Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 350 Star Ink Island
Jin Yuanxing put away his smile and straightened his expression: "Fellow Daoist Pang, please speak."

"Our sect leader is aware that your sect has long been dissatisfied with the Beast Taming Sect. Why don't you follow our example, break away from the Beast Taming Sect's control, and rule Bianxi City independently? If your sect can make up its mind, both our sect and the Yunxuan Sect will support you."

"The situation in Xijiang County is becoming increasingly clear. The Beast Taming Sect is like a grasshopper in autumn, it won't be able to jump around for long. If your sect doesn't express its stance now, and waits until the Beast Taming Sect is defeated, it may be too late to change sides. There are quite a few forces eyeing this area of ​​Bianxi City. In the grand scheme of things, those who follow the trend prosper and those who oppose it perish. Your sect would be better off thinking this through."

"Without Fellow Daoist Pang's reminder, our sect will certainly give it a good consideration."

“We know that your clan has long coveted the territory of Humen City. If your clan is willing, we can take Humen City together. Of course, the premise is that your clan must show its attitude.”

Jin Yuanxing's gaze sharpened: "To jointly take Humen City? So, your sect already intends to conquer Humen City?"

"The Bright Moon Sect of Humen City is a staunch supporter of the Beast Taming Sect. We cannot rest easy until we eliminate them. Although your sect and the Bright Moon Sect have a good relationship, times have changed. I advise your sect to think more about your own interests."

Jin Yuanxing stared intently at him: "Fellow Daoist Pang, if our sect does not agree, does your sect also intend to attack Bianxi City?"

"This sect has absolutely no such intention. However, we are determined to take Tiger Gate City. If your sect is willing to share the spoils, we welcome it. If you do not wish to get involved, we will not force you. But if your sect chooses to stand with the Bright Moon Sect, then you are deliberately opposing this sect. I have said all I have to say. Farewell. I hope your sect can make the right decision soon."

Before he could answer, the man surnamed Pang stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and strode outside.

Watching his departing figure, Jin Yuanxing's face was devoid of any smile, his brows furrowed. After a while, he got up and left the main hall, going to a mansion.

"Sect Leader, he's gone."

"What did you say?" Tao Jinyuan asked, noticing his expression. He knew it wasn't a good thing.

Jin Yuanxing repeated their conversation: "The Fengxing Sect has issued us an ultimatum. I believe they will take action soon."

Tao Jinyuan's expression also turned serious: "Did Zhuang Buyi really form his core at the Cloud Soaring Sect's mountain gate?"

"It hasn't been verified yet, but I don't think Pang Yuan would lie about something like this. What I'm worried about now is that if the Fengxing Sect plans to take action against Humen City, their next target will be our sect. I think their invitation to us to take Humen City together is just a strategy of forming alliances."

Tao Jinyuan couldn't sit still any longer. He walked to the window, opened it, and felt the gentle breeze on his face. His eyes narrowed slightly. "The Fengxing Sect isn't the key. The important thing is the Yunxiao Sect. If they join forces with the Yunxuan Sect, the Yushou Sect will be no match for them. Then, Xijiang County will usher in a change of dynasty. Immediately send someone to find out about the Yunxiao Sect's news and movements, especially their relationship with the Yunxuan Sect."

"Then... if the Fengxing Sect attacks Humen City, how should our sect respond? We don't have much time left."

"Let's see how things go! At least until they conquer the Bright Moon Sect, they won't attack our sect for the time being."

…………

In the dimly lit cultivation room on Mount Luojia, Song Xian was meditating with his eyes closed when a knocking sound came from outside. He opened his eyes, exhaled a breath of stale air, and waved his hand. The stone door opened without wind, and the disciple standing outside bowed and said, "Reporting to the Sect Leader, Senior Brother Zhang Ningyuan has arrived and says he has important matters to report."

Without saying a word, Song Xian immediately got up and left the cultivation room, heading towards the mansion. Zhang Ningyuan was now the chief of the cabinet, and he had come all the way from Tianshan in person, so he must have something very important to do.

When he arrived at the reception room of the mansion, he saw Zhang Ningyuan and a thin disciple with triangular eyes already waiting for him. Upon seeing him, the two hurriedly went to greet him and bowed.

"I've met the headmaster."

"Disciple Cheng Yu greets the Sect Leader."

Song Xian's gaze swept over the thin disciple, who was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining. The Hunyuan Sect currently had several hundred disciples, and apart from some core members and senior disciples, he did not know the names of most of them. This person was one of them.

"Please sit down!" Song Xian sat down in the main seat, waved his hand, and gestured for the two to sit down. Since Zhang Ningyuan had brought this person along, it was clear that the important matter he was talking about was related to this person.

"I am disturbing the sect leader's peaceful cultivation today because Junior Brother Cheng has discovered the location of a secret treasure, so I brought him here to pay my respects." After taking his seat, Zhang Ningyuan went straight to the point.

"What secret treasure is it? Explain it more clearly."

"Junior Brother Cheng, you speak!"

“Yes.” Cheng Yu replied, “Reporting to the sect leader, I discovered the location of the treasure by chance. Three months ago, I was ordered to go to the All-Star Trading Company in the Muhe Grassland to hand over the list of supplies. In order to complete the mission as soon as possible, I took the sea route. When I passed a small island in the Mo Xing Sea, my spiritual power was insufficient, so I rested on the island to recover my depleted spiritual power.”

"Just as we were resting, we suddenly heard a sound coming from a cave not far away. Curious, I went into the cave and found a blue defensive light barrier."

“I was afraid there might be someone inside, perhaps some rogue cultivator. So I shouted a few times, and when no one answered, I attacked the light barrier.”

"Unfortunately, my strength is too weak. I exhausted my spiritual power and still failed to break through that light barrier. In my opinion, that defensive light barrier is at least a second-order formation. Therefore, I am here to inform the sect leader. I suspect that there must be a treasure hidden inside that formation."

Upon hearing this, Song Xian nodded calmly: "Besides you, is there anyone else who knows about that place?"

"No. After I discovered the defensive light barrier inside the cave, I returned to Tianshan and reported the matter to Senior Brother Zhang."

You said you heard a noise when you passed by that place?

"Yes, I was also wondering what caused that noise. I went inside but found nothing. I suspect that the noise was caused by a malfunction in the formation."

"Besides that, is there anything else unusual about it?"

"The cave was ordinary, nothing special."

"Is everything you said true?"

“How could I dare to deceive you? Every word I have said is true and there is absolutely no falsehood. If I have concealed anything, I am willing to accept punishment.”

"Senior Brother Ningyuan, you may step back now. I have some questions for him to ask him privately."

"Yes." Although Zhang Ningyuan was curious, he still got up and left the reception room.

After he left, Song Xian waved his hand, and a burst of spiritual energy shot out, slamming the heavy door of the hall shut with a bang.

Upon seeing this, Cheng Yu was startled, his eyelids twitched, and he could no longer sit still. He stood up and bowed, saying, "I wonder if the sect leader has any other questions? This disciple will answer to the best of his knowledge."

Song Xian flipped his hand and took out a golden talisman. He beckoned to him, signaling him to come to his side: "Don't worry, I will stick this talisman on you later. You must not use your spiritual power to resist it, understand?"

"Yes, disciple understands." Cheng Yu glanced at the golden talisman, still feeling somewhat uneasy, and asked in a low voice, "May I ask, Sect Leader, what is the purpose of this talisman?"

"I told you not to worry, this talisman will not harm you in any way. If you trust me, just do as I say."

"This disciple trusts the sect leader."

"That's good." Song Xian said nothing more, and placed the golden talisman on his brow. Immediately, spiritual power surged in, and the golden talisman immediately shone brightly, turning into specks of golden light that entered his body from his forehead.

As the golden light poured in, Cheng Yu's gaze gradually lost focus, his previously tense body slowly relaxed, and his hands fell limply to his sides.

Only after the golden talisman light had completely entered his body did Song Xian withdraw his hand from his forehead.

This talisman is called the Mind-Bewitching Talisman. It is a special second-tier high-grade talisman recorded in the ultimate secret talisman. The person controlled by the talisman will temporarily lose their mind, as if hypnotized. During this time, they will do whatever is asked of them and answer truthfully no matter what is asked, just like someone whose soul has been searched.

There are many methods for controlling people in the cultivation world, among which the most terrifying is undoubtedly the soul-searching technique. Although this technique is useful, it is not easy to cultivate. It has very high requirements for the cultivator's soul and is extremely easy to go into qi deviation and suffer backlash. Therefore, there are not many people in the cultivation world who practice this technique.

Those who are subjected to soul-searching always meet a dead end, because the soul-searching technique invades the other person's sea of ​​consciousness, causing irreversible and enormous damage to their divine sense.

In this respect, the mind-controlling talisman is very gentle and will not cause any harm to people.

However, its drawbacks are also obvious. It requires the full cooperation of the other party. If the other party resists, even if it is a Qi Refining cultivator, as long as the spiritual power in the body surges, the spiritual energy of the talisman will be unbalanced, causing it to become ineffective.

Song Xian used the mind-controlling talisman on him for safety reasons.

Although Cheng Yu was his own disciple, he was not at ease. What if this person was a spy planted by other forces, trying to lure him out of Luojia Mountain and ambush him from outside? Then it would be all over.

Jiang Feng used this method to deceive Kong Zhenqing, luring four Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Kong family to the Muhe Grassland, which allowed him to capture the Kong family in one fell swoop.

With the lessons of the past right before their eyes, how could Song Xian repeat the same mistakes?
Therefore, he painstakingly studied this mind-controlling talisman for this very purpose.

The reason he sent Zhang Ningyuan away was to avoid revealing this trump card. If the news leaked and others knew that he possessed the Mind-Bending Talisman, they would have countermeasures. Therefore, the fewer people who knew about this matter, the better.

Seeing that the mind-controlling talisman was working, Song Xian began to ask questions: "Did you really find a second-tier defensive light barrier array in a cave on a small island in the Star Ink Sea?"

Cheng Yu did not react at all, his expression as if he were half asleep. After a while, he finally responded with a "Yes".

Song Xian stared intently into his eyes, this being the first time he had ever used the mind-controlling talisman on someone: "When did you discover that magic array?"

Cheng Yu remained silent for a while before answering in a low, halting voice, "The night before last month...".

Why did you inform Zhang Ningyuan of this news?

"I...can't break...the formation."

Song Xian asked a series of questions, and Cheng Yu's silence grew longer and longer after each question. Before long, he could no longer speak, his body swayed, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Song Xian immediately bent down to examine his condition and found that his internal organs, meridians and bones were not in disarray, but his consciousness in the Niwan Palace was somewhat chaotic. So he opened the hall door and sent someone to take him to the guest hall to rest.

"Sect Leader, what happened to Junior Brother Cheng?" When Zhang Ningyuan arrived, he saw Cheng Yu being carried out and couldn't help but look shocked.

"It's nothing, I just need a rest." Song Xian didn't tell Zhang Ningyuan about the mind-controlling talisman, giving a casual reply. Although Zhang Ningyuan was curious, he didn't press further: "Then...should we send someone to Humen City to investigate?"

"Of course, this is an opportunity not to be missed. I will personally lead the team there."

"The sect leader should go personally? Isn't that too risky? Although Cheng Yu is a disciple of the sect, it's still good to be on guard. The Kong family's matter is right here, so I suggest that Senior Brother Lin and Junior Brother Hu lead the way."

"No need. Cheng Yu is telling the truth, it's not a trap. I've already tested him. By the way, don't tell anyone about what happened today."

"Yes, I understand."

.........

The sky is clear and cloudless.

The azure sea was calm and still when several streaks of light shot through the air, heading straight for one of the small islands.

After walking for a long time, we arrived at a large natural cave.

"This is it. There's a protective light barrier with a magic array inside," Cheng Yu said after the group landed.

Song Xian nodded and strode inside. There were only five people on this trip. In addition to him, Su Zhirou and Lin Zixiang also came, along with a disciple from the sect in charge of formations and Cheng Yu.

Knowing that this place was guarded by an array, he brought along an additional disciple who understood arrays.

The cave was very dark inside. As soon as we entered, we heard a squeaking sound, which was a group of bats taking flight.

The entire cave is very spacious, like a large nest, with bats of all sizes hanging on the surrounding stone walls.

Such places where large groups of animals live are usually safe; if there is any danger inside, large groups of animals will not inhabit them.

The cave is funnel-shaped, and the further you go in, the wider the space becomes.

They walked until they reached the end of the cave before they saw the blue light curtain that Cheng Yu had mentioned, which was about three or four hundred feet in size.

"Jiang Quan!" Song Xian called out.

"Disciple is here." A thin man stepped forward in response. This man was the disciple in charge of the sect's formations.

"It's up to you."

"Disciple obeys." Jiang Quan responded, flipping a small crimson flag in his hand. He muttered incantations, and the crimson flag gradually emitted a faint light. Then, a crimson beam shot out and struck the blue light screen. Like a fish swimming on the surface of the sea, the crimson beam circled up and down before returning to the crimson flag.

Jiang Quan changed positions several times, casting the crimson light into the cyan light screen, where it circled once before being withdrawn. After about half an hour of this, he finally put away the crimson flag and came to Song Xian's side.

"Reporting to the Sect Leader, in my opinion, this is a mid-grade second-tier formation."

"What kind of formation is this? Is there a way to break it?"

Jiang Quan's face flushed slightly: "This disciple is incompetent and cannot discern the specific formation."

If he couldn't even see the formation, then naturally he had no way to break it. Song Xian simply nodded and didn't blame him, after all, it was really difficult for a Qi Refining disciple to deal with a second-tier formation.

"What do you suggest?"

"This formation has been set up for quite some time now. I have already detected several fluctuations in spiritual energy. Starting from these points should be more effective than blindly attacking."

"Let's do as you say!"

Following his instructions, Song Xian, Su Zhirou, and Lin Zixiang each occupied a side and used their magic to attack the blue light barrier.

As time went by, under the relentless attacks of the three, the cyan light curtain gradually twisted and deformed, finally shattering like a water curtain with a loud 'boom'.

After the defensive light barrier disappeared, a palace with black bricks and black tiles appeared inside.

(End of this chapter)