Deep within the Spider Cave.

In a certain stone chamber.

The complex patterns carved into the chamber walls flickered with a faint Spiritual Light, clearly serving more than just a decorative purpose.

As the appointed time drew near, figures appeared in the stone chamber one after another, gathering together.

"Speak."

A creature with a long nose, hidden in the darkness, spoke in a muffled voice:

"What news is there?"

"The Celestial Capital Sect has put out a high price for the capture or kill of the Plum Blossom Sword Saint, Yun Wuya. Success grants the position of a City Lord," a man in a strange mask said.

"If one is willing, they can also be inscribed on The Investiture of the Gods and become an Immortal of the Celestial Capital Sect!"

"An Immortal?" someone snorted coldly.

"More like a Puppet. But hasn’t the Plum Blossom Sword Saint, Yun Wuya, always been close with the Celestial Capital Sect?"

"Rumor has it he killed a True Man of the Celestial Capital Sect, angering the Celestial Capital Lord who resides in the Capital City," the masked man said.

"Putting aside the position of an Immortal, the benefits of ruling a city are very real."

"You’d have to be alive to enjoy it," a muffled voice spoke from the darkness.

"Yun Wuya has the ultimate technique, Sword Light Division. Even during the Sword Sect’s golden age, he would have been considered a master."

"Unless two Second Decline True Men work together..."

"There’s a bounty on Wuk Xian, a descendant of the Wuk Family. The price is thirty thousand Spirit Jade. Anyone interested?"

"A core bloodline of the Wuk Family for only thirty thousand Spirit Jade? Only a fool would take that job!"

"..."

One piece of news after another, one deal after another, was mentioned in their conversation, most involving masters at the True Man level.

"I have a target."

A toad squatting on a large rock spoke up.

"Someone has been buying up all sorts of Heavenly and Earthly Treasures in the Spider Cave recently. They’ve already spent no less than three hundred thousand Spirit Jade."

"I speculate it’s someone from the Sword Sect preparing to break through to become a Treasure Artifact True Man."

"Who wants to make a move and score a big haul?"

"Oh?" The masked man’s voice was tinged with surprise.

"There are still people thinking about becoming a Treasure Artifact True Man these days?"

"With the Plum Blossom Sword Saint as a precedent, of course others want to be the second," a fleeting voice drifted from the darkness.

"I heard the Demon Exorcism Hall wants to absorb the Sword Sect. It seems the Sword Sect is unwilling to submit and wants to break through to the True Man realm to resist."

"Your information is outdated," the toad said, shaking its head.

"The four halls of the Sword Sect held a meeting and refused to join the Demon Exorcism Hall. They even selected a new Sect Leader."

"This extravagant procurement must be the result of pooling the wealth of all four halls to acquire so many Heavenly and Earthly Treasures."

"Oh!" Someone was confused.

"The Demon Exorcism Hall will just let them be?"

"That part is still unclear," said the toad.

"I only found out that the four halls of the Sword Sect have been frantically selling off their assets. There’s no news from the Demon Exorcism Hall’s side yet."

"Wait a few more days, and we should be able to find out for sure. But by then, the people from the Sword Sect will have probably left the Spider Cave."

"The Sword Sect..." someone mused.

"Are you sure it’s three hundred thousand Spirit Jade?"

"At least three hundred thousand," the toad said, looking at the speaker with a respectful tone.

"If Brother Yang is willing to act, you’ll get first pick of the spoils after we succeed."

"I heard that the Sword Sect produced a master, which is why they have the confidence to resist the Demon Exorcism Hall," the voice drifted over.

"Could it be the Plum Blossom Sword Saint?"

"Impossible!" The toad shook its head.

"The Plum Blossom Sword Saint, Yun Wuya, was banished from the Sword Sect long ago. But it must be true that a master has appeared."

"I suppose..."

"It must be a Treasure Artifact True Man."

"I’m in." In the darkness, a massive figure shifted slightly.

"When do we make our move?"

*

*

*

Three days passed.

Xiaoo Meng and Jiang Qiu spent those three days moving through the various parts of the Spider Cave with their hearts in their throats, purchasing all kinds of Heavenly and Earthly Treasures.

Hundreds of thousands of Spirit Jade flowed through their hands like water, exchanged for a vast assortment of Refining Materials.

The feeling was...

Thrilling!

Terrifying!

To raise this much Spirit Jade, the four halls of the Sword Sect had sold off nearly half of their assets.

That, plus many years of savings.

Only then had they amassed such a fortune.

It wasn’t that they were unwilling to sell the other half of their assets; it was that most of it consisted of land deeds, properties, and other things that couldn’t be liquidated quickly.

Otherwise, there would have been even more.

SWOOSH!

The carriage exited the Spider Cave and soared into the sky.

A faint Spiritual Light emerged from the carriage, like a transparent eraser, wiping away all traces of the carriage from the air.

A Concealing Technique!

This Flying Spiritual Artifact, which had belonged to the Sharp Gold Hall, had been commandeered by Zhu Ju in his capacity as the Sword Sect’s Sect Leader.

He had even refined it, enhancing its stealth capabilities.

Inside the carriage.

"Phew..."

Xiaoo Meng’s pretty face was flushed, her beautiful eyes shimmering.

"We’re finally out."

"Yeah!" Jiang Qiu’s expression was equally complex.

"Hundreds of thousands of Spirit Jade... all spent, just like that. We should have haggled more."

If they had haggled, they could have saved tens of thousands of Spirit Jade.

Unfortunately,

Sect Leader Zhu Ju clearly lacked the patience for it. Whenever he found a suitable material, as long as the price wasn’t too outrageous, he would buy it on the spot.

"Mm."

Xiaoo Meng nodded, her eyes lighting up again.

"The Spider Cave really lives up to its reputation as a treasured land frequented by many True Men. So many Heavenly and Earthly Treasures we thought were lost are actually for sale here."

"This time..."

"We’ve gathered enough for both me and Senior Brother Jiang to advance."

That was right!

On this trip, they had gathered enough resources not just for one Peak Great Mage to break through, but for two.

They had even collected many of the materials needed to refine the Dust Banner.

Perhaps it was due to their own selfish desires, or maybe it was just a coincidence with the materials, but in the end, they had acquired just enough for the two of them to advance to the True Man realm.

"I wonder if we’ll succeed."

Jiang Qiu’s face was etched with worry.

"The Invisible Sword is a Spirit Treasure, after all. After it’s re-refined into a Treasure, can I really use it to attain the True Man realm?"

"Of course, it’ll be fine," Xiaoo Meng said reassuringly.

"Senior Brother, your foundation is solid. And there have been cases of advancing by using a simplified Spirit Treasure, back when the Sword Sect first began its decline."

"Once we both advance to the True Man realm, we can gather resources for Senior Brother Kan. The Sword Sect will no longer have to suffer such humiliation!"

’Reviving the Sword Sect to its former glory is impossible.’

But if they had a few True Men to hold the fort, plus the aid of a Magic Altar, establishing a firm foothold in Tianzui City would be no problem at all.

"Mm."

Jiang Qiu nodded emphatically.

"Let’s head back first."

Aside from the heartache of spending so much Spirit Jade, the trip had been completely smooth. But there was still the final leg of the journey ahead.

’As long as we can get back...’

"Hm?"

Zhu Ju, who had been leaning against the carriage wall Nourishing his Spirit with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. A puzzled look crossed his face as he lifted the curtain to peer outside.

"Sect Leader."

The hearts of Xiaoo Meng and Jiang Qiu skipped a beat.

"What’s wrong?"

"Something isn’t right." Zhu Ju slowly stood up. With a light wave of his long sleeve, the carriage shrank and disappeared into his Qiankun Bag.

At this moment, the three of them should have been high in the sky.

But,

standing in the void, they had the sensation of solid ground beneath their feet. A scene like this could only mean one thing.

"A Magic Altar!"

"An Illusion Technique!"

The faces of Xiaoo Meng and Jiang Qiu changed drastically.

Zhu Ju, however, remained calm. He had noticed some unusual gazes on him during his days in the Spider Cave.

’Just as I thought. Trouble has arrived.’

"Tsk tsk..." A clicking sound came from ahead.

"You were discovered so quickly. Toad, has it been too long since you’ve used your Void Scroll?"

"Cut the crap," the toad shrieked.

"Attack!"

"I know."

From the void, countless branches as thick as a child’s arm suddenly shot out, lunging toward the three of them.

A Tree Demon!

A Demon at the True Man level!

CLANG!

Xiaoo Meng’s Demon-slaying Sword rang as she unsheathed it, slashing toward the branches.

Before her Sword Light could even fall, many of the approaching branches had already been severed silently. It was clearly Jiang Qiu’s doing.

The Invisible Sword!

"The Sword Sect’s methods are indeed sharp, but... you are merely Great Mages, after all." The Tree Demon’s voice echoed as countless branches spread out in an instant, forming a giant bowl that descended to trap the three of them.

RUSTLE RUSTLE RUSTLE...

The branches swayed like thousands of waving arms, or like countless writhing heads, letting out strange howls.

"Wooooo..."

The sound of wailing ghosts and howling gods pierced their eardrums.

"Ngh!"

Upon hearing the sound, Xiaoo Meng and Jiang Qiu froze, their eyes glazing over. The Flying Swords they controlled to fight the enemy also slowed.

A Divine Soul Secret Technique!

DONG—

Just as their Divine Souls were shaken and they were about to be overwhelmed by the branches, an Illusory Copper Bell abruptly appeared in their midst.

The Copper Bell swayed, and a melodious chime spread in all directions.

The Soul-Shocking Bell!

The Celestial Dragon Eight Sounds!

Xiaoo Meng and Jiang Qiu’s Divine Senses cleared, and clarity returned to their eyes.

The surrounding branches, on the other hand, began to dance manically as if stimulated, letting out shrill, bizarre shrieks.

"A Treasure Artifact True Man!"

The branches trembled, and a large hand reached out from within them, ignoring the slashing Flying Swords as it grabbed for Zhu Ju.

ZING!

Five-Colored Flying Swords leaped from his Sword Pouch, converging into a disc that met the large hand head-on.

CRACKLE... POP...

The Five Elements Flying Sword tore through the branches like a hot knife through butter, shattered the large hand, and charged toward the Tree Demon’s main body behind it.

"Toad!"

Such a fierce attack was clearly beyond the Tree Demon’s expectations. It shouted as it defended itself:

"Hurry up and do something!"

"I know." The void shimmered, and a toad the size of an elephant leaped out from the side.

It opened its massive mouth and spat violently at the Five Elements Flying Sword.

SWOOSH!

A dusky yellow halo shot from its mouth. The moment it touched the Five Elements Flying Sword, it froze the sword in place.

’Hm?’

A look of surprise and doubt appeared on Zhu Ju’s face.

Before he could break free from the restraint, a massive sheep’s head suddenly appeared before him, ramming toward his chest.

DONG—

The Five Elements Ring activated, its five-colored halo pulsing as it firmly blocked the sheep’s head ten feet away.

"Just how many Treasures does this guy have?!" the Tree Demon yelled as its branches whipped through the air toward him.

"Kill him! I want that bell!"

CRACK!

CRACK! CRACK!

Countless branches turned into afterimages, lashing against the Five Elements Ring. The Giant Power caused ripples to spread across the five-colored halo.

The Sheep Demon flickered, appearing at his side to ram him again.

With the help of the Magic Altar, their auras were completely concealed, making it impossible to even discern their positions.

In an instant, the three of them were enveloped by all kinds of attacks.

THUD!

The force of the Sheep Demon’s ram was terrifying. After several consecutive hits, the five-colored halo actually began to show signs of instability.

Against the combined assault of three Great Demons, with his senses blinded, Zhu Ju was powerless to counterattack, able only to endure their relentless probing attacks.

"Found it!"

As the five-colored halo grew weaker and weaker, Zhu Ju finally spoke. With a fierce wave of his long sleeve, a sheet of Talisman Paper flew out.

A Forbidden-Breaking Talisman!

A Forbidden-Breaking Talisman that costs five hundred Spirit Stones a piece!

SWOOSH!

The Forbidden-Breaking Talisman transformed into a streak of light and shot into the space not far below his feet. The runes upon it flickered, and then a blinding light erupted.

In that instant,

everyone was blinded.

Even their senses were filled with a vast, empty white.

Countless dense runes appeared all around. As the light of the Forbidden-Breaking Talisman pulsed, they began to rapidly disintegrate and shatter.

The formless force field that had enveloped their minds, the power of the Magic Altar that had restrained the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, was forcefully dispelled.

It wasn’t just Zhu Ju who felt a sense of relief.

Xiaoo Meng and Jiang Qiu also felt as if a great mountain had been lifted from their hearts, and the Magical Power in their bodies suddenly flowed smoothly.

The Magic Altar,

was broken!

RRRRIP—

With a sound like tearing silk, the environment before everyone’s eyes began to change.

"My Void Scroll!" the toad shrieked in anguish.