A few days later, a large group of cultivators gathered outside the heritage site, forming several factions. In addition to the three major families from Yuan Yang Town and several other formidable forces, cultivators from outside Yuan Yang Town and Xiong Tou Fort also appeared.
"Let's join forces to break the formation outside, and then inside, it's every person for themselves. What do you say?"
"No need for nonsense, let's get started." This person had a particularly fierce aura, undoubtedly from Xiong Tou Fort.
Tian Ru blended into the Tian family's group, disguising her appearance to appear as an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator. Even some members of the Tian family were unaware of her true identity.
Under the concerted efforts of the cultivators, the formation outside the heritage site finally collapsed. Various groups rushed in, fearing they might miss out on opportunities if they lagged behind.
Tian Feiyang instructed, "Stay close to me, and don't act on your own. Otherwise, you'll be responsible for any consequences."
"Yes, Young Master."
With a nod from her nephew, Tian Ru transmitted a message secretly, "There are traps inside. Those people triggered poisoned arrows, and the poison on the arrowheads seems potent. Ordinary antidotes may not work immediately."
Tian Feiyang remained vigilant, acting even more cautiously. His anticipation for the heritage increased, understanding that the owner of the heritage had gone to great lengths to defend against intruders.
After overcoming several layers of traps, with Tian Ru, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, in their midst, the Tian family's group experienced relatively fewer casualties compared to other factions. As they approached the center of the heritage, Tian Feiyang couldn't help but feel excited. However, at this moment, a buzzing sound came from ahead. Tian Ru's expression turned serious as she expanded her spiritual awareness, "Not good, retreat!"
...
With his elder brother missing from behind, Tian Feirong, who used to urge him to cultivate, felt uneasy. He often sighed when he came to Guyao's side. Guyao and Chi Changye couldn't be bothered and continued their own activities.
Tian Feirong didn't dare to vent his anger on these two, so he could only glare at them with resentful eyes. They didn't show any loyalty, nor did they inquire about why he was in a bad mood. He worried about his elder brother's safety. Although many people were protecting his elder brother, who could guarantee absolute safety?
"Wait a minute? Something's wrong. Guyao, I can't sense your cultivation anymore?" Tian Feirong widened his eyes, a surprising thought crossing his mind. In the previous three levels, he could sense it, but now... did Guyao break through the third level? How is that possible?
Guyao chuckled, "If you can't sense it, that's right. I've advanced to the fourth level of Qi Refinement. You, this guy, are still stuck at the third level. Didn't you use that Gathering Yuan Pill? Even if that one didn't work, didn't I give you a few bottles?"
Guyao was curious. This guy's cultivation had always been at the third level, showing no signs of progress.
Chi Changye also turned to assess Tian Feirong. With the supply of pills provided by Guyao, Tian Feirong's cultivation shouldn't have remained stagnant. Unless he hadn't used any of those pills on himself. However, from what he knew, Tian Feirong, the second young master of the Tian family, had a good standing at home, and the Tian family's conditions were much better than the Gu family's.
Tian Feirong paused for a moment, then casually said, "Anyway, I'm just idling around waiting for death. Even if I cultivate more, I won't achieve much. I won't waste those pills."
"This guy is really unlucky. Someone drugged him. If he doesn't neutralize the poison first, he won't have much hope in his life."
Guyao was momentarily surprised. This was Xuchen's voice in his mind. The senior actually discerned Tian Feirong's issue at a glance. Guyao couldn't help but look sympathetically at Tian Feirong. This guy seemed even more unfortunate than himself. Apparently, there were quite a few chaotic elements in his body, but they were easy to remove. Tian Feirong's situation seemed much more severe, something Guyao hadn't noticed. It appeared that even Brother Night hadn't realized it.
"In my opinion, it should be a substance called Evanescent Spirit Powder. When consumed to a certain extent, the body acts like a sieve, letting the absorbed spiritual energy leak out. It's similar to taking pills; unless the pills replenish spiritual energy faster than it dissipates, it won't be effective. Ideally, such a substance shouldn't appear in such a rundown place. Guyao, I think this guy might be aware of his situation. Ask him who gave him the drug; that person might have the formula for the antidote." Xuchen expressed great interest.
Guyao replied in his mind, "Senior, you're interested not in the antidote formula but in the person who can produce such a substance, right?"
He would be foolish to ask Tian Feirong such a question; wouldn't that be rubbing salt into his wounds? Unexpectedly, even the seemingly harmonious Tian family had these troublesome matters. Was everything he saw just a facade?
Xuchen remained silent, and Guyao knew he had hit the mark. He couldn't help but feel speechless.
Once Tian Feirong left, Chi Changye looked at Guyao, "Is there an issue with Second Young Master Tian?"
"Yes," Guyao didn't hide the truth, "he's likely affected by a substance called Evanescent Spirit Powder, causing the inability to retain absorbed spiritual energy, hindering cultivation progress. Brother Night, is it possible that the harmony in the Tian family is just a facade, or could it be that someone drugged Tian Second Young Master, and his parents and relatives are unaware?"
However, he still thought it more likely that someone close to Tian Feirong administered the drug, as it would attract less attention. According to Xuchen, it wasn't a one-time dosage, and Tian Feirong seemed not entirely ignorant. Yet, his genuine emotions towards his family puzzled Guyao.
Chi Changye had no doubt about Guyao's judgment. The situation with Tian Feirong did seem suspicious. Frowning, Chi Changye considered, "Let's not intervene in this matter for now. Let's wait for a while and see. By the way, is the antidote effective? Little Yao, do you know the formula for the antidote?"
Guyao quickly inquired with Xuchen, who lazily replied, "Of course, I know. Although this kind of drug is rare, it's not that difficult to resolve. If you want me to provide it, just say the word."
After Xuchen spoke, he transmitted an antidote formula to Guyao. After reviewing it, Guyao found it not too complicated. However, a few types of spirit herbs mentioned weren't seen in town. He informed Chi Changye, saying, "I agree with Brother Night. It's not suitable for us to get involved right now while we're still in town."
If the Tian family wasn't as harmonious as it appeared, disrupting this balance rashly could jeopardize their current cooperative relationship.
Guyao's days were leisurely. When the Tian family sent spirit herbs, he used them to refine pills and then handed them over to the Tian family for sale. These pills didn't appear in the marketplace of Faraway Town. Whether the Tian family consumed them internally or sent them outside, Guyao didn't inquire. He only cared about spirit herbs, spirit pearls, and spirit stones.
After half a month, this tranquility was shattered. Some cultivators who went to explore the ancient mansion returned, bringing back astonishing news. Not only did many cultivators lose their lives inside, but several Foundation Establishment cultivators also engaged in a fierce battle. In the end, no one knew in whose hands the treasures in the ancient mansion fell because the battles between Foundation Establishment cultivators were too intense for Qi Refining cultivators to get involved. When they eventually entered, they found the ancient mansion empty.
"You made a wise choice by not going into the ancient mansion. I consider myself fortunate to have retrieved my life. As for the treasures inside, even if we had the chance to obtain them, it's doubtful we'd have the chance to enjoy them. They were targeted by Foundation Establishment cultivators, so what chance would Qi Refining cultivators have?"
"When we first entered, there were traps, and later, a swarm of poisonous insects appeared. I heard someone shouting that those insects were called Golden Ring Bees. A single sting from these bees, and a cultivator at the Qi Refining Initial Stage would lose their life in a few breaths. Only Qi Refining High Stage cultivators could hold on for a moment. This Golden Ring Bee caused most of the cultivators who entered the ancient mansion to fall."
The name of the Golden Ring Bee sent shivers down the spines of many cultivators. Guyao, who joined the crowd to hear the news, also came out to listen. Thus, both he and Chi Changye were present at the tavern. The two exchanged a glance, surprised that such a large group of these poisonous bees appeared in the ancient mansion.
"I'm familiar with these bees. As long as you don't provoke them, they won't attack cultivators actively. However, if you intrude into their territory, they won't let you off lightly."
"Yeah, the Golden Ring Bee has three poisonous stingers. Once these stingers are used up, the bee also meets its end. Those who encountered the Golden Ring Bee first had a tough time. Those who entered later were lucky."
Someone suddenly lowered their voice and said, "Actually, there's another piece of information, not sure if it's true or not. Someone who was slower, closer to the center of the Foundation Building cultivators' battle, heard one of the Foundation Building seniors asking their opponent if they intentionally spread false information, letting other cultivators deal with the Golden Ring Bees for them. Otherwise, even if Foundation Building cultivators were surrounded by hordes of Golden Ring Bees, they might not necessarily survive. But once the Golden Ring Bees use up their venomous stingers, they pose no threat at all."
Gasps spread even more at this revelation. This claim was terrifying; if true, it meant someone was using cultivators' lives to explore that ruin, exhibiting extreme cruelty behind the scenes.
Guyao also felt a chill down his spine, couldn't help but ask in a hushed tone, "Brother Night, do you think it could be true?"
Chi Changye, seeing Guyao's reluctant expression, thought that Guyao still understood too little about the dark side of the cultivator world. He replied quietly, "It's not impossible. Killings for treasures are common in the cultivation world. Little Yao, you'll need to be more vigilant when you travel outside in the future."
Guyao rubbed his face. Indeed, the cultivation world was much more dangerous than the Interstellar Alliance. Although there were dark corners in the Alliance, most people dared not be so brazen in the daylight, and there were legal constraints for the majority. But here, those cultivators dying seemed to be in vain.
"I wonder how the Tian family is doing. The young master Tian personally led a group there." If something happened to the young master Tian, it would not only be a significant loss for the Tian family but also a source of sorrow for Tian Feirong.