Chapter 141: Blocked by the Black-armored General, Moral Coercion Backfires

Just a few breaths later, Yu Xian reached the shore.

With a shake of his robe, the water droplets dispersed, leaving his clothes clean and dry. He stepped forward calmly.

“Fellow Daoist Xu! Fellow Daoist, please wait for this humble one!”

Behind him, Wang Teng’s urgent shout echoed.

Yu Xian furrowed his brows slightly but paused after a moment’s thought.

That massive inner city ahead was like a slumbering beast, full of unknown dangers. Going alone meant bearing all the risk alone. Going with others meant shared danger.

Sometimes, surviving danger wasn’t about overcoming it — it was just about being faster than the others.

So waiting for them posed no issue. This was exactly why humans tend to gather in groups — a survival instinct just as much as a strategy.

As for first come, first served? When there were too many hands, that only mattered if there was anything worth grabbing.

Yu Xian no longer believed in such luck.

So far, despite arriving early at each spot, he’d gotten nothing substantial — save for some illusions of divine generals fighting, which helped improve his martial arts.

Ah, maybe that yellow crystal left by the golden-armored general could count as a reward?

A short while later, the other seven scrambled ashore, drained but determined. After drying off, Wang Teng flew up to Yu Xian with a bright smile.

“Thank you for waiting, Fellow Daoist.”

“No trouble,” Yu Xian replied calmly, smiling faintly. “This city ruin hides many perils. Only by working together can we grasp the true opportunity.”

“Fellow Daoist speaks truly!” Wang Teng nodded repeatedly, but a strange light flickered deep within his eyes.

The other six caught up, remaining mostly silent. The mood was tense.

They had all knelt under the illusory might just moments ago — all except Yu Xian.

At the time, they’d cursed him bitterly. His refusal to kneel, in their minds, had doomed them.

Though it had just been an illusion and none of them had suffered real harm, the displeasure lingered.

Why did he get to stand tall while they cowered?

What if it had been real? Wouldn’t they have died because of him?

Their gazes were full of quiet resentment and suspicion.

Now that the fear was gone, their minds cleared — and one realization stood out: that treasure Yu Xian had revealed earlier… was it a Tier 5 high-grade defensive artifact?

A treasure like that—anyone here could recognize its value.

No wonder this Xu Haoming dared to be arrogant and remain composed even before mid- and late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

A master alchemist capable of refining Tier 4 pills, and also in possession of a Tier 5 artifact — perhaps even more than one!

If he wasn’t proud, who should be?

But… if he didn’t make others envious, who would?

Such a treasure — worth over a million, maybe even two million spirit stones — was enough to tempt any Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Greed began to fester like wildfire.

Still, it wasn’t the right time to make a move.

First, the group hadn’t reached a consensus — attacking without a plan would only end in chaos.

Second, Wang Teng, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, stood beside Yu Xian — not someone they could easily challenge.

Wang Teng glanced at Li Yuan and the others, then whispered to Yu Xian:

“Fellow Daoist… we should leave now. These people have ill intentions.”

Yu Xian raised an eyebrow and played dumb. “Ill intentions? Why, because I didn’t kneel?”

Wang Teng flushed slightly — he too had begged for mercy under the illusion. Yu Xian’s remark stung.

Still, he quickly recovered. “They’re eyeing your artifact. If we don’t move now, they might try to rob you.”

“Oh?”

Yu Xian’s eyes gleamed. He cast a glance at the others, his face turning grim. “Thank you for the warning, Brother Wang. Let’s leave at once.”

Wang Teng nodded, and the two soared toward the inner city.

The six others exchanged looks and quickly followed — how could they let such a prize slip away?

Only a naive fool would think Wang Teng wasn’t scheming as well.

The Great City of Ten Thousand Armors stretched vast — hundreds of miles in diameter. Few mortal cities could compare in scale.

Yet the inner city was in worse condition than the outer. Half the walls had crumbled into rubble.

A lifeless, oppressive atmosphere hung thick in the air.

Even before anything appeared, as they stepped inside, Yu Xian and Wang Teng simultaneously saw it—

A mountain of corpses, a sea of blood.

Countless human remains stacked like a grotesque monument of war.

Then it vanished — another illusion.

Could such a place really contain opportunities?

Yu Xian doubted it more and more.

The place seemed more like a battlefield tainted by illusions and resentful spirits than a treasure trove.

But they had only just taken a few steps when Yu Xian’s expression changed.

Wang Teng also froze, eyes wide.

A black-armored general stood ahead, clutching a massive sword, unmoving like a statue — yet radiating a terrifying killing intent.

No spiritual pressure, no breath — but that killing aura swept out like invisible waves, chilling all in its path.

“Another illusion?”

Wang Teng sneered. “Let’s go right past it — surely more tricks.”

Yu Xian did not move. “It might be real. Maybe dead, maybe not.”

Wang Teng hesitated, then nodded.

Soon, the others arrived and froze as well.

Zhou Zong laughed dryly. “Another illusion? Are we going to be scared off again?”

Li Yuan, Jiang Shanyu, Zhu Lin and the others glanced at him — some agreeing, others wary.

But none stepped forward.

Even those who agreed with Zhou Zong didn’t dare test it.

No one wanted to be the first bird out of the bush.

Yu Xian and Wang Teng remained still.

Then—

Li Yuan chuckled. “A mere black-armored statue is enough to stop us?”

Zhu Lin nodded. “True. Still, just in case… someone should test it.”

“Oh?”

Li Yuan smiled. “Do you have someone in mind?”

Zhu Lin’s eyes gleamed. “Fellow Daoist Xu has a Tier 5 defensive artifact and great courage — he’s clearly the best choice to test it for us. Don’t you all agree?”

“Indeed!”

“Correct!”

“Fellow Xu is perfect for the job!”

Everyone chimed in.

Li Yuan grinned. “Then Fellow Xu, would you kindly go ahead?”

Wang Teng frowned but said nothing.

Yu Xian, however, remained unmoved and calmly replied:

“Are you stupid?”

“Uh…”

Li Yuan’s smile froze.

Yu Xian looked indifferent. “You people discuss amongst yourselves — what does that have to do with me? Brain problems? Go take some medicine.”

Li Yuan’s eye twitched.

The others were stunned.

Wang Teng chuckled — cold and mocking.

These people loved pulling this trick — pretend to discuss, then coerce someone morally into risking their life.

He’d been burned like that before.

Today, they tried the same trick again, but Yu Xian ruthlessly tore off their mask before they could push further.

“Fellow Daoist Xu!” Li Yuan’s face darkened. “This was a collective decision!”

“Collective brain damage, then.” Yu Xian sneered. “I didn’t agree to anything.”

Li Yuan snapped. “Xu Haoming! If you refuse to go, you’re declaring yourself our enemy!”

The five others’ killing intent surged.

Especially Zhu Lin — already baring his fangs.

They planned to either send Yu Xian forward or kill him together for his artifact.

If one person is morally isolated, they either bend to the pressure — or die.

Even Wang Teng looked tempted.

But he quickly made a decision.

He stepped forward and stood beside Yu Xian. “Collective decision? Did I agree? I think you should go instead!”

Yu Xian glanced at him, then smiled. “Thank you, Brother Wang.”

Looking at Li Yuan, Yu Xian said flatly, “So? Want to fight?”

He wasn’t afraid to rip off the mask.

There was no point in playing nice with people trying to sacrifice him.

He and Wang Teng might be outnumbered, but with a Tier 5 artifact, killing a few before dying wasn’t hard.

Li Yuan hesitated.

His strength might be higher, but the artifact made things uncertain.

The tension held for ten full seconds.

Then Li Yuan laughed awkwardly. “Just a joke! Fellow Daoist Xu, Fellow Wang, don’t take it seriously!”

“Of course not.” Yu Xian smiled coldly. “After all, a joke is just a joke.”

Wang Teng snorted.

Li Yuan tried to brush it off. “Good, good, just a joke.”

But Yu Xian’s smile turned sharp. “Still, someone should test it, right?”

He pointed at Zhu Lin. “Why don’t we discuss sending him?”

“W-what?!”

Zhu Lin paled. “Don’t listen to his nonsense! That’s ridiculous!”

Yu Xian ignored him, still looking at Li Yuan. “If everyone thinks he’s best suited, then he must go — or he’s our enemy. Right?”

Li Yuan was speechless.

He hadn’t expected Yu Xian to turn their own trick against them — flawlessly.

They hadn’t dared fight him… and now he’d flipped the moral trap back on them.

Because Yu Xian… wasn’t afraid of war!