Chapter 97 The Luminous Trio

By now, a crowd of market pedestrians had gathered at the alley entrance.

First, two merchants carrying loads of spiritual plants passed by. Catching a glimpse of the scene inside the alley, they stopped in their tracks and began whispering: "Oh, aren't these Disciples from the Tianyue Sect? Why are they tied up and naked?"

"Judging by this spectacle, they probably tried to harass some girl and got taught a lesson instead!" A Loose Cultivator in a gray robe stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the three of them as a mocking smile curled his lips. "Isn't the Tianyue Sect usually so arrogant? How did they end up in such a state?"

More and more people crowded around—Cultivators buying spiritual materials, shopkeepers, and even a female Cultivator with a child—all pointing and whispering at the three.

"Their physiques are pathetic, yet they have the nerve to come out and harass people?"

"Look at the leader; his face is beet red. He must be dying of shame!"

"Serves them right! Relying on their School's influence to do whatever they please—they've finally met someone tough!"

The sounds of discussion and mockery surged like a tide into the ears of Zhao Feng and the others, stinging their eardrums.

Zhao Feng gritted his teeth so hard his gums nearly bled. His eyes were filled with the fiery light of resentment, staring fixedly at the direction of the alley entrance, as if he wanted to carve the images of Ling Wei and Lin Yue into his very bones.

However, the stinging pain from the formation patterns made him tremble all over, preventing him from even shouting a complete threat; he could only emit incoherent roars.

The round-faced Disciple was already streaming with tears. Shame and fear had left him limp; had it not been for the formation patterns supporting him, he would have collapsed to the ground long ago.

He dared not look at the surrounding gazes and could only squeeze his eyes shut, yet the mockery ringing in his ears would not dissipate, every word cutting into his heart like a knife.

The tall, thin one's lips trembled; he wanted to defend himself, saying, "That woman started it first," but the formation patterns blocked his throat, forcing out only "wuwu" sounds.

He could feel countless gazes sweeping over his body—some curious, some disdainful, some mocking—making him wish he could crawl into a crack in the ground. He even wanted to just pass out, but the stinging pain of the formation patterns kept him conscious, forcing him to endure this endless humiliation.

The discussions at the alley entrance continued. Someone even picked up a scrap of cloth from the ground and joked, "The material for this Daoist robe isn't bad. What a pity it's been shredded like this."

"How about we take it back and use it as a rag?"

A child pointed at Zhao Feng and loudly asked their elder, "Daddy, why aren't they wearing any clothes?" causing another round of laughter from the crowd.

The resentment of Zhao Feng and his two companions burned within their chests like a prairie fire.

The spite in Zhao Feng's chest was nearly bursting out. The stinging pain of the formation patterns and the mocking sounds in his ears intertwined, instead forcing out the ruthlessness deep in his bones.

He gritted his teeth fiercely, biting through the tip of his tongue. A spurt of blood sprayed out as he hurriedly chanted an obscure incantation: "Tianyue Secret Technique, Blood Burning to Break the Restriction!"

This was a secret technique of the Tianyue Sect that could not be passed on; it required the use of one's own essence blood as a catalyst to temporarily erupt with spiritual power far exceeding normal levels, at the cost of being severely weakened afterward.

But at this moment, he could no longer care about such things; he only wanted to break free from these bonds and escape this desperate situation that had caused him to lose all face.

As the incantation concluded, a violent crimson spiritual power suddenly surged around Zhao Feng. That spiritual power carried a scorching aura, forcefully slamming against the formation patterns on his body.

The formation patterns made a "sizzling" sound, their originally pearly white light flickering violently, as if they would shatter at any moment.

The onlookers exclaimed in surprise and instinctively took a few steps back. The discussions ceased abruptly, and they all widened their eyes, watching this turn of events.

"Senior Brother! I'm coming too!" The round-faced Disciple was stimulated by Zhao Feng's actions; shame and fear were instantly replaced by the instinct to survive.

He also mimicked Zhao Feng and bit his tongue. Although tears still hung on his face and his voice carried a sobbing tone, he firmly chanted: "Blood Burning to Break the Restriction!"

The tall, thin one's eyes were bloodshot with anxiety. He had long since had enough of the humiliation of being watched. Seeing Zhao Feng and the other using the secret technique, he did not hesitate to spray out his essence blood. The three men's crimson spiritual power intertwined like three Fire Dragons, crazily impacting the restraints of the formation patterns.

"Bang!"

With a loud noise, the formation patterns could no longer hold; they shattered in response, turning into specks of spiritual light that dissipated into the air.

The restraints vanished abruptly. Zhao Feng and his two companions felt a sudden release, but due to the backlash of the Blood Burning secret technique, their Qi and blood surged, and they couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood.

But they didn't have time to wipe the blood from the corners of their mouths, nor did they care about their naked bodies. They hurriedly stumbled toward the scattered cloth scraps, grabbing them frantically to wrap around themselves.

The crowd erupted in an uproar. Someone exclaimed, "They actually broke the formation!"

"The Tianyue Sect's secret technique is truly impressive; they can forcibly break through such a binding formation!"

"But looking at them, I'm afraid they paid a considerable price, didn't they?"

The discussions started up again, but Zhao Feng and his companions had no heart to care about that now.

Zhao Feng leaned against the wall, panting heavily, his face pale as paper, yet the resentment in his eyes was even more intense than before.

He stared fixedly in the direction where Ling Wei and Lin Yue had disappeared, his teeth grinding with a clacking sound: "Ling Wei! Lin Yue! I, Zhao Feng, will remember today's humiliation! If I do not grind your bones and scatter your ashes, I swear I will not be a human!"

The round-faced Disciple, wrapped in cloth, was still trembling slightly, his face full of lingering fear and shame. He choked out, "Senior Brother, it's all because of those two wretches! If not for our momentary carelessness, how could we have fallen for their vile scheme!"

"That's right!" The tall, thin one had also recovered somewhat and chimed in with a sinister gaze. "That woman's formation patterns are extremely treacherous. We only fell for it because we were caught off guard; it's not that our strength is inferior to theirs! Junior Martial Uncle is in the market; should we..."

Zhao Feng took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the churning Qi and blood in his body, and said coldly, "There is no need to disturb our School's elders; we will resolve this matter ourselves! Those two only succeeded by luck. Once we recover, relying on the Tianyue Sect's Cultivation Technique and secret arts, dealing with them will be as easy as turning over one's hand!"

He looked up at the crowd still pointing at them, a flash of ruthlessness crossing his eyes. He said in a deep voice to the other two, "Let's go! We will wait on the road they take back. This matter absolutely cannot end like this!"

The three supported each other. Although they walked unsteadily and the scraps of cloth on their bodies could not hide their dishevelment, every step was taken with determination.

They no longer looked at the onlookers, but rather deeply branded the images of Ling Wei and Lin Yue, along with the profound humiliation suffered today, into their hearts, transforming it into a raging fire of revenge.

...

Having shaken off the entanglement of the three from the Tianyue Sect, Lin Yue and Ling Wei walked briskly through the market alleys.

The Spirit Treasure Pavilion was truly worthy of its reputation. The vermilion-lacquered gate was inlaid with mysterious iron beast patterns, and inside, the Spiritual Qi was so dense it almost condensed into mist droplets. The items on the shelves all emitted a faint spiritual light; one look and it was clear they were extraordinary.

"Are you two Fellow Daoists looking for Mysterious Iron Ingots?" The shopkeeper was an old man with a goat beard. His gaze swept over the two, accurately discerning their intent. He turned and retrieved a black wooden box from the inner hall. "This is Mysterious Iron mined from the deep layers of the Mist Ridge. It has a purity of ninety-nine percent and contains the Spiritual Qi of the earth veins, making it most suitable for Artifact Refining and shaping."

The wooden box opened, and a Mysterious Iron Ingot the size of a human head lay quietly inside. It was jet black and shiny, its surface glowing with a fine metallic luster. The moment a fingertip touched it, one could feel a thick, heavy Spiritual Qi spreading along the palm.

Lin Yue probed with his Divine Sense, confirming it matched the requirements of the Jade Slip perfectly, and nodded immediately: "This is the one."