Chapter 127

“You bastard, Chang Lin! You used dirty tricks!”

A Luoxian Sect disciple shouted in fury, rushing forward in an attempt to rescue Wang Huan.

“Don’t come out!” Wang Huan’s voice stopped the enraged disciples in their tracks.

“This is exactly what they want—to lure you out and defeat you one by one.”

Clutching her wounded shoulder, she frowned with regret. She had known Chang Lin would resort to foul play. That’s why she had resolved to risk her life to take him down. Killing him would have bolstered their morale and struck fear into the enemy.

She had been decisive, hoping that her display would make even their enemies reconsider—after all, cultivators valued their lives above all. But unfortunately, the hidden expert on their side was simply too powerful. She had missed the best opportunity and now watched Chang Lin walking toward her, knowing full well that what awaited might be worse than death.

Even so, she would never let him have his way.

Just as she was about to unleash a final desperate counterattack, the earth beneath her suddenly churned.

In the blink of an eye, a giant pangolin burst from the ground, scooped her up on its back, and dashed straight into the protective formation of the forest.

The change happened too fast. Neither the Luoxian disciples nor Chang Lin—or even the expert who had attacked from the shadows—reacted in time. In the blink of an eye, Wang Huan had been whisked away.

“Beast! How dare you ruin my moment!” Chang Lin roared, his plan foiled just as he was about to capture her. Enraged, he launched a barrage of attacks against the protective formation.

Inside the array, Wang Huan, pale and bloodied, held her wound and offered the pangolin a grateful nod. “Thank you.”

The pangolin responded with a brief nod, then burrowed back into the earth and vanished.

“Senior sister Huanhuan!” Healing disciples rushed over, immediately tending to her injuries.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry,” Wang Huan reassured them. Though her face was ashen, her spirit remained unbroken, easing the others’ fears.

Outside the formation, Chang Lin continued to rage, repeatedly slamming the barrier. His performance earlier had been impeccable—even his own Changshou Sect disciples had been fooled. And yet, a mere beast had ruined it all.

Cracking his neck, he sneered. It didn’t matter. Not one of the Luoxian disciples here would escape his grasp.

He turned to face them, eyes sweeping over the angry faces of those who wanted nothing more than to tear him apart.

“Nice expressions,” he mocked. “But let me tell you something. In the cultivation world, only the ruthless survive.”

He spread his arms wide. “If any of you want to join Changshou Sect, step forward now. I promise your safety. From today, you won’t be bullied—you’ll be the ones doing the bullying. Resources are getting scarcer. If you don’t fight, you won’t even get soup. But if you follow me, you’ll get meat. As much as you want.”

The Luoxian disciples glared at him with pure hatred.

“Don’t dream so big, Chang Lin,” someone snapped. “We Luoxian disciples will never join your filthy sect.”

“Exactly. Even if we die, we will never betray our sect.”

“We were born as Luoxian disciples, and we’ll die as Luoxian disciples. The name Luoxian Sect is branded into our souls. If there’s an afterlife and memory survives, we’ll still be Luoxian disciples.”

“Well said!” others cheered, their unity palpable.

The disciples of Luoxian Sect had always stood together like tightly bound ropes. They didn’t fear godlike enemies—because they had brothers and sisters who’d give their lives for them.

But Chang Lin only smiled coldly.

“Very moving. I almost got goosebumps,” he said, rubbing his arms mockingly. “But... do you few really speak for everyone here?”

Silence followed.

The Luoxian disciples glanced at one another. A strange tension began to brew among them. After all, no one could truly know another’s heart.

Suddenly, a stir rippled through the crowd.

A seemingly timid and quiet young disciple—one who had always kept a low profile—slipped out of the protective array.

“Senior brother Chang Lin... I—I wish to join Changshou Sect.”

His nervous stammer and timid posture made him seem like the kind of person who’d be easily manipulated.

“Wang Xi! What are you doing? Come back!” someone cried. “Do you know how many of us they’ve hurt? You’re turning your back on your own family!”

“You don’t deserve to call yourself a disciple of Luoxian Sect!”

“Little brother Xi…” Wang Huan’s expression finally cracked.

She had always treated Wang Xi like a younger brother because of their shared surname. She’d looked after him, protected him. She never imagined that the first to betray them would be the very one she cherished as family.

“Sister… deep down, you know they’re the real cultivators.”

Wang Xi’s voice was eerily calm, his tone detached and terrifying.

“You’re full of crap! Come back!” shouted Li Long, one of Wang Xi’s closest friends. Rage burned in his eyes as he tried to pull him back.

“We agreed, didn’t we? To cultivate together, to explore the world, to roam the immortal realm side by side. What are you doing, Xi? Tell me!”

Li Long’s anguished cries shattered against the coldness of Wang Xi’s demeanor.

“Brother Long, can’t you see? Luoxian Sect is just a fantasy. It looks like home, but we both know the truth—this world is cruel. In Luoxian Sect, we’ll never grow. But in Changshou Sect… maybe, just maybe, we can reach the immortal realm.”

With that, he turned his back on his friend and stepped up to Chang Lin.

“Hahaha, excellent! Smart man. A wise man knows when to change paths. There’s no shame in switching roads when one leads to a dead end.”

Chang Lin laughed heartily.

“Second senior brother, your teaching is right. From now on, I’ll serve Changshou Sect without hesitation, even if it means death.”

Wang Xi bowed deeply, fawning shamelessly. Chang Lin clearly enjoyed it.

“Don’t talk about death so casually,” he chuckled, patting Wang Xi’s shoulder. “But there is a tradition in our sect.”

His smile turned wicked.

“Second senior brother, please instruct me.”

“It’s simple,” Chang Lin grinned. “Just crawl through my legs.”

The crowd from Changshou Sect erupted in laughter.

“Do it! We all did the same!”

“That’s right! A real man knows when to bend. Crawl!”

“Crawl! Crawl! Crawl!”

They chanted in unison, their mocking voices surrounding Wang Xi.

“Xi…” Li Long took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm.

“Why suffer this shame? Even if we die in battle, we can still drink together in the underworld.”

He had never given up on his brother. It was a promise between men—when one stumbles, the other lends a hand.

Wang Xi’s shoulders trembled slightly. He had heard. But he didn’t turn back.

With a thud, he dropped to his knees before Chang Lin.