Chapter 288: Inducement

Yu Kong sneered, saying nothing more. A red light suddenly shot from his palm, heading straight for Elder Mu Teng. It was the very same chain used to rescue Yan Wu, a top-grade magical artifact.

At this moment, no one had fully grasped the situation. No one dared to rashly intervene or help either side, watching silently as Yu Kong moved against Elder Mu Teng.

The chain transformed into a streak of fire and shot forward.

As the chain flew through the air, another unexpected development occurred.

Just as the chain swept past Crescent Immortal, it suddenly changed direction, its speed dramatically increasing, coiling around her like a spiritual serpent.

Crescent Immortal was completely unprepared. By the time she noticed the chain's unusual movement, she hastily activated her red silk threads to defend herself, but it was too late. Before the threads could fully unfurl, the chain easily whipped them away, binding her securely.

Meanwhile, Elder Mu Teng abandoned any hope of luck the moment Yu Kong made his move. With a loud shout, he stomped his foot heavily. Dozens of thick vines sprouted from the rock crevices, then rapidly grew and intertwined, forming a massive and impenetrable wall of vines in front of him in the blink of an eye.

Elder Mu Teng himself used the momentum to retreat swiftly towards the cave entrance, hoping the vine wall would hold Yu Kong back long enough for him to escape through the exit.

Unexpectedly, just as Elder Mu Teng moved, a slender black sword suddenly stabbed out. The sword appeared without any warning, silently, and at an extremely treacherous angle, aiming directly for Elder Mu Teng's chest.

If Elder Mu Teng had ignored it and continued his escape, the long sword would undoubtedly have pierced his chest.

A sudden alarm blared in Elder Mu Teng's heart. His figure abruptly froze, twisting into an unnatural angle, only to see that the person holding the slender sword was none other than Yan Wu!

"It's you!"

Elder Mu Teng roared in anger, suddenly understanding something.

Ever since entering through the Rainbow Bridge, Yan Wu had remained silent, standing aside. Now, he was at the very back of the group. Everyone's attention had been drawn to the mysterious medicinal garden, and no one had paid any mind to Yan Wu's inconspicuous movements.

Now that Yan Wu had suddenly made his move, everyone abruptly realized that he was, in fact, Yu Kong's accomplice. He had been hiding behind them all along, his true intention being to cut off Elder Mu Teng's retreat!

Besides Elder Mu Teng, Qin Sang's heart also sank abruptly.

If he had known earlier that Yan Wu was Yu Kong's man, he would never have used him to assert his authority, even if it meant enduring Yan Wu's mockery!

But now, regret was too late.

Qin Sang's eyes flickered, his mind racing, but he still didn't crush the concentric jade pendant nor did he step forward to help Elder Mu Teng.

"Old geezer..."

Yan Wu's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Get back!"

*Crack!*

A yellow talisman floated from Yan Wu's hand. The paper shattered in mid-air, transforming into a lightning bolt as thin as a strand of hair. The lightning was silent, heading straight for Elder Mu Teng's face.

Although this lightning bolt appeared exceptionally fragile, not only Elder Mu Teng but also the other onlookers showed expressions of deep apprehension.

This talisman was clearly crafted using an extremely advanced spell, containing astonishing destructive power within its seemingly weak lightning.

Elder Mu Teng, directly facing the lightning, felt it more acutely. He had hastily dodged the hidden sword, exhausting his strength, and now, pressured by Yan Wu, he had no choice but to retreat if he wished to survive.

There was no other option.

Elder Mu Teng certainly didn't want to die at Yan Wu's hands like this, but he also didn't dare to retreat. He stubbornly maintained his awkward posture, his upper body suddenly bending as if broken in half, narrowly dodging the lightning bolt. Then, his figure transformed into a streak of green light, and he dashed with all his might towards the exit.

Unfortunately, Elder Mu Teng was still a step too late. By this time, Yu Kong had already dealt with Crescent Immortal, and the chain was coiling around him even faster than Elder Mu Teng could move.

Yan Wu, standing nearby, also refused to be outdone, his slender sword appearing and disappearing like a ghost.

Caught in a pincer attack, and with Yu Kong's cultivation a full realm higher, Elder Mu Teng barely managed to put up any resistance before the chain pierced through the back of his head, killing him.

Yu Kong flicked his arm, retrieving the chain. Elder Mu Teng's corpse landed with a thud beside Crescent Immortal.

"Senior Yu, I truly didn't know that old geezer before! Why did you ambush me? Do you intend to slaughter us all?" Crescent Immortal cried out in terror, urgently pleading her innocence.

As she spoke, Crescent Immortal glanced at Qin Sang and the others, her eyes clearly urging them to act quickly and not allow Yu Kong to defeat them one by one.

"You woman are quite the temptress. I didn't expect that old scoundrel Luo Xingnan would be willing to send his concubine as a spy. Unfortunately, I, Yu, have no interest in you. Today marks your demise!"

Yu Kong's gaze swept over the faces of the two captives, his tone so calm it sent chills down their spines.

Crescent Immortal was stunned into silence. After a moment of stalemate, she despondently gave up struggling. "So you already knew?"

Yu Kong sneered without replying, then turned to Qin Sang, Shangguan Lifeng, and Wu Chen. "There's no need for you three fellow Daoists to be afraid. You saw what happened outside the cave. I, Yu, have long-standing grievances with those two old fellows. These two were spies they sent to keep an eye on me. I intentionally let them in, hoping to use this opportunity to settle old scores. This has nothing to do with the three of you. When it comes to claiming the treasures, I will still honor my promise."

Yan Wu, holding his precious sword upside down, walked behind Yu Kong. With his tall stature, he looked like a competent bodyguard.

Shangguan Lifeng held his long saber, his expression unreadable.

The surprise on Wu Chen's face had not yet faded, but hearing Yu Kong's words, the apprehension in his heart slightly subsided.

Qin Sang, with his head slightly bowed, keenly felt Yan Wu's gaze, which held a playful, mouse-like amusement, landing on him from time to time.

After reassuring the three — Qin Sang, Shangguan Lifeng, and Wu Chen — Yu Kong bent down and squatted.

"You've already sent the message out, haven't you?"

Yu Kong's lips curved into a strange smile. Ignoring Crescent Immortal's complex expression of terror and fear, spiritual energy surged from his palm. With a single strike, he killed Crescent Immortal, sealed the corpse's bloody scent, and then began drawing on it.

Finally, the spiritual energy formed a bizarre pattern. After a flicker, the pattern faded within, and Yan Wu took out several more talismans, sticking them onto the bodies.

Qin Sang silently watched their actions. He could discern clues from Yu Kong's words.

Yu Kong had deliberately allowed the two spies to enter, letting them witness the process of opening the secret passage and allowing them to spread the news. His clear intention was to lure Luo Xingnan and Sheng Yuanzi.

Where did he get the confidence to simultaneously deal with two individuals whose strength was not inferior to his own?

Qin Sang's peripheral vision darted towards the cave entrance. The key to this mystery must lie ahead.

"Please follow me, everyone."

After all this, Yu Kong meticulously erased the traces of battle within the cave. In truth, neither Elder Mu Teng nor Crescent Immortal had put up any significant resistance, so apart from a few withered vines, there were no visible marks left behind.

Then, Yu Kong transformed his spiritual energy into a large hand, lifting the two corpses and walking out of the cave.

Yan Wu, holding his sword, stood guard by his side. The three remaining individuals exchanged glances and quickly followed.