Chapter 3628: Sinking in the Gutter

The Qiankun Bottle had also been snatched by the enemy. This was a huge embarrassment, like capsizing in a ditch; if word got out, they would be utterly disgraced.

Qin Feng’s gaze was grim. The deaths of Lu Shan and Chen Xue were secondary; the major concern was the Qiankun Bottle being stolen by a Mahayana cultivator from the lower realm. If he couldn't retrieve it, he would have no way to account for it to the elders.

A swift red streak of light flew in from afar. Soon after, the red light stopped, revealing a graceful young woman in a red dress. On her back was a pair of red, shimmering feathered wings, radiating astonishing spiritual energy—clearly, a fragment of a Xuantian Treasure.

“How was it, Madam Su? Did you catch him?” Qin Feng asked with a frown.

The young woman in the red dress hailed from Changyuan Palace in the Changyuan Realm. Changyuan Palace was a subordinate force of the Myriad Treasure Sect in the lower realms, renowned for its numerous experts.

“No,” the young woman in the red dress explained. “That person used a ghost path secret technique, splitting into dozens. The one I pursued was merely a decoy.” This was Su Wu, a Mid-Mahayana cultivator and the Palace Master of Changyuan Palace.

“The Myriad Ghosts Transformation Immortal Grand Art!” Qin Feng exclaimed. “This is a unique secret technique of the Myriad Ghosts Sect from the Immortal Realm. Limited by his cultivation, what he performed must have been a simplified version. The full Myriad Ghosts Transformation Immortal Grand Art requires Golden Immortal cultivation to execute. Even its simplified form would be beyond your ability to catch.”

Qin Feng’s gaze was grim.

“A unique secret technique of the Myriad Ghosts Sect? No wonder Fellow Daoist Lu and Fairy Chen met their end,” Su Wu said in surprise.

“He employed several secret techniques, all unique to the Myriad Ghosts Sect. He must have inherited their legacy; otherwise, Junior Sister Chen and Junior Brother Lu wouldn’t have fallen. However, I did manage to injure him with a secret technique, and he won’t be able to recover quickly. We must find a way to locate this person.” Qin Feng explained that the Myriad Ghosts Sect was a relatively powerful sect in the Northern Sea Immortal Domain, though still significantly weaker than the Myriad Treasure Sect.

Having a powerful enemy seize the Qiankun Bottle from them would not be overly disgraceful if word got out. Nevertheless, the fact remained that the bottle was stolen, and he had to retrieve it.

“Fellow Daoist Qin, do you know this person’s identity? Finding him won’t be easy. Even Fairy Chen was killed by him; ordinary Mahayana cultivators are no match for him at all.” Su Wu looked troubled. She had once fought Chen Xue and was defeated in a single encounter. If Chen Xue herself had been killed by the opponent, what chance would she have?

“This person’s name is Xu Long. He’s a rogue cultivator who has opened two apertures, is proficient in ghost path secret techniques, and cultivated a Mahayana-stage ghost creature. I’ve already killed his ghost creature, so he can’t unleash much power now. As long as we find him, it will be easy. Let’s leave this place first; I refuse to believe we can’t track him down.” Qin Feng said gravely. His own future was tied to the Qiankun Bottle. This trip to the lower realm was something he had vigorously lobbied for, hoping to gain merit and recognition. Instead, he had now exposed his own shortcomings.

Su Wu breathed a sigh of relief; as long as she wasn’t tasked with directly pursuing Xu Long, things would be much simpler. The two left this place to find reinforcements.

***

Glass Realm, Tianmo Continent.

Tianmo Mountain Range, the ancestral land of the Teng Clan.

Teng Lei, Yin Yuan, and a gaunt old man in a green robe were seated in a green stone pavilion, engaged in conversation.

“Fellow Daoist Teng, Fellow Daoist Yin,” the thin old man stated solemnly, “this matter is absolutely true. We would not joke about such a thing. The Thunder Apricot Jade Immortal Fruit is indeed in the hands of the Green Lotus Immortals. They killed Fellow Daoist Tong, so it’s only natural that they acquired the fruit. I am willing to swear by my inner demon.” This was Xun Yao, a Mid-Mahayana cultivator.

The Teng Clan currently had four Mahayana cultivators, dispersed across various realms, their strength significantly diminished. Completely obliterating a major clan was no easy feat, as it was unlikely all their Mahayana cultivators would be gathered in one place. They were powerless against the Green Lotus Immortals and could only seek external assistance. However, a plucked phoenix is no better than a chicken; apart from the Aperture Opening secret technique, nothing else could sway the major powers. Beyond personal grievances, they also desperately desired the Thunder Apricot Jade Immortal Fruit, without which they lacked the confidence to survive the Nine-Nine Heavenly Lightning Tribulation. Without external aid, they had no hope of reclaiming the Thunder Apricot Jade Immortal Fruit, let alone exacting revenge.

“Could the Thunder Apricot Jade Immortal Fruit be with Ye Xuanji?” Teng Lei speculated. “Ye Xuanji’s strength is considerable, and the Ye family has a long legacy. It would be entirely reasonable for the Green Lotus Immortals to entrust the Thunder Apricot Jade Immortal Fruit tree to the Ye family for cultivation.”

“That possibility cannot be ruled out,” Xun Yao cautioned. “However, according to reliable intelligence, both the Green Lotus Immortals and Ye Xuanji have opened one aperture. Furthermore, they possess multiple Xuantian Treasures, including the Soul Extinguishing Disk and the Vermilion Bird Ring, making them formidable opponents. We should either not act at all or only proceed with at least ninety percent certainty.” Xun Yao reminded them that even a powerful figure like the Heavenly Flame Divine Monarch had fallen at the hands of the Green Lotus Immortals and Ye Xuanji, so they had to proceed with extreme caution.

Teng Lei nodded. “Fellow Daoist Gu has opened two apertures; his personal involvement should be effective. However, he has led a team to the Miaoyin Realm, hoping to seize the Qiankun Bottle.” He took out a golden magical disk, infused it with a spell, and his expression darkened.

“Something happened, Fellow Daoist Teng?” Yin Yuan asked with a frown.

“The Qiankun Bottle was snatched by Xu Long, and Fairy Jinpa was also killed.” Teng Lei’s gaze was grim; this was simply unbelievable.

“What? Fairy Jinpa was killed?” Xun Yao exclaimed, astonished. “Isn’t she a Spirit Body cultivator? And she had opened one aperture, possessed Xuantian Treasures, and a sect-protecting grand array. Even if she couldn’t win, she should have been able to escape!”

“I heard that Xu Long has opened two apertures,” Teng Lei explained. “He’s not only proficient in ghost path secret techniques but also possesses a Xuantian Treasure. He managed to snatch the Qiankun Bottle from multiple Mahayana cultivators, though he was also injured in the process. Fellow Daoist Gu has sent word back that he is currently searching for Xu Long, and Changyuan Palace in the Changyuan Realm is also pursuing this individual.”

“Changyuan Palace? Could it be false news released by Changyuan Palace? Did they actually snatch the Qiankun Bottle?” Xun Yao said curiously.

“That possibility cannot be ruled out,” Yin Yuan analyzed. “However, our immediate priority is to find Xu Long. We can set aside the Wang family and Ye Xuanji for now; they have clans and won’t be able to escape. If we can’t find Xu Long, then we’ll deal with them.”

“We’ve captured some human cultivators from the Xuanyang Realm,” Xun Yao suggested, “and through soul-searching, we obtained a grand array called the Ten Directions Yama Grand Array. It is said that if it’s deployed, it can open a passage to the Underworld. We can begin by collecting the souls of Five Yin Girls and the necessary array materials.” He took out two jade slips and handed them to Yin Yuan and Teng Lei.

“The Ten Directions Yama Grand Array!” Yin Yuan took the jade slips, swept them with his divine sense, and an expression of interest appeared on his face.

Teng Lei nodded. “First, let’s dispatch people to collect the souls of the Five Yin Girls. If it truly can open a passage to the Underworld, we can use it to create some trouble for our enemies, which would facilitate our operations.”

The Teng Clan swiftly mobilized, dispatching a large number of personnel to search for the Five Yin Girls while simultaneously gathering array materials. The Teng Clan’s movements did not draw the attention of other factions. The focus of multiple major powers remained squarely on Xu Long, as they searched for him far and wide.

The Qiankun Bottle had changed hands multiple times: the Ling Clan was annihilated after acquiring it, and the Miaoyin Sect suffered heavy casualties. Now that Xu Long possessed the bottle, it was uncertain if he could escape unscathed.

A blessing or a curse, everyone understood the immense value of the Qiankun Bottle, and everyone yearned to possess it exclusively. However, no one had yet managed to do so. No matter how valuable a treasure, one must be alive to enjoy it. To more easily overcome the Nine-Nine Heavenly Lightning Tribulation, many Mahayana cultivators had been drawn into the fierce struggle for the Qiankun Bottle.