Chapter 268: Theft in the Spirit Mine, Ascending to the Jade Divine Sect

Chapter 268: Theft in the Spirit Mine, Ascending to the Jade Divine Sect

As they ventured deeper, the spiritual energy became increasingly dense. Soon, glittering spirit crystals could be seen adorning the cave walls, indicating that they had entered the spirit mine region.

This section of the tunnel had not been mined, and the number of spirit crystals was limited.

At regular intervals along the tunnel wall, a moonstone was embedded, its soft silver glow illuminating the passage.

Passing through the tunnel, they arrived at a vast underground mine. On the left side of the entrance stood a pavilion that overlooked the entire mine.

The entire pavilion was carved from spirit crystals, and all the spirit crystals in the mine had been excavated except for those that made up the structure.

Inside the pavilion, a middle-aged man sat with his eyes closed, cultivating amidst the rich spiritual energy that converged towards him. He was the Jade Divine Sect's Refining God Elder, in charge of this place.

In front of the mine, there were over twenty mining paths, and several disciples of the Jade Divine Sect could be seen entering one of them, carrying precious tools for digging spirit crystals.

This was merely the fringe area of the grand mine.

And the person in the Spirit Crystal Pavilion was the Jade Divine Sect's elder in charge of this place.

Below the pavilion, several small houses had been built from spirit crystals, serving as residences for the sect's administrators in charge of this site, each of whom was a Great Heavenly Man realm warrior.

Xu Yan leaped into the air and headed towards the pavilion. Even without a sneak attack, he was confident he could defeat the elder, whose strength was only at the initial stage of the Refining God realm.

However, they were still inside the mine, and if a fight broke out, the elder might resort to desperate measures if he realized he was outmatched. He could destroy the spirit mine, along with the Earth Soul Flower that might exist within it, and it was uncertain if they could stop him in time.

Moreover, there were other Jade Divine Sect disciples in the spirit mine. If they heard the commotion and destroyed the Earth Soul Flower, the loss would be immense.

The most precious thing in this vast spirit mine was undoubtedly the Earth Soul Flower!

"What is it?" The Jade Divine Sect elder opened his eyes and asked in a deep voice.

The visitor was one of the administrators on guard duty outside. Unless it was something important, he wouldn't have come to find him.

"Elder..." Xu Yan had already reached the pavilion and spoke softly.

As he spoke, a sword light flickered, and the Mountain River Sword Formation instantly enveloped the elder.

The Extinction Sword fell!

The Jade Divine Sect elder was completely unprepared. Who would have thought that someone would impersonate the administrator on guard duty, and with the same appearance and aura no less?

Moreover, as the number one sect in Jade State, who would dare to come and assassinate him?

"You!" The Jade Divine Sect elder's expression changed dramatically, and his soul trembled as a white light emerged from his body, intending to defend himself!

However, the Mountain River Sword Formation had already descended!

Puh!

"Who are you?" The Jade Divine Sect elder was shocked beyond measure. In this moment, his body was eradicated by the sword formation.

His soul was collapsing.

He managed to ask one last question in astonishment before his death.

"Sword God Xu Yan!" Xu Yan replied indifferently.

The Jade Divine Sect elder was no more.

Xu Yan reached out and took the elder's storage bag.

Below the pavilion, Fang Hao and Meng Chong had swiftly dealt with the administrators. With their strength, those administrators, who were only at the Great Heavenly Man realm, posed no resistance at all.

They were defeated without even having a chance to raise an alarm!

Fang Hao waved his hand, and a formation device flew out. In an instant, a grand formation was set up in the vast mine, causing any Jade Divine Sect disciple who entered to become lost and unable to detect anything unusual.

"Let's go and see if there's an Earth Soul Flower." Xu Yan spoke.

The Earth Soul Flower was the most important treasure.

The three of them walked towards the mining paths, each of which had a signpost. Two of the paths were prohibited from entry by administrators and disciples!

"The Earth Soul Flower is most likely in these two mining paths. I'll go and check one of them, and the two of you can investigate the other." Xu Yan entered one of the paths.

Meng Chong and Fang Hao went into the other path.

As expected, deep within the mining paths, where the spirit crystals were being excavated, there was a white flower growing intimately among the glittering spirit crystals.

The Earth Soul Flower!

A divine-grade spiritual herb, it was extremely rare even in the Spirit Realm.

Xu Yan's heart raced as he carefully dug out the Earth Soul Flower. Using the restriction technique taught to him by Su Lingxiu, he sealed the herb and stored it in his ring.

He glanced at the spirit crystals, their reserves were immeasurable. Just this one spirit crystal mine would be enough for the Jade Divine Sect to never lack resources for cultivating their disciples.

Of course, the most precious thing was still the Earth Soul Flower.

Xu Yan did not dig up the spirit crystals. It would take an unknown amount of time to excavate this entire spirit crystal mine, so it was enough to just occupy it.

Exiting the mining path and returning to the main cave, Meng Chong and Fang Hao soon returned, excited.

"There are two Earth Soul Flowers here," Fang Hao said excitedly.

"I found one as well!" Xu Yan smiled and spoke.

However, what the disciples didn't know was that as soon as they re-entered the mines, they fell under the influence of an array, finding themselves in an illusion. They thought they were digging in the mines, but in reality, they were still inside the cave.

"Let's go, it's time to move on to the next grand mine!"

Xu Yan turned and left.

With the grand mine now enveloped by the array, the Jade Divine Sect disciples were trapped and unable to break free. They wouldn't be able to leak any information about what had transpired.

Once their plan was complete, they would open an escape route, allowing these disciples to leave. After that, the grand mine would be under their control.

The subsequent handling of the mine would be left to Fang Hao and his alliance.

At the second grand mine of the Jade Divine Sect, Xu Yan and his companions repeated their strategy. They silently killed the Refining God elder stationed there, set up an array, and plucked the Earth Soul Flowers.

"There are only two Earth Soul Flowers here," Xu Yan noted.

After securing the flowers, Xu Yan's attention turned to the sect itself. "It's time to take action against the Jade Divine Sect!" he said in a low voice.

"Big brother, I'm ready. This ambush will surely succeed in raiding their treasure vault!" Fang Hao exclaimed excitedly.

Li Xuan, who had been observing everything, silently nodded in approval. Xu Yan's group had planned meticulously, and in a quiet and swift manner, they had occupied the spirit mines and slain the Refining God warriors.

With each Refining God warrior that Xu Yan killed, the Golden Book of the Great Dao revealed a new Divine Annihilation technique to him. Now, having killed five such warriors, he had learned five Divine Annihilation techniques.

Outside the Jade Divine Sect, Xu Yan and his companions arrived discreetly, concealing their auras and hiding within a mountain cave.

"Send a message to Yu Gao. It's time to act," Xu Yan said to Fang Hao, nodding.

Fang Hao took out a message talisman and sent the order to Yu Gao, initiating their plan.

...

"The Alliance Leader has sent a message. It's time to act. Everyone knows the plan, and if we succeed, our alliance in Jade State will rise to prominence!

With these spirit crystals, our alliance will have abundant resources for our younger generation's cultivation. We can allocate more resources to nurture our geniuses.

Everyone, do not be careless or negligent. Anyone who messes up will face my wrath!" Yu Gao warned the group of Refining God warriors gravely.

"Great Protector, rest assured. We will not ruin the Alliance Leader's plan!" The Right Protector exclaimed excitedly.

Although they had not met the new Alliance Leader yet, the appearance of the mist talismans and instant-movement talismans had convinced them that the new leader would lead their alliance to greatness.

"Indeed, we've been suppressed by the Spiritual Sects and noble families for far too long. Now that we have this opportunity, we must give it our all," the Left Protector agreed, nodding.

"Follow the plan and do not act on your own initiative!" Yu Gao ordered sternly.

"Understood!" The Left Protector and the others nodded.

"I'm going to meet Zhu Liang and let him know that I, Yu Gao, am alive and well, and that my strength has returned to its peak!" Yu Gao said with a cold smile. With that, he departed for the Jade Divine Sect.

...

In the grand hall of the Jade Divine Sect, Zhu Liang and several Refining God elders gathered to discuss their next course of action. The rogue cultivator sect had not been completely eradicated, and it continued to pose a potential threat.

Xu Yan and Meng Chong felt like two sharp swords hanging over their heads, ready to strike at any moment. However, despite the high bounty on their heads, there had been no news of their whereabouts, not even outside of Jade State.

"Xu Yan and Meng Chong must be connected to that rogue cultivator sect!" Zhu Liang stated grimly.

"I fear they might be remnants of the Myriad Stars sect. I have already contacted Elder Xing of the Chi Meng Zong, and we can seek their aid if necessary," Zhu Liang said solemnly.

"Elder, what is the price for their aid?" The sect master of the Jade Divine Sect asked.

"Two Earth Soul Flowers!" Zhu Liang replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. But he quickly added, "The Su family will provide another flower, and this matter concerns not just our sect but the entire state."

"Elder, do we really need to seek aid?" One of the elders questioned.

"What's the point of seeking aid when we can't even find them?" he continued, unconvinced. Even if Chi Meng Zong was powerful, their influence didn't extend to Jade State. How could they find people that the Jade Divine Sect couldn't?

"We don't need aid for now, but it's good to have a backup plan. The true disciples of Chi Meng Zong are extremely strong, and Xu Yan is a genius. It's only natural for geniuses to clash.

"Just like in the past, when geniuses fought for supremacy, if he is indeed a product of the Myriad Stars sect, then we follow the old rules and let the geniuses battle it out.

"He will surely show himself, and when he does, he will undoubtedly perish. No ordinary cultivator can stand against a true disciple of Chi Meng Zong."

Although he had only reached the peak of the Great Heavenly Man realm, he was renowned for slaying a lone cultivator at the Refining God stage and was hailed as the foremost genius of Luo State.

"If it's Chi Meng Zong's direct disciple, two Earth Soul Flowers are a fair price!"

The sect master of the Jade Divine Sect smiled and nodded in agreement.

With this incident, the Jade Divine Sect and Chi Meng Zong formed a bond, and from then on, Chi Meng Zong would become a powerful ally for the Jade Divine Sect.

"I hope to witness the might of the Divine Radiance Physique. Just how powerful is it that its radiance can withstand the might of a soul?"

One of the elders exclaimed in awe.

"Alas, our Jade Divine Sect lacks such prodigies!"

The sect master sighed.

In the vast Yu State, there was no one with talent comparable to Chi Meng Zong, indicating the significant decline of Yu State.

Suddenly, an arrogant voice rang out.

"Zhu Liang, get out here and fight!"

Zhu Liang's expression changed, and he said in a deep voice, "It's that Refining God lone cultivator. He's already half-crippled!"

In an instant, Zhu Liang's figure flashed, and he rushed out of the Jade Divine Sect.

The sect master and the elders' faces changed, and they quickly followed.

Outside the Jade Divine Sect, Yu Gao's aura surged, and the might of his soul suppressed everyone below, causing the disciples and administrators of the Jade Divine Sect to fall to their knees.

Boom!

A brilliant white light flashed, and the might of a soul surged out from within the Jade Divine Sect, countering Yu Gao's soul might.

"It's the Great Elder!"

The disciples and administrators of the Jade Divine Sect were overjoyed.

"You're not dead!"

Zhu Liang's heart skipped a beat. Not only was the other party not crippled, but his strength had also recovered to its peak. The might of a Refining God cultivator rippled out unabated.

This man must die!

"Hmph, Zhu Liang, do you think you can kill me? Come, let's see which of us, the two Refining God cultivators of Yu State, is the strongest!"

Yu Gao coldly smiled and raised his hand, sending out an attack.

"Today, you die!"

Zhu Liang's heart was filled with killing intent, and a white light surged around his body as he charged towards Yu Gao.

The sect master and the others rushed forward, intending to surround and kill Yu Gao.

"You despicable cowards from the Jade Divine Sect, always ganging up on people!"

Yu Gao turned and fled, with Zhu Liang in pursuit.

Behind Zhu Liang, a Refining God mid-stage elder also joined the chase, making it clear that they intended to besiege Yu Gao.

"This man must die!"

The sect master said in a deep voice.

Just as they returned to the sect, everyone's expressions changed drastically.

Boom!

"Kill! Zhu Liang is not here. Today, we will raze the Jade Divine Sect!"

A group of Refining God lone cultivators roared as they charged forward.

"Where did all these Refining God lone cultivators come from?"

The sect master's face changed drastically.

The Refining God elders of the Jade Divine Sect rushed forward to meet the attackers, and a fierce battle ensued. However, the Jade Divine Sect cultivators quickly fell into a disadvantage and turned to flee.

"Those bastards from the Jade Divine Sect, they're too strong! Run! Don't engage directly, ambush them instead!"

"Yes, they have numbers and resources on their side. We're like barefoot thieves; ambushing them is the best strategy!"

The group of lone cultivators cursed and turned to flee.

The faces of the Jade Divine Sect elders turned green, and their hearts filled with killing intent. They had to kill these lone cultivators; otherwise, the sect would suffer significant losses from their ambush tactics.

"Kill them!"

"Send a message to the Su family! Alert the other sects and noble families! We must surround and kill these lone cultivators!"

The elders gave chase.

The sect master's face was gloomy. The sect needed a Refining God cultivator to guard it, and as the sect master, he couldn't leave.

Taking a deep breath, he turned back to the main hall and ordered, "All administrators and disciples, heed my command. Be on high alert and guard against enemy attacks!"

"Yes!"

The Jade Divine Sect was on high alert, and the administrators and disciples heightened their vigilance.

Back in the main hall, the sect master's expression was solemn. Where in Yu State had so many Refining God lone cultivators come from? They must be from that mysterious lone cultivator faction, and their ambitions were vast, posing a significant threat to the sects and noble families of Yu State.

"We must convene a meeting of the sects and families to address this matter!"

The sect master thought to himself.

Suddenly, his expression changed.

Boom!

His aura erupted as he prepared to charge out of the main hall, but layers of mist and illusions surrounded the hall. Phantoms of phoenix fire, sword light, and thunder seemed to form a grand formation, enveloping the entire hall.

"What sorcery is this?"

The sect master's face twisted in shock.

Boom!

He unleashed his power, causing the main hall to collapse, but outside, there was only mist. His soul power couldn't penetrate the mist, nor could he sense anything beyond it.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end