C7 Trap

"Humph! This transaction is crucial. Everyone else present must die!"

Despite Xie Yan's loud protests, Elder He remained undeterred, even quickening his pace with a disdainful snort.

In the blink of an eye.

Elder He was standing right before Su Li.

His right fist, charged with a ferocious Genuine Qi wind, hurtled towards Su Li's head.

The force behind the punch was immense.

If Su Li were to be struck, he would be lucky to escape with anything less than a crippling injury.

Yet, as the fist enveloped in the fearsome Genuine Qi wind bore down on him, Su Li's expression remained serene, unchanging.

As though...

The object hurtling towards him was not a fist, but a mere block of tofu.

Swish!

But in the nick of time, Elder He abruptly halted, his fist stopping a mere inch from Su Li's head.

"How audacious!"

Su Li's response had taken Elder He completely by surprise.

In fact, Xie Yan had confided in He Shun about the situation half an hour earlier.

Xie Yan was the chief alchemist of the Coldhammers, and He Shun was their chief enforcer.

In essence.

The martial prowess of the Coldhammers was under He Shun's command.

He Shun had intended to intimidate Su Li into compliantly handling tasks for the Coldhammers.

Especially since He Shun was already privy to the Trembleglades' affairs through exclusive channels.

But who could have predicted?

Su Li's reaction was so overblown, he was utterly unaffected.

At this juncture.

He Shun even began to doubt the veracity of the information received from the Trembleglades.

His cultivation had plummeted to the pinnacle of Body Tempering, and he was accused of attempting to violate the Sect Master's daughter without cause.

Now, none of it seemed to add up.

Could Su Li, at the peak of the Body Tempering Realm, really defeat the Death Monarch at the mid-stage of the Oceanic Wheel Realm?

And the notion of him assaulting Shen Ning was even more far-fetched.

Given Su Li's resolve, He Shun found it impossible to believe that Su Li would stoop to such depravity.

He Shun looked at Su Li and inquired, "I heard you're after the inner core of a Celestial River realm demonic beast. Can you tell me what you're planning to do with it?"

"I'm aiming to break through to the middle stage of the Oceanic Wheel realm," Su Li responded without any attempt to conceal his intentions.

"Middle stage of the Oceanic Wheel realm... What?!" He Shun was momentarily taken aback, then exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't your current cultivation level already at the middle stage of the Oceanic Wheel?"

It was understandable that He Shun was astonished. Xie Yan had mentioned that Su Li had defeated the Death Monarch, leading him to assume that Su Li's cultivation must be at least at the middle stage of the Oceanic Wheel. But now, it appeared his assumptions were somewhat off the mark.

"No," replied Su Li.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, He Shun asked with a hint of confusion, "The Fortifying Pill is a top-tier third-grade medicinal pill that can unconditionally elevate an Oceanic Wheel realm cultivator by one level. If you're looking to advance to the middle stage of the Oceanic Wheel realm, you shouldn't need the inner core of a peak Celestial River realm demonic beast, should you?"

"That's not something you need to concern yourself with," Su Li said coolly.

He knew that He Shun's earlier attack was a test, but that didn't mean Su Li was inclined to show any warmth in return. The Rank-4 pill formula was highly sought after by the Coldhammers, and if they wanted to successfully craft the Profound Opening Pill, they would need to depend on him. If they managed to irritate him, they could simply part ways.

"Very well, if Young Hero Su prefers not to disclose his reasons, I won't press the matter," He Shun conceded. He continued, "As per the agreement you reached with Xie Yan, a Rank-4 heart technique, two Rank-4 combat techniques, and a Rank-4 pill formula are to be provided. Once I have these items, I will naturally hand over the inner core of a peak-level Celestial River demonic beast to you."

"It would be wise to exercise caution. Dealing with the Stormshapers is akin to negotiating with a tiger for its hide," Su Li felt it was prudent to caution He Shun.

Under normal circumstances, any significant blunder would have no bearing on Su Li. But the situation had changed. Su Li was in dire need of the inner core of a peak-level Celestial River Demonic Beast to advance to the middle stage of the Oceanic Wheel realm, so he couldn't afford any mishaps.

"Humph! The mere mention of the Stormshapers sends shivers down your spine!"

At that moment, two other Oceanic Wheel experts from the Coldhammers stepped forward. They snorted dismissively, "If you're that frightened, go ahead and burrow into a hole to hide. We won't mock you."

Su Li cast a sidelong glance at the two middle-level Oceanic Wheel warriors and proceeded directly towards the dilapidated Wengfeng Temple. It appeared they were unaware of his victory over the Death Monarch. Had they known, they certainly wouldn't have addressed him with such insolence.

Regarding the current transaction, Su Li's role was to remain concealed, awaiting the completion of the exchange between the Coldhammers and the Stormshapers before claiming the demonic beast cores that were rightfully his. He had no intention of getting involved in any other affairs.

"Cowards," one of the middle-level Oceanic Wheel warriors muttered disdainfully as Su Li entered the Wengfeng Temple. "Commander He, what if our collaboration with Su Li provokes the Trembleglades?"

"Indeed," another warrior chimed in, "the Trembleglades have sent word that they intend to eradicate the Su family root and branch. It seems prudent to distance ourselves from Su Li and his kin."

Regardless of whether Su Li was in the Oceanic Wheel or Body Tempering realm, it made no difference to them. The Trembleglades were determined to eliminate Su Li, and allying with him now seemed far from a judicious decision.

Swish! Swish! Swish! As they conversed, the sound of slicing wind abruptly filled the air. Soon after, three warriors materialized before He Shun and his companions.

He Shun inhaled sharply, his face contorting with concern as he felt the powerful aura emanating from the trio. It was clear that things were quickly spiraling beyond his control.

According to the agreement with the Stormshapers, they had sent a late-stage Oceanic Wheel Realm warrior and two mid-stage Oceanic Wheel Realm warriors for the transaction. The Stormshapers were expected to match this arrangement. However, all three warriors from the Stormshapers were at the late-stage Oceanic Wheel Realm!

Whoosh!

As He Shun silently hoped for no complications, a figure sped toward them from a distance. He Shun's expression turned grim at the sight of the approaching figure. It was the Second Elder of the Mo Family, Mo Ling! He Shun was taken aback. The moment Mo Ling showed up, he sensed the gravity of the situation. This deal was likely a trap laid by the Mo Family.

"Tsk tsk, such a shame. I was hoping to catch a big fish, but it seems I've only netted a few small fry," Mo Ling said with a smack of his lips, expressing his disappointment. "The Pavilion Master of Coldhammers is quite the cunning fox, sending only you minnows for a beast core at the peak of the Celestial River Realm."

As he spoke, Mo Ling flicked his wrist, revealing a small drum in his hand with a Demonic Beast core lying on it.

"They're not from the Stormshapers!" He Shun quickly realized. Although the Mo Family had good relations with the Stormshapers, summoning three late-stage Oceanic Wheel Realm warriors was still a tall order.

"You're very astute," Mo Ling said with a slight smile. "They are the Three Heroes of Wind, Thunder, and Lightning. To secure their help, I spent thirty Fortifying Pills and ten early-stage Celestial River Demonic Beast cores."

"We at Coldhammers are willing to offer sixty Fortifying Pills and twenty Celestial River Demonic Beast cores!" He Shun said urgently. "Just help me take down Mo Ling, and I will immediately return to Coldhammers to retrieve the pills and cores for you! Coldhammers is very close to Suuton City!"

"There's no need. The only true benefits are those already in hand," the Wind Hero replied. "We, the Three Heroes of Wind, Thunder, and Lightning, value our word. We would never engage in actions that could tarnish our reputation."

With a wave of his hand, Mo Ling signaled the Three Heroes of Wind and Thunder to move quickly. "Don't just stand there. Go and greet Commander He. Then, follow me to the Su Family and slaughter their entire family!"

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