Chapter 222: Chapter 222: Sword Talisman

"I'm here," Jiang Tu pretended to crawl out of the water weeds.

Sang Lingci handed the two of them pills, then went to check on Tang and Deng nearby; with her sharp mind she quickly spotted the discrepancy.

However, she wouldn't expose Jiang Yu now, because Lu Xin had also come searching.

Shortly after, Sang Lingci led several people ashore, "Jiang Yu, your underwater consciousness is restricted; quickly send a message to senior brother Lin."

Jiang Yu obediently complied, saying, "When I saw the two senior brothers, they had been unconscious for a long time; even after feeding them the Great Reversion Pill, there was no effect."

"Their spirit‑soul is injured," Sang Lingci muttered, irritated; the spirit‑soul is the hardest to nurture.

Lu Xin, standing nearby, asked, "What about the Demon Race?"

"Did it trigger any treasure? The high‑grade formation shattered instantly; I only had time to lead the senior brothers to escape, and I don't know where it went," Jiang Yu said, and as soon as she finished, people began leaping out of the lake onto the shore.

Lin True Person saw that she was unharmed, felt a slight relief, and asked her about the events with concern.

Baili True Person couldn't wait, not even glancing at Deng Yuanwu's wound, and said, "Junior brother Lin, since Jiang Yu is fine, let's hurry down to the spirit stone mine."

Having said that, without waiting for others' reactions, he leapt into the lake again.

As he jumped, Huangfu True Person, Du Heng, Lu Xin, and the Great Monk, who were assisting, also shed their restraint and together bid farewell before diving in.

Chongdao True Person, who was checking the wounded, was so angry at Baili that he wanted to scold him, but with outsiders present he could only endure, and said, "Sang Lingci, Lin Ze, you two escort Jiang Yu and a few others back to the camp."

The spirit‑soul injury requires quiet recuperation.

"Elder, I'm fine; gathering spirit stones is important."

"Fine spirit stones are hard to find in the world; we should collect more," Jiang Yu also didn't want to leave.

Chongdao True Person replied, "When you go back, ask the Yao King to send more people."

Previously everyone thought there were only a few spirit stones, so only a portion of the high‑cultivation people rushed ahead.

So in the world, the problem is not scarcity but inequality; the prime spirit stone mine will eventually become known to all.

Sang Lingci had a different view: "Senior brother, I thought informing everyone at the camp to gather would be better; if everyone shares the rain and dew, conflicts won't arise."

Before only twenty‑plus people came, thinking spirit stones were few; those in the Core Formation stage later suppressed others with their cultivation. Now there's a mine; more people is better.

Of course, with a large crowd arriving, there's no need to ask the Yao King for teleportation; they can simply fly away, it's only a distance of ten thousand li.

As for the two disciples, they may temporarily enter my spatial chamber to rest.

Elder Qian, Cao True Person also expressed agreement, and Chongdao True Person, seeing everyone willing, gave a gentle nod.

Lin True Person immediately sent a message to Guo Jue, "Hope the spirit mine is abundant."

"Even if it's not abundant, it's fine; each can get seven or eight pieces, which is already very wealthy," Chongdao True Person said, and as soon as the words fell, with a swish, more people leapt from the lake onto the shore.

Jiang Yu looked at the frost‑faced Huangfu True Person, wondering if the entrance to the spirit stone mine wouldn't open.

Sure enough, Huangfu True Person said, "The mine entrance's seal can't be broken at the moment; a few cultivators skilled in formation tactics have damaged some treasures and are demanding compensation."

The crowd exchanged puzzled looks; they had thought the forerunners had already begun mining.

Jiang Yu silently placed her consciousness into the dragon pearl: "Dragon King, you truly cannot open the formation?"

"Can't," the dragon spirit replied, its voice like a blade cutting iron.

Jiang Yu, who had no hope, was surprised when Jiang Tu sent a message, "The Yao King of Bilu, the ancient ancestor, surely knows.

Just don't know whether it is willing to open; the Yao Race actually dislikes cultivators mining spirit stones everywhere."

"It guards the cave heaven and will not voluntarily lift the seal.

Let's see if the Core Formation cultivators arriving later can open it," Jiang Yu said, watching the elders dive again.

Lin True Person, remaining on the shore, sent a message asking, "Jiang Yu, if anyone asks you later, just say you don't know."

Almost as soon as his words ended, another batch of Core Formation cultivators came ashore, indeed seeking Jiang Yu about the mine entrance seal.

The Core Formation cultivators, not getting the expected answer, showed a hint of impatience:

"I heard the Transformation Divine of the Cloud Mist Immortal Sect is also in the cave heaven; go find him."

"If he takes everything, what shall we do?"

"I support breaking it by force."

"What if it triggers a self‑destruct mechanism?"

The few discussed, then dove into the lake once more.

Lin True Person smiled faintly, "Since ancient times, wealth has moved people's hearts."

Jiang Yu looked up, "Elder, you don't like spirit stones? I do."

Lin Elder laughed heartily, "I also like them; it's the so‑called wealth‑partner law of the earth, huh."

"How does it feel after you've refined the pill?"

"No obstacles now," Jiang Yu hesitated briefly, then sent a message: "Elder, won't you clear the gu poison now?"

Lin True Person insisted on returning to the sect before treating, and while the two were speaking, they suddenly saw cultivators far away engaged in a duel of techniques.

"The one surnamed Yuan?" Jiang Tu was the first to spot the female cultivator in the battle group, who was being surrounded.

"Don't move," Lin True Person immediately ordered the two, "Set up a defensive formation; I'll go find senior brothers to capture them."

Jiang Yu nodded, set the formation, but kept watching the duel: "She hasn't suddenly surged in cultivation."

"No, you also must not approach. Jiang Tu, keep an eye on her." Saying that, Lin True Person dove into the lake to seek support; he didn't know whether the few dueling cultivators were genuine, so couldn't charge straight in.

The besieged Yuan True Person was indeed being hunted.

She never imagined that after she provided the Demon Race with a suitable mortal body, they succeeded and then turned around to order their subordinates to kill her.

Fortunately she had an extra mind; when excavating her cave residence she left a passage to escape, but didn't expect these two to pursue relentlessly.

"Fellow cultivators, do you know that Fang True Person wants to kill me because he is not..." Yuan True Person's words were cut off by a sudden palm from Fang True Person.

"Yuan fellow disciple, the reason I want to kill you is that you deliberately set a trap to lure my team to certain death."

"The so‑called high‑grade medicine garden is a place overrun by wild beasts; cultivators entering there suffer ten deaths for nine injuries." As he spoke, Fang True Person had already transformed his spiritual energy into a fist and in an instant struck Yuan True Person's temple.

Under the massive punch force, Yuan True Person's body became uncontrollable, and she was also pierced by the artifacts of the two opposing cultivators.

In an instant, she fell like a broken kite, and the direction happened to be toward Jiang Yu's side.

The opportunity was rare; Jiang Yu grabbed a Nascent Soul Sword Talisman without hesitation, driving her bamboo fan skyward to attack Yuan Zhenren—she had little else, but the talismans were enough.

Boom—

The peerless sword qi not only cut the Yuan Zhenren, who was trying to steady his stance, into several pieces, it also frightened the three pursuing Fang Zhenren into fleeing far away.

"Quickly return to the formation!" Jiang Tu feared those three Golden Core cultivators would attack.

But at that moment, Lin Zhenren flew out from underwater with over ten Golden Core cultivators.

Seeing that, the several Fang Zhenren turned and left.

But how could Chongdao Zhenren let them go? Whoosh— he flew to intercept, saying, "Several fellow Daoists, why attack my sect's Foundation Establishment disciple?"

Fang Zhenren quickly signaled to the person beside him, who clasped his hands and spoke in the Tianyuan language: "No, we were just taking revenge; coincidentally, your sect's disciple lent a hand."

"Is that so? Then why are you running?" Chongdao Zhenren gazed at the landing Jiang Yu.

"Elder, the deceased is a Yuan-surname female cultivator; I am not certain, but the Nascent Soul Sword Talisman slew her and the Demon Race on her." Jiang Yu admitted her action.

The several Fang Zhenren were explaining to Chongdao Zhenren that it was merely because a group of Golden Core cultivators had appeared, and they certainly did not want to provoke them.

Meanwhile, Lin Zhenren and the other Golden Core cultivators hurried to examine the corpse on the ground, but found no trace of the Demon Race.