Chapter 53: The Bandit Gang

Inside the hall.

Before anyone could react, Elder Zhuang Xiran on the main seat instantly transformed into a streak of Bai Guang and vanished without a trace.

"What has happened?"

"Why does it feel as though this great hall is about to collapse?"

"Why is the commotion outside so immense?"

"Could it be that someone has come to attack the mountain gate?"

"Let's go, hurry out and take a look."

Over a hundred spirit-planting cultivators began scrambling outward in a chaotic rush.

Qin Ming was also utterly astonished; the deafening roar just now seemed to have originated very close by.

He hurriedly ran out to take a glance.

He discovered that the outside was already in complete chaos.

Qin Ming raised his head to look at the sky above, and to his shock, he found that a breach had actually appeared in one section of Lingyu Sect's defensive formation.

Keep in mind, this was a second-rank upper-grade defensive formation!

"Fellow Brother, what exactly just happened?"

Qin Ming casually stopped a Lingyu Sect disciple who looked panicked.

"It-it seems something has happened over at Elder Zhuang's medicine garden," the disciple replied, seemingly unclear about the specifics himself, as he hastily rushed toward the medicine garden.

Qin Ming's brows furrowed into the shape of the character 'Chuan'.

Just as he was hesitating whether to flee and distance himself from this trouble.

Suddenly.

"Damn, that was too fierce; they actually punched straight through a second-rank defensive formation, truly a beast!" The lean cultivator who had originally been sitting behind Qin Ming came rushing back from the direction of the medicine garden.

Qin Ming paused slightly and asked in confusion, "Fellow Daoist, do you know clearly what exactly happened over there?"

Hearing this, the lean cultivator stopped, revealed an expression of schadenfreude, and said with a laugh, "Hehe, you might not believe it if I told you, but just now, a gang of bandits used high-grade formation-breaking talismans to breach Lingyu Sect's great defensive array, and while Elder Zhuang Xiran was away giving a lecture, they plundered the spirit herb garden."

"Furthermore, they uprooted Elder Zhuang's Seven-Colored Heart-Washing Lotus; that is a second-rank top-grade spirit plant! I just went over to inspect the scene, and quite a few other precious spirit plants and medicinal herbs were lost as well."

"Elder Zhuang has already gone to pursue that gang of bandits."

"Sigh, who knows if he'll be able to catch them."

Qin Ming understood the full story and fell into deep thought, unable to recover his composure for a moment.

Judging from the start to the end of the attack, it took only the brief time of half a tea incense, as if everything had been premeditated.

What was most shocking was that Lingyu Sect had actually allowed those few bandits to escape completely.

Wait!

Qin Ming recalled the events; why did he feel a sense of déjà vu? After a long while.

Qin Ming opened his mouth to ask, "Did none of the other cultivators of Lingyu Sect step forward to intercept them?"

"They did intercept; even a Foundation Establishment elder of Lingyu Sect took action."

"But he was defeated after merely one exchange, struck by one of their spells, and remains heavily injured and unconscious in the medicine garden to this day."

Hearing this, Qin Ming was startled once more, "Ah?! Could it be that those bandits are high-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators?"

"That must be it, and based on my speculation, there must be an inside man for this gang within Lingyu Sect, and of no low rank either," the lean cultivator analyzed logically, voicing his thoughts, "Otherwise, how could the bandits have located the weak point of the protective great formation so instantly?"

Qin Ming continued to ask, "How many people came with that gang of bandits?"

"I heard from the people of Lingyu Sect that there were five, and they wore special concealing masks, making it impossible to identify their faces or identities; however, judging from the techniques they displayed, they seem to be evil cultivators," the lean middle-aged cultivator pondered for a moment before continuing, "It seems, Fellow Daoist, that you have arrived at the same conclusion as I."

"Such audacious bandit evil cultivators, nine times out of ten, must be the five cultivators that Jinyun Valley is searching for everywhere."

"Such deadly stars absolutely cannot be provoked!"

"We should hide as far away as possible."

For a moment, the warning spirit bells within Lingyu Sect rang continuously.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Large numbers of elite disciples began to assemble constantly, piloting Dharma boats to chase the culprits outward.

Amidst the crowd.

Qin Ming unexpectedly saw Jiang Kun, who was currently following a stern-faced Lingyu Sect elder, being constantly scolded by the other party, looking utterly disheveled and dejected.

Immediately thereafter, under that elder's leadership, Jiang Kun also followed the team to hunt down the culprits.

"Tsk tsk tsk, even the elites of the Punishment Hall have mobilized their entire force; Lingyu Sect is going to get serious this time," the lean cultivator remarked with emotion, gazing in the direction where the large group of cultivators had flown off.

"Fellow Daoist, this is no place to linger; next, who knows what other tricks might occur."

"With such a major incident occurring at Lingyu Sect, Elder Zhuang likely has no mood left to give lectures or accept disciples."

"Sigh, it's better to just return to Qingyang Market immediately; would Fellow Daoist like to travel together?"

Qin Ming hesitated for a moment and politely declined, "Thank you for your kind offer, Fellow Daoist, but I intend to observe the situation a bit longer."

"In that case, I shall take my leave first," the lean cultivator said, then piloted his Dharma boat and swiftly departed.

Qin Ming stood in place pondering for a while, then took out a Spirit Light Shuttle from his storage bag.

Changing to another direction, he exerted his magic power to fly toward Qingyang Market at maximum speed.

Three hundred li outside Lingyu Sect, in a patch of swamp land.

Within an underground cave.

Five black-robed cultivators wearing masks were hiding here.

A bandit wearing a pig-head mask, holding a seven-colored spirit lotus in his hands, spoke with great excitement, "With this Seven-Colored Heart-Washing Lotus, Big Brother, your cultivation power will be able to advance another great step!"

The other two black-robed cultivators, wearing monkey-head and dog-head masks respectively, were also extremely excited.

"That's right! We didn't expect to have such an unexpected harvest this time; we even scavenged quite a few other second-rank spirit materials. Adding this to the spirit stones and materials we previously extorted from Jinyun Valley, it's enough for us brothers to cultivate to the late stage of Foundation Establishment; we've struck it rich!"

"Hahaha! I never expected Old Zhuang's medicinal herb garden to be so rich!"

"By the way, regarding the person from Lingyu Sect who sent the message, should we..."

The tall cultivator in black robes standing in the middle, wearing a Buddha mask, spoke indifferently: "Once this matter is concluded, none of you are to show yourselves. Temporarily leave the Yunhuang Great Marsh, find a place to cultivate, and worry about nothing else."

"Big Brother, there's no way that old man Zhuang could find us here, right?" the bandit wearing a pig-head mask asked cautiously.

"Rest assured; I have arranged a second-tier illusion array above. Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators cannot possibly see through it," said the black-robed cultivator wearing the Buddha mask, taking the Seven-Colored Heart-Cleansing Lotus and speaking with calm composure.

The moment his words fell.

Above the swamp, a streak of white escape light suddenly swept past and abruptly halted in mid-air.

The newcomer was none other than Elder Zhuang Xiran; at this moment, his face was twisted in ferocity as he glared down at the swamp below, roaring in uncontrollable rage: "You damned thieves! You have quite the audacity! To actually strike at this old man! Wait until I force you few head-hiding, tail-showing rats out, and I will make you taste the flavor of having your souls extracted and spirits refined!!"

Having said this, he immediately sent a message talisman back to the sect.

Then, he began casting spells, bombarding the swamp with relentless fury.

In an instant, the mighty power of Foundation Establishment-level spells descended.

Boom—boom—boom! Inside the cave.

"Big Brother! How could that old man Zhuang know we are hiding here?" the bandit wearing the pig-head mask asked in an anxious tone.

Hearing this, the black-robed cultivator wearing the Buddha mask showed not a trace of panic; instead, he took out the Seven-Colored Heart-Cleansing Lotus and said coldly: "The problem likely lies with this. It seems Old Man Zhuang kept a trick up his sleeve and placed a special mark on it."

"However... even if he has caught up, what can he do?"

"I want to see just what caliber of strength this Foundation Establishment cultivator from Lingyu Sect possesses."

"You four leave first and rendezvous at the old place; I will go deal with him."

After speaking, the cultivator with the Buddha mask looked up, his body transforming into a streak of black escape light as he shot upward.

(End of Chapter)