"I have summoned you all here today for the safety of our sect."
Xuan Yangzi glanced at the numerous cultivators and continued, "In recent years, the number of demonic beasts surrounding our sect has increased dramatically!"
"Many outer sect disciples who have gone out to train or gather spiritual materials have frequently encountered attacks from demonic beasts. Dozens of disciples have already been injured or killed. The remaining outer sect disciples, fearing the demonic beasts, dare not easily step outside the sect's territory, and even their daily training and cultivation have been greatly affected."
Speaking of this matter, Xuan Yangzi's tone was tinged with regret and solemnity.
Qin Changsheng was very aware of what Xuan Yangzi was saying.
Because the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth was slowly forming.
Those demonic beasts were also affected by the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth, which was why they had come to the vicinity of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Xuan Yangzi raised his hand, silencing the murmurs of the crowd, and continued, "To curb the rampant spread of demonic beasts, to protect the safety of the sect's disciples, and to ensure that the many outer sect disciples can train and cultivate peacefully near the sect without being disturbed by demonic beasts!"
"After discussion, the sect has decided to officially organize Foundation Establishment cultivators to conduct a large-scale demonic beast extermination mission around Qingyun Lake and the Misty Forest in the western suburbs!"
"Elder Lin Zhentian will lead the extermination mission around Qingyun Lake!"
"Elder Qingxuan and Fairy Qingling will lead the mission over the Misty Forest!"
"All Foundation Establishment cultivators present must participate in this mission; no one may shirk their responsibility or back down!"
Xuan Yangzi's voice was firm and authoritative, carrying an unquestionable authority.
"During the mission, all actions must be under command. No unauthorized actions are permitted. While focusing on eliminating the demonic beasts, everyone must also ensure their own safety and look out for each other."
Upon hearing this, everyone bowed in unison, their voices unified, resolute, and respectful, echoing throughout the hall: "We obey the Sect Leader's orders! We are willing to follow Elder Lin and all elders' commands to eliminate the demonic beasts with all our might!"
Hu Nan also bowed in response, his expression respectful and without any sign of unease.
Seeing everyone's reaction, Xuan Yangzi nodded slightly, a hint of satisfaction on his face. He said, "Three days from now, everyone will assemble in front of the sect's mountain gate and depart on time!"
"Yes, Sect Leader!" everyone responded again in unison.
...
Meanwhile.
Inside the small courtyard.
Qin Changsheng sat cross-legged on a futon, his mind racing, considering countermeasures.
This time, Li Hu of the Blood Demon Sect was ambitious and would surely use this mission to seize the secret treasure.
What he needed to do was use Li Hu's strength against him, lull him into a false sense of security, and then reap the benefits.
"Li Hu is meticulous and extremely patient. He will definitely be paying close attention to everything around him, especially the stronger cultivators. The slightest movement will arouse his suspicion."
Qin Changsheng repeatedly considered various possibilities. If Hu Nan joined the beast-hunting team at Qingyun Lake, Li Hu would definitely become wary and keep a close watch on Hu Nan.
After a moment of thought, a perfect plan gradually took shape in his mind.
He had already decided—to have Hu Nan, disguised as a human, join the beast-hunting team in the Misty Forest led by Fairy Qingling;
While he would join the Qingyun Lake extermination mission through the mission hall.
Once Li Hu learned that Hu Nan had gone to the Misty Forest, he would inevitably lower his guard and concentrate on implementing his treasure-hunting plan.
Even if they were wary, their attention would only be focused on the Foundation Establishment cultivators.
They would absolutely not pay attention to Qin Changsheng.
Secondly, Qin Changsheng's strength was far greater than that of his avatar, Hu Nan.
He possessed the golden attributes of substitution, exchange, and rebirth, so he had no need to worry about his life.
Even if he died, he could be resurrected within Beihai County.
Qin Changsheng slowly closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and began to analyze the details of this operation, anticipating possible variables and countermeasures.
First, the guardian of the secret treasure within Qingyun Lake was a Golden Core demon beast.
To seize the treasure under the watchful eye of the Golden Core demon beast, he needed to use the Spirit Suppressing Pearl.
After a moment's thought, Qin Changsheng slowly raised his hand, a wisp of gentle spiritual energy condensing in his palm, and two storage bags appeared in his hand.
In the next instant, countless low-grade spirit stones, gleaming with a pure white light, poured out like water, landing on the stone table and piling up into a small "mountain of spirit stones."
Qin Changsheng's gaze swept over the spirit stones on the stone table; there were twenty thousand spirit stones here.
Ten thousand of them were lost to him by Lin Hao.
The remaining ten thousand were spirit stones that Qin Changsheng had earned over the years.
He planned to use the golden inscription to repair the Spirit-Suppressing Pearl, thus increasing its usage count.
With a gentle wave of his other hand, a dim spiritual light emanated from his palm, and a round bead slowly emerged—the very same high-grade Earth-level magic artifact, the Spirit-Suppressing Pearl.
The Spirit-Suppressing Pearl floated in Qin Changsheng's palm, dull and lifeless, its surface cracks still clearly visible. Only the occasional flash of faint spiritual light hinted at its status as a high-grade Earth-level magic artifact.
A single repair of the Spirit-Suppressing Pearl cost ten thousand low-grade spirit stones; twenty thousand spirit stones would be enough to increase its usage count by two.
With these two opportunities, even if attacked by a Golden Core demon beast, he could rely on the Spirit-Suppressing Pearl's protection and spirit-suppressing power to defuse the crisis, significantly increasing his chances of seizing the secret treasure.
Having made his decision, Qin Changsheng no longer hesitated. He closed his eyes, concentrated his mind, and with a thought, his divine sense suddenly condensed. A dazzling golden light surged from between his brows, hovering between the Spirit-Suppressing Pearl and the spirit stones. The light solidified, transforming into an ancient and weighty golden inscription.
On the inscription, characters flowed, radiating a mysterious and powerful aura, slowly enveloping the Spirit-Suppressing Pearl and spirit stones below.
ReadBestsellers
"[Repair], Increase the number of uses of the Spirit-Suppressing Pearl, consuming 20,000 low-grade spirit stones, unlocking two usage privileges."
Qin Changsheng silently recited the command in his mind.
As the command was issued, the golden inscription suddenly lit up, its light growing even brighter. A gentle yet powerful force slowly surged forth, first sweeping towards the 20,000 low-grade spirit stones on the stone table.
The twenty thousand spirit stones, enveloped in spiritual light, instantly burst forth with a dazzling, shimmering white glow. The spiritual energy within them was rapidly absorbed by the [Repair] attribute, transforming into streams of pure spiritual energy that slowly flowed into the suspended Spirit-Suppressing Pearl.
As the spiritual energy was injected, a tiny crack on the surface of the Spirit-Suppressing Pearl trembled slightly, showing signs of healing. The previously dull pearl also began to glow faintly, its spirituality slightly revived.
Within mere breaths, the twenty thousand spirit stones were completely absorbed, turning into a wisp of ash that drifted away with the wind.
The "Repair" entry returned a clear message: "The Spirit-Suppressing Pearl has been repaired. Two full usage privileges have been granted."
After gaining two usage opportunities, Qin Changsheng carefully checked it again.
After confirming that nothing had been overlooked, Qin Changsheng sent Hu Nan to join the Misty Forest team led by Fairy Qingling.
...
The Servant Hall.
Li Hu sat upright on the main seat of the hall, repeatedly rehearsing every detail of the treasure hunt at Qingyun Lake in his mind, his expression solemn and focused.
However, Li Hu's face quickly turned grim and terrifying.
Because Li Hu discovered that there was an obstacle to his desire to seize the treasure.
That was Hu Nan.
Unless Hu Nan was eliminated, he had virtually no chance of seizing the treasure.
After all, Hu Nan was powerful and knew the secrets of Qingyun Lake.
Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard.
The next instant, Ma Yingjie rushed in from outside.
"Young Master, I have urgent news to report!" Ma Yingjie strode up to Li Hu and bowed respectfully.
"What is it?" Li Hu asked without looking up.
"Reporting to Young Master, Hu Nan has joined the extermination team targeting the Misty Forest!" Ma Yingjie reported.
"What did you say?!" Li Hu abruptly stood up, his eyes filled with astonishment, as Ma Yingjie finished speaking.
He knew Hu Nan's capabilities all too well and had always considered him a formidable rival.
Yet Hu Nan had actually abandoned the secret treasures of Qingyun Lake and chosen to go to the Misty Forest.
While the Misty Forest also had demonic beasts, it offered no opportunity comparable to the secret treasures of Qingyun Lake. This was completely illogical!
Seeing Li Hu's furious yet astonished expression, Ma Yingjie quickly added, "Young Master, recently, Hu Nan and Jiang Lijuan have become extremely close. They often cultivate together and interact frequently."
Ma Yingjie paused, then continued, "I suspect that Hu Nan abandoned the Qingyun Lake team and chose the Misty Forest because he was captivated by Jiang Lijuan's beauty."
Upon hearing Ma Yingjie's words, the astonishment and solemnity on Li Hu's face gradually faded, and the doubt in his eyes dissipated, replaced by a hint of disdain and mockery.
He remained silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter, a hearty and triumphant laugh tinged with condescending contempt.
"Hahaha... So that's it! So that's it!" Li Hu laughed, his upper body swaying slightly, his eyes filled with smugness.
"I thought Hu Nan had some extraordinary plan, but I never expected him to be such a womanizer with no ambition! A mere Jiang Lijuan made him give up such a tremendous opportunity as the Qingyun Lake treasure—it's utterly laughable!"
In his view, Hu Nan's actions were undoubtedly self-inflicted, completely disqualifying him from competing with him for the treasure.
A person so obsessed with beauty that he could abandon even a tremendous opportunity was not worthy of being his opponent, nor worth his time and effort to guard against.
This way, his biggest obstacle to obtaining the Qingyun Lake treasure was removed, allowing his plan to proceed more smoothly.
Without Hu Nan's interference, his chances of obtaining the treasure would increase significantly.
Li Hu slowly suppressed his smile and gave Ma Yingjie a deep order: "Pass on my command: proceed according to the original plan. Lure the demonic beast to Lin Zhentian. We must successfully seize the treasure within Qingyun Lake during this beast-slaying mission. There must be no mistakes!"
"Yes, sir!" Ma Yingjie quickly bowed and accepted the order.
Li Hu nodded slightly and gestured for Ma Yingjie to leave.
After Ma Yingjie left, Li Hu looked towards Qingyun Lake, a smug smile playing on his lips.
Originally, Li Hu had planned to send someone to assassinate Hu Nan.
But unexpectedly, Hu Nan would abandon the treasure for a woman. This was undoubtedly a stroke of luck bestowed upon him by heaven.