22: The sea of ​​consciousness is opened up and the spiritual consciousness is concentrated

Inside a guest room on the second floor.

The moment Xiao Zhuo’s True Essence touched the Divine Sense seed—

The crystalline speck of light between his brows suddenly exploded!

His mind boomed and vibrated, as if a brand new world had violently opened within his glabella!

In reality, a seven-colored halo flashed and disappeared from Xiao Zhuo’s glabella.

The next instant, everything within a hundred-zhang radius became clear: the crawling of insects in wall cracks, the scurrying of rats underground, and even Wu Qianning’s slightly hurried breathing from next door were clearly audible!

Not to mention the dozens of black-clad figures, like venomous snakes, lurking around the inn, who thought they were perfectly hidden!

“Divine Sense projecting… Sea of Consciousness awakening?!” Xiao Zhuo’s mind reeled.

The surprises brought by the Nine Revolutions Profound Essence Art became more and more unreal to him each time.

When he first obtained it, he only thought it was an ordinary high-grade Cultivation Technique; now, it seemed he had been terribly mistaken!

Such mystical power, he feared, was no less than those legendary top Legacies!

This further solidified his determination to obtain the latter part.

However, for now, he had to deal with these uninvited guests first.

His Divine Sense instantly enveloped the entire inn.

Xiao Zhuo remained still, walked to the window, and lightly tapped several times with his fingertips.

“Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—!”

Seven golden rays, solid as substance, shot out from the window lattice, carrying a piercing shriek, easily penetrating the bluestone wall!

Outside the wall, the black-clad man, who was tightly gripping his poisoned crossbow bolt and aiming with bated breath, suddenly had blood blossom from his glabella, and his body went limp and fell.

The iron crossbow in his hand crashed onto the bluestone, emitting a harsh, crisp sound.

“Enemy attack!” The Wu Family guards on night duty in the courtyard finally became alert, instantly drawing their sabers and shouting a warning.

With their whereabouts exposed, the black-clad leader outside the wall’s eyes flashed with fierce light, and he roared, “We’re exposed! Attack! There are only a dozen of them!”

Dozens of black figures no longer concealed themselves, all scaling the low wall and rushing into the courtyard like wolves and tigers!

The sounds of battle instantly shattered the tranquility of Fufeng City.

Xiao Zhuo’s gaze was cold, his Divine Sense like a net, instantly locking onto the Meridian Connecting Realm strongman leading the black-clad men and three Body Tempering Realm experts.

Just at this moment, the wooden window next door “bang” exploded!

A figure like a white silken ribbon, carrying sword light, had already darted out from Wu Qianning’s room, her movement fluid and agile, her sword point aimed directly at the Meridian Connecting Realm leader!

Xiao Zhuo had long known Wu Qianning possessed Meridian Connecting Realm cultivation, but he hadn’t expected her to attack so boldly.

His original intention was to strike like thunder, leaving only a few leaders for questioning.

Now that Wu Qianning was in danger, he, as her bodyguard, could not stand by.

The next moment, the golden light from Xiao Zhuo’s fingertips surged!

Dozens of streams of light poured down from the second floor, with breathtaking precision!

The black-clad men rushing at the front were harvested as if by an invisible scythe, blood blossoming from their glabella simultaneously, falling silently to the ground.

The four leaders, however, had their limb joints instantly pierced by the golden rays, and amidst their Howling, they knelt down in the dust like puppets with their strings cut!

Wu Qianning, who was about to engage the leader, suddenly retracted her sword and turned back in astonishment.

The moonlight, like water, outlined the figure of the young man leaning by the window on the second floor.

A faint smile played on his lips, his slender fingers lightly tapping the window sill, and a faint golden pattern subtly flowed on his cuffs.

Wu Qianning’s ears subtly flushed, then she suppressed the ripples in her heart, bowed to Xiao Zhuo with her sword held, her voice clear: “Thank you, Young Hero, for saving us!”

“It’s my duty. Young Miss Wu can just call me Xiao Zhuo. Since I accepted Manager Wu’s entrustment, it’s only right that I protect the caravan,” Xiao Zhuo said calmly, his smile gentle.

Wu Qianning mused to herself: This Young Master Xiao, so young, can already project True Essence, achieving the True Essence Realm!

Compared to her arrogant Senior Brothers from the Yuyang Sect, he was like the difference between clouds and mud.

Perhaps… even those revered Elders in the Sect were only this capable in their youth?

“Regardless, Young Master Xiao, the Wu Family will engrave your kindness today in our hearts! Should Young Master ever have need of us in the future, the entire Wu Family will spare no effort!” Wu Qianning composed herself, solemnly sheathed her sword, and loudly made her promise.

Xiao Zhuo nodded slightly, his figure disappearing behind the window.

The Wu Family guards quickly dragged the four remaining black-clad men, like dead dogs, into the inn’s main hall.

Wu Qianning sat in the main seat, with Wu Youqian standing by her side.

With a forceful push from a guard, the four black-clad men, their limbs crippled and bleeding profusely, knelt on the ground like mud.

Wu Qianning waved her jade hand lightly.

The guard understood and ripped off the black scarves covering the four men’s faces.

Wu Qianning’s gaze swept over them, her brows slightly furrowed—all were unfamiliar faces.

However, when Wu Youqian saw the face of the strongman in the middle, his expression drastically changed, and he quickly leaned in to whisper: “Young Miss, the one in the middle… is Wei Yuhu, from a collateral branch of the Wei Family!”

“The Wei Family?!” Wu Qianning’s face instantly darkened.

The Wei Family, a second-rate Family in Qingyang City!

With a True Essence Realm expert overseeing them, their strength was far beyond the third-rate Wu Family, which only had Marrow Cleansing Realm experts to uphold its reputation.

More importantly, both Families dealt in Ore, and had always kept to themselves!

How dared the Wei Family ambush the Wu Family caravan near Qingyang City?

Could it be… they knew the secret of this shipment?

“Wei Yuhu! It’s actually you!” Seeing Wu Qianning’s silence, Wu Youqian rushed forward to Wei Yuhu, angrily demanding, “Our Wu Family and your Wei Family have no enmity, why would you resort to such vicious methods?!”

Wei Yuhu’s lips were bleeding, his face ashen, but upon hearing this, he spat out a mouthful of blood and sneered: “No enmity? Bah! Your Wu Family is transporting blood pattern steel this time! Did you really think you could deceive everyone?”

Wu Youqian’s face turned pale, and Wu Qianning’s heart sank even further—it was indeed for the blood pattern steel!

blood pattern steel was the core Ore for refining Demon-Breaking Blood Steel, which was the lifeline of the Wei Family’s monopoly in the Qingyang City market!

The Wu Family’s secret purchase of a newly discovered blood pattern steel Ore vein in the south this time was intended as an opportunity to break the Wei Family’s monopoly and gain a foothold in the Ore market.

For this, the Wu Family had invested all its liquid funds, staking the fate of their entire Family!

The goods had never been opened since leaving the Ore vein, and only she and Wu Youqian in the entire caravan knew the inside story; the secrecy could not have been stricter.

Unexpectedly, the Wei Family still caught wind of it!

“All the attacks along the way… were they all orchestrated by your Wei Family?!” Wu Qianning’s hands clenched into fists, her knuckles turning white from the effort, her voice laced with suppressed anger.

The Wu Family’s original intention was fair commercial competition, yet the Wei Family was so despicable, directly resorting to force to intercept and kill!

Her only answer was Wei Yuhu’s cold snort, full of derision.

At this point, further interrogation was unnecessary.

Wei Yuhu was merely from a collateral branch; even if handed over to the authorities, if he insisted it was a personal act, the Wei Family could completely distance themselves.

The Qingyang City government would never offend a second-rate Wei Family for a third-rate Wu Family.

Wu Qianning returned to her guest room, Wu Youqian following her with a worried expression.

She sank weakly into a chair by the round table, looking at Wu Youqian, her voice tinged with weariness: “Third Uncle… Since the Wei Family already knows, they must have made preparations. Our plan to use this batch of blood pattern steel to seize their market… I’m afraid it will fall through.”

Wu Youqian’s face was equally ashen: “The greatest value of blood pattern steel is in refining demon-breaking weapons. The Wei Family has been entrenched in Qingyang for many years; whether it’s weapon workshops or city lord’s mansion procurement, their connections and Foundation are far beyond what our Wu Family can compare to. If they interfere, our blood pattern steel… I’m afraid it will be impossible to sell in Qingyang City!”

The Wu Family was only a third-rate Family, with shallow Foundation.

If not for Xiao Zhuo tonight, they would have lost both people and wealth long ago.

But even if they escaped this calamity, facing the Wei Family’s strict defense, it would be as difficult as ascending to heaven for the Wu Family to open up sales channels!

Leave Qingyang? The Wu Family had no Foundation in other major cities.

This gamble, where they had staked all their Family wealth, was on the verge of complete failure!

Half a month!

If this batch of blood pattern steel could not be sold and converted into cash within half a month, the Wu Family, with its capital chain completely broken… would be doomed forever!

Wu Qianning’s delicate brows were tightly furrowed, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the cool teacup, her mind rapidly calculating, yet she could not find a glimmer of hope to break the deadlock.

“Young Miss…” Wu Youqian hesitated for a moment, a faint glimmer of hope igniting in his eyes, “Can you… contact the Yuyang Sect?”

Wu Qianning paused, a profound bitterness rising to her lips: “Third Uncle, I am just an ordinary Outer Sect Disciple of the Yuyang Sect who joined less than three years ago… I don’t even have the qualifications to customize weapons at the Artifact Refining Hall, how can I persuade the Elder in charge of procurement? Unless…”

“Unless what?!” Wu Youqian eagerly pressed, as if clutching at a life raft.

Wu Qianning, however, just shook her head bitterly.

“My Young Miss! At a time like this, don’t keep me in suspense!” Wu Youqian stamped his foot in anxiety.

Wu Qianning looked up, her eyes filled with deep helplessness: “Unless… I can be promoted to Inner Sect Disciple and gain the qualification to apprentice a master.”

She gave a self-deprecating tug at the corner of her mouth, “But I am currently… only at Meridian Connecting Fourth Stage, the threshold of the Marrow Cleansing Realm is still far off, so how can I talk about Inner Sect?”