C21 You Guys Are Courting Death.

Zhao Yu halted in his tracks and pivoted to face the others.

The two disciples from the Yin Yang Sect were taken aback. The taller one furrowed his brow and questioned, "Junior Brother Liu, what's this all about?"

With a malevolent expression, the shorter, plumper disciple declared, "Senior Brother Cao, we've combed through the Taibai Mountain Range for a solid five days without a single clue. I'm starting to believe that Senior Brother Zhang and the rest have met their demise, and this individual is the culprit."

Zhao Yu's expression turned grim. He was indeed the murderer, but this man's baseless accusations were a clear attempt to pin the crime on him.

The other Yin Yang Sect disciples were slow to catch on. The tall one paused, then inquired, "Junior Brother Liu, why would you say that? Have you uncovered any evidence?"

"Evidence?" scoffed the stout disciple. "Senior Brother Zhang and the others vanished in the Taibai Mountain Range, and this man was spotted there too. I can't imagine anyone else capable of killing them. We must locate Senior Brother Zhang and the others, or face severe repercussions. We owe the Sect Master an explanation, don't you see?"

His words finally clicked for the tall disciple and his companion.

"So, Junior Brother Liu, are you suggesting we pin this on a fall guy?" the other disciple asked, uncertainty lacing his voice.

"Exactly," the short, fat disciple replied icily. "We've searched for days with no leads. Chances are, Senior Brother Zhang and the others have been killed. The Taibai Mountain Range is vast; their bodies might have already become fodder for Demonic Beasts. But if we present a murderer and seek vengeance for our brothers, the Sect Master might not only spare us punishment but possibly even reward us."

Zhao Yu's eyes narrowed. "You're trying to set me up."

He realized the man's intention was merely to use him as a scapegoat; he hadn't recognized Zhao Yu as the true assassin.

"Indeed," the short, fat disciple admitted, dropping all pretense with a cold chuckle. "Don't hold it against us. If you're looking for someone to blame, curse your own misfortune. In the vastness of the Taibai Mountain Range, it was your luck to run into us."

The tall disciple was still hesitant, voicing his concerns with a note of worry, "Junior Brother Liu, he's a disciple of the Sky Profound Sect after all. If we go through with this and word gets out, we'll be in deep trouble."

"Senior Brother Cao, why the hesitation now? We're in the middle of nowhere, and he's all by himself. If we take him out, who's going to know? The Sky Profound Sect finding out is even less likely," the short and stout disciple countered with conviction.

With a steely look, he lifted his sword and charged at Zhao Yu.

"Junior Brother Liu, you're right. If we're discreet, no one will ever find out."

"Okay, if we're all in agreement, then let's just do it—let's take him down!"

Exchanging a determined glance, the tall disciple and another disciple steeled themselves and advanced on Zhao Yu.

"I had no intention of dealing with you, but you insist on knocking on death's door!" Zhao Yu shook his head and sighed. Without flinching, he struck out with his palm.

"Court death, will you?" The short and stout disciple was initially startled to see Zhao Yu meet his sword with a bare palm, but then a surge of glee filled him. He swung his sword down with more force, aiming to sever Zhao Yu's palm in one fell swoop.

But as Zhao Yu's palm met the long sword, the expected outcome did not unfold. Instead of severing flesh, the collision produced a muted clang of metal on metal.

How could this be? The short and stout disciple was in disbelief.

Before he could process what had happened, a massive recoil shot through the sword, sending a jolt of pain through his palm, splitting the skin.

He grunted and staggered back a step.

Zhao Yu, seizing the advantage, leapt up and swung his right leg at the disciple's head with a howling force.

Mountain-splitting Leg!

The fierce wind from the kick lashed the short and stout disciple's face, stinging sharply.

Panic-stricken and too late to dodge, he steeled himself, channeling all his genuine energy into his arms and raising them to meet Zhao Yu's relentless assault.

Zhao Yu's leg delivered a fierce kick to the pudgy disciple's arm, contorting it into an unnatural shape. Without losing momentum, he delivered another brutal kick to the disciple's temple.

The pudgy disciple couldn't even muster a scream before his head burst open.

His headless body thudded to the ground, twitched a few times, and then lay still.

Witnessing this, the remaining two Yin Yang Sect disciples were petrified and stopped dead in their tracks.

Killed with a single move! How could this be?

Zhao Yu touched down, the picture of serenity.

This pudgy disciple had also reached the Peak of Qi Refining Layer Three. His cultivation base was no less than Zhao Yu's, but when it came to strength, he was no match for him.

Without hesitation, Zhao Yu drew the Nether Dream Dagger, channeled his genuine energy, and in a flash, unleashed several piercing saber auras at the two disciples.

Having engaged in combat, he knew he had to be resolute and show no mercy. Any escapee could become a relentless problem.

The taller disciple, startled, narrowly evaded the saber auras, but not without sustaining a gash to his right side, from which blood poured freely.

The other disciple, still reeling from shock, was too slow to react. A scream escaped him as the saber aura cleaved through the air, sending him hurtling backwards. By the time he hit the ground, he was motionless.

Realizing the vast gap in their strengths, the tall disciple fled without a second thought.

His cultivation was at Qi Refining Layer Four, a full realm above Zhao Yu's, yet in that moment, his will to fight had evaporated.

He had underestimated Zhao Yu, thinking that capturing the young, lone Layer Three would be effortless.

He had not anticipated Zhao Yu's formidable combat prowess.

But now, regret was futile.

Zhao Yu was relentless in pursuit. Closing the distance to seven or eight meters, he continued to launch saber auras from the Nether Dream Dagger.

In no time, the tall disciple was struck by several saber auras, his body drenched in blood as he collapsed to the ground, defeated.

As Zhao Yu approached, the tall disciple lying on the ground gasped weakly, "Who are you, really? And how do you possess a Spirit Weapon?"

He was convinced that without Zhao Yu's Spirit Weapon, their defeat wouldn't have been so devastating.

"Me?" Zhao Yu let out a cold laugh. "I'm the very person who killed Zhang Bao and the rest. You've actually got the right guy."

The tall disciple's eyes widened in shock, about to utter another word, but Zhao Yu swiftly brandished his Nether Dream Dagger, releasing a slash of saber aura that ended the disciple's life.

After the time it took to brew a cup of tea, Zhao Yu dug a large grave, tossed in the three bodies, and covered them with earth.

"I had no desire to kill you; you brought this upon yourselves. In your next life, I'd advise against such foolishness." Shaking his head and sighing, he walked away.

To date, he had dispatched seven disciples from the Yin Yang Sect.

Should the sect learn of this, they would relentlessly pursue him.

That afternoon, Zhao Yu made his way back to the Sky Profound Sect. As he passed through the mountain gate, he sensed an air of change from before.

The sect was teeming with more disciples than when he had last departed, many of whom had returned from their travels specifically for the upcoming assessment.

Strolling through the sect, Zhao Yu overheard numerous disciples discussing the Inner Sect Assessment.

"Sun Mingyu's bound to take first place in the inner sect disciple assessment, isn't he?"

"Without a doubt! Senior Brother Sun, with his Qi Refining Layer Five, is the undisputed top inner sect disciple."

"It's not that simple. Cultivation level doesn't always translate to strength. Zhou Yun and Wu Caiyue from the inner sect are formidable too, and I've heard they've mastered some powerful martial skills. They might just give Sun Mingyu a run for his money."

"Don't forget Liu Feng. He's a contender for the top spot as well. He's returned from his training at the peak of Qi Refining Layer Four, and his combat experience is extensive."

The disciples buzzed with speculation, some even setting up bets on the outcome.