C23 Trap

The dragon soul, now masterless, was clearly lacking in strength.

Initially, the stalemate between the human and the dragon soul was manageable, but as time passed, the dragon soul began to falter, slowly losing ground.

*Crack*

*Crack*

*Crack*

One by one, the stones were kicked onto the Pattern Seal.

Simultaneously, the dragon soul was gradually forced back.

Despite pushing his strength to the brink and nearing total exhaustion, he experienced an ineffable sense of exhilaration.

It was as though every ounce of his potential had been wrung out – a sensation neither Guan Chengfei nor Mo Qinghong could ever evoke!

In no time, all the stones were aligned with their corresponding Pattern Seals.

"It's done!"

Bai Yeh's heart flooded with relief as the final stone settled into place.

Just then, the dragon soul he had painstakingly expelled from the formation burst forth with intense, colorful light, followed by a thunderous dragon roar that reverberated across Stone Mountain.

The dragon soul swelled in size, and from within the formation, a strange power enveloped both Bai Yeh and the dragon soul.

This force seemed to magnetize the man and the spirit, and the formidable dragon soul shattered his remaining strength, charging forward with an unstoppable momentum.

"Hmm?"

Stunned, Bai Yeh felt the dragon soul penetrate his body, bringing with it an agonizing pain that radiated from his chest.

"Ahh!!!!"

He screamed in torment as the Heaven Suppressing Dragon Soul rampaged into him, swiftly coalescing beside the Taotie Heavenly Soul.

In an instant, a colossal Soul Mansion materialized – the Soul Mansion of the Heaven Suppressing Dragon Soul!

As the Soul Mansion took shape, the formation crumbled. Bai Yeh's form radiated with nine layers of light, soaring skyward.

Stone Mountain itself trembled, its walls cracking as if on the brink of collapse, while the soul power within surged wildly outward.

The Stone Mountain's inhabitants were astounded by the mountain's bizarre transformation.

"This place is going to fall apart!"

Bai Yeh, his face ashen, dragged his weary body towards the exit.

The infusion of the Heaven Suppressing Dragon Soul seemed to hollow him out, leaving each step a struggle.

After a difficult escape from the cave, Bai Yeh emerged to find the landscape teeming with Soul Cultivators.

The anomaly and the thick soul aura emanating from the area had lured nearly all the Soul Cultivators of Stone Mountain, prompting even the formidable guardians at the mountain's gate to disregard the rules and venture in.

Stone Mountain had never experienced such an event in years, but this occurrence suggested the emergence of a significant treasure, drawing in a flood of Soul Cultivators.

Exhausted, Bai Yeh trudged out of the cave and, unable to go any further, found a secluded spot with a large rock to lean on. He closed his eyes and succumbed to a deep sleep.

Unaware of the events that unfolded during his slumber or the duration of his rest, he awoke to find the area nearly void of Soul Cultivators.

As he stepped out from behind the rock, feeling groggy yet filled with soul power, he checked his Soul Mansion. The Taotie Heavenly Soul was intact, and nearby, the Soul Mansion of the Heaven Suppressing Dragon Soul was securely in place.

Another Soul Mansion!

Could it be that he was destined to become a Twin Heavenly Soul Cultivator? The thought electrified Bai Yeh.

He pondered the tier of the Heaven Suppressing Dragon Soul.

"Hey, who are you, and what are you doing here?" A stern voice called from above.

Looking up, Bai Yeh saw a flock of eagles descending, each carrying a member of the Beast Taming Sect.

"I'm a disciple of the Soul Finishing Sect, here for the Stone Mountain expedition. What's happened? Where are the members of the other sects?"

Scanning the area, Bai Yeh realized it was solely occupied by the Beast Taming Sect, with no sign of other sects.

Surely, such an anomaly would have attracted many.

"Listen, kid, don't ask too many questions. The Beast Taming Sect has claimed this territory!" the man said with a cold laugh.

"Claimed it?"

Bai Yeh paused, puzzled. "Have you driven out the other sects?"

"That's right, and that includes you! Now, you have two choices: leave immediately or meet your end here!"

As he finished speaking, members of the Beast Taming Sect swiftly drew their swords and sabers.

Leave? That was exactly what Bai Yeh had in mind. He shrugged and said, "I choose to leave."

"Smart move! Then hurry on your way!" the man chuckled.

Bai Yeh made his way toward the mountain gate, noticing eagles circling Stone Mountain.

The Beast Taming Sect's aggressive takeover of this area was undoubtedly tied to the spirit within Stone Mountain. But Bai Yeh had already secured the Heaven Suppressing Dragon Soul, and the spirit was consumed. This time, the Beast Taming Sect was in for a futile endeavor, one that would surely earn them the ire of numerous sects.

Yet, as Bai Yeh emerged from the depths of Stone Mountain, a figure abruptly blocked his path.

It was Zhang Dazhuang!

"Dazhuang, what brings you here?" Bai Yeh expressed his surprise.

"Senior Brother Bai, you're safe? Thank goodness!" Zhang Dazhuang rushed over and embraced Bai Yeh with fervent emotion.

"What's become of our sect members? What exactly happened here?" Bai Yeh inquired.

"Senior Brother, haven't you heard? There was a disturbance at Stone Mountain, hinting at the emergence of an extraordinary treasure. The Beast Taming Sect got wind of it and sent word to our sect. Their masters, riding eagles, covered thousands of miles in a single day to reach Stone Mountain. They deployed their best, and we, being merely ordinary disciples from various sects, stood no chance against them. Consequently, they expelled us from Stone Mountain and claimed the treasure for themselves! Now, the Great Elder is rallying forces outside the mountain gate, seemingly intent on forging an alliance with other sects to storm in and vie for the treasure!" explained Zhang Dazhuang.

Bai Yeh hadn't anticipated the situation escalating to this level.

"And you? Why didn't you leave?" Bai Yeh asked.

"Well, I figured even if we managed to drive away the Beast Taming Sect, the treasure would likely end up with the sect. So, I thought I'd stick around Stone Mountain and gather some Soul Stones, make a bit of profit!" He scratched his head and gave a simple, honest laugh.

"I see. But the Beast Taming Sect's members all ride mighty eagles, making it easy for us to be spotted. We should head out sooner rather than later," Bai Yeh suggested.

Zhang Dazhuang, however, vigorously shook his head and urged, "Senior Brother, let's delay our departure. Hurry, follow me; I've stumbled upon the entrance to a treasure site."

"A treasure site entrance?" Bai Yeh's brow furrowed.

"Senior Brother, there's no time for explanations. We're pressed for time. Come with me, quickly!"

Grabbing Bai Yeh's hand, Zhang Dazhuang dashed toward a narrow path nearby.

Bai Yeh hesitated, wanting to speak, but seeing Zhang Dazhuang's urgency, he hastened to keep pace.

They ran deeply into the path, covering nearly two miles, distancing themselves from the Beast Taming Sect's gate and the congregation area.

But soon after, Zhang Dazhuang halted.

Bai Yeh had stopped as well.

"Senior Brother, what's the matter? Why have you stopped?" Zhang Dazhuang asked, turning back with a puzzled look.

"Dazhuang, I once said I wouldn't be your protector, but regardless, we're from the same sect. I chose to trust you, yet you've let me down," Bai Yeh said abruptly.

"Senior Brother, what are you saying?" Zhang Dazhuang appeared bewildered.

"When did you start conspiring with Lin Zhengshu?" Bai Yeh inquired coolly.

Zhang Dazhuang was taken aback. "Conspiring? Me, with Lin Zhengshu? That's impossible. Senior Brother, what's gotten into you?"

"No more lies. I've detected the faint odor of poisonous moth powder here, and ahead, it's even more concentrated. If I proceed, I'll surely be poisoned! You intentionally led me here to assist Lin Zhengshu in killing me, didn't you?" Bai Yeh's gaze sharpened.

Hearing this, Zhang Dazhuang's naive expression darkened, a sinister smile creeping across his face, his former guileless demeanor completely vanished.

"How intriguing! Bai Yeh, it seems I've underestimated you. You've managed to uncover the trap we set!" Zhang Dazhuang released his grip and stepped back. From the other side of the path, another figure emerged, aligning with Zhang Dazhuang.

It was indeed Lin Zhengshu!

"I never pegged you for the detail-oriented type. We've clearly underestimated you. But Bai Yeh, you didn't just start suspecting Zhang Dazhuang, did you?" Lin Zhengshu said with a laugh, a menacing grin spreading across his face.

"Correct." Bai Yeh nodded. "Actually, the night I saw Zhang Dazhuang's wounds, I began to doubt whether he was in league with you."

"Why's that?" Lin Zhengshu leaned in with feigned curiosity. "Zhang Dazhuang really committed to the act to earn your trust. Those wounds were genuine!"

"True, the wounds were real, but they healed too swiftly. They didn't match the regenerative capabilities of a fourth-stage cultivator. I deduced that Zhang Dazhuang was concealing his true power. His strength had to be at least sixth-stage. With that kind of power, how could you have hurt him so badly? I concluded he must have taken those injuries on purpose. The only reason would be that you two were conspiring together, staging this whole charade for my benefit."

"Well played! Guan Chengfei and Mo Qinghong didn't die by your hand in vain!" Zhang Dazhuang applauded, his face alight with amusement. "Turns out, my injuries were for naught."

"Why would you conspire together? Zhang Dazhuang, what's your purpose in colluding with Lin Zhengshu against me?" Bai Yeh pressed.

"It's quite simple. Lin Zhengshu and I are cousins!" Zhang Dazhuang revealed with a smirk. "You're not the only one in the dark—few within the sect know of our relation. When my cousin decided to target you, naturally, I had to cozy up and draw you into our web."

That explained why Zhang Dazhuang had sought him out following Mo Qinghong's incident.

"Unfortunately for you, your scheme has fallen short!" Bai Yeh shook his head, still confident in his ability to handle Zhang Dazhuang and Lin Zhengshu.

"We'll see about that," Lin Zhengshu retorted with a chuckle.

His words were punctuated by a fresh wave of footsteps echoing down the path.

Bai Yeh turned to look and saw a group approaching.

Leading them was none other than Faang Shi!