Chapter 66 The Power of Illusion
The next day.
The black sky was as dark as ink, and a crescent moon hung quietly, emitting a tranquil and gentle light.
"Knock knock".
The soft knocking at that moment seemed somewhat unusual.
It's here!
Lingzhu Zhenren glanced at Zao Mo, then his figure suddenly vanished into thin air. Zao Mo waved his sleeve, and his face underwent a dramatic transformation.
If Lou Yuqing and the others were here, they would definitely recognize this face; it's exactly the same as the spirit beast dealer who was captured by the Wendao Sect back then.
Having taken on the identity of a spirit beast trader, Zao Mo would not overlook this fact. He had to be perfectly disguised in every aspect so that his enemies would have no doubt about it.
The door opened silently.
Two figures walked slowly into the cold night air. After the door was closed, they lifted their cloaks, revealing two faces that were three or four parts similar.
Zao Mo sensed a powerful divine sense sweeping over his body. On the surface, he remained unmoved, but inwardly he sneered. Even now, the man surnamed Jin was still not at ease.
Unfortunately, he had already made preparations, and the other party's divine sense could not see through his cultivation level.
The visitors were none other than Sect Leader Jin and Jin Du.
As soon as Sect Master Jin entered, he used his divine sense and saw that the spirit beast dealer was the same as the one he had investigated, with only the Foundation Establishment stage cultivation. A hint of joy rose in his heart.
"Fellow Daoist, you've kept us waiting," Sect Master Jin said gently.
To a Nascent Soul cultivator, a Foundation Establishment cultivator is like an ant. However, his attitude towards them is exceptionally equal. The reason is simple: in his eyes, the spirit beast dealer is already a dead man, and who would bother arguing with a dead man?
Zao Mo appeared unconcerned and said, "The time has just arrived, we haven't had to wait long. We all know your purpose in coming here, so let's not waste any more time on small talk and just see how sincere you are."
Even a lowly Foundation Establishment cultivator dares to act arrogantly.
Jin Du glanced at Zao Mo with a sinister look. If his father hadn't warned him beforehand, he would have already rushed up and tied him up for questioning.
Sect Leader Jin gestured with his hand behind his back, signaling Jin Du to be patient and not ruin his plan.
Although he believed the matter was a sure thing, he wanted to play it safe and didn't want to make too much of a fuss to avoid any unforeseen complications.
This is also why he disguised himself as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, so that the spirit beast dealers would lower their guard to the greatest extent possible, and it wouldn't be too late to do anything after seeing the spirit ape.
Sect Leader Jin held out both hands and asked with a smile, "I wonder what you think of my sincerity?"
Zao Mo pretended to frown: "No, you know how precious the cubs of the Spirit Ape are. As long as you are willing to spend resources to raise them, the Golden Core realm is not a dream at all, and even the Nascent Soul realm is possible."
"This is such a great opportunity for a Foundation Establishment cultivator like yourself. If it weren't for the safety of selling it to a high-level cultivator, we would never have let you have it so easily. Now that you're only offering this little bit of money, I'm telling you, there's no way you're going to get it!"
Zao Mo sternly rejected Sect Leader Jin, his words also revealing a sense of belittling.
"How much more do you wish to add, fellow Daoist?" Sect Master Jin's face showed a shameful expression, as if his heart had been pierced, but inwardly he smiled coldly and a murderous intent rose within him.
A shrewd glint flashed in Zao Mo's eyes, as if he had been waiting for these words. Without hesitation, he raised a hand and said, "That's the price, no bargaining!"
They added half of it directly!
What a greedy and insatiable spirit beast dealer.
Sect Leader Jin lowered his head as if in difficulty, but in his heart he was thinking, "You may have the life to take it but not the life to enjoy it." After a long while, he suddenly raised his head, gritted his teeth and said to Zao Mo, "I agree, but I must inspect the goods first!"
"You are very generous," Zao Mo flattered him, then rubbed his thumb and forefinger together and said, "Inspection of the goods is certainly possible, but half of the spirit stones must be paid upfront."
Jin Du coldly watched the spirit beast dealer court death. The more excited he was now, the more miserable his death would be later. No one knew his father's petty nature better than him.
Sect Master Jin's outward appearance was impeccable. Upon hearing this, he not only remained calm but also readily took out spirit stones, saying, "It's only right. Cash on delivery. I came to buy a spirit beast from you because I'm interested in the Spirit Ape and also because of your trustworthy reputation."
"You've heard of me?" Zao Mo was counting the spirit stones the other party handed him when he heard the last flattering sentence. His expression tightened, and he looked at Sect Master Jin with scrutiny.
Sect Master Jin chuckled: "I merely inquired with an acquaintance. Fellow Daoist, there's no need to be so wary of me. This Spirit Ape is extremely precious; anyone would be suspicious upon first hearing about it. Don't you agree, Fellow Daoist?"
No matter how eloquently Sect Master Ren Jin spoke, his true intention was to convey a message to the spirit beast dealer: I have thoroughly investigated your background.
Zao Mo's expression turned displeased, and he coldly snorted, "What do you mean?"
Sect Master Jin's smile remained unchanged: "I just want to make friends with you, fellow Daoist. Could you please tell me how many people this spirit ape has passed through? Otherwise, I won't feel at ease buying it back."
"Then you can rest assured. The Wendao Sect has been kept in the dark, and the accomplice who communicated with me has also kept silent. No one else knows except me." Zao Mo looked as if he had everything under control.
Master Jin almost laughed at the sight.
It would be best if only he knew!
The Wendao Sect is a powerful force and a considerable problem. Although Sect Master Jin will not give up just because he is afraid of it, he will try his best not to provoke a powerful enemy.
Making a fortune quietly is the best approach.
"Come out." Zao Mo used hand seals and formations, spending a lot of effort, before finally summoning the well-hidden spirit ape.
A golden light flashed out of nowhere, and the Spirit Monkey appeared in everyone's sight, its whole body gleaming gold. Its eyes were lively and bright, full of cuteness, and its appearance was extremely eye-catching.
"This is the natal spirit beast I'm going to contract..." Jin Du took a breath and looked at the little monkey with excitement, his mind filled with images of his impending triumph.
Sect Master Jin didn't lose his composure, but his gaze became very intense. After a few breaths, he suddenly laughed, raised his hand, and pulled the bewildered spirit beast dealer over.
Before the other person could react, he placed his hand on the top of the head and began to search for the soul.
In a short while, the spirit beast trader suffered a severe blow to his consciousness, coughing up blood and appearing on the verge of death.
Sect Leader Jin got the information he wanted and nodded in satisfaction. As the other party had said, no one else knew it.
He didn't even glance at the spirit beast dealer; with a flick of his robe, a burst of spiritual energy shot out.
The spiritual energy was as sharp as a knife, slicing through the opponent's fragile neck in a flash, spraying blood everywhere—on the ground, walls, and furniture.
The spirit beast dealer lay dead on the ground, his eyes wide open, without even having a chance to cry out in pain.
Jin Du clapped his hands and laughed: "Good riddance! I've disliked him for a long time!"
After laughing, he looked at Sect Leader Jin: "Father, I told you before, what tricks could such a small fry have up his sleeve? You're overthinking it. Why bother with his pretense? Just capture him and force him to surrender."
Sect Leader Jin glanced at him: "Better safe than sorry."
The sudden appearance of a spirit beast dealer selling psychic monkeys could be a trap set for him by someone with ulterior motives, so he naturally had to be careful to avoid being caught off guard.
"Now that you've obtained such an opportunity, there's no need to delay and things might go wrong. Go back and form a contract with it. As for the ritual and such, you can add them later when you've cultivated to a certain level," Sect Master Jin said calmly.
With the help of the spirit monkey, my son's physique will probably no longer be so useless. He should be able to cultivate and make some progress. When my lifespan is about to end, I will use the method of enlightenment to transfer all my life's magic power to him. This may be able to help him secure the position of the next sect leader.
After returning to the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, Jin Du immediately formed a contract with a spirit ape. Miraculously, seven or eight tenths of his blocked meridians were cleared, his five-elemental-root physique was transformed into a three-elemental-root physique, and his cultivation successfully broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage.
That's not all. Perhaps because he had consumed a lot of pills in the past, the medicinal power suddenly burst forth, pushing his cultivation level to the late Foundation Establishment stage, just one step away from the Great Perfection stage.
"Hahaha!"
Jin Du felt the immense power within his body, threw his head back and laughed wildly. He walked out of the cave, found those who had secretly mocked him, and slapped them in the face with his strength.
"Laugh at me? Still laughing! A bunch of worthless scum!"
Jin Du stomped on their heads, grinding them back and forth without any politeness. Seeing the terrified expressions on their faces, his smugness grew even stronger.
Then, his life took a turn for the better. He smoothly broke through the Golden Core realm and then the Nascent Soul realm, earning the respect of thousands who dared not disobey him.
After Sect Master Jin died, he became the new Sect Master, wielding immense power and having absolute authority. He could do whatever he wanted, and no one could ever be above him again.
"Hmm!"
Jin Du groaned, a sharp pain shooting through his chest. He looked down in confusion, and when he saw what was going on, his eyes widened in disbelief. Why was there a wound the size of a bowl?
Blood flowed out as if it were free, pooling on his clothes and reaching his feet, the rapid, drum-like dripping sound landing on his heart.
Jin looked ahead slowly, then spoke with difficulty, "You..."
Wasn't the spirit beast dealer dead? What's going on now?
Zao Mo saw his confusion but didn't offer an answer. Instead, he gave a perfectly timed smile and said, "Go to the underworld and reunite."
Jin suddenly realized something, turned to look at his father, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
The father stood there with his eyes closed, a wild and unrestrained smile on his face, just like when he had just ascended to the position of sect leader and seized power.
What chilled him to the bone was that his father's chest had also been ripped open, and blood was gushing out, winding into a small stream on the ground.
It's an illusion!
They were under an illusion from the very beginning!
"Your father will outlive you. I wonder what his expression will be when he wakes up and finds himself dying," Zamo said casually.
Jin Du pointed at the spirit beast dealer: "Vile..."
He couldn't catch his breath and died instantly.
The next morning.
The Ten Thousand Beasts Sect discovered two corpses in front of their mountain gate. Thinking it was a prank, they went closer and saw that it was their sect leader and young sect leader. They were immediately terrified.
On the other side, Zhou Bai listened to his subordinates' instructions, letting them go in one ear and out the other. He didn't believe a word they said about how getting in touch with the young sect leader would bring him endless blessings in the future.
Although the ropes binding my hands had been untied, the feeling of helplessness and powerlessness remained vivid in my memory.
Just then, his subordinate received a message, and his expression changed drastically: "The sect leader and the young sect leader are both dead!"
He left in a hurry, forgetting even to turn off the restrictions, without paying any attention to Zhou Bai.
Zhou Bai was stunned for a moment, then a surge of joy welled up inside him. This scourge was actually dead. Time was of the essence, so he seized the opportunity to escape from the cage and rushed toward the outer gate with a clear goal.
Zhou Pu, I will kill him!
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