62: Crisis in the shadows

Inside Meng Bi's luxurious courtyard on Tuyao Peak.

"Brother Bi! Brother Bi! Yao Delong has gone down the mountain! He went to the Myriad Medicine Pavilion!"

Meng Lang relayed the news immediately, his eyes flashing with a mixture of resentment and excitement.

Meng Bi set down a warm jade chess piece, a cold light flickering briefly in his eyes.

"Oh? He finally decided to come out? Tell me, what is that kid's current strength?"

Meng Lang immediately bowed and said, embellishing the details:

"Brother Bi! That day in the Mist Forest, the aura he revealed was only at the Foundation Establishment Mid-stage!

But strangely, he was actually able to perform an extremely powerful Five Elements Sword Array!

He forcibly trapped that Blood Demon Mongoose, which is comparable to the Middle Golden Core Stage, for several breaths!

That was the only reason the others had a chance to escape!

Brother Hu... sob... his life was lost because this old thing just stood by and watched!"

He squeezed out a few more crocodile tears.

"Foundation Establishment Mid-stage? Five Elements Sword Array? Trapping the Middle Golden Core Stage?"

Meng Bi's fingers lightly tapped the jade chessboard, making a rhythmic clicking sound, a cold and mocking sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Heh, a Trash with a Spiritual Power Affinity of only two, relying on himself? Absolutely impossible! He must have used some trump card treasure!"

A target immediately locked in his mind: "Peak Master Leng! It must be a protective item she bestowed upon him! Good! Very good!"

Killing intent, cold as if physical, instantly enveloped the courtyard.

"Clap!" Meng Bi slammed the chessboard, causing the jade pieces to jump!

Shua! Shua! Shua!

Three ghost-like black figures silently emerged from the shadows of the courtyard and knelt on one knee.

The powerful Spiritual Pressure they emitted was surprisingly at the Early Golden Core Stage! The Meng Family death soldiers only owed loyalty to the Young Lord!

"Greetings, Young Lord!"

Meng Bi's voice was cold and devoid of emotion:

"Meng Lang, lead the way! The target—Luoxia Peak Outer Sect Disciple Yao Delong!

Intercept and kill him on the path he must take to return to the sect! I want him alive or his soul dead!

If he has treasures on him, bring them back as well! I want to see just how many life-saving things Peak Master Leng gave him!"

"We obey the Young Lord's command!" the three responded in unison, their voices bone-chillingly cold.

A flash of disappointment crossed Meng Lang's eyes:

"Brother Bi! I will definitely grind his bones to ashes and avenge my third brother!"

He thought to himself that it was over; these three would definitely hand over all the treasures to Meng Bi!

Inside the Myriad Medicine Pavilion's Secret Chamber.

The intensity of the battle caused the temperature in the quiet room to rise by several degrees.

Not until the shadows of the sun slanted westward did the clouds disperse and the rain cease.

[Ding! Detected Yin-Yang Harmony achieved with target Luo Yan,]

[Reward: 17 yin-yang value! Current yin-yang value: 36 points!]

Luo Yan was drenched in fragrant sweat, lazily lying on the brocade quilt, her eyes full of desire.

With a look of satisfaction, her gaze toward Yao Delong was so tender it could almost turn to water.

Yao Delong calmly straightened his robes, produced a jade bottle with a flip of his hand, and with a flick of spiritual light from his fingertip, opened the stopper.

Buzz!

In an instant, a strange pill-cloud light burst forth, the flowing colors illuminating the entire quiet room like a dream!

Just inhaling a single breath of the pill's fragrance made one feel refreshed, and the rock-solid Bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment Perfection Realm actually felt a slight tremor!

"This is...?!"

Luo Yan suddenly sat upright, completely ignoring her exposed skin.

Her beautiful eyes stared intently at the pill in the jade bottle, which was swirling with light and faint Dao patterns.

Yao Delong calmly uttered three words: "Profound Dao Pill."

"Profound Dao Pill?! The... Profound Dao Pill that was auctioned for an astronomical price in White Cloud City?!"

Luo Yan's voice changed pitch due to extreme shock.

As the manager of the Myriad Medicine Pavilion, she was extremely well-informed.

That Divine Pill, which could help a Golden Core Cultivator increase their Realm by a small stage and even contained a hint of opportunity for Nascent Soul formation, had caused a sensation in White Cloud City that had yet to fade!

Even the headquarters of the Myriad Medicine Pavilion had sent people to look for it but failed!

"Exactly." Yao Delong's tone was flat, as if he weren't holding a priceless Divine Pill but a mere candy.

"Five thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, and it's yours. Sell it for however much you want."

"Five thousand?!"

Luo Yan's breathing instantly quickened, the massive surprise nearly suffocating her!

Reselling it would yield a profit of at least three to four thousand Spirit Stones! The Profound Dao Pill had already caused quite a stir in the Ba Xia Dynasty!

"Brother Yao!"

Her voice was cloyingly sweet as she lunged toward him, the desire in her eyes almost tangible.

"You... you are truly too good to me! Such a divine object..."

She was incoherent with excitement.

"Spirit Stones." Yao Delong succinctly interrupted her brewing long-winded gratitude.

"Alright! Alright! Brother Yao, please wait a moment!"

Luo Yan didn't hesitate for a second, jumping off the soft couch with her bare, snowy feet.

She walked quickly to a seemingly ordinary wall in the corner of the quiet room, her slender fingers flying as she formed several complex hand seals.

A ripple of spiritual light appeared on the wall, revealing a hidden compartment.

She took out a heavy Storage Pouch, inside of which five thousand glittering Mid-Grade Spirit Stones were neatly stacked.

This was almost all the liquid capital this branch of the Myriad Medicine Pavilion could mobilize.

Yao Delong took the Storage Pouch, scanned it with his spiritual sense, and confirmed the amount was correct. He casually tossed the jade bottle to Luo Yan.

"Does the Myriad Medicine Pavilion have any dao soul grass?" he asked.

Luo Yan clutched the jade bottle like a precious treasure. Hearing his question, she thought for a moment and shook her head regretfully:

"This herb is too rare, and its growth environment is extremely harsh and hard to find; none have been in stock for nearly ten years. But don't worry, Brother Yao!"

She immediately promised, her eyes full of flattery;

"I will definitely use all of the Myriad Medicine Pavilion's channels to find it for you, even if I have to dig three feet into the ground! As soon as there's news, I'll let you know immediately!"

[Ding! Target Luo Yan's favorability has increased to 95 (Utterly Devoted)!]

The System prompt sounded. Yao Delong nodded slightly and said no more, turning to push open the stone door of the quiet room, his figure disappearing at the end of the corridor.

Outside, twilight had fallen.

Part of the path to the Yin Yang Sect's mountain gate required passing through a deep canyon called "Black Dragon Hollow."

The cliffs on both sides of the valley were as steep as if sliced by a blade, and ancient trees reached for the sky, their gnarled branches and leaves blocking most of the light, making it dark and gloomy even during the day.

The narrow path at the bottom of the valley was covered in gravel and permeated year-round with the scent of damp, decaying leaves, making it an excellent spot for an ambush.

At this moment, three black-clad figures blended into the shadows like dormant scorpions;

They were lurking separately behind jagged rocks atop the cliffs, deep within the canopy of a giant banyan tree, and inside a thicket of dark green thorns at a bend in the path.

Their auras were restrained to the extreme, with only the Magic Treasures in their hands, ready to strike, emitting a faint killing intent and Golden Core pressure.

Meng Lang hid behind an Eagle Beak Rock above the canyon entrance, using a precious "Breath-Concealing Talisman" to completely hide himself;

His greedy eyes stared fixedly toward the canyon entrance.

The sky had turned completely dark, and it was so pitch-black in the valley that one couldn't see their own hand. Only the occasional mournful cry of a night owl broke the dead silence.

Finally!

A dim, dark-gold sword light, almost blending into the night, descended from the canyon entrance.