And the big man surnamed Hai from Ten Thousand Beast Mountain cried out in alarm, "Form-Revealing Pearl! Yin Sudie, you madwoman—you actually brought this in here! Is it specifically to target our Ten Thousand Beast Mountain?!"
Yin Sudie giggled again, swaying like a flower branch in the breeze. "Brother Hai, whatever do you mean? Your Ten Thousand Beast Mountain and our Glazed Glass Gate are close neighbors who live in harmony like brothers and sisters. Why would I target you? It's just that the Blazing Sand Land is full of all sorts of restrictions, so I brought this pearl in purely as a precaution. What's wrong? Why are you so nervous, Brother Hai? Could it be that you really have something to hide?"
Her voice was sweet and syrupy, crisp and pleasant to the ear, yet when it reached the big man Hai's ears, it sent a chill through his entire body.
Yin Sudie didn't wait for the big man Hai to say anything else. She breathed a fragrant puff onto the pearl, and the drab grey bead immediately erupted with blinding radiance. Wherever the light shone, it seemed to possess miraculous power—everyone couldn't help but feel that it was impossible to conceal their form or aura, and an involuntary sense of dread arose in their hearts.
Beneath the valley full of withered trees, the faint outline of a centipede-like creature several zhang long appeared, lurking more than ten zhang underground, squirming ceaselessly—enough to make one's scalp tingle.
When the light shone down into the valley, even though this centipede-like demon beast had been hiding quite well, some flaws were now exposed.
Qu Changfeng saw this and bellowed, "Red-Lined Iron Centipede! What do you have to say for yourself now?"
The big man Hai had known things were bad the moment he recognized the grey pearl in Yin Sudie's hand. With a flicker of his mind, he recalled the several-zhang-long Red-Lined Iron Centipede that had been lurking underground. His face flushed crimson, and ignoring Qu Changfeng's question entirely, he fixed Yin Sudie with a gaze full of venomous hatred.
The atmosphere turned razor-tense in an instant, as if a full-scale battle could erupt at any moment.
Crackle... crackle...
A burst of crackling electric arcs rang out, cutting through the tense atmosphere with an almost piercing shrillness. Looking toward the source of the sound, the big man Hai's heart went cold. He had originally been counting on the powerful demon beasts that he and his fellow disciples had brought, planning to force their way into staying here. But now he had no choice but to abandon that idea.
Because the one producing the crackling arcs was none other than Fang Tianzhong of the Thunder Platform Sect. He rose slowly, casting an indifferent gaze toward the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain group. Though he didn't speak, everyone understood his meaning.
Fang Tianzhong was evidently quite displeased with their sneaky underhanded tactics, and this time he sided with Qu Changfeng.
Yin Sudie had already made her position clear. The big man Hai estimated that if he insisted on staying, he would end up making enemies of the elites from three powerful sects. The demon beasts he had brought would certainly not be enough to handle such a confrontation.
His expression darkening to the extreme, the big man Hai said nothing. He took a deep breath, recalled the thirty-odd Bitter King Bees buzzing around him back into his body, then led his fellow disciples down from the hill and departed at high speed.
Following the Wei Fire Alliance being driven away, the five from Ten Thousand Beast Mountain met the same fate—just as that Wei Fire Alliance cultivator had warned before leaving!
Neither of these two forces was weak, but after drawing everyone's wrath, they didn't dare stay any longer. The Red Candle Fruit was indeed rare and precious, but one's own life was naturally more important.
Of all those who had helped drive off the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain group, Yin Sudie was by far the happiest. Her enchanting smile bloomed like a peony, radiating a soul-stealing allure that made many of the male cultivators who caught a glimpse of it deeply captivated—they longed to rush forward, hold her in their arms, and savor her exquisite charms.
Ten Thousand Beast Mountain and the Glazed Glass Gate were close neighbors, and conflict between them was inevitable. This time, Yin Sudie had brought the Form-Revealing Pearl specifically because she feared the shape-concealing demon beasts that the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain people could command. She hadn't expected to need it before, but it had turned out to be extremely useful here.
After reporting this matter back, she should receive praise from her master, right? Yin Sudie thought to herself. Whether intentionally or not, she glanced toward Dai Yuan, only to see that the other woman still hadn't opened her eyes, remaining immersed in her own comprehension. She immediately felt rather bored.
Just then, Yang Kai suddenly let out a muffled groan, his face turning abruptly pale, as if he had suffered some kind of injury.
The valley surroundings had been completely silent—many cultivators were looking around nervously, and some were deeply anxious. No one dared speak above a whisper, even their breathing kept to an absolute minimum. Yang Kai's muffled groan sounded jarringly out of place, instantly drawing the gaze of everyone present.
Wei Guchang asked with evident concern, "Brother Yang, what's wrong?"
Yang Kai's pale face gradually regained its color. He smiled faintly at the question. "Nothing. I just made a small mistake during my comprehension and nearly got hurt."
"Oh." Although Wei Guchang still found this somewhat strange, he didn't press further.
During comprehension, even a mistake shouldn't result in actual injury. Wei Guchang wasn't the only one puzzled—even Dong Xuan'er and Dai Yuan were confused. Dai Yuan, who still hadn't opened her eyes at all, even glanced over at Yang Kai.
"Brother Wei, there's nothing wrong on your end, is there?" Qu Changfeng asked coldly. Just moments ago had been his time to shine, only to have the spotlight stolen by Yang Kai's muffled groan. Whether this first-level Saint King cultivator had done it intentionally or not, it greatly displeased Qu Changfeng, and his tone naturally reflected that.