Breakout of Four

After exiting the great hall, the Grand Elder transmitted the Sacred Lord's condition—three Sacred Weapons in exchange for the Netherworld Palace dispatching a true Saint for the assassination—through that dim jade talisman.

The message was like a stone dropped into the ocean. This time, the silence lasted much longer than before.

The atmosphere grew oppressive. The several elders looked at each other in dismay, all able to see the unease in each other's eyes.

Time ticked by. Just as the Grand Elder was almost certain the Netherworld Palace was going to completely turn hostile and prepared to report back to the Sacred Lord, the jade talisman finally lit up with a faint glow once more.

What came through was still a cold fluctuation of spiritual sense, but its contents made the expressions of all the elders present change instantly.

"Three Sacred Weapons. Acceptable."

"In addition, add one King-level spirit vein and ten Heaven-level spirit veins. Deliver them to the usual place."

"Agree to this, and the Saint will arrive within seven days. Otherwise, the deal is off."

There was no explanation and no room for bargaining, as if it were merely stating an established fact.

This was no longer a cooperation; it was more like condescending extortion!

"This is going too far!"

A hot-tempered elder slammed his hand on the table and stood up on the spot.

"A King-level spirit vein! Ten Heaven-level ones! They are trying to dig up the very foundations of our Sacred Land!"

The Grand Elder's face was ashen, his heart bleeding.

Spirit veins were the lifeblood of the Sacred Land; every single one was of paramount importance.

However, the Sacred Lord attached great importance to this matter. In order not to ruin the Sacred Lord's plans, they could only swallow their anger for now!

Suppressing his fury, he took a deep breath and transmitted a spiritual thought carrying a tone of negotiation back into the jade talisman.

"The Sacred Weapons can be provided as agreed, but the number of spirit veins is simply too heavy a burden. Could we... reduce it to one King-level and three Heaven-level? This is already the absolute limit of what our Sacred Land can bear. We hope your esteemed Palace can be understanding."

After sending this message, the Grand Elder and the other elders held their breath, waiting for the other party's response. In their hearts, they were already prepared to be sternly rejected or even face a complete fallout.

However, to everyone's surprise, the jade talisman lit up almost the very next moment. The reply was so straightforward that it left them stunned.

"Acceptable. Deal."

The several elders plunged into an eerie silence.

They agreed?

Just like that? Without even a trace of hesitation?

The Grand Elder froze at first, and then an indescribable wave of regret instantly surged into his heart!

They agreed too quickly! What did this mean? It meant the other party's original quote was an exorbitant demand, and his own counteroffer had been far too conservative!

Perhaps if he had only offered one Heaven-level spirit vein, the other party would have agreed as well!

The thought that his momentary softness might have cost the Sacred Land an extra two Heaven-level spirit veins made the Grand Elder feel a rush of blood to his head, his chest tightening with panic.

Those were not ordinary spirit stones, but spirit veins capable of blessing an entire region and continuously producing spiritual energy!

His face turned pale and red in turns, eventually culminating in a sigh full of powerlessness and heartache. "Sigh... Make the preparations. Three Sacred Weapons, one King-level spirit vein, and three Heaven-level spirit veins... Seal them immediately and send them to the usual place."

The other elders also looked at each other, their expressions complex.

Although they had saved seven Heaven-level spirit veins compared to the initial quote, this expenditure would still severely damage the Sacred Land's foundation.

Dejected, the crowd accepted their orders and left to begin preparing this agonizing payment.

...

Meanwhile, deep within the Eastern Region Branch of the Netherworld Palace.

Phantom Shadow looked at the final confirmation message transmitted from the jade talisman in his hand. On his face shrouded in darkness, the corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably, eventually turning into a low chuckle.

"Heh... I didn't expect them to actually give a King-level spirit vein plus three Heaven-level ones..."

His original quote was just a lion's demand, made with the mindset of tossing a stone to see if it ripples.

A King-level spirit vein plus ten Heaven-level ones was simply an extortionate demand that sucked the marrow from the bones. He never expected the Glazed Sacred Land to accept it entirely; he would have been quite satisfied if they bargained it down to just one King-level spirit vein.

"The Glazed Sacred Land... It seems their apprehension toward those four little ones far exceeds estimates. Or perhaps, that Glazed Sacred Lord's determination to eradicate this hidden danger is so resolute that he disregards the cost, or is there a deeper scheme at play?"

Phantom Shadow gently tapped his fingertips against the armrest of his throne, his thoughts spinning rapidly.

One King-level spirit vein was enough to elevate the foundation of his branch by a few notches. Coupled with three Heaven-level spirit veins, they could now cultivate even more elite assassins.

His gaze fell upon his slender fingers. A drop of dark golden blood was slowly seeping from his fingertip, containing boundless Saint King essence and a trace of an imperishable slaughter intent.

"Forget it."

Phantom Shadow chuckled softly, his tone carrying a hint of charity.

"Seeing as they are so 'generous' to offer a King-level spirit vein and three Heaven-level ones, this Palace Master will 'sacrifice' another drop of Saint Blood."

With a thought, that drop of dark golden blood detached from his fingertip and hovered in the air, emitting a terrifying fluctuation.

Phantom Shadow formed hand seals, driving streaks of nether runes into the blood drop.

The blood drop began to squirm and expand violently, rapidly outlining a humanoid silhouette.

In just a moment's time, a figure that looked seventy percent similar to Phantom Shadow's true body, but with a significantly weaker aura, condensed into form.

The coercion emanating from its body impressively stabilized at the level of the early Saint Realm.

"Early Saint Realm... It's enough to deal with the Glazed Sacred Land."

Phantom Shadow inspected this incarnation and nodded in satisfaction.

"As for the time to strike..."

The corners of Phantom Shadow's mouth curled into a meaningful arc.

"There's no rush. Let the Glazed Sacred Land sweat for a while. And let those four juniors... grow for a few more days."

Inside a mountain cave, Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu opened their eyes almost simultaneously. Brilliant light shone in their eyes, and the auras surrounding them were harmonious and majestic. Impressively, they had firmly stepped into the late stage of the Heaven and Human Realm!

After experiencing successive bloody battles, especially the life-and-death struggle with four top-tier assassins who had comprehended Saint Intent, their cultivation bases had been polished to be even more robust, making their breakthroughs a matter of course.

On the other side, Ling Xi also slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. Her green dress fluttered slightly as her aura became even more profound and restrained than before, successfully advancing to the middle stage of the Heaven and Human Realm.

Her past life's foundation was profound; every breakthrough meant the fusion of more memories and power, her strength growing far beyond her superficial realm.

Xiao Ruobai turned his gaze to Fatty Wang, who was busy off to the side.

The little fatty was sweating profusely. His chubby fingers moved across the talisman paper at an astonishing speed. Amidst the flickering spiritual light, talismans with extraordinary auras rapidly took shape.

His expression was focused, even carrying a trace of nervousness, evidently preparing desperately for the unknown risks ahead.

"Fatty Wang's talent in talismans is truly remarkable."

Xiao Ruobai praised inwardly.

But looking at his cultivation at the early stage of the Cave Heaven Realm, Xiao Ruobai shook his head slightly. Although his cultivation already surpassed many of his peers.

However, the opponents they were currently facing were all old monsters nearing the end of their lifespans. His cultivation was ultimately a bit too low, which also limited the full display of his talisman dao's power.

After a slight ponder, Xiao Ruobai flipped his hand and took out an Enlightenment Tea Leaf. Instantly, an indescribable fragrance permeated the air, making one's mind instantly clear.

"Fatty Wang, come here," Xiao Ruobai called out.