Gongsun Hong took a deep breath and said, "You must promise me, if I tell you the information, you have to let me go."
"Fine. You should understand, my only goal is the Soft-Water Pearl. Otherwise, our Divine Sun Sacred Ground wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to kill you four demons of the Southern Heavens," said Luo Changfeng calmly. "As long as what you say is true, I can let you go."
"I hid the Soft-Water Pearl in a cave outside Chasing Sun City. I can take you there," Gongsun Hong said after thinking for a moment.
"One of the Five Spirit Orbs, and you just hid it out there like that? Aren’t you afraid someone might take it?" Luo Changfeng asked in confusion.
"Each of the Five Spirit Orbs needs a Companion Artifact," Gongsun Hong replied. "Without the Companion Artifact, not even a Grand Emperor can take the pearl."
"What is the Companion Artifact of the Soft-Water Pearl?" Luo Changfeng asked.
The Sacred Ground’s intel only mentioned that the Soft-Water Pearl, one of the Five Spirit Orbs, had appeared. As for knowledge about the pearls themselves, they actually knew nothing, it was a complete blank, which is why he wanted to get the full picture.
Without hesitation, Gongsun Hong took out an object shaped like a ladle from his storage ring.
Or rather, it was a ladle. It was entirely blue, with many wave-like patterns etched on it.
The whole ladle looked dreamy and transparent.
The moment it appeared, Xu Zimo, who was not far away, suddenly felt a sensation from within his True Fate World.
After focusing, he realized it was the Wind-Destroying Pearl reacting.
Though the fluctuation wasn’t strong, Xu Zimo still noticed it.
He looked at the two in the courtyard. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but narrowed his eyes.
...
When Xuanyuan Xuantian saw this, he didn’t seem to be in a good mood either, so he returned to the City Lord’s Mansion with Xu Zimo.
"What are your plans now, Brother Xu?" he asked. "Are you going back to your Sacred Ground?"
"Before I go back, I plan to take care of something," Xu Zimo said with a smile.
"Then I won’t try to make you stay. You’re always welcome in Chasing Sun City," Xuanyuan Xuantian replied with a smile.
"Alright," Xu Zimo nodded slightly.
Not long after, Luo Changfeng returned to the mansion with Gongsun Hong in custody. He didn’t say anything to the others and personally guarded Gongsun Hong all night.
Early the next morning, Luo Changfeng and three others prepared to escort Gongsun Hong back to their Sacred Ground. After exchanging a few words with Xuanyuan Xuantian, they left.
Xu Zimo also bid farewell and departed.
It was a rare sunny morning in late autumn.
Golden sunlight bathed the sky. There wasn’t a cloud in sight, and the green mountains and clear waters in the distance stood out clearly.
The air was fresh and crisp.
Luo Changfeng and his group headed south.
They moved quickly and arrived before a canyon by dusk.
"This is the place?" Luo Changfeng asked Gongsun Hong.
"Yes," Gongsun Hong nodded. "This canyon is called the Mountain Gorge. Back when your Divine Sun Sacred Ground elders were hunting us, we split up. I brought the Soft-Water Pearl and hid it here."
"Let’s go," Luo Changfeng nodded.
"Remember your promise," Gongsun Hong said before stepping into the canyon.
The canyon wasn’t very large. The mountains on both sides were only a few dozen meters high but quite steep.
The mountain slopes were covered in flowers, grass, and trees. In the late autumn season, most of the plants had yellowed leaves.
The ground was layered thick with fallen leaves.
As they walked through the canyon, occasional birdcalls echoed from the bare branches above.
Eventually, the group stopped in front of a large tree.
The tree looked very thick, requiring several people to encircle it.
Gongsun Hong stepped forward, plunged his hands into the tree trunk, and pulled hard. The tree was uprooted completely.
As the tree came out, the group discovered a hole underneath.
It was pitch black inside, and no one knew how far it went.
...
Once the group entered the cave, Xu Zimo finally arrived and stood outside.
He didn’t go in. Instead, he waited quietly outside.
Time passed, and the sun gradually set in the west.
The dusk light cast its last glow on the horizon as a lone bird flew toward it.
From the cave entrance, Luo Changfeng and the others slowly emerged.
Faint sounds of angry shouting could still be heard inside.
"Luo Changfeng, you lied to me! You said if I told you where the Soft-Water Pearl was, you’d let me go!"
"I said I’d let you go, but my junior brothers and sisters never agreed to that," Luo Changfeng said calmly.
As they walked out of the cave, Gongsun Hong’s limbs had all been broken. His bones were shattered, and he was tied up.
"You’re too naive. Do you know what the Soft-Water Pearl is? If we let you go and you spread the news..." Luo Changfeng said coldly. "Do you think our Sacred Ground would leave a loose end like that?"
Gongsun Hong snorted and turned his head away without saying another word.
As Luo Changfeng and the others were about to leave, he suddenly turned around and noticed a person leaning against the spot where the large tree had been uprooted.
He was slightly shocked because he hadn’t sensed any presence just now.
For someone to sneak up on them so silently, his eyes narrowed.
"Young Master Xu, we meet again," he said after recognizing Xu Zimo. His expression relaxed a little.
At least it wasn’t some old monster. He was well aware of the value of the Soft-Water Pearl.
"Indeed. What are you doing here, Brother Luo?" Xu Zimo asked with a smile.
"Just a Sacred Ground mission. I’m afraid I can’t say more," Luo Changfeng replied.
"He..." Gongsun Hong tried to yell, but his mouth was smashed by a palm strike.
"If there’s nothing else, Young Master Xu, I’ll take my leave. My Sacred Ground is waiting," Luo Changfeng said.
"Alright, let’s stop pretending," Xu Zimo replied. "To avoid unnecessary conflict, just hand over the item."
"I don’t understand what you mean, Young Master Xu," Luo Changfeng narrowed his eyes.
"Soft-Water Pearl," Xu Zimo said calmly.
Luo Changfeng’s face changed slightly, but quickly returned to normal.
He looked at Xu Zimo and said, "They say you took first place in the Six Holy Lands Gathering and are the strongest on the surface in the Western Region. I guess I’ll have to see for myself."
"You’re very confident," Xu Zimo said with a slight smile.
Luo Changfeng didn’t hold back and immediately activated his Undying Battle Physique.
He turned to his companions and said, "You all fall back. If I can beat him, everything’s fine. If not, I’ll hold him off, take the Soft-Water Pearl and return to the Sacred Ground for reinforcements."
"If you dare hurt my senior brother, our Undying Race will never let you go!" shouted Luo Qingliu from the side.