"Since Fellow Daoist Deng has made an introduction, why don't we go directly to Phoenix City instead of going through all this trouble to intercept the spiritual vein?"
"Pshaw! Without a ladder, how will you climb higher?"
Xu Long was eager to get to Phoenix City, so he subconsciously asked Deng Shouchong a seemingly crucial question.
Before Deng Shouchong answer, Ma Fang, who was standing to the side, preemptively mocked Xu Long, her words carrying an extremely disdainful tone towards the "key" in Xu Long's question.
Upon hearing Ma Fang's sarcastic words, Xu Long realized he had misspoke, but he did not refute her. Deng Shouchong to the side, glanced at the two of them but remained silent, though a hint of unease appeared on his face.
Xu Long, however, was pondering: Ma Fang meant that to enter Phoenix City for protection, one needed Spirit Stone as an introduction, which was why everyone was taking such a great risk to intercept the spirit vein.
It seems that Phoenix City isn't all peace and harmony after all!
With Xu Long's question at this moment, everyone seemed to have something on their minds, and a sense of worry appeared between their brows. The stalemate in the distribution of Spirit Stone was no longer there.
The Two Lin Brothers used their Spirit-Seeking Armadillo to dig out the Spirit Stone from the spiritual vein. These Spirit-Seeking Armadillo, with their two sharp claws, seemed to be born to do such work.
When the group saw the Spirit Stone piled up like a small mountain at the end of the passage, they thought to themselves, "At least our efforts to lure and kill the mother beast were not in vain."
Thanks to the large Spirit-Gathering Array released by Xu Long, the essence of the Spirit Stone in the spiritual vein was not dissipated. Now that the Spirit Stone were right in front of them, a greedy glint flashed in everyone's eyes.
Having lived in Land of Exile for countless years, none of them had ever seen so many Spirit Stone. Faced with the mountain of Spirit Stone, each of them harbored a strange thought.
This is the interception of an entire small spiritual vein! If I could possess it all by myself, wouldn't I have a foothold in the Land of Exile? Why would I need to rely on others anymore?
At this moment, everyone's thoughts raced, and a look of struggle flashed in their eyes. But as if they had thought of something, they all looked at Xu Long.
They hadn't forgotten that the Spirit Stone were forcibly gathered using Spirit-Gathering Array. If they acted rashly, Xu Long might turn on them, and they would all end up with nothing.
Anticipating the uncertain expressions on everyone's faces, they forcibly suppressed any ulterior motives in their hearts.
Deng Shouchong observed everyone's expressions from the side. He had made it clear from the beginning that there was no need to allocate Spirit Stone, so he didn't share the same mindset as the others.
Seeing the greed in everyone's eyes and the unpredictable expressions on their faces, he smiled knowingly.
He knew from the beginning that this group was not united, and that they were only gathered under his command for personal gain. To completely control them, he needed to make them feel unbalanced and ensure that they always felt a need for him.
The extremely cruel methods used to annihilate Old Pavilion Master Huang were intended to establish authority, while allowing them to distribute Spirit Stone now is an act of kindness.
With a combination of carrot and stick, and a combination of kindness and severity, even the most unruly and desperate criminals will be brought under his control!
The strategist Deng Shouchong suddenly caught a glimpse of Xu Long out of the corner of his eye. Xu Long's eyes were clear, and there was no greed on his face.
It seemed that the small mountain of Spirit Stone in front of him did not catch his eye, and his brows furrowed slightly, as if he were showing a hint of disdain. Compared to the others, he stood out like a crane among chickens.
A glint flashed in Deng Shouchong's eyes. Xu Long, who was opposite him, suddenly raised his head slightly. Their eyes met for a moment in the air, and they smiled at each other. In Deng Shouchong's eyes, Xu Long also did not show any dissent.
Xu Long wasn't really interested in the Spirit Stone in front of him. When he released the Spirit-Gathering Array, his will had already followed the array flags to investigate the quality of the spirit vein.
Although this pile of Spirit Stone is extremely rare in the Land of Exile, it is nothing special in Xu Long. The Spirit Stone produced by small spiritual veins in the barren Land of Exile are all of low grade, which is completely different from the Spirit Stone rewarded in the Divine Hall.
Xu Long didn't have any particular thoughts about the crowd's desire for Spirit Stone, but since he hadn't yet figured out the background of the Land of Exile, he didn't want to show off his large number of High-Grade Spirit Stone in front of the crowd, so he acquiesced to Deng Shouchong's plan to distribute the Spirit Stone.
From the expressions of the crowd, he already knew that he must not easily allow anyone to harbor covetous thoughts in this world.
After distributing the Spirit Stone at the end of the passage, everyone exited the canyon one by one, with Deng Shouchong being the last to come out.
A rumbling sound rang out, the continuous stone walls shook, and the cracked earth trembled violently, as if a pair of giant hands had turned the earth upside down. Smoke and dust billowed into the sky, carrying a surge of energy that permeated the canyon.
Countless cracks and broken rocks fell from the cliff, and the passage was filled with a powerful energy, the last remaining spiritual energy within vanishing in an instant.
To everyone's astonishment, nine enormous array flags rapidly rose from the smoke and dust below. The rotating flags carried a surge of energy as they descended from the sky, and when Xu Long opened his palm, the nine flags were already slowly rotating within it.
Deng Shouchong and the others watched Xu Long's actions with a deep sense of apprehension in their eyes. They felt a vague sense of unfathomable disbelief towards this cultivator who had joined the group halfway through his journey.
"Hmm? Fellow Daoist Deng, there's new information about the Spirit-Seeking Armadillo!"
" Two Lin Brothers, please speak freely!"
Deng Shouchong glanced at the Two Lin Brothers beside him and continued in a calm tone.
Only then did everyone realize that the Spirit-Seeking Armadillo had vanished into the canyon. With the Two Lin Brothers restraining it, it couldn't have escaped on its own; it would only be attracted to something rich in spiritual energy. Could there be another spiritual vein here?
Everyone turned their tense gazes toward the Two Lin Brothers, their questions clearly evident in their eyes.
They weren't fools. Even if there really was still a spiritual vein, they would risk their lives to intercept it. The scene of their battle with Old Pavilion Master Huang was still vivid in their minds. Now, each of them was carrying Spirit Stone, and the thought of retreating had already arisen in their hearts.
" The Spirit-Seeking Armadillo has discovered an even denser spiritual energy ahead than in the canyon, suggesting the burial of some treasure!"
The Two Lin Brothers glanced at everyone and then spoke slowly.
"Oh? Would you all be willing to follow the Spirit-Seeking Armadillo on its journey to investigate?"
Deng Shouchong spoke to the crowd in a persuasive tone.
When the news of the disappearance of the Spirit-Seeking Armadillo first broke, everyone's faces were filled with worry. But now, upon hearing that there was treasure, that worry has been cast aside.
Looking at the Spirit Stone in their pockets, everyone thought: Now that we have the Spirit Stone to replenish our Magic Power, if we really encounter something troublesome, we can just fight it out!
While the Two Lin Brothers were speaking, Xu Long focused his attention on Deng Shouchong. This guy seemed to know everyone's reactions perfectly, and he had a great grasp of the minds of these desperate criminals.
At this point, everyone's appetite had been whetted, as if a gambler had suddenly received a huge sum of money, and the restless thoughts in his heart would constantly urge him to put more chips on the table.
"If you all go to Phoenix City, you'll inevitably incur expenses. Now that you have this opportunity, why not explore it? As before, if I find any Spirit Stone, I will not take a single one!"
Upon hearing Deng Shouchong's words, everyone's expressions brightened, as if all their concerns had been put aside. The doubts on their faces disappeared, replaced by eager expressions.
No one objected, which meant they agreed. Deng Shouchong looked down at the dilapidated canyon below, a triumphant smile in his eyes.
Then they turned their gaze to the distance, as if something awaited them beyond the endless stone walls.
Xu Long trailed at the back of the group. He didn't use the Vulture King to fly. Judging from everyone's expressions, he knew he couldn't attract their covetousness. If he stood out too much, he would become the target of everyone's attention.
After emerging from the canyon, the group followed the continuous stone walls forward. With the guidance of the Spirit-Seeking Armadillo, their path in the Red Land became clear.
As powerful cultivators, the group traveled without stopping, their figures flashing across the land like phantoms, their speed naturally extremely fast.
Beyond the continuous stone walls lies a flat plain, where the towering peaks have disappeared and the stone walls have almost vanished.
Half a month has passed since the group left the canyon's spiritual vein, but they still haven't found any trace of the Spirit-Seeking Armadillo. Their location has now deviated far from the spiritual vein's location.
Looking ahead, there was a vast Gobi Desert, with yellow sand swirling beneath my feet. The endless sand was devoid of anything, and only the blazing sun shone upon the earth.
" The Spirit-Seeking Armadillo is not far ahead!"
The Two Lin Brothers instinctively walked at the forefront. In the vast expanse of yellow sand, their telepathic communication reached everyone's minds. Upon hearing this, everyone's spirits lifted. The Spirit-Seeking Armadillo had already found the treasure's location, and now they were just waiting for everyone to retrieve it!
After the Two Lin Brothers communicated telepathically, their figures disappeared into the yellow sand. The crowd scattered in all directions gradually gathered together. They had dispersed while traveling to guard against each other, but now that they were approaching the location of the treasure, they were gathering to guard against any sudden enemies.
Xu Long trailed behind the crowd. He noticed that the ground beneath his feet seemed to be gradually sinking, and ahead appeared to be a subsided basin. But if he calmed down, he could hear a rushing sound, as if a turbulent river was flowing past in front of him.
A powerful will swept across the vast yellow sands, exploring ahead and eliminating any potential dangers along the way.
Until he suddenly sensed a violent Geng Metal Qi within his will, Xu Long immediately and cautiously withdrew his will. In his eyes, a city had already appeared!
They stopped in their tracks amidst the vast expanse of yellow sand, their faces filled with intense shock. In their eyes, they all saw a city suspended in mid-air!
Saying that the city is suspended in mid-air is not accurate. The yellow sand beneath your feet covers the city in layers, forming a high sand dune in the middle of a flat area, and the sand dune seems to hold something that once lay dormant.
The main body of the city, seemingly suspended in mid-air, sits atop a sand dune, while the rest is buried beneath it, giving the impression that the city is suspended in mid-air at first glance.
What immense power it takes to rise a city from a flat plain!
A city lies hidden in the vast yellow sands; what kind of past does it hold?
They were still some distance from the sand dunes when they all stopped. A narrow basin had appeared in front of them. The straight basin stood out abruptly from the yellow sand, making the flat land look somewhat menacing.
Beyond the basin lay massive sand dunes. A narrow basin blocked their path. Xu Long's pupils constricted slightly; the Geng Metal Qi he had sensed earlier was located within this narrow basin!
When Deng Shouchong looked at the city on the sand dunes, the inexplicable smile on his face vanished in an instant. When he looked at the canyon in front of him, his eyes were unusually solemn, and his brows were slightly furrowed as if he was thinking about something extremely important.
For a moment, no one spoke. Having arrived here, they no longer needed the guidance of the Spirit-Seeking Armadillo; everyone knew that the city on the sand dunes was their destination!
Xu Long was still pondering why this enormous city appeared amidst the yellow sands, what its connection was to the Phoenix City that Deng Shouchong had mentioned, and what exactly within the city held that had captivated everyone's attention.
"Gentlemen, today's opportunity lies here!"
Deng Shouchong a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the burning gaze in his eyes. He was the first to leap out from the crowd, leaving a message for everyone as he headed towards the basin.
As soon as the words were spoken, everyone moved out at once. In front of a city in the Land of Exile, no one could resist the desires in their hearts!
Xu Long's figure was the last to enter the basin. When he appeared in this narrow basin, the sound of flowing water in Xu Long's ears grew louder and louder, as if a great river was right under his feet, and he was swimming in a turbulent river in the basin.
However, looking around at the basin amidst the yellow sand, there was no sign of a river. Instead, a sense of unease suddenly arose in Xu Long's heart. He knew that the Geng Metal Qi in the basin had been triggered.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The dark canyon floor echoed with crisp sword sounds, and the endless expanse of yellow sand stretched for an unknown length of time within the narrow basin.
The sound of swords ringing out at this moment was like a mirage reappearing in the yellow sand, unleashing the sword energy of the past!
Deng Shouchong was the first to appear in the basin. He naturally sensed the violent Geng Metal Qi within it, but at this moment, all he could see was the floating city. Now that he was in the basin, he had no choice but to act!
"Imperial Edict!"
As soon as Deng Shouchong suddenly roared and quickly raised the Dharma banner in his hand. The Dharma banner spun in the air and the two-finger-wide banner had turned into a ten-foot-long banner.
The rotating light enveloped Deng Shouchong below, and the runes and totems flowing on them suddenly lit up, appearing exceptionally lively as they spun around, as if they had come to life.
As if provoked, the Geng Metal Qi below condensed into several sword energies the instant the precious light appeared, and they swept towards the Dharma banner in the air.
Deng Shouchong's expression remained calm, but his pupils contracted slightly. With a thought, the totem within the precious light began to appear faintly in the air. Facing the sword energy below, Deng Shouchong would never back down!
The group of people who rushed in from behind each activated their Magic Power, forming a thick shield in front of them. At this moment, they had no time to cherish the Magic Power within their bodies.