Dual Cultivation God Returns

708  Closed trap

The warm and cheerful atmosphere continued until Wu Long's senses picked up presences nearing the place he was at.

'Hmm, even though I definitely used up far less Spiritual Qi than when I made my first two cores, and was cautious, I guess I still consumed far too much from the surroundings for it to be completely undetected…', he thought as he scanned with his Spiritual Sense the different presences, the directions where they traveled from and their auras.

"What's wrong?", Luo Mingyu asked, noticing the slight change in his demeanor. He was still as calm and peaceful as he was before, but there was still that very minute tension in his gaze that gave away that he was concentrating.

The corners of his mouth went up by themselves as he looked at the beauties whose eyes were so sweetly looking up at his face.

"Just a few minor nuisances, you don't have to worry about them", he then chuckled as he decided not to meddle, and simply observe the situation. After all, the chances of this location being discovered were very slim. Even if someone could tell that the density of Spiritual Qi was the lowest in this general area, as if it was sucked away somewhere, it was unlikely they could pinpoint anything precisely.

Both Luo Mingyu and Gong Cui were relieved by his words, demonstrating the extent of their trust in him. Snuggling into his embrace from both sides with no care in the world.

---

Meanwhile, several parties were headed for the plateau that seemed to be the region where Spiritual Qi was the most depleted.

A group of six people wearing robes of the Crystal Wood Sect were traveling at a fast pace.

"Elder Jong, shouldn't we notify Elder Hwe…"

"Silence!", the elderly man of the group barked at the Sect Disciple, "Tsk, it already took too long to figure out the location, by now everyone would be swarming there… we can't afford to lose time waiting for him to come"

"True… the movement of Spiritual Qi currents was truly unnatural, rather, for a long time it was hard to even tell if the fluctuations within Spiritual Qi in the greater area were just a natural occurrence. And even when we confirmed it was too consistent of a decrease, it seemed as if whatever it was that was consuming all those massive amounts of Spiritual Qi kept changing places across vast territories… but, if it's like this, doesn't it mean it was done artificially? If this turns out to not be a natural treasure but a trap set up by someone…", a Sect Protector spoke up in thought.

"Hah… that's what it means to be too smart for one's own good. Your reasoning fools yourself, and while you overthink, you end up missing what's right in front of you", the Elder shook his head with a smirk, "Truly valuable natural treasures tend to disguise their location when they are ripening using exactly this method… besides that point, do you even know how skilled a Formation Master would have to be to use Feng Shui and natural Spiritual Qi currents to replicate that kind of phenomenon?"

"I-… I see, Elder Jong. My apologies for speaking foolishly"

"Hmph, as long as you know it. Now pick up the pace, this is the perfect chance to make up for the humiliation from before", the Sect Elder involuntarily gritted his teeth at the end of his words, remembering the incident with the City Lord.

After a long travel, the group finally reached the hill region around the plateau. Seeing the rocky walls stretching far to the sides, the eyes of the group began lighting up with anticipation. But at the same time, they could now quite clearly sense their rivals closing in on the location as well.

"Tch… someone is ahead of us…", another Sect Protector of the Crystal Wood Sect spoke up sensing a sizeable group of people already on the plateau.

"Heh, no need to worry, they're City Guards led by that mutt of City Lord Ko that we met before, just as well, we will return the favor from last time hehehe…", the Sect Elder snickered with a malevolent look in his eyes as he sensed the auras of the people up on the elevated plains, and finding that neither City Lord's other sons nor the City Lord himself were present, "Though there seem to be quite a few rogue cultivators as well, but those don't deserve even a speck of consideration"

The group raised their speed and soon arrived at the edge of the plateau. These elevated plains were relatively vast, and yet the location of drained Spiritual Qi could only be narrowed down to here, as the density of Spiritual Qi was even on the plateau. Thus it came down to scouring through these lands to find the precise location of the anomaly.

They could see more people in the distance, whether that were individual rogue cultivators or members of some factions, everyone became wary of the first group from a larger faction such as the Crystal Wood Sect arriving.

Some rogue cultivators began sweating, their eyes turning shifty, as they looked at groups from local Sects arriving one after another, but the temptation of a possible lucky chance was too sweet, and thus for some time everyone on the plateau continued searching in silence. Everyone avoided making contact, staying at a distance, since any small conflict could become a spark that lit the whole place ablaze. The tension continued to rise as people concentrated on the plateau which now became vast and tiny at the same time.

But at the moment a rogue cultivator, whose nerves faltered in the face of this tension, started to move toward the edge of the plateau, he was immediately intercepted by one of the groups from a local Sect.

"Not so fast, how do we know you haven't found anything?", was the dreaded question that set off alarms in the heads of those who were here alone and without any affiliation, as they looked at the more than dozen groups from local sects, Silver Wing City and the Crystal Wood Sect that looked down upon them with cold gazes. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

20:43

They could instantly tell, that a trap closed up around them, since no one could now leave this plateau without suspicion that they found something of value, perhaps something all of them were here for.

And yet, it was also true that no cultivator would willingly surrender their Spatial Ring to another. It was a matter of not only pride, but basic survival. Even if they survived by giving up their belongings, they would be left without their weapons and tools of protection, not to mention their savings. It was hardly possible for them to get back on their feet after such a loss, and much more likely that a Demonic Beast or another rogue cultivator would kill them in such a helpless state soon after.

And when the tensions reached a high point already, a voice called out instantly catapulting them to sky heights.

"Hah, fancy seeing you here, esteemed members of the Crystal Wood Sect", a rowdy-looking man with a scar over his left eyebrow and cheek chuckled as he stepped on the edge of the plateau, followed by nine men, eight of whom were clad in simple black robes, while the other one was dressed as casually as the one who spoke, with a long horizontal scar across his face just a little below his eyes. All of them already had their weapons drawn, resting in comfortable positions, but clearly ready for any sudden movement.

The Elder of the Crystal Wood Sect narrowed his eyes with a frown upon his forehead, growling through gritted teeth, "The Seven Scars Guild… what are you lot doing here?"

"Oh my, are we not allowed to step foot on this continent? But then again, I seemed to have missed when it became Crystal Wood Sect's territory if that's the case…", the one with the horizontal scar and a snake tongue spear in his arms snickered.

"Don't get smart with me… you know what I mean"

"Haha, relax, old man. We're just here to make some money. Everyone knows it's going to get heated here soon because of that World Stone. What do ya think, wanna hire us before any other faction gets the chance?", the rowdy man with the side scar made a wide grin. And though his words seemed a bit more friendly than his companion's, his attitude was infuriating to the members of a large Sect such as the Crystal Wood Sect.

'Tch… filthy swords for hire, as if they would keep their loyalty… who knows when their blades would turn against you… if there was only one of their leaders I would've killed them on the spot… but two is a little hard for me… tch, annoying bastards...', the Sect Elder didn't conceal the scorn in his gaze, though he chose to not utter his thoughts aloud, 'But this has become troublesome… if wildcards like them start shoving their noses into this conflict it may be indeed wiser to make a deal with them before they're hired by the enemy'

"What's your quote this time around?", the Sect Elder asked tentatively as his own Sect members widened their eyes around him.

"Oh my, is the high and lofty Crystal Wood Sect going to hire us for real? What an honor!", the horizontal scarred man snickered again, irritating the Elder, "How about you let us have whatever loot is there to get here as a gesture of goodwill first?"