Su Yang found himself tied up in orange coils. He couldn’t move.
’A sealing talisman?’ He frowned. ’Should I try to break free?’ He wondered. ’It would be good to test out my new...’
He decided against it as he glanced at the fox, which had stopped and was now circling around him.
"It should be controlled by someone," he muttered. "I should see the mastermind first."
He shook his arms and used all his strength, except for his Blood Qi, to break free, but the talisman was too strong. The coils didn’t even budge. He was still standing, with his legs bound together. If he exerted more force, he might fall over, so he stopped using brute strength.
"Top-level?" He shook his head. "No, it should be a Superb-grade one." He was quite familiar with these talismans, as his family used them.
A few hundred metres away, Mo Xuan and Si Yin were watching without moving even a bit.
"Master, he’s tied up," Si Yin uttered with joy. "Let’s go!" He couldn’t understand why his master wasn’t making a move.
"Let’s wait for at least half an hour," Elder Mo declared firmly. "He’s strong. We cannot afford any risks."
Si Yin nodded with a serious expression. Even he knew the consequences of making a single wrong move here.
More than ten minutes had passed.
Su Yang tilted his head and glanced at the sky. The trees formed a bit of a canopy, but sunlight was still reaching the ground and falling on him. He didn’t want to stay in one place for long.
’Will they come or not?’ He scowled. He had expected them to show up once he was tied up, but here he was, without even a shadow of the mastermind. The fox had sat down in the shade in front of him. It even yawned and groomed itself.
More time passed. The fox fell asleep and snored.
Tch! Su Yang clicked his tongue. "That’s enough." He decided to break free.
Just as he was about to use his new technique, he stopped as the thud! thud! Footsteps echoed.
Su Yang raised his head. His vision had now extended to almost a hundred metres with perfect clarity due to his cultivation in the Blood Qi realm. Two figures in black robes appeared. One was an old man, and the other was a young man. They were none other than Elder Mo and Si Yin.
They walked slowly, removed their hoods and scarves, and revealed wide smiles.
"Master, shall we share it eighty-twenty?" Si Yin had already decided on the ratio for the blood.
"Sure, but first, let’s get those techniques." Mo Xuan’s lips curved up, with a hint of greed in his eyes. He had more plans.
*’Finally...’ *Su Yang exhaled. ’Blood Fiend Sect?’ He licked his lips. ’More resources. Are they related to that Go guy?’
"Who are you?" he asked once they got closer.
Si Yin gently patted the fox and pulled a yellow talisman from its hide, along with a Blood Fiend Sect medallion from its ear.
’A beast-controlling talisman?’ Su Yang whispered. ’No wonder it led me into a trap!’
The fox was controlled by Mo Xuan, which was how Su Yang had been lured into the carefully prepared talisman area.
"I’m the Third Elder of the Blood Fiend Sect!" Mo Xuan introduced himself proudly. "My name, Chu Gu, is known throughout Willow Province."
He raised his head towards the sky with a sneer.
’Third Elder?’ Si Yin’s body trembled. ’Master, you cannot use Chu Gu’s name like that...’
He raised his hand, wanting to remind the Fifteenth Elder, Mo Xuan, but paused midway.
’The brat’s going to die anyway.’
’Last time Master used the First Elder’s name, he was caned a hundred times, while I was caned fifteen times.’ He felt a chill as he recalled the sect master’s punishment for using other elders’ names.
Su Yang looked back and forth between the two men’s faces. "Old, wrinkled face, with a small scar between your right eyebrow." He nodded. "No doubt, you’re Elder Mo."
He turned his gaze towards Si Yin. "You must be his disciple, Si Yin."
"Damn!" Elder Mo shouted internally. ’Even if I escape now, he knows my identity.’
He hadn’t used his original identity, as he felt Su Yang had a backup plan, so he had prepared just in case.
"So, what?" Si Yin hissed nonchalantly. He picked his nose. "It’s a Level 1 Superb-grade sealing talisman, meant for the extreme limit of the Blood Qi realm." He laughed out loud. "You cannot break free."
Elder Mo had used his trump card, the Level 1 Superb-grade Brass Copper Bind, which could even tie up someone at the extreme limit of the Blood Qi realm for a few seconds.
Mo Xuan’s hands shook as he fixed his eyes on the orange binds. ’My strongest sealing talisman...’
He was hesitant to part with it. ’I spent more than twenty years collecting money for it.’
He had used a talisman that was dear to him to obtain more resources or even treasures worth more than the talisman itself.
He clenched his fists. "Now, brat, tell me, how did you get so strong?" he barked. "What treasures do you possess?"
Si Yin’s smile was vulgar and cunning. "I’ll torture you if you lie." He pulled a sword from his storage pouch. "Do you know about torture techniques?"
"I don’t have a treasure or anything special." Su Yang’s lips twitched in doubt as he wondered why the duo in front of him seemed to be risking everything for him.
"No, you’re lying!" Si Yin shrieked before Elder Mo could open his mouth. "I’ll show you a Level 1 torture technique, Dark Cold Slash!"
He raised his weapon, its blade shining with blue Qi. It emitted a chill that froze the grass within a radius of five to seven metres.
"I wanted to play along." Su Yang shook his head in disappointment. "Let’s change places."
"Huh?" Si Yin’s sword paused halfway through its swing.
"Run!" Elder Mo pivoted and broke into a run. He proved that he was indeed cautious, while Si Yin didn’t understand Su Yang’s words. Elder Mo, however, understood them instantly.
"Undying Phoenix Fist Secret Art: Phoenix Ascends to the Heavens!" Su Yang said calmly, pouring his Blood Qi into his back.
The talisman’s power tried to suppress his Blood Qi, but his Blood Qi began to spin. Numerous wisps fused together and forced their way through the sealing power, rushing toward his back.
Two white-golden phoenix wings formed on Su Yang’s back. They tore through a few coils, allowing Su Yang to unleash part of his power. His secret art allowed him to break free.
"Where do you think you’re going?" he asked, as Si Yin was also fleeing.
Elder Mo was already a few hundred metres away. He activated the Blood Burning Art, with crimson Qi wrapped around his body.
"Wait, I need to ask some details!" Su Yang shouted.