What was going on? Everyone was collectively struck speechless.
"Sha Rulai?" Gong Lince seemed suspicious. "You gave the formula to Sha Rulai?"
Niu Youdao wore a solemn expression. "Yes!"
The subtle changes in Gong Lince's face were rather spectacular. The Elders looked at one another in speechless dismay. None of them had expected this twist.
They had all been certain that Niu Youdao would find it difficult to refuse because of sect rules. No one was a fool. Everyone knew that Niu Youdao had joined Purple Gold Cave at this time to seek protection. They were sure he would not easily fall out with them. Even if he was unwilling, he would still have to hand it over. They could not think of any reason he could use to refuse—yet Sha Rulai had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, catching them completely off guard.
This blow landed like a cudgel, smashing all the porcelain bottles they had calmly arranged in their hearts into pieces.
In truth, the Elders had wanted Niu Youdao to hand the thing over even before he joined Purple Gold Cave. One hand held the source of wealth, while the other gripped worldly power enough to influence the overall situation in the Yan Kingdom. Call it unease or call it jealousy—either way, it left them feeling uncomfortable.
Their reason for making Niu Youdao hand it over was to prove whether he had truly and sincerely pledged allegiance to Purple Gold Cave.
Giving Niu Youdao status and position while denying him the power to participate in decisions or access Purple Gold Cave's cultivation-method secrets had also been the group's intention. A newcomer arrived and wanted to stand on equal footing with a group of old hands, even holding more power than them—no one would be comfortable with that.
The