Chapter 324

Xu Yang shook his head to himself; most who joined the Blood Lotus Sect did not do so for ideals or ambitions, nor were they brainwashed into agreeing with the sect's doctrines. The only reason they joined was for martial arts resources.

The person who had originally come to find him had also used resources as bait.

Likely intending to run away immediately after killing him, Xu Yang searched Guan Du’s body and actually found over three thousand taels in silver notes and three Profound Origin Qi-Transforming Pills, as if he had brought all his worldly possessions with him.

He also picked up Guan Du’s semi-spirit weapon; its quality was not even worth comparing to Red Blood, and it couldn't even match Cold Abyss.

Footsteps came from behind!

Xu Yang turned back to look; it was Zhou Jiang and the others who had come out after discovering there was no more movement.

Everyone was filled with shock, staring blankly at the battlefield that looked as if it had been swept by a gale; there were large craters and crisscrossing cracks everywhere, as if the earth had been overturned.

The massive alligator dragon was covered in blood and gore, its breath already gone, lying motionless before a large crater. Even in death, they could still feel its soul-shaking ferocity.

The handsome youth’s robes were tattered, yet his eyes were bright, standing beside a half-kneeling corpse, holding two semi-spirit weapons in his hands.

"The alligator dragon is dead!" Zhou Jiang said, losing his voice.

This alligator dragon had harassed the mine for many years, and even Heaven Origin experts had come to lie in wait but could do nothing against it. He hadn't expected that, just like the Green-Scaled Eagle before, it had become a lifeless corpse.

"How is this possible?" Guo Yun’s face was filled with horror.

Wasn't Xu Yang injured? How could he still kill the alligator dragon?

Looking at him, he still appeared full of vigor after slaying the alligator dragon; his tattered clothes made him look a bit disheveled, but he was not injured at all.

He looked around in a panic, not finding any sign of Chen Yong.

"Damn it, this beast wouldn't have taken the item and run off, leaving me behind, would he?"

A bad premonition arose in Guo Yun’s heart; logically, Chen Yong should have already hidden the item and returned.

Thinking of that piece of spirit iron about the size of a human head, he became increasingly certain of this guess.

With such a large piece of spirit iron, he didn't even know how much it could sell for; it was normal for Chen Yong to ditch him and run.

"That is... Brother Guan Du!" someone suddenly exclaimed, recognizing the person kneeling beside Xu Yang.

Everyone ran over and discovered it really was Guan Du, who used to guard this place; they didn't know why he had appeared here again.

"Ah... Chen Yong, Manager Chen’s head."

"Such a large piece of spirit iron!"

Others saw Chen Yong’s head and the spirit iron and couldn't help but be shocked.

"How could Manager Chen’s head be here?" Guo Yun tried his best to suppress the fear in his heart, pretending to be normal.

"Don't you know?" Xu Yang smiled.

Panic surged in Guo Yun’s heart: "I... I don't know."

Xu Yang’s palm suddenly struck out, slamming into Guo Yun’s chest.

"Crack!"

Accompanied by the crisp sound of bone breaking, Guo Yun’s chest collapsed, he spat out a mouthful of blood, and his body flew backward off the ground.

By the time he landed, he had no breath left.

In an instant, everyone was silent as cicadas in winter, thinking Xu Yang wanted to kill them to silence them over that piece of spirit iron.

Xu Yang naturally wouldn't have such greed; the spirit iron was good, but he still had some bottom lines and wouldn't kill innocent people for treasure.

Moreover, if he really wanted to kill, it wouldn't just be these few people; he would have to kill everyone, otherwise, he couldn't cover up the truth.

If he really killed everyone and only he survived, the higher-ups of the Purple Sun Sect weren't fools.

"Guo Yun colluded with Chen Yong to embezzle spirit iron; he deserved to die," Xu Yang explained.

Actually, he could have spared Guo Yun!

However, he didn't know if anyone with a more powerful background in the Purple Sun Sect was involved in this matter, so he simply killed him to end the matter right there.

This way, even if there were others or forces behind Guo Yun and Chen Yong, they wouldn't be exposed.

If the other party wasn't exposed, this matter wouldn't continue to develop.

"Chen Yong used the alligator dragon to create chaos and transport the spirit iron out, but was killed by Guan Du. Guan Du was a Blood Lotus Sect disciple who came here to kill me and was slain by me. Zhou Jiang, you immediately return to the sect, have them send a new manager to manage this, and send experts to transport the spirit iron away.

Don't go looking for others; go to the Departing Fire Peak first to find my senior brother Gao Lin and tell him about the matter."

Xu Yang briefly explained the matter and had Zhou Jiang immediately rush back to the sect to report.

"Yes!"

Zhou Jiang looked at the spirit iron, which was about the size of a human head, and realized the seriousness of the matter. He didn't dare to delay, mounted his weapon, and left directly.

Xu Yang looked at the remaining people: "You have all seen this spirit iron; if it leaks out, everyone will be on a path to death. Before the sect experts arrive, all of you be serious. You must not let the news leak out. If you find anyone acting suspiciously, you may kill them on the spot or tell me."

"Understood!"

Those with nothing to hide all knew the consequences of the matter leaking out and all became serious.

Xu Yang leaned down and picked up the spirit iron: "Take the alligator dragon corpse, go back to work, and keep an eye on those miners."

Among the remaining disciples, he hadn't found anyone with problems; the main thing was to keep a close watch on those miners.

The few nodded, joined forces to lift the alligator dragon corpse, and followed Xu Yang back to the mine.

Over the next few days, Xu Yang was much more cautious, his five senses covering the entire mine; fortunately, nothing happened.

On the sixth day, Zhou Jiang appeared at the mine with Gao Lin and the others.

Coming with them were Zhu Yuan and Hong Lei, as well as the newly dispatched outer sect deacon Liu Xunjiang.

"Senior Brother Gao, I've finally waited for you all," Xu Yang welcomed them with a smile.

"Junior Brother Xu, you have performed a great service this time," Gao Lin laughed.

He had killed Guan Du, the mole planted by the Blood Lotus Sect in the Purple Sun Sect, killed the alligator dragon that had been plaguing the mine, and most importantly, recovered that piece of spirit iron the size of a human head and wiped out sect pests like Chen Yong.

"This is the reward Master asked the sect to give you."

Gao Lin handed over a jade box; Xu Yang opened it and saw it was actually a Dragon-Tiger Great Golden Pill.

"Many thanks to Master for his concern," Xu Yang closed the jade box again.

Gao Lin said: "This is what you deserve. This Dragon-Tiger Great Golden Pill is just a reward; when your guarding mission here ends, the contribution points you are owed will still be calculated for you normally.

Where is the spirit iron? Take it out quickly and let me see."

Xu Yang went to fetch the fish-patterned steel the size of a human head. Gao Lin and the others were all amazed; he hadn't seen such a large piece of spirit iron many times in his many years at Departing Fire Peak, so it was no wonder Chen Yong wanted to take such a risk.

"The item is precious; we must immediately escort it back to the sect. Junior Brother Xu, this place is left to you and Deacon Liu. When we return to the sect, we brothers will talk again."

Gao Lin took out a bag to pack the spirit iron and immediately bid farewell to Xu Yang.

Xu Yang nodded, not trying to keep them, and cupped his hands: "Three senior brothers, take care on the road."

Gao Lin, Zhu Yuan, and Hong Lei cupped their hands, then turned and strode away.

"Zhou Jiang, take Deacon Liu to familiarize himself with the mine!" Xu Yang turned to look at Zhou Jiang and Liu Xunjiang.

Zhou Jiang nodded, and Liu Xunjiang smiled: "In the future, I ask for Junior Brother Xu’s care."

He hadn't come alone; he had also brought two disciples with perfected cultivation of gang qi.

"I can't take care of you, Senior Brother Liu; in name, you are the one in charge of the mine." Xu Yang always felt that this Liu Xunjiang had a somewhat insincere smile and was extremely calculating.

Liu Xunjiang smiled, cupped his hands, and left with Zhou Jiang to take over the mine's affairs.

With Liu Xunjiang presiding over the mine's affairs, Xu Yang’s days became regular again; besides daily cultivation, he practiced weapon-forging skills.

The weather grew colder, and without realizing it, he had taken two more Dragon-Tiger Great Golden Pills; he had been at Moon Lake for over two months.

[Bright King Immovable Body · Entry (3998/4000)]

Between the Mountain-Bearing Bear Scripture and the Bright King Immovable Body, it was the Bright King Immovable Body that first reached the threshold of breaking through.

"With the Bright King Immovable Body at small success, even if my physical body isn't as tough as a semi-spirit weapon, it won't be much worse. At the very least, I can withstand a few slashes from a semi-spirit weapon."

Back then, Li Ye was only at the small success realm, yet he could use his physical body to fight against Gao Lin’s semi-spirit weapon, which was extremely formidable.

Of course, there were other reasons for this; he couldn't possibly have Li Ye’s realm just by breaking through.

Li Ye had perfected gang qi cultivation, and his Bright King Immovable Body was not just at the beginning of small success, and the semi-spirit weapon in Gao Lin’s hand was also inferior to Red Blood.

However, there weren't many semi-spirit weapons like Red Blood. Once he reached small success, he wouldn't have to fear the slashes of semi-spirit weapons so much.

After eating, Xu Yang closed his room door, took two Profound Origin Qi-Transforming Pills, and began to break through.

The sharp and fierce golden gang qi, driven by the Bright King Immovable Body mental method, was like a furnace fire tempering his skin, flesh, tendons, and bones, refining every inch of his body.

Under the dim oil lamp, golden light surged under his skin, his blood surged like a dragon, and a majestic aura was brewing, like a volcano about to erupt, accumulating its final strength.

Time gradually reached late night, the bottleneck began to loosen, and the strength that hadn't increased for several days began to grow slowly.

"Crack!"

A crisp sound rang out in Xu Yang’s mind, followed by the sound of a landslide and tsunami, as if some kind of restraint had been broken. Xu Yang’s tendons and bones rang in unison, and his blood boiled.

Throughout his limbs and bones, powerful strength flowed out from an unknown place, frantically washing his flesh, tendons, and bones.

Xu Yang only felt his body’s strength increasing rapidly, his tendons, bones, and flesh constantly strengthening, and the rich blood almost escaping from his pores.

His skin turned crimson, then quickly transformed into a jade color, fair and tender.

His physical body was like long-thirsty earth, greedily swallowing the golden gang qi; even the undigested Dragon-Tiger Great Golden Pill in his stomach was being rapidly absorbed at this moment.

Muscles knotted one by one, the lines soft and natural, giving a sense of being indestructible.

[Bright King Immovable Body · Small Success (1/8000)]

The surging strength slowed down, and Xu Yang opened his eyes from his meditation, possessing a powerful self-confidence that one punch could break the firmament and his physical body could withstand the slash of a semi-spirit weapon.

The surging, increasing strength seemed about to escape from his chest, and his blood roared in his body like a great river.