Chapter 22: Rash Action, Battle on the Brink

"Spirit Treasure?"

The Wandu Sect Master, Dushen, looked at Tian Buyi with a face full of confusion, then cast his gaze toward Qiu Buping beside him, as if asking what Tian Buyi meant.

Yet he saw Qiu Buping shake his head with a blank expression, indicating that he also had no idea what nonsense Tian Buyi was talking about.

"You are making false accusations!"

Qiu Buping had originally been afraid of the two Transformation God Realm powerhouses, Tian Buyi and Shuiyue, but now with Dushen by his side, he felt emboldened to act like a bully, immediately scolding: "Where did we steal any Spirit Treasure from you? Could it be that you righteous people also like to play the game of trumping up charges?"

He had stayed on Jiuyin Mountain for a long time and had never heard of any Spirit Treasure, so where did this talk of stealing a Spirit Treasure come from? Not to mention, how could a Golden Core Realm person like him steal, or even dare to steal, something from Transformation God Realm powerhouses?

"Lord Dushen, this group of Qingyun Sect people is definitely trumping up charges, just looking for an excuse to crusade against us. I have stayed on Jiuyin Mountain for a long time and have never heard of any Spirit Treasure. On the contrary, two of our disciples were secretly murdered by these righteous people, and the murderer is very likely hiding among them right now."

After Qiu Buping finished angrily rebuking Tian Buyi, he hurriedly explained to Dushen.

Yet he saw Dushen frown; he was also a bit bewildered at this moment. Tian Buyi spoke so earnestly, not at all like he was faking it, as if they really had stolen a Spirit Treasure from the Qingyun Sect.

But the Ghost King had only sent him here to deal with the Array and ensure the Qingyun Sect people did not find out about it; he had never mentioned that there was any Spirit Treasure on Jiuyin Mountain that their Demonic Cult had stolen.

Which part had gone wrong?

"None?"

Tian Buyi gave a disdainful laugh and retorted to Qiu Buping: "Then why did your Demonic Cult send so many people to Jiuyin Mountain with such great fanfare? Don't tell me you are here for a spring outing?"

"We are..."

Qiu Buping really could not stand Tian Buyi accusing them so earnestly and was on the verge of bringing up the Array to explain, but he hurriedly shut his mouth in chagrin.

That was close!

He had almost let it slip. He feared that if he revealed even a bit of information about the Array, he wouldn't even need the Qingyun Sect people to act; Dushen beside him would strike him with a Poison Palm and turn him into blood.

"Look! You can't say it, can you? Still going to say you didn't steal our Spirit Treasure?"

Seeing this, the Qingyun Sect group became even more convinced that the sword-path Spirit Treasure had been stolen by these Demonic Cult people, and their anger rose another notch.

Dushen silently took a step forward, frowned, and replied to Tian Buyi: "Believe it or not, this seat has never heard of any Heaven-Sent Spiritual Treasure on Jiuyin Mountain, let alone ordered anyone to steal a Spirit Treasure."

"You two Qingyun Sect peak masters are indeed in the Transformation God Realm, but is this seat not? If the two of you join forces, you may not necessarily be my match."

Dushen instantly unleashed his aura, and the pressure caused the atmosphere of this world to sink significantly. Those disciples with low cultivation were even affected to the point of panic, and blood seeped from their noses involuntarily.

Transformation of Spirit Eighth Realm Peak?! Tian Buyi and Shuiyue immediately sensed Dushen's cultivation. They hadn't seen this Wandu Sect Master for a long time, and now he was actually at the Transformation of Spirit Eighth Realm Peak.

The two exchanged a look and both frowned.

At this level of strength, every layer is a qualitative change. Just as Dushen said, Shuiyue and Tian Buyi were only at the Transformation of Spirit Sixth or Seventh Realm. If they really faced Dushen one-on-one, they would have no chance of winning. Only by teaming up could they barely exchange blows with him, and the outcome would still be fifty-fifty, or perhaps sixty-forty, with Dushen holding the sixty.

Just as the two were thinking about how to properly resolve this matter, they saw Dushen withdraw his pressure and say to them in a softened tone: "How about we both take a step back? Our Holy Sect people will withdraw from Jiuyin Mountain, and you Qingyun Sect people need not pursue our responsibility for coming to Jiuyin Mountain."

"As for what Spirit Treasure, this seat does not understand what you mean right now. Once this seat finds out, I will naturally give you an answer."

Although Dushen's attitude could not be called sincere, what he said was very reasonable, causing Tian Buyi and Shuiyue to silently agree to this plan at the same time.

One must know that once people in the Transformation God Realm start fighting, it is no small matter, and the karma involved will only grow more and more.

"Impossible! You want to just let it go after stealing our Spirit Treasure? If we let you leave, I fear the Spirit Treasure will never return to our Qingyun Sect!"

Just as Tian Buyi and Shuiyue were pondering, they heard a voice beside them say this with righteous indignation.

"Lao Dugui, take my sword!"

Immediately following this was a flash of white light; sword Qi surged out from beside Tian Buyi, shooting violently toward the Dushen who was flying high in the sky.

Everything happened in an instant; no one had anticipated such a situation.

"You seek death!"

Dushen's anger flared. It was one thing for Tian Buyi and Shuiyue to call him Lao Dugui, but a Qi Refining Realm disciple of the Qingyun Sect dared to address him like that and even dared to rashly attack him.

What kind of contempt for his existence was this?! Dushen lifted his hand slightly, easily neutralizing the incoming sword Qi. With eyes full of rage, he looked at Lin Jingyu, who had spoken and attacked, and struck out with a Poison Palm.

A giant black palm shadow appeared between heaven and earth, pressing down toward Lin Jingyu. In an instant, the sky changed color, the world turned dark, and the mountains and forests shattered at this very moment. The power was unimaginably great, nearly swallowing the entire Jiuyin Mountain, and everyone was shocked to the core.

Lin Jingyu's face twisted, and blood flowed from his seven orifices under the pressure of the giant palm shadow. Only now did he truly feel the fear of life and death.

How many years had it been since he had seen a Transformation God Realm powerhouse attack? To experience it again now was truly terrifying.

Tian Buyi and Shuiyue felt as if they were facing a formidable enemy; they immediately drew their long swords and unleashed their own sword techniques to break the sword Qi and resist the giant palm shadow.

A golden sword Qi and a blue sword Qi escaped from the tips of their swords. The golden sword Qi transformed into a dragon shadow, letting out a heaven-shaking roar as it tore through the air. The blue sword Qi merged ten thousand blue rays into one, gathering into a giant pillar of light like a surging tide, wondrous and myriad.

"Boom—!"

The giant palm shadow and the two anomalous sword Qis collided, emitting a heaven-shaking explosion. The ground beneath their feet trembled, as if even this Jiuyin Mountain were afraid.

The shockwave of the remaining power blasted the hundred-plus people present away. Those with slightly stronger strength used their Qi to resist, but still retreated more than ten steps before stabilizing their footing. Those with weaker strength were directly knocked flying, falling to the ground with their internal organs ruptured, unconscious.

However, the Qingyun Sect group had a barrier set up by Shuiyue in advance, so they were largely unaffected by the shockwave, though their minds were shaken to the point of being unable to recover.

As for the main target of the palm shadow, Lin Jingyu, he was already lying on the ground, awake but without consciousness. His bones and tendons were nearly twisted, and his whole body was trembling. Layers of black gas were emerging from his body; clearly, he had been poisoned by the palm strike from Dushen.

(End of Chapter)