Wu Jinliang, after leaving the cave, began piling stones at the entrance to seal it shut. The group from the Mingshan Sect witnessed this, their thoughts drifting to the three mutilated figures within the cave, as well as Master's peculiar remark, 'Imperfect beauty.'

It wasn't the first time this had occurred. If the first instance could be dismissed as a misunderstanding, the repeated scenes, paired with Wu Jinliang's lecherous and enigmatic grin, left everyone exchanging silent glances. After all, it wasn't a matter anyone could judge rashly.

Zhener, tasked with the important mission, remained stationed at the highest point to keep watch, embodying the role of a vigilant sentry.

Having sealed the cave, Wu Jinliang sat outside, guarding it. He finally had the leisure to rummage through the Qiankun Bags of Gong Shixi's group.

Almost every Qiankun Bag contained at least one Wind Scale. By now, the Wind Scales in this area were so abundant that the entire Mingshan Sect couldn't finish using them—even if each person carried three, there were extras remaining. Yet Wu Jinliang wasn't numb to their presence; instead, his grin grew wider with every one he found.

There was no helping it. Wind Scales were truly invaluable items, exceedingly rare for most monks.

Their flying speed rivaled that of monks in the Earth Immortal realm. Even monks of the Earth Immortal realm preferred riding such treasures, especially for long-distance travel, as they saved mana.

Most sects didn't allocate many of them.

As the saying goes, if not for the presence of Artifact Refining sects this time, it was impossible to see so many Wind Scales. Even then, pooling the resources of the Artifact Refining sects only made such a scale possible.

Of course, even amongst Artifact Refining sects, it wasn't common for everyone to own one.

Each Wind Scale he found felt like a payday windfall, enabling him to enjoy many indulgent nights. Even the Qiankun Bags were valuable commodities. How could Wu Jinliang not feel elated?

However, Wu Jinliang's focus wasn't on the Wind Scales. Based on past experience, he believed the Demon Path's Three Sects, given their investment in sending people here, must have equipped them with significant treasures. These were the truly priceless items—artifacts that remained elusive to most monks throughout their lifetimes.

The Qiankun Bags belonging to Qianyan Sect's group were brimming with items, though it wasn't clear which ones were treasures. To aid in sorting through them, he summoned Tong Mingshan, who hailed from an Artifact Refining Sect and possessed greater knowledge of magical treasures. Meanwhile, Wu Jinliang concentrated on specific targets: mainly the Qiankun Bags belonging to Gong Shixi, Xun Lishan, and Zhou Wudao—the three demon cultivators.

Soon enough, a blade from Gong Shixi's bag caught his attention. Deep crimson in color, it had a broad body and a long hilt, with green cloud-like patterns adorning its surface under the flicker of firelight.

Most importantly, even without breathing, one could still sense the bloody aura emanating from the blade. Near its sharp edges, the words "Blood Soul" were etched crisply.

It was unmistakably a treasure. Wu Jinliang infused mana into it to investigate, only to shudder suddenly, almost dropping the blade.

His unusual reaction drew Tong Mingshan's attention. "What's the matter?" Tong asked.

"This magical treasure seems to harbor something terrifying. The artifact spirit within—how should I say?—it carries an ominous, malevolent aura. Take a look." Wu Jinliang said, handing the blade to him.

Tong Mingshan, now fully alert, examined the blade's structure. When his eyes landed on the inscription near the edge, he muttered to himself, "Blood Soul Blade…"

After some thought, he realized he hadn't heard of it before. Exercising further caution due to Wu Jinliang's warning, he probed its inner workings using cultivation techniques. Fortunately, as a practicer of Fire Attribute Skills, he had a degree of resistance to the malevolence Wu Jinliang described.

After a brief inspection, Tong Mingshan's expression darkened. He lifted his gaze and said, "You're correct. It's undoubtedly an unnatural item. The artifact spirit dwelling within seems to be an Evil Spirit, one that likely cultivated some form of Evil Skill in its lifetime. Using such a thing as an artifact spirit means leveraging its wicked techniques, and this blade—without question—is similarly tainted. Using it might bring misfortune, leading to backlash. Not just anyone can tame an artifact like this."

As he spoke, Tong performed a test swing with the blade. The result was alarming: the bloodthirsty aura emanating from the blade grew even thicker. Its unleashed energy caused Wu Jinliang's blood to surge uncontrollably—without him guarding against it, it felt as though his blood might burst from his pores and escape.

Hurriedly, Wu Jinliang suppressed the effect with his techniques. His astonished gaze lingered on the treasure blade. The artifact spirit was still dormant, and yet it possessed such power. What would happen if the spirit awoke?

Tong Mingshan, who had absorbed Divine Fire and refined Two-flavor True Fire, remained unaffected. He continued investigating the blade. Stroking it, he said, "Indeed, the Evil Spirit is still sleeping. I couldn't wake it even if I tried. Seems it's been damaged by lightning strikes."

Wu Jinliang grew curious. "Is there a way to wake it up?"

Tong Mingshan hesitated before answering, "I'm still relatively inexperienced in this area. Perhaps you could ask Xiao Sheng. His sect specializes in refining artifact spirits; he's practically an expert. But I'd advise against awakening something so sinister. Think it through carefully."

Wu Jinliang dismissed such concerns; he didn't care whether it was malevolent or not. If he couldn't use it, he could sell it—pristine treasures fetch far more than broken ones, a difference as vast as heaven and earth.

Without delay, he summoned Xiao Sheng, briefed him on the situation, and handed the blade to him.

Xiao Sheng sat cross-legged as he began his inspection. Upon applying his cultivation techniques, he too shuddered. Startled, he asked, "Whose magical treasure is this? How could anyone dare use something so vile? Usually, monks who cultivate these twisted Evil Skills are killed outright—rarely does anyone refine them into artifact spirits since the risks of backlash are too high."

Wu Jinliang brushed this off. "If it's already bound and subjugated, how could it be that dangerous?"

Xiao Sheng continued examining the blade, shaking his head as he spoke. "Brother Wu, that's not how it works. You may not understand, but malicious artifacts tend to exhibit unpredictable properties. Without these surprises, they wouldn't be deemed malicious at all.

Most Evil Spirits are manageable, but truly extraordinary ones flip the dynamic—it's unclear whether the person wields the blade or the blade wields the person. Look at this sword: even while the spirit slumbers, its malevolence is palpable. This spirit must have been remarkable in life. I advise against waking it—it's undoubtedly a dangerous item."

Wu Jinliang replied, "If it's trouble to wield, we'll sell it to someone else. Let it bring misfortune to others while we collect the money. Money, after all, is always a lucky thing, isn't it? Enough! Just tell me how to wake it."

Xiao Sheng placed the blade in front of him and chuckled bitterly. "I can't tell its origins—what cultivation techniques it studied during life—and without learning its background, there's no simple awakening method. It's like diagnosing a patient: the spirit was injured, and once healed, it'll awaken naturally. But, as with any patient, individual circumstances vary. Treatment must be tailored. You'll need a proper analysis once we're out of here."

Wu Jinliang tucked the blade away and replied, "Fine, as long as you can figure it out eventually. Master still has a few treasures waiting to be repaired—they're probably in similar condition."

Xiao Sheng nodded. "Likely. Lightning bolts are the nemesis of artifact spirits. But typically, standard lightning strikes shouldn't affect spirits of this caliber. I heard the scene was spectacular, though—thousands of bolts descending together. Too bad I couldn't witness it firsthand. That Li Hongjiu is truly ruthless. Rumor has it that the magical treasures of every sect were practically decimated under his hand—he's incredible."

Wu Jinliang didn't respond, lost instead in thought as he continued sorting through the nearby pile of miscellaneous items. Occasionally, he cast brief glances at Xiao Sheng. Suddenly struck by inspiration, he realized why Chun Tian had made earlier arrangements to intercept Zhu Xiangxin before she returned to her sect.

With Xiao Sheng now assisting, the two jointly sifted through the collection.

Soon enough, a dark golden long sword emerged from the heap. Simple yet elegant, it enclosed a dormant artifact spirit—a sinister, serpentine flood dragon brimming with eerie demonic energy. Unable to awaken it, they couldn't discern its true nature or value. Etched into its blade were the characters for "Flying Dragon."

Afterward, they unearthed a slender, tower-shaped mace. Hidden within was an anomalous realm seemingly filled with countless grains of golden sand. Yet, with its artifact spirit also dormant, its method of operation remained a mystery. Etched on the hilt was "Soul-destroying."

Finding a "Blood Soul Blade," then discovering a "Soul-destroying Mace"—two of the three treasures bore the character "Soul." Wu Jinliang couldn't tell if this was merely coincidental or if Qianyan Sect had particular preferences.

By the time Shi Chun emerged from the cave, they hadn't found any additional treasures beyond the three.

Wu Jinliang presented all three to Shi Chun. At first glance, Shi Chun was drawn entirely to the Blood Soul Blade. Upon infusing mana into it, he realized his Bath Demon Skill inadvertently absorbed the blood energy within the blade, even causing its slumbering artifact spirit to further weaken. Alarmed, he quickly stopped.

Curious, Shi Chun scrutinized the weapon again, then glanced at Wu Jinliang and the others. Perhaps it wasn't quite as sinister as they claimed...

With the Divine Fire Domain's exit about to open, the disciples of the Yanbao Sect returned, only to conclude their efforts had come to nothing. After these days, no additional Divine Fire had been found.

Their return brought Li Hongjiu, seated cross-legged in meditation, to ponder the markings on the flattened ground before him.

The inscriptions conveyed a message from Elder Li Qianqiu, who had made a decision: Li Hongjiu would lead Yanbao Sect's disciples to apprehend Shi Chun. Though aware of Li Hongjiu's unhealed injuries, the task was assigned because the disciples of Yanbao Sect carried intact magical treasures that could assist him.

The decision stemmed from necessity; Elder Li discovered that the Elder of Refining Heaven Sect had contacted their returning disciples and had brought out the "Rebirth Mirror."

In standard practice, the mirror was typically used only upon entry. Its purpose was to inspect disciples participating in the Divine Fire Domain's conference, ensuring no one smuggled extra companions. The Rebirth Mirror could reveal Life Souls—even concealed within personal magical treasures, it wouldn't escape detection. Any living being was forbidden.

Upon exiting, such inspections were rarely conducted. That the Refining Heaven Sect had brought the mirror in and suddenly unveiled it implied they likely intended to target Shi Chun.

This meant it would no longer be possible to secretly escort Shi Chun out.

Thus, Elder Li sought to capitalize on their clandestine connection with Shi Chun, intending to apprehend him first and interrogate him for information. Should he refuse to cooperate, they could still bring him out and share him with the other sects afterward.

Li Hongjiu didn't oppose the decision, knowing Shi Chun wouldn't escape this calamity regardless. However, he also understood it meant breaking his prior promise to Shi Chun.

With a sweep of his sleeve, he erased the inscriptions from the ground, gazing at the brilliant night sky above. Slowly, he rose to his feet and approached Guang Haoyou and the others, covertly discussing plans before leading the group to quietly depart.

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