Chương 1290: Chapter 81: Shock, Fury, and the Storage Bag Scrutiny (Part 2)

"I am Jun Wuqing of the Luoyang Sect. These are the storage bags belonging to my junior and myself." Jun Wuqing's expression remained a mask of indifference as he handed over the satchels, allowing the duo's Divine Sense to delve deep into their contents. Wei Qubing and Yin Wuyu swept their mental perceptions through the bags, eventually offering a curt nod before returning them. Jun Wuqing reclaimed his property and led his junior aside. His gaze swept the crowd, his brow furrowing as he calculated his next move.

At that precise moment, Wei Qubing and Yin Wuyu snapped their eyes open simultaneously, a murderous glint flashing within their pupils. Wei Qubing let out a cold snort, his palm striking the earth with thunderous force. An ochre-colored divine radiance erupted from his hand, sending a violent tremor through the terrain. An invisible shockwave rippled outward, plunging deep into the subterranean strata! Boom! A muffled explosion echoed from beneath the soil.

To the astonishment of the onlookers, a figure was violently ejected from the depths. It was a diminutive man clad in a soil-yellow short shirt, perched atop a beast encased in heavy scales—a creature bearing a striking resemblance to a pangolin. However, the beast was now hemorrhaging from its eyes and snout, its breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps. It was clearly on the brink of death.

"A cultivator from the Futu Sect of Jin Province!" someone gasped.

"That is a Dundi Beast. Though it is merely a Tier 1 High-grade demon beast, it is a natural master of the earth element. In the soil, it moves as effortlessly as a fish in water, possessing extreme agility. Because of its specialized nature and cautious temperament, it is nearly impossible for anyone outside the Futu Sect to capture one."

"It is said that with such a beast and their sect's secret arts, a Futu cultivator can submerge five hundred zhang beneath the surface. To remain undetected, one would typically require the Primordial Soul of a Golden Core sovereign. That Wei Qubing and Yin Wuyu could flush him out suggests their mental prowess has already reached that exalted level!" As this realization dawned, the gathered cultivators exchanged wary glances, the respect and dread in their eyes deepening significantly. Pfft!

The Futu Sect cultivator coughed, his eyes wide with lingering terror. He was visibly shaken that his concealment had been so easily shattered. Yin Wuyu's face was a mask of frigid malice. The moment Wei Qubing forced the interloper out, Yin gave him no quarter, his hand clawing forward in a predatory arc.

"Soul-Searching Hand!" Under the pressure of that spectral claw, the Futu cultivator's face drained of all color. He looked as though he had suffered a devastating blow; his features twisted in agonizing fear, clearly recognizing the lethality of the technique.

"Bind the body, anchor the spirit—Great Earth-Fixing Art!" he roared. A thick layer of rich, earthen luminescence erupted from his skin, desperately pinning down his Primordial Soul, which was being violently yanked toward the surface of his flesh.

"Hmph!" Yin Wuyu sneered, his fingers tightening. The earthen barrier around the cultivator began to buckle and warp under the immense pressure. A harrowing, screeching sound—like metal grinding against bone—filled the air, signaling the imminent collapse of the defense. Within the light, the Futu cultivator's eyes filled with despair. The Soul-Searching Hand was one of the Supreme Demon Sect's most dreaded legacy techniques. It acted directly upon the soul.

Once the Primordial Soul was dragged from the vessel, the victim faced severe trauma at best, and at worst, total annihilation, falling forever beyond the reach of reincarnation.

"Heh, the Supreme Demon Sect truly carries itself with grand authority, dealing death as if it were a trifle." A mocking voice drifted from the distance. A streak of light tore through the sky like a falling star, arriving before the crowd within a few heartbeats. The light dissipated to reveal a man with a bare torso crisscrossed with jagged scars—Ge Yucheng of the Beast Taming Sect. He landed squarely between Yin Wuyu and the Futu cultivator.

A sphere of crimson light erupted from his chest, enveloping him and completely neutralizing the crushing force of the Soul-Searching Hand.

"Hmph! Ge Yucheng. No wonder you dared to return for this Mu Family Holy Land trial. It seems the old fossils of the Beast Taming Sect actually entrusted you with the Five Elements Soul-Protecting Mirror." Yin Wuyu's expression darkened further, his eyes flashing with a hint of wariness. For reasons unknown, he chose not to press the attack. The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"I came today to watch the spectacle, not to trade blows with you," Ge Yucheng stated grimly.

"But do not mistake the silence of Qing Province for weakness. I will not interfere in the struggle for the Mu Jade Sword, but if you intend to slaughter my kin, you must go through me first!"

"Even if I am not your match today, I can promise you this: if you dare to commit another murder, the great sects of the Qing Province cultivation world and your Supreme Demon Sect shall become eternal, irreconcilable enemies!" A thousand years ago, the Beast Taming Sect was one of the three titans of Huizhou. Shrouded in secrets, they migrated their entire lineage to the desolate wastes of Qingzhou.

In a mere millennium, their presence alone catalyzed a transformation, elevating Qingzhou's cultivation standards by leaps and bounds. Their altruism toward local sects earned them a status so transcendent that the cultivators of Qingzhou revered them no less than the Mu Family of Huizhou. Qingzhou was their undisputed domain; though they never formally declared hegemony, a single call from the Beast Taming Sect would rally every sect and clan in the province to their banner.

Thus, despite being a "frontier" sect, their latent power was terrifying. This was the source of Ge Yucheng's brazen confidence and unyielding stance when facing Yin Wuyu. Of course, their past grievances only added fuel to the fire. Yin Wuyu's expression soured to a glacial mask. His gaze locked onto Ge Yucheng like twin rapiers, threatening to skew the man where he stood. His voice, when it came, was a frigid rasp from the depths of the Nine Netherworlds.

"Are you... threatening me?"

"Save that act for someone else," Ge Yucheng sneered, his lip curling in derision.

"Others might tremble before your Supreme Demon Sect, but my Beast Taming Sect does not. Don't think you're the only one privy to certain secrets. I am a Core Disciple now; I believe you understand exactly what that implies." He shook his head dismissively, waving a hand as if shooing a fly.

"Besides, I'm not your opponent today. I'm just here to enjoy the show and watch someone tear you apart. Hand over that Mu Jade Sword. With those people around, there's no way you're walking out of here with it anyway." The Futu Sect cultivator bowed with practiced humility, retrieving the Mu Jade Sword from his storage bag and placing it into Ge Yucheng's outstretched hand without a moment's hesitation.

"Heh, I recall a certain black-robed fellow who possessed the means to completely shroud the Mu Jade Sword's aura," Ge Yucheng chuckled, his eyes glinting with mischief.

"Tell me, you two didn't let him slip away, did you? If that guy has already vanished, today's festivities will be quite dull." He weighed the sword in his hand, his voice dropping to a low, mocking tone.

"If he's gone, you might as well give up on this sword. You won't gather enough to claim the rewards anyway. You'd better start worrying about how to keep your current positions instead." Before the One-Line Gorge, the gathered cultivators paled in unison. The realization struck them like a physical blow: the reason Wei Qubing and Yin Wuyu were so aggressively searching every storage bag was that a specific cultivator knew how to sever the resonance between the swords!

Judging by Ge Yucheng's tone, that mystery man held more than just one. In an instant, the crowd's eyes flickered with a mix of suspicion and calculation.

"Hehe, rest easy, Senior Brother Ge," Wei Qubing replied with a faint, practiced smile.

"The two of us have kept a constant vigil here. Not a single soul has departed." His gaze shifted to the artifact.

"However, for the time being, why don't you entrust that Mu Jade Sword to me?"

"Furthermore," Wei Qubing added, his tone sharpening slightly, "if Senior Brother wishes to stay and watch the spectacle, you must also submit your storage bag for our inspection." Ge Yucheng shook his head slowly, his face a mask of either regret or relief. He tossed the Mu Jade Sword over carelessly, rolling his eyes.

"Fine, search it if you must. But let's get one thing straight: I'm not doing this because I fear you. I just can't be bothered to waste my energy on your nonsense." He then glanced back at the Futu Sect cultivator.

"Hey, don't go looking for trouble. These two are strong and have powerful backers. If you've got nothing to hide, just give them the bag and be done with it."

"Wait! Wait! Check mine too!" Amidst a series of frantic shouts, a streak of light slammed into the ground. Out stepped a diminutive cultivator clad in drab, impoverished grey robes. He scurried toward Yin Wuyu, thrusting his storage bag forward halfway before suddenly pulling it back against his chest. His beady eyes stared intensely at Yin Wuyu, filled with suspicion.

"But you have to promise—no funny business! I've got over two thousand low-grade spirit stones in here. If you swipe even a few, I'm ruined!" The surrounding cultivators were struck dumb. Some couldn't hide the blatant contempt in their eyes. Being searched was a humiliation, yet this fool was practically begging for it! Moreover, boasting about a mere two thousand spirit stones? Everyone standing here held at least seventy or eighty thousand.

As for the Young Sect Master of the Supreme Demon Sect, he could have as many stones as he desired; why would he covet such a pathetic pittance? Yin Wuyu's face darkened. He cast a freezing glance at the newcomer, but before he could speak, Wei Qubing stepped forward with a slight bow.

"This must be Daoist Xu Shenyan of the Lingyao Sect? Daoist Yin and I have been somewhat overbearing today; I hope you won't take it to heart. We shall surely compensate you in the future." Yin Wuyu's expression shifted slightly, a flicker of wariness crossing his eyes as his demeanor softened considerably. The short cultivator blinked in surprise, then grinned at Wei Qubing.

"How do you know me? My master and the Sect Leader—those two old geezers—have kept me locked up for years, making me cultivate like a madman. I've never set foot outside the sect. Did you plant a spy in our Lingyao Sect?" Wei Qubing's smile faltered, a hint of awkwardness touching his gaze.

"Nothing of the sort, Daoist Xu. You overthink things. I merely heard your name mentioned by my sect elders on occasion."

"Heh, even if you admitted it, it wouldn't matter," Xu Shenyan waved his hand with feigned magnanimity, acting as if he were seeing through a transparent lie.

"Which sect in the Eight Provinces of Zhao hasn't planted a spy in our Lingyao Sect? Don't worry, we're used to it. If you want to watch us, go right ahead." He looked at Wei Qubing as if to say, Why bother pretending? We all know the truth. Wei Qubing's mouth twitched, his forced smile barely holding together.