Chapter 24 Plan for the Long Term
The mining area.
Despite rushing with all haste, the Qingfeng Sect members arrived too late.
By the time Shangguan Hong and his group of Golden Core elders arrived, the mining area was nearly deserted.
Five Golden Core elders hovered above the mining field, their spiritual senses rapidly scanning.
As Li Xingtian had predicted, the teleportation array was extremely unstable. A single sweep from the Golden Core elders' spiritual senses revealed several miners still within their detection range.
One elder quickly spoke:
"There are still miners nearby who haven't escaped."
"You pursue them. I'll search here myself." Shangguan Hong lowered his gaze, his voice unnervingly calm.
"Very well..."
The other elders understood this was Shangguan Hong's only chance to break through to Nascent Soul. Though he appeared calm, his fury must be raging within.
He was the one who could least afford failure here. Leaving this area to him was probably the best choice.
Shangguan Hong descended. The first sight upon stepping into the mining area was Elder Mo Chen's desiccated corpse.
He slowly reached out, carefully examining Mo Chen's condition.
Quickly, Shangguan Hong concluded: Mo Chen had been drained dry.
While still alive, his blood essence had been completely siphoned away without any resistance.
Only a late-stage Golden Core evil cultivator could accomplish this.
"Worthless!"
Shangguan Hong suppressed his rage, resisting the urge to blast the corpse into ash.
After all, he still relied on the sect and couldn't make things too unsightly.
Shangguan Hong took a deep breath, clutching his final hope as he walked toward the mine's interior.
He could only pray everything inside remained normal—that the formation painstakingly built over years was still intact, and the blood pool's essence remained.
These were his greatest assets for breaking through to Nascent Soul.
His time was running out. Shangguan Hong's talent was mediocre; reaching his current position as Qingfeng Sect elder had cost him countless efforts.
How much disdain had he endured? How much humiliation?
Now... to be stopped here? How could Shangguan Hong accept this?
In truth, he didn't need to enter the mine shaft. When Shangguan Hong's spiritual sense swept through it, he understood: everything was gone.
Yet he still walked in, unwilling to believe.
The once-full blood food pool was now dry. Even the meticulously crafted formation had a corner shattered.
Shangguan Hong lowered his gaze, taking in the scene before him. It felt like walking through a dream bubble.
Just a little more... just a little more...
Even the lowest-grade Nascent Soul would have been acceptable.
How long Shangguan Hong stood there, no one knew.
Only when the other four elders returned with six captured miners did their footsteps rouse him.
One elder's gaze swept over the sacrificial altar, sighing inwardly before tossing the bound miners forward:
"These are all we could capture."
Shangguan Hong's blood-red eyes snapped up like a soul-devouring beast.
The miners couldn't endure the Golden Core's pressure or that terrifying, piercing gaze:
"I'll talk... I'll talk..."
Shangguan Hong paid no heed, directly seizing one miner and initiating the soul-searching technique.
One elder moved to intervene but was stopped by another shaking his head. The soul-searching technique inflicted severe damage not only on the subject's soul but also placed a heavy burden on the caster.
Ignoring his own condition, Shangguan Hong searched all six miners' souls.
After completing the final search, Shangguan Hong violently spat out a mouthful of blood.
"...Evil cultivators... top-tier evil cultivators who can manipulate the blood pool."
Shangguan Hong wiped the blood from his lips: "And a masked man and woman. The man's cultivation is at least late-stage Golden Core, and he possesses divine abilities."
"The masked man's techniques don't resemble those of evil cultivators... but it could be an illusion."
Shangguan Hong took out a brush and quickly sketched the only face the miners had seen based on their memories.
The image depicted a middle-aged man with a beard and wooden expression.
When Li Xingtian infiltrated the mine, he had already disguised his facial features to conceal his identity.
"They acted swiftly with clear purpose," Shangguan Hong added. "This face may not be his true appearance."
"Late-stage Golden Core? With divine abilities?" One elder frowned. "Our Nascent Soul Ancestor is currently in seclusion, and our sect lacks divine abilities. Even if we find them, we may not be able to counter them."
"Moreover, there are three of them. If the other two are also Golden Core cultivators with divine abilities, even the five of us might struggle against them."
"Based on your soul-searching, they might merely be opportunistic evil cultivators seeking temporary gains—not necessarily pursuing us to the death."
"Making a grand fuss would be counterproductive. After all, our activities can't withstand scrutiny either."
Shangguan Hong's blood-red eyes snapped toward the speaking elder.
But after a long moment:
Shangguan Hong slowly spoke: "You're right, but we cannot stop here! The formation's damage isn't severe; repairs won't be difficult. As for the blood food... capture! Capture relentlessly!"
"From now on, we five elders will guard this place. Summon sect disciples to construct a grand formation. Even if they possess divine abilities, we'll ensure they never leave!"
At Shangguan Hong's proposal, the other four elders fell silent.
Previously, their covert operations required careful concealment, yet hadn't other evil cultivators beaten them to opportunities?
Now, openly capturing people risked exposure.
They only wanted to use Shangguan Hong's plan to aid their own cultivation, hoping to reach Nascent Soul themselves.
But they weren't willing to stake their lives and reputations here.
Unlike Shangguan Hong, who was advanced in years, they had longer lifespans ahead.
Yet facing the visibly enraged Shangguan Hong, silence became their strongest silent protest.
"Brother Pei... have you forgotten I saved your life?"
"Brother Zhao, your spiritual root talent is inferior to mine. Is early-stage Golden Core and an elder position your ultimate goal? Don't you wish to advance further on the Great Dao?"
"Brother Li... my young daughter..."
"Brother Wang..."
Shangguan Hong's gaze swept across the four elders, his expression mocking:
"Do you truly believe stopping now will ensure your safety?"
"Haven't you realized the cultivation path is always life-or-death?"
"Only by advancing further can you sleep without fear at midnight!"
Elder Li finally couldn't bear it and spoke first:
"From now on, we must plan these matters carefully and consider the long term!"
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