Chapter 424 - 53: Sacking (Part 2)
Others were sliced in two by a single strike.
Beneath the terrifying flash of the sword, the Protective Spiritual Light of a dignified Late-stage Life Soul Cultivator was as flimsy as paper, shattering with a single blow.
Within the blade’s gleam pulsed a vast Sword Intent, one that could slay heavens and crack the earth, annihilating all in its path.
A Tier Five Flying Sword killing a Life Soul Cultivator was no different from a Tier Three Flying Sword killing a Sensing Cultivator.
Although Fang Cheng could not yet unleash its full power, it was more than enough to deal with the old woman before him.
Normally, if the old woman had leveraged the power of the Treasure Vault’s Fourth-tier Array to fully activate her Seven Profound Staff, she could have summoned seven late-Life Soul Stage avatars to aid her in battle. Her power would have been enough to crush most Life Soul Realm cultivators.
She could even contend with a Great Divine Power User like Zhao Wuji, who also wielded a Fourth-rank Magical Artifact and possessed power comparable to several strikes from a Dharma Cultivator.
However, she had encountered Fang Cheng.
"What kind of Flying Sword is this?!"
The old woman was worldly and had seen much in her long life, but she had never encountered such a terrifying Flying Sword and Sword Technique before.
Her Seven Profound Staff had been shattered by a single strike. With her greatest support gone, she made a swift decision.
’Flee!’
Her figure blurred, transforming into a blinding ray of Profound Light as she charged viciously toward the Qianmu Demon King.
She could see that the Qianmu Demon King was the weakest link. Her only chance was to break through his position.
If she could just break through the isolating barrier, she could use the Treasure Vault’s Grand Array to hold off the three thieves while signaling the other Supreme Elders of the sect for aid.
The Qianmu Demon King sneered, a vicious glint flashing in his eyes as he prepared to block the old woman.
Suddenly, the Mountain-Slaying Flying Sword swept past with casual grace.
All the Qianmu Demon King saw was a flash. The head of the Qiankun Saint Sect’s Fourth Elder, who had just charged at him, tumbled to the ground.
The strike was too fast, too sharp!
It defied the Qianmu Demon King’s very comprehension.
He looked at the distant Fang Cheng, whose expression was as calm as a tranquil lake. A profound chill rose in his heart, nearly shattering his Dao Heart.
Fang Cheng recalled his Flying Sword. He magically drew the Seven Profound Staff and storage bag from the old woman’s body into his hand and said in a low voice, "My friends, there’s no time to waste. Let’s move!"
"Right!"
Zhao Wuji smiled and dismantled the isolating barrier. The trio then began to mercilessly plunder the Qiankun Saint Sect’s Treasure Vault.
Each level of the Treasure Vault held the accumulated wealth of the Qiankun Saint Sect, all stored in treasure chests set into alcoves in the walls.
Spirit Stones, Magical Artifacts, Talismans, medicinal pills, Celestial and Earthly Spiritual Objects... it had everything imaginable.
The sheer quantity was staggering.
The trio started on the seventh floor and worked their way up, quickly returning to the first.
Afterward, Zhao Wuji and the Qianmu Demon King returned to the Lingxiao Three Sceneries Talisman.
Fang Cheng strolled nonchalantly out of the Holy Treasure Hall.
"Safe travels, Elder."
The two Life Talisman Cultivators on guard duty outside the hall bowed, watching him go.
Not long after, Fang Cheng left the Qiankun Cave Heaven. He flew out from the massive stone gate on the Snow Mountain Peak and departed without a trace.
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「Three days later.」
A Vice Hall Master from the Merit Hall came to the Treasure Vault to retrieve some Spirit Talismans and Magical Artifacts, but he couldn’t find the Elder guarding it.
Puzzled, he asked other Elders from the Demon Refining Valley lineage to inspect the Treasure Vault.
The inspection revealed something that nearly shattered the Dao Hearts of the Demon Refining Valley Elders.
Following the recent deaths of the Third Elder, Elder Qi, the Ninth Elder, the Thirteenth Elder, and three Saint Heirs abroad...
...the sect’s Fourth Elder and two Elders from the Demon Refining Valley lineage had now mysteriously perished inside their own Sect Treasure Vault!
What was more horrifying, the wealth the Qiankun Saint Sect had accumulated over several thousand years had been completely plundered.
This might not have directly affected the individual Elders and Disciples, as their personal interests weren’t at stake.
But for the sect as a whole, it was a devastating loss.
Fortunately, the priceless treasures and core legacies that anchored the sect’s fortune were kept in the Qiankun Hall and the Scripture Hall. Otherwise, the Qiankun Saint Sect would have faced near-total annihilation.
The Law Enforcement Hall took charge of the matter, with the Second Elder personally supervising. After a thorough investigation, they quickly uncovered the truth and reconstructed the events of the crime.
The Elder Council was furious.
Of the original thirteen Supreme Elders, another two had been lost. The Qiankun Saint Sect had now lost nearly half of its Life Soul Cultivators!
「Qiankun Cave Heaven, Golden Dawn Ridge.」
Seven Supreme Elders gathered in the Ancestral Hall.
A tall, slender, and elegant old man sat at the head of the hall. He had a ruddy complexion and a long white beard, giving him the transcendent air of an immortal sage.
This was none other than the Grand Elder of the Qiankun Saint Sect, Huang Yugong.
The rankings of the Qiankun Saint Sect’s Supreme Elders were determined by their cultivation and strength.
The Grand Elder’s cultivation had already reached the Peak of Life Soul. In his younger days, none of his peers could match him in sparring, making him the undisputed number one.
The Grand Elder determined the initial rankings of the other Elders. Anyone who was dissatisfied could challenge a Cultivator ranked above them. If they won the ensuing duel, they would take the loser’s place.
Now, after hearing the Second Elder’s summary and analysis, the seven remaining Supreme Elders all turned to the Grand Elder, awaiting his decision.
The Grand Elder stroked his white beard and said calmly, "No power within the Western Wilderness has the means to pull this off. As for the Eastern Wilderness... after much thought, I believe the Nine Nether Demon Sect is the most likely culprit."
"Why are you so certain, Senior Brother?" an Elder asked, his curiosity piqued.
Huang Yugong spoke unhurriedly. "That part is simple enough to verify. My concern is that their goal is far more than simply robbing the Treasure Vault."
The other six were baffled by this statement and looked to Huang Yugong for an explanation.
The Second Elder’s expression was grave. He said in a low voice, "Senior Brother, if you have a method, please enlighten us."
Huang Yugong explained, "The Celestial Splendor Lineage possesses a Secret Technique known only to Life Soul Realm cultivators and above, a secret passed down through generations and kept under the strictest confidence. The technique is called the Supreme One Qi Soul Locking Treasure Talisman. Its original purpose was to monitor the Demon Refining Valley lineage and prevent them from colluding with outsiders to steal from the sect..."
"A part of this technique is embedded within the Grand Array of the Holy Treasure Hall. Any non-sect member who enters will leave behind a Divine Soul Mark. We need only perform the ritual, and we can pull the intruder’s soul into the Celestial Splendor Dream Realm Lamp."
"Then, we will know at a glance who it was that robbed our sect’s Treasure Vault."
The Celestial Splendor Dream Realm Lamp was the ultimate treasure of the Celestial Splendor Lineage. It was a Fourth-rank Magical Artifact passed down from one of the seven patriarchs of the Qiankun Saint Sect—a rare, soul-type Magical Artifact said to have ties to the Buddhist Sect.
Killing intent flooded the Second Elder’s eyes. "In that case, why don’t we try it now?" he said, his voice cold as ice. "Since our founding, when has our Qiankun Saint Sect ever suffered such a deep humiliation? No matter who they are, they will pay the price for this!"
The Grand Elder waved a dismissive hand. "Patience. The reason I suspect the Nine Nether Demon Sect is because that Blood Demon Zhao Wuji once performed a Soul Search on one of our Celestial Splendor Mountain’s Life Soul Elders. It’s possible he learned of this secret then."
"His true purpose in robbing our sect’s Treasure Vault was to infuriate us, to bait us into pulling his soul into the Celestial Splendor Dream Realm Lamp. When we do, he will be ready with an even more insidious plot to use against us."
"For now, our best course of action is to go to the Great Brightness Temple and borrow a few treasures for soul defense and offense. Only after we have made foolproof preparations can we plan our counterattack and exact our revenge."
As Huang Yugong slowly laid out his reasoning, the others listened in stunned silence, a sense of shock growing within them.
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