Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Three-Eyed Silver Toad, Ten- Thousand-Year Medicine King, Si Qing’s Death

The ancient records detailing the history of the Great Cang Immortal Realm would never fail to mention the Five Great Immortal Sects from over two hundred thousand years ago.

These five sects were once the undisputed rulers of the Great Cang Immortal Realm.

Even today, both the Five Major Demonic Sects and the Seven-Nation Alliance of Righteous Sects had deep ties to them.

Some were direct branches of the ancient sects, while others were collateral factions, split off from the original five.

Nanhua Sect was one of these Five Great Immortal Sects.

At its peak, its territory spanned most of the modern-day Zheng, Jing, and Liang Kingdoms.

Now, as the faint yellow light barrier revealed the grand stone hall, the plaque above its entrance bore three ancient characters-

“Nanhua Sect.”

Everyone present immediately understood the significance of this.

“I know what this formation is now!”

“Si Qing, that demonic witch, truly lives up to her reputation. She’s actually using a blood sacrifice to amplify the power of the formation!”

“She must have found a remnant array here and repurposed it into a teleportation formation, linking it to a hidden Nanhua Sect ruin within Cloud Ze Secret Realm.”

Zhao Pengzong snapped out of his initial shock, his face filled with excitement as he explained what Si Qing was doing.

The formation she was constructing was a Teleportation Array, a well-known but highly advanced technique in the cultivation world.

Using such an array, a cultivator could warp through space, instantly traveling to a marked location.

However, regardless of distance, all teleportation formations required a third-tier formation level or higher.

Thus, in Zhao Pengzong’s assessment—

Si Qing must have found a remnant formation within the valley and reconstructed it using a blood sacrifice to momentarily boost its rank, allowing it to function as a teleportation array.

Meanwhile, the image projection from the Flame-Winged Sparrow continued changing.

Once the teleportation formation was activated, Si Qing turned and glanced at the Jia Clan cultivators behind her.

Without saying a word, she stepped forward into the faint yellow light barrier.

To everyone’s surprise, the moment Si Qing passed through the barrier, she vanished from the array platform.

In the next instant-

She reappeared at the entrance of the majestic stone hall.

A soft white glow surrounded her hands as she formed a complex ancient hand seal at the stone gate.

With a deep rumbling, the doors slowly creaked open.

Without hesitation, Si Qing flickered forward and disappeared into the stone hall.

At that moment, the remaining Jia Clan cultivators standing outside also began entering the teleportation array one by one.

It seemed the teleportation process had a cooldown, allowing only two cultivators to be transferred at a time.

Thus, the last few Jia Clan cultivators, waiting for their turn, casually struck up a conversation.

From their lip movements, a Zhao Clan cultivator skilled in lip-reading managed to translate their discussion for the group:

“Once we enter the Nanhua Sect ruins, the restrictive barriers of Cloud Ze Secret Realm will be lifted. At that point… the second-rank great beasts in the core region will be able to break past their cultivation limits and ascend to the third rank.”

“When that happens, all the cultivators outside the stone hall will be slaughtered. Only those who manage to enter will survive.”

“By offering this massacre of righteous cultivators as a tribute, we can use it as proof of our allegiance when joining the Heavenly Maiden Sect. And as for the Zhao Clan cultivators… they’ll be wiped out by the beast tide.”

Hearing these words-

The expressions of the gathered cultivators immediately darkened.

Their initial excitement at discovering an ancient ruin evaporated instantly.

Unlike them, however, Wei Tu’s expression had been grim from the very start-he had never felt the slightest bit of joy.

From the moment the stone hall opened, the others had been tempted by the idea of raiding the ruin— hunting for treasures while eliminating Si Qing and the Jia Clan cultivators.

Only Wei Tu had hesitated, considering turning back.

Unlike Cloud Ze Secret Realm, the Nanhua Sect ruins were completely unknown territory.

In Cloud Ze Secret Realm, he at least had detailed intelligence to formulate strategies—allowing him to avoid unnecessary dangers or minimize risks.

Additionally, Cloud Ze Secret Realm had Golden Core-grade spiritual herbs-essential for his cultivation breakthrough.

But what treasures lay within Nanhua Sect’s ruins? That remained an unanswered question.

A rare treasure meant nothing if it didn’t aid his cultivation path.

Lastly-

The mysterious hand seals Si Qing used to open the hall doors suggested that she already knew about this ruin beforehand.

She likely possessed detailed information, whereas Wei Tu would be entering blindly.

A ruin that should have been an opportunity could just as easily become a deathtrap.

However-

After hearing the Jia Clan cultivators’ conversation-

Wei Tu knew that no matter what, he now had to enter the stone hall.

Because compared to the unknown dangers within the ruins—

The beast tide outside would undoubtedly send him to his death!

“We don’t have time to waste.”

Zhao Pengzong was well aware of the severity of the situation.

Without further delay, he activated his magic weapon and stealthily advanced toward the sacrificial altar

within the valley.

The other cultivators quickly followed.

Fortunately-

Perhaps due to the Jia Clan’s rush to secure the Nanhua Sect ruin, they had never expected to be

monitored.

Thus, only two early Foundation Establishment cultivators remained waiting for their turn at the teleportation formation.

When these two Jia Clan cultivators saw Wei Tu’s group approaching, they immediately panicked. Their eyes darted anxiously toward the formation platform, waiting for the cooldown period to pass so

they could flee.

Destroying the teleportation array would cut off their only escape route, so they hesitated.

But Zhao Pengzong didn’t give them any chance to react.

As soon as he closed the distance, he unleashed a jade seal talisman treasure, sending it crashing down

toward the two Jia Clan cultivators.

The power of the jade seal talisman was overwhelming—

The defensive artifacts and spiritual shields summoned by the Jia Clan cultivators crumbled instantly, as

fragile as paper.

Within mere moments, their defenses collapsed entirely.

Seeing this opening, Qin Zhenren and Zhao Shuyuan, another late Foundation Establishment cultivator

from Zhao Clan, moved in for the kill.

In the blink of an eye-

The two Jia Clan cultivators were slain, their bodies falling lifeless to the ground.

The entire battle was over in less than two breaths’ time.

“Help me…”

Lying in a pool of blood, Huang Caiyu was barely clinging to life. She weakly lifted her gaze toward Wei

Tu, who stood among the crowd. A faint glimmer of hope flickered in her eyes as she pleaded in a

trembling voice.

But Wei Tu averted his gaze.

He knew very well that Huang Caiyu was the sacrificial offering used to activate the teleportation array. If she was rescued, then their entire group would be unable to reach the Nanhua Sect ruins. Moreover, Huang Caiyu’s foundation had been completely destroyed. Even if she survived, she would be nothing more than a crippled cultivator with a short lifespan, incapable of aiding their cause and only

serving as a burden.

Beyond that, there was another reason.

Half a year ago, Wei Tu had stood by and watched as Gu Xuan ruthlessly killed Huang Caiyu’s former husband, Zheng Xian. Because of this, he and Huang Caiyu already shared a degree of hostility. From every perspective—whether rational or emotional-Wei Tu had no reason to rescue her at this

moment.

A few moments later, after her desperate plea for help, Huang Caiyu lost consciousness.

“Huang Caiyu was killed by Si Qing. Once we return to the outside world, we will testify on your behalf,

Wei Daoyou.”

Zhao Pengzong retrieved his talisman treasure, his eyes flickering with thought before he let out a light

chuckle.

For a cultivator in service to a noble family, failing to aid their master in times of crisis was a grave taboo. Regardless of how legitimate his reasoning might be, or how circumstances had forced his hand, the reality remained-

If the Heshan Huang Clan learned of this incident, their perception of Wei Tu would inevitably sour.

It was unavoidable.

“As my uncle said, Huang Caiyu was slain by Si Qing. By the time you arrived, she was already dead.” “Wei Daoyou, rest assured. Our Zhao Clan is not the kind to go back on our word.”

Zhao Qingluo suddenly spoke up, stepping forward from the group and raising her voice in support.

“Why is Qingluo defending an outsider…?”

Zhao Pengzong frowned internally.

He had intended to use this situation to leverage something over Wei Tu, but now Zhao Qingluo had spoken up, making it impossible for their Zhao Clan to go back on their word in the future.

“Could it be…?”

Zhao Pengzong narrowed his eyes, carefully observing both Zhao Qingluo and Wei Tu, and soon, he

began to form a suspicion.

But soon after-

A smile surfaced in his heart.

The Heshan Huang Clan had suffered heavy losses in this incident. With Huang Caiyu’s death, there was

now an irreparable rift between Wei Tu and the Huang Clan.

Going forward, Wei Tu’s allegiance would be a matter worth serious attention to the Zhao Clan.

If Wei Tu were to eventually join the Zhao Clan, then this issue would no longer matter at all.

Meanwhile, on the other side-

“Could it be that Zhao Qingluo already knows about what happened that night? Is that why she’s defending Wei Shufu?”

Sitting nearby, Kou Hongying’s eyes shimmered with curiosity.

If that were the case, then Zhao Qingluo’s actions made sense. After all, it was a life-saving debt-a favor

that could not be ignored.

But at the same time-

A faint sigh escaped her lips.

“But… if Wei Shufu and Zhao Qingluo truly come together, I wonder if he will still treat me the same as

before…”

Once Wei Tu remarried, his relationships with Wei Fei and Fu Zhizhou would remain unchanged.

But as for her-

Things might not be the same anymore.

After all, there was a difference between men and women.

She may have been Wei Tu’s niece, but in reality, their age gap was only a little over twenty years.

Even though they had always maintained proper etiquette-treating each other as trusted allies in the brotherhood of righteousness-outsiders might not see it that way.

It was no different from the saying—

“A widow’s doorstep is always surrounded by gossip.”

Half an hour later-

The bronze mirror atop the altar radiated five-colored divine light once more.

The faint yellow barrier shrouding the teleportation array surged with intense brilliance.

“It seems the teleportation array’s cooldown period is over. I’ll go first.” Without hesitation, Zhao Pengzong took the lead, stepping into the formation.

As one person teleported, the yellow light dimmed slightly, but there was still enough power left to

transport another individual.

Though nothing was explicitly said, an unspoken agreement was reached among the group. Neither Qin Zhenren nor Zhao Shuyuan, the two remaining late Foundation Establishment cultivators, made a move. Instead, their gazes signaled the other members to proceed first.

Receiving their silent approval, Kou Hongying followed behind Zhao Pengzong, stepping into the

teleportation array.

During the second round of teleportation—

It was Wei Tu and Zhao Qingluo’s turn.

As Wei Tu stepped into the formation, the sensation of vertigo from when he first entered Cloud Ze

Secret Realm returned once more.

For several breaths, he calmed his mind and focused.

When his vision stabilized, he found himself standing before the very scene he had witnessed in the

bronze mirror’s reflection.

A vast, ancient stone hall-

It loomed like a primeval behemoth, resting silently in the midst of an untamed wilderness.

Casting a quick glance at Zhao Qingluo, who had teleported beside him, Wei Tu didn’t engage in

conversation.

Instead-

He immediately released his divine sense, scanning the surrounding environment.

After a moment of careful observation, he made several discoveries: Beyond the stone hall, several miles of dense forest stretched out into the horizon. Within one hundred zhang of the stone hall, a translucent, pale blue barrier enveloped the entire

structure-like an inverted jade bowl covering it.

When Wei Tu’s divine sense made contact with the barrier, a burning sensation surged through his

spiritual awareness.

This confirmed his suspicion-

The stone hall was protected by an enchantment that isolated spiritual senses.

Additionally-

A “forbidden air formation” was also in place.

Even as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Wei Tu found himself restricted-he could only briefly

hover using spiritual energy but could not sustain flight.

Pondering this, Wei Tu opened his spirit beast pouch and released Wind-Cleaving Eagle.

Since Wind-Cleaving Eagle was an aviary beast, it was still partially affected by the forbidden air

formation.

But unlike cultivators, its movements in the sky were not entirely restricted.

Through Wind-Cleaving Eagle’s vision, Wei Tu finally gained a broader view of the outside world.

“The core region of Cloud Ze Secret Realm…?”

His eyebrows lifted slightly as he formed a guess about the location of the stone hall.

From Wind-Cleaving Eagle’s aerial perspective, he spotted several familiar landmarks of the core region.

With that, Wei Tu shared his findings with Zhao Qingluo.

Without hesitation-

The two stepped forward and entered the stone hall.

However-

The moment Wei Tu crossed the threshold, he felt it again—

The distinct pull of a teleportation array!

In a flash-

His surroundings shifted once more.

By the time his feet touched solid ground, he realized—

He had not entered the main hall, but instead

A narrow corridor stretched before him, vanishing into the darkness.

The corridor was vast, extending into darkness with no visible end in sight. The entire passage was

constructed of dark cyan stone, its walls smooth and seamless. The only source of light came from luminescent stones embedded in the ceiling, casting a dim, bluish glow.

Wei Tu immediately noticed something unusual.

Similar to the barrier outside, these corridor walls were impervious to divine sense. Even when he attempted to probe with his spiritual awareness, it was restricted to just three steps ahead.

Additionally, when he reached out and tapped the wall, he felt an extreme density and toughness-these stones were as hard as second-tier magical artifacts.

Wei Tu’s brow furrowed slightly.

These spiritual herbs, though rare, lacked the necessary age to be classified as Foundation

Establishment-grade medicinal plants. Most of them had only been growing for a mere dozen years, far from the required hundreds.

He surveyed the field carefully, his gaze passing over the various glowing herbs and mystical flowers before finally settling on a specific area.

Near the center of the medicinal field, a small cluster of violet-gold grass stood out among the rest. Unlike the surrounding immature plants, this particular cluster emitted a dense medicinal fragrance, suggesting it had been growing for an extended period.

Wei Tu approached cautiously. As he drew closer, his divine sense picked up an unusual fluctuation in the ground.

A defensive formation?

He narrowed his eyes.

If a formation was set up to protect this part of the medicinal field, then whatever grew here was undoubtedly exceptional.

Rather than rushing in, Wei Tu activated Earth Yuan Light, channeling its power into the ground.

The moment his energy reached beneath the surface, he felt an immediate resistance. A layer of hidden energy-likely a defensive array-was actively rejecting his intrusion.

His expression darkened.

This wasn’t just any ordinary protection; it was designed to repel external forces while allowing the plants to absorb spiritual energy undisturbed.

Wei Tu considered his options.

1. He could forcefully break through the formation.

But if he did, he might trigger a counterattack mechanism or attract unwanted attention.

2. He could attempt to disable the formation from within.

This would require him to locate the formation’s core, but if successful, he could harvest the herbs safely. Opting for the latter, he expanded his Earth Yuan Light, feeling for the subtle patterns beneath the soil. Moments later, he sensed a small yet concentrated energy source hidden beneath a stone slab near the violet-gold grass.

He retrieved a talisman, inscribed with the Testing Spirit Seal, and activated it.

A faint ripple spread through the air as the talisman illuminated the hidden core of the formation—a small spiritual jade tablet buried under the soil.

With a swift motion, Wei Tu flicked his fingers, sending out a thread of Yuan Gravity Law Seal, manipulating the jade tablet’s position.

The moment the jade tablet shifted, the formation trembled, its energy beginning to dissipate.

A few breaths later, the protective aura vanished entirely.

Wei Tu didn’t waste time.

He quickly bent down and plucked the violet-gold grass, placing it securely into his Qi Pouch.

To his surprise, after uprooting the first plant, he noticed that its roots intertwined with another nearby stalk, forming a pair.

Twin-root medicinal herbs?

Wei Tu’s heart stirred slightly.

These types of herbs, when processed together, could double the medicinal effects.

It was a rare occurrence, meaning that this violet-gold grass could greatly enhance the potency of a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Just as he finished storing the herb, however, the air behind him shifted.

Wei Tu immediately turned.

From the shadow of the medicinal field, a pair of gleaming red eyes emerged.

A three-eyed silver toad crawled forward, its massive body nearly three zhang long, with thick, metallic skin that shimmered under the faint glow of the spiritual herbs.

Wei Tu’s expression darkened.

A Tier 2 peak-ranked beast.

And judging by the aggressive fluctuations in its aura, it had likely been guarding this medicinal field for a long time.

The three-eyed silver toad let out a deep, guttural croak, sending out an invisible shockwave that made the surrounding herbs rustle violently.

Wei Tu took a step back, shifting into a defensive stance.

A split second later, the third eye on the toad’s forehead flashed, releasing a beam of silver light aimed directly at him.

Wei Tu reacted immediately.

With a flick of his wrist, he activated the Water Mist Shield, forming a barrier of condensed mist just as the silver beam struck.

Boom!

The collision sent out a shockwave, shaking the entire area.

Wei Tu’s Water Mist Shield managed to withstand the attack, but cracks formed across its surface.

Without hesitation, he withdrew his Hengshan Sabers, channeling Yuan Gravity Law Seal into the weapons.

If this beast was guarding the field, it likely held even more valuable treasures.

Retreating was not an option.

The three-eyed silver toad sensed his battle intent and reacted accordingly.

Its massive body shifted, coiling its muscular legs before lunging forward like a boulder launched from a

catapult.

Wei Tu remained calm, pivoting slightly to avoid the initial impact. As the beast soared past him, he swung his saber, striking at its exposed underbelly.

The blade connected—but instead of cutting through, it rebounded with a sharp metallic clang.

Wei Tu frowned.

The beast’s natural defenses were absurdly high.

Instead of attacking recklessly, he adjusted his stance, focusing on its third eye-its weakest point.

The toad landed, turning back toward him, preparing another silver beam attack.

This time, however, Wei Tu was ready.

Activating Yuan Gravity Law Seal, he condensed the surrounding energy into a heavy gravitational force,

pressing down on the toad’s movements.

The silver beam misfired, striking the ground instead.

Seizing the opening, Wei Tu leaped forward, thrusting his saber directly at its third eye.

The toad sensed danger and twisted its head, but it was too late.

Slash!

The tip of the Hengshan Saber pierced through the eye, sinking deep into the beast’s skull.

The three-eyed silver toad let out a pained screech, thrashing wildly.

Wei Tu swiftly withdrew his blade, flipping backward to avoid a desperate counterattack.

The beast staggered, blood pouring from its forehead.

Then after one final, weakened croak-it collapsed to the ground, dead.

Wei Tu let out a slow breath.

His divine sense swept over the toad’s body, ensuring it was truly dead before approaching.

With a quick movement, he extracted its monster core, a silver-glowing orb, and placed it into his storage

pouch.

He then turned his attention to the surrounding medicinal field.

If this toad had been guarding the area so fiercely…

Then there had to be something even more valuable hidden here.

Using Earth Yuan Light, he scanned beneath the soil.

A few breaths later, he found something extraordinary.

A massive root system, pulsing faintly with golden light.

Wei Tu’s expression shifted.

This…

This wasn’t an ordinary herb.

This was a Ten-Thousand-Year King Herb.

An exceedingly rare spiritual plant-one that could serve as the main ingredient for a Golden Core-level

elixir.

Even among cultivators in the Nascent Soul Realm, this was something that could trigger massacres.

Wei Tu’s grip on his saber tightened slightly.

If this was truly what he thought it was, then the real battle had yet to begin.

Because others would come for it soon.

“This medicinal field seems untouched by anyone, so why are these spiritual herbs so young?”

“The spiritual energy concentration here is at least at the third-tier level. Logically, there shouldn’t be

such an anomaly!”

“Unless… Wei Tu’s brow arched slightly as he immediately activated Earth Yuan Light, sending it drilling

deep into the ground.

Moments later, he made a discovery several zhang below.

Hidden underground, a foot-long, three-eyed silver toad trembled, its large amphibian eyes staring

intently at Wei Tu’s every movement above the medicinal field.

“A Ten-Thousand-Year King Herb?”

Wei Tu’s heart surged with excitement the moment he laid eyes on the Three-Eyed Silver Toad.

In general, spiritual medicines had life cycles-some lasted for thousands of years, while others bloomed and perished in mere moments.

But if a spiritual herb survived past its natural life cycle, surpassing the millennia or even ten-thousand- year mark, it had the potential to awaken sentience.

This Three-Eyed Silver Toad was precisely an evolved form of the Silver Toad Grass, a Foundation Establishment-grade spiritual herb that had lived for over ten thousand years, eventually transforming into a sentient being.

A Medicine King that had undergone spiritual transformation possessed medicinal properties that far exceeded its original form, exhibiting all kinds of miraculous effects.

And the reason for Wei Tu’s excitement?

This Three-Eyed Silver Toad had likely absorbed all the other Foundation Establishment spiritual herbs

within this medicinal field, meaning the medicinal properties within its body might already be

equivalent to a Mortal Shedding Pill.

-The Mortal Shedding Pill, akin to the Foundation Establishment Pill for cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Realm, was capable of helping late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators ascend to the Golden Core Realm.

“The Medicine King is naturally timid, possesses earth-burrowing abilities, and is incredibly difficult to capture. However… my Yuan Gravity Law Seal is the perfect counter.”

A faint smile appeared on Wei Tu’s lips. Feigning ignorance of the Three-Eyed Silver Toad’s presence, he casually stepped out of the medicinal

field. But in truth, at that very moment, he had already secretly released his Yuan Gravity Law Seal

underground.

As soon as the Yuan Gravity Law Seal enveloped the Three-Eyed Silver Toad, Wei Tu silently muttered,

“Rise.”

The toad, still unaware of the imminent danger, suddenly found itself encased in a swirl of five-colored radiance. It panicked instantly, its body trembling as it instinctively tried to escape. However, to its horror, the multi-colored radiance greatly increased the gravitational force upon it,

placing an immense pressure equivalent to hundreds of catties, rendering it completely immobile.

A dozen breaths later-

The Three-Eyed Silver Toad, now fully restrained, easily fell into Wei Tu’s hands.

Wei Tu retrieved a jade box, applied sealing talismans onto it, and carefully placed the Three-Eyed Silver

Toad inside.

“This medicinal field is undoubtedly a precious treasure of this ancient stone palace. There’s no way Si Qing would pass this place up…”

Standing in the medicinal field, Wei Tu’s eyes gleamed with cold light.

After a moment of contemplation, he did not immediately begin harvesting the other spiritual herbs. Instead, he concealed his aura, set up traps, and burrowed underground, awaiting Si Qing’s arrival.

He understood that unless he eliminated Si Qing, there was no way out of the Nanhua Sect ruins—or out

of the Cloud Ze Secret Realm.

-Three years from now, when the Cloud Ze Secret Realm’s portal reopened, he could simply crush a

teleportation talisman to exit. However, here in the Nanhua Sect ruins, things were far more uncertain, as the entire area was sealed by a formation.

A direct confrontation between him and Si Qing was inevitable. Moreover, the unique nature of this ancient stone palace meant that he couldn’t even contact his allies. It was likely that the others were trapped in the maze-like passageways, just as he had been earlier. “Additionally, the Nanhua Sect ruins restrict divine sense, severely limiting the abilities of cultivators in

this place.”

“Although I’m also affected, my Earth Yuan Light and Yuan Gravity Law Seal will flourish under these conditions.”

Wei Tu carefully calculated the combat power difference between himself and Si Qing in this

environment.

In terms of conventional techniques, he was inferior to Si Qing, who was a Heavenly Maiden Sect cultivator with Spirit-Weapon Unity.

But in terms of unconventional means, he held a significant advantage.

One day passed.

Two days.

By the time the fourth day arrived-

The white-robed Si Qing finally pushed open the white jade stone gate, her expression somewhat

disheveled as she stepped into the medicinal field behind the stone palace.

As her gaze swept across the spiritual herbs, a look of puzzlement similar to Wei Tu’s flickered across her

face.

But soon, her expression shifted to undisguised excitement.

“A Medicine King!”

“There must be a Medicine King hidden within this medicinal field!” Si Qing murmured to herself.

Without hesitation, she retrieved a white jade array disk along with several formation flags, preparing to

set up a formation to force the Medicine King out from the ground.

However-

Just as she took a step toward the edge of the medicinal field—

A thin, nearly invisible light-blue silk thread silently wrapped around her ankle.

Slash!

The silk thread sliced through her flesh, severing her right foot in an instant.

A splash of crimson blood sprayed across the medicinal field.

Immediately afterward, two streaks of sword light shot toward Si Qing’s arms, aiming to sever them as

well.

“Who’s there?!” Si Qing’s expression drastically changed.

She hurriedly raised her arms, attempting to block the sword strikes, but she was caught off guard-she

had no time to even summon her defensive artifact.

Clang!

The twin Ice Jiao Swords clashed against her arms, producing a sound akin to metal striking metal.

What surprised Wei Tu was-

Despite being powerful enough to slay Tier 2 beasts, the enchanted swords failed to sever Si Qing’s arms.

They only inflicted shallow wounds, unable to fully cut through.

Wei Tu remained silent.

Still concealed beneath the ground, he continued remotely controlling the twin Ice Jiao Swords,

relentlessly attacking Si Qing.

“I need to retreat from the medicinal field!” Si Qing’s expression turned grim.

While deflecting the two sword strikes, she swiftly moved toward the white jade stone gate, attempting

to escape.

She never expected that someone in the Nanhua Sect ruins would have a divine sense stronger than hers, capable of controlling weapons remotely to attack her.

In battles between Foundation Establishment cultivators, divine sense advantage was paramount.

With her divine sense restricted, if she didn’t flee immediately, fighting back against an unseen enemy

would only end in her demise. But just as she turned around-

She realized, to her horror, that the white jade stone gate she had opened earlier was now sealed shut.

“You’re trying to trap me like a caged beast?” Si Qing’s beautiful eyes flashed with a hint of fury.

With a cold shout, she reached into her robes and retrieved a black string of bells. The three bells, each adorned with a benevolent Buddha’s face, carried an eerie aura.

Yet beneath each Buddha’s torso, instead of a body of flesh, there was only white bone-stripped of all

blood and muscle.

Then, Si Qing spat several mouthfuls of fresh blood onto the bells.

In an instant, the black bells erupted with a crimson glow, summoning three blood-colored Buddhas into existence.

The crimson phantom Buddhas glared with wrathful expressions.

Si Qing swiftly formed a hand seal and violently shook the black string of bells.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The eerie chime of the black bells resonated through the air, releasing a wave of Buddhist chants that transformed into invisible sound blades, slashing towards the underground where Wei Tu was hiding.

In an instant-

The spiritual herbs in the medicinal field were shredded to dust by the forceful sound waves, and the soil on the ground was blasted apart.

After the devastating shockwave-

A pit over ten zhang wide had been gouged into the field.

At the same time, the two Ice Jiao Swords that had been attacking Si Qing were completely pulverized by the blast, reduced to fine powder.

“Si Fairy, truly impressive.”

Wei Tu was forced out from his underground hiding spot, his blood surging, spitting out several mouthfuls of stagnant blood, his gaze icy as he glared at the Heavenly Maiden Sect cultivator before him.

Before attempting to assassinate Si Qing, he had already envisioned multiple scenarios regarding her abilities. However, he hadn’t expected her to possess an actual magical treasure.

Although this treasure was damaged and not a fully intact third-tier artifact, it was far superior to ordinary talismans.

Fortunately, before entering the Cloud Ze Secret Realm, the Golden Core ancestor of the Huang Clan had temporarily lent him a Golden Silk Armor.

With this top-grade second-tier defensive artifact, along with several defensive talismans and tools, he had barely managed to withstand Si Qing’s fury-driven strike.

“However, I doubt Si Fairy has much spiritual energy left after using that treasure.” Wei Tu smirked coldly while gripping spirit stones, rapidly restoring his energy.

“My spiritual energy may be depleted, but you, Wei Daoyou, are not faring much better.”

Si Qing furrowed her brows as she watched Wei Tu closely, sensing that he still had hidden tricks.

She knew-

Wei Tu was engaging in conversation to distract her.

“Wait… where is your eagle?”

Si Qing suddenly snapped to realization-she had completely overlooked the Wind-Cleaving Eagle that Wei Tu had raised.

The last time she encountered Wei Tu, his Wind-Cleaving Eagle had already reached the second-tier.

In the previous battle, the eagle hadn’t played much of a role.

But now, with both her and Wei Tu heavily injured, the presence of the Wind-Cleaving Eagle became a lethal factor, capable of shifting the entire battle.

However—

The moment Si Qing realized this, it was already too late.

A sharp cry resounded from the sky.

The Wind-Cleaving Eagle, which had been lurking in the passageways, shot down like a lightning bolt, swooping past Si Qing’s waist and grabbing her storage pouch.

Just as Si Qing was about to use her “Fractured Life Hand” to retaliate against the eagle, another Ice Jiao Sword whirled through the air, slashing toward her throat.

A pincer attack.

Si Qing was forced to abandon her counter against the eagle, raising her hands to block the incoming sword strike.

At this moment, her mind was in turmoil-

She had already destroyed Wei Tu’s two Ice Jiao Swords earlier with her Demonic Buddha Bell, yet now another Ice Jiao Sword had appeared out of nowhere.

Such enchanted swords were extremely rare, yet Wei Tu had somehow produced three of them in succession.

The Ice Jiao Sword clashed against her Fractured Life Hand.

As before, Si Qing’s delicate hands sustained minor injuries, but nothing severe.

Screech!

The Wind-Cleaving Eagle soared back to Wei Tu, proudly flapping its wings as it handed over Si Qing’s storage pouch.

Wei Tu accepted the spatial pouch, giving the eagle a few words of praise before turning his gaze toward Si Qing.

Now that her storage pouch was in his possession, she was as helpless as Zhao Qingluo, who had been overpowered by Blood Elder Demon before.

Her defeat was merely a matter of time.

However-

Si Qing’s next action shocked Wei Tu.

She flipped her palm, revealing a mid-grade spirit stone, acting as though losing her storage pouch meant nothing.

“Could she have… a second storage pouch?”

Wei Tu’s brows furrowed-Si Qing was even more difficult to deal with than he had anticipated.

Despite his carefully laid traps, he had only managed to severely injure her, not eliminate her outright.

“I still have talismans!”

Wei Tu’s expression turned grim.

With a flick of his hand, several attack talismans shot toward Si Qing.

“You’re too late!”

Si Qing smirked.

She rushed toward the white jade stone gate, pressing a token into the slot, waiting for the gate to open.

As she saw the talismans closing in, she casually summoned a tortoise-shell shield, blocking Wei Tu’s

attacks.

Crack! Crack!

The white jade stone gate slowly opened.

“Wei Daoyou, Wei Talisman Master, I will remember this. I hope that when we meet again, you are just as formidable.”

Si Qing’s expression grew twisted, her once gentle demeanor replaced by hysterical laughter.

-Wei Tu was the first cultivator to ever humiliate her this much.

Her hatred for him ran deep.

However-

Just as the white jade stone gate fully opened—

Dozens of talismans suddenly appeared before Si Qing—simultaneously detonating.

At the exact moment she was blocking Wei Tu’s attack from behind with her tortoise-shell shield, she had walked straight into the trap.

Several breaths later.

As the smoke cleared-

Si Qing’s body had been obliterated, reduced to nothing but blood mist.

All that remained were two pristine, jade-white hands, resting upon the stone steps before the gate. Standing atop the medicinal field, Wei Tu swallowed a few recovery pills, slowly walking toward the white jade stone gate, retrieving Si Qing’s final remnants.

“Si Fairy, once wasn’t enough, and you fell for my trap a second time.”

Wei Tu shook his head, sighing.

Earlier, when he attacked Si Qing with talismans, he had indeed been taking a risk-because at that moment, he had only a handful left.

All of his remaining talismans had been secretly stored on the Wind-Cleaving Eagle.

Once Si Qing had stepped into the medicinal field, she was already trapped-he baited her while the Wind-Cleaving Eagle waited for the opportune moment, bringing the final Ice Jiao Sword to steal her

storage pouch.

Finally-

The dozens of tier-two talismans served as his ultimate contingency plan.

The moment Si Qing attempted to escape, she had sealed her own fate.

In this battle-

Si Qing’s only chance of survival would have been to kill both Wei Tu and his eagle first before making

her way out.

That way, the hidden talismans would have remained dormant, unable to trigger without Wei Tu’s Earth

Yuan Light to control them.

But, unfortunately for her-

She had believed that Wei Tu and his eagle were too difficult to handle, choosing to escape instead.

And the moment she ran-

Was the moment her death was sealed.

This was why Wei Tu had said—

Si Qing had fallen for his trap twice.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep