92: Chapter 92 The Torn Pretense

"Puppeteer He Zichuan is Wei Lingfeng!"

"No wonder when Qingmu Cliff was destroyed, he was the only True Disciple who escaped with the remnant."

Gu Shen gasped inwardly.

What a massive scheme!

Wei Lingfeng (Puppeteer He Zichuan) had deliberately leaked news of the Soul-Pulling Threads, igniting the dark web of Yunze Immortal City, and attracting all the Foundation Establishment old monsters from the Danding Sect and Blood Fiend Sect to this auction in the underground abyss.

Then, in full view of everyone, he threw out the blood marrow lotus remnant—the ultimate bait that would drive both sects into a frenzy!

"Luring the tiger away from the mountain! Fishing in troubled waters!"

Gu Shen instantly saw through Wei Lingfeng's sinister scheme. "He has lured all the experts from both sects here, so the core defenses of the White Bone Forest Blood Sacrifice Array must be empty! His true goal is to sneak back to the White Bone Forest amidst the chaos, seize the nearly mature, complete blood marrow lotus, and use it to achieve a Foundation Establishment Breakthrough in one go!"

Boom!

On the white jade platform, a silver sword light clashed violently with the Magical Artifacts of the two Foundation Establishment experts.

Although Wei Lingfeng's sword technique was divine, he was, after all, only at the Qi Refining 9th Layer. Resisting two Foundation Establishment Late Stage experts head-on, he was instantly sent flying, coughing up blood.

Yet, there was not a trace of fear on his face; instead, he revealed an extremely crazed grin.

"You want the remnant? Go find it in Hell!"

Wei Lingfeng suddenly crushed a pitch-black Formation talisman in his hand.

Crack, crack, crack...

The entire Zhenmo Abyss began to shake violently.

At the bottom of the dark red underground river flowing around the auction venue, countless dense, explosive Formation patterns suddenly lit up.

"Oh no! He's detonated the underground water veins of the Zhenmo Abyss!" Lin Xuan's expression changed drastically. Ignoring the need to capture Wei Lingfeng, he retreated rapidly.

Boom—!!!

Amidst the deafening explosion, the dark red underground river water, like a burst celestial river, carried immense force and cold undercurrents, instantly crushing the white jade platform and pouring down into the entire funnel-shaped venue!

"Ah!"

Countless Loose Cultivators who could not dodge in time were swept up by the raging river water and instantly slammed against the stone walls.

The entire Blood River Dark Assembly was completely transformed into a watery purgatory.

Amidst the towering waves, Wei Lingfeng used an aquatic escape technique, moving like an extremely slippery fish, and instantly merged into the depths of the murky underground river, disappearing without a trace.

"Seal the underground water veins! We must not let him escape!"

The two Foundation Establishment experts roared repeatedly, turning into two streaks of light as they dove into the water.

Chaos. Absolute chaos.

Gu Shen stood at the edge of the Xuan-75 stone niche, the cold river water already lapping over his ankles.

He did not chase after Wei Lingfeng, nor did he rush to snatch the Soul-Pulling Threads Incomplete Manual that had fallen into the water.

"There is a tracking beacon on the Incomplete Manual; whoever takes it dies. Wei Lingfeng has already set his trap, and the main forces of the two sects are firmly dragged down here into the depths of Yunze Immortal City."

Gu Shen's eyes were as cold as iron.

"Let them stir the muddy waters of this Great Yu Cultivation World."

The shadow shoes at Gu Shen's feet flashed with dark light, and the Wood Armor Technique instantly manifested on his body. He did not squeeze toward the bronze gate with the crowd; instead, he decisively dove into a rock crevice that had been collapsed by the river water.

"Crab, scan the path of this rock crevice."

"Master, this crevice leads directly to a dry well in the Outer City of the Immortal City. There are no Formation fluctuations; it is safe!"

Gu Shen weaved through the narrow rock crevice like a swimming snake.

His goal was extremely clear.

Wei Lingfeng went to seize the blood marrow lotus; that was an Opportunity for the Foundation Establishment Stage, so he would not touch it.

"Since Wei Lingfeng set the trap, it is impossible for him to be waiting for death in Willow Lane now. He must have already gone to seize that nearly mature, complete blood marrow lotus."

Gu Shen's eyes were as deep and predatory as a wolf's.

"He has left, so that dilapidated courtyard must be empty. It is the lair where a descendant of the Qianji Pavilion has been lurking for a long time; I do not believe he would carry all his foundations with him. The true original Soul-Pulling Threads manual, or the core secrets of Artifact Refining for Puppets, are very likely still hidden there."

This was Gu Shen's method to break the situation.

Instead of acting as the oriole, he would raid the oriole's nest!

In the narrow rock crevice, the cold underground river water poured in frantically.

Gu Shen, like a supple, boneless black snake, moved upstream amidst the intricate rock walls. His dark golden iron bones endured the terrifying pressure of the water and rocks, emitting a series of dull, metallic clangs.

He crept forward for a full half-hour.

"Splash!"

In the Outer City of Yunze Immortal City, within a desolate dry well, the muddy water broke open. Gu Shen gripped the edge of the well tightly with both hands and vaulted out.

The heavy rain poured down, washing over the muddy bluestone road of the Outer City.

Gu Shen did not stand up immediately. He lay in the shadows by the well, gasping for breath, letting the cold rain wash away the lingering stench of the Blood River from his body.

Half an hour later.

At the end of Willow Lane, the dilapidated small courtyard appeared in the curtain of rain.

The courtyard gate was ajar, and it was pitch black inside.

Gu Shen did not rush to push the door open. He stood in a dead end of the alley, probing inside with his Divine Sense like fine threads.

The courtyard was empty. The previously scattered Puppet remains were still in place, and the door to the main room was wide open, exuding the deathly stillness of a place abandoned by its occupants.

"Crab, scan."

"Understood. Thermal imaging shows no life signs. However, Master, the soil density beneath the courtyard is abnormal. Three zhang directly below the main room, there is a hollow space two zhang wide and two zhang long. There is an extremely faint energy radiation (Spiritual Qi fluctuation) leaking out."

A sharp glint flashed in Gu Shen's eyes.

There really was an underground secret chamber!

The shadow shoes at his feet shimmered with dark light, and his whole body drifted into the courtyard like a falling leaf.

He did not take the front door of the main room. Gu Shen circled behind the house, and the thunder pattern gold-slaying blade in his hand unsheathed silently.

Chk.

The blade pierced into the soil, cutting downward as if slicing through tofu.

Gu Shen did not use Spiritual Qi to blast it open; instead, relying purely on the immense strength of his Physical Body, he forcibly dug a vertical shaft behind the house leading straight to the underground secret chamber.

A stick of incense later.

Gu Shen landed on his feet.

This was an extremely concealed underground workshop. A few dim fluorites were embedded in the walls.

In the center of the workshop stood a huge stone table. Scattered on the stone table were countless extremely precise wooden gears, Yao Beast tendons, and some discarded carving knives for Formation patterns.

Gu Shen walked quickly to the stone table.

There were no Jade Slips, nor any completed Puppets.

Wei Lingfeng had left very cleanly.

But Gu Shen's gaze was locked onto an iron-wood box in the corner of the stone table that had been split down the middle.

The box was empty, but a layer of extremely fine black powder remained at the bottom.

Gu Shen reached out, pinched a pinch of the powder, and sniffed it at the tip of his nose.

An extremely cold, foul scent carrying a strong stench of corpses surged straight to his brain.

"This is... wood shavings of hundred-year-old sunk wood, and it has been soaked in corpse water."

Gu Shen frowned tightly.

The Puppet arts of the Great Yu Cultivation World mostly use spirit wood or refined iron to forge bodies.

Using corpse water to soak sunk wood is an extremely obscure and evil method of Artifact Refining.

Just at this moment, Crab's detection head flashed red.