Suspicions

Sheng Yuanzi's hair and beard were entirely white. Looking roughly the same age as Yunyouzi, he appeared like a Daoist master possessed of transcendent grace, yet the expression and tone on his face dripped with blatant sarcasm, clashing jarringly with his whole demeanor. Before Yu Kong could reply, another voice suddenly cut in. "Old ox-nose, you're not much better than Old Ghost Yu! Fellow Daoists, you'd better be cautious, lest you get sold out by these two old ghosts and help them count the money!" Luo Xingnan had arrived as well. Qin Sang was secretly amazed. According to what he had gathered earlier, the three—Yu Kong, Luo Xingnan, and Sheng Yuanzi—had never worked together again after leaving Qiuhong Market last time. Even on this occasion, each acted on his own, seeming content to have nothing to do with one another until death. He had not expected their grudge to run so deep. With great matters at hand, they had already begun tearing down each other's platforms in public. Sheng Yuanzi snorted coldly and retorted, "Old Ghost Luo, you are the most sinister of all. In my view, the deaths of Fellow Daoist Shao and the others last time are inextricably linked to you!" Luo Xingnan sneered in disdain. "Old ox-nose is accustomed to playing the thief calling thief, and Old Ghost Yu is an old dog that bites without barking! Were it not for my cautious nature and having suspected the two of you long ago, I fear I would have been swallowed whole by you both!" ... After a round of verbal clashes, veins bulged on Sheng Yuanzi's forehead. Yet although Yu Kong was being cursed to his face, there was never much anger on his countenance. His tone remained placid, as if the one being called an old dog were not him at all. "Before the misfortune befell Fellow Daoist Shao and the others, I was the only one who had never been in contact with him. I still do not understand what sort of treasure could drive you to disregard the bonds of fellowship and strike with such murderous hands!" Yu Kong shook his head with a sigh. "No matter how eloquently you two speak, I trust neither of you now. Whosoever the murderer may be, it has nothing to do with me. I am no longer young and only wish to focus on my cultivation, striving to form my core as soon as possible. It is best that we simply forget each other in the world." Yu Kong cupped his hands, arguing no further with them, and turned toward Qin Sang and the others. "The Spirit Treasure Pavilion I selected has restrictions specializing in defense and entrapment. Their lethal power can only be considered moderate; there is no such thing as using anyone as a scapegoat. "Naturally, the treasures inside this Spirit Treasure Pavilion will be a notch inferior to those in the most dangerous ones. Everyone can weigh the pros and cons for themselves. "Fellow Daoists, do not be swayed by their words. Focus on breaking the formation. Once we reach the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, you will see at a glance whether my words are true or false. At that point, if any fellow Daoist decides to withdraw, I will certainly not stop you." With that, Yu Kong ignored Luo Xingnan and Sheng Yuanzi. A cloud rose beneath his feet, and he leaped into the air, flying toward the swarm of cloud beasts. Sheng Yuanzi and Luo Xingnan glared at each other furiously, but finding no further amusement, they each flicked their sleeves and departed. Having watched a good show for free, the crowd harbored varied thoughts. Some showed signs of worry in their eyes, while others remained utterly composed, their minds unreadable. Qin Sang exchanged glances with Yunyouzi and Ge Yuan in the distance, having gleaned a great deal of information from the words just spoken. It seemed that thirty years ago, something had indeed happened between these three and Shao Chunhui's party, resulting in Shao Chunhui's death. The three old fellows harbored mutual suspicions, though it was unclear whether the medicinal garden had been the fuse. Unfortunately, all three put on very convincing acts; one simply could not tell who was telling the truth and who was lying. It was even possible that none of them were responsible, and the culprit was someone else entirely. If that was truly the case, Qin Sang and Yunyouzi could only helplessly accept reality, tag along to scavenge a few items, and then return to Xuanlu Pass. At that moment, led by the elderly cultivator, the experts at or above the middle Foundation Establishment stage formed up and charged straight into the swarm of cloud beasts. The den instantly erupted like an overturned pot. Flying in the sky and running on the ground, countless bizarre cloud beasts lunged forth with a roar. Qin Sang and the others dared not let their thoughts wander, hurriedly summoning their magic tools and waiting in solemn formation. The slaughter lasted for eight full days. Later, quite a few newly arrived cultivators joined the fray, and even a Core Formation cultivator unexpectedly appeared, playing an immense role. It was the first time Qin Sang had ever experienced such a large-scale hunt. He received a fair share of spirit-infused fiendish items, which would fetch a tidy sum once he returned. Finally, every cloud beast was purged. Meanwhile, noticeable changes had occurred in the subterranean chasm as early as three days prior. The light within grew increasingly dim and sluggish; now it could surge up slightly more than a zhang high at most, utterly incomparable to its previous grandeur. The Core Formation cultivator swept forward to the chasm. After a brief probe, he darted inside. The grand formation reacted at once, its light flashing like blades, but none could harm him, and he vanished from sight in the blink of an eye. All the people outside could only watch helplessly. Who could blame anyone but themselves for being inferior in skill? They waited for more than half a day longer. Toward evening, the low-ebb period of the protective grand formation finally arrived! Accompanied by a deafening roar, streak after streak of meteor-like escape lights rose into midair, vying to fly toward the chasm and illuminating the area as bright as day. Qin Sang and his companions tightly encircled Yu Kong. Before entering the chasm, they had already set up the Guiyuan Formation; the others were doing much the same. "Watch out, everyone!" The subterranean chasm was right before them, dark and murky inside. Yu Kong shouted loudly, leading the group in a leap into the chasm. The moment he dropped into the chasm, blinding white light flooded Qin Sang's vision. He could not even see the Xiu sisters right beside him, able only to rely on the Qi resonance of the Guiyuan Formation to sense that the array remained intact. Immediately afterward, a strange force pressed in from all directions. Qin Sang felt as though he had fallen into a swamp; moving even a single step was arduous. True to his prior experience, Yu Kong had come prepared. The instant the crushing pressure appeared, he unleashed the collective power the group had channeled into him. This power coalesced into a blade of Qi several zhang long, slashing open the path ahead in a single stroke. Though nothing could be seen ahead at this moment, the others had no choice but to trust Yu Kong, following him along the path cleaved by the long blade. Before they had flown far, their bodies suddenly felt light as the crushing force vanished abruptly, and the light dissipated at the same time. Their vision finally returned. Before anyone could observe their surroundings, they heard Yu Kong's voice transmission: "We are now inside the grand formation. Take your spirit pills at once!" Hearing this, the group hurriedly swallowed pills to restore the spiritual power they had just expended, only then looking around. This was a boundless expanse. They stood in the void, with no solid objects above, below, or to any side—only hazy azure Qi. The azure Qi below appeared somewhat murky, while that above was much brighter. The entire space was dead and silent. Yet Yu Kong's expression was grave as he said in a heavy voice, "This is a wind formation. That azure Qi may look calm, but it is very likely bone-eroding wind!" "Why can't we see anything?" Even when Crescent Fairy slightly furrowed her brows, she possessed a certain seductive charm. She asked in a delicate voice, "Senior Yu, did you encounter this same formation when you entered the immortal abode last time?" Yu Kong shook his head. "No. Last time, I encountered a fire formation. Back then, the moment we entered, boundless flames swept over us, threatening to burn us to ashes. I have also asked around; the wind formation is supposed to be exceptionally violent as well. For some reason, it is so calm here. It seems this is yet another new change."