The Tianyan Sect has no tradition of selling out its own people

At the foot of Mist Mystic Temple's mountain.

A group of people stood silently at the base, waiting for the right moment.

Chen Mouguang led his own team in quiet anticipation, but his gaze couldn’t help drifting toward Chu Xingchen, who looked utterly at ease.

Though he had answered confidently before, the truth was he had never actually seen Chu Xingchen in action.

Now that they were truly about to make their move, his confidence wavered.

What if this so-called expert was instantly crushed by Daoist Yuyang with a single move…?

Would it be immoral if he just ran for it?

Unable to hold back any longer, Chen Mouguang finally spoke up:

"Since they're not here yet… Senior, be honest with me—do you really have what it takes to hold out for an hour or two?"

Chu Xingchen glanced sideways. "If I couldn’t handle it, would I be here to die with you?"

Chen Mouguang pressed his lips together, then cautiously added:

"Well… if you do end up struggling, could you at least give us a signal beforehand? We might not be much help, but at the very least, we should be able to outrun the other sects, right?"

"Sure. And if I do win, I’ll make time to beat you up too," Chu Xingchen remarked, his gaze fixed on the mountain gate of Mist Mystic Temple.

Admittedly, the standards here in the Central Continent were higher.

Mist Mystic Temple’s architectural style lacked the grandeur and imposing presence of Tianyan Sect.

Instead, it leaned toward a more understated, artistic aesthetic—simple yet harmonious, devoid of the usual oppressive aura common to most immortal sects.

The color palette leaned heavily into blues, and the buildings were mostly low-rise, save for a single towering pagoda that stood out prominently.

Given Mist Mystic Temple’s recent state of high alert, their protective mountain array was already active.

Pale blue spiritual energy swirled around the temple, encasing it like a translucent filter.

Chen Mouguang realized that asking such questions before battle might dampen the mood, so he forced a laugh and added:

"Just… go easy when you strike, Senior. Try not to actually kill Daoist Yuyang…"

Before he could finish his attempt at lightening the mood, a terrifying surge of spiritual energy erupted from within Mist Mystic Temple.

A massive pillar of energy shot upward, slamming into the protective array.

The array flared to life in response, its azure glow intensifying as a shockwave of power rippled outward.

At the same time, the deep toll of a bell resonated from the temple, its vibrations strong enough to uproot nearby trees.

This was Mist Mystic Temple’s emergency chime—not only deafeningly loud but also a signal to summon all disciples and elders scattered outside.

Chu Xingchen observed calmly. In his perception, an exceptionally refined spiritual energy was rapidly escalating in strength.

"Did they have a backup plan they didn’t tell you about?" he asked, turning to Chen Mouguang.

Major sects trained their disciples to be well-rounded.

They weren’t just strong—they were also expected to be smart.

Especially when operating outside their own territory.

Even Wang Ling, who had seemed the most impulsive during their earlier discussion, wasn’t a complete fool.

Sometimes, pushing things forward required a bit of pressure to prevent hesitation.

So, of course, there was a plan. Given that this was their first time working together, the details weren’t overly rigid—more like a loose framework where everyone improvised and adapted.

But the general strategy was clear: they absolutely could not engage Daoist Yuyang within Mist Mystic Temple’s domain. The fight had to happen outside.

Ideally, the Grand Elder would leave as well.

Only once the top-tier fighters were deprived of their home-field advantage would Chu Xingchen hold off Daoist Yuyang while one group feigned an attack to draw attention, and another infiltrated the temple in advance to quietly uncover the secrets of the Divine Incense Path.

After all, they weren’t here to wipe out the sect—just to gather information and leave before things escalated.

Naturally, they also had a contingency for if Chu Xingchen was instantly defeated: a swift retreat.

The decoy attacks would target Mist Mystic Temple’s external Divine Incense Path sites and other sensitive locations.

To lure Daoist Yuyang out, they had even pinpointed areas with heavy Taidao Sect presence, ensuring he would rush to aid—only for Chu Xingchen to intercept him mid-journey.

As long as the fight didn’t happen inside Mist Mystic Temple, they stood a chance.

The Grand Elder, a Nascent Soul cultivator, had barely been mentioned in their discussions.

To them, the only real obstacle was Daoist Yuyang.

In a way, it was his involvement that had forced the other sects to band together in the first place.

Now, the unmistakable surge of profound spiritual energy emanating from Mist Mystic Temple could only belong to Daoist Yuyang.

Unless… one of their own infiltrators had decided to pick a fight with him alone?

When Chu Xingchen looked back at Chen Mouguang, the man wore an expression of sheer disbelief.

After a moment of internal struggle, Chen Mouguang whispered:

"Maybe… we should wait and see? If things go south… we can still retreat?"

He didn’t think their hidden allies had been discovered, but given the situation…

Was Daoist Yuyang actually attacking Mist Mystic Temple?

If the others had some secret plan they hadn’t shared, then he couldn’t be blamed for staying out of it.

No sooner had Chen Mouguang spoken than a blinding crimson light erupted from the western side of Mist Mystic Temple, slamming violently into the protective array.

More surges of terrifying spiritual energy followed from the same direction.

Chen Mouguang’s eyes narrowed—that was Ye Antao’s position.

Was this… a diversion?

Had Ye Antao lost her mind?

Charging in blindly like this?

Chu Xingchen sighed softly. No matter how well-planned, circumstances could always change.

Backing out now would make completing his system mission far harder.

He had hoped to ride on others’ efforts, but in the end, it seemed he’d have to shoulder the burden himself.

Well, no matter. At least the chaos would provide some cover.

Chen Mouguang turned, about to suggest a tactical withdrawal—or at least discuss abandoning their reckless allies—when Chu Xingchen suddenly shot forward like a streak of light.

Just like the seemingly brainless Ye Antao, he charged straight in.

Chen Mouguang’s jaw dropped. Though Chu Xingchen’s actions were reckless, there was something oddly fitting about it.

Before this, Chu Xingchen had given him the impression of a calm, collected strategist—someone who offered sound advice.

But that didn’t quite align with Elder Bai’s straightforward, brute-force approach.

Now, watching Chu Xingchen’s fearless advance…

It clicked.

This was the kind of person Elder Bai would favor—strong, but not overly burdened by thought.

"Captain… what now?"

Chen Mouguang turned his gaze toward the teammate who had questioned him.

With a ruthless tone, he snapped, "Since when does the Tianyan Sect have a tradition of selling out their own? If we’re taking a beating, we’ll take it together."