Starting with the titmouse, seventy-two transformations

Chapter 162 The Cold-Blooded Truth

In the end, this battle never took place.

Xie Baogu stepped forward and spoke privately with the Frost Wolf Demon.

A moment later, he returned to the group and ordered them to set off.

"This means... a deal has been reached?"

Liu Sheng frowned, feeling that things weren't so simple.

The next moment, the pack of giant wolves charged forward and pounced on the wandering martial artists, tearing, biting, hitting, and striking them, catching them completely off guard.

A frost wolf pounced on Liu Sheng, but he crouched down and dodged it.

This frost wolf was three or four zhang long, about ten zhang tall at the shoulder, with gray-white fur, oily green eyes, and sharp fangs.

After missing its target, it glanced coldly at Liu Sheng, then swiftly bit a nearby wandering martial artist with its sharp teeth before turning and fleeing.

By the time everyone realized what was happening, the wolves had already retreated into the forest and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The whole process was swift and swift; in the blink of an eye, the group of wandering martial artists had no time to react before the wolf pack abducted a number of them.

Deep in the mountains, surrounded by demons, the fate of these martial artists was predictable.

"Exactly ten people, no more, no less."

Liu Sheng's pupils narrowed slightly. Under the "sparrow shape," his eyesight was astonishing, and he had already taken in the expressions and movements of everyone around him.

Although those frost wolves were fast, they only targeted martial artists. The ten Qi cultivators present could easily have stopped the pack of wolves.

Even some True Form Realm martial artists can save them if they wish.

But those who had the ability ultimately chose to stand by and watch, allowing the pack of frost wolves to abduct ten wandering martial artists.

Accident, or scripted?
Liu Sheng recalled Xie Bao's private conversation with the frost wolf demon, and had some guesses in his mind.

Afterwards, the group continued onward, but the atmosphere had long lost the excitement it had at the beginning.

Some wandering martial artists tried to leave the group during a rest break, but they were all caught and brought back.

It should be noted that the group was patrolled day and night by disciples from various sects.

How can an ordinary wandering swordsman escape?

Those who are captured are broken on the spot, but not immediately fatal.

After that, whenever a demon blocked their way, they would throw them out as "toll money" to pass through smoothly.

Now everyone understood.

It turns out that the imperial court suddenly opened up three hundred slots for wandering martial artists to compete for, but in reality, it was just to select a group of strong enough "pigs and dogs" to offer blood food to the demons along the way in exchange for passing through.

What a ruthless means!
What a vicious heart!

The person who came up with this strategy is worse than a pig or a dog.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the entire team became tense and oppressive.

The already strained relationship between independent martial artists, sects, and the government has become increasingly precarious, on the verge of erupting into conflict.

"Gentlemen, please listen to what I have to say."

At this moment, Xie Bao appeared riding his enormous, monster-like elephant.

The aura of a Qi Refiner was as vast as a mountain and as powerful as the sea, rolling in and instantly suppressing all confrontations.

This is a crushing defeat from the level of life itself.

Many of the wandering martial artists looked aggrieved, but dared not provoke them. They could only stand obediently in place and await their fate.

They all acted with great consideration for the overall situation.

There are no free lunches in the world; if you want to gain something, you must put in ten or a hundred times the effort.

Xie Bao sat high on the back of an elephant, fully armored, exuding a stern and imposing aura.

His tone was gentle, but to the ears of the many wandering martial artists, it sounded like rolling thunder, making their blood boil.

"You were not originally entitled to a place at the Qingyuan Cave Relics Site, but the imperial court granted you three hundred slots, which is an immense favor."

Whether you can successfully enter the ruins depends entirely on your abilities.

By weeding out the dross and keeping the essence, out of three hundred people, the elite and the best will still arrive smoothly.

Why can't you be one of them?

These words, a clever manipulation of concepts and a masterful display of sophistry, were incredibly persuasive. They resonated deeply with self-proclaimed martial artists, striking a chord with them.

Who doesn't stand out from the crowd?

Whose life, when viewed from the perspective of an ordinary person, isn't a legend?
Without self-confidence, they wouldn't have gotten to where they are today.

With 300 men, even if ten die at each checkpoint, it would be enough to handle all 30 checkpoints.

In the world of martial arts, it is inevitable to fight and advance by stepping on the blood and bones of one's comrades; this is a common occurrence.

As long as we can eventually enter the ruins and seize the divine treasure, all the adventures will be worthwhile.

A sense of luck rises in the hearts of every wandering swordsman, and everyone feels that they will eventually get through by sheer luck.

As a result, many wandering martial artists were strangely appeased.

"If they unite and riot, there is still hope of forcing the government and sects to make concessions and ultimately join forces to deal with the demons, but unfortunately..."

Liu Sheng watched coldly, his eyes flashing with six-colored light, illuminating the minds of the wandering martial artists around him, revealing a leaden gray mist, deep and almost black.

Greed breeds delusion, and delusion breeds wishful thinking.

Those who harbor侥幸心理 (a gambler's mentality) are inevitably driven by greed.

Therefore, one's luck is attributed to greed, that is, desire, which is black in color.

Furthermore, since Dui represents a marsh, and its color is gray, it signifies unexpected gains.

Therefore, those who harbor侥幸心理 (a sense of侥幸, or a belief that they can get away with something) often have a lead-gray light in their minds, and the heavier their thoughts, the darker the light becomes.

Looking around, there were more than two hundred people, all in a leaden gray color, like a dark cloud covering the sky, with almost no other colors.

There were a few spots of deep blue, but they were inconspicuous against the backdrop of leaden gray.

Blue represents caution.

The reason why a mob is a mob is that even if some individuals in this group are clear-headed and not misled, they will eventually be coerced into acting against their will.

A group of wandering martial arts practitioners, having taken advantage of Xie Bao's promises, will inevitably meet a predictable end.

Poor?

Pitiful!
Hateful?
hateful!

There's a saying that every pitiful person has something hateful about them; that's generally true.

This is human nature.

"Fortunately, I made two preparations."

Liu Sheng's gaze shifted, and after understanding the definition of "wandering rogue," he no longer intended to stay.

Otherwise, their true skill level will be exposed sooner or later, attracting unnecessary attention.

He's the kind of person who likes to hide in the shadows and secretly plot against people.

Why fight head-on when you can launch a sneak attack? Are you out of your mind?
Not long after, the ghost Qin Shuang appeared and, in full view of everyone, led him to the carriage of the Hehuan Sect.

This completely confirms the rumors about "Gu Shaoshang" and Qin Shuang.

As a result, most of the looks from those around him were filled with disgust and aversion.

Liu Sheng didn't care about this.

And they planned to kill "Gu Shaoshang" if necessary.

"Master, would you like Yuan'er and the others to serve you?"

Inside the carriage, the ghost Caiyu had been waiting for a long time.

"No need. Arrange a quiet room for me to practice."

Liu Sheng waved his hand, his sense of crisis greatly increased by the experiences he had gone through.

Xie Bao, that old cunning fellow, has countless hidden tricks up his sleeve. He won't be confident until he breaks through to the true form and refines an avatar.

Moreover, don't forget, there's a group of experts at the Prince of Jin's residence.

Of the current group of several hundred people, it remains to be seen how many will actually be able to enter the Qingyuan Cave ruins.

So, let's practice.

This time, we will strive to achieve complete internal and external unity, refine yin and yang, and condense true strength!

(End of this chapter)