Chapter 38: Escape

As the Broken Seal Talisman was placed on his bag of holding, Guard Shang’s face paled with pain so intense it nearly caused him to faint.

His connection to the bag of holding severed; it now stood as an ownerless vessel.

The scholarly middle-aged cultivator didn’t pause there. He produced a metal bead from within his robes.

“A Clear Spirit Pearl?” Guard Shang exclaimed upon seeing the object, even more astonished than when he’d laid eyes on the Broken Seal Talisman. “How could you possibly possess such a thing?”

Unlike the Broken Seal Talisman, the Clear Spirit Pearl fell under the strictest category of controlled spiritual artifacts.

In truth, the Clear Spirit Pearl wasn’t entirely a spiritual artifact but rather a fusion of technology and cultivation practices—specifically designed for use against martial fighter armor.

Placing the Clear Spirit Pearl onto the surface of the martial fighter armor case, the pearl dissolved into quicksilver, seeping deep into its interior.

With that, the scholarly cultivator stored the case back into his own bag of holding. The process to dismantle the martial fighter armor would take considerable time—he couldn’t linger here waiting for completion.

With a wave of his hand, he signaled the nearby wolf spirit to lift Guard Shang off the ground.

Now that the formation had been dispelled, Schoolmaster Wang sensed three individuals at the Late Qi Refining Stage aura. Including the hidden figure who remained in silent opposition behind the scenes, this made four cultivators altogether at the Late Qi Refining Stage present at the scene.

“Every teacher, immediately disperse your cultivation class students from school—do not let them remain here any longer!” Schoolmaster Wang gritted his teeth as he issued what was perhaps the most reluctant command of his life.

Sending the students away from Second High School now would surely expose them to danger; no one could predict what they might encounter out there. Yet compared to facing four late-stage Qi Refining cultivators while confined on campus, scattering the students was undoubtedly their best chance for survival.

Simultaneously, Schoolmaster Wang’s aura surged with power. He needed to stall these formidable adversaries long enough for all the students to escape safely.

“The order is clear: every student must leave the school grounds immediately and head straight home!” A teacher within the combat room received Principal Wang’s directive without hesitation and announced it loudly.

The other teachers had also been informed simultaneously. They understood that if Schoolmaster Wang were issuing such orders, the situation must be dire beyond measure.

“Don’t linger in place,” Teacher Zhang urged her own students firmly. “Hurry up and get out swiftly—stay safe at all costs!”

Han Wenqin was first to react. “Go quickly!” she prompted others.

Li Zhen and Yu Nan followed suit, rushing towards the exit doors. The older students acted even more decisively, each breaking through nearby windows to flee into freedom amidst chaos.

As Teacher Zhang and the other faculty members escorted all the students away, Li Zhen remained behind with a few others, moving towards where Schoolmaster Wang stood.

Though their strength was minimal, they were determined to stand alongside Schoolmaster Wang in battle.

The students were gripped by panic; some activated Lightening Talismans to enhance their speed, while others clung together with friends for a semblance of security.

Li Zhen distanced himself from his peers. He understood well that if cultivators came to hunt them down, the larger groups would be the first targets without question.

Upon reaching the school fence—beyond which lay the grounds of Second High School—he fully employed the Qi Concealment Art, suppressing his spiritual energy signature as low as possible.

He glanced in one direction, sensing multiple terrifying late-stage Qi Refining practitioners approaching rapidly. It became clear why the school had instructed the students to scatter upon escape.

With a gentle leap, he placed his hand on the top of the fence and effortlessly vaulted over it.

No other student chose this route, leaving him alone in this direction.

His mind flickered briefly, and his cultivator uniform transformed into ordinary clothing—a change facilitated by items stored within his dragon heart space. This allowed him to blend inconspicuously in situations where revealing his status as a member of the elite cultivation class could prove disadvantageous.

At this moment, his cultivation proved invaluable. By employing the Qi Concealment Art alongside his ordinary attire, he could blend in seamlessly with any observer who didn’t specifically probe for hidden energies—most would assume him to be just another student.

Li Zhen now needed to consider where he’d be safest. His first instinct was home, but there lay a considerable distance between here and there, fraught with potential dangers along the way.

He不必 worry about his parents; Father Li had always been cautious to a fault. By now, he’d likely already escorted Mother Li to their underground safehouse.

His gaze shifted towards the direction of the auction house. He recalled Han Wenqin mentioning that the prefect had been invited by the Nine Heavens Group to ensure security at the event.

If there were anywhere truly safe right now, it would undoubtedly be where the prefect resided.

He still remembered the sight of the prefect overseeing the area from above—a true cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage, whose terrifying power alone could deter any enemy force.

Of course, venturing to the auction house carried its own risks, yet he couldn’t shake off thoughts of the ongoing auction itself.

“Xu Yi,” the prefect declared firmly, “if I find evidence that the Nine Heavens Group is colluding with the Demon-Worship Cult, no matter how influential they may be, we will investigate until every last detail is uncovered!”

The prefect had received reports from his subordinates detailing numerous sightings of cultists affiliated with the Demon-Worship Cult, engaged in widespread attacks across the region.

Among the chaos, the Security Bureau headquarters had been attacked, Guard Shang—the county’s chief law enforcement officer—was missing after venturing out, and a significant number of policemen lay dead.

The prefect was seething with anger; he had been confined to the auction site by the Nine Heavens Group throughout this crisis.

“Sir Prefect,” Xu Yi hastily explained, “the Nine Heavens Group has no ties to the Demon-Worship Cult. Signing that contract with you was their only recourse. No one could have anticipated someone would attempt to auction off a Foundation Establishment Pill at such short notice!”

Though not genuinely fearful of the prefect due to his affiliation with the powerful Nine Heavens Group, Xu Yi knew all too well that if the prefect chose to disregard their agreement, he’d face the full brunt of the man’s wrath—a prospect that did not sit lightly on his shoulders.

“It had better be as you say!” the prefect retorted coldly.

He harbored deep misgivings about crossing the Nine Heavens Group, fully aware of the severe consequences should he break their pact.

His gaze turned towards the horizon, praying for reinforcements to arrive in time.

Xu Yi let out a long sigh of relief. After a moment’s contemplation, his eyes fell upon another late-stage Qi Refining cultivator from the Nine Heavens Group present at the scene.

This very individual had suggested inviting the prefect for assistance and even proposed signing the contract with him. It couldn’t help but raise suspicions in Xu Yi’s mind—could this cultivator truly be acting on purpose? And if so, what ulterior motives might he harbor? The implications were far too profound to ignore.

With this thought, he input a command into his identity bracelet.

The Nine Heavens Group maintained its own investigative system. Every cultivator who joined would be subject to a certain degree of surveillance. This monitoring wasn’t overly intrusive; it primarily involved tracking credit point transactions through their identity bracelets and other account activities. The data collected was stored in central databases, usually only reviewed if any irregularities arose.

“Lu Tianyu,” Xu Yi began after receiving the investigation report, “last month you purchased five bottles of mid-grade Yellow Dragon Pills and one mid-grade Broken Vein Pill—all at premium prices. It seems you’re quite well-off!”

At that moment, within the private side hall of the auction venue, five late-stage Qi Refining cultivators from the Nine Heavens Group and the prefect were gathered separately. This arrangement prevented their powerful presence from overwhelming the main auction floor while allowing them to intervene swiftly in case of an emergency.

Xu Yi’s words stunned everyone present. These cultivators were no fools; they immediately grasped the implications behind his statement—clearly, some suspicion had arisen.

“I bought those for my attempt to break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining!” Lu Tianyu replied defensively, caught off guard by the question.

“Oh? Have you forgotten?” Xu Yi retorted sarcastically, his aura flaring as he continued, “Three months ago, you made a similar attempt using everything you owned—and failed miserably. How did you accumulate such wealth so quickly?” His voice dripped with disdain.

The Yellow Dragon Pill was the premier medicinal pill for cultivators in the Late Qi Refining Stage. Even mid-grade Yellow Dragon Pills were prohibitively expensive; purchasing five bottles at once through the Nine Heavens Group’s channels alone was astonishingly lavish.

Not to mention there was also a mid-grade Broken Vein Pill—a type of medicine so rare that even late-stage qi refiners would need years of saving before they could afford such a purchase.

“There’s no point in denying it now,” Xu Yi continued. “Surrender peacefully. Once we return to the group, there will be ways to verify whether your claims hold any truth!”

Lu Tianyu knew he couldn’t possibly submit without resistance. If taken back by the Nine Heavens Group, their technology and methods would leave him utterly exposed—there’d be nowhere to hide his secrets.

Just as his hand began to move, an indescribably terrifying pressure descended upon him. His body buckled instantly, forcing him face-down onto the ground.

The county prefect had noticed his subtle gesture and swiftly brought him under control with overwhelming force. In front of this Peak Formation true cultivator, Lu Tianyu—a mere eighth layer Qi Refiner—was as weak as an infant.

“The Nine Heavens Group owes me an explanation!” The county prefect declared after subduing Lu Tianyu, turning towards Xu Yi.

Though it was clear Lu Tianyu harbored ulterior motives, without the Nine Heavens Group formally canceling the contract themselves, breaking it unilaterally still carried severe consequences for the county prefect.