Chapter 43: Sect Entrance Exam
At this moment, in the lush Dragon Head Forest, several Spirit Transformation stage cultivators were flying on their swords. Gongsun Xiong, dressed in a luxurious long robe, had his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping the forest, his face looking extremely unsightly.
Beside him, the Gongsun family’s guest elder also had a long face, in a very bad mood.
It was understandable. Gongsun Xiong had invited him to “suppress bandits”. As the Gongsun family’s guest elder, he naturally agreed and didn’t think much of it at first.
But when the Heavenly Dao Aura appeared… everything changed.
No one would ignore such a rare treasure in the world.
Seeing the treasure that was so close at hand disappear out of thin air, the fact that he didn’t immediately explode at this moment showed that he was quite restrained.
Gongsun Xiong flew in mid-air on his sword, turned his head to look at Old Man Mu and Wei Mengrou, and said coldly, “Old Man Ren, Miss Wei, can you explain where Young Master Mu went privately with the Bai girl while we were besieging the black-robed man?”
Old Man Ren didn’t even bother to lift his eyelids, sitting leisurely on his flying sword, and said indifferently, “Two young people with good feelings, it’s inevitable that they will collide and create some sparks. Perhaps they couldn’t help but go deep into the forest to resolve some matters.”
Gongsun Xiong narrowed his eyes, “Do you believe this yourself?”
“After Mu Zhi’an and Bai Ruoxi left, the Heavenly Dao Aura disappeared not long after. This matter is indeed hard to explain. Although the Mu family is powerful in Tianxuan City, I still hope you can give us an explanation.” Old Man Tian from the Morning Glory Chamber of Commerce also stood on the Gongsun family’s side.
Ye Yu, relying on the old man in his body, managed to control his sword. Hearing this, he immediately said coldly, “I just said that Mu Zhi’an is definitely suspicious. He knew that I had the Heavenly Dao Aura in my body, so he lured me to Dragon Head Forest.”
“All that talk about suppressing bandits and sparring is just a front. His goal from the beginning was the Heavenly Dao Aura!”
Old Man Ren said indifferently, “Before the truth is revealed, you can’t talk nonsense.”
He raised his hand and summoned a small birdcage out of thin air. In that birdcage was the black-robed man’s accomplice who had just been killed.
It was his primordial spirit, currently imprisoned by Old Man Ren using a special secret technique.
“Perhaps it was the black-robed man who stole the Heavenly Dao Aura?” Old Man Ren continued.
Gongsun Xiong snorted coldly, “The black-robed man has already died. Could it be that he still has accomplices?”
“If he had accomplices, he wouldn’t have ended up in that state.”
“Not necessarily.” Old Man Ren smiled slightly.
It was just that when he withdrew his gaze, his pale brows frowned slightly unintentionally.
If it was really the young master who took the Heavenly Dao Aura, it was a good thing, but not entirely a good thing.
For the sake of the Heavenly Dao Aura, the Gongsun family and the Morning Glory Chamber of Commerce, and maybe even the Mu family, would dare to take a few bites… It would be a bit troublesome.
“They’re over there.”
At this time, the Gongsun family’s guest elder suddenly pointed to the cave entrance ahead.
It could be seen that behind a lush big tree, the leaves slightly obscured people’s vision. Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, scattering mottled spots of light moving on the ground.
And in front of the cave entrance, Mu Zhi’an and Bai Ruoxi were standing there. They had obviously also noticed that someone was approaching from mid-air.
Mu Zhi’an slightly raised his head and saw Gongsun Xiong and the others descend from mid-air. The few people had gloomy faces and were staring intently at him.
Mu Zhi’an showed a gentle smile and said, “Uncle Gongsun, it looks like you’ve solved the matter on your side?”
Gongsun Xiong obviously had no mood to play the “uncle-nephew” game with Mu Zhi’an. He just nodded lightly and got straight to the point, saying in a deep voice, “The Heavenly Dao Aura has disappeared.”
Mu Zhi’an was slightly stunned.
Then, after being dazed for a while, he opened his mouth, his eyes showing a bit of shock, fully demonstrating what it means to have an actor’s self-cultivation.
“Was the Heavenly Dao Aura stolen by someone?” Mu Zhi’an asked in surprise.
Gongsun Xiong narrowed his eyes, stared at Mu Zhi’an, and said, “Where did Nephew Mu go just now?”
“You two left, and not long after, the Heavenly Dao Aura disappeared. Isn’t this a bit too coincidental?” Old Man Tian beside him also stared at Mu Zhi’an.
“We went to chase the black-robed man’s avatar.” Mu Zhi’an said.
Gongsun Xiong obviously didn’t believe it and said, “The black-robed man was just killed by us.”
Mu Zhi’an slowly shook his head, “Uncle is unaware. The black-robed man’s original body is a snake demon. He previously used the method of ‘shedding skin’ to deceive everyone. At that time, the situation was urgent, so Ruoxi and I discovered this and went to pursue the black-robed man.”
“Running away right under the noses of several Spirit Transformation stage cultivators, are you treating your uncle and everyone present as fools, Nephew Mu?” Gongsun Xiong’s tone was unfriendly.
“I said you naturally won’t believe it, but since his accomplice’s primordial spirit is trapped in Old Man Ren’s cage, Uncle can just ask and know.” Mu Zhi’an looked at the birdcage in Old Man Ren’s hand.
Gongsun Xiong stared at Mu Zhi’an’s eyes suspiciously. To be honest, he didn’t believe Mu Zhi’an’s words, but the other party was so calm, which made him have doubts.
After all, the Heavenly Dao Aura disappeared, and Mu Zhi’an was very suspicious. But the question was… a little Qi Condensation stage cultivator couldn’t possibly control the Heavenly Dao Aura, right?
Gongsun Xiong turned his head to look at the old man and said, “Old Man Ren, please release this demon cultivator’s primordial spirit and question him.”
Old Man Ren nodded slightly and opened the birdcage.
The demon cultivator’s primordial spirit floated in mid-air, its pupils gray and dull, clearly without its own consciousness.
Old Man Ren glanced at Mu Zhi’an unintentionally. After confirming that there was no panic on Mu Zhi’an’s face, he withdrew his gaze and looked at the demon cultivator’s primordial spirit, asking, “Can your companion fake his death?”
“When he’s seriously injured, he can shed his skin and fake his death once.” The demon cultivator’s emotionless voice entered everyone’s ears.
The cave entrance suddenly fell silent.
“What is your purpose?” Mu Zhi’an suddenly asked.
“To meet up with companions in Tianxuan City, assist them in using Tianxuan City as one of their bases, and seize the Heavenly Dao Aura.” The demon cultivator answered in an emotionless voice.
The few people present all looked at each other.
The demon cultivator meant that there were other companions in Tianxuan City.
Gongsun Xiong asked in a deep voice, “Who is it?”
However, this time, the demon cultivator’s primordial spirit did not answer. It just floated in mid-air, its gaze dull.
Its mouth slowly opened, but it never made another sound.
After a long time, its body gradually became illusory until it finally disappeared into the air.
The cave entrance suddenly seemed a bit quiet.
Mu Zhi’an solemnly said, “It seems that there are other demon cultivators lurking in Tianxuan City… The Heavenly Dao Aura was stolen by them.”
Gongsun Xiong’s face looked a bit unsightly, but he also couldn’t say much.
Although he still held a suspicious attitude, if he continued to question Mu Zhi’an, it would only cause the Mu family’s dissatisfaction.
Moreover, rather than believing that Mu Zhi’an could manipulate the Heavenly Dao Aura, Gongsun Xiong was more inclined to believe that the Heavenly Dao Aura was stolen by that mysterious demon cultivator in Tianxuan City.
At this time, Ye Yu suddenly stared at Mu Zhi’an and said, “Young Master Mu, you keep saying that the Heavenly Dao Aura might have been stolen by a demon cultivator, but you and Miss Bai disappeared for such a long time. How do you explain that?”
Mu Zhi’an shook his head and smiled, “I just said that Ruoxi and I went to pursue the black-robed man. It’s just a pity that even though he was seriously injured, he was still a Spirit Transformation stage cultivator, so we didn’t dare to pursue deeply. Ruoxi even got a bit injured because of this.”
Ye Yu still wouldn’t give up and said, “You are also suspected of stealing the Heavenly Dao Aura.”
Mu Zhi’an shook his head and smiled, “Young Master Ye, let’s not say I didn’t steal the Heavenly Dao Aura. Even if I really took it, so what?”
Ye Yu paused slightly, but due to the presence of Wei Mengrou and Old Man Ren beside him, he still suppressed his anger and said, “That’s my thing!”
“Since it’s your thing, why did it not choose you in the end and instead left?” Mu Zhi’an asked in return.
“Besides, you picked up this thing from outside, right? Things that are picked up should be handed over.” Mu Zhi’an said seriously.
Ye Yu obviously paused. Although he knew that Mu Zhi’an was speaking nonsense, he didn’t know how to refute it.
The Heavenly Dao Aura was indeed picked up by him. Later, the Heavenly Dao Aura indeed didn’t choose him and disappeared… Even so, Ye Yu still clenched his fists unwillingly, staring intently at Mu Zhi’an’s eyes.
Mu Zhi’an no longer paid attention to Ye Yu. He turned his head to look at Gongsun Xiong and smiled, “Is Uncle Gongsun still questioning me?”
Gongsun Xiong’s eyes flickered slightly, then he laughed heartily and said, “It’s good that the misunderstanding is cleared up. Actually, I’ve always believed in Nephew Mu. It’s just that when I saw the Heavenly Dao Aura disappear, I couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious. My tone was a bit harsh just now. I hope you won’t blame your uncle.”
With that, his tone changed and he asked, “Where did the black-robed man go later? Does Nephew Mu have any clues?”
“Killed by a disciple of the Two Polarity Sect.” Mu Zhi’an said.
“A disciple of the Two Polarity Sect…” Gongsun Xiong repeated, then, as if he thought of something, his eyes instantly became a few degrees hotter. He asked,
“Is it one of the examiners for this sect entrance exam?”
In less than half a month, the Two Polarity Sect’s entrance exam would begin. If the Gongsun family’s many descendants could receive that examiner in advance and establish a good relationship with them, perhaps they could go through the back door later.
Generally speaking, the examiners of the Two Polarity Sect wouldn’t come down the mountain in advance. This time, the other party came down early, probably also for the sake of the black-robed man.
…This was a rare opportunity that comes once in a thousand years.
Not only Gongsun Xiong, but also Old Man Tian from the Morning Glory Chamber of Commerce, and even the Mu family’s old man’s minds became active.
The Mu family had a spot to recommend someone to the Two Polarity Sect, but if they could get along well with them and get one or two more spots, that would be even better…
This opportunity to receive the examiner must be seized.
Although the whereabouts of the Heavenly Dao Aura weren’t found in the end, Gongsun Xiong was obviously a person who knew how to maximize his benefits. He immediately made up his mind and said, “Everyone, I still have some matters to attend to. Since those two demon cultivators are dead, I’ll go back first.”
Now he would go back and notify his subordinates to wait outside Tianxuan City. Maybe they could wait for that examiner to enter the city.
Old Man Tian also cupped his hands and said, “This old man also has matters to attend to. I’ll take my leave first.”
Mu Zhi’an nodded with a smile, “Take care, Old Man Tian.”
He looked at Gongsun Xiong who was about to leave and continued, “Uncle Gongsun, I’m afraid you can’t leave yet.”
Gongsun Xiong’s footsteps paused slightly. He turned his head to look over and smiled, “Does Nephew Mu have something else to say?”
“My name has been cleared, but Uncle’s name hasn’t been cleared yet.” Mu Zhi’an said.
Gongsun Xiong frowned slightly and said, “What do you mean?”
“It’s some personal matters that Uncle needs to solve himself.” Mu Zhi’an smiled.
He pulled Bai Ruoxi and stepped back.
At this moment, a terrifying killing intent suddenly came from the distance. Gongsun Xiong’s body tensed slightly. He could feel that this killing intent was directed at him!
He turned his head to look. At the end of his line of sight, a burly cultivator was fiercely rushing over on his sword. One second ago, he was still in the distance, but the next second, he was already close at hand.
It was Bai Ruoxi’s father who had fully recovered after recuperating.
The terrifying aura of the brute completely enveloped Gongsun Xiong, causing the smile on the face of this man from the Gongsun family, who had always been a master strategist, to freeze slightly.
After just fighting with the black-robed man, his state was not good. Facing a peak Spirit Transformation stage Bai Ruoxi’s father, it was indeed a bit difficult.
“Ruoxi, let’s go back first.” Mu Zhi’an said in a low voice.
Bai Ruoxi’s eyes showed concern as she said softly, “But my father…”
“Don’t worry, he’ll be fine.”
Mu Zhi’an glanced at Gongsun Xiong indifferently and said softly,
“But he might not be.”
These Spirit Transformation stage cultivators had just fought with the black-robed man, and their states were more or less a bit poor. Faced with an enraged Bai Ruoxi’s father and his two bodyguards beside him, the Gongsun family’s guest elder naturally wouldn’t fight to the death.
In that case, the one who would suffer would be Gongsun Xiong.
Hearing this, Bai Ruoxi could only softly “hmm” and left this battlefield that was about to erupt in a terrifying fight under the lead of Wei Mengrou.
On this day, Gongsun Xiong was seriously injured.
And also on this day, the matter of one of the Two Polarity Sect’s examiners coming down the mountain to Tianxuan City also spread throughout Tianxuan City in the shortest time, causing heated discussions among the people.
