple Mist Sect disciple.

The rest of Sever Gold Sect piled on with attacks.

Purple Mist Sect, unprepared for the assault, suffered two deaths, three grave wounds, and seven or eight minor injuries.

The Purple Mist Sect's leading Heavenly Pride erupted in rage and shouted:

"Sever Gold Sect, what treachery is this?"

Song Jian smirked, "It's a sword discussion—what else?"

Wielding his sword, he rallied his comrades into a fierce skirmish against Purple Mist Sect.

Purple Mist Sect fell another two members.

However, as one of the Eight Gates, Purple Mist Sect swiftly regrouped and fought back against Sever Gold Sect.

Tensions escalated rapidly.

Realizing the odds weren't in their favor, Song Jian opted not to drag it out, pulled back swiftly, and commanded:

"Fall back!"

Sever Gold Sect followers withdrew alongside him.

Purple Mist Sect burned with fury, yet weakened by the Sever Gold Sect ambush, they refrained from chasing and could only glare as Sever Gold Sect departed.

Beyond the battlefield.

Purple Mist Sect elders denounced Sever Gold Sect's despicable tactics.

In contrast, Sever Gold Sect elders nodded in satisfaction, commending:

"I wasn't wrong about Song Jian; he truly possesses that resolve..."

"Unswayed by animosity, clear-headed, focused on the broader view, adept at grabbing chances, and merciless in execution—swift and thorough without hesitation, he's invaluable!"

"Such a mentality surpasses even Spiritual Root quality."

"Sever Gold Sect is blessed to count him among us!"

...

At the same time, within the sword discussion arena.

The Sever Gold Sect's surprise attack on Purple Mist Sect sparked widespread uproar and caught the eye of other sects.

Qin Cangliu from Gui Water Sect observed the events and knitted his brows in thought.

Just then, a Gui Water Sect disciple approached and murmured:

"Senior Brother Qin, with Sever Gold Sect starting the kills, maybe we ought to..."

He sliced the air horizontally with his hand.

Qin Cangliu eyed this unremarkable-looking disciple and remembered his identity:

Wang Chen.

Wang Chen possessed middling aptitude, yet his connections were strong, weaving a solid web inside Gui Water Sect.

Evidently, Gui Water Sect had faced a big shake-up from the Rouge Boat affair.

Leveraging ties in the Taoist Court, Wang Chen traded favors, steadily carving out a place in Gui Water Sect and earning respect.

Building on that fame, Wang Chen assembled a squad and qualified for the Earth-tier sword discussion.

Of course, Earth-tier proved tough; Wang Chen's group secured scant victories, and without the Asura Battlefield, he wouldn't have shone.

Qin Cangliu held little regard for Wang Chen.

Still, he wasn't daft enough to antagonize him.

As the proverb warns, confronting Yama is simpler than handling imps.

Wang Chen embodied that vexing "imp."

Well-linked, with shadowy alliances.

You can never predict the influential figures these minor players connect with in secret.

Crossing them risks sudden pitfalls and mishaps.

Yet Qin Cangliu wouldn't blindly heed Wang Chen's counsel.

He mulled it over quietly.

Wang Chen's gaze shifted as he continued: "Senior Brother Qin, Mo Hua is a despicable sort who merits death...but in this scenario, Gui Water Sect fares no better than Sever Gold Sect."

"Should Sever Gold Sect advance, Gui Water Sect drops to last place."

"If we don't act fast, even killing Mo Hua won't aid Gui Water Sect."

"Plus..."

Wang Chen gestured skyward and added in a low voice: "This sword discussion draws crowds of elites, particularly from the Taoist Court and its officials."

"Word on the street is Mo Hua links to the Gu Family in the Taoist Court, and even the Taoist Court inspector."

"In a sword discussion, if Senior Brother Qin genuinely eliminates Mo Hua, the higher-ups won't object."

"But if chasing Mo Hua delays us and drops Gui Water Sect to the Eight Gates' bottom, I'm worried..."

Wang Chen trailed off.

Qin Cangliu grasped the implications well.

After a brief reflection, his eyes turned icy, and he shot Wang Chen a look: "What's your plan?"

Wang Chen clasped his hands deferentially: "Senior Qin, self-awareness matters; lacking top talent, I focus on building ties and friendships."

"I'm sharing this to offer goodwill and get to know you."

"Besides, as Gui Water Sect brethren, we rise or fall together; I naturally prioritize our sect."

Qin Cangliu's stare pierced as he assessed Wang Chen.

Wang Chen maintained a modest grin, his demeanor steady.

Qin Cangliu gave a faint nod: "Fine then, we'll commence the killing as well..."