Chapter 1421: Scheming

Wuxia and Xianxia

It all depended on how much Tan Hao knew about the Pure Sea Sect.

Qin Sang asked these questions.

Realizing Qin Sang's intention, Tan Hao was secretly surprised, not expecting him to actually dare to defy the Chaotic Fiend Elder.

After a moment of hesitation, Tan Hao did not try to dissuade him.

He believed that Qin Sang's achievements today were no accident; he wouldn't act recklessly or walk into a trap. Otherwise, he would have long become a lonely ghost in the Yin Fiend Abyss.

Tan Hao had to admit that he also held some hope that Qin Sang could help him retrieve a magic treasure. This would prevent him from returning empty-handed and watching his valuable item fall into someone else's hands.

"Where did you enter from?"

Qin Sang first considered their escape route.

Without a word, Tan Hao led Qin Sang back to the cave dwelling.

He fumbled along the wall at the back of the cave dwelling. With a creaking sound, the wall slid open to both sides, revealing a stone staircase leading downwards.

A wave of scorching heat assailed them.

The entire Pure Sea Sect was enveloped in a searing fiery aura.

Tan Hao stepped down the stairs.

Qin Sang left the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet outside to monitor the Chaotic Fiend Elder's movements, then followed Tan Hao into the hidden passage.

The hidden passage, which should have been cool, now had walls on both sides glowing fiery red, as if about to melt.

Fortunately, Buddhist restrictions on the walls supported the passage, preventing it from collapsing.

"This leads to several meditation halls, which were originally the most spiritually abundant locations, likely used by the Pure Sea Sect's eminent monks for secluded meditation. One could originally leave the Pure Sea Sect directly from here. Senior Ghost Mother discovered this area to be the weakest point of the spiritual formation and breached it near the meditation halls," Tan Hao explained as they walked.

They walked briskly for a while.

Qin Sang suddenly stopped Tan Hao. "Wait, where do these two paths lead?"

They had now entered an antechamber.

This was where the meditation hall guards were stationed.

Behind the antechamber was a stone door leading to various meditation halls.

At the front, there were three identical hidden passages, all leading into the antechamber, seemingly connected to different directions.

"They lead to the Scripture Repository and the mountain peak where the Golden Summit is located, respectively."

Tan Hao, very familiar with the Pure Sea Sect, pointed to the other two hidden passages and explained them one by one.

"These three places are the three core areas of the Pure Sea Sect.

"The place we entered from was not just the Medicinal Garden; the Alchemy Chamber, Artifact Chamber, and so on were also there.

"The Scripture Repository was originally a wooden pagoda standing alongside the thirteen-story Buddha Pagoda, but it was unfortunately destroyed in that incident. Only its foundation remains. The exit of this hidden passage is in the Buddha Cave behind the two pagodas, and its restrictions are still intact. When the seniors entered the Buddha Pagoda, they didn't completely destroy its restrictions. If their attention is drawn to the Buddha Pagoda, they shouldn't discover this hidden passage in a short time.

"The third hidden passage leads directly to the Golden Summit, but its exit is also sealed by the Golden Summit's restrictions."

Upon hearing this, Qin Sang's eyes lit up. He looked at the hidden passage leading to the Golden Summit. "Can we use this hidden passage to bypass the Chaotic Fiend Elder's watchful eyes and enter the Golden Summit?"

Tan Hao hesitated. "Although that's true, the Golden Summit's restrictions are interconnected; disturbing one part affects the whole. If you try to break the restrictions, they will definitely notice. Furthermore, the hidden passage brushes past that mountain pass. If breaking the restrictions causes the seal to collapse and the scorching fiery aura to burst through, that hidden passage would be the first to be affected, and you'd be trapped inside."

Qin Sang fell silent and asked Tan Hao to lead him to see the exit instead.

He pondered various possibilities in his mind.

The Buddha Pagoda had already been visited by Ghost Mother, so it likely had nothing good left.

Besides that, there were a few other places in the Pure Sea Sect with some history. A thorough search might yield treasures if lucky, but they would certainly not compare to what's in the Golden Summit.

Tan Hao had originally planned to scour these places one by one after reaching the Nascent Soul stage.

The magic treasures displayed in the Golden Summit were ostensibly the most valuable items.

However, this also meant that contending for the magic treasures here would be the most difficult task!

While deep in thought, Qin Sang followed Tan Hao and saw the back door of the meditation hall; everything appeared normal.

"I almost forgot, do you know what magic treasures are in the Golden Summit?"

Qin Sang asked.

Seeing that Qin Sang was indeed interested in the Golden Summit, Tan Hao suppressed the urge to dissuade him and recalled, "Some of those magic treasures were placed on the altar in front of the Buddha statue in the Golden Summit, while others were scattered on the ground, alongside skeletal remains. There were roughly seven or eight items. These included a pair of golden forks, an auspicious vajra, a finger-sized jade sword, a magic treasure resembling a heart-protecting mirror, a wish-fulfilling pearl, a wooden Buddhist shrine, a flower basket, a spiritual ganoderma scepter..."

He then added, "Perhaps there are also treasures on the skeletal remains or in places obscured by the Buddha statue. Due to the restrictions, I don't know the exact functions or ranks of those magic treasures; I can only guess."

He hadn't expected there to be so many.

Qin Sang pondered for a moment, then asked, "Which one caught your eye?"

If the opportunity arose, Qin Sang wouldn't mind helping Tan Hao seize one, as compensation for the information.

"The auspicious vajra!"

Tan Hao answered without hesitation.

His progress in refining his natal magic treasure was behind schedule, and after reaching the Nascent Soul stage, he lacked a powerful offensive magic treasure. The auspicious vajra was his most desired and safest choice.

Other Buddhist magic treasures might not suit him, and some might even require Buddhist cultivation to activate.

Qin Sang nodded, took a deep breath, and said, "Let's go up first!"

The Pure Sea Sect.

Five figures landed simultaneously on a mountain peak, their gazes all drawn to the Buddha Pagoda and the Golden Summit.

Among these individuals, the Chaotic Fiend Elder had the weakest aura, yet he was the most dreaded and feared presence by everyone.

Reverend Discipline stood beside the Chaotic Fiend Elder.

He continuously fiddled with the thumb ring on his hand, excitement and agitation hidden in his eyes.

On the other side of the Chaotic Fiend Elder stood a woman of exceptional charm.

This woman had a beautiful face, but her hair was entirely silver, making it impossible to discern her age.

She was also the only Nascent Soul mid-stage expert among the five.

This woman's Daoist title was Heavenly Robe True Monarch. She was the foremost expert near the Ethereal Sea, known for keeping male companions, though she never forced anyone and was very selective. Her reputation was much better than other demonic cultivators. She usually acted discreetly and rarely left her cave dwelling.

Reverend Discipline remained composed, glancing sideways at Heavenly Robe True Monarch. He hadn't expected this enchantress to be disturbed as well.

Heavenly Robe True Monarch's eyes were like water, and a smile played on her lips. She appeared to be observing the Pure Sea Sect, but her attention was actually fixed on the Chaotic Fiend Elder, with hidden vigilance in her heart.

Behind the three stood two men, one tall and one short, both early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators.

The tall one stood behind the Chaotic Fiend Elder, appearing somewhat detached.

The other man looked worried.

"The extent of the seal's damage seems even more severe than you two mentioned! And the uninvited guest you spoke of doesn't appear to have entered yet."

Heavenly Robe True Monarch surveyed her surroundings, her voice carrying an enchanting allure that stirred one's thoughts.

"Lady Immortal, do not take this lightly. This person is also a mid-stage Nascent Soul expert. We learned from soul-searching his companion that he seems to have a way to gain guidance within spiritual formations. Unfortunately, soul-searching a Nascent Soul is not easy, and it was desperately prevented by someone named Mu at a critical moment. We don't know what methods this person uses."

Reverend Discipline issued a warning, then paused before adding, "However, this person is ultimately alone. It's only natural for the five of us, working together to break the formation, to be faster than him."