Chapter 1034: Maneuvering

The Mortal Realm

“Master!”

“Venerable Ye!”

Once the clouds dispersed and the lightning faded, the elder landed before them. The crowd snapped back to attention and rushed forward to salute him.

The newcomer was Venerable Ye, a renowned figure of the East Pole Alliance. Deeply trusted by the Alliance Master, he was responsible for training the rising talents of the Merchant Alliance. Everyone present, including Su Nu, had received guidance from Venerable Ye and revered him as their master.

No one noticed the additional layer of gloom in Su Nu’s eyes.

Venerable Ye had actually snuck in here!

What exactly was the Merchant Alliance plotting?

Venerable Ye closed his eyes tightly and withdrew his sword light. Then, his aura fluctuated, seemingly employing some secret art, making his presence faint and indistinct, though not suppressed to a very low level.

He had sealed off a portion of his cultivation.

Scanning the group, Venerable Ye frowned. “Why are there only a few of you?”

The long-bearded elder stepped forward and replied respectfully, “Reporting, Master, Third Junior Brother was delayed in the Profound Ice Plain, the second trial stage. Junior Brother Zuo entered the final trial with us, but for some reason, he hasn't shown up yet. He might have encountered some trouble and is trapped...”

“If he can’t even get past the Profound Ice Plain, don’t tell anyone he received my guidance!” Venerable Ye snorted coldly. “Never mind,” he said lightly. “If one can't even pass such a small test, it means they lack the fortune! Erase the traces here. We’ll go and retrieve the Soul Cleansing Liquid first.”

Venerable Ye's tone was dismissive, as if the Soul Cleansing Liquid was already within his grasp.

Upon hearing this, the crowd was first startled, then overcome with wild joy.

After seeing Venerable Ye, they had all been speculating, wondering about his purpose for sneaking in.

Learning that Venerable Ye was actually going to lead them to retrieve the Soul Cleansing Liquid filled them with immense surprise and delight.

Originally, even if the few of them cooperated and had a good chance of seizing the Soul Cleansing Liquid, it was hard to say how many portions they could obtain. The inheritors of both the righteous and demonic paths, along with other factions, were all formidable individuals.

It was almost impossible for everyone to get a portion of the Soul Cleansing Liquid.

But with Venerable Ye making a move, things were different.

For a Nascent Soul Ancestor, a renowned Venerable of the Merchant Alliance famous throughout Canglang Sea, to contend for the Soul Cleansing Liquid against Core Formation cultivators, wouldn't it be an easy feat?

“Master, did you specifically come to help us contend for the Soul Cleansing Liquid?”

The alluring woman’s big eyes fluttered, unable to hide her wild joy, her voice childlike and sweet.

Venerable Ye chuckled. “Do you know how much the Alliance Master and the Merchant Alliance paid to get me in here? Seizing the Soul Cleansing Liquid is merely a convenient side task. With such a treasure before us, how could we not take it? After we obtain the Soul Cleansing Liquid, there are more important matters to attend to.”

The alluring woman gasped, a hidden worry in her eyes. “Master, what great undertaking has the Alliance Master sent you here for? It won’t be dangerous, will it?”

“The most dangerous time has already passed…”

Venerable Ye still felt lingering fear remembering his struggle through the radiant mist. Not only had all the protective treasures prepared by the Merchant Alliance been lost, but he himself had also suffered severe injuries.

This was merely at the edge of the radiant mist; he wondered how terrifying the true power of the immortal restriction was.

After a pause, Venerable Ye scanned his surroundings. “It seems there was quite a commotion here! It’s not convenient for me to act freely in this place. We’ll need to plan the acquisition of the Soul Cleansing Liquid later. Let’s leave here first, to avoid being discovered by others.”

“Yes, Master!”

The group erased their traces and followed Venerable Ye, flying out of the deep valley to avoid being seen by others.

A short while later.

Streaks of escape light swiftly arrived.

They looked at the chaotic deep valley, exchanging glances.

Their search yielded no results, and they gradually dispersed.

On a mountain not far from Stone Peak.

Ming Wei had already arrived, having seen the mark Qin Sang left, and hastened to meet him.

Qin Sang stood at the edge of a floating peak, gazing at the deep valley, his brow slightly furrowed.

When Venerable Ye had snuck in, the sky above the trial realm had been turbulent, filled with dense lightning, as if a heavenly punishment had descended. The ferocious beasts in the mountains were in disarray, and the cultivators were unsettled.

The commotion was particularly intense in the direction of the deep valley.

The unusual phenomenon appeared and vanished quickly.

Soon, the trial realm became calm again, returning to normal.

But for some reason, Qin Sang felt a subtle unease in his heart.

“Fellow Daoist Ming Wei, has such an unusual phenomenon ever appeared in the trial realm before?” Qin Sang turned his head and asked.

Ming Wei stood beside Qin Sang, fully energized and having easily passed the final trial.

She gently shook her head and stated with certainty, “No! More than one senior from our sect has participated. Before reaching Nascent Soul, Master once entered the trial realm and acquired a portion of Soul Cleansing Liquid. A hundred years ago, my Senior Brother came to the Inner Palace alone; although he didn't secure the Soul Cleansing Liquid, he successfully entered the final trial. None of them ever encountered such an unusual phenomenon.”

“I hope it’s not related to the Soul Cleansing Liquid,” Qin Sang sighed softly.

Ming Wei shrugged it off. “That place is far from where the Soul Cleansing Liquid appears, so there should be no connection. We should focus on how to ensure we get the Soul Cleansing Liquid without fail.”

Qin Sang nodded and averted his gaze.

Earlier, Ming Wei had honored her oath, informing him of all information related to the Soul Cleansing Liquid and the true function of the Life Talisman.

Their discussion had been interrupted by the unusual phenomenon.

During this time, Qin Sang had seen some cultivators arrive one after another and enter Stone Peak, including disciples from the Heavenly Dao Sect, but Ning Wuhui was conspicuously absent.

It seemed he would have to cooperate fully with Ming Wei.

The Life Talisman could be used three times in the trial realm.

When activated in danger, the Life Talisman would connect with the restrictions within the secret realm, providing protection. Under the talisman’s protection, opponents would immediately lose their target.

They would be invisible and imperceptible, completely isolated from the outside.

It was as if they were in two different worlds.

In the trial realm, opponents encountered would not exceed the Core Formation stage, making it impossible for them to discern the Life Talisman’s effect. However, the talisman was not without limitations; once activated, one could only stay in place and go nowhere. If caught in a dangerous environment, it could at most only buy time.

Previously, Ming Wei had used the Life Talisman once for refuge, leaving her with two remaining uses.

As more cultivators gathered here, the Soul Cleansing Liquid was about to appear.

The Soul Cleansing Liquid was not in the Pavilion of Treasures.

The Pavilion of Treasures was built atop Stone Peak, but the Soul Cleansing Liquid was hidden deep within an underground secret cave.

“The secret cave is about to open. Let’s go quickly,” Ming Wei said, sounding impatient.

The two flew up and headed north of Stone Peak.

Along the way, they deliberately separated, and Ming Wei changed her attire to avoid being targeted by others due to possessing the Life Talisman.

Deep within the mountain range was a unique ring-shaped mountain.

Compared to other peaks, the ring-shaped mountain wasn’t very tall. What was peculiar was the chilling black mist that gathered there, absent elsewhere. Entering the mountain’s vicinity, one could feel a wave of coldness rising from the depths of their heart.

At this moment, scattered figures hovered around the ring-shaped mountain.

They observed and guarded against each other, occasionally turning their gazes towards the depths of the black mist, their eyes flickering with eagerness and fervor.

Among them, two individuals stood out.

One wore a Daoist robe, with a precious sword hanging from his waist, looking extraordinarily handsome.

The other wore a blood-red robe embroidered with a fanged blood bat with wide-open jaws, his face so pale it appeared eerie.