CHAPTER 66: CHAPTER 65: YOU CALL THIS A LITTLE BIT?!

"Be careful not to expose us."

"Sect Master, when I charge into battle later, I’ll definitely send them sprawling!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just keep it down, will you? If the enemy discovers us, won’t all our efforts be wasted?"

In the sky, within the swathes of dark clouds, three silhouettes stood on a Giant Sword, swiftly moving forward. The Giant Sword was enveloped in a faint gray aura, nearly merging with the clouds.

Mao Aowu turned his head to glance at the two figures squatting behind him on the Giant Sword and scolded with a grim face, "We are still over eight hundred li away from there. What are you ducking for?"

Wu Wang retorted, "Brother Mao, what is the general range of a True Immortal Realm’s Spiritual Sense?"

Yang Wudi cut in, "Between three hundred to eight hundred li."

"If the other side has a cultivator of the True Immortal Realm and we’re too direct, it’s very easy for them to detect us," Wu Wang said earnestly. "It’s never a big mistake to be careful. In terms of military strategy, avoiding the enemy’s detection—ahem, evading the detection of Immortals—is the primary consideration when initiating a surprise attack."

Yang Wudi agreed, "The Sect Master is right."

"You sure talk a lot!" Mao Aowu glared at Yang Wudi.

The word "performance" was practically written all over the bald, burly man’s head.

Wu Wang pondered for a moment before asking, "Brother Mao, do you have a way to hide our tracks?"

"I do, but I’m not very skilled at it."

Mao Aowu thought briefly, brought his fingers together in a sword gesture, and rapidly drew rune imprint after rune imprint. Their figures immediately became somewhat ethereal, and their auras were completely concealed.

Wu Wang closed his eyes and sensed carefully before saying, "It’s not quite right."

"No!" Mao Aowu gritted his teeth. "Then you do it!"

"I’m not saying Brother Mao’s Spell is no good," Wu Wang said with a smile. "Brother Mao’s cultivation level, Cultivation Technique, talent, progress, and strategy are all top-notch in the Human Domain."

Mao Aowu calmly waved his hand, his eyebrows unfurling and the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. He hurriedly said, "Don’t praise me like that, my dear brother. I’m aware of my own strength. Just a Heavenly Immortal, pretty average."

Wu Wang continued, "What I mean is that there’s something off about Brother Mao’s approach to hiding."

"Oh? The approach?"

"Yes. The technique Brother Mao is using can hide us if we stand still," Wu Wang pointed out. He gestured with his fingertips, and a cluster of clouds appeared before him. He then struck the clouds with a palm, causing them to churn.

"Look, Brother Mao, this cloud is like the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth. The palm strike I sent out is like us right now. Although we ourselves disappear from the enemy’s Immortal Consciousness, moving quickly through the world will surely cause ripples in the sea of Spiritual Energy. The faster we fly, the more obvious the disturbance will be. If we encounter an expert who fully spreads their Spiritual Sense or Immortal Consciousness to monitor everywhere, wouldn’t our tracks be exposed?"

Mao Aowu hastily stopped the Giant Sword as they were about to fly out of the cloud layer.

"What do you think we should do, my dear brother?" Mao Aowu’s expression was somewhat troubled. "I’m not very good at the Heaven and Earth Escaping Technique. Some escaping techniques can leverage the power of Heaven and Earth for concealment, which is quite effective, but the Dao of Heaven and Earth is too hard to comprehend."

Wu Wang thought for a moment, searching for an answer beyond the Praying Star Technique, and soon said, "We should minimize disturbances to the Spiritual Energy. First, reduce the surrounding Mana shield to the smallest size possible. Brother Mao, shrink the Giant Sword too, just enough for the three of us to sit on. Next, we must consider the shape of the Mana shield; it cannot be conical like this. It should be more like a water droplet—larger at the front and tapering at the back—or like a flat spindle..."

As Wu Wang gave instructions, Mao Aowu experimented.

Before long, a semi-transparent Giant Sword flew out, with three figures seated upon it. Each hugged their knees, leaned forward, heads bowed, all trying to shrink their bodies as much as possible as they silently sped forward.

Mao Aowu, seated at the front, looked somewhat perplexed. Though he felt something was amiss, the effectiveness of their concealment was indeed remarkable.

Behind him, Wu Wang wore a pensive expression, still contemplating how to further optimize the "invisible Sword Control" plan.

A certain bald and muscular man unfortunately found himself seated on the hilt of the sword, where the width allowed only half his buttocks to fit comfortably, his expression slightly peculiar.

It’s really nice to be powerful, Wu Wang thought wistfully. If only he could reach the Heavenly Immortal Realm—no, the True Immortal Realm—he’d have the strength to test and realize many ideas, and the sense of happiness would be overwhelming.

And the cultivators in that dense forest would never have imagined that they... were being stealthily approached by three big men right under their noses.

An hour later, outside the light barrier of the Formation at the edge of the dense forest.

Three semi-transparent figures quietly made their way to a corner. Mao Aowu skillfully took out an Eight Trigrams Disk and pressed it against the light barrier. Tapping it lightly a few times, he caused the barrier to melt away, forming a narrow entrance.

The three of them entered one after another, with Wu Wang being forcibly pushed to the back by Yang Wudi.

The light barrier of the Formation closed on its own; the dozen or so lookouts in the trees remained oblivious.

Mao Aowu sent a telepathic reminder:

"Sect Master, there are two at the Immortal Realm and three at the Jumping God Realm. These five all have elderly faces—three men and two women—and there are a few younger riffraff.

"There’s a sloped tunnel a hundred zhang straight ahead, surrounded by a Barrier of immortal power. Inside, I sense the presence of one True Immortal and three at the Immortal Realm, as well as over thirty cultivators ranging from Golden Core to Nascent Soul.

"More than ten of them have rather faint auras, likely due to injuries."

He paused, looking at Wu Wang with a hint of surprise, and transmitted, "It’s just as you guessed, Sect Master. The people from the Clear Wind and Moon Sect must have been captured and brought here."

"These people must also be curious as to how one sect managed to get ahold of those mines." Wu Wang shook his head and continued telepathically, "It looks like Suqing will be sulking for some time because of this."

Yang Wudi whispered, "Shall we just finish them off?"

"No direct killing. Capture them alive for Brother Mao to earn some merit." Wu Wang’s eyes narrowed slightly, a cold light flashing in them as he telepathically conveyed, "From here on out, it’s up to you to act as you see fit. Brother Mao, make your way to the tunnel entrance and try to control everyone inside at once. You have seen the portrait of Daoist Zuo Dong; ensure his survival is the priority, even if it means having to kill a few enemies in the process. Wudi, as soon as Brother Mao makes a move, you take action immediately. I will assist you from here. Don’t let a single one escape."

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

The two replied telepathically. Mao Aowu’s figure turned into a wisp of blue smoke and directly burrowed underground. Yang Wudi pulled out his spear from his Storage magic treasure and slung it onto his back. Wu Wang put on a ring containing a large number of Crystal Balls, ready for any emergency.

Afterward, Wu Wang turned his head to observe Yang Wudi’s actions, his forehead slowly crinkling with metaphorical black lines.

He saw Yang Wudi first take out several caltrops, then carefully sprinkle some powder on them before retrieving a long nail that gleamed with a gray light.

Yang Wudi chuckled. "Just watch, Sect Master. You said not to kill them, right? I guarantee we’ll leave you some live ones!"

"Hmm..." Wu Wang nodded woodenly and telepathically cursed, "Aren’t you supposed to use a spear?"

"Er, well," Yang Wudi blinked, "the spear is my primary weapon. As a Body Cultivator facing off against Spiritual cultivators, I’m often at a reach disadvantage, so I have to use these little tricks as a supplement."

This burly bald man with his thick brows and shifty eyes almost fooled me! Wu Wang thought.

But Yang Wudi’s attitude was indeed commendable. A Body Cultivator at the peak of the True Immortal Realm, when facing two enemies who had just entered the Immortal Realm and a few riffraff, did not display blind confidence. Like a hawk preying on a rabbit, he was fully committed—a sign of a proper fighting spirit.

BOOM!

A sudden muffled noise came from the ground, followed by a gust of strong wind from the forest ahead, which seemed to be wrapped with a powerful Divine Thought impact.

"Got them!"

Mao Aowu’s voice came through. Without needing Wu Wang to say anything, Yang Wudi’s figure had already shot out.

Behold the nine-foot-tall, sturdy man: sweeping his hand, he released a swath of dark light. A long spearhead burst forth, revealing the hollow black barrel behind it, from which a blood-red rope flew out. This rope, like a Spiritual Snake, swiftly threaded through various parts of the forest.

Wu Wang crouched in the bushes without showing himself, his eyes twinkling like stars as he scanned every corner of the forest.

Suddenly, a dark shadow sprang out from behind a tree to the north, heading straight for the nearest Formation barrier.

Indeed, someone was hidden, and their means of concealment were quite good.

The half-moon on Wu Wang’s forehead gently flickered. As if struck by a heavy blow, the dark figure staggered. Yang Wudi’s figure dropped like a hawk, grasping the shadow and throwing it back into the forest clearing.

From start to finish, the Duel had ended in a moment.

Mao Aowu enveloped a number of figures in Mana and rapidly flew out from an underground cave.

Yang Wudi, using the Immortal Rope, trapped eight or nine figures and rushed to join up with Mao Aowu.

But Wu Wang remained hidden in the dark the whole time, instructing Mao Aowu and Yang Wudi via voice transmission without directly revealing himself.

Mao Aowu took out an Image Projection Bead, a voice-recording Magic treasure. This was a Treasure Bead, three inches in diameter, known as the Image Projection Bead. It was difficult to refine and pricey. However, every inspection immortal envoy of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion would carry several for emergencies. These could be used to capture images, leaving clues for later investigators.

"COUGH! COUGH, COUGH!"

Mao Aowu held the Image Projection Bead. Recalling the phrases given to him by the Sect Master, his virtuous younger brother, he adopted a clear, mellow voice, a composed expression, and a righteous tone, then declared aloud:

"Today, this patrol envoy has cracked a major case of murder and robbery!

"The victims are from the Flowing Wind Sword Sect and the Clear Wind and Moon Sect. Initially, this patrol envoy was just passing by the residences of the two Sects, only to discover that their places had been looted, and not a single body was left behind.

"Instinctively suspicious, I searched the nearby area and found a valley with an abundance of lingering souls.

"Following the clues left there, I tracked my way here and succeeded in capturing the perpetrating Cultivators and rescuing some of the victims.

"The Human Domain is not a lawless place, and neither Immortal Sects nor Demonic Sects may act recklessly!

"Promoting the righteous path of the human world and following the Human Emperor’s lead to a brighter tomorrow is the unwavering pursuit of us Cultivators!

"Thank you."

After speaking, he turned the Image Projection Ball towards the figures bound behind him, waited for a while, and then sealed the Image Projection Ball.

Mao Aowu looked toward Wu Wang’s hiding place. Seeing a thumbs-up slowly rise from the bushes, he broke into a satisfied smile.

Having received the transmission, Yang Wudi began to heal the badly wounded disciples of the Clear Wind and Moon Sect.

Daoist Zuo Dong, his gray hair disheveled and his spirit somewhat dazed, nursed wounds on his shoulder and chest as he murmured to himself, "Oh, the sin, this is truly a sin."

Never mind, Wu Wang thought. Seeing how wretched they are, I won’t hold their bullying of the old lady against them anymore.

Most of the rescued disciples of the Clear Wind and Moon Sect were elderly; none were the young people Wu Wang had met before.

Wu Wang then sat down on the spot and quietly meditated for a while.

Not far away, Yang Wudi suddenly let out a strange yell, and Mao Aowu also frowned, though a bitter smile played on his lips.

These two men rushed to Wu Wang with the ill-gotten goods they had just confiscated. Mao Aowu stared at him and asked, "Sect Master?!"

"What’s wrong?" Wu Wang asked back, puzzled.

Mao Aowu threw several Storage magic treasures in front of Wu Wang. Wu Wang probed into them with his Spiritual Sense and discovered they were indeed part of the compensation he had given to the old lady...

Mao Aowu was distressed, grinding his teeth as he said, "You call *this* ’a little’?"

"Sect Master!" Yang Wudi’s eyes shone. "Do you need a male housekeeper? The kind that can do accounting?"

Wu Wang smiled calmly, then sighed softly, a touch of melancholy in his eyes.

Mao Aowu hurriedly asked, "Sect Master, what’s wrong? Did Big Brother just say something wrong?"

"Actually, no," Wu Wang transmitted. "Please keep this matter confidential. This is indeed not ’a little’, and the materials within are indeed precious materials for refining in the Human Domain. These... actually, I secretly took them from home. Our small clan has many treasures. However, those of the Human race outside the Human Domain are intimidated by the might of the gods and cannot support the Human Domain directly. So, I came up with this method, treating these as compensation for Suqing’s guidance over six years. The elders at home also turn a blind eye to this. I thought that no matter how these precious materials flowed into the Human Domain, they would add a little strength to it. I just didn’t expect it to cause such a tragedy. Sigh, I didn’t consider this thoroughly enough."

Mao Aowu and Yang Wudi exchanged a look, and both of them... showed solemn respect.

"Sect Master, I shall report this matter to the Human Emperor! My dear brother, you truly are a role model for our generation!" Mao Aowu’s eyes were full of admiration.

Wu Wang hastily said, "Don’t do that. I can’t bring disaster upon my family. This matter of the treasure mine must be downplayed and handled ambiguously. It’s best to dissociate Suqing from this incident. I’m afraid of drawing the attention of the Ten Evils Hall."

"Your consideration is thorough. We mustn’t publicize this," Mao Aowu pondered for a while. "I’ll find a way to cover it up."

"Thank you, Brother Mao."

"Sect Master, I, Yang Wudi, might be a bit dull, but I know what righteousness is!" Yang Wudi thumped his chest. "Being with you is worthwhile!"

Wu Wang glared at him. Is this what you call dull? Carrying a long spear and fooling who? Brother Xing Tian is the one who’s truly dull!

"Come back and confess honestly! What other strange moves are you hiding!"

"Sect Master," Yang Wudi patted his shiny head, "the human heart is treacherous, you know. Please be understanding. How was my performance this time? Look, next year’s offering."

"An offering is an offering, and a reward is a reward," Wu Wang said indifferently. "Rewards and punishments, merits and demerits—none can offset the other."

"That works too, hehehe."

"What should we do next?" Mao Aowu looked toward the figures in the woods and muttered, "These guys seem to be from the Immortal Sect nearby. If this gets big, it might cause some trouble."

"It doesn’t matter. As long as we are well-prepared and avoid provoking any conflict between Immortals and Demons, we’ll be fine." Wu Wang said with a smile, "We mustn’t be deterred by fear of repercussions, or we’ll accomplish nothing. Just handle matters impartially, make frequent use of the Image Projection Bead, and there’s no need to fear the situation escalating."

"Hmm," Mao Aowu replied with a smile, going aside to ponder carefully.

Wu Wang looked at Yang Wudi with a smile. "Wudi, show me those little trinkets of yours."

Yang Wudi instinctively took a half step back, feeling somehow that his Sect Master was a bit... ill-intentioned.