"Send someone who can make decisions over here. I have questions," Huo Wei said expressionlessly, raising an eyebrow at the group of sect leaders and high-level figures from the major sects.
A commotion rippled through the crowd. 'How arrogant!'
In the entire Central Plains Star Continent, who would dare speak to them like that?
Huo Wei sneered. A frigid, sharp aura suddenly erupted from him, like countless streams of Sword Qi soaring into the heavens!
SHIING!
SHIING!
SHIING!
Most of the young disciples present were armed, as were some of the high-level figures at the Elder rank. Following the rise of Huo Wei's aura, all their sabers and swords unsheathed themselves, filling the air with the crisp clang of metal!
"Hiss..." Everyone couldn't help but gasp.
This display of dominance from the other party... was terrifying!
"Sword Saint!" someone from the sects stammered out the two words.
"Heavens, he only looks like he's in his fifties, and he's already a Sword Saint? How... how did he cultivate..." someone exclaimed.
"Only a Sword Saint can make all weapons sing in unison... It seems we're in trouble now." In the crowd, Xushan gave a bitter smile and sighed softly.
"It really is a Sword Saint! This is my first time seeing a great power of this level!" A series of gasps came from the young disciples.
"I heard that our sect also has some reclusive old masters who've reached this realm, but I've never seen one. Today, I finally get to see a living Sword Saint!"
'So such powerful experts really do exist in this world...'
Huo Wei remained expressionless, turning a deaf ear to the discussions in the crowd.
Xiang Wentian glanced at Xushan. Seeing that Xushan had no intention of speaking, he cursed him inwardly for being a sly fox. 'Why aren't you stepping forward at a time like this?'
"I am Xiang Wentian, Sect Leader of the Dubhe Sect. Might I ask why you seniors have come?" Xiang Wentian stepped forward and cupped his fist at the five people still standing on the giant bird. Though he had to look up, his expression was neither servile nor overbearing.
Although the other party had immediately put on a display of dominance, Xiang Wentian didn't feel too afraid deep down.
A Sword Saint was powerful, a true great power in this world, but the Dubhe Sect was not without one!
As the most powerful sect in the Central Plains Star Continent, the Dubhe Sect's hidden reserves were beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
"We heard there's a Spirit Stone Vein here, so we came to take a look," Huo Wei said nonchalantly.
'They really are here for the Spirit Stone Vein...'
Nearly everyone's heart skipped a beat, their hearts leaping into their throats.
If some ordinary expert had dared to speak like that, they would have been drowned in the crowd's spit.
'There's a vein, so you came to take a look? You've seen it now... so you can scram!'
Those were the words they wanted to blurt out.
But right now, no one dared to say it.
"That's right... there is a vein here. I didn't expect it to pique the interest of you seniors. Uh... if you seniors are willing, I can give you a tour..." Xiang Wentian said, cupping his fist.
"We're not interested anymore." Huo Wei pursed his lips and thought to himself, 'So these people are still in the dark. They don't know anything at all!'
"Er..." Xiang Wentian had been trying to think of what to say, but this one sentence left him stunned. He looked up at the five elders on the giant bird, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. He praised, "You seniors are truly of noble character..."
"Heh." Huo Wei chuckled coldly, suddenly cutting Xiang Wentian off. He sighed, "To think... that the Central Plains Star Continent has now fallen to such a state. It's... truly laughable!"
"Senior... what do you mean by that?" Xiang Wentian frowned slightly, feeling a bit displeased.
The other sect leaders also showed looks of displeasure. 'So what if you're a Sword Saint? Those words... are a bit too insulting, aren't they?'
Among themselves, these sects might argue, squabble, and even fight to the death over the smallest of benefits.
But once the issue escalated to the level of different continents, they would still feel a sense of shared animosity toward a common enemy.
After all, the other party was mocking the entire Central Plains Star Continent, which included every single one of them present!
"What do I mean? This place... what Spirit Stone Vein?" Huo Wei sneered. "Take a good look for yourself. Where's the Spirit Stone Vein?"
"What?" Xiang Wentian asked instinctively. He immediately spread his Divine Sense, casting it downward. A moment later, his face turned pale, and he murmured, "This is impossible... When I came a few days ago, this place was overflowing with Spiritual Qi. How come now, suddenly... I can't sense anything?"
Ling Fengwu, Xushan, and the other sect leaders all showed strange expressions, because they too couldn't sense any Spiritual Qi from the mine.
"Where did the Spirit Stones go?" The Shaking Light Sect's Leader, Gu Jianfeng, looked astonished and mumbled, "How can I not sense a single thing?"
"What happened?" All those with powerful Divine Sense looked horrified.
Because none of them could sense any Spiritual Qi from the mine... not even a trace!
To think that for all these days, they had argued, bickered, and nearly come to blows over the ownership of this vein... They had all schemed and plotted until just last night, when they had finally reached an agreement and divided up the shares.
But they never expected something like this to happen first thing in the morning.
Inside this massive Spirit Stone Vein that could have been mined for several hundred years... they couldn't sense even a speck of Spiritual Qi!
If the Spirit Stone Vein was really gone, then wouldn't everything they had done... become a colossal joke?
"This is impossible!" Xiang Wentian looked at the five elders on the giant bird with shock and suspicion. He even suspected that they had used some kind of array to seal the entire Spirit Stone Vein, making it impossible for them to sense.
"You don't need to look at us. If we had done it, we wouldn't bother deceiving you." Huo Wei gave a disdainful smile and said, "We just arrived. Those young kids from your sects can prove it."
"Men! Send someone inside to investigate immediately! I need to know what happened!" Xiang Wentian's mind was in turmoil. This Spirit Stone Vein was tied to the fate of the Dubhe Sect for the next several hundred years!
If something happened to the Spirit Stone Vein, the blow to the Dubhe Sect would be immense!
Therefore, among all the people present, Xiang Wentian was the most anxious!
Xushan and Ling Fengwu, however, quickly calmed down. Although they too desperately wanted this Spirit Stone Vein, they wouldn't be particularly disappointed if they truly couldn't have it.
This was because they had never thought of becoming the most powerful sect on the Central Plains Star Continent.
Just then, the white-haired, youthful-faced elder, Huo Wanzhang, suddenly let out a soft sound of surprise, then shouted coldly, "Come out!"
As he spoke, Huo Wanzhang's figure rose into the air and vanished from sight in an instant. The next moment, he appeared above the massive mine.
This move left everyone present completely stunned.
"Teleportation!"
"What did I just see? Is this the power of the Divine Power Realm?"
"Heavens, in a single instant, he appeared several miles away!"
A wave of exclamations then rose from the crowd.
Xiang Wentian and the others stared at the white-haired, youthful-faced elder in astonishment, wondering what he had discovered.
"Come out!" Huo Wanzhang shouted again. "If you don't come out, I'm going to act!"
'Could there be someone in the mine tunnel? My Divine Sense swept through it, and I didn't find anything!' Xiang Wentian looked puzzled. He couldn't help but glance back at Xushan, Ling Fengwu, and the others.
Xushan and Ling Fengwu also looked bewildered, not knowing what was happening.
"Friend, I gave you a chance. Since you won't come out, don't blame me for being ruthless!" Huo Wanzhang said in a low voice, then suddenly pointed a finger at one of the tunnels in the mine.
PFFT!
A stream of Sword Qi shot directly into it!
Aside from a few people like Xiang Wentian and Xushan, the others didn't even see how the white-haired, youthful-faced elder had launched that stream of Sword Qi.
Immediately after, a world-shaking tremor came from the mine below... RUMBLE!
A huge cloud of dust and smoke shot into the sky, forming a giant, mushroom-shaped cloud!
Everyone present was so shocked their jaws dropped, and they stared at the scene in horror.
Then, they saw a shadow shoot up along with the mushroom-shaped cloud of dust... and race toward the southwestern sky!
"Xu Luo!" Ling Fengwu recognized the shadow at a glance. She never would have dreamed that Xu Luo would be here. Ling Fengwu's heart instantly leaped into her throat, and her previously calm demeanor shattered in an instant!
Before, she could have maintained a detached facade, standing by and watching the show. But not now. Not only was Xu Luo already her future son-in-law, but... he was also *that* person!
Ling Fengwu felt her mind fall into chaos. She thought to herself that no matter what, she absolutely could not let these people harm Xu Luo.
Xushan's face was also filled with astonishment. His mouth twitched as a storm raged in his heart: 'How could it be this kid? What was he doing in the Spirit Stone Mine? Could it be... No, that's impossible! Even if he has heaven-defying talent, even if he's a true prodigy! There's no way... he could move an entire Spirit Stone Vein overnight!'
As for absorbing it... Xushan hadn't even considered that possibility.
What a joke. A Spirit Stone Vein with enough reserves to be mined for several hundred years contained an unimaginable amount of energy. Forget one person—even millions of people absorbing it simultaneously couldn't possibly drain an entire Spirit Stone Vein overnight!
Besides, the act itself was simply impossible.
'Could this kid... have set up some kind of array inside to conceal the aura fluctuations of the Spirit Stone Vein?' What Xushan was thinking was also what many others were guessing.
'Good kid! Well done!' A look of approval appeared in Xushan's eyes, because the Jade Balance Sect had always been on Xu Luo's side!
If Xu Luo really had the ability to take this vein, it would be nothing but beneficial for the Jade Balance Sect!
"Xu Luo?" Xiang Wentian's eyes were also filled with surprise. His brow furrowed, completely baffled as to why Xu Luo would appear here.