The old Daoist looked at the five with a chuckle, speaking unhurriedly, "Everyone, ten years ago, I obtained five Jade Talismans. After coming here, I thought a great fortune awaited me. Who would have thought this palace would be completely empty."
"I wasted a full sixty years to reach a mere Fourth-Layer Sensing Cultivation. I expected to soar to the heavens with this opportunity, but who knew it was just a joke played by the gods... Heh heh, tell me, how could I just let it go?!"
"Left with no choice, I had to set up this trap to lure other Cultivators here."
"The Spirit Stones, Magical Artifacts, Cultivation Techniques, and Spiritual Objects on them, while no match for the treasures of a real Cultivator's heritage mansion, were better than nothing. They allowed me to break through two layers of Cultivation in just ten short years."
"This time, it's your turn. All of you, obediently tell me the Cultivation Techniques and Secret Techniques you practice. I can grant you a quick death. Otherwise... I don't mind letting you have a taste of the Blood Vine."
Wen Qianqian let out a soft cry, clearly aware of what the Blood Vine was.
Wang Xingzhi's expression was also grim, his brow furrowed in thought.
Fang Cheng felt the Blood Vine wrapped around him tightening. Thorns gradually grew from the vine, piercing his skin and beginning to devour his vital blood.
He had no choice but to strenuously circulate his Cultivation Technique, causing a faint Protective Spiritual Light to appear on his skin to resist the Blood Vine.
The others did the same.
The old Daoist paid no mind to their reactions. He had already trapped and killed thirty Cultivators, and these five before him were no more skilled than the previous ones.
The Array that suppressed Fang Cheng and the others was called the Five Mountains Prison Suppression Array, a very famous Array in the Cultivation Realm.
The one the old Daoist had set up was only at the Tier One Upper Grade, but it was enough to suppress even a Late-stage Sensing Cultivator.
Moreover, the Blood Vine was also a Tier One Upper Grade Spiritual Object. Dealing with five Early and Middle-stage Sensing Cultivators was simply too easy.
After he had squeezed these five dry, he could begin the next round of "fishing."
He looked at the Body Cultivator, Yang Heng, and chuckled sinisterly. "Let's start with you. Recite the Body Refining Techniques you practice. If you hide even the slightest detail, I'll have the Blood Vine drill into you from your perineum and devour your organs completely."
Yang Heng gave a bitter smile. "If I tell you, will you really give me a quick death?"
The old Daoist sneered. "I don't have the time to torture you. It's just that you lot are often disobedient."
Yang Heng sighed deeply and said, "The Cultivation Technique I practice is called the Wild Ape Skill. I came across it by chance in my youth. It's divided into two parts: the upper part is the Wild Ape Breathing Technique, and the lower part is the Wild Ape Body Forging Technique..."
The old Daoist took out a jade slip and began recording as he listened to Yang Heng recite the Cultivation Technique.
「Half an hour later.」
Yang Heng finished reciting the Cultivation Technique.
The old Daoist asked again, "Now, recite every Secret Technique you've learned."
Yang Heng recited a few Secret Techniques, but the old Daoist looked at them with contempt, not even bothering to record them.
A moment later, the old Daoist's sinister eyes stared at Yang Heng as he said flatly, "What other inheritances do you have? Tell me everything."
Yang Heng closed his eyes and said in a low voice, "There's nothing else. I admit defeat this time. Please grant me a quick death!"
The old Daoist sneered and shouted, "Do you really think I'm that senile and easy to fool?!"
With a change in his hand spell, the Blood Vine binding Yang Heng instantly tightened. A sharp tendril extended, burrowing into Yang Heng's clothes.
Yang Heng let out a muffled grunt, his face instantly contorting in extreme pain.
"I just said, I don't enjoy torture. But you people insist on forcing my hand!"
The old Daoist said with a mocking laugh.
Yang Heng clenched his jaw, his eyes wide and bloodshot. The muscles in his neck bulged as a low, beast-like roar escaped his lips.
"Quick... kill... me!"
He struggled with all his might, crying out in agony.
The old Daoist said coldly, "I'll ask you one more time: will you talk or not? Don't worry, I have plenty of patience. I can wait until the day you decide to speak."
Yang Heng's body thrashed and twisted violently. The burly man held out for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, but he ultimately couldn't bear it any longer. "There's also a saber technique!" he shouted.
The old Daoist snorted coldly and stopped the spell.
Yang Heng was drenched in sweat, his face as pale as paper.
The old Daoist said, "I forgot to tell you. I previously learned a technique called the Heart Reflection Technique. It allows me to sense your intentions. I can tell whether you're lying or not."
Yang Heng weakly looked up at the old Daoist, his face a mask of despair.
The other four felt a shared sense of dread and couldn't bear to look at Yang Heng any longer.
"The Thunderbolt Saber Technique has nine stances in total..."
Yang Heng began to describe his saber technique.
...
"Fellow Daoist Fang..."
Wang Xingzhi's voice transmission sounded in Fang Cheng's ear.
Fang Cheng maintained a meditative calm, his face betraying no emotion, for fear of being noticed by the old Daoist.
He heard Wang Xingzhi's transmission continue: "Fellow Daoist Fang, I have a Demon Sound Secret Technique that can temporarily break the hold of the Blood Vines on us."
"You and I will accumulate Magical Power to resist the Array. We should have enough for one strike... In a moment, Fellow Daoist Yang will create an opportunity. When he does, we will attack with all our might. We must kill this beast!"
Fang Cheng blinked slowly, indicating he understood.
Meanwhile, Yang Heng's voice grew fainter. The old Daoist frowned and shouted, "Don't try to be clever! Was the suffering from before not enough for you?!"
Yang Heng glanced at him and stammered, "I... I..."
"What's wrong with you?"
The old Daoist took a few steps forward, focusing his gaze to get a closer look.
Just then, Wang Xingzhi suddenly opened his mouth and let out a piercing shriek.
Demonic Sound!
Under the influence of the Demonic Sound, it took only two breaths for the Blood Vines on everyone to go limp and loosen.
The five of them broke free, but they were still suppressed by the Five Mountains True Prison Array.
Without a word, Fang Cheng brought two fingers together. Risking severe damage to his foundation, he frantically drove the Magical Power in his Qi Sea and executed a Sword Technique!
A flash of fire suddenly erupted from the storage bag at the old Daoist's waist, and a glint of sword light pierced through it and flew out.
The Flying Sword was faster than lightning. After circling once in the air, it transformed into a brilliant streak of light, carrying a chilling Sword Intent as it slashed down fiercely.
At the same time, Wang Xingzhi, Chen Yu Yan, and Wen Qianqian each unleashed their strongest attacks, striking at the old Daoist.
For a moment, brilliant lights of all colors flashed and intertwined, a dazzling sight.
But the old Daoist gave a strange laugh. Unflustered in the face of danger, his body flared with spiritual light as he raised his Protective Spiritual Light. With a wave of his hand, he slashed out four saber auras to intercept their attacks.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The magical attacks of Wang Xingzhi and the other two were all blocked by the saber auras.
Only the Red Feather Sword weaved through the air, turning like a fish and soaring like a dragon. It nimbly bypassed the old Daoist's saber auras and struck viciously against the Protective Spiritual Light in front of him!
Fang Cheng put his all into that slash. Aided by his Sword Heart Clarity, his Spiritual Sense was heightened to its peak, allowing him to perceive the smallest details. The Flying Sword moved with his thoughts, a perfect fusion of his Magical Power, Divine Sense, and will!
This was the strongest sword strike he had delivered since he transmigrated.
With a RIP, the old Daoist's Protective Spiritual Light was torn open.
The sword light immediately poured through!
Just as the old Daoist was about to be decapitated, a Jade Pendant on his body suddenly floated up and blocked the Red Feather Sword on its own.
First-rank top-grade magic tool!
CLANG!
A metallic ring echoed throughout the Heritage Mansion.
Crimson fire and spiritual light erupted in a tangled burst, engulfing the old Daoist.
Blinding Sword Auras flashed repeatedly. In an instant, the Red Feather Sword unleashed hundreds of strikes!
"What a fine Sword Technique!"
The old Daoist's figure shot backward out of the light, his face a mixture of lingering fear and deep resentment.
'I was careless! I shouldn't have just casually put that Flying Sword into my storage bag without taking any precautions!'
'But who could have predicted that a mere Fourth Layer of Sensing Cultivator could unleash a Sword Technique of such power?'
CLATTER!
The Red Feather Sword fell to the ground.
Fang Cheng had exhausted all his Magical Power in that single attack, and his Qi Sea felt on the verge of collapse.
The old Daoist looked coldly at Fang Cheng and the others and sighed, "I certainly underestimated you all!"
He had nearly been killed by this group of juniors.
If not for the many tricks and Magical Artifacts he had accumulated from "fishing" for so many years, he would have capsized in the gutter this time!
Wang Xingzhi wore a bitter smile. Chen Yu Yan and Wen Qianqian were even paler, their hearts sinking to rock bottom as they thought of what was to come.
They had all witnessed Fang Cheng's sword light just now. It could be described in one word: stunning!
But unfortunately, it was all for naught.
Just as the old Daoist was about to use another technique to bind the five again, his expression suddenly froze. A look of disbelief filled his eyes.
A sickly, grayish-green color was spreading across the old Daoist's face!
"Poison...?!"
Within the Five Mountains True Prison Array, Fang Cheng, drained of all strength, leaned against a stone pillar with a faint smile on his lips.
'It's finally working.'
When the old Daoist had forced him into the Grand Array, he had secretly released his Poison Gu to spread its toxic gas. Now, the Poisonous Gu had finally taken effect.
The Poison Gu had absorbed several types of Tier One Middle Grade virulent poisons. Even Fang Cheng himself wasn't sure how potent it would be.
At this moment, the old Daoist's expression was grave. He hastily sat down cross-legged and circulated his Cultivation Technique, preparing to force out the Poisonous Gu.
At the same time, he took out a few Antitoxic Elixirs from his storage bag and swallowed them. With this two-pronged approach, he managed to barely suppress the poison's spread.
Fang Cheng watched the old Daoist and thought, 'Now's the time!'
With a flicker of his mind, he activated the Vajra Gu!
The old Daoist suddenly let out a hiss. He shot into the air, reached behind his back, and violently tore off his own Daoist Robe.
On his back were two bloody, fingernail-sized holes!
"You... You're a Gu Cultivator!" the old Daoist roared, pointing a finger at Fang Cheng.
He waved his hand, sending a saber aura slashing toward Fang Cheng to kill him.
In that flash of a moment, Yang Heng, who had been motionless, suddenly shot to his feet. A long, black saber had appeared in his hand, and with a horizontal slash, he intercepted the old Daoist's saber aura.
Fortunately, after being poisoned and then invaded by the Vajra Gu, the old Daoist could only muster ten to twenty percent of his Magical Power.
Otherwise, Yang Heng might not have been able to block the attack.
The old Daoist opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood. His expression froze, and he fell from the sky.
The Vajra Gu had already bitten through his heart and devoured it completely in just a few bites!
THUD!
The old Daoist's corpse hit the ground. When the others looked, they saw his eyes were wide open, his face still etched with shock, fury, and unwillingness to accept his fate.
"Hahahaha, good! Good! A good kill!"
Wang Xingzhi laughed heartily.
Wen Qianqian's pretty face was still filled with shock, her beautiful eyes wide in disbelief as she watched everything unfold.
On Chen Yu Yan's cold and beautiful face, the joy and excitement of surviving a disaster appeared. She couldn't help but steal a few more glances at Fang Cheng, her eyes holding a mix of surprise and curiosity.
Yang Heng could no longer support himself and collapsed to his knees, leaning on his saber.