Once Suspicion Begins, It Is Hard to Stop

Upon hearing this, Fang Ling also came to his senses.

However, his complexion was extremely poor.

There is no other reason.

The other person is absolutely right.

The long, purple-gold needle has indeed disappeared.

Fang Ling didn't speak, but everyone understood.

For a moment, the atmosphere on the field became quite strange.

There was a sense of solemnity amidst the strangeness.

"Elder Fang, don't rush, search carefully again."

An elder spoke up to comfort them:

"After all, this is Sacred Artifact. If we really lose this purple-gold needle, the responsibility is something we cannot bear."

Some elders also wore expressions of doubt:

"Elder Fang, I just saw you put into your storage ring. How could you just disappear into thin air?"

"Although we are getting old, we have still reached the Transcendent Realm, so we should still have this much memory."

Upon hearing this, Fang Ling's expression changed slightly, and he angrily said:

"Wu Qiao, what do you mean by that?"

The elder, referred to as Wu Qiao, replied with a hint of amusement on his face:

"Elder Fang, please don't blame me for this. I've always been a straightforward person, and I don't hold back my words. Please don't take offense."

"I just feel that there's no way these purple-gold needles could just disappear into thin air, but this impossible thing has actually happened. In that case, I wonder if Elder Fang has some ulterior motives."

These words made the atmosphere on the field even more delicate.

This Wu Qiao statement revealed a suspicion that they all had, to varying degrees.

Putting everything else aside, in such a short time, it was just taken out and then put back into its storage ring.

It's impossible for them to just disappear for no reason.

That doesn't make sense.

On the contrary, they knew very well what was inside the purple-gold needle.

That soul was trapped inside.

The other party must know the whereabouts of the suddenly vanished Transcendent Fruit.

They might even know where to find more Transcendent Fruit, or other treasures.

In addition, there's the possibility of it being an evil practice.

In short, it is of immense value.

It's better for one person to know than for many to know.

They understand this principle very well.

"Clang!"

Fang Ling's expression changed drastically. He immediately drew his sword, pointed it at Wu Qiao, and roared:

"I have always acted with integrity and uprightness. Even if I had ulterior motives, why would I need to resort to such underhanded methods?"

"The loss of this Sacred Artifact has caused me more anxiety than any of you, so how could I possibly joke about it!"

How could he not understand the implications involved?

However, at this moment, he had absolutely no thoughts at all.

It's gone, that's it.

Because this Sacred Artifact belongs to a holy land, he could not bind it to his own with his blood, and therefore could not sense it.

That won't work; I can only sense the aura.

However, there was absolutely no related scent.

Even the remnants of the purple-gold needle had vanished completely, making it difficult for him to be sure whether he had actually stored it in that location before.

If it can't be found, the infamy and responsibility will be immense.

And yet, it happened to me.

It's fair to say he's more anxious than anyone else right now.

"Elder Fang has quite a temper."

Wu Qiao, seemingly eager to stir up trouble, simply smiled and said:

"By doing this, you'll only make people think you're somewhat embarrassed and angry, and it looks really..."

Before he could finish speaking, Fang Ling unleashed a surge of Sword Intent that landed on Wu Qiao.

He didn't say anything, but it conveyed a strong message: "If you don't shut up, I'll chop you up."

Seeing the situation, the other elders also quickly offered their advice:

"Elder Fang, calm down, don't worry, everyone is understanding."

"Yes, this is no small matter; no one would want to encounter something like this."

"Perhaps you were in a bit of a rush, or you missed something. Why don't you ask everyone to help you look for it?"

Upon hearing this suggestion, Fang Ling's expression changed slightly.

The storage ring is only so big; how could he not be able to keep track of it all?

The storage ring contains all my personal belongings; how could I allow others to rummage through it?

Once suspicion begins, it's hard to stop.

Especially when faced with interests and benefits.

"Look."

Wu Qiao gently shook his head:

"Elder Fang is unwilling, so..."

Before he could finish speaking, a flash of sword light appeared.

However, he didn't attack Wu Qiao, but instead planted his sword in the ground.

Fang Ling's face was filled with anger, his eyes were sharp, and his lips were slightly parted as he spat out a drop of blood.

"Today, Fang Ling, swear on my life that the Sacred Artifact is absolutely not in my possession, nor do I know its whereabouts. If I break this oath, may I die."

As the sound faded, blood exploded.

The stadium fell silent instantly.

Even Wu Qiao's expression turned serious.

Fang Ling's oath was undeniably ruthless.

They swear on their lives; at their level and status, their lives are more important than anything else.

Now that things have come to this point, I'm afraid...

Immediately, an elder gave Wu Qiao a meaningful look.

"This matter is too bizarre."

Chen Gan took a deep breath:

Even a powerful expert couldn't take someone else's belongings from their storage ring without a sound.

As he spoke, he glanced around and said solemnly:

"There seems to be something strange about this place."

The others all nodded in agreement.

At present, the possibility that Fang Ling secretly kept it can be almost ruled out.

But this practically shuts down all avenues of thought.

How could such a powerful group of people just disappear like that?

Are we being haunted by ghosts?

Even a ghost couldn't do that.

"Should we look around here first?" an elder suggested.

Another elder said:

"This matter is of utmost importance. Inform the Holy Land and have them send someone to investigate."

The Sacred Artifact is kept by an elder in charge of its safekeeping. With the help of certain methods, we might be able to obtain some clues.

This suggestion was immediately agreed upon by several people.

This is no small matter.

What Qin Jiuxiao lost last time wasn't the most crucial thing.

Now, it's completely lost, along with the soul within it.

It's not only bizarre, but also of great importance.

"What about the other elders and disciples here?" one of the elders asked, a thought suddenly occurring to him.

Immediately, everyone's expressions darkened again.

It's like the roof leaking or the rain continuing.

The previous evil methods of soul plundering had injured the souls of many disciples.

They might even lose consciousness completely.

This is also a significant loss.

"This place is strange. Let them leave; don't continue."

"And what about the rest of these things..." an elder murmured.

"Tell them this was specifically left for the Azure Cloud Sect. Don't let them know what happened between me and Qin Jiuxiao. We'll withdraw, and if there's any further danger, we might be able to lure them out."

After discussing it for a while, everyone got busy.

On Hidden Origin Peak.

Lu Changzhi activated the Heaven-Veiling Illusion Array to block and suppress the entrance to the teleportation array.

Then, with a flash of light, Lu Changzhi entered the backyard.

Reflecting on the gains of this trip, Lu Changzhi smiled.

"Let me see if there's anything unexpected in this reward."

PS: This is the update at 00:01 on January 24th. It is updated daily at 00:01.