Chapter 420

Chapter 420: Encounter Again

In his perception, several auras rushed towards their direction, seemingly aimed directly at them.

But the distance was too great for Ji Yang to sense who was approaching.

At that moment, Cui and the others showed no reaction, as they had already prepared to move to their next destination.

However, after a short while, Cui and the others also sensed the approaching cultivators in the distance, and a hint of caution crossed their faces.

Uncertain if the newcomers were friend or foe, they knew they had to be on guard, especially since they had gained a good amount of treasure recently; they didn’t want to be ambushed due to carelessness.

While everyone stood ready, Ji Yang had already caught sight of the approaching figures.

Without making a sound, Ji Yang quietly stood in place as he discerned the newcomers.

As the distance closed, Cui and the others quickly spotted the figures ahead.

“Damn, it’s those people from the Xuantian Sect!”

As soon as they recognized Du Yuankang and his companions, the expressions of everyone present turned serious and tense, and they summoned their magical treasures, preparing for battle.

Their previous skirmish ended with them having the upper hand, but now Du Yuankang and his group had returned, clearly unwilling to accept their earlier defeat.

Moreover, knowing that two Spirit Transformation Stage cultivators had recently joined Cui’s group, they still dared to confront them, clearly feeling confident this time!

This was not a situation Cui and the others wanted to see.

As Du Yuankang and the others drew closer, the faces of Cui’s group grew even more grim.

They had suspected correctly; originally, Du Yuankang’s team only had four Spirit Transformation Stage cultivators, but now they had two additional members.

It would have been acceptable if they were just Spirit Transformation Stage cultivators, but both of the newcomers exuded a formidable presence. A slight sense revealed they were actually two Void Refinement stage cultivators.

Originally, the two sides were evenly matched, but with just one additional Void Refinement stage cultivator, it would be hard for Cui’s group to deal with the situation, as the gap in realms could not be easily bridged by just a couple of cultivators.

Now faced with two Void Refinement stage cultivators, the situation became critical; it was already too late to consider fleeing.

“Cui, it’s been a few days; I hope you’ve been well?”

Soon, the Xuantian Sect members encircled them, and Du Yuankang slowly stepped out of the crowd, looking mockingly at Cui and the others, with a glint of disdain and satisfaction in his eyes.

After feeling frustrated and forced to retreat a few days ago, seeing the grim expression on Cui’s face cleared all his earlier displeasure and left him feeling triumphant.

“How did you know we were here?”

Cui asked in confusion.

But when Du Yuankang revealed an item in his hand, Cui stopped speaking. It was a substance known as Qingying Powder; once it touched something, it could be tracked by its scent, a deliberate tactic used during their previous battle.

They had come to this confrontation, and he could only blame himself for not being careful enough to check for it afterward.

“Hmph, Du Yuankang, what do you want?”

Cui scoffed, but the confidence in his stance seemed lacking.

“Ha, Cui, where has your bravado gone in the past few days?”

Du Yuankang teased casually, knowing the power disparity between them was now too vast to worry about a repeat of their last encounter.

Cui huffed but did not respond. Just as Du Yuankang was about to make another mockery, two faint voices came from behind him:

“Alright, Junior Brother Du, we need to head to the upper levels of the secret realm; time is precious.”

As the words fell, two figures stepped out from the crowd.

Hearing the conversation behind him, Du Yuankang quickly filled his face with smiles and turned to bow repeatedly:

“It is the fault of my junior brothers! Brothers, that ‘Thousand-Day Red’ is with these people; I hope you can help and capture them.”

The "Thousand-Day Red" was the name of the top-tier spiritual plant that both sides had been vying for. This spiritual plant was entirely fire-red and had many wonderful uses; its greatest utility was granting cultivators a fire attribute constitution, which represented its highest value.

From what these two Void Refinement stage cultivators from the Xuantian Sect said, it was clear they had come for this top-tier spiritual plant.

Otherwise, with Du Yuankang’s abilities, he could not easily invite his senior brothers over.

The two scanned Cui and his group with sharp eyes.

When they spotted Ji Yang among the crowd, their expressions froze slightly. Even though there was a Void Refinement stage cultivator in Cui’s team, they wouldn’t have been surprised; however, was this Initial Golden Core Stage too low?

In their sect, although they also had a Golden Core stage cultivator involved, he was a talented disciple at the Late Golden Core level. Moreover, having entered the secret realm for so long, he should have already broken through to the Nascent Soul Stage.

Nonetheless, they were seasoned individuals and did not dwell on Ji Yang too much, instead shifting their focus to the front of the crowd, where Cui stood.

Although Cui’s realm wasn’t very high, it was evident from the expressions and movements of the others that Cui was the spokesperson for the team.

“Hand over your storage bags, and we can make this quick for you,” one of the Void Refinement stage cultivators said bluntly to Cui.

Despite there being five Spirit Transformation Stage cultivators in Cui’s group, in front of these two, they were like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—underestimating their own capabilities.

If Cui didn’t care about his dignity, the two were more than willing to help him maintain a bit of it.

As they spoke, the two exuded their powerful aura.

Faced with the pressure from the two Void Refinement stage cultivators, Cui’s face turned pale, and the ring in his hand glowed faintly, resisting their overwhelming aura; it was clearly a special treasure.

Otherwise, under the impact of their energies, Cui’s Nascent Soul Stage wouldn’t have been able to withstand it.

Yet, even with the aid of the treasure, Cui’s expression still looked grim.

When he sensed the specific realms of the two, his mood plummeted further.

The two disciples from the Xuantian Sect were one a Void Refinement Stage and the other a Mid Void Refinement!

With such strength, how could his handful of Spirit Transformation Stage cultivators resist? Even if he had some means, they could only deal with Spirit Transformation Stage cultivators and were far from being a match for Void Refinement stage cultivators.

Turning to his companions, he noticed a hint of panic in their eyes, clearly unsure of what to do.

Cui wanted to struggle, so he clasped his hands and said,

“Brothers, I am Elder Cui from the He Dao Sect…”

But before Cui could finish, he was coldly interrupted by one of the cultivators:

“Alright, stop the nonsense. No matter which elder or Peak Master you have behind you from the He Dao Sect, you won’t escape today.”

In this secret realm, they had no worries from behind; if they let these people escape, the trouble could escalate significantly.

Hearing this, Cui’s heart sank; it was evident these two had no intention of leaving them a way out.

“Cui, stop struggling. With two brothers here, you have no chance!” Du Yuankang laughed from behind.