Chapter 991
Keeping the Appointment
"boom--"
The illusory hand formed from the power of laws slammed down, causing the entire pavilion to tremble slightly, and all the magical power gathered around it instantly dissipated.
The invisible pressure made his knees tremble uncontrollably, and he was about to kneel down when Song Changsheng slightly moved his fingers, and his large hand disappeared into thin air. The pressure immediately changed direction, causing him to stagger back a few steps and slowly release the force.
Although Quan Chong was somewhat hostile towards him, it was only based on reasonable suspicion of his identity, not personal grudges. During this time, Peng Siying had relied entirely on his protection, so even if it was a battle of wits, he couldn't let the other party lose face.
He has always been very tolerant of his friends.
"How is this possible?" Quan Chong looked at the few footprints in front of him, some deep and some shallow, his eyes filled with confusion, bewilderment and shock. One move, just one move.
He never imagined that after hundreds of years of arduous cultivation, he would be defeated so easily. Could that unparalleled power really be a Nascent Soul True Monarch right in front of him?
"Elder Quan, you flatter me." Song Changsheng said with a slight bow.
Quan Chong didn't react for a moment; he had fallen into self-doubt.
Peng Siying quickly advised, "Elder Quan, since Father hired him as the chief guest, he must have his reasons. It's just that it's inconvenient to reveal his identity, so please don't have any doubts."
"It was my overthinking that offended the elder. Please forgive me." Quan Chong's tone was tinged with shame.
Song Changsheng quickly comforted her, saying, "Elder Quan has fulfilled his duties and responsibilities. How can he be guilty? I was away on business during this time, and Miss was able to stabilize the situation entirely thanks to your protection. After this matter is settled, Elder Quan should be credited the most."
However, if it's just the young lady and me going, it's easy to arouse their suspicion. If we alert them, it won't be good. This trip should be led by the young lady and Elder Quan, and I will go as an attendant.
Where did they choose to meet?
"Eight hundred li outside the West Gate lies Tianhua Peak."
"Alright, let's go and meet them now. During the battle, Elder Quan and everyone else, please protect the young lady. I will handle Mao Dongxing and the others."
……
Outside the Four Directions City, Tianhua Peak stands.
Mao Dongxing and the others arrived at their destination early. After watching Zhang Chuqiu busy at the foot of the mountain and confirming that there were no oversights, he looked up at the distant Sifang City. The bright sunshine and gentle mountain breeze filled him with a sense of pride.
He couldn't help but reach out and cover the faint outline of the distant Sifang City with his five fingers, as if he wanted to take this ancient city into his palm.
This was a dream that was once out of reach for him, but now he felt it was within reach. As long as he got rid of Peng Siying and obtained what she had, they could control the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce's treasury and grasp the lifeline of the Chamber.
It can also break the restrictions of the secret realm, eliminate Peng Zhengxiong, completely change the world, and realize a long-cherished wish.
He wanted to prove to everyone that he was no worse than Peng Zhengxiong, and certainly no worse than that pampered young lady. The Wanlong Chamber of Commerce should have been managed by the strong!
"Peng Zhengxiong, once I get the barrier token from your precious daughter, you can go to the underworld to see the old chairman!" Mao Dongxing's palms clenched suddenly, his eyes filled with surging ferocity.
Seeing this, Li Qinghe behind him said coldly, "Don't be too happy yet. It's all because that old guy is quite strong. If this stubborn old man makes a move and fights us to the death, someone could die if we're not careful."
Upon hearing this, Mao Dongxing's eyes flashed with disdain: "Let's not even talk about whether that old guy Quan Chong would risk his life for that little girl Peng Siying. Even if he would, with Master Zhang's carefully arranged Gu formation, what kind of storm could he stir up?"
Moreover, I have already sent people to contact the Ancient God Pavilion and the Xuanling Sect. Their people will arrive soon and will also participate in the encirclement and killing of Peng Zhengxiong, which is enough to ensure that nothing goes wrong.
But you, are you sure those secret medicines you used will work?
"Hmph, you don't need to worry about me. Anyone who takes my pills will be corrupted by my secret medicine. Over time, they will be under my control. Without my unique antidote, they can only exert half of their strength at most." Li Qinghe's tone was full of confidence.
He had been systematically poisoning other cultivators in the guild for a long time. As one of the few top-grade fourth-level alchemists in the guild, it was very easy for him to do this. At least one-third of the Golden Core cultivators in the guild had been taking his tainted pills for a long time and had long been corrupted without their knowledge.
He now regularly adds antidotes to keep the toxicity in these people's bodies at a critical level, ensuring that they don't get out of control and that they don't notice any abnormalities in their bodies.
Once the supply of the antidote is stopped for a period of time, the toxins in their bodies will erupt, and at that point, he can manipulate them at will.
Since they dared to seize power from the Peng family, they had naturally made thorough preparations.
Even Peng Huaming was unaware of these arrangements.
"It's better to be careful. Judging by the time, Peng Siying and Quan Chong should be arriving soon. Peng Huaming and I will distract them, while you guys block their escape route."
"We're doing a job that could cost us our lives. Anyone who makes a mistake will have to commit suicide to atone for it," Mao Dongxing said coldly.
"laugh"
Li Qinghe chuckled, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.
What he disliked most was Mao Dongxing's self-important attitude as if he were the future leader of the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce; his behavior was laughable.
The surge of pride that had just risen in Mao Dongxing's chest vanished instantly. Watching Li Qinghe's departing figure, his hand clenched tightly under his sleeve, but quickly relaxed again.
They are not only collaborators but also competitors, each with their own interests. This inevitably leads to calculations among them, a matter of who can calculate more.
Of the group, he was most wary of Zhang Chuqiu. He didn't take the others, especially Li Qinghe, seriously at all. This was not only because Li Qinghe had the lowest cultivation level, but also because he had never taken any of the spiritual pills that Li Qinghe had refined.
We're just using them to control the Bandung Chamber of Commerce, and this fool is still gloating.
Once he takes control of the Bandung Chamber of Commerce, the first person he'll deal with is him!
"They've left the city," Shen Xingyi, who had been observing from above, suddenly reminded them.
"How are Master Zhang's preparations going?" Mao Dongxing asked hurriedly.
Everything is ready.
Zhang Chuqiu, who was busy at the foot of the mountain, appeared on the mountaintop at some point, like a ghost.
"Okay, proceed according to plan."
As soon as the words fell, Shen Xingyi, Li Qinghe, Zhang Chuqiu and others disappeared one after another, leaving only Peng Huaming, Mao Dongxing and two elders from the same camp on the mountain peak... In order to lower the opponent's vigilance, Peng Siying's side came out in full force. In addition to Quan Chong, who was at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage, there was also the late-stage Golden Core cultivator who had been sitting outside the pavilion earlier. His name was Baili Xuan, who was also a trump card left by Peng Zhengxiong for Peng Siying.
There were also three Golden Core cultivators, all elders who chose to stand on Peng Siying's side. Song Changsheng stood with Qingluan, Hongluan, and others, following closely like attendants.
Because of the [Illusionary Body Technique], he not only felt no sense of incongruity while in the midst of it, but rather blended in perfectly.
With Song Changsheng's current spiritual power, he had already figured out all the tricks these people were up to. It's no exaggeration to say that he even knew the location of the silent Gu worms under the Spirit Peak, not to mention those guys hiding in the shadows waiting for their chance to strike.
"The people you mentioned before are all here, but there are several others I haven't mentioned yet, and they are all quite strong. There's something set up under that spiritual peak, it seems to be Gu worms. There's also a guy in this group who's an expert in Gu worms."
The situation seems to be getting more and more complicated.
"You don't need to go up the mountain later. Elder Quan and I will escort the young lady up."
While sharing the information he "saw" with Quan Chong and Peng Siying, Song Changsheng also offered his own ideas.
He had dealt with these people who used Gu worms more than once or twice, and he knew all too well how insidious their methods were. He was confident that he could protect Quan Chong and Peng Siying if they entered, but he wasn't so sure about the others.
"Since we know they've made arrangements, wouldn't it be better not to go in?" Quan Chong asked, somewhat puzzled.
Song Changsheng smiled confidently and said, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained. They clearly want to devour us whole. If we don't fall into their trap, how can they succeed?"
Just go straight in. Be confident and let them feel your fearlessness. Only then will they truly lower their guard and go all out. Then, not only should you capture them all, but you should also preserve evidence of their crimes.
"Strange, there are no Gu Masters with Golden Core cultivation in the Chamber of Commerce or even the cultivation world of Gusu. Where did they find them? Could it be that they colluded with the Gu Immortal Sect?" Peng Siying asked, full of doubt.
"The Gu Immortal Sect has appeared on the border more than once. Although we have joined forces to wipe them out many times, we have never been able to eradicate their lineage completely. They have only hidden themselves deeper."
"This Gu formation is one of the Gu Immortal Sect's most powerful techniques. We can't rule out that possibility. Once we're inside, don't stray too far from me," Song Changsheng solemnly instructed.
"Ah."
Peng Siying nodded slightly. Seeing that they were about to reach their destination, the group tacitly stopped transmitting their voices and stopped less than ten miles away from Lingfeng.
A series of crisp applause came from the mountaintop. Mao Dongxing said with a forced smile, "Like father, like daughter! Miss has kept her word. It seems that Miss must have brought what I asked for, right?"
"Everything you want is here." Peng Siying took out several waist tokens of different shapes and said in an icy tone, "These are my bargaining chips. Since we're negotiating, what are yours?"
Seeing this, a strange light flashed in Mao Dongxing's eyes. He turned to the side and said, "I have many bargaining chips. It just depends on what Miss wants. Why don't we come up the mountain and discuss it in detail?"
"Go up the mountain if you want."
Based on her absolute trust in Song Changsheng, Peng Siying stepped into the range of the Gu formation without the slightest hesitation.
"Elder Quan, we've had such a pleasant time chatting lately. Now that we're here, why don't you come up and reminisce? Perhaps you're too afraid?"
"What wouldn't I dare to do?" Quan Chong snorted coldly and stepped into the range of the Gu formation. Song Changsheng followed closely behind, while Baili Xuanze and the others guarded their retreat.
Seeing how decisive they were, Mao Dongxing and the others were somewhat surprised, and their eyes began to scrutinize Song Changsheng, who was standing next to Quan Chong.
The details of the cultivators in Peng Siying's camp had long been known to them, and the only one whose background was unknown was naturally easy to notice.
"My dear grandson, aren't you going to introduce your friend to us?" Peng Huaming said in a cold tone.
The moment she saw him, Peng Siying's expression turned cold: "You traitor who betrays his ancestors, how dare you show your face in front of me?"
"Peng Zhengxiong is truly well-mannered, daring to speak to an old man like that. Even now, do you still not understand your situation? Who gave you the courage, him?"
"Hmph, what skills could a cowardly rat possibly possess?"
"That's none of your concern. My request is simple: let me take my father, fifth uncle, and sixth uncle with me. As for the Chamber of Commerce, you can divide it however you want."
"Take him away? My dear young lady, are you really naive or are you joking? Do you really think I'm here to negotiate with you? You think you can go back after coming here?"
Today, this is where you will meet your end!
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Chuqiu, who was hiding in the shadows, activated the Gu formation under the Spirit Peak. In an instant, all kinds of insects chirped, and the entire Spirit Peak seemed to tremble.
"call"
A thick, grayish-white fog surged in from all directions, quickly enveloping the spirit peak to the point where visibility was almost zero. Not only was sight obstructed, but even the range of divine sense was compressed.
Aside from the hissing of the Gu worms, they could hear almost nothing else.
Amidst the swirling fog, Shen Xingyi, Li Qinghe, and cultivators from the Xuanling Sect and the Ancient God Pavilion, who had been hiding in the shadows, revealed themselves. Their powerful auras merged into one, and even the heavens seemed to tremble.
Song Changsheng reached out and patted the two men on the shoulders, injecting surging power of law into their bodies and forming an invisible protection.
Peng Siying recognized the two unfamiliar cultivators at a glance and couldn't help but sneer, "Xuan Chen and Yuan Fang?"
Internal strife is one thing, but to collude with outsiders to interfere in the chamber of commerce's internal affairs is truly shameless. I was hesitant at first, but now I find it laughable.
"Delay will only make things worse. Don't waste words with her, just take the thing!"
"It's such a waste to use such good Gu worms to deal with you." Zhang Chuqiu sighed and manipulated the Gu worms in the thick fog to suddenly pounce on the three of them.
"What a powerful Gu formation."
Quan Chong was about to make a move when Song Changsheng stopped him.
With a wave of his sleeve, the once clear sky was instantly covered with dark clouds, and thunder rumbled.
He murmured, "Since you're not afraid of death, then stay here!"
……
P.S.: Things have calmed down a bit, and update times will resume as soon as possible. I'll also catch up on any missed updates quickly. Thank you for your understanding, fellow cultivators. (End of Chapter)