Xiuxian: Start with the medicine boy

Inside the hall, on the high platform throne!
On Zhang Minghong's indifferent face, a faint, playful, and mocking smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Haha...Interesting."

A low, muttered voice echoed in the empty hall.
"Even in such dire straits, they still have such exquisite gadgets hidden away, not forgetting to guard against me."

The caution of the Xuan Turtle clan is indeed ingrained in their very bones.

With Sha Minghong's knowledge and cultivation, he understood the function of the compass almost the instant it was activated.

"A one-time ultra-long-range directional teleportation array..."

It cannot transport living beings, has a limited carrying capacity, and is destroyed after use.

The crafting of this item requires the painstaking efforts of a master craftsman skilled in both array formations and artifacts, and the materials used are extremely precious.

It seems that this was his backup plan to ensure the 'safety' of the resource handover.

"Are you trying to bypass any tracking marks I might have laid and teleport here directly from another race's secret vault?"

A knowing glint flashed in Sha Minghong's eyes, followed by a hint of disdain.

Faced with absolute power, such petty cleverness is nothing but a laughing stock.

He slowly closed his eyes, no longer paying attention to the outside world, as if all of Wu Yang's actions were within his expectations and did not arouse his interest in the slightest.

After a while.

Outside the main hall, the compass floating in front of Wu Yang, the miniature array above it suddenly shone brightly, and the transparent crystal at the center emitted a high-frequency vibration!

Om-!
A clear spatial wave rippled outwards, causing subtle distortions in the surrounding seawater.

In the next instant, where the light converged...

An ordinary-looking golden storage bag appeared out of thin air and then fell downwards.

Wu Yang, a half-saint, reacted swiftly, immediately reaching out to grab.
A gentle demonic power emanated, drawing the fallen storage bag into its palm.

The moment the storage bag fell into his hands—

“Crack!
*Snap!*

A series of ear-piercing cracking sounds rang out.

The suspended compass, with its array phantom above it, crumbled inch by inch like shattered glass, turning into specks of spiritual light that dissipated.

The compass's light dimmed instantly, and a jagged crack spread from its edge to its center, followed by a second, a third...

Countless fine cracks cover the surface of the plate.

"puff……"

A soft sound, carried by the gentle lapping of the undercurrent...

This priceless strategic treasure, crafted at great cost by the Xuan Turtle Clan, was completely transformed into a fine cloud of silver powder, dissipating and dissolving into the endless seawater without a trace.

As Wu Yang, a half-saint, watched the dissipating powder, his eye twitched uncontrollably.
A deep sense of heartache and pain flashed in the depths of his eyes.

This treasure was originally one of the tribe's trump cards for passing on the most important items at crucial moments, but now it's being used here.

But he quickly composed himself, his face returning to its usual calm.

The treasure is destroyed; regret is useless now.

He immediately sent a wisp of his divine sense into the golden storage bag in his hand.

Inside the bag, wisps of primordial energy and strands of turbid energy imbued with the earth's fundamental power floated silently.

The quantity and quality were exactly what Sharminghong needed.

"With these... those descendants who scattered and fled will finally find peace!"

He felt somewhat relieved.

However, this sense of relief was instantly replaced by the intense pain of losing something.

These are the core resources accumulated by the Xuan Turtle Clan over countless millennia!
Now, however, he must personally offer it to his enemy...

The humiliation and resentment almost suffocated him.

He forced down his turbulent emotions again and silently recited in his heart:

"If you save people, you may lose treasures; if you save both people and treasures, you will both be preserved!"

As long as the bloodline continues, there will always be a day when we rise again!

worth!

It was all worth it!

Wu Yang, the half-venerable, exhaled a long, silent breath of stale air.
It was as if he wanted to expel all the pent-up emotions from his chest.

He then straightened his robes, which were slightly disheveled from the previous energy surge, and once again adopted his respectful, even somewhat humble, expression, before taking a step forward…
They walked resolutely toward the grand hall ahead, which emanated an ominous, blood-red light.

Each step felt as heavy as a mountain, treading upon the shattered territory of their tribe.
It also trampled on his bleeding heart.

quickly,

Wu Yang, the Half-Venerable, then arrived before the crimson light curtain that enveloped the hall and was filled with flowing runes.

A thick, pungent stench of blood, mixed with a chilling, oppressive aura, assaulted our senses.

It was as if what they were facing was not a screen of light, but the hideous skin of a sleeping behemoth.

The twisted and wandering runes on the light screen all seemed to contain destructive power.

Just getting close made the flow of demonic energy within his body slightly sluggish.

The moment he stood still, the blood-red light screen in front of him, which had been a seamless whole, suddenly began to ripple like a stone thrown into water.

Then,

The light at the center of the ripples slowly parted to both sides...
A silent, arched gap, just large enough for one person to pass through, appeared.

The inside of the crevice was dark, filled only with an even deeper crimson hue.

At the same time, Sha Minghong's indifferent voice rang out again directly in his mind.

Brief and undeniable:
"Enter."

Wu Yang, a half-saint, took a deep breath, suppressed all distracting thoughts, and without the slightest hesitation, stepped into the crack.

The instant his figure completely disappeared into the crack behind him, it abruptly closed as if it had a life of its own, and the crimson light curtain returned to its original state, perfectly sealed.

It was as if it had never been turned on.

The inside and outside were instantly and completely isolated, and even the sound of the flowing seawater disappeared.

The interior of the main hall was dimly lit, except for the high platform, which was enveloped in a soft glow.

Wu Yang, a half-saint, immediately locked his gaze on the high platform throne—

Sha Minghong remained seated on it, his expression unchanged from before.

Within this enclosed hall, the invisible pressure emanating from him seemed even heavier, pressing down on the air as if it were a tangible force.

This also made it a little harder for Wu Yang, the Half-Venerable, to breathe.

He dared not delay, and immediately stepped forward, stopping more than ten feet away from the platform. He respectfully held the golden storage bag high above his head with both hands.

At the same time, he bowed deeply, his head almost parallel to the ground.

He spoke in the calmest possible tone of his voice:
"Senior, this is a humble gift that our entire clan has gathered with all our might."
What is contained within is the innate vital energy and the turbid energy of the earth that the predecessors needed.

With this gift, we express our sincere desire for atonement for our sins; we humbly request that you accept it, sir.

When he said this,
His heart was bleeding, and every word seemed to weigh a ton, but he maintained a humble and submissive expression on his face, without showing the slightest sign of distress.

On the throne, Shark Minghong's gaze fell, sweeping over the golden storage bag.

A fleeting, almost imperceptible fervor and joy flashed in the depths of his eyes.

"Finally... both quantity and quality are sufficient."

With these resources, I can forge an unsurpassed foundation!

This thought stirred a ripple in his usually calm and composed mind.

In the blink of an eye,
He casually raised his hand and made a grasping motion in mid-air.

next moment,
Wu Yang, a half-saint, felt a sudden lightness in his hand.
The golden storage bag had already left his hand, transforming into a golden streak of light that instantly traversed a distance of over ten zhang before gently landing in Shark Minghong's outstretched palm.

Sha Minghong didn't even need to use his divine sense to investigate carefully; he simply exerted a little force with his five fingers, and the restriction on the storage bag silently disintegrated.
He glanced into the bag and immediately sensed the rich and pure innate qi and the heavy, turbid earth qi.

The indifference on his face seemed to melt away slightly, and a barely perceptible smile curved his lips as he nodded slightly.
The voice remained calm, but it had lost some of its previous coldness.
"good."

He paused, then added two more words:
"Have a heart."

Wu Yang, a half-venerable who had been closely observing Sha Minghong's expression out of the corner of his eye, noticed this subtle change.
The tension that had been gripping him finally eased a little, and he thought to himself:

"It seems he did accept this 'sincerity' and was quite satisfied with it."

Therefore, it seems there should be no surprise that our tribe will be accepted into the surrender process..."

Taking this opportunity, Wu Yang, a half-saint, dared not delay and immediately voiced his pre-prepared request, his tone even more earnest:
"I'm glad you're satisfied, senior!"
It is an honor for our people to serve you.

Now that the gift has been presented, I wonder if the senior could immediately issue an order to stop the pursuit of our clan's scattered cultivators?

Having endured such a great calamity, they are now as frightened as birds startled by a mere twang of a

He cautiously looked up at the platform and added, trying to increase his stakes:

"After all, if we survive, the remaining strength of our clan will be a force under your command in the future, and we can do our best to guard the True Dragon Sea for you."

however,
As soon as he finished speaking, Shark Minghong, who was playing with the storage bag on the throne, paused slightly, and then let out a soft chuckle that was hard to decipher.

"Ah……"

That soft laugh made Wu Yang's heart sink.

Sha Minghong said calmly:

"Satisfied, of course I am satisfied."

but……"

He abruptly changed the subject, his gaze, sharp as two bolts of lightning, landing on Wu Yang, the Half-Venerable.

"I must remind you of one thing: what I said earlier was to give your Xuan Turtle Clan a 'chance to atone for their sins,' not that your clan can directly submit to my command."

The difference between these two is like heaven and earth, do you understand?

With this remark,
Like a bolt from the blue, it exploded in the mind of Wu Yang, the Half-Venerable!
He suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with disbelief and blankness, and an extremely ominous premonition instantly overwhelmed him like ice water.

A surge of rage and humiliation welled up within him, threatening to overwhelm his reason.

They offered up the entire heritage of their clan, only to receive "opportunity" instead of "acceptance" in return?
This is simply too much!
But he was, after all, a half-saint level expert, and knew that acting out now would be tantamount to courting death.

He forcefully suppressed his almost bursting anger, clenching his teeth, but his face remained impassive, instead lowering his head even further.

His voice trembled slightly, a hint of suppressed emotion:

"It is...it is my foolishness that led me to misunderstand your intentions, senior."

Then… I humbly request your guidance, senior, on how our clan can… can seize this 'opportunity' for redemption?”

His voice was filled with the last glimmer of hope amidst despair, his eyes fixed on the figure on the throne.

Perhaps the treasure in that storage bag really put him in a good mood?
Or was it Wu Yang's extremely humble attitude that pleased him?
Sha Minghong did not continue to exert pressure, but simply said:
"I always keep my word."

Since I said I'd give you a chance, I won't go back on my word.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Wu Yang, the half-venerable, before continuing:

"Considering that your offering shows some sincerity, I will give you a simple choice."

The voice has not fallen,

Sha Minghong raised his right index finger again and made a swiping motion in the air.

In an instant, the air inside the hall seemed to freeze.

As he flicked his finger, two talismans appeared out of thin air and hovered in mid-air.

The shape and structure of these two runes were completely beyond the comprehension of Wu Yang, the Half-Venerable!
A dark gold-colored serpent, shaped like a coiled snake, yet exuding an eerie vitality that makes one's soul tremble.

The other one is a deep, dark blue, shaped like a roaring dragon's head, exuding an overwhelming sense of destruction and annihilation.

They didn't seem like inanimate objects; rather, they were like living things, pulsating slightly and emanating a terrifying, chilling power.
They look like two active volcanoes that could erupt at any moment!

"Choose one."

After Sha Minghong finished speaking, he slowly closed his eyes, seemingly handing over the choice entirely to Wu Yang, the Half-Venerable, and no longer interfering.

Meanwhile, Wu Yang, a half-saint, stared intently at the two eerie runes in the air that exuded an ominous aura.
A fine layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead, his brows furrowed tightly, and a storm raged in his heart.

"What...what kind of script is this?!"
"I consider myself quite knowledgeable, how come I've never heard of such a thing before?"

"Furthermore, these two characters contain an extremely terrifying power, like an active volcano ready to erupt at any moment."

For a while.

This half-Supreme expert of the Xuan Turtle Clan was caught in an unprecedented state of immense fear and difficult choice.

It was as if I was standing on the edge of a cliff where both paths were dead ends, caught in a dilemma.

Because he knew in his heart that if he made the wrong choice...
All the remaining Xuan Turtle Clan cultivators in the True Dragon Sea will be pushed into an abyss of no return!
He stared intently at the two ancient characters floating in the air, seemingly alive, his gaze burning with pain.

The dark gold rune on the left resembled a venomous snake coiled around, hissing and flicking its tongue, concealing a deeply hidden life force.

At this moment, however, it seems more like a sweet but deadly lure.

The azure dragon head on the right is domineering and imposing, its destructive intent undisguised, exuding an undeniable sense of reality.

On the high platform, Sha Minghong's figure was shrouded in a hazy spiritual light, seemingly detached from worldly affairs. However, Wu Yang, a half-saint, felt a pair of cold eyes that had already pierced through his physical body and were staring directly into the depths of his soul.

"Choose the wrong path, and your entire clan will be wiped out... I, Wu Yang, will be the eternal sinner of the Xuan Turtle Clan..."

This thought, like a venomous insect, gnawed at his reason.

Cold sweat finally broke out uncontrollably and slid down his forehead, dripping onto the cold ground with a barely audible yet thunderous sound.

He turned his gaze back to the dark gold rune on the left.

That glimmer of hope... is it a way out?

Or was it Sha Minghong's contemptuous mockery?

Choosing the right side would undoubtedly be a direct challenge to the authority of this unfathomable senior.

But if you choose the left side...

...(End of this chapter)