The revival of the sect spirit vein in the back mountain brought sudden life to the barren land But it also left Allen with no cultivation to protect him He had stood too long in the cold wind by the frozen pond

  He caught a heavy cold for real Now he lay slumped in the grand hall in the chair that once belonged to the sect master He wrapped his torn shell jacket tight around himself

  His nose was bright red His eyes were watery and sore Each time an itch rose inside his nostrils he fought it with everything he had

  He wanted to keep the image of an expert who never loses composure So he forced the sneeze back down His whole body would shiver in strange sudden bursts

  To Qingsong and the disciples watching below those shivers became proof of something sacred They believed the Ancestor spirit had left the body They believed he was resonating with the great Dao of heaven and earth

  They believed each tremor was him drawing heavenly qi to wash and refine the flesh

  At the same time the eruption of spiritual energy from Moonfall Mountain spread like a lighthouse flare in the night It instantly alerted Tiger Roar Sect thirty li away Tiger Roar Sect master Hu Meng was a huge man with a face full of hard muscle and greed

  When his scouts reported that the dying Moonfall Sect now surged with sky high qi his eyes lit up But Hu Meng was cautious by nature He remembered the report that their outer deacon had been scared off by a supposed great expert who returned to plainness

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  Doubt gnawed at him So he decided to gather the sect elites and lead them himself He called it a formal visit to the mountain

  In truth it was a probe If the Ancestor was real they would kneel and beg for an opportunity If it was a trick then today would be the day Moonfall Sect was erased

  Inside the grand hall the air turned heavy Qingsong sensed the killing intent approaching from far away He fell to his knees in front of Allen and begged for guidance on how to face the enemy

  Allen was burning with fever and could not understand a word All he felt was his belly twisting with cramps He urgently needed to find a bathroom

  He weakly lifted his hand and pointed toward the hidden latrine in the corner of a side hall He tried to signal that he had to go Qingsong froze in confusion

  Allen shook his head in helpless frustration as if to say do not block me I cannot hold on

  Qingsong followed the direction of that finger It was the lowest dead corner of the sect grounds A wild spark of realization flashed in his eyes

  He spun around and spoke in a low fierce voice to the disciples He said the Ancestor intended to place them in death and then bring them to life He said that dead corner was the only life gate of the mountain guarding array

  He said it was also the best trap to lure the enemy deep inside As for the Ancestor shaking his head Qingsong declared it was a signal that there was no need for a grand battle

  They only needed to set an ambush there and capture the leader in one strike

  The disciples blood surged They grabbed shovels and talismans and rushed toward the latrine to set formations Allen saw the crowd finally clear out of his way

  He could not endure another second He let out a thunderous sneeze Then his whole body went limp

  He collapsed and fell into sleep

  To the elders who stayed behind it became something else entirely They believed the Ancestor had just finished spirit roaming through the void They believed he was now using the turtle breathing method to store energy

  They believed he was waiting to deliver a thunderbolt strike to the invaders

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