Chapter 24: Even Divine Metal Is a Sneaky Scoundrel

Sensing the swift kick aimed at him, Qin Ming let out a cold snort. He had long since grown tired of this fat cultivator. The man truly believed that his Soul-Building stage cultivation was enough to act with impunity here.

Qin Ming’s palm-edge was as sharp as a blade. He did not use any cultivation energy, relying solely on the power of his physical body. As his hand descended, a gust of wind whistled through the air. The fat cultivator’s thigh was severed in an instant. The cross-section was so clean that it took a moment before blood began to spurt and pain finally registered.

"Ah!" The fat cultivator shrieked. The trash he had deemed fit to be shackled at will had actually severed his leg? And in front of everyone, no less—right before the eyes of the Yuntian Sect elders? How audacious! Was this boy truly just a captive of theirs? A look of ferocity twisted the fat cultivator’s face, but in the next second, his head went flying, the malice and cruelty forever frozen upon it.

Such a clean and ruthless display made the eyes of the Yuntian Sect elders burn with a murderous glare. The red-haired elder roared, his hair dancing as if wreathed in flames. He manifested his Bitter Sea, expanding it to a distance of over a hundred feet. Azure-gray waves surged violently! His gaze locked onto Qin Ming, as if he intended to see straight through him.

"To reach the Soul-Building stage at your age, you are quite impressive for a rogue cultivator. It is a pity, however. Youthful arrogance will ultimately lead you to an early grave today." The red-haired elder cast a fleeting glance at Qin Ming. As a cultivator at the eighth level of the Bitter Sea realm, he felt he possessed the absolute power to look down upon Qin Ming. Otherwise, wouldn’t his own century of bitter cultivation become a laughingstock? To be unable to handle a mere youth would be a humiliation if word ever got out.

Suddenly, a violent gale erupted from the cave entrance! The howling sound carried the metallic scent of steel. Following this, the earth shook and the mountains swayed as a massive ox, nearly thirty feet tall, thundered toward them. Its entire body was gold, as brilliant as the scorching sun. There was not a single blemish on its hide; it gleamed like a creature forged from solid gold. The moment it appeared, the surrounding rocks trembled, for it was the king among divine metals, possessing a natural aura of suppression.

The Golden Immortal Ox charged forward, trampling the earth. In an instant, the world seemed to quake. As it rushed in, it opened its massive maw, unleashing a powerful suction force. The scattered flesh and the twenty or so rogue cultivators nearby were swallowed in a blink.

"Crunch!"

Having entered the Immortal Gold Cave, these cultivators’ bodies had been "assimilated," gaining some of the properties of metal. They were quite durable, yet the Golden Immortal Ox chewed through them without the slightest effort. Such biting force was truly terrifying. After devouring these rogue cultivators, the Golden Immortal Ox’s aura grew noticeably stronger.

Qin Ming resisted the suction force. He feigned terror, hurriedly dodging away to hide behind a boulder, appearing "disheveled." He naturally had no intention of participating in such a chaotic fray. He only wished to reap the benefits while sitting on the sidelines, content to play the role of the silent observer.

The red-haired elder glanced over and sneered. Young people were always young; they couldn't handle a grand scene. However, now was not the time to deal with this brat; he could kill him whenever he pleased.

Suddenly, the red-haired elder’s expression froze. "Oh no! We must not let it force out the spear lodged in the center of its brow—it is specifically designed to suppress divine metals." The elder realized that the spear, which they had joined forces to drive into the creature's forehead with great difficulty, was showing signs of being pushed out. If it were dislodged... they might never be able to hunt down this piece of immortal gold.

"Everyone, attack together!" the red-haired elder proposed. "Suppress this divine metal and refine it!" The Yuntian Sect cultivators present numbered nearly a hundred. At once, they formed a formation.

"Moo!" The Golden Immortal Ox roared. Golden patterns emerged across its body, its aura surged, and its tail lashed out, blooming with blinding golden light like a divine whip.

"Hum!" The sound of the whip lashing the air rang out; with a single strike, over a dozen cultivators were slain.

"Beast! You dare to act out even while suppressed?" The red-haired elder’s mouth twitched as he saw the heavy casualties. He and the other Bitter Sea elders joined forces, each displaying their own magical techniques. Various artifacts were unleashed, all raining down upon the Golden Immortal Ox. Treasures lit up the sky, and frigid energy ripples spilled forth. The clash between the two sides was intense.

Qin Ming stayed behind the rock, quietly playing his part. Sometimes, being treated as a piece of trash was quite good. At the very least, he didn't have to put in any effort.

"Bang!"

Several of the Yuntian Sect’s Bitter Sea elders were heavily wounded. The red-haired elder fared no better; blood spilled from the corner of his mouth as his internal energy surged—he was clearly injured. However, this battle finally drew to a close. The Golden Immortal Ox was suppressed; it appeared to have perished, lying on the ground, unable to move.

"Is it over?" Qin Ming looked on with suspicion. According to his intuition, it shouldn't have ended so quickly. Then, his eyes fell upon the Golden Immortal Ox, and his heart skipped a beat. His expression turned incredibly strange.

"This Golden Immortal Ox is quite the schemer, actually playing dead!" Qin Ming muttered to himself. He was certain that the Golden Immortal Ox was not dead at all. It was plotting against the Yuntian Sect cultivators! Qin Ming felt a touch of pity for the sect members. He was suppressing his own cultivation, watching the tigers fight from the mountain, playing the role of the quiet observer. Meanwhile, the Golden Immortal Ox was playing dead, acting the part on the main stage. Of the hundred-plus people present, only the Yuntian Sect cultivators were being played for fools. Between him and the Golden Immortal Ox, they held all the cards, while the Yuntian Sect shared the single remaining brain cell among them.

Qin Ming continued to observe, secretly deducing how the Golden Immortal Ox intended to strike. When he saw the Yuntian Sect cultivators preparing to refine the beast, he finally understood. It was using the guise of death to trick the cultivators into helping it dislodge the spear from its brow.

"Interesting. This piece of immortal gold is truly cunning," Qin Ming whispered.

The Yuntian Sect’s Bitter Sea elders, however, were kept in the dark. Smiles bloomed on their faces. "To obtain such a massive piece of divine metal is a blessing for our Yuntian Sect."

"Indeed. We owe it to Elder Chen for taking personal action; otherwise, we never could have subdued it." The injured elders began to shower him with flattery.

"You flatter me," the red-haired elder replied with a smile. "With such a large piece of golden immortal gold, even after refining, everyone will receive a significant share." His words caused the Yuntian Sect cultivators to grin from ear to ear.

This premature celebration left Qin Ming speechless. He wondered what their expressions would be when they realized they had been outsmarted by a piece of metal. Celebrating before the battle was truly won—there was no doubt about it—was utter stupidity.