Chapter 23: Qin Ming Is Captured

"Thump!"

The bluish-purple predatory bird crashed into the ground, sparks flying upon impact. It was immensely heavy, and its metallic body was incredibly hard. Had Qin Ming not utilized a sword technique, he likely wouldn't have dispatched it so cleanly and might have had to expend more effort.

Qin Ming stepped forward, intending to retrieve the metallic beast he had just slain. However, at that moment, the sound of something piercing the air whistled from behind him. How sensitive was Qin Ming’s intuition? Almost the instant he heard the sound, he sidestepped to avoid it.

"Bang!"

Three pitch-black, gleaming iron arrows slammed into the spot where Qin Ming had been standing. The ground, though composed of metallic rock, could not withstand the impact of the arrows. A portion of the ground shattered, while the rest simply melted. Through the fissures, Qin Ming noticed that the arrowheads were etched with extremely complex runes—runes that possessed a certain suppressive effect on metallic entities. Had he been careless enough to be struck by those arrows, it would not have been a mere piercing wound; his entire chest might have been blown apart, posing a mortal threat. The assailant was undeniably ruthless.

"Oh? To think I’d run into an old acquaintance here. Isn't this that hotheaded youth from before? What a coincidence!"

Qin Ming was familiar with the speaker's voice. Looking closely, it was exactly as he had expected: the Cloud Sky Sect disciples who had tried to swindle him into buying a coffin not long ago. Although they had taken on metallic forms, they still bore an eight-tenths resemblance to their former selves. Leading them was the fat cultivator. At this moment, he lowered the hand that had been resting on his bowstring. Clearly, the three arrows that had just been fired at Qin Ming had come from him. It was only now that he recognized Qin Ming, which meant that whether facing someone they disliked or a complete stranger, they would strike with equal lethality.

Upon recognizing Qin Ming, the other Cloud Sky Sect disciples let out odd, excited cries.

"Kill him! He refused to buy a coffin when we told him to, so what now? Guess he’ll have to be left to rot in the wilderness, won't he?" many of the Cloud Sky Sect disciples laughed coldly.

Countless cultivators had fallen within the Immortal Metal Grotto. Killing Qin Ming would simply mean one more nameless person lost to the world.

The fat cultivator shook his head. "A lowly ant; killing him will only dirty our hands. Those elders at the Bitter Sea Realm have ordered us to capture some rogue cultivators to lure out that Golden Immortal Ox. This guy looks soft and tender; he’ll do just fine."

With a gesture, he signaled for his men to move in. Immediately, several Cloud Sky Sect disciples stepped forward and "controlled" Qin Ming. The fat cultivator sneered at the sight. He didn't even dare to resist—truly a useless waste! Where had his backbone gone? In the end, he was nothing but a spineless coward.

The fat cultivator then had his men drag Qin Ming to the back of the group. There were over thirty other rogue cultivators being held captive. Their strength was low, mostly at the Bone-Refining Realm, which was nothing compared to the Cloud Sky Sect.

Qin Ming’s expression remained calm; he had allowed himself to be captured on purpose. His goal was to get a share of the spoils when they fought for the Golden Immortal Ox. After all, it was a rare divine material, and Qin Ming happened to be lacking precious ingredients to forge his own Dao Sword. He was very interested in that Golden Immortal Ox. A so-called "Dao Sword" referred to a sword of the Path. Once successfully forged and nurtured with his own life essence, it would become his bonded weapon.

"Move!"

After picking up the bluish-purple beast Qin Ming had killed, the fat cultivator led the way. The other disciples followed, herding Qin Ming and the others. Qin Ming merely glanced at the beast and thought nothing of it; let the fat cultivator keep it for now. When the time was right, he would take it back.

The group eventually stopped at a mountain hollow, where many other cultivators were already gathered—all of them disciples and elders of the Cloud Sky Sect. They stood with grave expressions, watching a cave ahead. Radiant golden light surged from the opening, spilling out and staining the surroundings as if they were made of gold.

At that moment, a red-haired elder of the Cloud Sky Sect at the eighth level of the Bitter Sea Realm waved his hand. The fat cultivator understood immediately. He walked over to the captive rogue cultivators and picked out a dozen or so, as casually as one might choose pigs to be slaughtered from a pen.

The cultivators selected trembled, their faces pale with terror. They knew what was coming. They were to be used as "bait" to lure the Golden Immortal Ox out! One had to realize that metallic lifeforms were not weak; being used as bait meant there was no chance of survival.

"No!" one of the cultivators shouted, and he immediately used his movement technique to bolt.

The fat cultivator merely sneered. After the man had escaped for a dozen yards, the fat cultivator slammed his palm against the broadsword on his back. With a metallic "clang," the blade, shimmering with cold light, flew out at high speed.

"Clang!"

The fleeing cultivator tilted forward, killed in an instant. Even with a body transformed into metal, he could not withstand a single strike.

"Running away?"

The fat cultivator relished the thrill of crushing others' hope with his own hands. There was a sense of satisfaction in controlling the fate of others. With that example set, the remaining dozen or so chosen cultivators turned ashen-faced. They could neither run nor stay! Hesitantly, they were driven toward the cave entrance by the Cloud Sky Sect disciples, who then scrambled back and hunkered down to hide.

The ten or so rogue cultivators reached the cave entrance, trembling. Nothing happened. A small part of the fear in their hearts eased.

At that moment, the red-haired elder frowned. The Golden Immortal Ox still hadn't appeared. He pointed a finger.

"Pfft!"

The group of cultivators, who had just felt a momentary sense of relief, suddenly felt a sharp, piercing force strike them. In the next second, their arms were sliced off, and some were nearly cut in half. Metallic, rust-colored blood sprayed out, and a stench of iron filled the air, making it nauseating.

Qin Ming watched this scene, his eyes gradually turning cold. The Cloud Sky Sect was truly full of villains. They treated human life as nothing—killing as they pleased, more casually than slaughtering livestock.

"Moo!"

At the same time, a cow's lowing echoed from within the cave, sounding somewhat tempted. Yet, the so-called Golden Immortal Ox was extremely cautious. Faced with the temptation of "food," it still did not appear.

"Not interested in live prey? Then let’s try dead ones!"

The red-haired elder snorted, his hair standing on end, flickering with flames. He summoned a dagger. A flash of blood-red light streaked out. Before long, the dozen or so rogue cultivators were slaughtered, their mangled remains littering the ground.

The elder then ordered the remaining living captives to be dragged to the cave entrance. If the beast had no appetite for the living, they would offer both the dead and the living!

The fat cultivator sneered at Qin Ming. "Short-lived ghost, I'm here to send you on your way. Make sure to put on a good show."

With that, he kicked Qin Ming violently in the back. Many Cloud Sky Sect elders noticed this, but they did not intervene, tacitly approving of the act. These lowly rogue cultivators were expendable; their lives meant nothing.