Chapter 134: The Trap

The rules of the cultivation world!

When searching for treasures together, we must agree on the distribution beforehand.

Hou Muling saying this means He Pingsheng may follow along, but he gets the final say only.

That is, if there are only six 【Red Essence Ginseng】, he gets no share.

The first six people each take one.

If there are seven, he gets one as well.

Same logic applies.

After the first round, he remains last in the second round too.

If there are thirteen, everyone else gets two 【Red Essence Ginseng】, he gets only one.

If there are fourteen, then he gets two as well.

Being last in distribution is a severe disadvantage.

A massive disadvantage.

But there's no choice—this is their condition. Agree and come along; refuse and leave.

He Pingsheng thought for a moment, then nodded: "Fine..."

Opportunities like this—you can't overthink them. Sometimes you simply can't grasp them, but you can't abandon hope just because it's slim.

Otherwise, how will you ever reach Foundation Establishment?

As for whether the Hou family might have some scheme, He Pingsheng had considered it deeply.

In the end, his conclusion was: he didn't know.

On the surface, he had no grudge against the Hou family.

He possessed nothing the Hou family would covet.

If that's the case, the Hou family has no motive to scheme against him—especially since he and Hou Muxian are fellow sect brothers of the Grand Void Gate.

From the Hou family's perspective, targeting him would be a net loss.

So don't overthink it.

It's just a matter of meeting force with force, water with earth.

They're just a few Qi Refining disciples—I'm not helpless, am I?

Just be a little more careful.

"No time to waste!" Hou Muxian said. "Let's go now—they're still waiting for us in the hall!"

With that, Hou Muxian led He Pingsheng and Cheng Siyu to the Hou family's reception hall.

Four others were already waiting there.

Three men, one woman.

One old man and a woman wore identical Daoist robes, their sleeves embroidered with a lion—He Pingsheng recognized it as the mark of the Beast Taming Sect.

Meaning these two were Beast Taming Sect cultivators.

The other two, he did not know.

"Let me introduce you!" Hou Muling said. "This is Senior Brother Changping of the Beast Taming Sect. This is Senior Sister Qin."

Senior Sister Qin smiled and nodded: "I am Qin Mingyue."

Hou Muling added: "Senior Sister Qin and Senior Brother Changping are both at the twelfth level of Qi Refining."

"This is Zhuang Zhilong of the Zhuang cultivation family—also twelfth level."

"This is Zhong Xiangxuan of the Light Sect—also twelfth level."

Well then.

He Pingsheng smirked.

Everyone except Hou Muling was twelfth level.

No wonder they put me in seventh place for distribution.

Since Hou Muling had revealed their cultivation levels, He Pingsheng didn't bother using his spiritual sense to scan them.

Hou Muling then introduced He Pingsheng and Cheng Siyu, and all of them boarded flying cranes, following Hou Muling northward.

Heijiang lies to the north of the Daoxuan Alliance, a dead zone.

Of course, not absolutely dead—only for low-level disciples.

It lies within a broad, elongated, low valley. Due to its unique geography, this three-thousand-li valley is perpetually shrouded in mist, rarely touched by sunlight.

Yet thorny weeds grow wildly, and countless towering trees blanket the entire valley.

The mountains and forests abound with swamps and wetlands, teeming with snakes and insects.

Most of these snakes and insects carry natural toxins; upon death, their venom seeps into the swamps. Over millennia, this formed the dreaded dead zone feared by low-level cultivators.

Legend says even the air in Heijiang is poisonous. Without antidotes or breath-sealing techniques, anyone who enters cannot survive.

Yet Heijiang is rich in heavenly treasures.

Cultivators stuck at twelfth level of Foundation Establishment or Qi Refining who enter may, if blessed with fortune, find treasures to break through.

Hence, it is called the 【Home of the Desperate】.

Of course, Nascent Soul cultivators could walk through it freely.

But the problem is, Nascent Soul cultivators find nothing of use in Heijiang. The effort to search here is too great for too little gain—so they never come.

Jin Dan cultivators rarely come either.

Thus, this dead zone has remained undisturbed.

After flying for about half a day, Hou Muxian, leading the way, suddenly turned her paper crane and landed on a barren peak.

The other six followed, descending one by one.

"What's wrong, Senior Sister Hou?"

Someone asked.

Hou Muxian said: "We've flown for three hours—we're close to the outer edge of Heijiang!"

"Let me check the direction, so we don't get lost!"

As she spoke, she pulled out a green jade slip and pressed it to her forehead.

After a few breaths, she tucked it away and said: "The monkey guarding the Red Essence Ginseng is at Foundation Establishment. None of us can defeat it alone—we must follow Senior Brother Changping's plan!"

"Hehehe..." The old man chuckled. "I'm from the Beast Taming Sect—I know a few methods to control beast spirits!"

"I have a few pills here!"

He pulled out a pale green porcelain bottle. "This contains Beast-Attracting Pills. Once released, even a Foundation Establishment beast's combat power will plummet!"

"Come closer, friends—I'll distribute the pills first, then explain how to use them!"

Everyone gathered around.

As soon as they were near, Changping Daoist suddenly crushed the bottle with force.

Boom...

The porcelain shattered.

A green gas burst forth.

He Pingsheng, Cheng Siyu, the Zhuang family disciple, and the Light Sect's Zhong were all struck by the poison.

A wave of dizziness hit them.

He Pingsheng instantly knew this poison was no ordinary thing.

Definitely not a Level One toxin—Level One toxins he could easily withstand; he wouldn't feel dizzy.

The dizziness meant it was stronger—Level Two, Foundation Establishment toxin.

Without hesitation, He Pingsheng grabbed Cheng Siyu and shot backward ten zhang.

"Hm?"

Changping Daoist spun around sharply.

He hadn't expected He Pingsheng to escape.

But he wasn't worried—once poisoned, even if one struggled briefly, survival was impossible.

He Pingsheng landed ten zhang away, immediately pulling out a drop of 【Golden Bee Sacred Juice】 and placing it into Senior Sister Cheng's mouth.

Then he swallowed a drop himself.

Within a few breaths, the poison was fully neutralized.

Farther away, the Zhuang disciple and the Zhong cultivator were already dead.

So fast.

"Damn it!" Cheng Siyu's face turned pale. "It was a trap?"

"Watch how I slaughter you today, you bastards!"