Chapter 330: Southern Ming Vermilion Bird Token

Bang!!

The five of them scrambled simultaneously, and the magical power they unleashed instantly detonated in the room, crushing a multitude of bookshelves into powder.

Yunhe, though amazed by the five's reaction, immediately pocketed a five‑colored fan from the bookshelves on the opposite side into his storage bag.

Although he didn't know whether this fan was the Great Longevity Five Elements True Secret technique he sought or something related to the Great Five Elements Sect, he could clearly feel the agitation of his five‑element magical energy and the restless five‑element spirit shadows surrounding his Yuan Ying in the sea‑of‑Qi dantian.

It was obvious.

Even if this fan wasn't the Great Longevity Five Elements True Secret, it was certainly closely linked to that technique or to the Great Five Elements Sect.

And after sheathing the fan, the clash on that side erupted as well.

Amid the flying bookshelves, Yunhe also seized two items that appeared to be of some historical value.

Having done that, he finally fixed his gaze on the object the five were fighting over.

"What do you mean?" White Eyebrow Daoist sneered, "Of course it's for this Southern Ming Vermilion Bird Token!"

Except for Yunhe, who stayed aside, the five adopted an uncompromising stance over that token.

For a moment.

Guang Chengzi's sweeping dust had flung a white silk thread that already coiled around the token.

There was no other reason.

Even Yunhe, not far away, hardened his expression, his body tensing slightly, ready to respond to any attack.

This token originates from the Zou family of the Jie Dan clan in the He Domain among the Ten Regions and Nine Sects!

No need to think; for five Yuan Ying Cultivators to openly reach for such an item, it must be extraordinary, especially since one of them is a mid‑stage Yuan Ying Cultivator.

"You!"

Otherwise, the mutual deference they showed a moment ago would not have turned into a full‑blown fight now.

If it weren't for witnessing their scramble, Yunhe would have almost forgotten the token in his storage bag.

At that time.

Seeing the other side claim it as theirs, Ji Liuyun couldn't help but feel anger rise.

"Blood Sect Leader, White Eyebrow Daoist, Red Silk Fairy, what is this all about?!" Ji Liuyun, clutching the black‑white twins in his hand, furrowed his brows and asked gravely.

A surge of immensely turbulent magical energy instantly erupted from him, the fierce aura of a mid‑stage Yuan Ying, causing the three people opposite, including Xue Wuhen, to change complexion.

It was something Yunhe had inadvertently obtained from a person of apparently distinguished Zou lineage when he fled in panic.

"Hahaha—indeed, Yun Daoist, I, Xi, apologize for my earlier disrespect, and I hope you won't miss the truly important thing over those trivial matters!"

Even among the many mid‑stage Yuan Ying Cultivators, Guang Chengzi stands out as exceptional, and he is not someone the White Eyebrow Daoist couple could counter with their combined strike technique.

Only.

Guang Chengzi reached out to block Ji Liuyun, who was about to speak again, stepping forward.

But the three still showed no intention of yielding.

While speaking,

"Before this, we had agreed that whenever a treasure appears, my senior brother Guang Chengzi gets first pick,"

Then Xue Wuhen loudly asked, "Yun Daoist, could it be that you're not interested in this item?"

An identical token lay quietly in his storage bag.

This is the confidence of Bai Xiao Lou, and the reason they are willing to recruit others to act together.

"First pick? Didn't we just let Guang Chengzi Daoist choose the treasure first?" Xue Wuhen's blood aura roiled, his voice sharp.

Yet the White Eyebrow Daoist's Wu hook, the Red Silk Fairy's whip, and the blood‑colored iron chain flung by Xue Wuhen all gripped the token tightly.

But now it seems that the plot to annihilate the Zou family years ago was orchestrated by the Blood Sect Jie Dan cultivator Xue Zhi Li, and in today's journey to the Floating Cloud Immortal's cave, the Blood Sect Leader Xue Wuhen himself took charge, making this token extremely important to the Blood Sect.

No wonder they didn't tell him; after all, the fewer who know about a truly important treasure, the better.

Even the mid‑stage Yuan Ying Cultivator Guang Chengzi, whom they had previously revered, now chose to confront him without hesitation.

With a calm expression, he scanned the three opposite, offered a single‑handed salute, and said slowly, "May I ask how the three Daoists think they can deal with me?"

He didn't know the token's function or value, only that the Zou family sending someone to quietly deliver it must be extraordinary, yet he hadn't imagined it would sit in his storage bag for over two hundred years.

Yunhe squinted, thinking to himself.

When Yunhe saw that the object they fought over was a black wooden token engraved with a beautifully patterned bird, he involuntarily paused.

Ji Liuyun, hearing the other side utter the token's name, felt a few degrees of heaviness in his heart.

Although early and mid‑stage Yuan Ying differ by only a small realm, the gap is far from trivial; otherwise so many Yuan Ying Cultivators would remain at the early stage even after exhausting their lifespan Cultivation Base, never reaching the mid‑stage threshold.

However, by not fighting for that token, he easily obtained the five‑colored fan and two valuable items.

Although the incident occurred when he was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, as a cultivator he quickly "retrieved" the memory from over two hundred years ago.

No, it's not just the Blood Sect; it seems to exert a rather remarkable attraction on all the cultivators present.

"Thus, their goal is this token, while I alone seek it for the Great Five Elements Sect's inheritance technique,"

Even White Eyebrow Daoist laughed as he spoke, seemingly hoping Yunhe would set aside past grievances for the sake of profit.

Yuan Ying Cultivators value profit over etiquette; to him, the earlier dispute was merely a trivial matter.

The three may not match Guang Chengzi and Ji Liuyun, but with Yunhe added, a showdown becomes possible.

Upon hearing this, Guang Chengzi and Ji Liuyun both furrowed their brows.

Especially Guang Chengzi.

The strength Yunhe had displayed in previous encounters already surprised him a bit.

Being adept at divining hexagrams, his spiritual perception is stronger than that of other cultivators.

In his view, among the four besides Ji Liuyun, Blood Sect Leader Xue Wuhen poses the greatest danger, while Yunhe appears the most mysterious.

Conversely, the White Eyebrow Daoist couple, who showed strength from the start, pose the least threat.

Facing Xue Wuhen's and White Eyebrow Daoist's invitation, Yunhe did not accept, but simply asked:

Sorry for my ignorance, what exactly is the 'Southern Ming Vermilion Bird Order' that you all are fighting over?

Upon saying this.

The entire room fell into an eerie calm.

Yunhe also wasn't in a hurry, silently waiting for their explanation.

After a while, the White Eyebrow Daoist finally couldn't help but say: "Dao friend, do you know that in our Eastern Border Cultivation Realm there once was a Void Reversal Grandmaster called the Vermilion Bird True Sovereign?"

Hearing this, Yunhe's eyes gradually widened, showing a hint of astonishment.

Void Reversal Grandmaster?

Vermilion Bird True Sovereign?

Southern Ming Vermilion Bird Order?

Although it was just a single sentence, it revealed too much information.

In other words, could that 'Southern Ming Vermilion Bird Order' actually be related to a Void Reversal Grandmaster? Perhaps it's a secret realm left behind by them, perhaps a cave abode, or perhaps some kind of inheritance.

Yunhe felt his heart churning like a river overturned.

No wonder.

No wonder these guys are desperately fighting for this token.

If we could obtain some inheritance or legacy treasure from that Vermilion Bird True Sovereign via this token, perhaps we could secure a place among the many Yuan Ying Cultivators.

"Southern Ming Vermilion Bird Order, Vermilion Bird True Sovereign"

Yunhe chanted slowly while walking slowly toward where the five were.

Along the way.

He didn't even forget to sweep up the scattered items on the ground with his sleeve, regardless of whether they were useful.

"Yunhe Dao friend, you must think clearly: although my Hundred Dawn Pavilion is not a sect, its influence is not much less than those great sects." Ji Liuyun said in a low voice, without hiding the threat.

"Opposing the Hundred Dawn Pavilion is not my wish." Yunhe replied.

But this remark caused the White Eyebrow Daoist's face to sink.

"Yunhe Dao friend, could it be that you regard these treasures as nothing?"

Having walked to the vicinity of the door, Yunhe retorted:

"Oh? Then I'm quite curious: if we seize this token, we four—how should we divide it?"

One sentence cut to the heart of the matter.

"Naturally, it's held by Xie." The ever-silent Xie Wuhun said firmly.

Upon hearing this, Yunhe didn't feel surprised either.

One side is the famed 'Red White Affair', claimed to be able to withstand a mid-stage Yuan Ying Cultivator with combined attack; the other side is merely an early-stage Yuan Ying Cultivator, yet no one objected to his words, not even the White Eyebrow Daoist and his spouse.

Yunhe gave a slight nod.

"Indeed, Dao friend Xie has concealed his cultivation base."

Xie Wuhun also smiled, gazing at him with a look breaking the towering, then spoke softly:

"Even the Hundred Dawn Pavilion was concealed by Xie in the past; I never expected Dao friend Yun to notice a clue. How did you notice it?"

Yunhe shrugged.

He also didn't know.

Wouldn't it be telling Xie Wuhun that he merely felt Xie Li and Xie Wuhun were quite similar?

Skilled at acting, skilled at hiding clumsiness.

Seeing Yunhe not speak further, Xie Wuhun narrowed his eyes, flipped his palm, and a vermilion precious jade appeared in his hand.

As he clenched his fist, that precious jade shattered with a 'crack', turning into surging blood water.

The blood water, reeking of blood, surged madly into his body upon contact with Xie Wuhun.

These blood waters were as if they were the power he had divided.

Once all the blood water merged with him, Xie Wuhun's complexion grew ever paler, yet his aura surged from early-stage Yuan Ying to mid-stage Yuan Ying in one fell swoop!

"What a marvelous technique of realm suppression!"

Having witnessed the entire process, Yunhe thought to himself:

"Mid-stage Yuan Ying?!"

Ji Liuyun exclaimed in shock.

Guang Chengzi gave Xie Wuhun a deep look, yet did not show too much surprise.

Although he hadn't guessed that Xie Wuhun was suppressing his realm and cultivation base, his spiritual sense had always told him that Xie Wuhun posed the greatest threat among everyone.

Now.

The offense and defense have reversed!

And Yunhe actually became the key to deciding the outcome between the two sides.

If we assist Xie Wuhun's side, their slight advantage can greatly increase.

If we help the two from Hundred Dawn Pavilion, their slight disadvantage can instantly reverse.

Feeling the five scorching gazes cast upon him, Yunhe lowered his eyes into a contemplative posture.

"Yunhe Dao friend, my Hundred Dawn Pavilion—"

"Yunhe Dao friend, Xie certainly will not—"

Ji Liuyun and Xie Wuhun almost spoke at the same time.

Swish—

But no one expected that, although Yunhe had assumed a thoughtful pose, he said not a word and turned into a stream of light, vanishing within the room.

An unexpected turn of events.

Made everyone's gaze freeze.

After a long while, the white-browed Daoist finally gritted his teeth and cursed lowly:

"Spineless rat scum! You really ran fast!"

And Yunhe, who had flashed out of the room, didn't linger even a moment; in a few breaths he left the main hall, passing through the corridor.

When he arrived at the hall, the two Golden Core refining corpses, following his orders, had already swept the hall clean.

After recalling the refining corpses, Yunhe still didn't linger, leaving Senior Floating Cloud's cave dwelling at top speed.

After flying out of the cave dwelling, he without hesitation activated the Ice Phoenix Wings.

In just a few breaths he escaped several li distance.

(End of chapter)