Bloody Night, Shifting Schemes

“Xiao Chen, you wouldn’t be thinking of starting a massacre, would you?”

Xiao Chen smiled faintly. “I don’t like being passive. Why should I wait for them to come and kill me? I will take the initiative and crush every danger.”

Liu Mu’s body truly seemed frail. Amid a fit of hoarse coughs, a flush rose on his pale face, and it took a long moment for him to calm down. “You really are a dangerous man.”

“There’s no other choice. They forced me. I only want to survive, and rather than wait passively for danger to approach, I’d rather strike first.”

Liu Mu was gradually coming to understand Xiao Chen’s character. This was a man of decisive action, never hesitating or wavering.

“Do you need my help?”

“You… would help me?” Xiao Chen was genuinely surprised. His enemies were no ordinary opponents, and helping him under these circumstances meant risking death.

“We’ll look out for each other. Perhaps before long, I may need you to save my life.”

Despite his sickly appearance, Liu Mu’s true cultivation was terrifying—he was reputed to be a king among his peers. What could possibly threaten his life? Xiao Chen looked at him with confusion. “Are you saying that on Dragon Island, you also have a mortal enemy?”

“I don’t know. I only have a feeling, as if a pair of cold eyes are watching me from the shadows. It’s a very unpleasant sensation, and I cannot discover where they hide.” Liu Mu spoke slowly, his words steeped in mystery.

“Alright. We’ll look out for each other.”

Liu Mu did not elaborate, and Xiao Chen did not press. But the two had already decided to join forces. Liu Mu smiled, though there was a cruel edge to it. “It’s been a long time since I last killed. Why don’t we eliminate your troubles tonight?”

Xiao Chen also smiled. He could see that Liu Mu was no indecisive man. This somewhat sickly but very handsome Space Spiritist was the type who would be mercilessly cold once he acted.

They were in no hurry to move. Over the next few days, while adjusting their own conditions, they also monitored the situation on the island.

On the third day, Liu Mu returned after gathering intelligence and said, “I saw Dugu Jianmo.” His tone showed that he held this man in high regard.

“Dugu Jianmo?” Xiao Chen’s mind stirred. He had visited the monk Yizhen two days earlier and asked about the truly fearsome experts on the island. Yizhen had said that Dugu Jianmo was certainly one of them, having cultivated the most powerful offensive sword art in the world.

Rumor had it that Dugu Jianmo’s bloodline was extraordinary—he was a descendant of the legendary Dugu Qiubai. That clan had always passed down a single line, and he had taken the name “Jianmo” (Sword Demon) to spur himself to surpass his distant ancestor. He had trained by the sea since childhood. At fifteen, he could cleave through nine great waves; by twenty, he had few rivals among his peers. He was an extremely fearsome figure.

Yizhen strongly suspected that Dugu Jianmo might have been the primary hidden hand behind the Great Reshuffling.

“Let me check if the timing matches.” Liu Mu thought for a moment and then said, “Dugu Jianmo entered the central zone of Dragon Island quite early, but he didn’t cultivate long before the divine stele before returning to the coast to practice his sword. It seems that time period aligns with the Great Reshuffling… I fear your friend Yizhen’s suspicions may be correct.”

Both of them realized that if this speculation was true, then Dugu Jianmo’s reentry into the depths of Dragon Island likely foreshadowed another great upheaval in the coming days.

While Xiao Chen and Liu Mu were discussing, a seductive woman arrived. It was Li Yun, a beauty second only to Liu Ruyan within the Red Powder Alliance.

Her face was beautiful, filled with a fox-like allure. Her eyes rippled like water, captivating and soul-stealing. Though she wore no lipstick, her lips were vividly red and moist. Her neck was as white as a swan’s, her waist slender and delicate, swaying gently as she moved with graceful steps. Her long, jade-like legs were straight and shapely.

The Red Powder Alliance prided itself on being well-informed. They had tracked Xiao Chen here. Liu Mu immediately concealed himself and withdrew.

The Red Powder Alliance wished to deepen their alliance with Xiao Chen. Li Yun offered to stay by his side and assist him.

Having such an important figure come in person showed that the Red Powder Alliance truly valued Xiao Chen.

Li Yun was graceful and flirtatious. After politely stating her intentions, she drifted like a willow in the wind, naturally sitting down beside him.

“What can you do to help me?” Xiao Chen sat quietly by the lake, unmoved.

Li Yun smiled. “I can provide you with very valuable information.”

Xiao Chen remained indifferent, saying calmly, “Is that so?”

Li Yun laughed lightly. “Do you think our information is worthless?”

Xiao Chen shook his head and said nothing. He had no interest in organizations that wavered and sought to win over other forces.

“The situation on Dragon Island is complicated now; everyone is afraid. Only those with real power have confidence. I’ll provide you with information, and I hope you can help me with my cultivation.”

“Cultivation improvement—how can others help? That depends on your own hard work.”

Li Yun smoothed her hair. “I know you must have special cultivation methods. Otherwise, how would your cultivation keep breaking through? I know you can’t teach me all your secrets, but couldn’t you at least teach me some tips?”

Xiao Chen immediately understood. The Red Powder Alliance valued not only his combat strength but also his cultivation methods.

Xiao Chen stood up and smiled. “It’s already lunchtime. Please go and roast some game for me and Keke. Hmm, and roast a few lake fish as well. Also, Keke likes fruit—prepare some of that too.”

Li Yun frowned. He was so casual, ordering her to chop wood, make fire, and roast meat—it seemed he had no real intention of cooperating.

“Xiao Chen… when will you teach me some cultivation secrets?”

“My technique is quite difficult to learn. It really isn’t suitable for women.”

“What’s so hard about it? You’re definitely brushing me off.”

“It’s true. For women, to practice this divine art, you must first cut off the root.” Xiao Chen picked up the sleeping Keke and strode away.

“You… nonsense! How can a woman cut off the root?!”

“Be as close to a man as possible.”

Li Yun was both angry and bitter, stomping her foot and gritting her teeth.

“Rejected?” Liu Mu sat on an ancient tree, watching Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen smiled carefreely, unconcerned. Half-jokingly, he said, “She came with impure intentions. Such bait can be eaten, but you need to carefully remove the hook first.”

Liu Mu said, “From what I’ve learned these past few days, aside from the alliance leader Liu Ruyan, who hasn’t shown herself personally, the women of the Red Powder Alliance have all had ambiguous dealings with the strongmen of the major alliances. Li Yun in particular is said to have followed Dugu Jianmo for a time.”

“If that’s the case, I’ll give her a wide berth.”

…

The two began to plot their upcoming action.

Finally, Liu Mu concealed himself and left. Xiao Chen called Li Yun over and said with a smile, “Now I need your help, Miss Li.”

Li Yun was alluring and seductive, her eyes captivating. She smiled coquettishly. “How can I help?”

“Please return to the cultivators’ gathering place and tell everyone that within ten days, I will destroy the Nature Alliance founded by Yaloude.”

“You don’t trust our Red Powder Alliance?”

“No, I trust you completely.”

“Such news should be kept secret. Why do you want us to spread it?”

“Some people need to be intimidated by absolute force. I want them to understand that they should not provoke me lightly.”

“So by striking this way, you intend to kill the chicken to scare the monkey?”

“You could say that.”

After some further conversation, Li Yun drifted away.

Soon, the news spread. It was a forceful declaration of war. Xiao Chen had recently stirred up a series of storms, and his battle in the snowy mountains had displayed an unstoppable momentum. Even the strongest among the young elites had to take him seriously.

The cultivator gathering place was abuzz. Many anticipated this battle and looked forward to the inevitable confrontations afterward between Xiao Chen and Yan Qingcheng, Kailuo, and Wang Tong.

There was no need to wait ten days. On the very first night, as dusk fell, Xiao Chen and Liu Mu began their preparations.

“Liu Mu, put these over your chest and back.” Xiao Chen handed Liu Mu several fragments of Keke’s rainbow jade eggshell.

Liu Mu accepted them and felt their hardness. “You’re worried I can’t defend against the Little Li Flying Dagger?”

“In a frontal battle, I believe you can defend. But if he strikes from the shadows, it’s truly impossible to guard against. Last time, if not for the jade eggshell protecting my chest, I might not be standing here talking to you.”

“Is the Little Li Flying Dagger really as terrifying as the legends say?”

“Even though it’s no longer wielded by the original ‘Little Li,’ this divine dagger technique is still fearsome no matter whose hands it’s in.”

Liu Mu was not arrogant or foolish. He heeded Xiao Chen’s advice and used several eggshell fragments to protect his vitals.

Xiao Chen shook Keke awake from its deep sleep. “After you wake up, don’t run off. Wait here for us.”

Keke blinked its big eyes drowsily and nodded instinctively before sinking back into dreams.

Xiao Chen said to the three skeletons, “You don’t need to act tonight, but follow us at a distance. If we exhaust our strength, carry us back.”

The three skeletons nodded in understanding.

Xiao Chen and Liu Mu readied themselves for a great battle. Everything was prepared.

Starlight was dim that night. Darkness shrouded the forest, making it seem particularly eerie.

Xiao Chen shot forward like a wisp of smoke toward the cultivator gathering. Liu Mu could even fly through the air, leaving only a shadow in the sky. The three skeletons followed far behind.

Their first target tonight was Treefolk Valley. Xiao Chen had decided to first uproot Zhao Lin’er’s faction, then strike at the Nature Alliance founded by Yaloude and Kai’ao. Earlier, they had leaked information only as a feint to the east while striking in the west. Once these peripheral threats were eliminated, it would be the right time to face experts like Yan Qingcheng and Kailuo in a decisive battle.

It was a night of bloodshed…

Xiao Chen and Liu Mu, two great experts, appeared at the Treefolk Valley alliance and launched a thunderous slaughter. Cries of pain shattered the stillness of the night. In the darkness, a cyan light screen emerged around Liu Mu, enveloping a space of several hundred square meters. He was the absolute master of that space! Everywhere he passed, all resistance was crushed.

When several cultivators in Treefolk Valley were trapped within this space, their lives were entirely in Liu Mu’s hands. Spatial spiritual energy transformed into flowing star-rain, beautiful as brilliant fireworks, yet lethal! The cultivators had no power to resist; all were pierced through.

In this battle, Xiao Chen barely had to act. Liu Mu finished the fight entirely. The Space Spiritist, reputed to be a supreme cultivator, lived up to his name. He reaped lives like the Grim Reaper.

In the end, Xiao Chen did not find Zhao Lin’er. From a member of Treefolk Valley, he learned that Zhao Lin’er seemed to sense danger approaching and had left alone on the day she returned from the snowy mountains.

Cries of alarm had alerted the surrounding alliances. The area soon erupted into chaos.

Liu Mu’s robes were stained with a few specks of blood. At this moment, his smile was very cruel. “I imagine Yan Qingcheng and the others are guarding the Nature Alliance by now. I wonder what they’ll do when they learn what happened here.” This Space Spiritist usually had a sickly, delicate air, but when he actually fought, he was ruthlessly merciless.

Just then, a sudden turmoil erupted in the night. From a distance came continuous screams, followed by killing cries that pierced the skies.

On this dark night, the gathering place of cultivators had fallen into great chaos!

Xiao Chen and Liu Mu exchanged a glance. They both thought of Dugu Jianmo.

Now, a great confrontation between alliances had begun! It was a game played by the hidden hands behind the scenes, and they too had chosen tonight to act! The roar of battle shook the heavens; clearly, many alliances had been drawn into it. It was a free-for-all between different factions, a premeditated slaughter. The Great Reshuffling had begun anew.

The restrictive rules that had bound the alliances were all void. The hidden hands behind the scenes had gathered enough strength and launched a new wave of purges aimed at their respective enemies. This was a confrontation between those pulling the strings. Some ambitious schemers would see their power greatly increased, while others might be utterly destroyed.

“Xiao Chen, this is an opportunity.”

“I know.” Xiao Chen’s eyes shone with a cold, fierce light.

On this night of shouting and killing, they relied on their supreme cultivation to charge toward the Nature Alliance. On the way, they could not avoid encountering many alliances locked in battle. The two carved a path of slaughter.

Xiao Chen seized a long blade. The blade-light was like a bolt of silk, cutting through the dark night sky. Anyone who dared rush at him fell into a pool of blood. Liu Mu was equally terrifying. The Spellmasters and Spiritists in the air met their bane; no one could stop him.

They fought their way to the Nature Alliance—only to find it had already become a battlefield. The Nature Alliance had been completely purged.

“There are no bodies of Yaloude or Kai’ao.” After searching carefully, Xiao Chen began tracking along the trail of blood.

This truly was a night of madness. Almost all the alliances in the area had joined the battle. It was a brutal, bloody confrontation. Killing cries deafened the ears. Practitioners fought and died everywhere. The weak could only be butchered. Dazzling sword-light,狂暴的 spiritual energy attacks, and fearsome cursed techniques lit up the dark night with brilliant radiance.