Chapter 223: A Bunch of Fools

Words : 1278 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

Chapter 223: A Bunch of Fools The ruins of the sect spanned across the entire valley, vast and imposing. After reaching the site, Yun Suxin bid farewell to Yue Qianchi and Li Qingran, heading alone toward the Alchemy Pavilion. By now, the sealing formation had completely vanished, fully exposing the ruins. The demonic cultivator remains that had rushed out from within had slaughtered or scattered the surrounding sect disciples. No one dared remain near the formation anymore. One mile outside the demonic formation, the gathered Sword Pavilion disciples huddled beneath a rocky outcrop, looking like withered leaves battered by a storm. Some knelt on the ground, clutching their broken swords, the moon-white fabric of their robes soaked in blood. Some had turned away, shoulders trembling under the weight of grief and exhaustion. The evening breeze carried the scent of smoke, mingling with the lingering stench of blood. "Senior Sister Yue! Junior Sister Qingran!" "You’re back! Something terrible has happened!" A Sword Pavilion disciple staggered forward, grabbing Yue Qianchi’s sleeve with a choked voice. His robe was in tatters, and his boots were caked with dried, dark-red blood. Yue Qianchi clenched her sword hilt tightly, her gaze sweeping across every pale, grief-stricken face. Noticing the absence of three senior disciples, her nails dug into her palm. "What happened? Where are Senior Brothers Xu An, Duan Feng, and Zhen He?" "The grand formation malfunctioned," a disciple whispered hollowly, his eyes empty, his spirit shattered. "It was supposed to purify demonic energy, but instead, it started strengthening the demonic cultivator remains. It became a demonic formation that allowed entry but no escape. The senior brothers set up the Three Talents Sword Formation to send us out… but when we went back to search for them, they were gone. Alive or dead, we couldn’t find them…" "What?!" Yue Qianchi’s body trembled. Her fingers gripped so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Through clenched teeth, a hoarse, distorted roar burst forth. A surge of Xuanwu Sword Intent exploded from her, distorting the air around her with sheer force. Li Qingran stumbled back a step, barely managing to stay upright by using her sword as support. She looked at her senior sister’s trembling shoulders. The deep-blue robe flared wildly under the storm of unleashed sword intent, as if on the verge of being torn apart. "And the Holy Maiden of the Jade Pool? What was she doing?!" Yue Qianchi’s bloodshot eyes locked onto the disciple. Each syllable dripped with killing intent. "Why did the formation fail? Answer me!" No one had ever seen Yue Qianchi this furious before. To every Sword Pavilion disciple, she had always been carefree, playful, and easygoing. She could crack jokes, let things go, and was never one to hold grudges. She fought fiercely on the training grounds yet offered gentle encouragement to struggling juniors. "It was an energy wave," the disciple muttered, lowering his head, unable to meet her gaze. "They said it contained some kind of reversed Dao resonance. When it struck the formation core, the formation’s function reversed. Monk Huikong was severely injured, coughing up blood. Then, Nascent Soul demonic cultivator remains emerged. Our senior brothers realized the urgency of the situation and sent us out…" The disciple choked on his words, his eyes filling with tears. "When the formation collapsed, all we saw were corpses. The Holy Maiden and Monk Huikong seemed to be gravely wounded too… The battlefield was covered in signs of battle…" seaʀᴄh thё Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He couldn’t hold back his sobs any longer. "Senior Sister, we to go back and find them, but we couldn't break the formation…" "After the formation disappeared, we tried searching for them while the Holy Maiden was holding back the demonic cultivators and their remains. But we were chased by a demonic cultivator remains. If not for the ancestor’s talismans—and the fact that the remains had weakened—we wouldn’t have made it out. None of the other sect disciples survived after encountering that thing…" By the time the disciple finished, Yue Qianchi’s rage had begun to settle. Anger, grief, regret—none of those emotions would help with what needed to be done. "Xu An, Duan Feng, and Zhen He are all incredibly strong. There’s no way they were simply killed. They must be unconscious somewhere on the battlefield. You couldn’t find them because the demonic cultivator remains were still nearby." She took a deep breath and made a swift decision. "The Lesser Secret Realm is closing soon. When the gate reopens, you all must stay hidden here. As soon as the door opens, leave immediately. Do not hesitate. I will go to the ruins and find our senior brothers. I bring them back!" "Senior Sister, that demonic cultivator remains might still be there!" "Yeah, Senior Sister, it’s too dangerous!" The Sword Pavilion disciples all tried to stop her. They had already lost three senior brothers. They couldn’t bear to lose their most beloved senior sister too. "Then we’ll go together!" one disciple suggested. "If we run into the demonic cultivator remains, we can help share the burden!" "Junior Brother Zhang is right! We still have the ancestor’s talismans—we can help you, Senior Sister!" The disciples eagerly pulled out their Thunderfire Talismans. But after two battles, only a handful remained. Yue Qianchi looked at the familiar faces before her. The cold wind bent and broke the surrounding grass, but it couldn't extinguish the fire in their eyes. Some gripped blank talisman papers, pretending they were real Thunderfire Talismans. Others clutched used-up sword marbles, holding them high as if they could still be of use. These fools… Did they really think she wouldn’t notice? A sting of warmth and sorrow spread through her chest, blurring her vision. These were her Sword Pavilion juniors. The best, the bravest, the most foolishly endearing juniors. As their senior sister, she had failed to protect her three fellow disciples. That was already her fault. She couldn't let anyone else throw their lives away. Yue Qianchi sniffed, forcing her emotions down. Then, her expression hardened. Boom! Her Xuanwu Sword crashed into the ground, and her voice turned ice-cold. "Shut up! I’m going alone! Do you want to make it for the demonic cultivator remains to find us?! You’d only be dead weight! How many times have I told you to train harder? And now look at you—you can do nothing but watch while your senior brothers shield you from harm!" The empty talisman papers fluttered in the wind. The hands holding weapons trembled. On the reflective surface of her sword, she saw their pale, frozen faces. Her heart clenched. But she gritted her teeth and forced herself to be cruel. This was the first time she had ever spoken so harshly to her juniors. she thought. Her gaze swept over each of them, then she lowered her eyes and roared: "Are you deaf?! Go wait at the secret realm’s gate! When it opens, leave immediately and find the ancestor!" She turned away, resolute. Behind her, she heard the subtle rustling of movement. The sound of swords being sheathed. Then—one by one—thuds of knees hitting the ground. "Sword Pavilion disciple, Yao Le, obeys Senior Sister’s command!" "Sword Pavilion disciple, Yu Qingshi, obeys Senior Sister’s command!" "Sword Pavilion disciple, Tu Xinghe, obeys Senior Sister’s command!" … One by one, they kneeled. Yue Qianchi looked down at the ground. Her shadow trembled. The sound of muffled sobs scattered in the wind. She didn’t turn back. She couldn’t afford to. If she looked back now— Those fools would see her cry. …

Chapter 223: A Bunch of Fools

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