C10 Mutant!

Hsiao Yan brandished the Golden Cauldron Sword, thrusting it forward as he channeled a fierce enhancement of Vital Spirit through his body. Abruptly, a brilliant golden radiance burst forth, resembling the ascent of a blazing sun, with myriad beams of golden light fanning out. They clashed violently with the grey ghost flames and the Samadhi True Fire conjured by Sunn Liang, creating an explosion that echoed like thunder.

Golden light scattered in every direction, and the intense flames dissipated. It appeared that Hsiao Yan, the one-eyed dragon, and Sunn Liang had reached a stalemate in a single exchange.

However, within the fading golden glow, two orbs of light emerged, rapidly expanding and astonishingly transforming into two magnificent, golden cauldrons, suspended in the air before the one-eyed dragon and Sunn Liang.

A tremendous sense of oppression loomed over them, prompting the pair to swiftly channel their Vital Spirit and ready their magical treasures for a final stand.

"Golden Cauldron Sword!"

"The transformation of Golden Light into a Cauldron, this cultivator's level..."

Onlookers gasped in amazement, realizing, along with the one-eyed dragon, Sunn Liang, and Zhao Mingli—who had discreetly withdrawn to watch from a distance—that Hsiao Yan had reached Foundation Stage Level Five.

The one-eyed dragon was at Foundation Stage Level Four, and Sunn Liang at Level Two. Their Ghost Fire Blade and Samadhi True Fire Fan were formidable, but Hsiao Yan's cultivation was superior, and even his magical treasure, the Golden Cauldron Sword, was more powerful. Thus, even in a two-against-one battle, they stood no chance of victory.

Nevertheless, Hsiao Yan's objective was the Universe Compass. If he could secure it, there was no need for unnecessary conflict. He was willing to offer them a chance.

"We have no grudge against each other; there's no need for a fight to the death," Hsiao Yan declared, controlling the golden cauldrons in the air while maintaining their intimidating presence. "As long as you stay out of our way and don't meddle with what we seek, all will be well. Do you understand?"

"Damn it," the one-eyed dragon grumbled under his breath, gripping the Ghost Fire Blade tightly. This time, he wisely kept his complaints to himself.

Sunn Liang gripped the Samadhi True Fire Fan tightly, fixing Hsiao Yan with a steely gaze. "Understood," he said ominously.

Hsiao Yan withdrew his Vital Spirit, causing the massive cauldron to dissipate into nothingness.

A hushed silence fell over the onlookers. Each of them coveted the Universe Compass, but Hsiao Yan's overwhelming might deterred any rash actions. They could only watch, with a mix of envy and resignation, as Soong Yuan made his way toward the coveted Universe Compass in the brightly lit room.

With the Universe Crystal Ball at his disposal, locating the true Universe Compass was a simple task for Soong Yuan. A pristine Crystal Plate hovered within a ring of light, slowly spinning and bobbing as if carried by the current.

"There it is."

Soong Yuan moved closer and reached out to grasp it. But the moment he touched the ring of light, it dimmed abruptly, and the Crystal Plate within flashed and vanished without a trace.

Subsequently, hundreds of light rings encasing the floating Crystal Plates plummeted, shattering into pieces with a cacophony of crackling noises.

The crowd outside was in shock. They had barely seen Soong Yuan lift his hand before all the Crystal Plates were destroyed. But what of the crucial Universe Compass?

Hsiao Yan, who was outside, quickly made his way in and inquired, "What happened?"

After a moment of reflection, Soong Yuan realized, "Qian Xiaoruo, that little rascal, has set me up."

The Universe Compass must have been rigged with a passive concealment charm, triggered by the light rings encircling the Crystal Plate. The moment Soong Yuan made contact with the light ring, the charm was activated, causing the Universe Compass to vanish.

Soong Yuan recounted the incident to Hsiao Yan in detail.

Hsiao Yan nodded in understanding. "Qian Xiaoruo laid a trap; it was indeed a setup."

The Universe Compass was certainly within the Hundred-plate House, yet finding it was one thing—securing it was another. The real problem was the crowd outside, all of whom were eagerly waiting for their chance.

Soong Yuan stepped outside and told the truth, "I did not secure the Universe Compass; it has escaped." The skeptics among the crowd would hardly take his word for it. They were likely to suspect that Soong Yuan had the Universe Compass and would relentlessly pursue him, devising schemes to corner him despite the formidable presence of Hsiao Yan at his side.

Even if those people believed Soong Yuan's claims, they would at least deduce that Soong Yuan possessed a unique method to verify the Universe Compass. Then... to obtain the Universe Compass, wouldn't one first need to acquire Soong Yuan's verification technique?

After Soong Yuan left without uttering a word, their suspicions only deepened.

At this juncture, Soong Yuan had become the target of everyone's attention.

This was the snare Qian Xiaoruo had laid. Clearly, once someone entered the Hundred-plate House, they would either be unable to verify the Universe Compass and gain nothing, or upon verification, they would still end up empty-handed and in even greater trouble.

"Qian Xiaoruo, I swear I'll get my revenge. If I get the chance, I'll have you beneath me, at my mercy... Wait, the Universe Compass is still inside the Thousand Thunder Inn, merely a hundred yards from here." Soong Yuan grumbled to himself as he activated the Universe Crystal Ball once more. With a tentative attitude, he was astonished to successfully pinpoint the Universe Compass's location again.

"Good, let's go," Soong Yuan said, and he and Hsiao Yan stepped out of the house.

However, a group of people had already gathered, including the One-eyed Dragon, Sunn Liang, and others from the Blazing Fire Sect who had arrived in waves. In total, there were about fifty to sixty individuals, all eyeing Soong Yuan and Hsiao Yan with eager anticipation, each armed with talismans and ready for confrontation.

Hsiao Yan, at the Foundation Stage Level Five, could easily handle any of them in single combat. But facing the collective might of such a crowd was a different matter entirely.

The One-eyed Dragon regained his swagger and bellowed, "You two, whatever you've been up to in that house, it doesn't matter. Hand over the Universe Compass now, or you can forget about leaving."

The others joined in, their menacing expressions showing they were not afraid to die.

"We haven't obtained the Universe Compass; it remains in Qian Xiaoruo's possession," Soong Yuan stated coolly.

At that moment, he produced thirteen Intestine Breaking Blades, while Hsiao Yan once again summoned the Golden Cauldron Sword. The tension between them was palpable, like a standoff ready to explode at any second.

Suddenly, Qian Xiaoruo's voice boomed across the area, magnified by some magical instrument, as if descending from the heavens. "If it doesn't belong to you, don't foolishly covet it. Consider this a lesson from the Hundred-plate House. I'm giving you all half an incense stick's time to clear out of the Thousand Thunder Inn. Once that time passes, the Maze Illusion Array will morph into the Seven-poison Illusion Array. Then, none of you will be able to escape. Anyone who remains inside the Thousand Thunder Inn will meet their end."

A hush fell over the crowd.

It was clear to everyone: this was Qian Xiaoruo's final warning. Anyone who dared to stay risked facing her wrath.

"Ah, it's changing, it's changing!" someone exclaimed in shock.

As the crowd turned to look, they saw the outermost buildings of the Thousand Thunder Inn—the rooms, corridors, and courtyards where the Maze Illusion Array was situated—now radiating a dense, crimson hue. The red against the night sky was eerie and ominous.

"The Seven-poison Illusion Array will show seven colors—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet—each representing a different level of difficulty. Red is the easiest, while violet is the most dangerous," Hsiao Yan whispered to Soong Yuan. "The array shifts from simple to complex, but once it turns violet, not even a Thought Dividing Stage Great Cultivator could manage it."

Soong Yuan pondered in silence, while the others were lost in their own thoughts.

"We need to get out of here, now."

"Forget the violet level; we can't even handle the orange one. We need to leave, fast."

"Damn it, let's just go."

"What a waste of an evening."

In no time, nearly half of the people had already left, grumbling and complaining as they went.

"Should we leave or not?" Hsiao Yan asked Soong Yuan quietly.