amaotonovel Chapter 1373 Harvest (2 chapters combined into one, please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets!!
Chapter 1373 Harvest (2 chapters combined into one, please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets!!
"Whoosh!"
A dark figure shot out like an arrow from a bow from the deep, cold stone palace gate.
It was Qin Hao! He was burly, yet his movements were exceptionally swift. The moment he landed, without turning his head, he swiftly slashed his right hand towards an inconspicuous corner beside the stone hall's main entrance.
With a whoosh, five beams of light of different colors rose up in response, like birds returning to their nests, and instantly entered the storage bag at his waist. These were the array flags of the Inverted Five Elements Array that he had set up in advance.
Just as the battle flags were being withdrawn, a sharp, angry shout rang out from deep within the stone hall passage, clear yet carrying a chilling edge:
"You scoundrel! It really was your trap! Don't run!"
Boom!
With this angry shout, the passage that Qin Hao had just blocked with his "Flame Bullet Talisman" was suddenly blasted open by an invisible force, creating a gap more than ten feet wide! Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, a graceful white figure exuding an astonishing aura shot out – it was none other than the "Grandmaster" leading the team from the Hidden Moon Sect – Nangong Wan!
She gritted her teeth, her beautiful eyes flashing with murderous intent. The moment she appeared, she locked onto the figure about to disappear into the forest. Without the slightest hesitation, she flicked her wrist, and a crimson halo, like fire, shot out, carrying scorching winds and a sharp whistling sound. In an instant, it traversed dozens of feet, aiming straight for Qin Hao's back! It was none other than her signature magical artifact—the Vermilion Bird Ring!
Although Qin Hao did not turn around, the terrifying spiritual pressure and sharp sound of air being torn apart from behind made his hair stand on end! The attack of a Golden Core cultivator, even if the opponent was in the Qi Refining stage due to the cultivation of the "Plain Maiden Reincarnation Technique", the power of the magic weapon was by no means something that an ordinary Qi Refining stage cultivator could withstand.
"Not good!" A warning screamed in Qin Hao's mind. He didn't have time to think and reacted almost instinctively:
His internal magical power surged wildly into the "Mysterious Iron Scale Armor" he wore close to his body. This top-tier defensive magic artifact instantly shone with a dark light, covering his entire body! At the same time, he grabbed backhand, and five glittering "Golden罡 Talismans" were precisely slapped onto the vital points of his back! Five layers of golden light shields instantly formed, layer upon layer, incredibly thick, firmly protecting his entire back!
boom! ! !
The Vermilion Bird Ring, carrying immense force, slammed into the five layers of golden energy shield and black iron scale armor!
A deafening roar echoed through the valley! A blinding burst of red and gold light erupted, like a miniature sun exploding!
The terrifying shockwave spread out in a ring, destroying and crushing all the surrounding vegetation and rocks!
Qin Hao, who was at the center of the explosion, felt an unimaginable force coming from his back. It was as if his internal organs had been hit hard. He felt a sweet taste in his throat and almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
Three and a half of the five layers of golden light shield shattered instantly, and the remaining shield also trembled violently and dimmed. The black iron scale armor creaked under the strain, its scales trembled violently, and the spiritual light on it weakened.
However, these multiple defenses ultimately withstood this thunderous blow! More importantly, Qin Hao used the immense force of the impact to push off with his feet. Instead of being knocked down, he was like an iron ball being smashed by a giant hammer, his speed suddenly increasing several times! He transformed into a blurry afterimage, rushing towards the dense forest ahead at an even faster speed than before!
Nangong Wan's phoenix eyes widened in disbelief. Her furious attack had failed to break through the defenses of a mere Qi Refining junior, and instead, he had used her force to create distance?! This was an utter disgrace to her, a Golden Core cultivator!
As the burly figure used the force of the explosion to plunge into the dense forest ahead, his figure was quickly swallowed up by the towering ancient trees and disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving no trace even a trace of his presence.
Nangong Wan was so angry that her face turned pale with rage. Her hands clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white from the force, and she was so angry that her teeth itched.
"Damn it!" She practically spat out the two words through gritted teeth, her chest heaving violently. "If it weren't for this damned 'Plain Maiden Reincarnation Technique,' which forcibly reduced my cultivation to the Qi Refining stage during the dissipation of my power, restricting my spiritual sense and magical strength, and reducing the power of my magical treasures to less than one-tenth, how could this scoundrel have escaped so easily!"
At that moment, she heard a series of rapid whooshing sounds and footsteps behind her.
The group of disciples from the Hidden Moon Sect finally broke through the last obstacle in the passage and rushed to Nangong Wan's side.
They were all visibly terrified, their breathing unsteady, clearly having expended considerable effort to emerge. When they saw their usually aloof and noble grandmaster standing alone, her beautiful face frosty, radiating a suffocating rage and murderous aura, they immediately fell silent, exchanging bewildered glances, not daring to breathe, utterly at a loss for what to do.
The atmosphere was extremely tense. After a long while, a female disciple finally mustered her courage and cautiously asked, "Grandmaster... what should we do now?" Her voice trembled noticeably.
Nangong Wan suddenly turned her head and glared at the female disciple with a sharp, knife-like gaze, startling the woman so much that her face turned deathly pale.
She took a deep breath, suppressing her barely contained rage, her voice icy and chilling:
"Years of scheming and painstaking effort have all come to naught, with the biggest prize snatched away! What can we do? Immediately unleash all our strength to search the central ring-shaped mountain range of the forbidden area! Collect every single spiritual herb that matches the required age, no matter the cost! Collect as many as you can! We must refine as many Foundation Establishment Pills as possible for the sect to make up for the loss!"
The disciples, their minds reeling, quickly bowed and replied, "Disciples obey!"
They were immediately granted a pardon and split into several groups, quickly dispersing in all directions.
Nangong Wan glanced one last time in the direction Qin Hao had disappeared, her eyes flashing with a dark and sinister light. She muttered to herself, her voice barely audible to herself:
"This young man... single-handedly killed a level two Ink Dragon equivalent to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and also possessed a simplified version of the 'Inverted Five Elements Array' flag... This is definitely not something an ordinary Qi Refining stage disciple could do! Could it be that the other six sects... also knew about the secrets of this stone hall, and even sent a Golden Core cultivator who had also lost his cultivation to come in and retrieve the treasure?"
The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Otherwise, how could a Qi Refining stage disciple possess such strength and methods? After all, she was able to use the characteristics of the "Plain Maiden Reincarnation Technique" to disperse her internal energy and enter, so others could naturally have similar methods or secret treasures! This conjecture cast an even deeper shadow over her heart.
"Hmph!" Nangong Wan snorted coldly, temporarily suppressing her anger. Now that the treasure chest was lost, she would do everything in her power to plunder the spiritual herbs!
However, this would bring great disaster to the disciples of the other six sects. Nangong Wan was currently filled with pent-up anger and had nowhere to vent her frustration and killing intent, desperately needing an outlet. She moved swiftly and joined the search for spiritual herbs, heading straight for the areas with the densest spiritual energy and the strongest guardian beasts.
Any medicinal herb that catches her eye will be picked without hesitation, regardless of whether it is guarded by a powerful demonic beast or being harvested by disciples from another sect!
At best, a powerful spell will blast them away and severely injure them, allowing you to seize the elixir; at worst, the Vermilion Bird Ring will be unleashed, burning them to ashes!
A dignified Golden Core cultivator had her hard-earned achievements stolen right under her nose. If word got out, where would Nangong Wan put her face?!
……
Qin Hao was naturally unaware of the catastrophic consequences his actions would bring to the lower-ranking disciples of the other six sects.
After rushing out of the stone hall, he ran headlong towards the outer edge of the Crimson Forbidden Land without looking back. Although the Xuan Tie Scale Armor and Golden Gang Talisman provided strong defense, the shockwaves and mana drain from directly confronting the Vermilion Bird Ring were real.
He dared not linger for a moment, fully activating the "Divine Speed Talisman" and the "Cloud-Stepping Boots" beneath his feet, transforming himself into an elusive gray shadow amidst the mountains and forests.
With his familiarity with the terrain surrounding the forbidden area, he skillfully avoided several known dangerous areas and the lairs of powerful monsters.
Before long, he escaped the core of the ring mountain range without any major incident and entered the relatively safe outer area.
Only after plunging into the depths of a primeval forest filled with ancient trees and dense vines, and confirming that there were no more pursuers behind him, did Qin Hao's tense nerves relax slightly.
He found a giant tree that would take several people to encircle, sat down with his back against the trunk, and immediately began to meditate and regulate his breathing. The spot on his back where the Vermilion Bird Ring had struck still ached faintly, and his internal magical energy was almost completely depleted.
The "Sharp Metal Technique" circulated slowly within his body, greedily absorbing the sparse spiritual energy of heaven and earth around him.
At the same time, he took out several high-grade pills that he had prepared in advance to restore his mana and heal his injuries from his storage bag and swallowed them all at once.
The rich medicinal power dissolved, and in conjunction with the circulation of the cultivation technique, it quickly nourished the damaged meridians and replenished the depleted dantian.
Time passed by, and the dim light in the dense forest made the chirping of insects and birds even more serene.
About two hours later, Qin Hao slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of turbid air, which carried a faint smell of blood.
The injuries inside his body have stabilized under the combined effects of the elixirs and the cultivation techniques, and his magical power has also recovered to about 70-80%.
After confirming that Nangong Wan had not followed, Qin Hao finally relaxed. He cautiously surveyed his surroundings and, after confirming that it was safe, carefully took out a palm-sized, exquisitely crafted sandalwood box from his pocket.
The wooden box was opened, revealing a pink, warm-to-the-touch, spherical object with a strange, sweet-smelling, fishy odor.
It was none other than the lustful sac he had taken from the body of the second-tier black dragon he had killed!
Looking at the eerie pink sphere, Qin Hao revealed a strange smile and muttered to himself:
"Nangong Wan, Nangong Wan, you should thank me for not letting your noble Golden Core cultivator lose all your integrity."
He thought of Han Li again, the future Old Devil Han, and the smile on his lips deepened, carrying a hint of mischief:
"Hey, don't blame me, you fool. Why give up the whole forest for one tree? You have a long road ahead of you. I'm doing this for your own good..."
……
It was the afternoon of the fifth day after the Bloodstained Forbidden Land opened.
At the entrance to the forbidden area, the Golden Core cultivators from the seven sects gathered once more. Various lights shone, and powerful auras intertwined. They joined forces to unleash great divine abilities, their magical power surging like a tidal wave towards the distorted, fluctuating spatial node in the sky.
hum!
A massive portal, shimmering with an unstable white light, slowly formed once more in the void, connecting the inside and outside of the forbidden area.
At this moment, the atmosphere was particularly tense and subtle not far from the portal.
The old Taoist Fuyunzi of Qingxu Sect, carrying a whisk on his back and exuding an air of otherworldly elegance, had a furrowed brow at this moment, stroking his beard from time to time, his eyes anxiously fixed on the entrance to the passage that had just stabilized.
Standing beside him was Li Huayuan, a Golden Core cultivator from Huangfeng Valley, whose face was also filled with tension and anticipation. He paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, his eyes fixed on the exit.
Confronting them was an old man in a gray robe, with gray hair and a somewhat playful and casual expression—the Golden Core Elder of the Hidden Moon Sect, Old Monster Qiong! At this moment, he appeared relaxed, even picking at his ear with a hint of boredom, a faint smug smile on his lips.
Clearly, he had complete confidence in the bet he had made with Fuyunzi and Li Huayuan.
The wager was simple: if, after the Crimson Forbidden Land closed, the total amount of spiritual herbs brought out by the disciples of Qingxu Sect and Huangfeng Valley exceeded the total amount brought out by Yanyue Sect, then Fuyunzi and Li Huayuan would win, and Qiong Laoguai would have to pay three talismans crafted using his natal magic weapon, the "Invisible Needle," as a wager. Conversely, if the total amount of spiritual herbs brought out by Yanyue Sect exceeded the total of both sects, Qiong Laoguai would win, and Fuyunzi and Li Huayuan would each have to contribute rare materials.
This "Invisible Needle Treasure" is no ordinary treasure! Old Monster Qiong is known as the number one person below the Nascent Soul stage in the seven sects of Yue Kingdom. His cultivation is unfathomable, and his natal magic treasure, the "Invisible Needle," is even more famous. It is special in breaking through all kinds of shields and defenses, and its destructive power is astonishing.
He poured most of his effort and the rare materials he had found into this invisible needle, making its power far surpass that of other magic weapons of the same rank. The talisman he crafted contained the invisible needle's extremely strong armor-piercing properties and a hint of elusiveness, making its value far beyond that of ordinary talismans. It was absolutely an excellent trump card for saving one's life and killing enemies! Fu Yunzi and Li Huayuan had long coveted it.
Finally, the passage stabilized completely.
Half an hour later, disciples from the seven sects emerged from the light gate in a disheveled state. Without exception, they were all ragged, injured, and some were even on the verge of death, relying entirely on their fellow disciples for support.
Most of them wore expressions of shock and lingering fear, their eyes vacant, clearly having experienced unimaginable dangers in the forbidden area; it was a miracle they had survived.
As time went by, a total of more than twenty disciples from various sects emerged.
Qiong Laoguai, who had always appeared confident and carefree, finally showed a slight change in expression.
Because among these twenty-odd people, not a single one was a disciple of his Hidden Moon Sect! He subconsciously looked at the Hidden Moon Sect Golden Core cultivator, Fairy Ni Chang, who was also in charge of leading the group beside him.
The once charming and beautiful face of the Fairy of Rainbow Robes was now filled with worry. Their eyes met in the air, and they both read deep worry and a sense of foreboding in each other's eyes.
Especially Fairy Ni Chang, who stared intently at the dark entrance to the passage, her full breasts rising and falling slightly, muttering to herself in a low voice with a barely perceptible tremor: "Duo Bao... please don't let anything happen to you..."
……
Just as the passage was reopened and disciples from various sects began to emerge one after another, Qin Hao, who was meditating in the dense forest, slowly opened his eyes.
"The main objectives of this trip have been achieved; it's time to leave."
Qin Hao stood up, brushed the dust and fallen leaves off his clothes, and looked up towards the direction of the ring-shaped mountain range in the center of the forbidden area. He did not rush to the exit immediately.
"There are still at least two or three hours before the passage closes... It's a rare trip to the Crimson Forbidden Land. Nangong Wan is currently going berserk in the central area, while the outer areas are relatively safe. Those disciples who manage to make it to the outer areas are probably carrying some valuables..."
A thought arose in Qin Hao's mind. A "kind" smile appeared on his face, and with a swift movement, like a nimble cheetah, he began to roam the outer area of the Crimson Forbidden Zone.
He deliberately avoided places with abundant spiritual energy and the possibility of high-grade spiritual herbs. Instead, he maximized his divine sense to search for disciples of the Seven Sects whose auras were unstable, who were seriously injured, and who looked like "easy prey".
With the defense of the Xuan Tie Scale Armor, the sharpness of the Crimson Soul Blade, and the assistance of various talismans, Qin Hao transformed into the "cleaner" of the outer area in the following period.
"Fellow Taoist, please stay!"
"Sir, you appear to be seriously injured. Do you need any help?"
"Hmm, this kind of spiritual herb is destined for me..."
He would either feign an encounter, intercept directly, or launch a sneak attack, with a clear target—the storage bag! Once he determined that the target might be wealthy, he would act without hesitation.
Along his journey of chivalry, Qin Hao reaped considerable rewards. Besides gathering varying quantities of different spiritual herbs and some magical artifacts and spirit stones of varying grades, after killing a fleeing disciple of the Giant Sword Sect at the twelfth level of Qi Refining, Qin Hao pulled out a page from his storage bag that was neither gold nor jade, but shimmered with a faint silver light!
The page was about the size of a palm, made of a peculiar material that felt cool to the touch. It was covered with countless tiny silver runes, as fine as mosquitoes, extremely complex and profound. When Qin Hao scanned it with his divine sense, he felt a slight stinging and dizzying sensation.
"This is..." Qin Hao's pupils contracted slightly.
"There's no mistake! This should be the other page that comes with the golden page in Han Li's hand that records the incomplete 'Azure Origin Sword Technique'! It likely contains the complete 'Azure Origin Sword Technique'! And... that crucial Three-Turn Rejuvenation Technique!"
Qin Hao wasn't particularly interested in the "Azure Origin Sword Technique" itself. Its power was rather unremarkable. Even in the Spirit Realm, when Han Li achieved the Mahayana stage, he primarily relied on top-tier profound techniques like the Nirvana Saint Body and the Twelve Transformations of the Awakening of Insects. Moreover, without Han Li's little green bottle, he couldn't cultivate a massive amount of ten-thousand-year-old Golden Thunder Bamboo to forge the "Azure Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword." Without a powerful accompanying magic weapon, the sword technique's power would be greatly diminished.
"However, the 'Three Revolutions Rejuvenation Technique' is different!" Qin Hao's eyes gleamed: "Although this auxiliary technique is painful and requires enduring the torment of dispersing and rebuilding three times, which is time-consuming and energy-consuming, it can greatly increase the success rate when forming the Golden Core! This is crucial for my future breakthrough to the Golden Core bottleneck!"
Although Han Li now calls him "Senior Brother" affectionately, given his future growth trajectory and suspicious nature, the more he experiences, the more cunning he will become. In the future, getting even a thousand-year-old spiritual herb from him will likely require an equal exchange, and as for the ten-thousand-year-old Golden Thunder Bamboo, forget about it altogether.
……
The entrance to the Crimson Forbidden Land.
The expressions on the faces of the seven Golden Core cultivators changed dramatically as their disciples reported and the spiritual herbs were counted, like a silent face-changing drama.
The Golden Core cultivators from Tianque Fortress and Huadao Dock had the calmest expressions, even a hint of numbness.
In any case, these two factions are relatively weak, and their gains in the Blood Forbidden Land trial are always at the bottom. This time seems to be no exception. They are already used to it and are not moved at all.
The expressions of the two Golden Core cultivators from the Giant Sword Sect and the Spirit Beast Mountain were like barometers, changing with the quantity and quality of the spiritual herbs their disciples brought out.
Sometimes his brow would relax and a smile would appear when a disciple contributed a precious medicinal herb; other times his brow would furrow and his expression would be displeased when the overall harvest was not as expected.
Meanwhile, Fu Yunzi of Qingxu Sect and Li Huayuan of Huangfeng Valley were experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions, their expressions incredibly complex—a barely suppressed yet irrepressible ecstasy mixed with the tension and trepidation of being seen through by the old monster Qiong on the other side.
The two of them would exchange glances from time to time, their eyes filled with excitement and a hint of incredulous anticipation.
The reason is simple: according to preliminary statistics, the total number of spiritual herbs brought out by the disciples of Qingxu Sect and Huangfeng Valley actually exceeded the total number of disciples of Yanyue Sect. According to the bet, as long as the total number of the two sects exceeds that of Yanyue Sect, they will win! The long-awaited "Invisible Needle Talisman Treasure" seems to be within reach!
"Haha, Fellow Daoist Li, look at this..." Fu Yunzi stroked his beard, trying to remain calm as he spoke in a low voice to Li Huayuan, but his slightly trembling beard and shining eyes betrayed his inner excitement.
"Fellow Daoist Fuyun, hold on, it's not over yet..." Li Huayuan responded in a low voice, but the uncontrollable upward curve of his lips revealed his inner elation.
However, this brief joy did not last long.
Just as Fu Yunzi and Li Huayuan were secretly delighted, the main force of the Hidden Moon Sect finally appeared! Nangong Wan, with a cold expression and a murderous aura that kept strangers at bay, led her team out of the passage.
The disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect behind her all looked exhausted, some even injured, but their storage bags were bulging.
As Fairy Ni Chang quickly finished counting the total amount of spiritual herbs brought back by the Hidden Moon Sect and loudly announced the number—
Fu Yunzi and Li Huayuan's smiles froze instantly! Their hearts sank into an ice cave!
"The Hidden Moon Sect has collected a total of seventy-three spiritual herbs that meet the required age! Among them, twenty-seven are the main ingredients for Foundation Establishment Pills!"
This number instantly surpassed the total amount of spiritual herbs submitted by all disciples of Qingxu Sect and Huangfeng Valley! And the difference was significant!
Old Monster Qiong's previously gloomy expression instantly brightened, his worries vanished, and he put on his signature playful expression again, even with a hint of mockery and smugness, as he glanced at the two people opposite him who looked as if they had lost their parents.
He stroked his beard slowly, as if to say: Young man, you're still too green to fight an old man like me!
Fu Yunzi and Li Huayuan exchanged a glance, both seeing deep despair and bitter smiles in each other's eyes. It was over; they had lost the bet! Those three coveted "Invisible Needle Talisman Treasures" were ultimately just a mirage. The two hung their heads dejectedly, preparing to concede and fulfill their wager.
Just as the massive white portal began to fluctuate violently, its light dimming and shrinking at a visible speed, seemingly about to slam shut under the pressure of the barrier—
A burly figure, like a ghost, stepped out silently yet with extraordinary composure from the gap in the closing light gate!
Qin Hao looked travel-worn, his yellow robe was torn in several places and stained with blood and dust, but of course, it was all an act.
"Zhang Tie!" The old Taoist Fuyunzi's eyes suddenly lit up, as if a drowning person had grasped at the last straw. He no longer cared about the demeanor of a Golden Core cultivator!
He flashed forward and appeared in front of Qin Hao in an instant, grabbing Qin Hao's arm. His voice was distorted with extreme tension and anticipation:
"You...you've finally figured it out! Quickly, tell me, how many spiritual herbs did you bring back?!"
Sensing the immense power emanating from the old Taoist's hand and the almost spitting fire in his eyes, Qin Hao understood. Without revealing his expression, he calmly unfastened the storage pouch from his waist and handed it to Fu Yunzi.
Fu Yunzi snatched the storage bag almost as if he were grabbing it, and without even bothering to use his divine sense to examine it, he dumped all the contents of the bag onto the temporarily cleared ground in front of all the Golden Core cultivators present!
With a whoosh, a pile of spiritual herbs exuding rich spiritual energy instantly formed a small mountain!
The entire room fell silent instantly! All eyes were focused on the pile of medicinal herbs.
The old Daoist Fuyunzi was so excited that his hands trembled slightly. He personally bent down and, under the tense gaze of Li Huayuan and the astonished and uncertain stares of the other Golden Core cultivators from various sects, began to quickly count the items:
"Chalcedony branches, over three hundred years old, one, two... three!"
"Purple monkey flowers, over two hundred years old, one, two... four!"
"Five Heavenly Spirit Fruits!"
"Two blood magnolias!"
……
As Fu Yunzi called out each name and number, his expression shifted from tension to joy, then to ecstasy, and finally, his face was flushed! After the count was complete, Fu Yunzi abruptly sat up, his voice cracking slightly with extreme excitement, echoing throughout the room:
"Ten...fifteen plants! Hahahaha! A full fifteen spiritual herbs of the right age! Good! Good! Good! Xuanzhen was right about you! You are indeed a promising talent!"
These fifteen medicinal herbs were like the last straw that broke the camel's back!
With the addition of Qin Hao's fifteen spiritual herbs, Qingxu Sect's original total amount of spiritual herbs instantly surpassed that of Huangfeng Valley, which had been leading all along.
More importantly, the combined total of the spiritual herbs from Qingxu Sect and Huangfeng Valley, plus Qin Hao's fifteen herbs, finally surpassed the total total of the Yanyue Sect!
The stark contrast and dramatic ending made Fuyunzi burst into laughter, so moved he almost shed tears.
Li Huayuan's sorrow turned to joy. Although the total number of Qingxu Sect members exceeded that of Huangfeng Valley, which made him a little depressed, the two sects combined had won against Yanyue Sect. This meant that he and Fuyunzi had jointly won the three talisman treasures of Qiong Laoguai!
This is still a huge victory! He couldn't help but grin, his gaze towards Qin Hao filled with approval.
On the other hand, Qiong Laoguai, who had been smug just moments before, froze completely with a smile on his face, which then turned as black as the bottom of a pot at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Hmph!" Old Monster Qiong suddenly flicked his sleeve and let out a cold snort like muffled thunder.
"A bet's a bet! Here you go!"
Fu Yunzi and Li Huayuan instinctively reached out to catch it, feeling the astonishingly sharp aura and a chilling sense of destruction contained within the talisman. It was the "Invisible Needle Talisman" they had been dreaming of! The two were immediately overjoyed.
After throwing out the talisman, Old Monster Qiong didn't linger at all, not even bothering to say any pleasantries. He transformed into a gray streak and vanished into the distant horizon in an instant, his speed revealing his extreme anger.
The Fairy of Rainbow Robes paid no attention to the outcome of the bet; her gaze never left the now completely closed and vanished entrance to the passage. Until the spatial ripples subsided completely, and no trace of the passage remained in the world, the figure she had been waiting for never appeared.
"Duobao..."
Nangong Wan paid little attention to the outcome of the bet or Ni Chang's sorrow. From the moment Qin Hao stepped out of the passage, her gaze was fixed on this burly young man! That upright figure, that gait, and that calm yet sharp aura... it was all too familiar! He bore at least a seven or eight-tenths resemblance to the figure she had chased in the underground stone hall!
Nangong Wan's eyes instantly turned sharp as an eagle's, scrutinizing and coldly probing as she looked Qin Hao up and down without any politeness, as if she wanted to see through him inside and out.
Qin Hao inwardly cried out in alarm. He could only grit his teeth, keep a calm expression, and prepare to face the scrutiny of this "victim."
However, just as Nangong Wan's gaze was about to fall on his face for a deeper examination—
An indescribable sense of dread, seemingly originating from the depths of his soul, swept over Qin Hao's entire body without warning!
He felt as if a pair of indifferent, ancient eyes, seemingly able to see through all the illusions of the heavens and the earth, were sweeping over him!
This gaze was not sharp, nor did it carry any sense of intimidation, but rather a cold and profound quality that seemed to look down upon all living beings and disregard everything.
Under this gaze, Qin Hao felt like an ant under a microscope, with all his secrets exposed!
Cold sweat instantly soaked Qin Hao's back! Following the source of that feeling, he subtly scanned the edge of the area where the disciples of the seven sects were gathered.
There, a gaunt old man, dressed in a faded yellow robe and looking like an ordinary farmer, was mingling among a group of equally disheveled Yellow Maple Valley disciples, seemingly also curiously looking this way.
A gesture of respect!
An old monster at the Nascent Soul stage!
Qin Hao's heart pounded wildly, almost leaping out of his throat. He forcibly suppressed his fear, immediately averting his gaze, keeping his eyes down, afraid to make the slightest movement. Only one thought screamed in his mind:
"Damn it! Why hasn't that old monster left yet?! Thank goodness... thank goodness that this old monster is of a detached nature and not the kind of bloodthirsty demonic giant... If it were a Nascent Soul stage demonic monster here, I'm afraid everyone here would have been subjected to soul-searching, soul-refining, and slaughter!" (End of Chapter)