However, before the Confucian-robed elder and Ji Yin could release their spirit beasts and demon corpses, a sudden change occurred on the altar.
One of the giant emerald silkworms within a light sphere began to tremble violently, its golden radiance rapidly dimming. Almost simultaneously, the golden thread in its mouth quivered and snapped with a sharp *ping* sound.
“Not good!” Wan Tianming and the other righteous path cultivators, who had been fully focused on retrieving the treasure, exclaimed with pale faces. But before they could take any action, the other golden silkworms began experiencing the same issue—their golden light dimmed drastically, and the threads of two more giant silkworms snapped instantly.
At this, Wan Tianming’s heart sank to the depths of despair. His initially advancing figure froze in place.
But that wasn’t the end of it!
Although the golden threads of the remaining three giant silkworms were still intact, with half of their companions’ support gone, they were suddenly yanked forward as if pulled by an immense force, swiftly dragged into the large hole. A loud thud followed, shaking the entire stone platform violently. The blue light at the entrance of the hole immediately dimmed, and the chilling coldness significantly weakened.
Seeing this, the expressions of the righteous path cultivators turned extremely grim.
Meanwhile, the demonic path elders like Ji Yin, who had been about to make their move, exchanged bewildered glances, their faces a mix of strange and vivid expressions.
“Haha! Haha…” Man Huzi burst into uproarious laughter, his yellow beard trembling with mirth, looking utterly delighted.
Ji Yin and the Confucian-robed elder soon caught on as well, revealing gleeful smirks as they turned their mocking gazes toward the three righteous path cultivators.
This only made Wan Tianming’s face turn even darker with fury.
He had invested so much effort and paid such a high price for this treasure retrieval, only to end up being mocked by the demonic path. The rage in his heart flared up uncontrollably. Suddenly, he turned around, his eyes gleaming with a cold, sinister light as he glared at Ji Yin and the other two.
The smiles on Patriarch Ji Yin and the elder’s faces instantly stiffened.
Wan Tianming was a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator. Even though they belonged to opposing factions, neither of them wished to easily provoke his deep-seated hatred. However, under his glare, although Man Huzi stopped his wild laughter, he glared back unapologetically.
“What’s the matter, Sect Leader Wan? Want to have a little match with me? I’d like to experience the renowned Tianluo Divine Art of the Confucian school’s three great techniques,” Man Huzi challenged, his face stern.
Wan Tianming coldly stared at Man Huzi for a moment before finally regaining his composure.
“Let’s go!” He flicked his sleeve and led the way off the altar, not even bothering with the remaining golden thread silkworms. He only recalled the white flood dragon that had been confronting the demonic path.
Tian Wuzi’s expression was equally unpleasant. After retrieving his giant turtle, he followed closely behind Wan Tianming with a dark face. The dark, lean old farmer, however, remained relatively calm aside from the coldness in his eyes.
As the righteous and demonic paths passed each other, both sides remained extremely vigilant, carefully watching one another.
Fortunately, although Man Huzi was exceedingly arrogant, he refrained from provoking them further, merely watching with a cold smirk as Wan Tianming and the others gradually retreated and eventually disappeared beyond the light barrier.
“I’ve sent my Green Thorn Bird to lie in wait near the entrance. If those righteous path fellows try to return, we’ll know,” the Confucian-robed elder suddenly remarked, glancing in the direction they had left.
“In that case, I’ll also send two Tian Du Corpses to ambush the entrance. If they try to launch a surprise attack, the corpses can provide some resistance,” Patriarch Ji Yin added with a sly smile, his eyes shifting thoughtfully.
Hearing this, Qing Yi was momentarily taken aback but soon regained his composure without saying a word. With a flick of his Confucian sleeve, a fist-sized green light shot out and soared into the sky.
Patriarch Ji Yin, on the other hand, tossed something onto the ground. Two plumes of black smoke emerged, followed by a foul stench, as two tall demon corpses materialized before the group.
“Go!” Patriarch Ji Yin solemnly pointed toward the entrance. The two demon corpses twisted and blurred before vanishing without a trace.
This scene reminded Han Li of the eerie appearance of the demon corpse that day, sending a chill down his spine and deepening his wariness toward these creatures. However, when his gaze fell upon the trembling golden silkworms still lying on the altar, curiosity got the better of him, and he walked over.
But before he could reach them, someone else moved swiftly toward the silkworms. Han Li glanced sideways and saw that it was Xuan Gu, who had remained silent until now.
He was somewhat surprised!
“What’s going on? These golden thread silkworms are rare exotic insects. Judging by their earlier golden light, their cultivation shouldn’t be shallow. For Wan Tianming to abandon them without a second thought is rather strange!” Man Huzi walked over and casually inquired.
“They’ve consumed Sky Blue Flowers, forcibly boosting their cultivation to temporarily lift the Virtual Heaven Cauldron. But now that the drug’s effect has worn off, these silkworms are completely useless,” Xuan Gu replied indifferently after briefly examining one of the giant silkworms.
“So that’s how they managed to lift the Virtual Heaven Cauldron! No wonder. Heh! Wan Tianming really tried to gain an advantage only to suffer a loss this time,” Man Huzi laughed heartily upon hearing Xuan Gu’s explanation.
“Sky Blue Flowers! I never imagined Wan Tianming actually found them. I once considered using this method as well, but unfortunately, I never managed to find even one of these flowers over the years. But for Brother Man’s junior to know about this flower—he must be quite renowned! I wonder if I’ve heard of him before,” Patriarch Ji Yin remarked as he walked over, his hands clasped behind his back. However, he suddenly turned his focus to Xuan Gu, staring intently at his face.
“I’ve merely read a few old books, nothing more. I’m hardly famous—Senior Wu, you flatter me,” Xuan Gu replied with a light, gentle smile.
“Is that so?” Patriarch Ji Yin said indifferently. Whether his suspicions were dispelled or he was wary of Man Huzi nearby, he didn’t press further. Instead, he turned and walked to the edge of the large hole, peering down into it. The blue light from the hole cast an eerie glow on his face, making him look extremely sinister.
Han Li watched coldly from the side, inwardly admiring Xuan Gu’s ability to remain composed. To face Ji Yin and calmly address him as “senior” showed just how formidable Xuan Gu’s patience and temperament were.
Then again, aside from Wu Chou, was there anyone here who was easy to fool? Every one of them was a centuries-old fox, cunning and shrewd beyond measure.
Just as Han Li was brooding over this, the Confucian-robed elder spoke up: “Since these golden thread silkworms are useless, let’s just destroy them. No need to leave them here as an eyesore.” As he said this, the elder flipped his palm, and a sphere of sharp, green light appeared in his hand, ready to shoot toward the half-dead giant silkworms.
“Wait! I’m quite interested in these golden thread silkworms. Could you leave them to me, Senior?” Han Li narrowed his eyes, scanning the three giant silkworms before suddenly addressing the elder.
“You want these things? Not only are their cultivation completely ruined, but they won’t live much longer anyway,” the Confucian-robed elder replied with a hint of surprise and confusion.
“I’ve always had an interest in exotic insects. Since they’re not dead yet, I’d like to keep them for research. I hope you can grant me this, Senior,” Han Li said with a smile, cupping his hands in respect.
Hearing this, the Confucian-robed elder didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he looked Han Li up and down once more, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face. This made Han Li uneasy, unsure of what the elder was thinking.
*Ahem!* “I, too, was once a rogue cultivator. I understand that rogue cultivators at the Core Formation stage aren’t as well-off as their counterparts in major sects. Life can indeed be quite difficult. Since Junior Han wants these useless things, you may take them,” the Confucian-robed elder said with a sigh, shaking his head. Clearly, he had misunderstood the situation!
Han Li inwardly rolled his eyes at this but could only put on an awkward expression and repeatedly thank the elder. He then took out an empty spirit beast bag and collected the three golden thread silkworms.
Judging by the situation, Wan Tianming had already erased the spiritual imprints of their original master when he discarded them, so they offered no resistance as Han Li stored them away.
“Han Li, stop fussing with those trivial matters. Release the Bloodjade Spider quickly. I want to see what level spirit beast it is. Then, with the cooperation of my Fire Python, we must succeed in one attempt!” Ji Yin called out without turning his head after observing the hole for a while, a fanatical gleam in his eyes.
Hearing this, Han Li frowned slightly but walked over.
Qing Yi and Man Huzi both turned their attention to Han Li upon hearing this.
“Don’t worry. As long as you can retrieve the Virtual Heaven Cauldron, your master will definitely reward you handsomely,” Ji Yin turned around and said to Han Li with a kindly expression, as if afraid Han Li wouldn’t give his best effort.
But as these words reached Han Li’s ears, a chill ran down his spine.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage