In a secluded courtyard near Black Water Pier.

Elder Yu He of the Earth Element Sect was grim-faced, the fury in his chest about to erupt.

He snapped his head up, his gaze fixed deadly on Miao Zhicheng’s face.

The atmosphere in the courtyard was so oppressive it felt frozen.

Miao Zhicheng’s scalp tingled under the stare, and his back was instantly soaked in a cold sweat. He quickly bowed. "Elder Yu, I... I really didn’t know! When I got this pearl from Junior Martial Uncle Yu, it was already like this. If I’m lying in the slightest, may I be struck down by lightning!"

After they had narrowly escaped the Ghost Guard that day, the fake Treasure Pearl that Yu Jiayao had "seized," along with the incomplete manual, were naturally handed over to Yu He upon his arrival.

Who would have thought that the experienced Elder Yu would see through the clumsy disguise with just a brief inspection?

The fake pearl only had the right shape; its inside was completely empty. It was clearly forged from some special metal mixed with stone powder, making it heavy but utterly devoid of any Spirit Charm.

As for the so-called incomplete manual, it was riddled with flaws. The Qi Circulation Technique it described was full of errors. If one were to actually follow it for cultivation, they would be lucky to avoid qi deviation. It was completely worthless. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Yu He flew into a rage, convinced that someone had swapped the items midway.

They had lingered here for days, searching and practically turning Black Water Pier upside down. Not only did they fail to find any trace of the Nether and Ghost Guards, but they also couldn’t find a shadow of any other suspicious individuals. It was as if the two, along with the real treasure, had vanished into thin air.

Lu Da sighed at his side, the thick flesh of his face sagging, etched with exhaustion and frustration.

The Earth Element Sect had gone to great trouble this time, even crossing realms to infiltrate Yunlin Prefecture with their finest men. Not only had they gained nothing, but they had also lost an Elder, Stone Dragon, and several other skilled members. It was a terrible double loss that cost them all their prestige.

"Boy."

Yu He’s voice was low and cold. "If I find out in the future that you deceived me in any way... Hmph. Even if your master, Teng Duanfang, came here himself, he wouldn’t be able to save you! And I mean it!"

Miao Zhicheng was screaming in silent protest, but he didn’t dare let a hint of it show on his face. He could only bend his waist lower, swearing an oath. "Elder Yu, please see the truth! Every word I’ve said is true, with no deception! You’ve already searched me yourself, and for the past few days, I haven’t left your side during the search. Where would I have had the chance or the skill to pull a trick? That Zhu Yi is an old, treacherous fox! He must have prepared the fakes in advance. The real treasure was probably spirited away by him through some other means!"

Yu He’s eyes were sinister as he stared at Miao Zhicheng, as if trying to find the slightest crack in his facade.

But in his heart, he knew that Miao Zhicheng was most likely telling the truth.

Knowing he was being hunted by multiple parties, it was a perfectly standard move for an old fox like Zhu Yi to use fakes to attract attention while securing the real treasure.

It was just that this simmering frustration was incredibly hard to swallow.

That Earth Essence Marrow Pearl was just too important—both to him and to the Earth Element Sect!

Seeing this, Lu Da took a step forward and advised in a low voice, "Elder Yu, our business here is done. There’s no point in staying. We’ve already been delayed here for several days. This is Yunlin Prefecture’s territory, after all; we shouldn’t linger."

Yu He naturally understood this.

Cross-realm operations were a major taboo to begin with. Now, having lost men and gained nothing, it would be even more humiliating if they were discovered by Yunlin’s local powers.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the roiling fury and bitter unwillingness, and finally squeezed two words through his clenched teeth:

"Go back."

He took one last, long look in the direction of Black Water Pier, as if to burn the memory of this place—where he had suffered such a major defeat—into his mind.

He wouldn’t forget this debt.

’I will get my hands on that Earth Essence Marrow Pearl sooner or later!’

...

Inside the Council Hall, the atmosphere was heavy and solemn.

The Deans were all present—Chu Jinyun of the Gui Water Institute, Hong Yuandong of the Li Fire Institute, Tan Yang of the Geng Metal Institute, and Peng Zhen of the Kun Earth Institute. Even Li Baichuan, the Dean of the Cyan Wood Institute who rarely attended such meetings, was in attendance.

Nie Shanshan, Li Wang, Li Lei, Yan Yaoyang, and the other Chief Disciples of each institute stood respectfully behind their respective Deans.

Sect Leader He Yuzhou sat on the high seat, his gaze sweeping over the crowd below before finally landing on Li Lei and Yan Yaoyang. In a grave voice, he asked, "Are your injuries healed?"

Hearing this, Li Lei and Yan Yaoyang immediately stepped forward, lowered their heads in shame, and cupped their fists. "Reporting to the Sect Leader, our injuries are mostly healed. It’s just that... this mission was a failure. We couldn’t capture Zhu Yi or retrieve the Thick Earth Treasure Technique. Instead, we implicated Junior Brother Chen... We were incompetent. We have disappointed you and the Sect."

He Yuzhou waved his hand, his tone softening slightly. "You are not to blame for this. The Earth Element Sect and Golden Sand Castle interfered, and even vicious figures like the Demon Sect’s Nether and Ghost Guards appeared. The situation was far more complex than anticipated. It was already a feat for you to escape such a perilous situation."

At the side, Elder Sang Yanping also nodded in agreement. "The Sect Leader is absolutely right. To have escaped with your lives and brought back vital intelligence is already a great merit. There is no need to blame yourselves so harshly."

Just then, Nie Shanshan took a deep breath, stepped out from the crowd, and bowed to Sang Yanping. "Elder Sang, there is something I don’t understand, and I would like to ask for your clarification."

Seeing this, Chu Jinyun frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Shanshan, do not be rude."

Sang Yanping, however, was quite magnanimous and smiled. "It’s fine. Nephew Nie, please speak freely."

Nie Shanshan’s gaze was firm as she asked in a clear voice, "Right now, rumors are spreading throughout the Sect, and even all of Yunlin Prefecture, that Junior Brother Chen Qing has died. I heard that you, Elder Sang, were the one who personally investigated and confirmed this matter. I wish to know, is this absolutely certain?"

Her words were clear, carrying a hint of barely perceptible urgency.