274: Chapter 274 Eight Golden Core Cultivators

The story returns to last night at nightfall.

Inside a tent at the perimeter camp of the Soul-Severing Ravine, the peripheral Disciples of the Black Rock Palace scattered throughout the mountains sent back a message.

These Disciples usually used hunting Yao Beasts as cover, operating within dozens of miles around the Soul-Severing Ravine all year round, responsible for monitoring the movements of all Cultivators approaching the core area.

Two of them had witnessed the entire process of the Tiangang Sect's team this afternoon.

They saw a team of Tiangang Sect's Qi Refining Disciples searching through the rubble in the creek for a while, and then two Foundation Establishment Cultivators suddenly dropped down from a height and led the Disciples away in a rapid retreat.

Less than ten breaths after the Tiangang Sect people left, a large number of snakes swarmed out from the bottom of the creek.

Among them were even swarms of Qi Refinement Stage Nether-molt Pythons, spreading along the rock layers on both sides of the creek; within less than fifteen minutes, they had completely occupied that area.

When this news reached the camp, the expression of the Black Rock Palace leader turned very grim.

He then immediately summoned the leaders of the other three parties.

Inside the tent, the four sat around a coarse cloth map, the lamplight flickering.

After the Black Rock Palace leader finished speaking, there was a long silence in the tent.

The Spirit Talisman Sect leader spoke up, "Two problems."

"First, the Tiangang Sect people saw Nether-molt Pythons in the creek, and since Nether-molt Pythons are Yao Beasts unique to the Soul-Severing Ravine, the four Sects of Qinghe Prefecture aren't fools; they will certainly guess that something happened at the bottom of the valley. Once this news reaches Heming City, it's only a matter of time before they send people to investigate."

"The second problem is even more critical." The Spirit Talisman Sect leader didn't lower his second raised finger, "Why would the Nether-molt Pythons leave the Soul-Severing Ravine? What exactly happened at the bottom of the valley?"

The tent went silent again.

Everyone knew that the Nether-molt Pythons fed on the toxic miasma at the bottom of the valley and had not left their habitat for hundreds of years.

Now, migrating in swarms to settle forty or fifty miles away, there was only one explanation: a major change had occurred at the bottom of the valley.

The Qiankun Gate leader voiced what everyone was thinking: "The two Late Golden Core Stage Snake Kings should still be at the bottom of the valley. Could something have happened to them?"

The bone ring on the Black Rock Palace leader's fingertip spun twice and stopped.

"There's another possibility: something went wrong with the Wood Spirit."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the tent sank to rock bottom.

The Wood Spirit was nearing maturity; this was the sole purpose for which they had been guarding the outside of the Soul-Severing Ravine for so long.

But whether it was a change with the Snake Kings or a problem with the Wood Spirit, it wasn't something they, as Foundation Establishment Cultivators, could handle.

Qingfeng Valley was the first to speak plainly: "Regardless of the situation, we don't have the ability to enter the valley to investigate. The concentration of toxic miasma at the bottom is too high; even Foundation Establishment Cultivators couldn't last long, not to mention the two Late Golden Core Stage Snake Kings inside."

"So we can't wait any longer." The Black Rock Palace leader looked up at everyone, "Message the Sects, ask the Old Ancestors to come, right now."

The Spirit Talisman Sect leader hesitated, "But the Heaven-Shrouding Earth-Veiling Array on the perimeter hasn't been fully completed yet..."

"We can't worry about that anymore." The Black Rock Palace leader interrupted him, "Delays lead to complications. The Tiangang Sect people have already seen the Nether-molt Pythons. Once they report back, the four Sects of Qinghe Prefecture will inevitably send people to investigate. We must get our hands on the item before them; otherwise, all the preparations of these past days will be in vain."

The Qiankun Gate leader nodded, "Good. Then first, we ask the Old Ancestors to enter the valley and find out what happened at the bottom, and second, we take advantage of the fact that Qinghe Prefecture hasn't reacted yet to seize the Wood Spirit as quickly as possible."

The leaders of Qingfeng Valley and the Spirit Talisman Sect didn't object either. The situation was unexpected, and the original step-by-step plan was no longer applicable; dragging it out would only make them passive.

That night, after four emergency messages were sent out, the four Sects of Pingling Prefecture reacted extremely quickly.

After only an hour of deliberation, the Golden Core Ancestors of the Black Rock Palace, Qiankun Gate, and Qingfeng Valley each set off, flying to the Spirit Talisman Sect overnight.

Because the Qiankun Shifting Formation was located on the back mountain of the Spirit Talisman Sect, the Grand Elders of the other three Sects had to reach the Spirit Talisman Sect first before they could use the teleportation array.

Before dawn, inside a cave five miles from the perimeter of the Soul-Severing Ravine, a circular teleportation array lit up silently, followed by four figures stepping out from it.

Leading them was a middle-aged man wearing a black and red patterned Daoist robe, his aura gloomy and heavy; he was a Late Golden Core Stage Grand Elder of the Black Rock Palace.

Following behind him was another with a Golden Core level aura, specifically another Middle Stage Golden Core Grand Elder of the Black Rock Palace.

The two stepped out of the Formation one after another. Most of the spiritual power fluctuations were shielded and absorbed by the unfinished Heaven-Shrouding Earth-Veiling Array, with only a very faint ripple escaping.

The light of the teleportation array flickered for a few breaths before lighting up again.

The second batch consisted of two Grand Elders from the Qiankun Gate, both at the Middle Stage Golden Core. One was a man holding a sword, and the other was a woman with a bow on her back.

The third batch consisted of two Grand Elders from the Qingfeng Valley, both at the Middle Stage Golden Core. They were two old men, one holding a whisk and the other with a medicinal gourd hanging from his waist.

The fourth batch consisted of two Grand Elders from the Spirit Talisman Sect, both at the Middle Stage Golden Core. One had four talisman flags stuck in his back, and the other held a bronze Formation Plate in his arms.

Four batches in total, eight Golden Core Cultivators.

The Black Rock Palace Grand Elder was the first to speak to his Sect's remaining Elder, "Tell me the specific situation."

The Black Rock Palace leader stepped forward and reported all recent developments in detail: the migration of the Nether-molt Pythons, the Tiangang Sect's discovery, the unfinished perimeter array, and the two theories from the four Sect leaders regarding the changes at the bottom of the valley.

After listening, the Black Rock Palace Grand Elder swept his Divine Sense around the entrance of the Soul-Severing Ravine and detected nothing unusual.

"When was the last time you investigated the situation of the two Yao Kings at the bottom of the valley?"

"Half a year ago, we sent two Shadow Crows inside for a long-distance observation; both Yao Kings were there, and there was nothing unusual."

"That was already half a year ago. In that case..." He turned to the other seven Grand Elders.

"Two things. First, we must find out as quickly as possible what changes have occurred at the bottom of the valley, especially regarding the Wood Spirit; we must ensure it is intact. Second, we must act before the four Sects of Qinghe Prefecture can react."

No one objected; these matters had already been settled during the messaging and deliberations between the Sects.

Moreover, the Wood Spirit was the sole reason they had all come here. If something went wrong with the Wood Spirit, all other arrangements would lose their meaning.

As for the two Late Golden Core Stage Yao Kings at the bottom of the valley, the eight Grand Elders were not too worried.

For this trip, each Sect had brought their trump cards. The Black Rock Palace had the Soul-Suppressing Banner, the Qiankun Gate had the Beast-Trapping Formation Plate, the Qingfeng Valley had prepared a large quantity of Medicinal Pills to counter the toxic miasma, and the Spirit Talisman Sect had even brought dozens of Sealing Talisman Flags.

These trump cards had been agreed upon before setting off. With the eight Golden Cores working together and using their respective killing moves, while they couldn't guarantee a kill against the two Late Golden Core Stage Yao Kings, it would be easy to hold them off and take the Wood Spirit.

"Also, there are only two Wood Spirits, and our four Sects can't divide them evenly, but that's not something to consider right now. Let's get the items first, and we'll discuss how to divide them then." He paused, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the other seven. "Let me say this upfront: if anyone stabs another in the back at the bottom of the valley, don't blame the other Sects for joining forces to settle the score afterward."

No one present was a fool. With two Wood Spirits to be divided among four Sects, there would inevitably be disputes afterward.

But the current situation allowed for no internal strife. Inside the Soul-Severing Ravine, things were treacherous and unpredictable, and it was still unknown whether the Yao Kings or the Wood Spirit had changed. Outside the valley, the four Sects of Qinghe Prefecture could arrive at any moment upon hearing the news.

With internal and external threats combined, anyone who harbored other intentions at this critical juncture would be driving themselves to a dead end.

Getting the Wood Spirit first before discussing distribution was the consensus among the four Sects.

But what none of the eight Golden Core Cultivators from the four Sects knew was that the two Nether-molt Pythons at the bottom of the valley had already completed their molting.

The Late Golden Core Stage Yao Kings were now at the Peak Golden Core Stage.

(The next chapter will be a bit later.)

(There are quite a few characters involved, so I won't give them all individual names, haha.)