Chapter 252: Puzzled and Perplexed

"Daoist friend Lu!" True Lord Xun shouted, but made no real move to stop him.

Jiang Yu stood in the corner, head down and silent, actually transmitting to Jiang Tu: "So it's just a play; each Nascent Soul cultivator really knows how to act."

She wasn't sealed off from dantian spirit power, but was trapped inside the barrier cast by Master Sun Dan nearby, unable to get out for the moment.

"Be content, it's lucky Elder Lin is here; with someone else, they might not be sincere." Jiang Tu secretly released his spirit sense from the dragon pearl and found the street empty of people.

Both sides' shops had all activated defenses; everyone was hiding inside.

The little snake Bi Luo sensed it, hidden in Guo Jue's spirit beast bag, and transmitted, "Let's find a way to rescue the person."

"Impossible." Jiang Tu decisively refused, also warning it not to act rashly: "Don't imitate your clan's ancestor; blind actions kill people."

It then saw True Lord Lu return empty‑handed on the street, and continued to keep Jiang Yu and the others under control.

He added, "Alright, let's not delay matters.

We are only three; give us the slots from the Grand Void Sect and Great Enlightenment Temple."

"Fine, as long as none of the present Daoist friends object." Elder Lin was the first to agree; after all, the sect master does not support disciples rashly heading to Dragon Emperor Island.

Master Liao Wu also nodded, "I, a humble monk, am willing; please, Daoist friends, make it convenient."

The Nascent Souls looked at each other and transmitted:

"It's not that it's impossible, but you should think carefully; agreeing to exchange people today means more disciples will be kidnapped later."

"Indeed, each sect only gets two slots; after today's swap, what will happen later?"

"Surely some schemers will seize disciples from other sects."

"Then this method is unsuitable."

"……" After half a day of discussion, they were still stuck.

True Lord Lin Ze saw this, quickly messaged the sect master, asking how to handle it.

"Let them hold on; now we just discuss conditions.

But if they dare hurt anyone, it will be relentless." The Grand Void Sect now has five Nascent Souls, and three Core Formations on the brink of advancement; Sect Master Lin Quan is far more confident than before.

Yet the Nascent Souls gave no clear stance, which doomed Jiang Yu and a few others; they were immediately locked in the same place.

True Lord Lu stood firmly behind the courtyard gate, confronting the Nascent Souls; one side only demanded teleportation before releasing people, the other kept finding excuses not to agree gladly.

Jiang Tu, baffled, asked, "What do the other sects mean?"

"We don't want Nascent Soul wanderers to later hold disciples hostage, yet we want to use this chance to lure the Nascent Souls hidden in the market.

Let's see who will imitate Daoist Lu." Jiang Yu quickly inferred.

Jiang Tu thought, "You should have blocked the next strike for Guo Jue just now, then fled immediately."

"Could I? The two Nascent Souls only abducted Guo Jue because they know me."

"What does it mean to abandon him and run? They'll become my enemies later." Jiang Yu knew there was a chance to run, but she couldn't.

Alas, True Lord Xun, with the three Nascent Queens present, is it still necessary to seal our dantians?

True Lord Xun never underestimates anyone, especially each sect's direct disciples, each of whom has a death‑escape trick: "I heard you could annihilate a Core Formation during Foundation Establishment; you still dare to face the Eight‑Rank Dragon King."

Jiang Yu also denied, "That was just a lucky find, pure luck."

"Luck is also a kind of strength, junior friend Jiang; I heard you have white tangerine herb in hand." Master Sun Dan was interested in the rare spirit herb.

"I don't refine high‑grade pills; all the spirit herbs have been handed over." Jiang Yu never keeps rare spirit herbs on her person, nor does she refine them.

True Lord Xun calmly brewed tea, "Jiang Yu, do you think they'll agree?"

"Don't know." Jiang Yu couldn't influence the higher‑level decision.

After a while, no sign of Nascent Souls acting came from the street, but several faint spirit senses drifted in.

Outside the gate, the group of Nascent Souls followed the spirit senses to chase people.

The remaining Nascent Souls no longer lingered; the Heaven Demon Sect Elder, speaking for everyone, said, "Daoist friend Lu, how about buying slots with spirit stones?"

"Decided to open the teleportation array?" Lu was a bit skeptical.

"No, only open to a portion of free cultivators."

"Since the three Daoist friends are in Heaven Origin, they count as free cultivators. Blocking is worse than letting through; Nascent Soul cultivators can go if they wish, and taking more spirit stones isn't a problem."

However, the Heaven Demon and Harmony sects must assign more Nascent Souls to guard the teleportation array; otherwise, large swaths of spirit stones will be stolen, causing great loss.

Lu straightforwardly took out three spirit stone bags, "We won't take advantage of you; each of you gets five hundred thousand low‑grade spirit stones; for the spirit stones that activate teleportation, we will pay ourselves."

"Very well, release them." The Heaven Demon Sect Elder didn't want to stay here any longer.

But Master Sun Dan suddenly pointed at Jiang Yu and Guo Jue's group and said, "They should all step onto the teleportation array.

Anyway, we need to go, to avoid queuing again."

"Fine." The Heaven Demon Sect Elder agreed.

Elder Lin and Master Liao Wu objected, "No."

Other Nascent Souls also didn't want to stay any longer: "Both of you, stop creating more complications."

Jiang Yu, seeing Elder Lin about to speak, quickly declared, "Elder, I am willing to go to Dragon Emperor Island."

"No." Elder Lin transmitted, "You forgot, Dragon Emperor Island has several Core Formations that died because of you."

"They can't reach Heaven Origin; is it worth it for you to run to Dragon Emperor Island for a Southern Su matter?"

Jiang Yu brushed past that, giving a legitimate reason, "But those three fear tampering with the teleportation array; they clearly intend to use us as talismans and won't release us."

Sure enough, Master Sun Dan persisted, and with support from Heaven Origin cultivators, their party soon arrived at the Spirit Stone Mine.

Jiang Yu didn't have time to see the whole mountain before being led deep into the winding mine tunnels.

When a teleportation array resembling the Southern Sky Mountain Range appeared before her eyes, she was again taken by Master Sun Dan to the top.

Master Liao Wu offered a solemn Buddhist salute: "Amitabha, Daoist friends, my two disciples may accompany you; the other two junior disciples, please stay."

Moreover, lacking the protection of the Zhou Zhuan Xing Yi Command, we can only use protective deity talismans, which can transport only a few people at a time.

"Fine then." Master Sun Dan didn't mind having two fewer.

But she didn't expect, the Heavenly Origin cultivators didn't waste even a bit, and again sent out several Golden Core cultivators to jump onto the teleportation array.

Nearly a hundred top-grade spirit stones filled the array's eye, and at the moment the white light flickered, ten cultivators were teleported away from before their eyes, leaving Heavenly Origin.

Jiang Yu, during the teleportation, requested to unseal her dantian; even if she had a Continent-Shifting Star-Moving Token, at this time it would still be best to use the God-Protecting Talisman like everyone else.

Thus, one must take the Calming Spirit Pill; otherwise, one cannot withstand a long-duration teleportation.

Sun Pill Master also still spoke, immediately unsealing the dantians of the three people.

「Guojue, this is exactly what you wished for. 」

「Don't open the door, that's being disobedient. 」Guoye took the pill, and couldn't help but let out a long sigh while chanting Buddha's name.

Guojue felt somewhat apologetic, 'Senior Brother, I have already teamed up with Jiang Yu; after reaching Dragon Emperor Island, we will wait for them to act together.'

Guoye raised his eyes and glanced at Jiang Yu; she lightly nodded, 'Yes, it's fine if we just explore the secret realm.'

True Lord Lu had his wish fulfilled, nor does it stop him from making sarcastic remarks, 'Hmph, it's just a bunch of islands, with a few more high-ranking Yao; as cultivators, traveling the world is a blessing, yet you're still afraid?'