Chapter 5 - ch 121-30

Han Te

Xu Hei was new to the area and didn't want to attract too much attention. He planned to settle things quietly and return the thousand spirit stones.

But on second thought, if he easily took out a thousand spirit stones, it might backfire and draw unwanted attention.

After weighing the pros and cons, Xu Hei released a hint of Foundation Establishment Stage pressure.

The black-clad cultivator was about to make a move when his body suddenly trembled, his face turned pale, and he stared with wide eyes, "F-Foundation Establishment?"

This kind of aura made his True Qi stagnate, and his whole body felt numb. It was definitely not a bluff.

Xu Hei took out a storage bag, filled it with a hundred spirit stones, and tossed it over.

"This is all I have. Follow me again, and don't blame me for turning hostile."

After saying this, Xu Hei turned and left.

He estimated that the man originally owed just a small amount, but it had snowballed due to high-interest loans.

The black-clad cultivator caught the storage bag, still shocked. He couldn't believe that this wretched gambler, who had disappeared for years, had actually broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage!

The other thugs were also stunned. Was there any justice in this world?

"Master... Master Ma!"

In an instant, the black-clad cultivator's attitude changed. He followed Xu Hei, his tone now ingratiating, with a flattering smile.

The speed of his change in demeanor made Xu Hei frown, "Do you still have something to say?"

"Master, it's like this..." The black-clad cultivator paused, his tone respectful, "Our Heavenly Dragon Casino is under the Myriad Treasure Pavilion. If your debt isn't cleared, you'll remain on the blacklist and won't be able to make purchases or trades at any Myriad Treasure Pavilion location. You would only..."

The black-clad cultivator laughed awkwardly.

According to the casino's rules, if a Qi Refining Stage cultivator owed over a thousand spirit stones, they would be a wanted criminal. But for a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, it would only be a bad credit record, not enough to warrant capture.

Different cultivation levels had different credit limits.

"How did I end up owing so much?" Xu Hei asked.

"It's like this, you borrowed a hundred and twenty spirit stones from the casino years ago and didn't repay them on time. According to our interest rates, the debt doubles every year, but there's a cap where the interest can't exceed ten times the principal."

The black-clad cultivator patiently explained, "It's been five years now, so the debt has capped at one thousand three hundred and twenty spirit stones."

The tenfold cap was to prevent some debtors from disappearing for decades and returning to find their debt had multiplied to an unpayable amount.

Seeing Xu Hei's troubled expression, the black-clad cultivator added, "If you're short on spirit stones, you can sign this installment agreement, and the Myriad Treasure Pavilion will immediately remove you from the blacklist."

The black-clad cultivator took out a jade slip and handed it over.

Xu Hei looked at the jade slip and couldn't help but feel a bit strange.

The agreement divided his debt into three years of repayments, with a hundred spirit stones due each month, plus an additional double repayment.

Xu Hei was disgusted by this swindler. He lost his patience and coldly said, "I can pay it off, but are you sure you want to take it?"

"Casino rules, I have no choice." The black-clad cultivator laughed awkwardly.

Xu Hei said no more and threw over twelve hundred spirit stones.

"Thank you, Master. Take care, Master."

The black-clad cultivator collected the spirit stones with a smile.

Xu Hei left expressionlessly. Although the spirit stones were not much, just a fraction of his wealth, it still put him in a foul mood, lowering his opinion of the Myriad Treasure Pavilion to the minimum.

At this moment, a young woman in black approached. She was young, stunningly beautiful, and dressed similarly to the previous cultivator, indicating she was also from the casino.

"Master Ma, now that you're a valued guest of our Heavenly Dragon Casino, is there anything you need to take care of in Chuyang City? I can arrange it for you!"

"A top-notch cave dwelling, a fine restaurant, a trade fair, an auction, or even a few young ladies, I can arrange it all. Or if you want to place another bet, we can raise your limit to five thousand..."

"Get lost!"

Xu Hei shouted, sending the woman flying.

The young woman was terrified but didn't dare to react. She bowed respectfully, "If Master Ma needs anything, feel free to send me a message."

Xu Hei ignored her and walked away.

Damn, they're too damn greedy!

Even after he paid off his debt, they still wanted to raise his limit and trick him into gambling more.

They'd squeeze the rich dry and leave the poor in debt.

"When I leave the city, I'll visit the casino personally and place a big bet!"

Xu Hei didn't care about the money, but he didn't want to suffer a loss. Once he finished his business, he would make the casino understand that sometimes, it's not spirit stones you lose, but your life.

...

Inner City, Jiaofang Division.

In Chuyang City, brothels were divided into several levels, with the Jiaofang Division being the highest. The women there were all stunningly beautiful and had notable backgrounds.

They included family members of high officials, fallen nobles, daughters of cultivators, and even female cultivators at the Qi Refining Stage. As long as you had enough spirit stones, you could find any kind of woman.

At this moment, in a courtyard, a young girl was cleaning.

The door opened, and a black-clad cultivator entered. It was the same person from the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

"Ma Yuanyuan, you can leave now," the black-clad cultivator said indifferently.

"What did you say?"

Seeing the person who had sold her here years ago, Ma Yuanyuan thought she had misheard.

"You're lucky. Your father, Ma Teng, has repaid the debt and even reached the Foundation Establishment Stage. The Jiaofang Division naturally won't hold you anymore. You can leave."

The black-clad cultivator's gaze was indifferent. He raised his hand and lifted the seal within Ma Yuanyuan, restoring her cultivation.

"Master Ma is now a valued guest of the Myriad Treasure Pavilion. You can find him there."

After saying this, he ignored the stunned young girl and turned to leave.

Ma Yuanyuan sat on the ground in a daze, tears streaming down her face.

"Mother!"

...

Myriad Treasure Pavilion, marketplace.

Many cultivators set up stalls here, either selling or buying. The outer area was filled with Qi Refining Stage cultivators, while the inner area had Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Xu Hei casually browsed the stalls but found nothing useful.

"If only Hei Huang were here. With his knowledge, he could probably sniff out some treasures," Xu Hei thought.

Suddenly, Xu Hei's eyes narrowed, and his Divine Sense locked onto a jade detection plate.

There was a large red dot on it, right nearby.

Xu Hei had long known there were Qi Condensation cultivators in Chuyang City, but he hadn't paid much attention. However, this red dot was right in front of him, among the stall owners.

The puppet's face remained calm, and his gaze shifted to a purple-haired man in the corner.

This man looked unfamiliar, but he gave Xu Hei a sense of familiarity, especially with his unique roguish aura. It reminded Xu Hei of someone.

Xuan Yangzi's accomplice, the Qi Condensation cultivator who escaped from Rock Serpent City...

"Han Te?"

Xu Hei discreetly sniffed with his snake tongue. He recognized Han Te's scent. As Xu Hei approached, he sniffed again, confirming that this person was indeed Han Te.

But he was in disguise.

This man's cultivation was also suppressed to the late Foundation Establishment Stage. Who knew what he was planning?

"Hey! Fellow Daoist, interested in any of these treasures? They're all rare finds, reasonably priced, just five thousand spirit stones each."

Han Te noticed Xu Hei's interest and smiled. Anyone who didn't back off at that price was definitely wealthy.

Xu Hei glanced at the three items in front of Han Te.

An ancient map, a mechanical box with a keyhole, and a pitch-black mirror.

The moment he saw the mirror, Xu Hei's pupils contracted.

Damn... that's Hei Huang's mirror.

The real mirror was in his possession.

The one before him was undoubtedly a fake!

Seeing Xu Hei's gaze, Han Te's eyes lit up. He pointed to the mirror and said, "Fellow Daoist, you have a good eye. This mirror has a mysterious origin. It's said to be a supreme treasure left by an ancient demonic cultivator, with unfathomable powers!"

Xu Hei was speechless.

This guy had made a fake mirror and was praising it to the skies. Didn't he feel embarrassed?

////122////

Five thousand spirit stones were enough to deter most Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Among the storage bags Xu Hei had acquired, only a few of Xuan Yangzi's direct disciples and a couple of deeply hidden individuals had more than five thousand spirit stones.

"What is this ancient map?" Xu Hei asked.

"This is a map of an ancient ruin. The story behind it is quite significant..." Han Te began to boast.

He claimed that two Core Formation Stage cultivators fought fiercely over this ancient map, and he had obtained it by sheer luck.

He had once formed a team to explore the ruins, led by a Core Formation Stage cultivator, but the entire team perished, leaving him as the sole survivor.

As for the mechanism box, it was discovered within the ruins.

With permission, Xu Hei picked up the mechanism box and examined it. There was a keyhole on it, and the size...

Xu Hei was suddenly startled.

He had found a key in the black jade storage artifact of the old ape, and its size seemed to match this keyhole.

"Could it be such a coincidence?"

Xu Hei was uncertain but remained outwardly calm, placing the box back down and turning his attention to the mirror.

Inwardly, he was debating whether to buy the mechanism box.

Five thousand spirit stones were no small amount.

"Hey? Isn't that the mirror from the Purple Mist Pavilion? How did it end up here?"

A surprised voice came from behind.

Xu Hei turned to see a young cultivator dressed in luxurious clothes, exuding an extraordinary aura, likely a scion of a great family.

Han Te's expression changed, and he looked around before lowering his voice, "Do you recognize this item, fellow cultivator?"

"Indeed!"

The noble cultivator nodded slightly and stepped forward, "I've seen it once before. How did it end up in your hands?"

Han Te sighed, "To be honest, this mirror is an ancient relic that had been stored in the Purple Mist Pavilion for many years, but no one could decipher its mysteries until one day, a demon stole it!"

"And that demon used this mirror to defeat Xuan Yangzi!"

Han Te lowered his voice for the last two sentences, as if transmitting the information only to Xu Hei and the noble cultivator.

The noble cultivator's expression changed immediately, indicating he had heard of it before.

"I acquired this mirror by chance, and the details are inconvenient to disclose," Han Te said.

The noble cultivator pressed, "What exactly does this mirror do?"

"Its function..." Han Te took a deep breath and lowered his voice mysteriously, "It can create inner demons!"

Both the noble cultivator and Xu Hei were shocked.

Han Te's words were so convincing that if the genuine mirror wasn't in Xu Hei's possession, he might have been deceived into buying it.

"Really? You're not a fraud, are you?" the noble cultivator asked suspiciously.

Han Te glanced at him disdainfully, "If you don't believe me, I can demonstrate, but you'll have to buy it first."

The noble cultivator hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth, "If it truly can create inner demons, this treasure is priceless. I, Bai, will definitely buy it!"

Han Te smiled slightly.

"Watch closely, I can only demonstrate a fraction of its power."

Han Te picked up the mirror and chanted a spell. The mirror emitted a faint light and shone on the Bai family cultivator.

Suddenly, Bai Ye's expression changed as if he had seen something terrifying, and he staggered back.

"It's really... an inner demon!"

His eyes were filled with fear, and he clutched his chest as if struck by a heavy blow, spitting out a mouthful of blood, as if an invisible person was attacking him.

Han Te retracted the mirror and sneered, "Now, do you believe me?"

Bai Ye nodded quickly, still shaken, "I believe, I believe!"

Xu Hei was baffled. He had tried various methods but couldn't see what was in front of Bai Ye.

But judging by his reaction, it seemed he had indeed been attacked.

"Could it be that Han Te created a replica using the mirror?"

Xu Hei vaguely sensed something. The mirror wasn't entirely useless; it still had some effects of a magical treasure.

"Damn it!"

Bai Ye touched his storage bag and panicked, "I didn't bring enough spirit stones! Can I owe you five hundred? I'll go get it right away."

"That's not possible. No credit here!" Han Te frowned.

Bai Ye was so anxious he was almost jumping, "Fellow cultivator, can you lend me five hundred? I'll repay you double, no, triple!"

Xu Hei decisively refused.

Bai Ye had no choice, sweating profusely, "Hold it for me, I'll be right back with the money!"

With that, he disappeared as fast as he could.

Xu Hei watched him leave, frowning slightly.

Could these two be colluding to put on a show?

That Bai family cultivator might not have encountered any inner demons at all; it was all an act.

One selling fake goods, the other acting as a shill!

This...

Xu Hei was speechless. If he hadn't opened his Heavenly Eye and known the real mirror was with him, he would have been deceived.

"Creating a fake, selling it for five thousand, and using real rumors to make people believe..."

Xu Hei suddenly felt that the city was full of schemes, and he just wanted to go back to the mountains.

Seeing Xu Hei still hesitating, Han Te raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Fellow cultivator, time waits for no one. That Bai family cultivator might return any moment."

Xu Hei remained silent for a long time, then took out a storage bag with ten thousand spirit stones, "A total of ten thousand spirit stones for these three items. If you don't sell, I'll leave immediately."

Han Te's face stiffened, and he shook his head repeatedly, "Three items for fifteen thousand, no bargaining!"

"Then goodbye! I want to see if that Bai family cultivator will come back."

Xu Hei sneered and turned to leave decisively.

Han Te panicked, feeling like ants were crawling all over him, but he remained outwardly calm, sitting still.

Until Xu Hei reached the marketplace gate, Han Te transmitted, "Ten thousand, I agree!"

Xu Hei returned, threw out the storage bag with ten thousand spirit stones, and took all three items from the stall.

"Fellow cultivator, here's the method to use the mirror." Han Te tossed a jade slip over.

Xu Hei caught the jade slip and left without looking back, heading to an inn under the Myriad Treasure Pavilion.

...

Myriad Treasure Pavilion, marketplace.

Not long after Xu Hei left, the Bai family cultivator returned.

He looked around cautiously and approached Han Te, "Senior Han, did it work?"

"It worked, but that person... seemed to have noticed something wrong with the mirror," Han Te said seriously.

"What?" Bai Ye was stunned.

"Anyway, we sold the other two treasures, so it's not a loss," Han Te said.

"Are the other two also fake?" Bai Ye couldn't help but ask.

Han Te glanced at him and smiled, "I, Han, do business with a mix of truth and falsehood. What I said before was not a lie, and the items are real. Don't ask more."

...

In the inn.

Xu Hei looked at the jade slip's instructions, which said the mirror needed to be refined for a year before it could be used.

"Damn it!"

Xu Hei threw the mirror on the ground.

It wasn't even a replica, just a piece of junk! Completely useless!

After hesitating for a while, Xu Hei picked up the mirror and put it back in his storage bag. He had spent money on it, and if he ever got the chance, he would demand a tenfold refund!

Xu Hei could only pin his hopes on the mechanism box now.

///123///

Inside the inn.

Xu Hei took out the mechanism box. First, he tried to force it open with brute strength, but it didn't budge, and his Divine Sense couldn't penetrate it either.

Then, he took out the key he had obtained from the old ape and inserted it into the keyhole.

"Click!"

With a crisp sound, the mechanism box automatically opened without needing to be turned, revealing its contents.

Xu Hei's pupils shrank, and he stared intently.

Inside the box was a purple bead, about the size of a palm, with countless purple arcs of electricity flowing inside. Lightning flashed and roared.

Despite the outer shell, Xu Hei could clearly feel the destructive energy contained within.

"This is... a Thunder Tribulation Pearl?"

Xu Hei carefully sensed it. Bai Xiu had previously used a makeshift version of the Thunder Tribulation Pearl, which was incredibly powerful.

The one before him was clearly a genuine Thunder Tribulation Pearl, having absorbed the power of the Heavenly Tribulations. It could unleash the Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribulations, posing a threat to Core Formation Stage cultivators!

Xu Hei probed it with his Divine Sense, and a wave of destructive energy immediately surged forth, startling him into quickly retracting his Divine Sense, no longer in doubt.

Once the box was opened, it lost its defensive properties and turned to ash automatically.

Xu Hei suddenly realized that if the mechanism box had been forcibly opened with brute strength, it would have immediately triggered the Thunder Tribulation Pearl, leaving him with no place to be buried!

The key was the only way; otherwise, it was just scrap.

"So, Han Te wasn't entirely a fraud. What he described might actually be true."

Recalling Han Te's previous statements, Xu Hei realized that aside from some exaggeration, the events were mostly accurate.

Xu Hei then took out the ancient map and probed it with his Divine Sense, finding the exact location of the ruins.

Located deep within Wu Mountain, in an underground cave, the entrance was clearly marked, very detailed.

The map also depicted the general structure.

Rather than an ancient ruin, it was more like a grand tomb.

The location where the mechanism box was found was also marked, in a hidden chamber on the outskirts of the tomb.

Xu Hei made a copy of the map and stored it safely. He also placed the Thunder Tribulation Pearl into a special storage bag, as it was extremely dangerous and needed careful handling.

The value of the map aside, obtaining a Thunder Tribulation Pearl was worth more than ten thousand Spirit Stones.

This was a tangible treasure that could threaten a Core Formation Stage cultivator!

Xu Hei glanced at the key again and was momentarily stunned.

He noticed that the key seemed to have shortened after opening the box.

"Could it be that this key has a limited number of uses?" Xu Hei frowned.

...

One day later.

Xu Hei left the inn and entered a shop in the Myriad Treasure Pavilion, selling off some of the stolen goods he had previously acquired.

In a hurry, Xu Hei didn't haggle over the price, conceding at least twenty percent.

Two days later.

Xu Hei switched to a human puppet and repeated his actions, selling off another portion of the stolen goods.

Xu Hei didn't dare to sell everything at once. Instead, he sold in batches, using different identities in different areas, through various channels.

Sometimes he set up a stall, sometimes he went to a pawnshop, sometimes he sold to shops, and sometimes at auctions.

After seven consecutive days of selling, Xu Hei finally sold off all the miscellaneous items that were of no use to him.

He totaled thirty thousand Spirit Stones.

During this period, Xu Hei also purchased a large number of Foundation Pills for his Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, as well as various spiritual fruits, heavenly materials, and earthly treasures valuable to Demonic Beasts.

He spent even more, but such a vast amount of resources was enough to cultivate him to the mid-stage.

Along the way, Xu Hei wasn't without encounters with those who coveted his wealth and secretly followed him.

All were dealt with by Xu Hei in secret, adding two more human puppets to his collection.

These encounters only heightened Xu Hei's vigilance.

"I can't stay here any longer. Who knows how many people are secretly watching me? I've gained enough; I'll leave tonight," Xu Hei thought to himself.

That day, Xu Hei switched back to his first identity, Ma Teng.

Since his transaction with Han Te, he hadn't used this identity. Today, he switched back, finding it the cleanest.

Just as Xu Hei stepped out of the inn, a clear female voice suddenly called out from beside him.

"Father!"

Xu Hei was momentarily stunned and turned to look.

He saw a young girl, about thirteen or fourteen, clutching her sleeve, staring at him with tearful eyes.

The girl's appearance was very similar to Ma Teng.

Xu Hei had heard of Ma Teng's story—losing his entire fortune, running away with a mountain of debt, even losing his wife and child.

It seemed that after clearing his debts, the child had left the Jiaofang Division.

Xu Hei had no interest and turned to leave.

"Father, this is the only thing Mother left behind before she passed. She said it was to repay your debt. Please take it!"

Ma Yuanyuan rushed up to Xu Hei, holding out a bracelet.

Xu Hei frowned slightly and scanned it with his Divine Sense, immediately detecting a strange poison within the bracelet—

Corpse Bone Pill!

If worn regularly, the poison from the Corpse Bone Pill would gradually enter the body until it fully erupted. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would find it hard to eradicate.

Looking at Ma Yuanyuan again, she appeared normal on the surface, but her eyes concealed a deep hatred that Xu Hei, having experienced these recent days, could easily discern.

"Heavenly Dragon Casino, truly harmful..."

Xu Hei sighed inwardly. He bore no ill will towards the girl. From her perspective, a gambling-addicted father had ruined her mother and sold her to the Jiaofang Division, so her desire for revenge was understandable.

She had probably been racking her brains these days to come up with such a revenge plan!

Unable to defeat a Foundation Establishment cultivator, she could only resort to such means.

"I am not your father. Don't deceive yourself!"

Xu Hei said calmly and turned to leave, ignoring the girl.

Hearing this, Ma Yuanyuan's hatred surged uncontrollably, unable to be suppressed any longer.

She drew a Flying Sword, bit her tongue, and unleashed all her cultivation, blood seeping from her body as she charged at Xu Hei's back.

"Boom!"

Ma Yuanyuan was sent flying, landing by the roadside.

In a hidden alley.

The black-clad cultivator who had taken thirteen hundred Spirit Stones from Xu Hei couldn't help but sigh.

"Failed again. This Ma Teng is really cautious!" the black-clad cultivator lamented.

"His daughter used such a method, yet he saw through it and killed her effortlessly. It shows he is cold-hearted. We better not provoke him further," an old man beside him sighed.

The black-clad cultivator, named Zhang Kuang, was a manager at the Heavenly Dragon Casino, responsible for debt collection.

A week ago, he saw Ma Teng easily produce over a thousand Spirit Stones and break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, believing he had a great opportunity.

Coupled with Ma Yuanyuan's desire for revenge against Ma Teng, Zhang Kuang had given her her mother's relic, laced with the poison of the Corpse Bone Pill.

As long as Ma Teng took the bracelet, within two days, the poison would erupt, his strength would plummet, and that would be the day they killed him for his treasures.

"Let's go. It's best not to think about Ma Teng anymore. He's no longer the gambling addict he once was."

The old man urged, getting up to leave.

"What a pity," Zhang Kuang sighed. He understood the psychology of gamblers. If Ma Teng still wanted to gamble, he had countless ways to make him hand over his opportunities and wealth without resorting to such means.

But Ma Teng had stopped gambling, leaving them no choice.

Just as the two were about to leave the alley.

A figure suddenly appeared at the alley's entrance, staring at them coldly.

————

[Minor revision in the previous chapter: the protagonist also obtained the relic map. Thanks to the readers for the timely feedback. Writing and posting immediately can lead to such issues. I'll ensure to double-check in the future.]

///124////

"Ma... Master Ma!"

Zhang Kuang's face changed instantly. He never expected Ma Teng to discover them.

But thinking about the mid-Foundation Establishment elder beside him, he didn't feel afraid. He smiled and asked, "What brings you here, Master? Let me introduce you to Zhu, our manager at the Heavenly Dragon Casino."

"I handle matters related to the Qi Refining Stage. Since you are a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Manager Zhu will take care of all your affairs from now on," Zhang Kuang said, pointing to the elder behind him.

Manager Zhu nodded and smiled, "Whatever Master Ma wishes to play, our Heavenly Dragon Casino can accommodate."

He was speaking leisurely when suddenly his vision blurred.

"Retreat!" Manager Zhu's face changed dramatically.

Just as he was about to summon his magical treasure, Xu Hei appeared before him with terrifying speed, almost like teleportation.

It was the Dragon Clan's movement technique, the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon!

Even when performed by a human puppet, the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon was still more than enough to handle a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"Crack!"

A pair of powerful hands clamped around Manager Zhu's neck, lifting him off the ground.

Manager Zhu's face turned pale with fear. He found himself completely immobilized, unable to activate his magical treasure or even circulate his True Qi. His entire body felt like it was being crushed.

It was nothing but the Gravity Technique.

Under the enhancement of black True Qi, Xu Hei's Gravity Technique had reached an almost divine level.

Zhang Kuang, who tried to escape, was also caught by the Gravity Technique and dragged in front of Xu Hei.

"Anything you want to play? How about your lives?" Xu Hei said coldly.

Both Zhang Kuang and Manager Zhu turned pale, their scalps tingling with fear.

The opponent was clearly at the early Foundation Establishment stage, yet he handled them like they were mere chickens.

"Please, don't be hasty. We can talk this out. If our Heavenly Dragon Casino has offended you in any way, just let us know your demands, and we can negotiate!" Manager Zhu said, trembling.

Xu Hei remained expressionless, glanced at Zhang Kuang, and said coldly, "I have no demands. Since this gentleman kept urging me to gamble, let's do as you wish. I'll place a bet."

Zhang Kuang was nearly scared out of his wits, his lips trembling and his body shaking. "It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding..."

Without another word, Xu Hei moved his mind, and a thin thread of True Qi entered Zhang Kuang's meridians.

"Ugh..."

Zhang Kuang's body convulsed, his eyes rolled back, and his consciousness began to fade.

Xu Hei sped up his movements, sending one thread of True Qi after another into Zhang Kuang's body, connecting to his joints and fully integrating into his flesh.

Puppet Mechanism Technique, second level, Earth Puppet Art, which includes three techniques: Spirit Body Thread, Body Swap, and Hundred Puppet Array.

This move was the Spirit Body Thread!

Sun Jian had once used this move to deal with Xu Hei's puppet, causing Xu Hei's giant snake puppet to lose consciousness on the spot. Now, Xu Hei used it against a living person.

In no time, Zhang Kuang completely lost control of his body, becoming a living puppet under Xu Hei's control.

His consciousness remained, but he couldn't speak or make any expressions. He was like a wooden doll, at Xu Hei's mercy.

"You, you..."

Witnessing this scene, Manager Zhu was terrified, a chill running down his spine, feeling an unprecedented fear.

"Heavenly Puppet Sect, a direct disciple?!"

Such a terrifying thought crossed Manager Zhu's mind.

Initially, he had thought to use his status and the backing of the Myriad Treasure Pavilion to intimidate Xu Hei. But after witnessing the Spirit Body Thread, he was utterly hopeless.

The Heavenly Puppet Sect was a colossal power in the Qin Kingdom, the leaders of warfare, while the Myriad Treasure Pavilion was merely a business entity.

At this moment, Manager Zhu deeply regretted his actions.

They had speculated that Ma Teng had some great fortune, never imagining that he was a puppet all along.

Had they known, they wouldn't have dared to provoke such a deadly figure even with a hundred lives.

"Master, it's a misunderstanding. I didn't know you were..." Manager Zhu said regretfully.

"Enough with the nonsense!"

Xu Hei used the Spirit Body Thread again, controlling Manager Zhu as well.

Manager Zhu's cultivation was slightly higher, making it a bit more troublesome to control him. But with the enhancement of black True Qi and the fact that Manager Zhu had already lost all hope, Xu Hei managed to subdue him within half an hour.

In fact, a week ago, Xu Hei had considered whether to reveal that he was a puppet.

But for the sake of caution, Xu Hei hid his puppet identity, leading the Heavenly Dragon Casino to misjudge the situation.

This was a wise decision, as the identity of a Heavenly Puppet Sect disciple was too prestigious and would easily attract unwanted attention.

Now that he was about to leave, a bit of attention didn't matter anymore.

Xu Hei dragged the two living puppets behind him, walking at the forefront as they headed towards the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

Passing through a bustling street, Xu Hei arrived at the center of Chuyang City.

This was the most prosperous commercial area under the Myriad Treasure Pavilion, with arenas, the Jiaofang Division, martial arenas, taverns... everything one could imagine.

The Heavenly Dragon Casino was among them, one of the busiest places.

It was the golden hour, and the streets were adorned with eternal lamps, making the night as bright as day.

The puppet Ma Teng walked in front, followed by Zhang Kuang and Manager Zhu, like two dogs on a leash, as they entered the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

The casino's interior was luxurious, akin to a palace, filled with shouts and curses.

"Ah, isn't this our esteemed guest, Master Ma? Welcome, welcome!"

A woman in a cheongsam approached, her face beaming with a smile. "What would Master Ma like to play today?"

Clearly, this woman knew Ma Teng. Ma Teng was a notorious gambler at the Heavenly Dragon Casino, a well-known figure. Every hostess would vie to attach themselves to him, enticing him to gamble heavily for a substantial commission.

Xu Hei scanned the place with his Divine Sense, finding a variety of games.

There were the simplest dice and mahjong, and more advanced stone gambling.

There were also beast fights, slave fights, and insect fights.

As long as you had enough Spirit Stones, you could even call two people to the stage for a duel, with the house setting the odds and the guests betting on the outcome.

Whatever you wanted to play, you could play.

You could even grab a passerby for a game of rock-paper-scissors.

This was a gambler's paradise, but also a gambler's hell.

Countless people had lost everything here, selling their children and wives.

In just a brief scan, Xu Hei witnessed two people who had lost everything, crying in despair.

Because this was the inner city, the players were mostly cultivators, primarily at the Qi Refining Stage.

The lower the cultivation, the easier it was to get addicted.

Foundation Establishment cultivators were rarer; those who had broken through to Foundation Establishment naturally had extraordinary willpower and usually came just for fun, rarely getting addicted.

However, Foundation Establishment cultivators often played the biggest stakes, losing dozens of Spirit Stones without a care. They were the casino's esteemed guests.

Xu Hei retracted his Divine Sense and looked at the cheongsam woman in front of him. "Anything I want to play?"

"Of course, as long as you're willing, anything is possible."

The cheongsam woman giggled, subtly using her charm technique.

As a professional hostess, she was not only skilled in verbal persuasion and psychology but also proficient in charm techniques.

She had already arranged for Ma Teng to win a hundred Spirit Stones today.

Winning and losing could be manipulated in secret!

First, get him hooked, and there would be plenty of opportunities to slowly drain him in the future.

"Good!" Xu Hei nodded and said calmly, "Today, I won't play for Spirit Stones. I'll play for lives!"

His words caused a brief silence around them.

Playing for lives was rare at the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

The cheongsam woman was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered, smiling, "So Master Ma likes this kind of game. We have plenty of slaves and demonic beasts at the Heavenly Dragon Casino, all available for life-and-death games, as long as you..."

"Bang!!"

Before she could finish, Xu Hei slapped her, sending her head flying, blood gushing out.

"You misunderstood me. When I said playing for lives, I meant this."

//125////

The head of the female cultivator in the cheongsam rolled to the side of the hall.

The noisy crowd instantly fell silent, everyone retreating to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

Some cultivators, however, wore cold smiles, eager to watch the spectacle.

The last person who killed someone in the Heavenly Dragon Casino had grass growing a meter high on their grave.

"How dare you kill someone in the Heavenly Dragon Casino! You're courting death!"

An old man in hemp clothes appeared, raising his hand to suppress Xu Hei without a word. His palm, as large as a fan, descended on Xu Hei like Mount Tai.

This man's cultivation had reached the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage. Against a troublemaker like Xu Hei, he struck with lethal intent!

Xu Hei himself was hidden underground with an Invisibility Talisman. This mere avatar couldn't withstand such a powerful opponent.

But Xu Hei remained unfazed, pulling out the Soul-absorbing Flag and waving it skyward.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

A large group of phantom snake heads suddenly burst from the flag, biting at the descending palm. Each bite took out a large chunk, and in an instant, the palm crumbled to dust.

"Not bad."

The old man's eyes narrowed. He took out a bronze furnace and waved it. With a thought, the furnace's suction power erupted, and a fire ignited inside, attempting to draw in and refine the snake souls.

Suddenly, one of the Jiao Pythons raised its head and spat a stream of venom onto the furnace. The bronze furnace emitted a hissing sound, blue smoke rising as it vaporized instantly, leaving no trace.

"What?" The old man was dumbfounded, retreating as if he'd seen a ghost. The Jiao Python soared into the air, opening its mouth to bite his head.

"A third-tier demonic beast's soul!"

The old man was terrified, shouting in despair, "Master, save me!"

"Boom!"

An invisible force surged, halting the Jiao Python mid-air, but it still spat venom, which splashed onto the old man's sleeve.

"Ah!!"

A piercing scream echoed as the old man decisively severed his arm, which turned to ash instantly.

Xu Hei waved the Soul-absorbing Flag, recalling all the souls, including the Jiao Python.

These snake demon souls had grown, developing some basic instincts. They were no longer just mindless wraiths; they had a degree of self-awareness.

Thus, they could be recalled after being released.

In mid-air, the figure of a woman in a red robe gradually appeared. She looked to be in her middle years, with fair skin, long legs, red lips, and white teeth, exuding the charm of a mature woman.

She was the master of the Heavenly Dragon Casino, Liu Ruyan.

"Who would have thought that my humble casino would attract such an esteemed guest," Liu Ruyan said calmly, her tone betraying no anger.

"Master, this..."

The old man with the severed arm hurriedly transmitted his voice, thinking that if they didn't kill this person who had murdered in public, their reputation would be ruined.

"Step back."

Liu Ruyan glanced at him. The old man trembled, bowed, and retreated.

Then, the red-robed woman looked at Xu Hei and smiled, "Esteemed guest, what would you like to play?"

"I already said, I'm playing for my life," Xu Hei replied, his expression unchanged.

"Very well, the Heavenly Dragon Casino has always had a rule: whatever the guest wants to play, we will accommodate," Liu Ruyan nodded slightly.

This bizarre scene caused an uproar among the crowd.

The Heavenly Dragon Casino was the most profitable force under the Myriad Treasure Pavilion, an economic pillar. Even Core Formation Stage cultivators wouldn't dare cause trouble here.

Yet this middle-aged male cultivator had killed someone in public and severed the arm of the old manager, and he was just let off?

"Isn't he the infamous gambling addict Ma Teng? He sold his wife and children."

"What's going on?"

"Heavens, when did Ma Teng get such a powerful backing!"

The crowd speculated wildly. How had Ma Teng gotten so lucky? Not only had he broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, but he also had such a powerful backing that he dared to kill in the Heavenly Dragon Casino without being captured.

Most of the people present were locals from the Chu Kingdom, with few from the Qin Kingdom.

They had never encountered an inner disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect in their lives and couldn't fathom the use of a puppet in place of a real person.

Many were unaware of such puppet techniques, only the high-level members of the Heavenly Dragon Casino could recognize it, but they didn't expose it.

Xu Hei walked to a platform and waved his hand.

"Whoosh!"

A figure flew onto the platform, it was Zhang Kuang, controlled by Xu Hei.

"You and I will gamble. You send someone to fight this person. If your person wins, I'll lose ten thousand to you. If they don't win, you lose ten thousand to me. How about it?" Xu Hei said calmly.

Liu Ruyan nodded slightly, "Agreed."

She waved her hand, and a burly man walked out from among the slaves and stood on the platform. This man had reached the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage, equal in cultivation to Zhang Kuang.

The onlookers were stunned.

This was clearly Zhang Kuang, who was responsible for debt collection, yet he was on the platform like a slave.

And his expression seemed unusually calm.

"Others can place bets too. The odds are two to one. I'll accept all bets. You have the time of one stick of incense to decide," Xu Hei said.

The crowd looked at each other, hesitant to place bets.

This situation was clearly not simple. Who would dare get involved?

However, many gambling addicts with low intelligence and some influential people were present.

After a while, many placed their bets.

"I bet a hundred on Zhang Kuang to win."

"I bet three hundred on the slave to win..."

Soon, Xu Hei collected three thousand spirit stones in bets.

"I bet five thousand spirit stones on Zhang Kuang to win."

The last bet was placed by a young cultivator. He had an arrogant demeanor, handsome looks, and had reached the mid-Foundation Establishment Stage at a young age.

"That's the young master of the Bai Family, Bai Qiushui!"

"He's a prodigy, said to have achieved a perfect Foundation Establishment, capable of fighting even late Foundation Establishment cultivators."

Whispers spread among the crowd.

Xu Hei was taken aback. It was the first time he had heard of a perfect Foundation Establishment in someone else.

The Bai Family was a renowned noble family in the Qin Kingdom. Bai Xiu and Bai Ye were both from the Bai Family.

Bai Qiushui glanced at Xu Hei and nodded slightly.

Xu Hei paid no attention to him and said directly, "Begin!"

As soon as Xu Hei spoke, he controlled Zhang Kuang to charge forward, engaging in a fierce battle. The slave quickly stabilized his stance.

The slave had survived countless life-and-death battles, and both his spellcasting and physical body had reached the peak of the Qi Refining Stage. In terms of raw strength, he was clearly superior to Zhang Kuang.

However, Zhang Kuang was under Xu Hei's control.

"Boom!!!"

After a few moves, Xu Hei controlled Zhang Kuang to self-destruct while holding the slave, resulting in both of them dying on the spot.

Everyone was stunned.

They had never seen a self-destruction in a platform battle before.

"A draw, all bets are collected!"

Xu Hei gathered all the spirit stones from the bettors, including Liu Ruyan's, making a small profit of eighteen thousand.

Ignoring the angry expressions of the crowd, Xu Hei sent Manager Zhu onto the platform and said, "For the second round, I'll have him fight. You send someone too. The rules remain the same."

Manager Zhu, who was at the mid-Foundation Establishment Stage, was not fully controlled. His eyes were filled with deep fear as he looked at Liu Ruyan, seemingly pleading for help.

Liu Ruyan took a deep breath, her voice turning cold, "Esteemed guest, I have respected you and given you some face. I hope you know when to stop. The Heavenly Dragon Casino is not a place to be bullied!"

Liu Ruyan could see that Xu Hei had no other intention but to cause trouble.

Playing along once in front of so many people was giving face, but if he pushed too far and even dared to kill a Foundation Establishment manager, where would her dignity be?

As the casino master, she wasn't easy to bully. Did he really think she feared a disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect?

"Hmm?"

Xu Hei frowned slightly, taking something out of his storage bag.

"Your voice was too low, I didn't hear what you said. Could you repeat it?"

Xu Hei's eyes gleamed coldly, and he applied slight pressure to the bead in his hand. The bead emitted a world-destroying aura, with arcs of lightning spreading and rumbling. It was the Thunder Tribulation Pearl.

"Run!"

The entire crowd was terrified, retreating frantically. Even Bai Qiushui's face changed drastically as he retreated hundreds of meters, taking out a Small Teleportation Talisman for safety.

Liu Ruyan could no longer remain calm. Her face changed dramatically as she shouted in shock, "Friend, calm down! Let's talk this out!"

///126///

Liu Ruyan's heart was in turmoil.

The Thunder Tribulation Pearl, a devastating weapon of war, was priceless and unattainable!

The creation of this pearl was extremely difficult. Only when a cultivator reached the Core Formation Stage and attracted the Heavenly Tribulation, with a great divine ability user nearby to condense the tribulation lightning into a single point using supreme artifact refining techniques, could it be formed.

Such stringent conditions made mass production of the Thunder Tribulation Pearl impossible; each use meant one less in existence.

Who was this person, to possess a Thunder Tribulation Pearl?

"Fellow Daoist, don't be impulsive. Everything is negotiable. How about putting down the Thunder Tribulation Pearl?" Liu Ruyan had never been so flustered.

"I'm not impulsive at all, just a bit shaky. I can't handle stimulation, so you'd better not say anything to provoke me," Xu Hei said calmly.

"Alright, we'll do as you say. Let's continue with the second round, okay?" Liu Ruyan was truly scared; this guy was a lunatic.

The biggest feature of the Thunder Tribulation Pearl was that it didn't distinguish between friend and foe. Once used, it meant mutual destruction, but its power was undeniable.

Back then, she had set up countless third-tier defensive formations, used numerous magical treasures, and had senior experts protecting her, barely surviving the Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribulations, and was severely injured as a result.

If the tribulation were to be triggered without any preparation, not only she but the entire Heavenly Dragon Casino and even half of the commercial district would be doomed!

Xu Hei stared at her for a long time before finally putting down the Thunder Tribulation Pearl and putting it away.

Liu Ruyan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The crowd watching had long lost their interest in the spectacle.

Except for a few who were not afraid of death and returned, most had scattered, fleeing the Heavenly Dragon Casino to avoid being caught in the explosion if the lunatic really detonated the Thunder Tribulation Pearl.

Bai Qiushui hesitated for a long time but finally steeled himself and returned.

Who knows what was going through his mind.

Moments later, only the casino staff, slaves, and a few spectators remained.

Liu Ruyan sent an old slave at the Foundation Establishment Stage onto the arena. At Xu Hei's command, the two immediately began to fight.

At this moment, the old manager with a severed arm returned.

"Master, I've investigated the matter. The cause is as follows..."

The old manager explained the situation through sound transmission.

"Those two bastards..."

Liu Ruyan's face twisted upon hearing the explanation, cursing Zhang Kuang and Manager Zhu's ancestors for eighteen generations. These two jinxes, of all people to provoke, they had to provoke a lunatic like this.

Running a casino involved many shady dealings, especially in debt collection—forcing people into prostitution, kidnapping, and murder were commonplace.

They could even lure the families and children of those unwilling to gamble into gambling.

With these methods, the Heavenly Dragon Casino, under the Myriad Treasure Pavilion, was the most profitable business.

Usually, Liu Ruyan couldn't be bothered to intervene.

But these two didn't even investigate who they were dealing with. A week ago, they extorted 1,300 spirit stones from Ma Teng, who didn't cause trouble, which was already lucky. Now, they even incited Ma Yuanyuan to plot against him.

No wonder someone came to make trouble.

"Ahhh!!"

Manager Zhu's limbs were twisted, and he screamed miserably, ultimately ending in self-destruction, taking others down with him.

In an instant, the Heavenly Dragon Casino lost two Foundation Establishment cultivators.

An unprecedented humiliation!

Liu Ruyan sighed inwardly, accepting her bad luck for the day, and handed over 10,000 spirit stones.

"Continue!"

Xu Hei took out the Thunder Tribulation Pearl and walked towards the casino's interior.

Liu Ruyan gritted her teeth and followed.

"I wonder, how long does this esteemed guest plan to play?" Liu Ruyan asked.

"Until the end of time, until I lose everything!" Xu Hei sneered.

Lose everything... Liu Ruyan's eyelids twitched.

The casino members nearby all had expressions of gritted teeth.

"Heh, your people invited me to play back then, so why am I not welcome now?" Xu Hei said with a fake smile.

"You misunderstand, we certainly welcome you!"

Liu Ruyan outwardly flattered him while inwardly cursing those two again.

Next, Xu Hei started playing human vs. demonic beast battles.

The Heavenly Dragon Casino raised many demonic beasts, either bought or captured, all fitted with Beast Control Rings for human manipulation.

Using these small tricks, they secretly controlled the outcomes to earn gambling money.

In gambling, nine out of ten bets are lost, nine out of ten bets are scams; the only way to win is not to gamble.

Of course, Xu Hei's method was an exception.

If you could carry explosives into a casino, they would ensure you win.

"Let that rat fight that big cat. I bet 10,000 spirit stones on the rat winning!" Xu Hei pointed to the caged rat demon and cat demon.

Everyone looked at each other in disbelief.

The rat was only at the mid-stage of Spirit Communion, while the cat demon was at the later stage, with a bloodline suppression. How could it win?

Liu Ruyan signaled to someone, and the manager immediately arranged for the two demonic beasts to be brought to the arena.

The battle began.

With just one move, the rat demon was caught in the cat's mouth, unable to fight back.

"Crack!"

Suddenly, Xu Hei's hand trembled, causing a slight vibration in the Thunder Tribulation Pearl, and his body tensed up.

"Stop!"

Everyone's faces changed drastically.

The old manager immediately willed the rat to go berserk, escaping the cat's mouth, while the cat mysteriously weakened, having its neck bitten off.

The rat demon won narrowly!

Xu Hei's hand stopped shaking, and he took his winnings, feeling pleased.

Bai Qiushui suddenly regretted coming to watch this spectacle.

This was clearly dancing on the edge of a knife!

"This guy is a lunatic, a maniac!"

Bai Qiushui, usually arrogant, couldn't muster any arrogance in front of such a ruthless person.

As for why he followed, he was mainly curious about how the other person showed off in front of others; he wanted to learn.

This was a profound skill.

Among the onlookers, a few fearless bystanders focused on the fact that the casino could easily manipulate the outcomes! What did their previous bets mean then?

Liu Ruyan's face was extremely ugly; this was not just a slap in the face but also ruining their reputation!

However, she couldn't let these people leave.

"You, and you, get on stage and fight that bear."

Xu Hei randomly pointed to two people in the crowd.

"Me?"

These two were casino employees, responsible for reception and such, and were dumbfounded.

The old manager waved his hand, directly throwing them onto the stage.

As expected, Xu Hei won another 10,000 spirit stones, and the two employees died.

Then, Xu Hei played various games, winning a total of 50,000 spirit stones.

Such a loss made even Liu Ruyan feel a pang of pain.

They earned a lot, but most of it had to be tributed, leaving them with little.

"Hurry and find out which disciples from the Heavenly Puppet Sect have come to Chuyang City!" Liu Ruyan secretly urged.

"Yes!" The old manager quickly left.

...

Xu Hei arrived at the stone gambling area.

These stones were claimed to be from spirit stone mines, potentially containing high-grade spirit stones and rare artifact refining materials.

But most were junk.

Xu Hei didn't bother to look closely, taking out the Spirit Devouring Sword, cutting one after another, slicing through rows of stones, revealing many materials, and even damaging some treasures in the process.

Everyone watching had twitching mouths.

This area had a total of 1,000 stones, each priced at least ten spirit stones, the most expensive over a hundred, all casually cut through!

More absurdly, Xu Hei only found two high-grade spirit stones and a pile of worthless stuff, showing how stingy it was.

"So black, too black!"

Xu Hei cursed loudly.

Everyone else was angry but didn't dare to speak.

///127///

Based on the provided genre, character introductions, story settings, and name correspondences, here is the translated text:

According to the listed prices, selling all these stones could fetch over sixty thousand spirit stones, but the actual value of what was cut out didn't exceed five thousand.

Not even a tenth!

Meanwhile, banners overhead boasted about certain cultivators cutting out treasures worth fifty thousand, a hundred thousand. It was all just a scam.

Xu Hei shook his head and cursed, then walked into the next stone gambling area to continue cutting.

The stones here were enormous, some even taller than a person or a house, and their prices were equally staggering.

The lowest priced stone was five hundred spirit stones, while the most expensive one reached a whopping ten thousand!

Xu Hei scanned the stones with his divine sense but couldn't penetrate them, so he simply started cutting.

"Honored guest, the stones on the outskirts are one thing, but these stones here are closely monitored by the Myriad Treasure Pavilion. Some contain extreme dangers, please consider the consequences," Liu Ruyan said seriously.

Bai Qiushui also reminded, "I once saw a cultivator cut out an evil weapon here, which killed him on the spot."

Xu Hei found their words reasonable.

As soon as he entered this area, he felt a faint sense of being watched, indicating that there were experts hidden nearby.

They were probably there to guard this stone area.

Liu Ruyan kept her eyes on Xu Hei, squinting slightly, wanting to see how he would react and whether he would back down.

If he retreated...

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly, Xu Hei drew his sword and slashed at a giant stone worth three thousand spirit stones.

"I don't even fear the Thunder Tribulation Pearl, why would I be afraid of mere danger?" Xu Hei sneered.

He was showing his defiance; since he was already in trouble, he might as well go all the way.

Liu Ruyan's face remained unchanged, but her inner fury was raging. If it weren't for the Thunder Tribulation Pearl in his hand, she would have attacked him a thousand times over.

"Crack!"

The giant stone split open, revealing a blood-red light inside.

A streak of blood shot out from the stone, and Xu Hei quickly took out his Soul-absorbing Flag to capture it. The snakes inside the flag devoured the remnant soul in an instant.

"This..."

The crowd was stunned.

Xu Hei completely cut open the stone, revealing a human skeleton inside. The remnant soul had flown out from its skull.

"This is... an ancient cultivator!" Bai Qiushui said in a deep voice.

"An ancient cultivator?"

"How is that possible? The ancient era was countless millennia ago; their bodies should have turned to dust long ago."

Some remained skeptical.

Bai Qiushui explained, "Ancient cultivators had much stronger physiques than us. They were skilled in body refining, had excellent bone structure, and their bones were thicker. This is the proof!"

Bai Qiushui pointed at the skeleton.

The crowd examined it closely and found it to be true compared to their own bodies.

The skeleton was over two meters tall, and each bone was about thirty percent thicker, like a small giant.

"In ancient times, everyone had a perfect Foundation Establishment. Today's Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators would be mere ants in that era."

Bai Qiushui sighed inwardly. Despite his current brilliance, he would be nothing in ancient times, where everyone could surpass their level.

Xu Hei said nothing, waving his hand to turn the skeleton into dust. No matter what cultivation level the person had in life, after countless years, it was worthless.

Suddenly, a small black stone the size of a fingernail fell from the ashes.

Xu Hei's eyes narrowed, and with lightning speed, he collected the entire pile of ashes along with the inconspicuous black stone, almost unnoticed by anyone.

Xu Hei continued cutting several more stones but found no treasures.

He did, however, cut out a streak of Sword Qi that almost severed his puppet's arm, but there was nothing inside.

This made Xu Hei realize that even in this high-level stone gambling area, finding treasures was nearly impossible.

Xu Hei targeted a stone priced at thirty thousand spirit stones and slashed at it, but after cutting just an inch, he couldn't cut any further.

It was absurdly hard.

"This stone is called Qingdan. It requires the destructive power of a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator to break it," Liu Ruyan explained softly from the side.

Xu Hei frowned. His true body wasn't nearby, and he didn't want to reveal his dragon scales. After a moment of contemplation, he retracted his flying sword.

"Alright, that's enough for today!"

Xu Hei knew that everything had its limits.

The other side was surely investigating his identity, possibly even contacting the higher-ups of the Heavenly Puppet Sect. He didn't want to actually detonate the Thunder Tribulation Pearl.

Xu Hei tried to store the giant stone in his storage bag but found it wouldn't budge, so he had to give up.

"Is the honored guest leaving?"

Liu Ruyan's eyes flickered as she probed.

"Why, don't want me to leave? I can stay and play until dawn," Xu Hei said with a smile.

Liu Ruyan's face stiffened.

"Hehe, I have other matters to attend to, so let's call it a day. I hope that next time I come to Chuyang City, I'll still receive an invitation," Xu Hei said with a forced smile.

The crowd cursed inwardly, hoping he would leave quickly. Whoever invited him again would be a fool!

Liu Ruyan had long reached her limit but maintained her smile, saying, "In the future, as long as the honored guest enters the city as Ma Teng, I guarantee a warm welcome!"

"Then I will certainly come as promised," Xu Hei said, cupping his hands. "Farewell!"

He held the Thunder Tribulation Pearl and turned to leave.

Once he exited the stone area, the sense of being watched disappeared, making Xu Hei breathe a sigh of relief.

The hidden expert was indeed only guarding the stone gambling area and wouldn't follow him elsewhere.

Xu Hei instinctively glanced at the jade detection disk Hei Huang had given him and found that only Liu Ruyan was marked as a red dot nearby.

This puzzled Xu Hei. According to his guess, the hidden expert should be a high-level Qi Condensation cultivator. Why didn't the disk detect them?

"It seems this jade disk isn't foolproof," Xu Hei thought to himself.

Under various gazes, Xu Hei boldly left the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

As he walked out, someone followed him in secret.

It was unclear if they were from the casino or just curious onlookers.

However, one person openly followed him, none other than the Bai Family's young master, Bai Qiushui.

Dressed in white, with an elegant demeanor, he followed Xu Hei from a distance of about three meters, neither too fast nor too slow.

"Fellow Daoist, may I know your name?" Bai Qiushui asked, cupping his hands.

"Ma Teng," Xu Hei replied.

"..." Bai Qiushui, of course, knew that this puppet body was called Ma Teng. He could only smile awkwardly. "Then I'll address you as Brother Ma from now on."

Xu Hei had no interest in this overly familiar person.

He just wanted to get rid of him and said bluntly, "If you have something to say, just say it. Can you stop following me?"

"Uh..." Bai Qiushui hesitated for a moment, then asked, "I want to know, if the casino master had troubled you earlier, would Brother Ma really have detonated the Thunder Tribulation Pearl?"

"Of course," Xu Hei replied.

Bai Qiushui wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued, "Brother Ma, you must also have a perfect Foundation Establishment, right?"

Xu Hei refused to answer.

"Brother Ma, there's no need to hide it. The Bai Family is a major clan in the Qin Kingdom. I've been dealing with Heavenly Puppet Sect cultivators since I was young. A normal Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn't possibly have such proficient puppet techniques," Bai Qiushui said confidently.

Xu Hei took out the Soul-absorbing Flag and said coldly, "If you keep following me, don't blame me for taking action."

Bai Qiushui immediately froze.

"I mean no harm. I just wanted to ask a few questions. Since Brother Ma is unwilling, I'll take my leave!" Bai Qiushui cupped his hands and decisively turned to leave.

////128///

Bai Qiushui thought for a moment and then turned back, saying, "By the way, if Brother Ma enjoys gambling on stones, you're welcome to visit my Baidi City. The stones there are all first-hand, much better than the rejects in Chuyang City. In Baidi City, we gamble, but we don't cheat!"

Xu Hei paused for a moment, said nothing, and left straight away.

Watching Xu Hei's departing figure, Bai Qiushui's eyes showed a look of reverence.

Xu Hei's heroic act today had completely overturned his understanding.

Though young, Bai Qiushui was a rising star in the Bai Family and had experienced life-and-death battles, but he had never shown such brilliance in front of others.

The world's perception of him was limited to being the young master of the Bai Family with a perfect Foundation Establishment.

He had an arrogant personality, disdaining to use his status to oppress others and hating those who fawned over him. However, purely based on his own strength, a Core Formation Stage cultivator could crush him with a single finger.

But Xu Hei's actions today made him realize that even a Foundation Establishment cultivator could make a Core Formation Stage cultivator tremble with fear.

Bai Qiushui's eyes flickered.

"Old Du."

"At your service, young master." A shadow appeared, bowing.

"Do we still have any Thunder Tribulation Pearls in the Bai Family?"

"This..." The shadow shook his head, "No."

"..." Bai Qiushui was speechless.

...

Chuyang City, core commercial district.

That night was a night of humiliation for the Heavenly Dragon Casino. Someone had come to provoke them, killed several members in public, forced the master to lose tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, and cut all the gambling stones in the outer area without a single complaint.

It was a blatant slap in the face!

The news spread, and the Heavenly Dragon Casino's reputation was utterly ruined!

If it were just a slap in the face, it would be one thing, but there were also rumors that the Heavenly Dragon Casino could manipulate the outcomes behind the scenes. On the surface, it was gambling, but in reality, it was cheating.

This was no longer just a matter of face but a matter of credibility!

Once the casino lost its credibility, no one would come to gamble. Although gamblers were foolish, they weren't foolish enough to give money away for nothing.

"Have you found out anything?" Liu Ruyan asked coldly.

"Master, I have already asked Elder Ding. He said that there have only been two inner disciples in Chuyang City recently. One left yesterday, and the other is reclusive and couldn't have caused such trouble," the old steward replied with a fist salute.

Elder Ding, Ding Quan, was the manager stationed in Chuyang City by the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

Thirty percent of the Heavenly Dragon Casino's profits went to him, making him their biggest backer.

Liu Ruyan's face darkened, "Then who could it be?"

"No need to think about it, it's not someone from our Heavenly Puppet Sect."

At this moment, a mechanical voice came from outside the hall.

A mechanical dog ran in, entirely yellow, only the size of a palm, but very fast and agile. It was Elder Ding's puppet.

"Greetings, Elder Ding!"

Liu Ruyan and the old steward quickly bowed.

Ding Quan loved dogs, and all his mechanical beasts were modeled after dogs. People secretly called him Ding Dog, but he didn't mind.

"Elder Ding, are you sure?" Liu Ruyan asked.

"Of course, I've already sniffed around. I remember the aura of every inner disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, and there's none nearby!" the mechanical dog said with a smile.

Liu Ruyan was first shocked, then her face turned completely dark.

"Notify all city gates to set up a Ten Thousand Mile Soul-Chasing Formation. I want to make sure that person can't escape!" Liu Ruyan said with a grim face.

"Yes!" The old steward immediately left.

"Apologies, Elder Ding, I have urgent matters to attend to. I'll take my leave first!" Liu Ruyan cupped her hands.

"Haha, no problem, business is important," the mechanical dog said with a smile.

Liu Ruyan hesitated for a moment and couldn't help but ask, "Once we catch that person, should we hand them over to Elder Ding, or..."

"Just kill them directly, no need to inform me."

The mechanical dog sneered and then disappeared.

Liu Ruyan, being extremely shrewd, already understood his meaning!

Thirty percent of the profits from the Heavenly Dragon Casino went to Ding Quan. How could he sit idly by while the casino's reputation was ruined? There was only one solution: catch the person, kill them, and set an example.

Whether that person was a disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect was no longer important.

With Ding Quan's tacit approval, that was enough.

As an elder of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, his status was high. Even if the sky fell, he would bear it. The casino only needed to handle the killing.

...

Chuyang City, the largest city in the Southern Region, had a no-fly formation in the sky and an anti-escape formation underground.

To enter or leave the city, one had to go through the city gates.

Only Core Formation Stage cultivators could ignore these rules.

Xu Hei stood at one of the city gates, his true self hidden in a bundle, and Ma Teng had already been swapped into the form of a skinny old man.

As for the people following him, Xu Hei had casually wandered around the city a couple of times and used a Body Swap once, shaking them all off.

After checking with a jade disk to confirm no one was following, Xu Hei planned to leave.

He mingled in the crowd, queued up, and after a routine check, was about to walk out of the city gate.

Suddenly, Xu Hei's eyes narrowed, and he stopped in his tracks.

Xu Hei could vaguely sense a thin membrane at the city gate, invisible to the naked eye. If not for his recent breakthrough and the surge in his Divine Sense, he wouldn't have noticed it.

Xu Hei recognized this thin membrane; he had encountered it before!

It was the same Divine Sense membrane he had encountered when leaving the Purple Mist Sect.

Anyone or anything passing through it would be marked with a Divine Sense imprint, hunted to the ends of the earth.

Including Xu Hei's true self.

"Is this the work of the Heavenly Dragon Casino?" Xu Hei squinted his eyes.

He switched to another city gate and carefully checked, but the result was the same.

Every city gate had this Divine Sense membrane.

Xu Hei had reason to believe this was the handiwork of the Heavenly Dragon Casino, but where did they get the guts to target him?

"Could it be the high-ups of the Heavenly Puppet Sect giving orders?"

"Forget it, I won't leave the city for now. I'll go back to the inn and wait for a couple of days."

Xu Hei made a decisive decision, abandoning his plan to leave the city. He found a random inn on the roadside and checked in.

In the inn, each cultivator had their own independent courtyard. Xu Hei took out four formation flags he had bought earlier and placed them in four directions, forming a simple shielding formation.

This formation couldn't block Divine Sense probes above the Foundation Establishment level but could serve as an alert, letting Xu Hei know if someone was watching.

At the same time, he sent out two puppets to rent cave dwellings three and five miles away, respectively.

This way, even if his true self was discovered, he could use Body Swap to escape, buying time to flee.

The fact that the other party dared to target him, knowing he had a Soul-absorbing Flag and Thunder Tribulation Pearls, showed they had great confidence. Xu Hei had to be cautious.

This situation was something Xu Hei had anticipated long ago.

Back then, he could have ignored the other party's schemes and left the city directly. If he had done that, perhaps nothing would have happened, and he wouldn't be in this passive situation now.

But Xu Hei didn't regret it.

If you asked why, there were only two words—peace of mind!

He had stormed in and humiliated the Heavenly Dragon Casino, offending so many people and taking a huge risk, just for peace of mind.

Xu Hei waved his hand, and a cold corpse appeared in the courtyard.

It was Ma Yuanyuan's body.

She had been killed by Xu Hei but had died at the hands of Ma Teng, the puppet.

"If it had been Ma Teng himself facing this situation instead of me, what would have happened..." Xu Hei fell silent.

As an observer, he couldn't empathize, but from Ma Yuanyuan's despair and pain before her death, he gained a bit of understanding.

///129/////

Was she innocent?

Neither innocent nor guilty.

She merely wanted to avenge her mother, but ended up being used as a tool to plot against Xu Hei.

Xu Hei shook his head, no longer dwelling on the matter.

He took out the black stone he had cut from the gambling house earlier.

The stone, only the size of a fingernail, was peeled off from the fossilized bones of an ancient cultivator. The moment Xu Hei saw it, he realized it was a storage artifact he had seen before.

Xu Hei had investigated this stone and believed it to be a material called "Void Stone."

Ancient cultivators rarely used storage bags; they typically used Void Stones, which had vast space and could preserve items for a long time.

Even after countless millennia, they wouldn't decay.

Many people embedded Void Stones in rings, naming them storage rings. They were extremely convenient for storing and retrieving items.

However, in contemporary times, Void Stones were exceedingly rare, making storage rings almost extinct. Even Core Formation cultivators primarily used storage bags.

Xu Hei's divine sense probed into the black stone, encountering a layer of dense fog.

Xu Hei pondered briefly, then took out the Soul-absorbing Flag, summoning a snake spirit to bite at the black stone. Gradually, the fog thinned.

An hour later, the fog completely dissipated.

Only then did Xu Hei's divine sense smoothly enter the stone.

Inside was an irregular spherical space with a diameter of fifty meters, filled with numerous enormous spirit plants.

"Is this... Dragon Blood Vine! Earth Flame Mushroom! And..."

Xu Hei was stunned, his breath stopping.

These treasures were rare spirit medicines recorded in ancient texts, long thought extinct, and at least of the third rank.

There were many others Xu Hei didn't recognize, but judging by their appearance, they were likely of even higher rank, possibly above the fourth rank.

Instinctively, Xu Hei touched them with his divine sense, only to see each plant turn to dust at the slightest contact.This..."

Xu Hei realized that too much time had passed. Even items in a storage ring would eventually perish.

The space was stable, with no air circulation. If taken outside, a gust of wind would scatter them.

Xu Hei sighed, touching each plant with his divine sense, hoping to find some remnants. Unfortunately, all turned to dust without exception.

In the end, only a pill furnace and a token remained intact.

The pill furnace was clearly a top-grade treasure, still metallically lustrous after countless years, though its spiritual essence had long been depleted, rendering it mundane.

The token was quite large, retaining some spiritual aura.

Xu Hei's divine sense moved, taking out the token.

It contained some information, and as Xu Hei probed, he heard fragmented words.

"I... descendant of Gongshu... to save my master..."

"Great calamity... Yin Corpse Pill... seal myself..."

"Inherit my legacy... Divine Puppet Sect..."

Xu Hei only grasped the gist.

This person was a descendant of Gongshu, collecting so many spirit medicines to save his master. When calamity struck, he had to take the Yin Corpse Pill to seal his physical body.

The rest involved the Divine Puppet Sect, but too much time had passed, leaving many gaps.

"Divine Puppet Sect... this name is quite similar to the Heavenly Puppet Sect. Are they related?" Xu Hei pondered.

Such ancient jade slips are hard to preserve unless by a great divine ability user.

Judging by the medicinal herbs left behind, this person's cultivation was likely at the peak of the Golden Core stage or around the Elemental Infant stage.

"Even such a powerful person struggled to leave a bit of information." Xu Hei sighed.

Time is the greatest enemy. After countless years, not only surviving but even leaving traces of existence is difficult.

Xu Hei looked at the token in his hand and put it away.

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He then took out the pill furnace, examining it closely. Besides its sturdy material, its spiritual essence was long gone.

So, he hadn't gained any substantial rewards.

"Wait a minute!"

Suddenly, Xu Hei had a flash of insight and took out the token.

There was a complex mark on the token.

He then took out the key left by the old ape, which had the same mark.

The two were identical, possibly made by the same person!

"Descendant of Gongshu..."

Xu Hei suddenly had a thought.

Could this key have been left by the descendant of Gongshu?

And this key could open the mechanical box obtained from the ancient tomb.

Xu Hei felt a chill down his spine.

Ancient tombs, mechanical boxes, keys, descendants of Gongshu, Divine Puppet Sect...

Could all these be interconnected?

Xu Hei took out the ancient map, his eyes fixed on the tomb's location.

"It seems I need to find time to visit this tomb."

Xu Hei thought to himself.

However, now he was trapped in the city. Finding a way out was the priority.

Xu Hei sighed, took a Qi Nourishing Pill, and sat down to cultivate.

...

Two days later, at the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

"Hmph! How bold of him to still be in the city!"

Liu Ruyan's expression was uncertain.

Over the past two days, she had investigated every Foundation Establishment cultivator leaving the city, totaling over thirty people, none of whom were the target.

Not even a single puppet was found.

There was only one possibility: the target hadn't left the city and was still hiding in Chuyang City.

"Master, why don't we conduct a thorough search? We can check every Foundation Establishment cultivator in the city; we'll surely find him," suggested the old steward beside her.

"No, that would offend too many people!" Liu Ruyan shook her head.

The Thunder Tribulation Pearl was still a hidden threat. If it were outside the city, it wouldn't matter, but inside the city, it was troublesome.

At this moment, a yellowish figure appeared in the front hall, Ding Quan's mechanical dog.

"Liu Ruyan, it's been two days, and you still haven't caught him. How disappointing," the mechanical dog said impatiently.

Seeing this, Liu Ruyan knew her chance had come and quickly bowed. "Please, Elder Ding, give me some guidance."

"Hmph." The mechanical dog tossed a jade slip over. "I found traces of that person's scent in fifteen places within the city. I've marked them all."

Liu Ruyan's eyes lit up, and she eagerly took the jade slip.

"Thank you, Elder Ding."

Liu Ruyan put away the jade slip, her eyes flashing with cold light.

Her figure vanished from the spot.

In the past two days.

Xu Hei hadn't stayed in one place. He changed inns every few hours, never staying in one place for more than six hours.

Not only him, but also the three puppets he sent out did the same.

Xu Hei could control up to four human puppets, maintaining flexibility. Any more, and they would become like wooden dolls.

Xu Hei had tried to leave the city, but the divine sense barrier remained.

He knew this barrier couldn't be maintained indefinitely, as it consumed a lot of divine sense.

The opponent would eventually be unable to sustain it.

But Xu Hei no longer planned to wait.

"My patience lasts one more day. If you push me, I'll turn your Heavenly Dragon Casino into rubble overnight," Xu Hei's eyes were cold.

If the opponent thought the Thunder Tribulation Pearl was just a deterrent and not a weapon, they were gravely mistaken.

////130////

At that moment, Xu Hei's expression shifted as he took out a jade detection disk.

On the disk, a large group of Foundation Establishment cultivators was approaching him and the places where his three puppets had been in an extremely orderly fashion.

This group consisted of fifteen Foundation Establishment cultivators: seven in the mid-stage, five in the late-stage, and three at Great Perfection.

Such a scale was beyond the capabilities of ordinary forces, and even the Heavenly Dragon Casino didn't have so many experts.

Xu Hei squinted his eyes as he watched the group quickly pass by the inn where he had previously stayed and head straight for his current location.

"Heavenly Dragon Casino, you brought this upon yourselves."

Xu Hei's gaze turned cold as he severed his connection with all the puppets, leaving only Ma Teng by his side.

He then stored Ma Teng in his storage bag.

"Body Swap!"

With a thought, Xu Hei's true body instantly disappeared from the original spot and reappeared on a street five miles away.

He had long set up small snakes in these places specifically for body swapping.

However, Xu Hei's current body swap technique was only partially mastered and could only move him five miles at most.

Taking a deep breath, Xu Hei ignored the cultivators tracking him and controlled Ma Teng, who wore a mask, to head straight for the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

The streets were bustling with people and traffic.

Even in the afternoon, the commercial district was still crowded. Along the way, Xu Hei overheard passersby discussing him and the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

"Ever since Ma Teng caused that commotion, the Heavenly Dragon Casino has lost more than half its customers."

"Heh, serves them right. I've always heard that the casino is a scam, but some people just don't believe it."

"A gambling stone worth over eighty thousand was cut open and turned out to be worth less than five thousand. Isn't that ridiculous?"

"Some people always dream of getting rich overnight!"

Two people by the roadside were discussing.

Suddenly, a middle-aged man in black walked up and scolded, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

The two were startled and quickly shook their heads, "We didn't say anything!"

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"Boom!"

With a palm strike, the middle-aged man in black made the two cough up blood and fall to the ground, their faces pale.

"The Heavenly Dragon Casino has already debunked those rumors. They were spread by enemies. If you dare to talk nonsense again, I'll cripple your cultivation!"

The middle-aged man in black snorted coldly, spread his divine sense, and continued walking.

The two dared not retaliate and had no choice but to leave helplessly.

To control public opinion, the Heavenly Dragon Casino had resorted to extreme measures, sending out many people to forcibly silence others with violence.

In the short term, this might not be effective, but over time, people tend to forget, and it would eventually work.

By then, they would publicly execute Ma Teng, the rumor spreader, and hang his body at the city gate, ensuring no one would dare to speak out again.

At this moment, Xu Hei passed by, staring at the black-clothed man with a blank expression. He raised his hand and clenched it.

The middle-aged man in black seemed to be grabbed by an invisible hand, his head making cracking sounds before it was forcibly crushed.

"Boom!"

Blood splattered everywhere.

In an instant, the entire street fell silent, and everyone looked over.

"You dare court death!"

From a distance, an old man in black rode the wind, rushing over and reaching out to grab Xu Hei.

Xu Hei took out the Soul-absorbing Flag and waved it, causing a swarm of snake shadows to appear and pounce on the old man.

"It's Ma Teng!"

The old man's face changed drastically, and he screamed, "Master Ma, spare me!"

"Die!"

Xu Hei's eyes were filled with malice as the snake swarm quickly tore the old man to pieces, even absorbing his soul into the Soul-absorbing Flag, devouring it completely.

The snake swarm grew even stronger.

After killing the Foundation Establishment old man, Xu Hei quickened his pace, using the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique to leap into the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

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After Xu Hei left, the place erupted into chaos.

"Was that... Ma Teng?"

"Ma Teng is back! My god!"

"He's back to make trouble again!"

The entire street fell into a frenzy.

However, no one dared to go and watch.

Neither the Heavenly Dragon Casino nor the notorious madman Ma Teng were people ordinary folks dared to approach. One wrong move, and they could be caught in the crossfire and die.

Like the onlookers two days ago, almost none survived; they were all silenced by the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

Ma Teng was even more dangerous, often using Thunder Tribulation Pearls!

Although no one dared to approach, it didn't stop people from excitedly discussing in small groups.

......

Inside the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

Today, there were very few gamblers.

The casino had implemented a series of profit-sharing measures, and those who participated had won some spirit stones.

They even arranged for two shills to open top-grade treasures from the gambling stones and hung banners to promote it.

This attracted some customers.

Xu Hei entered the casino and, without a word, started a killing spree, releasing snake spirits to kill everyone in sight, whether they were casino staff or bystanders.

Most of the casino's experts had been sent out, and Xu Hei, with bloodshot eyes, entered an unstoppable state.

It wasn't until a white-robed elder activated a large formation that Xu Hei's rampage was slightly hindered.

"Master Ma, when did our Heavenly Dragon Casino ever offend you to deserve such ruthless attacks?"

The elder's face was ashen.

"Tell your master to come out and see me!" Xu Hei said coldly.

...

At this moment, Liu Ruyan had just captured the four puppets Xu Hei had abandoned when she received news from the casino.

"What?!"

Liu Ruyan couldn't believe that Xu Hei had actually returned.

Not only did he not leave the city, but he also went back to the Heavenly Dragon Casino, which was beyond everyone's expectations.

Without hesitation, Liu Ruyan retraced her steps and rushed back to the casino as fast as she could. Meanwhile, Ding Quan's mechanical dog followed suit.

"He actually went back. Is he courting death?"

Ding Quan was baffled.

However, it seemed the other party had no way out. Leaving the city meant death, staying in the city meant death, so the only option was to fight desperately at the casino.

This was also within Ding Quan's calculations, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

Inside the Heavenly Dragon Casino, in the main hall.

In front of Xu Hei, Liu Ruyan's figure slowly appeared. Her face no longer bore the courtesy from two days ago but was filled with cold killing intent.

"Why did you come back?"

"Someone didn't want me to leave, so I had to come back," Xu Hei replied calmly.

A trace of surprise flashed in Liu Ruyan's eyes. This person could actually see through the soul-chasing technique at the city gate. Impressive.

"Since you're back, you won't be leaving today!"

Liu Ruyan waved her hand.

As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Hei took out a Thunder Tribulation Pearl and, without giving her any time to react, threw it and clenched his hand in mid-air.

"Explode!" Xu Hei shouted in a low voice.

Liu Ruyan's pupils contracted to a point.

She had anticipated this moment but still didn't expect Xu Hei to be so decisive.

One must know that the range of the Thunder Tribulation Pearl was vast. Xu Hei's true body would definitely be affected, if not killed, then severely injured.

In that case, he would have no way to escape in Chuyang City.

"Madman!"

Liu Ruyan cursed inwardly, but she was prepared. The moment Xu Hei threw the Thunder Tribulation Pearl, she took out the formation disk given by Elder Ding and clenched it.

In an instant, a light shield appeared, compressing rapidly towards the Thunder Tribulation Pearl's location at lightning speed, aiming to minimize the destruction range.

This was no ordinary formation but a mid-tier third-grade formation, capable of blocking most of the power of a heavenly tribulation!