The Prelude Begins

Wangyue City was located in the southeastern part of the Zhuhu Wangchao.

In terms of its governing territory, it ranked roughly in the middle among the eighteen cities of the Wangchao.

Yet, whether by the Wangchao's deliberate design or not, of the twenty-four secret treasure grounds that had opened this time, not a single one fell within Wangyue City's borders.

This meant the locations of these fated chances all lay beyond Lone Moon Mountain's sphere of influence.

Unless Lone Moon Mountain was willing to forsake this opportunity entirely, any disciples they sent down the mountain would have to trek across rivers and peaks. They would face a journey of one to two months just to reach these places of fated chance.

Such a long and arduous journey boded ill.

The trip there might be manageable, but once they had seized their fated chances and turned back, every extra day spent on the road meant a greater risk of ambush.

However, they could only blame their own accumulated sins for this targeted treatment.

Over the years, Lone Moon Mountain had bled the Wangchao dry. Now, they deserved to be made an example of.

Still, they had the backing of a superior Sect. Upon learning of the situation, the Moon-Grasping Sect took action, providing Lone Moon Mountain with considerable assistance so they could participate in this scramble for fated chances.

This aid included bestowing various Spiritual Treasures and Pills, as well as dispatching Dao-protecting cultivators to guard their disciples.

The situation was similar for the other stationed Sects. Upon realizing the Wangchao's intentions, they immediately reported to the true authorities behind them.

Armed with the ensuing support, they regained their confidence and dispatched their disciples to partake in this grand scramble for treasures.

This was precisely the outcome the Wangchao desired.

The chessboard had been set; how could the game proceed without pieces to move?

The stage had been built, and actors were needed for the play. The Wangchao did not fear their arrival; it only feared they would cower and hide!

Thus, the first large-scale game of probing between the two sides officially began.

...

Gao Hui escorted the six members of the Songshan Yang Family to the northern border of Wangyue City's jurisdiction.

Beyond this point lay the territory of Qiulu City, where he had once served.

The two destinations for the Yang family group this time-the Black Snake Hidden Cache and the Mayfly Treasure Ground-were both situated within Qiulu City's borders.

Following Gao Hui's guidance, the six Yang family members headed to Yanxia Town, an area under Qiulu City's administration, to rest and regroup.

The town sat perfectly between the Black Snake Hidden Cache and the Mayfly Treasure Ground. It was only a half-day's journey from either location, making it highly convenient for them to reunite once their tasks were complete.

Qiulu City was a vital hub within the Zhuhu Wangchao.

Not only was the city itself three times larger than Wangyue City, but the towns under its jurisdiction were also vastly more prosperous than places like Liuye and Baishi.

The town chief of Yanxia Town was a cultivator at the twelfth level of Qi Gathering, having reached Perfection.

While his strength could not compare to Li Yuande, who was undefeated beneath the Condensed Origin realm, he was undoubtedly among the very best of his peers.

Under normal circumstances, such cultivation was more than enough to suppress the surrounding local forces.

Now, however, the emergence of the secret caches and treasure grounds had drawn a massive influx of wandering cultivators to the town.

To prevent any chaos, the Qiulu City Immortal Patrol Office had dispatched a Condensed Origin cultivator to hold the line, effectively quelling the restless ambitions of those with ulterior motives.

Because the six Yang family members carried Gao Hui's official credentials, they were spared the strict inspections at the gate and entered the town smoothly.

Upon arriving at a designated tavern, they were greeted by a cultivator from the town's administration.

"Are you Fellow Daoists from the Songshan Yang Family?"

An old man dressed in white robes approached and asked.

Yang Lingrui raised his hands in a respectful salute. "Indeed. You must be Senior Gu Zhengyuan."

"I am. You must be exhausted from your journey. Let me take you to your lodgings first."

"Thank you, Senior. We apologize for the trouble."

"Haha, it's no trouble at all. It has been years since Gao Hui left Qiulu City. Though we haven't seen each other in person, we have frequently exchanged letters."

Gu Zhengyuan laughed. "He often mentioned your family to me. That he was able to grasp a fated chance and break through this time is all thanks to your family's aid."

When Gao Hui first entered the Wangchao's service, he had been assigned to the Qiulu City Immortal Patrol Office alongside Cheng Yi and the others, running errands and handling menial tasks.

Gu Zhengyuan was the teacher who had guided him as a Novice back then. Now serving as the manager of Yanxia Town's affairs, his cultivation had reached the ninth level of Qi Gathering, just a step away from Perfection.

After a short walk, the group arrived at a pavilion built against the mountainside, an establishment specifically meant for hosting cultivators.

It offered both ordinary guest rooms and specially constructed cultivation caves, satisfying any need for rest or practice.

Renting these cultivation caves was not cheap, but with Gu Zhengyuan stepping in, the proprietor offered them the lowest possible rate.

The six Yang family members paid a mere sixty Spirit Crystals, securing three days' use of six individual cultivation caves.

Once everyone was settled, Gu Zhengyuan made his way to Yang Lingrui's cultivation cave.

Yang Linghu and Yang Lingrui were already waiting inside for him.

"Thank you for smoothing things over for us today, Senior. At their usual price, we likely would have had to find shelter elsewhere."

"Thank you, Senior."

The two stood up and bowed deeply to express their gratitude.

Truthfully, the Yang family had very few Spirit Crystals left to spare. The vast majority of their funds had been drained to strengthen the family's Formation, as well as to stockpile Pills, Talismans, and Spiritual Treasures.

As the old saying went: 'Frugal at home, well-funded on the road.' For this journey, Yang Lingrui had brought the family's entire remaining treasury of five hundred Spirit Crystals.

And at this establishment, the standard price for just one cultivation cave for three days was forty Spirit Crystals.

"Ah, say no more. Gao Hui is a student I trained myself. Now that he has secured a bright future with your family's aid, I should be the one thanking you," Gu Zhengyuan said, waving his hand dismissively.

After a few more polite exchanges, the three of them finally got down to business.

The Yang family actually possessed very little intelligence regarding the upcoming scramble for the secret treasure grounds.

It was only through their connection with Gao Hui that they were fortunate enough to receive Gu Zhengyuan's direct guidance.

"The Black Snake Hidden Cache is riddled with miasma and poisonous valleys," Gu Zhengyuan explained. "Black Snakes prefer tranquility and typically lurk in the frigid pools deep within the cache. To hunt them, you must prepare Detoxification Pills and Miasma-Breaking Talismans to safely cross the outer perils. Once you reach the freezing pools, you will need Fire Talismans to fend off the bone-chilling aura.

"The Black Snake Blood Scale you seek is quite unique. It only manifests on a Black Snake during its shedding phase. However, a Black Snake in this state will be exceptionally irritable and far more aggressive."

Gu Zhengyuan looked toward Yang Linghu. "Judging from your aura, you are a martial cultivator with a robust physique and surging blood vitality. So long as you ward off the cold and the poison, you should fare well. But heed my warning: rely on hit-and-run tactics. Do not entangle yourself in prolonged close combat. If the Black Snake manages to coil around you, you will be in mortal peril."

"I will bear that in mind. Thank you for your guidance, Senior," Yang Linghu said, cupping his hands respectfully.

Gu Zhengyuan then turned to Yang Lingrui. "The situation at the Mayfly Treasure Ground is far more treacherous. The terrain is jagged, the ancient forests are dense, and the area is littered with residual illusion Formations. If you stumble into one, it will confound your mind and warp your sense of time, leaving you wandering blindly. If you have the means, you must prepare methods to guard your spiritual sense against such interference."

"As for the Mayfly Essence itself, it is essentially a mutated strand of Spiritual Qi stored within the viscera of a Mayfly Spirit Insect once it matures from a larva. This essence can be used to refine Origin-Transforming Pills, offering immense aid to Qi Gathering cultivators attempting to break through to Condensed Origin. However, its yield is abysmally low. Not only is the harvest window extremely brief, but the probability of its formation is also terribly slight. It is entirely possible for a massive colony of Mayfly Spirit Insects to not produce a single strand."

Hearing this, a trace of heavy worry took root in Yang Lingrui's heart.

The entry limit for the Mayfly Treasure Ground was restricted to the Middle Stage of Qi Gathering, meaning that cultivators at the sixth level of Qi Gathering would also be participating.

Given the agonizing rarity of the Mayfly Essence, the ensuing scramble to seize it was bound to be unimaginably bloody.

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