Chapter 257: The Treasure Emerges

Li Province, Qi Sect.

The small town at the foot of the mountain was packed, mostly with unfamiliar faces.

Pick anyone at random, and an awe-inspiring aura faintly radiated from them.

Every constable of the Zhen Mo Si had been dispatched, striving to maintain order.

The cloud-patterned black robes that made demons and martial artists tremble with fear were not even glanced at by this crowd of strangers.

What truly silenced them was the formless Yin Spirit hanging in the sky.

Though invisible to the naked eye, the heavy pressure of a Wu Xian of the upper realm already shrouded the entire Qi Sect grounds.

"We wish to ascend the mountain to witness the ceremony."

Cultivators of profound realms gathered at the foot of the mountain, and Qi Sect disciples politely escorted them up.

Hou Wanshan watched the scene in silence.

The commotion caused by the birth of the treasure was too great; one told ten, ten told a hundred, until finally everyone knew.

The Great Qian was not short of cultivators traveling from outside.

Hearing this news, they had all gathered here.

In the past, the Wu Temple could have dispersed them with a single word, but now... merely managing to intimidate the crowd enough to prevent chaos was already considered good.

The factions were too mixed; the decline of the Great Qian was becoming evident, and they could not afford to offend so many people.

"The Qi Sect has prepared lodging for you all, but the mountain peak is a forbidden area; we hope you will not trespass."

The Lin couple held long swords, guarding the mountain path as disciples of the Wu Temple.

The group of foreign cultivators looked at the sky; though their thoughts differed, they all nodded together: "Thank you for the Qi Sect's hospitality."

At the mountain peak, thick white mist gathered into clouds, making the entire small mountain seem as if it were in the depths of winter; tree tips were covered in white frost, and a chilling wind howled, whipping up ice leaves.

"I never expected a small place within the Great Qian to possess the means to forge treasures," a cultivator shook his head and sighed.

These words seemed to remind everyone; immediately, other cultivators began to chat amicably with the Qi Sect disciples nearby.

"..."

Among them were several powerful figures of obvious distinction, from famous families; they merely glanced once before returning their gaze to the mountain peak.

To win over the Qi Sect, politeness was not the way.

Moreover, whether they could truly forge a treasure remained to be seen.

Once it was forged, one would first need to determine the treasure's ownership; winning them over could be discussed later.

"If not for the Qi Sect, I would not have known there existed a Slain Hunyuan master within Li Province."

Hou Wanshan slowly clenched his fist, feeling a slight pressure.

Though his realm was high, suppressing the crowd by force was not so easy.

This was only because time was short; if it dragged on another month or two, even a powerhouse of the Transformation of Spirit Realm might come personally, especially from the Xuan Guang Cave...

On the contrary, the Wu Temple was sitting quite still.

At the very least, they should have brought a Golden Body to hold the scene.

If they didn't give the Qi Sect some pressure, perhaps these blacksmiths would truly take the treasure and defect to another faction.

As Hou Wanshan had expected, he soon heard several whispers.

"Brother Qingyang, has Sect Master Lin considered relocating the Qi Sect to a more suitable place?"

"Leaning on the Wu Temple, this great tree, may feel secure, but they are Yin Spirit cultivators and may not value you."

"I know you are a disciple of the Wu Temple, but what can they give you? The Golden Body technique? You wouldn't need it anyway; it would be better to..."

Hearing the whispers at his ear and looking at the powerful figures whose realms surpassed his own, who still addressed him as "brother," Lin Qingyang's expression did not change, but inside he felt strangely pleased.

At the same time, he secretly muttered to himself.

If the Wu Temple were truly a great tree, these people would not dare to speak such things to their faces; everyone knew the current situation of the Great Qian; it was just empty talk.

He distractedly replied perfunctorily: "What use is it for you to talk to me about this? How the Qi Sect proceeds is still up to my father."

That person wanted to say more, but Lady Lin politely raised her hand to stop him: "Senior, please do not mention it again; the Shen Zongzhu has his own arrangements."

"Very well, very well."

That person smiled resentfully, retreated back into the crowd, and continued looking at the mountain peak.

The Qi Sect had finally gained some fame; as long as these blacksmiths were smart, they would know how to ride this wind.

Whether to become a great clan or accompany a rotten tree to slowly decay and die was not a difficult choice.

Suddenly, under the gaze of all.

The white mist in the sky rapidly shrank downward until it vanished completely.

Yet everyone felt a bone-chilling cold.

Among them, those few experts of extraordinary bearing had joy surge onto their faces; immediately exchanging glances, they each snorted coldly and slapped their waists.

The atmosphere in the field instantly became incredibly tense.

The treasure is forged! Now is the time to bid.

Everyone stared tightly at the mountain path; moments later, a scruffy old man holding a jade box came trotting down.

Just as they were preparing to rush forward, Lin Jingyi kept his head down and waved his hand: "Make way."

Then he dashed down the mountain in a flash.

Leaving behind a group of stunned cultivators.

Even Hou Wanshan, hanging in the sky, was somewhat surprised: "..."

This old man, who had longed for the Qi Sect to rise, had become so obedient and honest since when?

"Follow him!"

The middle-aged expert frowned and spat, then strode down the mountain.

So many people had waited for many days.

The Qi Sect not only refused to give them a chance to bid, but they were even unwilling to bring out the magical treasure for a look—did they truly take them for monkeys?

A small pavilion on the mountainside.

Lin Jingyi tapped the door; only after receiving a response did he push it open and enter.

He looked at the black-robed youth sitting in meditation on the cushion.

He forced a smile and handed over the jade box: "My lord Shen, the old man did not disappoint you; it is done."

"You have worked hard." Shen Yi opened his eyes and nodded slightly.

"Not hard, not hard at all; it was my duty." Lin Jingyi hurriedly shook his head, then said, "You look first; I will go out and dismiss them."

Having spoken, the old man stepped out of the small pavilion with light, slow steps.

Turning around, he came face to face with a group of foreign cultivators with grim expressions; even Lin Qingyang stared at his father in confusion.

Such a good opportunity, wasted like this?

Did the iron-forging hammer damage his brain?

"Everyone, there is nothing more to see; I will send someone to prepare a banquet immediately, ensuring everyone enjoys themselves."

Lin Jingyi forced a smile.

His gaze quickly swept over the few experts.

A Slain Hunyuan from the Hunyuan Sect... what good is that?

With just these two or three, if they dared to follow My Lord Shen away from Great Qian, it would be a matter of two hours.

The old man did not wish to hear Shen Yi say to him, "May I invite you to step aside for a word?"

"Enjoy themselves?"

Most of the cultivators watching the spectacle said nothing, but the few Slain Hunyuans standing at the front all had dark, gloomy eyes.

One of them had already clenched his palm into a fist.

Under the gaze of so many eyes, Lin Jingyi appeared utterly relaxed, standing at the pavilion entrance with not a trace of worry on his face.

"..."

The Slain Hunyuan from the Hunyuan Sect raised his eyes and glanced at the sky.

Few who cultivate to such a realm are fools.

A Wu Xian of a higher realm would absolutely not give the Qi Sect such immense confidence.

Who exactly is inside that small pavilion?

Could it be that someone truly moved one of the corpses from the Wumiao here?

(End of this chapter)