Chapter 275

Chapter 275: Shen Sang Ruo in Trouble?

To the Auction Pavilion Masters, the hits were not over yet.

Daoist Wu Wei strolled over to the two towering piles of Spirit Stones and said to them with an easy smile: “The largest pile of treasures and the most precious treasure were both found by Ninghua Sect. I placed the right bet. I will go ahead and take the Spirit Stones back in advance. You have no objections, do you?”

The Treasure-Seeking Meet had not ended, but who could surpass the treasures Shen Sang Ruo had found?

A single Living Spirit Tea Tree outweighed the rest of the field combined.

Several Auction Pavilion Masters twitched at the corners of their mouths, but they could not protest. They forced smiles and said to Daoist Wu Wei: “Please go ahead, Sect Master Wu Wei.”

Who would have guessed that old man would win all those Spirit Stones with one Spirit Stone as his stake? It made their hearts ache.

There was no helping it. His sect’s Disciple had delivered.

Daoist Wu Wei beamed: “Then I will not be shy.” He swept every last Spirit Stone into his storage bag and looked more than pleased.

Immortal Lord Chang Li walked over to the Ziwei Pavilion Master and asked calmly: “Ziwei Pavilion Master, do you have a way to send a message? I want my little Disciple and the Disciples of Ninghua Sect to return early.”

Ye Huai and the other three glanced at each other and silently groaned in unison: [Master, are we not your Disciples?]

Immortal Lord Chang Li said mildly, as if he had not heard them: “They have gathered enough treasures. After so many days, they must be tired. It is time to come back and rest.”

The Ziwei Pavilion Master kept a stiff smile: “We do have a method.”

He lifted his hand and poured a stream of special Spiritual Power into a crystal linked to the Teleportation Artifact. Silk thin threads unwound and crept forward, though the color was not the same as before.

He explained in a practiced tone: “Once the threads connect to the Teleportation Artifact, the words ‘Return Trip’ will appear on it. When the Disciples of Ninghua Sect see it, they will set out at once.”

Immortal Lord Chang Li nodded, satisfied: “Thank you.”

His eyes followed the extending threads. Thinking that his little Disciple and the others would come back soon, his mood rose.

But the thread tied to Shen Sang Ruo’s artifact suddenly snapped. It was as if it had lost contact with the Teleportation Artifact. It stopped extending, then began to fade from the tip, until it vanished without a trace.

No one expected this sudden change.

Immortal Lord Chang Li’s pupils shrank, and the smile froze on his face.

A broken thread meant Shen Sang Ruo was in trouble.

With her strength, even a Nascent Soul, Late Stage Demonic Beast could not pin her down. That meant she had met a far more terrifying crisis.

Daoist Wu Wei’s expression turned just as grim.

Both men swung cold, sharp looks toward the Ziwei Pavilion Master.

Shen Dao Chen and Master Ling Xiao also stared at him in the same way.

Their daughter and Disciple must not come to harm.

Immortal Lord Chang Li lowered his voice, fists tightening as he forced down his anger: “What is going on? Did you not say there was no danger inside the Starfield Plain?”

The Ziwei Pavilion Master had not expected anything like this. He stood there in a daze, unable to explain.

He knew how important Shen Sang Ruo was to those two sects. If something really happened to her, these people might tear him apart.

Master Ling Xiao spoke, his tone icy enough to cut: “Ziwei Pavilion Master, you had better give me an explanation. Otherwise, do not blame me for what follows.”

Shen Dao Chen watched with cold eyes and did not deny Master Ling Xiao’s words.

Even if the Ziwei Pavilion Master was a partner of Flying Cloud Sect, if Shen Sang Ruo was harmed, he would not let him go easily.

Pressed by their questions, the Ziwei Pavilion Master panicked. He stammered: “I… I do not know what happened.”

He tried to defend himself, voice shrinking as guilt showed plain on his face: “Our people explored the Starfield Plain. There was indeed no danger… If you do not believe me, ask the other Pavilion Masters.”

Those blade sharp glares slid to the others, and several people felt a chill down their backs.

They bobbed their heads at once: “Y yes.”

Immortal Lord Chang Li’s eyes turned fierce as he warned: “I will ask one last time. Is there danger inside the Starfield Plain or not? Do not force me to act.”

At last, the Pavilion Masters told the truth: “We… do not know.”

People from other sects realized how serious this was and crowded closer.

Daoist Wu Wei’s face hardened as he snapped: “What do you mean you do not know? Several sects and dozens of Disciples went in. We believed you when you said there was no danger, so we let them enter. Now you say you do not know?”

Ming Xi stepped forward and said coldly: “Ziwei Pavilion Master, I remember you clearly telling me there was no danger inside the Starfield Plain. Was I wrong?”

If even Shen Sang Ruo had run into danger, then a blade hung over everyone else inside.

The Ziwei Pavilion Master shrank a little and admitted in a small voice: “We did explore part of the area, and that part truly had no danger. But we did not know about the rest… We did not expect an accident like this…”

Immortal Lord Chang Li asked at once: “How large is ‘part of the area’?”

The answer came weakly: “About twenty li forward…”

Immortal Lord Chang Li’s gaze turned deadly: “How large is the Starfield Plain? You explored twenty li and then claimed the whole Starfield Plain had no danger?”

Li Qing Wen broke in quickly: “The urgent thing is to rescue Fellow Daoist Sang Ruo.”

Linglong Pavilion had sent only one person into the Starfield Plain, so their search range was small. They had assumed the other Auction Pavilions had checked the rest.

[We should have thought of this sooner. Linglong Pavilion bears some blame too.]

Immortal Lord Chang Li swept a hard look across the Pavilion Masters and said coldly: “You had better pray my Disciple comes out safe. Otherwise…”

He turned and strode toward the Barrier Ward.

Leaders from several sects moved toward the Barrier Ward as well.

A treasure seeker who had been able to pass through earlier had just tried again. Even he could not pass now.

The Barrier Ward was sealed tight, which made it even more likely that something had happened to Shen Sang Ruo.

Daoist Wu Wei asked in a rush: “Chang Li, what should we do?”

Immortal Lord Chang Li answered, voice like iron: “If the Barrier Ward blocks me, then I will break it.”

Ming Xi, Jiang Wen Sheng, and several Elders stepped out and said together: “Immortal Lord Chang Li, we will aid you. Our Disciples are still inside. This Barrier Ward must be broken.”

Master Ling Xiao also moved to Immortal Lord Chang Li’s side, ready to join forces.

Right now, rescuing Shen Sang Ruo and the other Disciples inside the Starfield Plain mattered most.

The Barrier Ward was strange. Joining forces was their best choice.

In a very short time, everyone gathered their power and prepared to shatter the Barrier Ward.

Meanwhile, inside the Starfield Plain.

Shen Sang Ruo and Snake Maiden stood in a dark, empty space, on full alert.

A quarter hour earlier, she had been riding her snail cart toward the outside of the Barrier Ward.

Suddenly, a black fog appeared before her. She realized at once that it was Devil Qi.

She moved to respond, but the thick Devil Qi had already wrapped around her and closed in on every side.