Chương 117: Chapter 6: Extermination

Pop! The fireball descended with a sharp hiss, but just as it was about to incinerate the cave entrance, a faint, shimmering light from a restrictive array flickered into existence, intercepting the flames. Rather than being alarmed, the gloomy man's face twisted into a look of greedy delight. He muttered to himself, "Just a low-grade restrictive talisman? It seems this fellow was in quite a rush.

He must have slapped this together in a hurry, thinking no one would stumble upon this place, before diving into seclusion to break through his bottleneck. Tsk, tsk. It seems fortune has smiled upon me today." His eyes gleamed with a predatory excitement. Knowing that timing was everything in a robbery, he raised his hand and tossed a golden gourd into the air. The gourd spun rapidly in mid-air, its mouth popping open with a sharp click.

A beam of concentrated golden light erupted from the vessel, slamming directly into the cave's protective barrier. Boom! A muffled explosion echoed through the clearing. The barrier, manifested from several restrictive talismans, flickered violently as its brilliance dimmed instantly under the assault. Seeing the defense wavering, the gloomy man remained expressionless, his fingers dancing as he cast a series of mudras.

The gourd spun even faster, discharging two successive bolts of golden light that fell like hammers of judgment. Crack! The two beams struck simultaneously. The barrier offered a final, feeble resistance before shattering into a thousand crystalline shards. The golden light slammed into the cavern floor, gouging out two deep craters and kicking up a thick, choking cloud of dust. With a smirk of triumph, the man caught the gourd and moved toward the cave, his heart racing with the anticipation of easy loot.

However, at that exact moment, the sound of steady, rhythmic footsteps echoed from within the dust-filled cavern. The sound was chillingly calm, causing the man's expression to freeze instantly. Emerging from the haze, a young man in green robes walked out with measured steps. His eyes, as dark and profound as the starry void, locked onto the intruder. Though Reyn did not speak, the terrifying aura rising from his body made the gloomy man's face turn ashen, his legs trembling uncontrollably.

"Senior... this junior did not mean to offend! This is all a misunderstanding. Please, allow me to explain!" the man stammered, his face contorting into a sycophantic mask. He bowed repeatedly, yet he did not retract his magic treasures. His eyes remained fixed on Reyn, ready to bolt at the slightest sign of an attack. Reyn's lips curled into a cold, predatory smile.

"If you move so much as an inch, I will ensure you die without a grave. However, if you answer a few questions honestly, I might just find it in my heart to grant you a path to live." The gloomy man's face stiffened, panic flickering in his eyes. He asked hoarsely, "Is Senior's word true? If I answer and Senior turns back on his promise, this junior would be helpless."

"You have no choice," Reyn countered, his eyes flashing with a lethal light.

"Speak, and there is a sliver of hope. Refuse, and death is certain!" The man grit his teeth, his voice heavy.

"Fine. Please, ask your questions, Senior!"

"Good," Reyn replied, his expression unreadable, as if he had already anticipated the outcome.

"Tell me, what major events have occurred recently in the cultivation world of North Yue State?" This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"There is one major affair!" the man answered quickly, not daring to play any tricks.

"A few days ago, the Xuanxiao Sect mobilized its entire force for reasons unknown, only to return in a hurry shortly after. Then, just days ago, they issued an ultimatum to the Qingyan Sect. If they do not hand over a disciple named Reyn, the Xuanxiao Sect will destroy the Qingyan Sect at any cost." Reyn's heart stirred. He had already pieced together seventy to eighty percent of the truth.

Lei Tianqi must have returned to the sect and brought reinforcements; they likely deduced his identity from the clues left during their clash. Furthermore, since his soul-soul jade slip at the sect remained intact, Qingxiaozi and the others probably assumed he was being held captive by the Qingyan Sect. A wave of gratitude washed over Reyn, knowing that Qingxiaozi and Dan Chenzi were willing to go to war for his sake. He pressed further, his voice urgent, "What is the situation now?

Have the two sides begun fighting?"

"Not yet. There are still three days left before the deadline," the man replied, noticing Reyn's intensity.

"Sect Master Qingxiaozi announced to the entire cultivation world that if Reyn is not produced by noon three days from now, the two sects will engage in a fight to the death."

"Three days," Reyn murmured to himself. A cold, ruthless glint appeared in his eyes.

"That should be more than enough time for me to prepare a grand gift for them."

"I... I don't suppose Senior has any more questions? If not, this junior will take his leave," the man said, his heart pounding against his ribs. He began to cautiously back away, step by step. Reyn waved his hand dismissively. The man felt as if he had been granted a divine pardon. A streak of light erupted from his body as he fled into the distance at maximum speed. Cough... cough... He hadn't even flown a hundred feet when a skeletal hand burst through his chest.

The glint of relief in his eyes hadn't even faded before the life force in his body vanished entirely. The Shura Secret Bone's eye sockets flared with a sinister crimson light. It opened its jagged maw, and a small, dim orb of light—the man's primordial spirit—was yanked from the corpse. The orb vibrated with pure terror before being swallowed whole. As the spirit entered the skeleton, new crimson threads began to weave through the bone structure, consuming the essence in a heartbeat.

The red glow in the skeleton's eyes intensified, becoming even more brilliant. Reyn looked at the corpse with a cold sneer. He reached out, snatching the man's storage bag. After a moment, he tossed a jade plaque—the identity token of a True Inheritance Disciple of the Qingyan Sect—onto the ground. With a flick of his wrist, he incinerated the body, retracted the Shura Secret Bone, and reinforced the cave entrance with several layers of powerful restrictions before heading back inside.

Sitting cross-legged on the bluestone slab, Reyn produced several storage bags. A heat flickered in his eyes as he whispered, "That old ghost was one of the two Golden Core cultivators of the Qingyan Sect. His net worth shouldn't disappoint, right?" He picked one up, wiped away the remaining restriction with a wave of his hand, and sent his divine sense inside. His face froze for a second before exploding into pure ecstasy.

He didn't know what Ming Diao had been planning, but the storage bag contained a staggering two hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones and nearly two thousand mid-grade spirit stones. This single bag far exceeded Reyn's entire previous fortune. Adding this to his current stash, he now possessed four hundred thousand low-grade and over three thousand mid-grade spirit stones—a wealth that would make even top-tier Golden Core cultivators envious.

After stowing the stones, Reyn's anticipation grew as he opened the second storage bag. This one seemed dedicated to magic treasures. There weren't many items—only about a dozen artifacts and a single purple jade box. Among the treasures were the Heaven-Turning Sealand the Black Great Net that Ming Diao had used previously. Aside from a cone-shaped treasure that Reyn couldn't quite identify, the rest were all top-grade spirit tools. Their auras suggested they possessed extraordinary power.

Reyn inspected the top-grade tools one by one, hesitated for a moment, and then put away the Heaven-Turning Sealand the Black Great Net, leaving only the mysterious cone-shaped artifact out.

"Judging by its aura, this is at least at the level of a magic treasure, though I can't tell its exact grade. Even though I lost two Dan-treasures and that protective jade pendant, obtaining this makes the loss worth it." Reyn examined it closely, finding no lingering restrictions or traces of previous refinement. He nodded in satisfaction but decided against refining it immediately, setting it aside for the moment.