C4 Borrowing a Knife to Kill Someone!

Half an hour ago, Qian Xiaoruo, Zhao Mingli, Zhuge Ming, Zhou Li, and 15 Elite Disciples above the eighth level of the Qi Refining Stage set out from the city's west gate. Murong Ye, short and stout with a ruddy complexion that accentuated his rough demeanor, chuckled, "Boss, should we round up the brothers and stir things up a bit? I'd love to join Appropriate Prosperity City's most beautiful woman for a dip in the Boiling Spring."

Murong Yin, tall and gaunt with a sullen expression like a looming storm cloud, offered little response, merely letting out a cold snort.

Undeterred, Murong Ye's smile persisted as he rambled on, "Zhuge Ming and Zhou Li are prominent figures in the Thousand Thunder Sect, both with Foundation Stage cultivation—forces to be reckoned with. Zhao Mingli is one of the Thousand Thunder Sect's four Great Elders, with a formidable cultivation at Foundation Stage Level Four. Moreover, Xiaocui and Xiao Qing are undoubtedly at Qian Xiaoruo's side, posing as maids but in truth, they're Old Monster Qian's secret protectors, each at Foundation Stage Level Two. Add to that the dozen-plus Elite Disciples... It's clear Qian Xiaoruo is determined to secure the Boiling Spring."

"Yet, should the Black Wind Sect intervene, you and I, the infamous Black Wind Duo Demons, will lead our sect's finest. Taking them down should be no trouble at all... What do you think, boss?" Murong Sen, short and plump, teased his brother Murong Ye with a playful grin, "If push comes to shove, we could capture Qian Xiaoruo alive, letting you have the first taste, and I'll step in for the second round."

"But there's more pressing business."

Murong Yin shot Murong Ye a stern look and flicked his hand, sending a thin stream of black wind swirling out.

Murong Ye caught the black wind in his hand, and as he did, a simple phrase materialized in his Sense: "Exterminate Sword."

"Good," Murong Ye said, his joviality vanishing as his features hardened into a more brutish and cold visage. "I've been looking forward to this day. To annihilate the Thousand Thunder Sect, let the Black Wind Sect ascend to their place as the second most powerful sect in Appropriate Prosperity City."

"Our top priority is to eliminate Old Monster Qian within three days," Murong Yin declared, rising to his feet and beginning to pace. In the Black Wind Sect's secret chamber, a night-luminescent pearl the size of an egg dangled from the ceiling, its once-bright light now dim from prolonged use, casting an eerie pall over the room.

Murong Ye, with a hint of reluctance, inquired, "So, we're just going to let Qian Xiaoruo and the others off the hook?"

"This time, we're going to eradicate the Thousand Thunder Sect root and branch. There's absolutely no chance of sparing Qian Xiaoruo," Murong Yin replied, halting in front of a wall adorned with a vast map depicting mountains and rivers. He gazed at the map, his voice icy as he continued, "However, we won't have to get our hands dirty... Thirty miles west of Appropriate Prosperity City lies Dong Family Village, and a thousand miles further south is Multicolored City. That will be Qian Xiaoruo's final resting place."

"Ah?" Murong Ye moved closer, studying the expansive map. He understood that Dong Family Village and Multicolored City were on Qian Xiaoruo's itinerary, but he was puzzled by Murong Yin's assertion that they wouldn't need to intervene personally, yet Multicolored City was to be Qian Xiaoruo's demise.

Without the Black Wind Sect's involvement, how would Qian Xiaoruo meet her end?

"Pass the information to the Blazing Fire Sect and Vicious Thunder Grandma... Use another's hand to deal the blow. Do you grasp my meaning?" Murong Yin stated coolly.

"Oh," Murong Ye exclaimed, his face lighting up with comprehension.

Thirty miles from Appropriate Prosperity City lay Dong Family Village, a modest hamlet of just over a hundred households, with cultivators mostly at the Qi Refining Stage—unremarkable, save for one.

Dong Xin was a mere twenty-one years old, not particularly advanced in cultivation, yet he possessed an extraordinary gift for refining. He began his studies at eighteen and, within three short years, had achieved great proficiency. Now, his skills in refining were unparalleled, not just in Appropriate Prosperity City but across the entire Central Earth Realm.

Dung Xin was widely regarded as an Artifact Refining Great Master.

Yet, in that moment, Master Dung lay rigid on the ground, a fist-sized hole gaping in his chest. The blood had ceased to flow, drying and coagulating instead. The bloodstains that splattered the ground were a stark, jarring red... He had met his end in his own refining chamber.

An elderly woman knelt beside Dung Xin's body, propping herself up with her hands as she wept soundlessly. Drop by drop by drop... What fell from her eyes were no longer tears but blood, a testament to her profound grief.

Seven paces away, Soong Yuan and Hsiao Yan stood in solemn silence.

They had already gathered the details of the incident from the Dung family's servants. The Boiling Spring had brought about this tragedy.

Spanning a thousand miles, the Crystal Shattering Mountain Range had taken Soong Yuan three years to map out, identifying each Boiling Spring within. But the challenge was that on Yin Yang Day, only one Boiling Spring could harmoniously receive the Yin Yang Spiritual Energy descending from the cosmos.

Which one could it be?

The Universe Compass was essential for locating it.

Soong Yuan had commissioned the Universe Compass from Dung Xin. Today, he and Hsiao Yan had set out from Appropriate Prosperity City at dawn to come here, only to find that someone else had beaten them to it, demanding the Universe Compass from Dung Xin by force.

Dung Xin was a man of his word. He had promised to help Soong Yuan with the refinement, and he chose to destroy the Universe Compass rather than surrender it to the other party. This decision cost him his life.

And so...

The Universe Compass was destroyed as well.

Yin Yang Day was just five days away.

Soong Yuan simply did not have enough time to seek out another Artifact Refining Master to craft a new Universe Compass.

Without the Universe Compass, pinpointing the Boiling Spring that would receive the Yin Yang Spiritual Energy would be nearly impossible. Failing that, it was highly probable that Qian Xiaoruo would get there first... No, missing this Yin Yang Day Boiling Spring meant Soong Yuan would lose his chance to rebuild his physique forever, leaving his cultivation level at zero for life.

But Soong Yuan was not prepared to accept that fate.

Confronted with the Weeping Blood Old Woman, Soong Yuan's mother hesitated for a long time before finally asking, "The Universe Compass is crucial to me. I must possess it. So, is it possible that Dung Xin crafted more than one Universe Compass?"

The old woman continued to weep blood.

After a few moments, her voice came out hoarse and murky, "Indeed, there's more than one. Both you and Qian Xiaoruo had custom Universe Compasses made. However, early this morning, someone from the Thousand Thunder Sect arrived and took Qian Xiaoruo's custom-made Universe Compass."

"It's that girl again," Soong Yuan murmured to himself, turning to give Hsiao Yan a knowing look.

Hsiao Yan immediately grasped Soong Yuan's intent; Soong Yuan was considering seizing the Universe Compass from Qian Xiaoruo. Hsiao Yan expressed his reservations at once, "It's going to be very difficult."

"Let's give it a try," Soong Yuan suggested, his own confidence seemingly wavering.

The old woman, however, erupted into a chilling, eerie laughter. She declared sternly, "Soong, if you promise to avenge my son Dung Xin, I can help you snatch the Universe Compass from Qian Xiaoruo."