Chương 200: Chapter 89: Scheming

"Heh, there is no need for further struggle, Fellow Daoist," Wei Qubing sneered, his voice dripping with condescension.

"My Blazing Cloud Shield is a companion artifact designed to complement the Eight-Treasure Exquisite Demon-Suppressing Pagoda. As long as these crimson fire clouds remain undissipated, your offensive power will never be enough to shatter its defenses!"

"I must admit, I am deeply astonished that your earth-attribute magic treasure, the Heaven-Turning Seal, has also reached the top-grade rank and even birthed its own nascent sentience. But now, I must thank you for delivering it directly to my doorstep. Once my Eight-Treasure Exquisite Demon-Suppressing Pagoda completely devours its spiritual intelligence and latent power, there is a massive probability that my pagoda will undergo a supreme evolution!"

"To serve as the stepping stone for a future Dao Artifact... Fellow Daoist, you should feel honored and take solace in this glorious sacrifice." Wei Qubing let out a cold, mocking laugh. His gaze locked onto the Heaven-Turning Seal, which was currently retreating in disarray under the relentless, savage onslaught of the fiery bird. An intense, burning greed flared deep within his eyes, completely unmasked. Reyn's face darkened, his brow furrowing into a tight knot.

A flicker of panic and desperation flashed through his eyes, though he forced a harsh, defiant growl from his throat.

"The battle is far from over! If you wish to plunder my magic treasure, you had better prove you possess the strength to back up your words!"

"Soul-Piercing Awl!" Reyn channeled his Divine Sense, driving it deep into the golden seal. Under the five-fold amplification of the artifact, his Primordial Soul cultivation instantly surged, temporarily matching the Mid-Golden Core Stage. The vast mental energy condensed rapidly, sharpening into an invisible, cone-shaped shockwave of pure spiritual force that pierced through the air, hurtling directly toward Wei Qubing's forehead.

Sensing the sudden, violent surge of Primordial Soul energy erupting from Reyn, Wei Qubing's expression shifted. However, his eyes remained devoid of panic. With a swift, practiced motion, he slapped his chest. A brilliant, milky-white radiance burst from his palm, instantly expanding into a protective dome of soft light that wrapped around his entire body. Crack! The invisible spiritual awl slammed violently into the milky-white barrier.

The shield buckled inward, a deep, visible indentation warping its surface as the protective light spun frantically to neutralize the mental impact. It took several breaths before the barrier slowly popped back into shape. Although its luster had dimmed slightly, it was clear that an attack of this caliber would not be enough to shatter it anytime soon.

"A Mid-Golden Core Stage Primordial Soul!" Wei Qubing muttered, a trace of genuine shock lingering in his eyes. He fixed a dark, calculating gaze on Reyn, his voice dropping to a low rumble.

"Your soul strength is indeed formidable—enough to crown you as the undisputed number one among the younger generation of our Zhao Kingdom's cultivation world. Unfortunately for you, I carry my sect's protective treasure, the Soul-Protecting Warm Jade. While its defensive power cannot match the Beast Taming Sect's Five Elements Soul-Protecting Mirror, it is more than capable of neutralizing a mid-stage Golden Core mental assault." Reyn's expression turned incredibly unsightly upon hearing those words.

He glanced toward the sky, where the Heaven-Turning Seal was faltering under the relentless strikes of the fiery bird. The anxiety in his eyes was now completely laid bare, his face twisting in a conflict of emotions. After a tense silence, he spoke in a strained, low voice, "If you agree to recall your Eight-Treasure Exquisite Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, I am willing to hand over every single Mu Jade Sword in my possession. What say you?" A smug smile spread across Wei Qubing's face.

The last lingering shred of suspicion in his heart vanished completely upon hearing Reyn's desperate offer. He chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"Why go through such unnecessary trouble? Once I defeat you, those Mu Jade Swords will naturally fall into my hands anyway."

"Furthermore, if my Eight-Treasure Exquisite Demon-Suppressing Pagoda devours your earth-attribute magic treasure, its chances of evolving are incredibly high. Even if I were to collect all eight Mu Jade Swords, whatever reward the Mu Family could offer me would pale in comparison to a potential Dao Artifact."

"So, Fellow Daoist, cease your futile struggles. I will take your Mu Jade Swords, and I will claim your earth-attribute magic treasure as well!" His expression hardened into a mask of ruthless determination. He raised his hand and barked a command to the sky: "Eight-Treasure Exquisite Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, devour this artifact and ascend to a Dao Artifact! Hundreds of years of accumulation culminate in this moment—this is your greatest destiny! Devour! Devour! Devour!" Screeech!

High within the churning crimson clouds, the fiery avian spirit let out a piercing, blood-curdling shriek. Its cold, unfeeling eyes flared with absolute greed and hunger. Opening its beak wide, it unleashed a torrent of near-blinding, white-hot flames. The heat was so intense that it seemed capable of incinerating the very fabric of the void, causing the surrounding air to warp and distort in shimmering, unstable waves. Sizzle!

The white flames splashed against the protective layers of earthen-yellow divine light surrounding the Heaven-Turning Seal. Like highly corrosive acid eating through flesh, the intense heat dissolved the earth-attribute barrier with an agonizing, high-pitched hiss. At a rate visible to the naked eye, the protective divine light was incinerated into absolute nothingness, dissolving into the air. Waves of panic, helplessness, and sheer despair rippled out from the Heaven-Turning Seal's nascent consciousness.

It desperately pushed its internal reserves to generate more earthen-yellow divine light, but the rate of replenishment was far outpaced by the devastating rate of destruction. The final remaining layers of earth-attribute defense, already weakened by the bird's relentless assault, shattered with a sharp crack. A gaping breach opened up, exposing the seal's physical body. The white flames immediately clung to the exposed surface, eating away at its core and rapidly widening the breach.

Reyn's face contorted into a mask of shock and fury as he watched his precious artifact tremble in helpless terror. In stark contrast, Wei Qubing's eyes burned with triumphant ecstasy. He knew that once his Eight-Treasure Exquisite Demon-Suppressing Pagoda consumed the spiritual essence of this top-grade earth-attribute treasure, the outcome would be set in stone. He would emerge from this Trial Realm as the ultimate victor, possessing an artifact of unparalleled potential. Screeech!

The fiery avian spirit shrieked once more, its patience entirely exhausted now that the breach in the defenses was wide enough for it to pass. Flapping its massive, blazing wings, it dived headfirst toward the exposed core of the Heaven-Turning Seal. Once it penetrated the physical shell, its superior spiritual intelligence would easily overwhelm and assimilate the seal's fragile, newly-born consciousness, allowing it to absorb every drop of the artifact's earth-attribute essence.

Ever since the Eight-Treasure Exquisite Demon-Suppressing Pagoda had first birthed its own sentience, it had never experienced such intoxicating excitement. Devouring the artifact before it meant a direct path to evolving into a legendary Dao Artifact. It would gain a complete, independent soul. Not only would its destructive power skyrocket, but it would also gain the potential to take on a human form in the future—freeing itself from the shackles of master-servant bonds to roam the world as an independent entity!

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Devour! Devour! Devour! The strange bird's mind was consumed by a singular, ravenous urge: it had to completely devour this magic treasure! Every fiber of its fiery being screamed for the essence of the artifact before it. A cruel, scorching light flared within the strange bird's eyes. Its gaze locked onto the target with predatory hunger.

Just a few more breaths of time—a mere handful of seconds—and it would successfully breach the defenses, merging its own essence directly into the core of this powerful magic treasure to claim it forever. But right at that critical juncture, the spiritual fluctuations radiating from the Heaven-Turning Seal underwent a sudden, drastic transformation. The simulated panic and trembling weakness vanished, replaced instantly by an icy, mocking chill that seeped into the very soul.

There was no longer even a shred of the previous terror. The side of the seal's massive brick-like body directly facing the approaching avian beast began to churn violently, its solid surface liquefying into a roiling mass of earth-attribute energy. In the blink of an eye, the dense stone reshaped itself, expanding outward to manifest a massive, thirty-zhang-wide earthen-yellow vortex that spun with terrifying velocity.

This abrupt mutation caused a flicker of profound shock and suspicion to flash across the strange bird's glowing eyes. Sensing an immediate, mortal danger, its massive wings of pure white flame beat frantically against the air, sending waves of heat blasting outward as it desperately tried to halt its forward momentum. It clawed at the empty air, trying to reverse its flight path. But its speed had been too great, and the trap had already sprung. It was far too late to retreat.

A violent, irresistible suction force erupted from the center of the spinning earthen-yellow vortex. What made this force truly terrifying was its uncanny precision; the immense gravitational pull did not affect the surrounding debris or the ground below, but instead focused entirely on the strange bird. The air around the beast warped and solidified, locking its fiery limbs in place like invisible iron chains.

No matter how hard it thrashed, the relentless pull dragged its massive body downward, inch by inch, toward the gaping maw of the vortex. Screeech! The sudden reversal filled the creature's eyes with a mixture of wild panic and fury. It finally realized, with absolute certainty, that it had been lured into a deadly trap. It thrashed its wings with manic intensity, kicking up storms of sparks.

In a desperate bid to break free, it opened its beak and unleashed a concentrated torrent of searing white flame, aiming to blast the vortex into oblivion. The pillar of fire crashed directly into the swirling earthen-yellow depths. Yet, to the beast's utter horror, the destructive heat did not disrupt the vortex at all. Instead, the swirling energy parted like a hungry mouth, swallowing the white flames whole. Instantly, the suction force grew even stronger, pulsing with renewed vigor.

The devoured flame had not harmed the Heaven-Turning Seal; it had been refined and converted into pure nourishment to fuel the trap. Watching from a distance, Wei Qubing's face paled, then flushed with sudden rage. His eyes burned with shock and fury. If he still failed to comprehend what was happening, he would be utterly unworthy of his status as the designated future leader of the Three Thousand Dao Sect.

He had thought himself the hunter, plotting to devour another's artifact, completely blind to the fact that he was the one being hunted and calculated against from the very beginning! The tables had turned in an instant. Yet, as a top-tier genius, his reflexes were incredibly sharp. His expression turned grim, cold as stagnant water, as he thrust his hand forward and made a violent pulling motion toward the Eight-Treasure Exquisite Demon-Suppressing Pagoda.

He sought to recall the physical pagoda to his side, hoping to sever the connection before his artifact spirit was lost. However, the mountain phantom hovering above did not give him the chance. The illusory peak suddenly erupted with a blinding surge of earthen-yellow divine light, pressing down with the weight of a mountain range. The heavy, suffocating pressure locked the pagoda firmly in place.

No matter how frantically Wei Qubing pushed his mana, chanting incantations and forming rapid hand seals, the pagoda remained frozen in the air, unable to budge even a fraction of an inch. Wei Qubing's sinister, venomous gaze snapped toward Reyn. The young cultivator before him no longer bore even a trace of the frantic panic he had displayed moments ago. Instead, Reyn stood with absolute composure, a calm, mocking smile playing on his lips as his cool gaze swept over Wei Qubing.

"What deep, calculating schemes you possess, Fellow Daoist!" Wei Qubing hissed, his voice dripping with venom.

"And to think your magic treasure possessed such highly developed intelligence, hiding it so perfectly. The two of you actually conspired to play me for a fool!"

"Why does Fellow Daoist Wei speak so harshly?" Reyn replied, his voice smooth and entirely unbothered.

"I offered you a fair path earlier. I explicitly stated that if you agreed to recall your Eight-Treasure Exquisite Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, I would willingly hand over every single Mu Jade Sword in my possession. Yet, you flatly rejected my proposal, driven by the desire to seize both my life and my treasures. The predicament you find yourself in now is merely the harvest of your own seeds. At its root, this entire situation was born solely from your own insatiable greed."

Reyn's eyes flickered with a cold, calculating light as he delivered his calm rebuttal, showing no fear of the prestigious sect disciple before him.

"You...!" Wei Qubing's face stiffened, his throat tightening with rage. He forced himself to take several deep, ragged breaths, fighting down the urge to spit blood from sheer frustration. His expression shifted rapidly between dark fury and calculating restraint. Finally, suppressing his pride, he spoke in a low, gravelly tone: "Fellow Daoist Reyn, let us speak reasonably.

If you agree to recall your magic treasure right now and release the artifact spirit of my Eight-Treasure Exquisite Demon-Suppressing Pagoda unharmed, I am willing to make a concession. I will only demand half of the Mu Jade Swords currently in your possession. The remaining half will be yours to keep, and I will personally guarantee that you can carry them safely out of this Trial Realm."

"However," Wei Qubing's voice dropped to a chilling whisper, "if your own greed blinds you, and you make an unwise decision today, I can assure you with absolute certainty that you will pay a devastating price for your folly. Do not mistake my patience for weakness." Reyn's brow furrowed slightly at the threat. A flicker of hesitation crossed his features, and his eyes gleamed with a calculating, uncertain light. He remained silent, seemingly weighing the pros and cons of Wei Qubing's offer in deep contemplation.

Seeing Reyn's apparent hesitation, a surge of hope and triumph flared within Wei Qubing's heart. Pressing his advantage, he quickly added, "You must understand the gravity of the situation. The Eight-Treasure Exquisite Demon-Suppressing Pagoda is not some ordinary tool; it is a sacred, sect-protecting treasure of the Three Thousand Dao Sect. If its artifact spirit is destroyed, the sect will spare no effort to avenge it.

Even if you manage to flee this place today, you will spend the rest of your days fleeing from the relentless, endless pursuit of our entire sect's forces!"

"Furthermore, your actions will not only affect you. Your sect, your clan, and your loved ones will inevitably be dragged into this vortex, paying a terrible, bloody price for your actions today. I urge you to make a rational choice, Fellow Daoist. Do not let a moment of reckless impulse ruin everything you hold dear!" Though Wei Qubing maintained a stern, intimidating facade, his heart was pounding like a war drum. He was secretly sweating.

If a sacred treasure like the Eight-Treasure Exquisite Demon-Suppressing Pagoda were to be crippled or destroyed under his watch, the consequences would be catastrophic. Regardless of his talent, he would bear the absolute, crushing weight of that failure.

Even though he had been designated as the future helmsman of the Three Thousand Dao Sect, such a monumental blunder would undoubtedly jeopardize his position, giving his rivals within the sect the perfect ammunition to strip him of his inheritance and plunge his future into chaos. Reyn's expression shifted, the look of deep reluctance and hesitation on his face growing more pronounced. He seemed to struggle internally, staring at the ground in silence.

After a long, tense silence, he finally looked up, his voice heavy: "I can agree to your terms, Fellow Daoist. However, a mere verbal agreement is not enough. You must provide me with adequate compensation before I will order my magic treasure to release its hold."

"What kind of compensation do you want?" Wei Qubing asked, his brow furrowing. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the spinning earthen-yellow vortex on the Heaven-Turning Seal had indeed slowed its rotation slightly, its terrifying suction force relaxing just enough to halt the downward descent of the struggling bird spirit. A wave of relief washed over him, though he kept his guard up, his voice remaining sharp and demanding.

"The small, red crystal-like shield you deployed earlier is quite extraordinary," Reyn said, his eyes glinting with a sharp, calculating light as he pointed toward the crimson defensive artifact hovering a short distance away.

"The way it absorbs fire-attribute energy to mend its own structural damage is fascinating. I find myself highly intrigued by its design. I would like to borrow it for a few days to study its formations. What say you, Fellow Daoist?"