Ye Yun, in the assembly hall, briefly recounted his journey. With the assistance of his two disciples, he returned to Qingyun Peak, ostensibly to prepare for absorbing the ten-thousand-year-old snow lotus.
The others also departed one by one. Zhao Qiankun, back in his own cave dwelling, began preparations for that night's operation.
Infiltrating Qingyun Peak and silently eliminating Ye Yun was his best, and last, opportunity!
As the sun set and the moon rose, it was past midnight.
Fewer lights glowed within the Celestial Sect; most disciples and even elders had retired, and patrols were at their most lax.
In the darkness, Zhao Qiankun had already donned a black robe, blending into his surroundings.
With his peak Emperor-level cultivation, once his presence was concealed, no one in the ancient Heavenly Sect could detect him besides the Grand Elder and the Sect Master.
Unsurprisingly, he easily evaded the patrolling teams along the way and arrived at Qingyun Peak.
A faint light still emanated from Ye Yun's cave dwelling not far away, with subtle fluctuations of profound energy, indicating peak King-level. Ye Yun was undoubtedly inside!
However, Zhao Qiankun remained cautious. Before acting, he casually inspected the temporary bamboo hut near the cave dwelling and saw Lin Xueyan and Bai Xiaoxiao asleep in the same bed, embracing each other.
"Sleep well, a big surprise awaits you tomorrow."
Zhao Qiankun sneered coldly, eager to see their expressions when they learned their master had been assassinated.
His figure vanished silently. It was time to act and deal with Ye Yun! After killing him, he could not only atone for his past deeds but also gain a ten-thousand-year-old snow lotus. Presenting it to the "adult" might bring him some special benefits.
However, Zhao Qiankun failed to notice that as he infiltrated Qingyun Peak, two figures had silently followed him, observing his every move.
One was the Sect Master Gu Chen, and the other was the Chief Grand Elder, the only two Venerable-level powerhouses in the sect.
They had both been approached by Gu Xiaoyue, who told them to come to Qingyun Peak late at night to witness a drama starring Ye Yun, one of marital infidelity.
Inside the cave dwelling, Ye Yun sat cross-legged on the ground, seemingly immersed in meditation, so much so that he didn't even notice the shadowy figure stealthily approaching from behind.
Seeing Ye Yun completely unguarded, Zhao Qiankun's expression turned ecstatic, and he conjured a grey dagger in his hand.
Ten meters, five meters, three meters, two meters, one meter...
Finally, at a distance of only half a meter from Ye Yun, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and he raised his dagger, stabbing down fiercely.
After all, he was a peak Emperor-level cultivator. Sneaking up on Ye Yun, who was only at peak King-level, from behind would be child's play.
But the moment he struck, Ye Yun, with his back to him, suddenly spoke.
"It's so late, Elder Wu. Do you have business on my Qingyun Peak?"
Zhao Qiankun's striking motion froze. He watched as Ye Yun slowly turned around, staring intently at him and the dagger in his hand.
"Elder Zhao, what is the meaning of this?"
Feeling Ye Yun's questioning gaze, Zhao Qiankun subconsciously swallowed. How was this possible? He had been discovered?
But then he thought, so what if he was discovered? In his current state, he could kill Ye Yun instantly even in a direct confrontation. What was there to fear?
Having figured this out, Zhao Qiankun relaxed, even letting out a cold laugh.
"As expected of our Ancient Dao Sword Emperor, to notice my approach even in this state. Unfortunately, the more so, the less I can let you live. You must die here today!"
Zhao Qiankun was about to make his move, but Ye Yun frowned, looking at him with an expression of pure anger.
"Why? Even if I die, at least let me die understanding. We are both chief disciples of the sect, why do you want to kill me?"
Ye Yun's angry expression brought immense joy to Zhao Qiankun. He directly removed his mask and sneered.
"Sect chief? Who said I was a sect chief with you!"
Zhao Qiankun pressed the dagger against Ye Yun's chest and whispered into his ear coldly.
"Since you brought me a ten-thousand-year-old snow lotus, I'll mercifully tell you."
"I am not just the chief disciple of the Ancient Dao Heavenly Sect, but also a spy belonging to the Nine Nether Demonic Sect. I won't hide it from you; the ambush you fell into a year ago was due to the intelligence I provided!"
With that, the corners of his mouth curled up. "Alright, the final pleasantries are over. You can die. Resent me on the road to the underworld!"
As he spoke, Zhao Qiankun gathered profound energy into his dagger, intending to pierce Ye Yun's heart directly.
But he soon realized something was slightly wrong. Why wasn't the tip of the knife penetrating?
He instinctively looked down and saw a faint golden light surrounding Ye Yun's heart. The dagger in his hand was blocked by this golden light, rendering all his efforts futile.
"What's going on? What did you do?!"
Zhao Qiankun stared at Ye Yun, still not understanding what had happened.
To his confusion, Ye Yun smiled and said, "I didn't do anything. I just condensed a layer of defense on my chest with profound energy."
"Impossible! You were so heavily injured, how could you still condense such a strong defense?!"
"Injured? Who told you I was actually injured?"
Ye Yun's lips curled upwards. At this moment, the profound energy within his body erupted, rapidly recovering from peak King-level to peak Emperor-level, and then breaking through the barrier to reach the Venerable realm!
Instantly, a terrifyingly extreme pressure enveloped Zhao Qiankun, making it difficult for him to even stand steady.
But none of this mattered anymore. Zhao Qiankun's face was already filled with disbelief. With this overwhelming power, he could guess what it was with his toes.
"This is impossible! You had only just reached peak Emperor-level, how could you have reached the Venerable realm so quickly?!"
"Nothing is impossible, who told you I don't have good fortune."
Ye Yun smiled, but soon his expression turned gloomy.
"On the other hand, I really didn't expect you to be a spy for the Nine Nether Demonic Sect. No wonder sect secrets have been leaked for so many years. It was all your doing, wasn't it?"
Facing Ye Yun's questioning now, Zhao Qiankun's face turned pale. This was truly the end. Not only could he not kill Ye Yun, but his identity had also been accidentally exposed.
However, he was not someone who had never faced adversity. Seeing that the situation was out of his control, he directly put away his dagger and even removed his night-walking attire, revealing his casual wear underneath.
Then Zhao Qiankun spread his hands, looking at him with a bewildered expression.
"Elder Ye, what do you mean by this? I just heard you were injured and came specifically to bring you some healing pills."
"What Nine Nether Demonic Sect spy, I have no idea what you're talking about?"
Ye Yun sneered at his change in attitude.
"What? The situation has come to this, and you still want to pretend?"
Zhao Qiankun couldn't help but scoff. "Elder Ye, everything requires evidence. You claim I'm a demonic sect spy, what proof do you have?"
"Do you think that with just your word, the sect disciples, the elders, the chief disciples, or even the Sect Master will believe you?"
Although the situation was dire, Zhao Qiankun saw a glimmer of hope for survival. He didn't believe Ye Yun had irrefutable evidence and would dare to kill him, the Fifth Chief Elder, here.
Once he escaped, he could immediately flee the Ancient Dao Heavenly Sect, and even if they found evidence later, it would be useless!
Unfortunately, fantasies are beautiful, but reality is cruel.
The moment he finished speaking, Ye Yun clapped his hands with a smile. "Not bad, not bad, you're absolutely right. So, Sect Master, Grand Elder, did you hear what he just said?"
"What?!"
Zhao Qiankun's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly looked outside the cave. He saw Sect Master Gu Chen and the Grand Elder slowly walking in.
In an instant, Zhao Qiankun understood everything. He turned and glared at Ye Yun, saying in a deep voice.
"Ye Yun, you were playing me, weren't you?"