Inside the bronze hall.
The vajra ring, binding Qin Sang, flew back into the hall and hovered beside the two of them.
As if still uneasy, Dongyang Bo produced yet another strange spirit talisman and sent it into Qin Sang's body.
At that moment, not only was Qin Sang's body completely immobilized, but even his origin soul, meridians, and sea of qi were sealed by the talisman, leaving him unable to muster a shred of power.
By now, Qin Sang could see the standoff between the two inside the hall.
Agreeing to hunt for treasure together only to turn hostile at the end was hardly a rare occurrence in the cultivation world.
But why had he been dragged into this? And why was the one acting against him none other than Dongyang Bo?
Qin Sang was both shocked and furious.
Then he heard Dongyang Bo sigh with emotion, "Lady Chenyan, I planned for so many years just to bring this boy here without raising suspicion, and he has finally proven useful. Do you have any idea how much thought and effort that cost me?"
A bolt from the blue!
Hearing Dongyang Bo's words, Qin Sang's mind shook violently, and he stared at Dongyang Bo in utter disbelief.
Speaking of his masterstroke, Dongyang Bo could not resist elaborating a little further.
"This boy's aptitude is simply atrocious; keeping him alive until now was no easy feat!
"Afraid you might notice something amiss, I could not approach him in person, nor could I allow Che Yutao and the others to break sect rules by taking him as a disciple.
"Back then, I had not anticipated he would leave such a deep impression on you. It was merely an idle move, doing what I could while leaving the rest to fate.
"I arranged for a disciple to befriend him as an equal, establish ties, and offer modest support so he would survive long enough rather than dying prematurely along the way.
"Who knew his luck would be quite decent, and he actually managed to make a name for himself.
"Later, when I discovered your secret, that idle move unexpectedly became viable. All it took was a little arrangement and guidance..."
Who was it?
Zhuang Yan? Martial Uncle Wen? Mu Yifeng?
Qi Yuanshou!
It was Qi Yuanshou!
Familiar names flashed through Qin Sang's mind one after another.
At this moment, Qin Sang felt as though he had plunged into an icy abyss.
If such a person Dongyang Bo described existed, it could only be Qi Yuanshou!
Thinking back, ever since his first venture into the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, when he first came into contact with Qi Yuanshou...
Though Qi Yuanshou had shown him no special favor in the beginning, after meeting two or three times, he quickly became warm and friendly.
For years afterward, Qi Yuanshou had been stationed at Xuanlu Pass, assigning him very simple missions where he never faced any grave danger.
Later, Qi Yuanshou was summoned back to the sect...
Qin Sang suddenly remembered: the spiritual item aiding Qi Yuanshou's Core Formation had been bestowed by Dongyang Bo himself!
Was that his reward for doing Dongyang Bo's bidding?
After Qi Yuanshou formed his core, Qin Sang decided to venture into the Boundless Valley for experience. Seeing his resolve, Qi Yuanshou went so far as to reveal the sect's undercover agents in demonic sect territory, telling him he could call for help if he encountered danger.
How many Foundation Establishment cultivators enjoyed such a privilege?
Qin Sang had assumed it was because Qi Yuanshou possessed great authority after Core Formation, and he had even been touched by Qi Yuanshou's care.
Though Qin Sang had doubted whether he had enough value to warrant Qi Yuanshou's favor at the time, he had never imagined it would be anything like this.
Who could have guessed that a Nascent Soul cultivator had instructed it all?
Along the way, the Golden Core cultivators had ignored him. Yet when he cultivated the Origin Soul Sword-Nurturing Chapter and gained the divine ability Sword Qi Thunderclap, no one had pressed him on how he had achieved it.
Only the snow spirit lotus and iris flower were too precious and caused a stir, but after learning he had already consumed them, no one made things difficult for him.
Thinking back now, aside from a few adventures he had embarked on of his own accord that slipped beyond Qi Yuanshou's control...
His entire cultivation journey had practically unfolded under Qi Yuanshou's watchful eye, remarkably safe and smooth.
Except when he took part in the battle of Luandao Waters.
Yet at that time, Che Yutao was overseeing matters from Stargazing Island!
In a massive war, one's life was at risk at any moment.
Yet if Che Yutao was watching over him, keeping him away from the most perilous clashes, even if an accident occurred, Qin Sang could escape anytime using Sword Qi Thunderclap.
As the saying went, fortune was found in danger. That period had yielded the greatest harvest of his life, and reaching the False Core stage so swiftly was inextricably linked to that war.
Qin Sang smiled bitterly; he finally understood.
Why had he gained such fame when he clearly had done nothing earth-shattering?
It was not because 'a skilled warrior leaves no illustrious feats,' but because someone behind the scenes was fanning the flames.
Their goal was to cooperate with Dongyang Bo to ensure he obtained a Five Elements Beast Seal and was brought into Ziwei Palace without alerting Chenyan.
Under the pretext of allowing him to enter the Ancient Immortal Battlefield at the earliest possible moment, Qi Yuanshou had given him a Xuanlu Guard token, urging him to go wait at Xuanlu Pass early.
Back then, Qi Yuanshou had advised him not to spend all his time in bitter cultivation, but to go observe the mortal world more often.
Didn't that sound an awful lot like telling someone to enjoy their last meals?
Toward the end, Qi Yuanshou had even refused to see him—was it because he lacked the face to look him in the eye?
At Xuanlu Pass, Dongyang Bo had suddenly assembled people to take charge of the beast seals.
Because of Qin Sang's reputation from that war, Che Yutao could directly hand him a beast seal without subjecting him to any test.
The justification was sound, and Chenyan suspected nothing.
From start to finish, incident after incident flashed through Qin Sang's mind.
Taken individually, none seemed extraordinary, but when pieced together, Qin Sang was struck with a sudden, chilling realization.
It was as though an invisible hand had been present all along.
Particularly in recent times, guiding him step by step into a trap.
Even he himself had been entirely oblivious, let alone Chenyan.
Who else besides Qi Yuanshou?
Qin Sang suddenly shuddered. Could Yunyouzi also be one of Dongyang Bo's men?
He could accept anyone else, but he could never accept it being Yunyouzi!
Their friendship ran far too deep; to Qin Sang, Yunyouzi was both a teacher and a friend.
Between Qin Sang and Qi Yuanshou, an obvious divide had always remained.
Yunyouzi was different—he was the person Qin Sang respected and admired most. If he was also part of this, Qin Sang simply could not bear it.
Moreover, Yunyouzi knew so many of his secrets.
Reflecting on the past, Qin Sang let out a breath of relief.
Yunyouzi could not possibly be Dongyang Bo's man. Otherwise, he would not have suffered so bitterly, forced every time to fight for narrow chances of breakthrough where death was far more likely than life.
Yunyouzi brought a sliver of solace to Qin Sang's chilled heart.
At the same time, Qin Sang was puzzled. *What secret did Dongyang Bo discover about Chenyan? Aside from that single plucking and replenishing encounter, Chenyan and I have had no dealings, nor does she look upon me with any special favor. What sense does it make for him to capture me to threaten Chenyan?*
Chenyan glanced at Qin Sang, unmoved just as expected, and said coldly, "Aren't you being ridiculous, threatening me with your own disciple?"
Dongyang Bo looked at Chenyan, then at Qin Sang, a playful expression on his face.
"Lady Chenyan, do you know that even within the Acacia Sect, the Mysterious Female Jade Cauldron Sutra is regarded as a forbidden art? Even those madmen in the demonic sects dare not lightly seek a breakthrough through this method, and anyone who acquires it locks it away on high shelves.
"Though your talent is peerless and you needed to use this secret art only once to successfully grasp that sliver of opportunity and achieve Nascent Soul formation, you have already set foot on a path of no return.
"You didn't think you could sleep soundly and worry-free from now on, did you?"
Chapter 608