Chapter 633: Caught Red-Handed

Pure Nine Gates.

In Dragon Horn Gully, Song Huangda extracted an incredibly thick, bright yellow strand of dragon energy from deep within the earth. With a solemn expression, he placed it into a spirit-sealing tube, then with practiced ease, affixed a spirit-sealing talisman to it, and subtly exhaled in relief.

This dragon vein energy was formidable and profound; if his geomancy skills hadn't already reached the second stage beyond ordinary geomancers, he would not have been able to extract it so easily.

He wondered what the Old Devil Chen of the Divine Wood Sect intended to do with this dragon vein energy.

Although Liu Wenbai and Zhuo Ming said that the dragon vein energy from Dragon Horn Gully was to be drawn to Little South Mountain to irrigate the Green Cicada tea trees, Song Huangda, possessing the top geomancy heritage in the Eastern Wilderness, understood that this was almost an impossibility.

Dragon vein energy was extremely special. Generally, as soon as it was extracted, it would continuously dissipate.

The spirit-sealing tube's ability to store it likely stemmed from the techniques of the Ancient Longevity Sect.

But even if it was preserved like this and brought to Little South Mountain, as soon as the seal was lifted and the dragon vein energy released, the Green Cicada Spirit Tree would at most absorb one percent, and the rest would dissipate into the void of the earth.

Over the past year, regarding this matter, Song Huangda had specifically consulted his superiors in the Restoration Society and received confirmation.

However, even knowing this, he still had no choice but to extract the dragon vein energy day after day.

Liu Wenbai said he could extract one strand in three months, but in reality, Song Huangda only needed two months.

"Get up," he said. "To become my disciple now, you must at least reach the Foundation Establishment realm."

The number one Sword Cultivator in the Eastern Wilderness!

When the master and disciple conversed, they had set up a restriction, so no one could hear anything.

The entire Flying Dragon Pond began to violently vibrate at that moment, and all the lake water rose towards the sky.

"Reporting to the Sect Master," Ling Lida said, "I saw this in a miscellaneous book at a stall in North Abyss City. What I like most is reading those messy books; Student Han Zhiling is most familiar with this habit of mine."

It was precisely for this reason that the great purge by the Student Palace, after it annihilated Trembling Mountain Peak, allowed the Divine Wood Sect to escape a calamity.

Kong Mingshi spoke again, his tone still stern. When Ling Lida heard this, he gritted his teeth and hardened his heart, immediately kneeling again, about to kowtow and acknowledge his great enemy as a master.

"Get up," Kong Mingshi said. "What is your name?"

As long as Ling Lida's status in the Student Palace continuously rose, the level of cultivators he could interact with in the Restoration Society would also increase.

Kong Mingshi looked at the slightly plump disciple before him with a hint of surprise, pointed to the Song Xishun he was holding, and a playful smile flickered at the corner of his lips.

Even if Chen Mobai and Zhuo Ming wanted to enter, they would need to use a token to activate the formation.

After Ling Lida stood up again, he gave Kong Mingshi an awkward smile, but inwardly, he let out a huge sigh of relief. He felt he had passed this immediate test.

The threat of death completely broke through Ling Lida's mental defenses. All thoughts of hatred, restoration, or the organization were completely cast aside.

It was also his fault for being too comfortable staying there for the past year, completely losing all vigilance.

Half an hour later, Kong Mingshi was somewhat surprised by the truth Ling Lida revealed.

Her eyes were like lake water, her lips slightly upturned, with an unconcealable pride. She landed on the lake's surface, controlling the clear currents like tides, propelling herself towards the island.

At that moment, Ling Lida's mind completely froze; besides kowtowing, he could think of nothing else.

Chen Mobai was first shocked, then his pupils widened, as if he had thought of something, and his lips trembled slightly.

"No, no, Sect Master," he stammered, "it's me who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth..."

He never would have imagined that the dignified Sect Master of the Student Palace would actually come to a remote place like Dragon Horn Gully for a personal inspection.

"It seemed to be *The Stone's Explanation of Names*," he said. "It's been a while, but it mentioned that Song Xishun contained void power, which could aid in cultivating spatial magic spells and divine abilities. When I first joined the sect, I saw the 'Void Dharmakaya' in the scripture pavilion, and I wondered if I could use this to cultivate. I tried it, and to my surprise, it actually succeeded..."

Later, the Divine Wood Sect helped many enemies of the Student Palace. Among them, a disciple of Trembling Mountain Peak recognized him and invited him to join an organization called the Restoration Society.

He didn't know if the Void Dharmakaya was in the scripture pavilion, but he knew that after Old Ancestor Chen breached Trembling Mountain Peak, he had consulted with a cultivation family from Yan Country regarding the Void Dharmakaya.

However, Han Zhiling watched the female Core Formation cultivator approaching over the water, but there was no trace of worry on her face, because she was the Sect Master of her sect!

"Your biggest task is to help me find the location of the Restoration Society's president. Once I kill him, no one will know what role you played in this. Then you will truly be a meritorious disciple of our sect. Besides becoming a true disciple, I will personally give you a Foundation Establishment Pill."

"Which Core Formation Old Ancestor is that?" he wondered. "Is it True Master Kong from Blowing Snow Palace?"

That plain and unadorned sentence, to Ling Lida, sounded like a divine decree. He let out a long breath, but still kept his head lowered, not daring to look directly at the wielder of the Eastern Wilderness's most formidable evil force, deeply afraid Kong Mingshi would see through his facade.

However, his revenge plan had just begun when he was caught red-handed by the Sect Master of the Student Palace.

At this moment, Kong Mingshi smiled and spoke again. Ling Lida's mind immediately started working, trying to figure out how to lie.

Anyway, Ling Lida had already decided that after deceiving Kong Mingshi into leaving, he would dig up the Green Cicada plant, pack his bags and run, never returning to Giant Wood Ridge.

He naturally directed that hatred towards the Student Palace. Under the organization's arrangement, he and his mother came to North Abyss City to make a living. Later, he found a way to join the Long Song Huangda school and gradually entered the Student Palace.

Kong Mingshi looked at Ling Lida, who kept his head lowered, not daring to look up. The smile at the corner of his mouth grew wider, and although his tone was stern, his gaze grew increasingly sharp.

After Kong Mingshi finished listening, he suddenly smiled and added another sentence. Drops of sweat, the size of soybeans, seeped from Ling Lida's lowered forehead.

Kong Mingshi never would have imagined that out of a momentary interest, in coming to Dragon Horn Gully to check on the dragon vein energy extraction, he would actually discover such an interesting person hidden within the Student Palace.

After Ling Lida stood up, he dared not hide anything. He recounted his origins from beginning to end, starting from Long Gong Fabing and continuing to receiving the task at the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, eventually being sent to Dragon Horn Gully by Chen Mobai and Zhuo Ming, diligently extracting dragon vein energy every day.

"Oh!"

As soon as Kong Mingshi heard about the Restoration Society, he knew it was an enemy organization of the Student Palace. It might not just be remnants of Trembling Mountain Peak; there might even be other major sects from the Eastern Wilderness hiding behind it. Since there was such a venomous snake in the shadows, it naturally had to be dealt with.

"Brother Fu and I once said that if anyone in the sect could cultivate the Void Dharmakaya, we would impart the subsequent chapters, and if their talent was outstanding, they could even be taken as a personal disciple."

She immediately performed a disciple's bow to Kong Mingshi, who was drinking tea by the Green Cicada Spirit Tree.

Ling Lida answered truthfully. It also made sense: without a Core Formation realm cultivator in charge, which Foundation Establishment cultivator would dare oppose the Student Palace?

"Greetings, Sect Master!"

Kong Mingshi only cared about that.

As for Kong Mingshi returning to the sect later to verify in the scripture pavilion and finding flaws in his words, Ling Lida couldn't care less about that.

In that critical moment, a flash of inspiration struck Ling Lida's mind, and he finally thought of a reason and an excuse.

"And one last question." "Disciple greets Master!" "Yes, Sect Master!"

But Ling Lida also felt very wronged inwardly. Dragon Horn Gully had a Tier 3 formation. Even if the top Core Formation cultivators from the Eastern Wilderness came, they would have to cause a great disturbance to break it open.

He continuously kowtowed to Kong Mingshi, only wanting to save his life.

He casually walked over to the Green Cicada tea tree and sat down cross-legged. He took out a silver-gray ore from his storage bag. After holding it with both hands, he began to absorb the void power from it into his body.

"You still haven't answered my first question."

Relying on his excellent geomancy skills, Ling Lida was able to set aside time for cultivation after completing his daily tasks.

After completing his daily tasks, he would slack off and cultivate his techniques. He also received an annual reward of one hundred spirit stones. Furthermore, being inside the formation personally set up by Old Devil Chen, he didn't need to worry about danger. His perpetually tense state of mind finally experienced unprecedented relaxation.

Amidst the rippling water, a female cultivator with skin as smooth and white as snow and exceedingly beautiful features, wearing flowing long-sleeved palace robes, gracefully floated from the horizon like an immortal, a faint smile on her face.

However, to avoid people from Little South Mountain coming for a sudden inspection, Song Huangda would still extract dragon vein energy every day to ensure his progress wouldn't arouse suspicion.

"Reporting to the Sect Master, my disciple's name is..."

If possible, he hoped such peaceful days could continue for a few more years.

After confirming that Ling Lida had confessed everything, Kong Mingshi smiled and left Dragon Horn Gully.

"Which book was it?"

It was unknown how long passed. The color of the ore Ling Lida held dimmed slightly, but his skin began to shimmer with a silvery light, like an electric current, flowing through every part of his body, before receding into his Dantian Qi Sea.

He was actually a remnant of Trembling Mountain Peak. His father, Gong Fabing, was a nominal disciple of Ji Yunshi, one of the former Four Peak Masters. But because he offended someone from the Ji family, Ji Dingjin used an excuse to expel him from the sect, and he became a rogue cultivator.

Furthermore, Kong Mingshi suspected there were other infiltrators within the Student Palace, and this was a good opportunity to lure them all out.

Taking a deep breath and feeling his physical strength improve once more, he contentedly opened his eyes. Just as he was about to put the unused ore back into his storage bag, he suddenly widened his eyes, staring in disbelief at the person standing before him.

"I have only seen Foundation Establishment cultivators. However, to uphold your belief, they said the President is a Core Formation cultivator. Although I haven't seen them, I also think it's likely."

Because he couldn't reveal any progress in his cultivation, during his free time after extracting the dragon vein energy, he didn't use it to cultivate Song Huang, but instead chose a body-refining technique.

In the center of the picturesque Flying Dragon Pond island, Chen Mobai stood beside Kong Mingshi, his face filled with shame. Nearby, Han Zhiling, who was cooking, saw this scene and was completely bewildered.

Kong Mingshi naturally wouldn't constantly monitor a character like Ling Lida. He summoned his senior disciple, and from now on, would let him handle the contact.

"I'm giving you a chance to live. Do you want it?"

After speaking, Ling Lida awaited Kong Mingshi's judgment. Facing a Core Formation cultivator, he had no power to resist whatsoever and could only hope his judgment was correct.

"Master, your disciple requests punishment."

Chen Mobai knew that he had actually selected an infiltrator. With his composure, he was so furious he wanted to immediately go to Dragon Horn Gully and kill him.

This organization was very large. Ling Lida's father, Gong Fabing, was paired with a rogue cultivator partner within it. After their union, Ling Lida was born. Then, during a mission, his father never returned.

As time passed, the long silence made Ling Lida's heart grow more anxious. Just when he thought he was about to die, Kong Mingshi finally spoke.

After hearing Kong Mingshi speak, Ling Lida's eyes showed surprise and doubt, but under the pressure of the Core Formation cultivator, he gritted his teeth and swore a Dao-heart oath, vowing to do everything as Sect Master Chen said.

"When I placed the Qi Refining chapter of the Void Dharmakaya into the scripture pavilion, I specifically changed its name to 'Void Spirit Body'."

Han Zhiling felt the vast Song Huang energy emanating from the elegant, jade-like immortal maiden and witnessed the terrifying sight of her controlling the entire Flying Dragon Pond's water. She couldn't help but speculate inwardly.

As he fabricated more and more lies, Ling Lida actually became more confident, his tone became smoother, as if it were all true.

"Old Ancestor, spare my life, I'll tell you everything!" he pleaded. "Strike a snake at its inch, execute the enemy by beheading!"

Perhaps, today he would witness a battle between Core Formation cultivators!

"Master, leave it to me. I will certainly keep a close eye on him."

Kong Mingshi saw that scene, and his expression shifted slightly, revealing a faint smile.

He was directly caught red-handed.