Chapter 252: The Hidden Moth

Centered around Sikong Muyue, they worked together to break through the various barriers of the peaks. The barrier atop this mountain had clearly endured sustained attacks for a long time before finally shattering.

As the barrier broke, everyone atop the Eight Trigrams exhaled in unison, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over them. They were secretly alarmed—despite combining their strength with Sikong Muyue at the helm, they had almost failed to breach it.

This revealed just how formidable the remaining barriers were after all this time.

Fortunately, Sikong Muyue had stepped forward, gathered everyone, and led the effort to break the barrier. Without her, they might have left empty-handed.

With the barrier shattered, an opulent palace adorned with intricate carvings and shimmering jade came into view.

The treasure was within the palace. Some gazes burned with desire, but no one dared rush inside to snatch it. Instead, they all sat cross-legged and focused on recovering their spiritual power.

Only Sikong Muyue acted differently. She pointed a finger at the Eight Trigrams, and the remaining black and white qi transformed into a massive hand. Like a forceful plunderer, it swept through the resplendent palace, leaving destruction in its wake.

Everything in its path was smashed by brute force. In the blink of an eye, the once-majestic palace lay in ruins.

The massive hand returned, clutching dozens of items: swords and other weapons, mirrors, flutes, towers, and various other artifacts. There were also some spiritual materials and jade bottles containing pills. However, the pills’ glow had dimmed, their spiritual essence long lost.

The group snapped out of their meditative states simultaneously, their eyes blazing as they stared at the treasures in the giant hand. Yet no one acted on their greed, instead quietly waiting for Sikong Muyue to distribute them.

Sikong Muyue scanned the crowd, then casually tossed aside some items that had lost their spiritual essence. She waved her hand, and her spiritual power lifted a sword into the air. "This is the Flame Radiance Sword, a top-grade artifact. Start bidding."

"One thousand low-grade spirit stones!"

"One thousand and three hundred!"

"I lack enough spirit stones but will exchange Sea Rock Gold equivalent to one thousand spirit stones. Any takers?"

...

Sikong Muyue auctioned off each item one by one, then evenly distributed the spirit stones earned among the group, including herself. No one protested, and the atmosphere remained harmonious.

Only someone of her status—a Core Formation Realm expert—could command such respect and keep unruly individuals in check.

This wasn’t the first time they had worked like this. Disputes were rare, and the process of dividing resources was remarkably efficient. Once everything was settled, they controlled the Eight Trigrams and headed toward the next barrier.

Qin Sang and Di Que watched this scene unfold from a distance.

Before Qin Sang had entered the courtyard, Sikong Muyue had yet to appear.

Di Que hadn’t ventured into the four peaks. Instead, he had wandered outside, which had surprised Qin Sang. He hadn’t expected Sikong Muyue to avoid the peaks either.

Now it seemed that most of those who had entered the ancient cultivator’s estate had joined Sikong Muyue’s group. After all, with a Core Formation Realm expert overseeing everything, it was easy to share treasures in peace—who wouldn’t want that?

Qin Sang even noticed Mu Yifeng and Yu Dayue among them. Strangely, Wandering Man was absent.

Di Que’s expression grew darker and darker. At last, he let out an angry snort and barked coldly, "Follow me!"

Qin Sang didn’t understand why Di Que was so enraged, but he knew better than to provoke him. Quickly, he leaped forward and followed the old man, who headed straight toward the depths of the mountain range, aiming for the four peaks.

The saying "a horse dies running toward a distant mountain"[1] proved true even here. The four peaks rapidly grew larger in their vision. Before reaching the base of the peaks, Qin Sang could already sense their overwhelming majesty.

Exerting all his strength, Qin Sang barely managed to keep up with Di Que’s pace. Just as they were about to reach the foot of one of the peaks, Di Que suddenly stopped. His gaze, sharp as an eagle’s, swept across several of the surrounding mountains.

Then, Di Que pressed his palm forward in the air. A surge of Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound burst silently from his hand, concealing the area. Only after doing so did he step out of the void and appear atop one of the mountain summits, shouting coldly, "Come out!"

The mountain was utterly silent.

A flicker of impatience flashed in Di Que’s eyes as he stared coldly at a cliff face. "Do you really want this old man to drag you out myself?" he said icily.

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

As soon as the words left his mouth, a layer of black light emerged on the cliff. From within the light stepped a man.

Qin Sang recognized him. His name was Ren Hong, a middle-stage Foundation Building cultivator from the Wind Thunder Sect.

The Wind Thunder Sect’s strength was on par with the Medicine King Sect, holding significant influence in Xuanlu Stronghold.

As Ren Hong walked out of the cliff, the black light receded on its own. Only then did Qin Sang notice a barrier on the cliff, partially broken by Ren Hong.

"Ren Hong greets Senior!"

Ren Hong’s expression flickered uncertainly, but he dared not show even a hint of disrespect toward Di Que. He hesitantly asked, "Senior, may I know why you have summoned me?"

Di Que glanced at him and said flatly, "This barrier has three layers. You’ve already broken through two. It seems you have some skill in barrier arts. However, the third layer isn’t simple. Without the cultivation level of the Core Formation Realm, no amount of expertise will allow you to break it."

Ren Hong smiled bitterly. "Your insight is as sharp as lightning. Indeed, I’ve tried many times but haven’t been able to budge it. I was about to give up. Do you have time to assist me? If so, I’d gladly offer all the treasures inside to you."

"I have no need to rob a junior of his possessions!"

Di Que snorted coldly, though his tone softened slightly. "However, I do require assistance with something urgent. If you agree to help me, I’ll break the barrier for you, and everything inside will be yours. What do you say?"

Ren Hong froze for a moment, his gaze briefly flicking to Qin Sang, who stood silently at the side. After a moment’s hesitation, he asked, "May I know what you require of me? Is it something within the estate or outside? It shouldn’t take too long, right?"

Di Que’s patience wore thin. "Of course, it’s within the estate! Once you leave, I won’t bother with you anymore!"

"Uhh..."

Ren Hong hesitated for a moment longer. Noticing the growing hostility in Di Que’s gaze, he gritted his teeth and made his decision. "I will do my utmost to assist you. Please, I humbly request your help in breaking the barrier!"

Ren Hong had already deciphered the barrier’s patterns but lacked the strength to break it. With Di Que’s intervention, success was guaranteed.

Even as Di Que worked on the barrier, he took care to conceal the surrounding area, unwilling to let anyone discover his presence.

Soon, the barrier on the cliff silently dissolved, revealing a cave dwelling within. Di Que retrieved his astra and stood with his hands behind his back, appearing entirely uninterested in the treasures inside.

Only then did Ren Hong let out a long sigh of relief. Bowing deeply to Di Que, he entered the cave dwelling. He remained inside for a while before emerging.

Afterward, Qin Sang and Ren Hong flanked Di Que on either side as they continued their journey toward the peaks.

Before long, the trio arrived at one of the peaks.

Di Que descended to the base of the mountain and looked around. Suddenly, he darted toward an unassuming rock. From beneath the rock, a faint gray line shot out.

It was a moth—plain and inconspicuous.

A Hidden Moth!

Qin Sang’s heart stirred at the sight. He had seen this creature in the Yuling Sect’s compendium.

While not as rare as the Fire Jade Centipede, the Hidden Moth was still extremely uncommon.

The Hidden Moth lacked great strength and had a short lifespan, much like ordinary bugs. However, it had one remarkable ability: it could seamlessly blend into rocks, hiding as though it were a lifeless object.

Even cultivators would struggle to detect it.

1. This is a Chinese saying describing something that seems near but is actually far away. ☜