Leaving Prison

----Inside Fei Household Hall

"That's interesting."

The beautiful woman from the Su Household, who had remained silent until now, showed a hint of surprise in her eyes. She seemed to have no concern whatsoever about Su Changqiu's escape from danger.

Instead, when he looked at the pot-bellied youth in the Blood Pool of Magnet Mountain, his words were tinged with surprise. "This Suo Household brat wants to use the blood essence of living souls as food to achieve Golden Core?! Tsk tsk, even I have only ever seen this kind of method of achieving a Golden Core in ancient books."

The heads of the various families in the hall were all outstanding figures among the Golden Core cultivators, and their knowledge was certainly no less than that of this beautiful woman from the Su Household. After hearing her words, none of them showed any unusual expression.

But as Fei Dongwen, who was seated next to Fei Ye Shui, lit up the talisman in his hand, a new Mirage Qi Screen appeared in the center of the council hall, projecting the image of the pot-bellied youth cultivating.

In retrospect, the idea that "there is a natural barrier within the territory of Magnet Mountain in the Bing Six Prison Chamber Region, which outsiders cannot peek into" was indeed a joke.

Not to mention the hand seals of this pot-bellied youth, even the swaying of the hairs on his body and the twitching of his nostrils could be clearly seen by all the cultivators. The so-called "concealment and secrecy" was indeed wishful thinking.

"May Buddha have mercy; it's been so many years since we've seen a junior Core Formation. This is quite an elegant affair." Ma Mangqin, who hadn't spoken for a while, chuckled, but then, realizing no one had responded, his expression darkened. He gave a displeased snort and then spoke again, proposing:

"Fellow Daoist Fei, if we truly allow this child to form Golden Core, it might still be quite dangerous. Why don't we bring out all the juniors and have them compete one by one in the arena to determine the winner?"

Fei Ye Shui didn't speak immediately, but Shu Household Golden Core, who was sitting opposite Ma Mangqin, spoke first:

"Master Guan is indeed shrewd. Considering that the Fei Household's son-in-law's alms bowl contained three False Core souls, since he can't win, he might as well change the method of competition, right? No wonder the fellow cultivators of the Immortal Dynasty all say that your Buddhist family is the most cunning; you are all truly shrewd and clever. It's just that this kind of behavior is shameless and really unsightly. I wonder what your sect leader thinks..."

Ma Mangqin, as the head of the scripture hall of Original Response Temple, had been in the Core Formation for over two hundred years. Relying on the prestigious name of Original Response Temple, who wouldn't show him respect when he went out? Therefore, he couldn't even remember the last time he was ridiculed to his face.

Upon hearing Shu Household Golden Core's words, a surge of anger rose within him. Disregarding all decorum, he shouted, "Do you think that just because a member of your family has died, you can speak without restraint and say whatever you want?!"

The Shu Household's Golden Core cultivator glared at him, surprisingly not stopped by the Grand Master's rebuke, but instead retorted sarcastically:

"You've become far too arrogant. Master Guan, your so-called Khenpo disciple, Pure Lotus First Ground Aspect, was originally the successor to your Chan Master Gelie. Now, he's likely to perish here as well. Let's see how you explain this to Chan Master Gelie when you get back, and let's see if your Golden Core body will be refined into delicious provisions!"

These remarks enraged Ma Mangqin, causing his eyebrows to furrow and his voice to roar, "Shu Zhengping! How dare you interfere in the True Person?! You should offer your neck for execution, or I, Original Response Temple, might spare the Zuojiang Shu Household!"

Shu Zhengping was not afraid at all; the sarcasm on his face only lessened. "Nonsense! Let's see if your Zen master has the guts to come out of the snowy mountains and take my life in my capital!"

Ma Mangqin stepped forward, his fingers already forming a series of hand seals, and glared angrily at Shu Zhengping: "Why would I need the Zen masters to take your life? This ignorant fellow who doesn't even know Buddhist scriptures is enough."

Shu Zhengping was also furious, but when he was about to get up, he was stopped by the person beside him.

"Fellow Daoist Han?!" Shu Zhengping was slightly surprised. Before he could ask any more questions, he heard the handsome middle-aged man from the Han Household gently advise, "Fellow Daoist Shu, please rest for a moment. Master Guan is, after all, a guest from Outer Dao. We must show him the proper hospitality."

This man, Xiu Xian, was clearly very prestigious. His words immediately silenced Shu Zhengping, who had been still indignant. Ma Mangqin, however, frowned and asked, "Han Ningshan, this is none of your business."

A smile bloomed on Han Ningshan's handsome face as he bowed to Ma Mangqin, saying, "Master Guan, please calm your anger. Fellow Daoist Shu was simply overcome with grief over the passing of a junior, which is why he spoke disrespectfully to the Zen masters of your sect. I apologize on Fellow Daoist Shu's behalf, and I hope the Zen master will not take offense."

The Yukun Han Household has more than one True Person in charge, unlike the Golden Core sect of Zuojiang Shu Household, which is easy to manipulate. In addition, Han Ningshan has already lowered his posture so much, so Ma Mangqin has also gained a way out, so he snorted coldly and did not speak again.

After all, Capital Circuit is more than ten thousand miles away from Snow Mountain Circuit. Even as a mere temple supervisor, he could hardly act recklessly in such a place.

The scene was truly lively; even the beautiful woman from the Su Household, who had previously been quite interested in the pot-bellied young man in the Mirage Qi Screen, shifted her gaze from the screen to the hall.

Fei Ye Shui watched helplessly as these family leaders made a scene in his own hall, showing no anger whatsoever. Instead, he calmed the restless Fei Tianqin beside him, then pointed to the screen and said gently:

"Fellow Daoists, please don't be impatient. This young Suo Household member is at most at the stage of forming Lower Vehicle Golden Core. Let's see how the younger generation performs."

Upon hearing the host's words, the assembled monks calmed down, except for the woman present, whose eyes held an unconcealed worry that evoked pity.

"If it were to succeed, what would that be like? It would be Golden Core!"

Cui Wuyang, worthy of his background as a deputy general of the Imperial Guard, managed to organize and assemble the 120 people he had gathered under Bingliu's supervision. Among them were many long-time enemies and ill-fated couples whose marriages had not been successful. In a short period of time, he had managed to make them look quite presentable.

If these hundred Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, whose armor was not sharp, whose injuries had not healed, and whose spiritual power was insufficient, were left unmanaged, even if they numbered twenty times more than Kang Dabao and the others, they would still be nothing more than a scattered mess.

Although it would take a lot of effort to tidy it up, there was nothing to be afraid of. However, after Cui Wuyang's simple arrangement, it could no longer be judged by ordinary standards.

Just by looking at Su Changqiu, who had just been besieged and was in a sorry state, it was clear how critical the situation was that he was already helping Fei Wanqing.

This army formation, composed entirely of Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, is indeed elite. Even a powerful family like the Ying Prefecture Fei Household could not possibly hide so many of them. Furthermore, with Cui Wuyang, a man knowledgeable in military affairs, in charge of the advance and retreat, these noble young men who had just fought a fierce battle temporarily abandoned their arrogance and were now dealing with the enemy in a sorry state.

At this moment, Funeng disregarded his grudge against the Sect Leader Kang Da and unleashed all his methods. Even though the Foundation Establishment army that was attacking could barely be described as well-organized, several corpses still fell in front of him.

Just as he was enraged by the disturbance and was about to unleash his ultimate move to wipe out the remaining enemies before him, he heard the admonition from Sect Leader Kang Da behind him:

"Save your strength. Their spiritual power is insufficient; they won't be able to hold out for long before they collapse on their own."

Upon hearing this, Funeng subconsciously scoffed and was about to ignore it, but when the incantation seal was only in its final transformation, he stopped and took out the vajra he had just acquired to defend himself.

Su Changqiu was much more composed than Funeng. He knew to wait for the enemy to collapse on their own without even needing to be reminded by the Sect Leader Kang Da.

However, he did not expect that the Profound Firmament Treasure Canopy Law Treasure Canopy, a treasure he inherited, possessed was quite formidable and conspicuous, even attracting Cui Wuyang, the main force of the opposing team, to specially change the array flags for him and dispatch more than a dozen cultivators to fight him.

In an instant, the battlefield was filled with the sounds of drums and shouts of battle, mingled with cries of agony and despair, and the flashing of swords and the flickering of Blood Shadow.

In just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Sect Leader Kang Da felt that the blood flowing down in the ground was almost soaking the barren ground beneath his feet. Fei Wanqing, who was the weakest, had already turned pale and was only able to stay alive thanks to the extra protection of Kang Dabao and Fei Nanyi.

The casualties on the opposite side were far more severe. Even without detailed calculations, Kang Dabao could see with a single glance that thirty or forty men were either dead or wounded.

Logically speaking, a hastily assembled rabble should have collapsed long ago in this situation. Yet, not only was Cui Wuyang, who was in charge, calm and composed, but even the True Cultivator under him showed no signs of retreating. There was something truly strange about this.

But at that moment, Cui Wuyang, who hadn't made a move in a long time, frowned and then exhaled a breath of stale air under the rough banner.

The crudely made banner suddenly shone brightly with spiritual light. The many cultivators in the army formation in front of Cui Wuyang suddenly felt as if endless spiritual energy was flowing into them from their pores. Their morale soared, and they worked even harder.

"Damn it, this is that Cui fellow using illusion magic! How could he possibly grant you spiritual power? He's luring you into disregarding your own strength and subjecting you to agonizing torment! You might not even survive half an hour!!"

These hard-working cultivators were no longer listening to the earnest advice of Sect Leader Kang Da. Having been Demon Correction Office Division for nearly twenty years, they only thought that being sent to Liangxi and conscripted into the army was the only way out.

But after hearing about the enticement by Cui Wuyang and the pot-bellied youth, the idea of capturing the enemy in front of him as a way to escape was etched into his mind.

Seeing that they had the upper hand, they could no longer listen to the enemy's divisive words.

"Don't hold back, just hold on for half an hour!!" Kang Dabao clearly saw the situation before him, so he shouted loudly to the crowd behind him.

In truth, he didn't even need to offer any encouragement; under such a powerful attack, how could the cultivators possibly harbor any thoughts of holding back?

The situation on the field was deteriorating, and everyone outside, including Kang Dabao, had sustained injuries of varying degrees. Cui Wuyang, who was in the center of the battle, had exhausted himself from presiding over the battle formation, but he still endured the discomfort and waved the banner repeatedly, providing a little bit of protection for everyone in the formation.

Under these circumstances, even maintaining the status quo would be enough for Kang Dabao and the others to risk their lives. However, his divine eyes keenly perceived that the essence of each fresh soul in the formation and the blood essence within each drop of thick blood seemed to be drawn away by the Magnet Mountain behind Cui Wuyang.

----- Magnet Mountain Quiet Room

The thick, purplish-red pool of blood churned with sticky bubbles, the stench of putrid liquid mixed with the smell of burning flesh, causing Suo Mingsheng to writhe in agony and bleed from his seven orifices.

Most of the souls lured from outside the mountain ended up in the mouth of the fair and adorable Blood Shadow doll behind Suo Mingsheng, making the doll's belly bulge like a sail, which was quite comical.

As wave after wave of Blood Qi arrived, the blood pool, which had only reached the waistline, gradually swelled and slowly soaked the chest of the pot-bellied youth.

At this moment, Suo Mingsheng's handsome, jade-carved face was flushed with a sickly pallor, and dark red blood streaks on his abdomen were creeping up his chest cavity from the crack in his navel. The pain made him furrow his brows even more, but he did not make any extra movements. He simply forced his fingers together with great willpower.

"Return to the origin!"

The sound of Hand Seals dispersed the dense blood mist surrounding Suo Mingsheng. The thirty-six souls he had carefully selected and gathered in mid-air were suddenly bound by invisible blood talismans, and different incantations appeared on the faces of each soul.

Each of them was filled with terror, but they were powerless to do anything but let the pot-bellied youth slaughter them. They watched as the gray-blue soul turned into threads and flowed into Suo Mingsheng's seven orifices.

The blood essence that had been nurtured at the bottom of the pool for many years suddenly surged as if it were alive. Suo Mingsheng timed it perfectly and used his palm as a knife to evenly slice open the belly, which was the size of a football.

The boundless resentment that had been accumulating for half a century surged forth, merging with the blood essence in the pool, and drilling into the Dantian through the bloody opening in the young man's abdomen. The bluish-purple meridians could be seen bulging like vines under the snow-white, delicate flesh.

"Bang!!"

The already turbulent blood pool suddenly erupted with layers of blood waves. The shrieks of the remnant souls almost shattered their skulls, and the image of the blood talisman branding the soul flashed through Suo Mingsheng's mind again, but it could not shake his Core Formation Dao of Alchemy Heart in the slightest.

After enduring the shrieks of the remnant soul and the torment of his conscience, the Blood Shadow doll behind Suo Mingsheng suddenly opened its small mouth and spat out a solidified gray-blue soul pill.

At the same time, the emanating resentment gradually merged completely with the incoming blood essence, transforming into a pool of dark spiritual light that attached itself to the gray-blue soul pill.

What should have been a bloody scene, at this moment, strangely revealed a sense of holiness.

Suo Mingsheng's eyes were full of hope as he watched the dark spiritual light gradually seep into the gray-blue soul pill. Three spiritual patterns slowly appeared on the pill's body, and the impurities gradually faded away, becoming as white as jade and as clear as ice.

"It's still not quite there, not perfect." Suo Mingsheng couldn't hide his joy. After examining it for a while, he pointed at the blood pool again, and a large amount of Blood Qi was drawn out of the originally viscous blood pool, slowly covering the Soul Core that had just changed its appearance.

Only when the pool of filthy blood gradually became clear and the rotten flesh and bones inside were fully revealed did the spiritual essence of the Soul Pill floating in mid-air become even richer.

This scene made Suo Mingsheng sigh softly, "It's still a bit lacking. If we could use Cui Wuyang's Essence Blood as a remedy, we might be able to reach even greater heights. But right now, we need him to risk his life for us, which is a pity."

He leaped out of the blood pool, his exposed organs covered in a salty, fishy smell. But when Suo Mingsheng reached out and wiped them clean, the filth was gone.

The huge wound healed and scabbed over quickly. As soon as he exhaled, the black scab fell off, leaving only a bloodstain on his stomach.

After doing all this, Suo Mingsheng examined the Soul Pill in his hand for a while, then calculated. "It still needs to be taken with Yang Blood."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Blood Shadow Doll, which had already returned to its original form, turned into a pool of Yang blood, which fell into Suo Mingsheng's mouth like a thread, and the pure white Soul Pill was then swallowed by him.

In less than an hour, Suo Mingsheng had succeeded. He was immediately invigorated, a smile spreading across his face, "Twenty years of hard work have finally paid off!"

This seclusion has now come to a successful conclusion. Suo Mingsheng has spent twenty years waiting for this opportune moment. The process of forming the elixir will not be as smooth as others, even if it is done perfectly. It will still require several months of refinement.

"To gain freedom, I gave up a chance at a mid-grade pill. I hope people outside are more valuable, so they can make up for it!"

Half an hour had passed. Just as Sect Leader Kang Da had predicted, Kang Dabao and the others were all injured and in a sorry state. However, the cultivators who had been tricked by Cui Wuyang's Great Banner Illusion Technique and were being tortured to death were now just skin and bones. At this point, even without outsiders intervening, they would have collapsed and died, a truly pitiful sight.

Apart from a few cultivators who still retained their sanity and fled, the remaining cultivators had completely given up any will to live, collapsing to the ground and submitting to whatever was done to them.

The wailing in the arena was much sparser than at the beginning, yet it only made the atmosphere more desolate. As for Cui Wuyang, the instigator, it was only at this moment that a hint of reluctance appeared in his eyes.

"Back in my military days, everyone knew I loved my soldiers like my own children!"

The swordsman stood beneath the banner, looking at the scene before him, and murmured something, unsure whether it was a question or an answer to himself.

At this point, there was nothing more to say. If Cui Wuyang had anticipated that even if his team were wiped out, most of the six juniors surrounded in the middle should have been killed or injured. However, he had underestimated their strength by far.

Therefore, if something goes wrong with Suo Mingsheng Core Formation, on which he has placed high hopes, it will be a very difficult situation for him to escape unscathed.

Upon reading this, he brandished his knife, and Sect Leader Kang Da and the others could come to their rescue, Fei Nanxin, bound to the banner, felt a sharp pain in his chest.

The blood flowing from Fei Nanxin's wound instantly dyed the banner crimson, but a faint crimson halo poured down from the banner, enveloping Cui Wuyang.

At this moment, not only was Sect Leader Kang Da exhausted both physically and mentally, but after fighting for so long, Cui Wuyang was also nearing the end of his life and still had to fight to the death with the younger generation.

The "Udumbara Flower Nirvana Sword" was extremely profound, which allowed him to survive the attack by six people.

"Die!"

Suddenly, a large amount of Buddhist light emanated from the vajra in Funeng's hand, but its target was not the already precarious Cui Wuyang, but the Sect Leader Kang Da who was leading the charge.

Cui Wuyang raised an eyebrow, not surprised, but a hint of joy rose in his heart. He didn't know the origin of this imposing cultivator in front of him, but after a fierce battle, his spiritual power was still so abundant, which could only be described as "terrifying".

If these juniors were to turn on each other and kill this valiant cultivator, the pressure on Cui Wuyang would be reduced by at least 40%, and he would be able to find an opportunity to escape unscathed.

However, even in the heat of battle, Sect Leader Kang Da had eyes in the back of his head; how could he be injured so easily as Funeng had imagined?!

With a single halberd strike, he forced Cui Wuyang back, then swiftly turned around, his previously poised and ready Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes now falling into the hands of the abbot of the great temple.

When Sect Leader Kang Da met Funeng again, the latter had probably received guidance from a master and no longer used the various complicated Spirit Artifact he used before, but instead used the newly acquired Vajra Pestle to defend against enemies.

This vajra is so powerful that it Funeng discard all other Spirit Artifact that he has refined over many years, and thus stand out from the crowd. It must have its own unique advantages. Just now, even in the midst of a well-organized military formation, it could not stop its great power.

Funeng Neng used this vajra to smash the bones of at least twenty True Cultivator, making it a truly formidable weapon.

However, while the Vajra's offensive capabilities are undeniable, its ability to protect itself is far inferior. The Vajra, which Funeng had shielded and protected, was only deflected by the Golden Light emanating from the Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes. The latter still managed to protect itself thanks to the remaining power of the White Lotus Dharma Form.

"Funeng! What are you doing!" Su Changqiu was furious upon seeing this unexpected turn of events and questioned him loudly.

Funeng, ignoring Su Changqiu expression, loudly replied, "Fellow Daoist Su, are you still unaware? The crisis has been averted. This fat man has the strongest spiritual power. If we don't take his life now, and then fall into their encirclement after we've killed this inhuman old scoundrel, will we even survive?!"

Su Changqiu hesitated for a moment. If it were up to him, he still wanted to eliminate the False Core in front of him and then settle the score with the Fei Household's cultivators. After all, everyone should maintain their dignity in a competition, and he couldn't let a peasant gain the upper hand.

But remembering the many instructions her elders had given her before she entered the Bing Six Prison Chamber, Su Changqiu hardened her heart and turned the Profound Firmament Treasure Canopy in her hand towards Sect Leader Kang Da.

Like him, Han Chengfeng also didn't want to get involved in the feud at this time. He was more interested in eliminating the False Core in front of him, winning first place, and obtaining the Five-Spirit Ice Mallow than getting involved in the feud between the two families.

Han Chengfeng was much more decisive than Su Changqiu. He disregarded the fact that Kang Dabao and the Fei Household uncle and nephew were already facing two powerful enemies, and rushed straight towards Cui Wuyang, who had just caught his breath, and fought desperately.

"The Blood Qi and spirits scattered around the area just now were rather strange; some of them may have been deliberately lured away! The prisoners in this cell are not all dead yet; there is still a danger. A life-or-death struggle can wait a while!"

When Sect Leader Kang Da spoke, he never expected his words to have any effect. Instead, Funeng's ferocious expression disappeared completely, and he became even more arrogant.

Having witnessed Han Chengfeng's Su Changqiu -handed effort, which caused Cui Wuyang to suffer repeated defeats, Su Changqiu's hesitation gradually faded, and he no longer held back. With the young master of the family exerting all his strength, he naturally made the Fei Household uncle and nephew who were fighting against him look quite disheveled.

Funeng never thought that his Buddhist practices could function so perfectly as they do today.

Seeing that all of Sect Leader Kang Da's methods were blocked by his White Lotus Dharma Form and he could hardly break through, he made up his mind and shouted, "Buddha Enemy! Buddha Enemy!!"

Under such a fierce attack, Kang Dabao naturally felt the pressure increase sharply. Even when he held the Slaughter and Extermination with both hands to meet the vajra, he was still blasted until his tiger's mouth split open and his hands were covered in blood.

However, after seeing the slight look of madness on Funeng's face as he gained the upper hand, Kang Dabao breathed a sigh of relief.

The Ancient Demon Ring that the latter had been concealing in his hand suddenly lit up, causing the Buddha's light on Fu Funeng's hand to produce mixed colors, which startled the abbot of the great monastery and filled him with fear.

"This is... this is!!! Buddha Enemy! Truly Buddha Enemy!!"

This streak of color immediately began to spread from Funeng's palm, and then even the white lotus image beneath him was gradually stained by it, losing much of its sacredness.

Most of the spiritual energy had been spent on attacking, so Funeng was temporarily unable to control it. He quickly stopped the hand seals, put his palms together, and chanted a spell.

Whether it was due to his lack of mastery of Buddhist teachings or the overwhelming power of the Ancient Demon Ring, Sect Leader Kang Da only noticed that the white lotus beneath him was even more mixed in color, and without further ado, he activated his golden eyes again.

This time, the Golden Light failed to reach their goal and returned empty-handed. A huge hole was punched through Funeng's white lotus Dharma image, causing his chanting to stop abruptly and his face to turn pale with fear.

"How... how is this possible?!"

A dazzling halberd flashed and slashed towards him. Funeng retreated in panic, his tone unusually soft. "Sect Leader Kang, this humble monk is the current abbot of Original Response Temple!"

"Ha, scions of prominent families, why do they only realize the gravity of things when it's too late?!"

Having reached this point, there's no chance of turning things around. Even if the person sitting in the Original Response Temple is a late-stage True Person, or even if there's a True Lord in disguise hidden inside, Sect Leader Kang Da wouldn't dare hold back in the slightest at this moment.

He disregarded the strange things that might be hidden inside the Magnet Mountain, focusing instead on taking Funeng's life.

Slaughter and Extermination, showing his courage, cleaved the already chaotic Vajra Pestle in two with a single blow. In front of Funeng, besides the broken white lotus, there was only an ancient mirror talisman of unknown power to block his attack.

The Sect Leader Kang Da, turned fierce Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes through the air intermittently, Slaughter and Extermination, terrifying aura was unleashed. Finally, after another burst of Golden Light, the ancient mirror talisman collapsed.

Funeng's face showed deep fear, yet he was still unwilling to give up, pleading, "Sect Leader Kang, after returning to the sect, this humble monk still has a bright future ahead of him, as long as..."

Before he could finish pleading for mercy, Funeng's hand seals suddenly changed, and in an instant, his body was enveloped in Buddhist light. He formed the Demon-Subduing Seal with both hands and charged towards Sect Leader Kang Da.

Unlike others, Kang Dabao rarely let himself be blinded by elation, even when he had the upper hand. Funeng's desperate gamble was not unexpected and did not create any opportunity for him.

Therefore, even though the two Demon-Subduing Palm Seals came with great force, they were completely neutralized by the spiritual light emitted from the Ancient Demon Ring. This caused Funeng, who had abandoned the White Lotus Dharma Form, to open his heart wide and face the Sect Leader Kang Da!

"How can we let this golden opportunity slip by!?"

Ignoring the two streams of golden blood streaming down his face, Kang Dabao's already golden pupils were once again filled with Golden Light, two beams of Golden Light shining forth, ready to settle Funeng's Buddhist destiny in this life!!

But at that moment, another giant hand crashed down from the sky, aimed directly at the mighty Sect Leader Kang Da!

Kang Dabao felt a chill run through his body. He could no longer watch Funeng's fate. He could already sense the strange movement of the Azure Smoke of Creation in the gourd. Just as he was feeling uneasy, he seemed to hear another reproachful voice enter his ears.

"Manager Guan, you've gone a bit too far!"

The moment the sound faded, the giant hand in the sky vanished without a trace. Before the tears of joy that streamed down Funeng's face from surviving the calamity could even reach his cheeks, he was blasted into dust by the incoming Golden Light, leaving only a pure white relic, which was grasped back into the hand of the Sect Leader Kang Da.

This unexpected turn of events startled everyone present. Even Cui Wuyang, a seasoned cultivator, was so frightened by the giant hand that his swordplay faltered, and Han Chengfeng slashed down with his spiritual blade.

"It's time to go!!!"

Without a second thought, Cui Wuyang no longer cared whether Suo Mingsheng the elixir or whether his various plans could be realized. He turned and fled back to Magnet Mountain without looking back.

Han Chengfeng was naturally unwilling, and it's unclear where he got the courage, but he actually dared to follow them alone.

Sect Leader Kang Da, however, was in no hurry. After all, he wasn't in a rush to win first place or acquire the spiritual item. Now that he had dealt with the matter of Funeng, his trip could be considered complete.

As for what the Great True Person behind Funeng is thinking, it's probably useless to me. At worst, I'll have to ask the Fei Household for help with my wife and children and the sect's favor. Then I'll go to Original Response Temple and see if the Azure Smoke of Creation can take the life of Nascent Soul!

Seeing that Su Changqiu was beating the Fei Household uncle and nephew into a sorry state, Kang Dabao decided to deal with the current situation first.

He rescued Fei Nanxin, who was still bound to the banner and on the verge of death, applied medicine to her wounds, and then took care of Fei Wanqing, who was weak in spiritual energy. He then picked up the Slaughter and Extermination and slashed a series of halberd flashes all over Su Changqiu.

After the Sect Leader Kang Da left the scene, the once incredibly powerful young master of the Su Household fell into a slump. Even though the former had just gone through a life-or-death battle and was no longer able to use his trump card, the Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes of Truth, the pressure he brought to Su Changqiu was still slightly greater than that of Fei Nanyi, who possessed the dignified Thunder Method.

If the battle continues like this, the young master of the Su Household will likely suffer the same fate as the abbot of Original Response Temple who came with him. Naturally, he cannot help but feel anxious.

Su Changqiu had probably considered this a thousand times, but he still couldn't make a decision, hesitatingly thinking, "Wouldn't it be a waste to use a life-saving item bestowed by the Ancestor here?!"

But after he had only been fighting for a short while, commotion came from inside the Magnet Mountain again.

Su Changqiu immediately had an idea, "Let's try going there and see what those prisoners are planning and if there's any chance of a change in their situation!"

Thinking of this, Su Changqiu took out the last shield-shaped talisman and held it in front of him. After grabbing a spot from the crowd, he discarded the talisman and headed straight for the Magnet Mountain.

A single talisman could only buy him a little time. Before Su Changqiu could even reach the middle of Magnet Mountain, he was intercepted by the three Sect Leader Kang Da and had no choice but to fight and retreat.

Kang Dabao was still thinking about Magnet Mountain's strange behavior and felt somewhat apprehensive, but he was also reluctant to let Su Changqiu go. After hesitating for a while, he still followed Su Changqiu into the mountains.

Unexpectedly, things took a turn for the worse after they entered the mountains.

A burst of wild laughter rang out, and then the spiritual barriers that had been built in the mountains for who knows how many years suddenly lit up, locking them all inside.

Cui Wuyang and Han Chengfeng, who had arrived earlier, were also trapped inside. Cui Wuyang's injuries were quite severe, and even with the eyesight of the Sect Leader Kang Da, it was unclear whether his injuries could be healed. Han Chengfeng was in slightly better condition, but his Dantian was locked, making it difficult for him to catch his breath.

After the laughter subsided, the handsome Suo Mingsheng revealed his true form, looking at everyone in the room with a smug expression.

No wonder Suo Mingsheng was so pleased.

Now that he had achieved his Golden Core, and all the Golden Core seeds from the outside world who came to hunt him had fallen into his trap, he thought he had the leverage to bargain with the high-level cultivators from the outside world;

Cui Wuyang, who had always believed he had seized a part of Suo Mingsheng's soul, never knew that he had been deceived by Suo Household's secret technique, the "Yin-Yang Misplaced Slips." He thought that after Suo Mingsheng Core Formation his core, he would have leverage over him, but he ended up in such a predicament.

"Those from petty families, ignorant and foolish, who do not understand the classics, deserve this calamity."

As the young master of the Su Household, Su Changqiu was certainly not a fool. Although he didn't know how a Golden Core cultivator could suddenly appear out of nowhere during the trial meticulously prepared by the Ying Prefecture Fei Household, he calmed down after the initial panic.

He glanced warily at Sect Leader Kang Da, and was about to unleash the weapon he held in his hand when another soft laugh came from the top of Magnet Mountain:

"Since Fellow Daoist Su has said so, what else is there to object to? This Ice Mallow Grand Gathering was made possible entirely by the presence of all of you fellow Daoists, and I, Fei, am deeply grateful."

After this sound, the one who was most shocked was Suo Mingsheng, the newly promoted cultivator.

"So, all the high-ranking cultivators outside know about my Core Formation?!"

Before Suo Mingsheng could even utter a cry of alarm, the magnetic field that had enveloped the Magnet Mountain for years suddenly collapsed, and a colorful exit reappeared in the sky above the prison cell.

Upon seeing this, Suo Mingsheng didn't hesitate and tried to capture the two most important people, Su and Han, in order to save his own life.

But then a soft laugh was heard, and together with everyone else, they were taken out of the Bing Six Prison Chamber by a spiritual light and landed in the Fei Household hall, which was full of Golden Core.

Fei Dongwen's talisman emitted a renewed spiritual light, shaking out all the living people in the Bing Six Prison Chamber. There were about thirty or forty people left, all in a sorry state, mostly weak and injured.

He instructed his attendants, "Transfer them to Liangxi immediately. I will have the Enlisted Army Talisman delivered to the main camp later. As for the sharp decrease in the number of prisoners in the Bing Six Prison Chamber, I will personally explain it to the supervisor."

The Golden Core cultivators in the arena were not interested in the fate of these worthless True Cultivator. The beautiful woman from the Su Household waved her fair hand, creating a fragrant breeze, and summoned Su Changqiu to her side for a thorough examination.

"Aunt, I have disgraced the Su Household!" Su Changqiu, his hands still clenched tightly, was filled with shame. The beautiful woman opposite him smiled lightly, "It's alright. The sons of my Su Household are so precious, how could they be as worthless as those who don't care about their own lives? Qiu was reckless this time!"

After the beautiful woman laughed, she didn't linger and got up to take her leave.

Fei Ye Shui got up and saw it off. Then, instead of dealing with the panicked Suo Mingsheng, he, Han, Shu, and Ma checked the number of souls in the alms bowls of the cultivators.

"Han Chengfeng of the Han Household, totaling two hundred and sixty,"

"Fei Household, Fei Nanxin, none."

"Chongming Sect Kang Dabao, 411,"

Fei Ye Shui made a gesture, and the Fei Household disciples who were announcing the numbers immediately withdrew. After taking in the various expressions of the Golden Core cultivators from each family, he asked in a gentle voice, "Who is the winner of this Ice Mallow Grand Gathering? Do any of you fellow Daoists have any objections?!"

Most of the people in the room remained silent until finally Han, Golden Core from the Han Household, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "All matters were agreed upon by the various families. Who has the audacity to overturn them? We request Senior Fei to make the final decision."

"In that case," Fei Ye Shui paused, pointed to Kang Dabao, and said cheerfully, "Young Master Kang, please go with Nanxi. Nanxi will carefully select a suitable Seclusion Chamber. You've come all this way to Ying Prefecture, so why don't you Core Formation before going back?"

The process of Core Formation is extremely difficult in the eyes of countless cultivators, but judging from Fei Ye Shui's tone, it was as casual as asking Kang Dabao to bring back some local products.

Sect Leader Kang Da naturally wouldn't refuse. He immediately bowed in thanks, and, with his wife and children still showing signs of shock, bowed to all the high-ranking cultivators before following Fei Nanxi out of the hall.

But he couldn't help but murmur to himself, "Core Formation, huh?"