Lure the snake out of its hole
Suddenly, the air in the room seemed to freeze.
Ruan Tianci sensed something was wrong and involuntarily shut his mouth.
After a long pause, Chen Tiancai slowly spoke: "Cultivation is mostly achieved through one's own hard work. How come you make it sound like you can reach that level just by taking some kind of elixir?"
Although their conversation seemed unrelated, Ruan Tianci inexplicably sensed a clue in Chen Tian's words. Overjoyed, he blurted out, "Elder Chen is a senior elder in the inner sect, and I have long admired you. That's why I took the liberty of sending you a fine disciple, a newly promoted disciple with a fire spirit root."
After a moment of silence, Ruan Tianci felt a chill run down his spine. He subconsciously looked up and saw Chen Tian, who had been hiding in the shadows, with an unpredictable expression, showing no trace of the friendliness he had shown moments before.
There seemed to be a hint of threat in his voice: "Oh? So you're sending him to be my disciple? I do have a few disciple slots left. If he's a good prospect, I might as well make an exception and recruit him."
Instantly, cold sweat dripped down Ruan Tianci's forehead. With a 'plop', the cold sweat dripped onto the back of Ruan Tianci's foot.
“You’re joking. This disciple is naturally meant to be your furnace cauldron.” After a pause, Ruan Tianci gritted his teeth and said, “After all, you’ll only know the function of this furnace cauldron once you use it yourself. That disciple has admired me for a long time, and he’s willing to be just a furnace cauldron for me.”
A force seemed to spread through the air, instantly piercing through Ruan Tianci's hair. A section of his hair, which had been flying up, was instantly cut off, and as it fell to the ground, Ruan Tianci heard his own rapid breathing.
"So, it's a furnace cauldron being delivered..." Chen Tian suddenly stood up, drawing out his words, and scrutinized Ruan Tianci from head to toe.
Outside, Ruan Qingyu could hear the conversation inside the room clearly through the feather. At this moment, her small room contained not only Elder Mo Wen, but also the elders of the Enforcement Hall.
Several elders, including Elder Cihang, had very serious expressions.
Lan Ci sat in the corner, barely daring to breathe, but she was utterly disgusted by Chen Tian's voice inside, her furrowed brows never fading.
“An array has been activated inside. Anyone with a cultivation level lower than Elder Chen Tian won’t be able to hear anything. Once this array is broken, the people inside will quickly find out.” Ruan Qingyu said solemnly as she told the elders what she had seen.
Beside each of the elders of the Enforcement Hall, a small water mirror floated, monitoring the peak where Chen Tian was located.
"You are quite clever." Cihang gave Ruan Qingyu an approving look, then continued to listen attentively.
Mo Wen's lips curled into a smug smile, but he quickly composed himself and focused on recording the image on the recording stone. He had linked with the puppet that Ruan Qingyu had placed on Ruan Tianci's body. As long as it wasn't destroyed, he could record everything Ruan Tianci saw and heard into the recording stone as evidence for the future.
Under pressure, Ruan Tianci finally couldn't withstand the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator and suddenly knelt down.
"I'm curious, Elder Ruan, what are you talking about, hmm?" Chen Tian's voice was extremely cold, his eyes filled with killing intent, but he quickly concealed it.
Divine senses and spiritual energy surged in the air, and in the blink of an eye, they had thoroughly cleaned Ruan Tianci from head to toe. He frowned as he looked at the wreckage, and after confirming that there was nothing else, he sat back down.
"If you speak well, I'll give you some benefits." Chen Tian's words were very tempting, encouraging Ruan Tianci to explain his reasons.
Swallowing hard, Ruan Tianci dared not hide anything any longer and told the whole story. However, he had no evidence of eavesdropping and could only say that he found out by accident.
Holding the information given to him by Ruan Tianci, Chen Tian carefully examined it, his eyes narrowing slightly. Phoenix bloodline? Ruan family? The name sounded familiar; it seemed that one of the members of the top team participating in the sect competition a few days ago was surnamed Ruan.
"I did miss it..." Chen Tian's murmured voice reached Ruan Tianci's ears, sending a chill down his spine for no reason.
Ruan Qingyu, who was eavesdropping, instantly understood what the other person was regretting: she regretted that she had seen that information long ago. It was only a matter of time before the other person found out her identity; Chen Tian was just regretting that she couldn't become his resource.
Suppressing her anger, Ruan Qingyu listened to their conversation with an unchanged expression.
"If Elder Chen is willing, I can bring that person here today." Seeing that Chen Tian did not deny it, Ruan Tianci was very cooperative.
Although Ruan Tianci spoke with great sincerity, Chen Tian was not easily convinced. He simply said, "Yes, I do have one more disciple position available for her."
Chen Tian calmly burned Ruan Zhishu's information in his hand.
"Of course, of course, I understand. It's her good fortune to be your disciple." Ruan Tianci understood what these high-ranking people were thinking; it was all about saving face.
Since the person above stopped contacting him, his cultivation had almost stagnated. At this moment, when Ruan Tianci sent him, although Chen Tian hesitated, he recalled the feeling of blood entering his throat and all his spiritual power returning to him.
He licked his dry lips and said with a smile, "Elder Ruan's family disciple is clearly a promising talent. You will not be treated unfairly if you become my disciple."
Chen Tian changed the subject, but instead of letting Ruan Tianci bring the person himself, he asked Ruan Zhishu for the address and ordered the other disciples on the peak to find the person.
At Chen Tian's "warm invitation," Ruan Tianci temporarily stayed at the summit. Before his doubts were dispelled, Chen Tian did not intend to let Ruan Tianci leave so easily.
Seeing this, Ruan Tianci wasn't surprised. This was the inner sect, after all; there was nothing unusual there. He just felt a little contempt for Chen Tian. He'd done such a thing, yet he was so timid. If Chen Tian had powerful backing, he certainly wouldn't be so cowardly.
That night, Chen Tian's junior disciple brought a woman wearing a cloak into the Xuan Tian Sect. With Chen Tian's signal and the instructions of the elders of the Enforcement Hall, the two were quickly allowed in.
When Ruan Zhishu was led into the mountain peak, he immediately saw Ruan Tianci and relaxed instantly.
"Elder Ruan." Ruan Zhishu stepped forward and bowed to Ruan Tianci.
At this moment, Chen Tian remained seated, not speaking. Ruan Tianci stood up, looking at Ruan Zhishu with satisfaction. His expression, however, was utterly amiable: "This is Elder Chen, a senior elder of the Xuan Tian Sect. You shall become his disciple."
Despite having met figures like the patriarch before, Ruan Zhishu was still immediately intimidated upon seeing Chen Tian. She instantly lowered her head and said, "Zhishu greets Elder Chen."
"Hmm, let me see your talent. If your aptitude is too poor, I won't take you." Chen Tian's voice was indifferent, revealing no emotion.
Upon hearing this, Ruan Zhishu looked at Ruan Tianci with some worry. Before coming to the Xuantian Sect, there had been no mention of needing further evaluation. If he wasn't qualified, wouldn't he be sent back?
Looking at Ruan Tianci's kind and encouraging gaze, she still mustered up her courage and stepped forward to extend her wrist.
Chen Tian reached out and placed his hand on Ruan Zhishu's wrist, his cold, hard divine sense instantly penetrating Ruan Zhishu's body. The stimulation to her meridians and dantian caused sharp pain, but Ruan Zhishu, thinking of her impending status as a disciple of a high-ranking sect, endured it.
Chen Tian lightly tapped Ruan Zhishu's wrist with his fingernail, instantly leaving a bloody mark. The smell of blood lingered in his nose, and the pleasant scent made him involuntarily close his eyes.
This blood smells really good, even has a special aroma... Instantly, Chen Tian opened his eyes and glanced at Ruan Tianci subtly. This guy really did send him something good.
"Ruan Zhishu, right? What a good name. You'll be cultivating under my tutelage from now on. You're still too young for the Qi Refining stage, so work hard from now on." He spoke very kindly, his eyes filled with eagerness and appreciation.
After waiting for so long, he finally heard those words. Ruan Zhishu nodded excitedly and was about to kneel down to become Chen Tian's disciple when Chen Tian pulled him back.
"Oh, no need for that. Our Xuantian Sect cherishes talent. It's a good thing for the sect to accept such a good disciple as you." Chen Tian looked at her with a smile, behaving like a good teacher.
Ruan Tianci, watching from below, had a strange expression. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought it was a touching scene. No wonder this person could become a senior elder; he felt inferior to him.
Chen Tian then ordered someone to take Ruan Zhishu to the courtyard where his disciples were resting. Only then did he lose his composure and become inscrutable again.
"Elder Ruan, well done. What is due will naturally be given to you." As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Tian waved his hand and a golden light flew towards Ruan Tianci.
Ruan Tianci eagerly took it, scanned the contents of the storage bag with his divine sense, and a satisfied smile immediately appeared on his face.
Looking up at Chen Tian, his eyes showed less awe, and he boldly said, "Elder Chen has powerful backing, so he should be able to handle the affairs of the sect. I will entrust the disciples of my Ruan family to Elder Chen."
Instantly, Chen Tian's face darkened, his gaze sharp as lightning, shooting at Ruan Tianci as if he could see right through him.
"Elder Ruan is very kind." Chen Tian's tone was sinister, but his face revealed no emotion.
Ruan Tianci happily accepted the benefits, stopped arguing with Chen Tian, and quickly left Chen Tian's peak.
Although Chen Tian was displeased with this, he said nothing. Since he hadn't received any news, it was best for a junior elder of the outer sect to remain inactive.
But before his anger could subside, the desk in the room suddenly turned to dust.
Inside the disciples' quarters, Ruan Qingyu's eyes flashed with a variety of emotions, which ultimately settled into a resolute expression.
"Senior Brother Mo, is this enough?" Ruan Qingyu suddenly asked Mo Wen, who was still engraving the image on the recording stone.
The other party quickly stopped, somewhat surprised but also understanding, and said, "Although it roughly matches the facts, these words are vague, so we have to wait a little longer."
"Wait until when? If Ruan Zhishu is within the next day or two..." Ruan Qingyu's voice gradually became sharp, and the elders present all turned their heads.
She quickly realized her attitude was inappropriate. She immediately lowered her head and, after a long pause, tried to calm herself before continuing, "How could a woman at the Qi Refining stage stay in that tiger's den for long?"
Mo Wen's brows were furrowed with worry as he was about to speak. Ci Hang, standing to the side, calmly said, "This matter is now very complicated. Many disciples have been injured or even lost their lives. If we cannot eliminate the mastermind behind this once and for all, it is not worth capturing just Chen Tian."
“This is different from what the elders said at the beginning. You promised that you would arrest Chen Tian once you recorded the evidence of his crimes. Are you going to delay until he really commits a serious crime?” Ruan Qingyu’s tone was urgent, and golden-red light ignited in her eyes. Phoenix divine fire was constantly overflowing from her fingertips hidden under her sleeves.
The Qiankun Gua beside him flickered, which surprised Mo Wen, who also felt helpless. Ever since it gained consciousness, the Qiankun Gua had always acted like a child, and now it was behaving like Ruan Qingyu.
Therefore, Mo Wen looked at Ruan Qingyu with a hint of 'kindness' and said carefully, "Qingyu, now that we know the inside story, we will definitely keep a close watch on this matter and will take immediate action to stop any risks."
Compared to Elder Cihang's official statement, Mo Wen's advice felt more human. Ruan Qingyu turned her head away, refusing to look at the silent elders of the Enforcement Hall.
Seeing her resolute attitude and the resentment in her eyes, an elder of the Enforcement Hall frowned, glanced at Cihang and Mowen, and immediately said, "Although you are a disciple of Daoist Qingchen, our Enforcement Hall is carrying out official duties, and we do not allow you to interfere here. Do not meddle in this matter anymore. Go back and wait for news."
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