A group of people walked for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, when suddenly the scene opened up, revealing a hidden world within.
"This is..."
"A blessed land," Jin Yao finished the sentence. "It is rare for a blessed land to open. It contains all sorts of rare treasures and spirit herbs, and one might even encounter a rare spirit beast. I suppose the young master of the Beast Taming Sect came for the spirit beast."
"Second Young Master, there is something I have not told you," Xiao Man said, looking at Jin Yao. "A few days ago, we encountered Young Master Wen in the trial grounds. This Young Master Wen actually captured many disciples from the Seven Sects, intending to refine them into puppets."
Jin Yao's expression shifted slightly. "Puppets?"
"Yes, I happened to stumble upon his doing. My junior brother Qin Yu and I joined forces, and only then did we manage to force him to retreat. My fellow disciples, one by one, were out of their senses, controlled by him, and even attacked us."
Jin Yao's brow furrowed. They all knew that the Beast Taming Sect was skilled in taming beasts, but they had never heard that they were also skilled in taming people. What exactly did this Wen Ting want to do?
"Do you know what he uses to control others?"
"The blood jade flute he carries. He uses the sound of the flute to control others. There must be other things, but the flute sound is the most important," Xiao Man explained. "Second Young Master, do you know what methods the Beast Taming Sect uses to tame beasts?"
"With music," Jin Yao paused. If the Beast Taming Sect wanted to apply their methods of taming beasts to people, then Wen Ting's appearance here might be an attempt to use the trial grounds as a cover to test their ability to control others?
Jin Yao regretted entering the trial grounds. Wen Ting was an evil person, with a cultivation at the late Golden Core stage. Combined with the Beast Taming Sect's sonic attacks, he was exceptionally terrifying. Even with Elder Shen by his side, his safety could not be guaranteed.
"Have you experienced his sonic attacks?" Jin Yao asked calmly.
Xiao Man shook her head. "I knew there was something wrong with his blood jade flute and suspected he was using sonic attacks, so I sealed my hearing in advance. That's how I avoided falling for his trick."
Jin Yao's mind raced, but he ultimately said nothing. His pace, however, slowed down, allowing Xiao Man and Nan Gong Yu to walk ahead.
Xiao Man sneered inwardly. They all said that the second young master of the Jin family was cunning and appeared loyal and righteous, but was in reality cold and ruthless, never trusting anyone. Such a small matter involving Wen Ting could make him hesitate. His courage was far inferior to that of a reborn person.
Nan Gong Yu looked at Xiao Man, a question in his eyes.
"Second Young Master, we two will go ahead and scout."
"Alright."
Jin Yao watched their backs as they quickly moved forward, a hint of an unreadable gleam in his eyes.
"Second Young Master, who exactly are these two people?" Elder Shen asked unhurriedly. Both of them were Golden Core stage cultivators, with solid foundations, unlike disciples from the Seven Sects.
"Xiao Qin hails from the Land of No Return. As for the other one, I do not recognize her. She should be a disciple of the Seven Sects," Jin Yao said slowly. "This person is a direct disciple of the Hundred Herbs Hall."
Elder Shen's heart stirred, and he immediately understood why Jin Yao wanted to win her over. "You think she is useful?"
"This person holds a rather high position in the Hundred Herbs Hall and was personally taught by Lu Qing. Her alchemy skills are not small. If there is anyone who can work for us, she is the most likely candidate," Jin Yao said calmly. "Furthermore, she comes from the Land of No Return and has no feelings for the Seven Sects, making her easily driven by profit."
"Easily driven by the profits we offer, and also easily driven by the profits of others," Elder Shen said slowly. Although such a person was easy to use, she was also a double-edged sword. If used well, she would be invincible; if used poorly, she could harm oneself.
"Elder, do not worry," Jin Yao said leisurely. "She is nothing more than a pawn. Once she completes her task..."
Elder Shen immediately understood Jin Yao's plan. After all, the task they wanted Xiao Man to do could not be revealed to anyone. Once obtained, she would naturally have to be silenced. However, that young person appeared very sharp and might not easily comply with their wishes.
"Young Master, if she dies in the trial grounds..."
"She cannot die here. Before she completes her task, her safety must be guaranteed," Jin Yao said coldly. "She absolutely cannot die before completing her task."
Elder Shen nodded with satisfaction. This ruthless and unfeeling second young master was the true candidate for the head of the family. As the head of a family, one did not need emotions; one needed to learn how to balance power and control subordinates. Being too emotional would only lead to ruin.
"I understand, Young Master. Rest assured."
"Also, I always have a feeling that Jin Ling is still alive, and she should know Jin Ling's whereabouts." Jin Yao was quite dissatisfied with this. He regretted not killing Jin Ling back then, choosing instead to cripple his Golden Core and tendons, and throw him into the Land of No Return to humiliate him, intending for him to die a torturous death.
However, to his surprise, Jin Ling not only survived after entering the Land of No Return but also healed his hands and resumed cultivation... Resumed cultivation? Could he re-condense his true qi?
"Elder, can a person whose Golden Core is shattered still cultivate again?"
"Young Master, you jest," Elder Shen's voice sounded weak, but no one dared to treat him as a frail old man. "If the Golden Core is shattered, it is already fortunate to survive. How can one cultivate again? One must know that the Golden Core is the reservoir of true qi. If the reservoir is gone, no amount of cultivation will be in vain."
"But when I last saw him, he was already a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator."
A terrifying glint erupted in Elder Shen's cloudy eyes.
"Young Master, are you telling the truth?"
"It is true. I was quite surprised when I saw him in Wuji City, but at the time, I did not think of this aspect." A thought flashed through Jin Yao's mind. "Among the ten people who came out of the Land of No Return, three understood medicine. Later, only two entered the Hundred Herbs Hall: one was Xiao Qin, and the other was Shi Lan, known as the Poisonous Girl. Based on their performance, I suspect it was Xiao Qin who healed Jin Ling."
"Xiao Qin. It seems necessary to get to know this person properly," Elder Shen said slowly. "Once she completes her task, hand her over to me to play with. I will definitely pry out all the secrets she has hidden."
"This is excellent."
Their discussion, however, was unbeknownst to them, overheard by a small snake. Zhu Qing, while scouting the Tian Dun Sect ruins, was injured by the sect's formations and lost consciousness. When it woke up, everyone in the Eastern Yue Forest had already withdrawn. It managed to follow a Cang Lang Sect disciple back to the Cang Lang Sect and then mixed with the disciples who were entering the trial. It finally saw its master but had no opportunity to return to its master's side.
It followed Xiao Man's scent and arrived, but it was a step too late. By chance, it overheard Jin Yao and the others' discussion. Zhu Qing trembled with fear and dared not come out, as Jin Yao was accompanied by an Nascent Soul stage expert.