Chapter 252: Hidden Moth

With Sikong Muyue at the core, they were jointly breaking the restrictions on various peaks. The restriction on this mountaintop had clearly been under attack for a long time, only now shattering.

The moment the restriction broke, everyone on the Bagua formation let out a collective sigh of relief, feeling utterly exhausted. They were secretly stunned, realizing that even with so many of them working together and Sikong Muyue leading, they had almost failed to break it.

This showed just how powerful the restrictions that had survived until now truly were.

Fortunately, Sikong Muyue had stepped forward, gathered everyone, and worked together to break the restriction; otherwise, they would likely have returned empty-handed.

With the restriction broken, a magnificent palace, adorned with carved railings and jade-inlaid walls, was revealed within.

Treasures lay within the palace, and some gazes burned with fervent desire. Yet, surprisingly, no one rushed in to seize them. Instead, everyone sat down, taking the opportunity to quickly recover their spiritual power.

Only Sikong Muyue tapped her finger on the Bagua formation. The remaining black and white energy transformed into a large hand, which then aggressively ransacked the magnificent palace.

Anything obstructing its path was brutally shattered, and in the blink of an eye, the palace became dilapidated.

The large hand returned, clutching dozens of items. These included weapons like swords and blades, various magical artifacts such as mirrors, flutes, and pagodas, and several spiritual materials. There were also jade bottles containing pills, though their spiritual light was dim, indicating their spiritual essence was lost.

Everyone collectively emerged from their meditative states, their eyes burning with desire as they stared at the treasures in the large hand. However, they all suppressed their greed, quietly awaiting Sikong Muyue's distribution.

Sikong Muyue's gaze swept over the items. She waved her hand, discarding some things that had lost their spiritual essence, then used her spiritual power to lift a spiritual sword, saying, "Flaming Light Sword, a top-grade spiritual artifact. Start your bids."

"One thousand low-grade spirit stones!"

"One thousand three hundred..."

"I don't have enough spirit stones. Would any fellow cultivator be willing to exchange one thousand spirit stones for my Sea Rock Gold...?"

Sikong Muyue auctioned off each treasure she had obtained, then equally divided the resulting spirit stones among everyone, including herself. No one raised any objections, and the scene was remarkably harmonious.

Only as a Core Formation stage expert could she command such prestige and subdue unruly individuals.

It seemed this wasn't their first time doing this. There were few disputes, and the distribution was handled with extreme efficiency before they manipulated the Bagua formation to fly toward the next restriction.

Qin Sang and the Elder of Earth Scars watched this entire scene, craning their necks.

Before Qin Sang entered the courtyard, Sikong Muyue had not yet appeared.

The Elder of Earth Scars had not entered the four Heavenly Peaks, instead loitering outside, which greatly surprised Qin Sang. He hadn't expected Sikong Muyue to be absent either.

Now it seemed that almost everyone who had entered the ancient cultivator's abode had gone to join Sikong Muyue. After all, with a Core Formation stage expert overseeing things, they could safely acquire treasures. Why wouldn't they?

Qin Sang saw Mu Yifeng and Yu Daiyue among them, but strangely, Yun Youzi was absent.

The Elder of Earth Scars's expression grew increasingly grim. Finally, he snorted in anger and coldly commanded, "Follow me!"

Qin Sang didn't know why the Elder of Earth Scars was so furious, but he knew it was best not to provoke him. He quickly leaped to follow the Elder of Earth Scars, only to see him heading straight towards the depths of the mountains, flying towards the four Heavenly Peaks.

The common saying, "the mountain looks close but can exhaust a horse," was equally applicable here. The four Heavenly Peaks rapidly grew larger in their sight, and even before they reached them, Qin Sang could already feel their majestic aura.

Qin Sang exerted all his strength, barely managing to keep up with the Elder of Earth Scars's speed. Just as they were about to reach the foot of the Heavenly Peaks, the Elder of Earth Scars abruptly halted, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's, sweeping over the mountains below.

Next, the Elder of Earth Scars pressed his palm lightly, and a burst of Thousand Illusions Divine Sound power erupted from his palm, silently cloaking the area. Only then did he emerge from the void, stepping onto the summit of one of the mountains and shouting, "Come out!"

The mountain remained silent.

A flicker of impatience crossed the Elder of Earth Scars's eyes as he stared at a cliff face within the mountain. He said coldly, "Does this old man have to personally drag you out?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a layer of dark light emerged on the cliff, and a person stepped out from it.

Qin Sang recognized this person: Ren Hong, a cultivator at the Mid Foundation Establishment stage from the Wind Thunder Sect.

The Wind Thunder Sect's strength was comparable to that of the Medicine King Sect, and it held a respectable position in Hanging Skull Pass.

After Ren Hong emerged from the cliff, the dark light automatically receded. Only then did Qin Sang realize that there was a restriction on the cliff, and Ren Hong had already partially broken it.

"Ren Hong greets Senior!"

Ren Hong's expression flickered, but he dared not show the slightest disrespect towards the Elder of Earth Scars. He asked with confusion, "May I ask, Senior, why you have summoned this junior?"

The Elder of Earth Scars glanced at him and said blandly, "You've already broken two layers of the three-layered restriction here. It seems you have some proficiency in the art of restrictions. However, the third layer is not simple. Without Core Formation stage cultivation, no matter how skilled you are, you won't be able to break it."

Hearing this, Ren Hong gave a bitter smile. "Senior's insight is truly divine. This junior has indeed tried many times but couldn't budge it an inch and was about to give up. If Senior has the time, this junior is willing to assist you in breaking the restriction and offer all the treasures inside to you..."

"This old man isn't so low as to steal from a junior like you!"

The Elder of Earth Scars snorted, his tone softening slightly. "However, I have something I urgently need assistance with. If you agree to do something for me, I can help you break this restriction, and all the treasures inside will be yours. Do you agree?"

Ren Hong was startled. He glanced at Qin Sang, who stood silently to the side, then pondered, "May I ask, Senior, what you wish this junior to do? Will it be inside or outside the abode? And it shouldn't take too long, right?"

The Elder of Earth Scars said impatiently, "Naturally, it's within the abode! After we leave, this old man won't bother with you!"

"This..."

Ren Hong hesitated for a moment, then, noticing the Elder of Earth Scars's gaze turning unfriendly, gritted his teeth and made his decision. "This junior will certainly assist Senior with all my might. Please, Senior, make your move!"

Ren Hong had already figured out the patterns of the restriction on the cliff, but he lacked the strength to break it. With the Elder of Earth Scars making a move, it was naturally no problem.

While making his move, the Elder of Earth Scars still remembered to conceal the surrounding space, unwilling for others to discover his presence.

Soon, the restriction on the cliff silently dissolved, revealing the cave abode within. The Elder of Earth Scars retrieved his magical artifact and stood with his hands clasped, seemingly genuinely uninterested in the treasures inside the cave.

Only then did Ren Hong breathe a long sigh of relief. He bowed to the Elder of Earth Scars, then entered the cave abode and emerged only after a considerable time.

Afterwards, Qin Sang and Ren Hong, one on each side, followed the Elder of Earth Scars, continuing their flight towards the Heavenly Peaks.

Before long, the three figures arrived before one of the Heavenly Peaks.

The Elder of Earth Scars landed at the foot of the mountain, looked left and right, then suddenly darted to an inconspicuous stone. Beneath the stone, a gray line shot out.

It was an unremarkable moth!

A Hidden Moth!

Seeing this moth, Qin Sang's heart stirred. He had seen it in the Spirit Control Sect's illustrated guide.

The Hidden Moth was also a rare insect; though not as uncommon as the Fire Jade Centipede, it was still very scarce.

Hidden Moths possessed no great power, and their lifespan was very short, like common insects. They had only one ability: to perfectly meld into rocks and conceal themselves, appearing as inanimate objects.

Even cultivators found them difficult to detect.