Chapter 198: Weisheng Ming — Three Spiritual Roots vs. Three Spiritual Roots

The image in the projection revealed an unfamiliar face. Lian Mu didn’t recognize him at all. He was handsome, and a golden eye was embedded in the center of his forehead.

Lian Mu frowned. “I don’t know him. Who are you people?”

If she had to say, she had seen a boy with three eyes before, but he looked nothing like the man in the image—not even the same aura.

“Who we are isn’t your concern. I’m the one asking questions here, not you,” the golden-eyed man said coldly.

Lian Mu shrugged. “If you won’t say, then forget it. I thought he looked a little familiar, but now I’m not so sure.”

The two strangers paused, exchanged a glance, and then the woman spoke. “This man is one of our kin. We are from the Azure Dragon Eastern Spirit Eye Clan. Like us, he bears a third eye on his forehead. His name is Weisheng Ming. He’s extremely important to us—we hope you’ll be honest.”

So they were from the same clan… But judging by their tone, if she admitted to knowing him, they’d only cling to her more tightly.

Besides, she truly had no idea who the man in the image was.

“I’ve never seen anyone with three eyes on their head. You’re the first,” Lian Mu said. “And now that you’ve kidnapped me, don’t you think it’s time to pay the price?”

The golden-eyed man narrowed his eyes. “Liar. There’s no way you haven’t seen him.”

Bai Su snorted. “I thought this was something serious. Turns out you’re just looking for someone. What, things not going your way so now you’re biting at random? I’m not interested in your family drama.”

Lian Mu and Bai Su flanked the pair, cutting off their escape.

The woman tried a softer approach. “Even if you won’t give us face, how about giving this little one a bit of face?”

She pulled out a Four-sided Crystal Box from her sleeve. Inside glimmered a trace of violet light.

Lian Mu’s eyes flickered. Her grip on her sword tightened, and her toes shifted slightly. But when she noticed the woman’s sleeve, she paused and pulled back.

“If we don’t get the information we want, I can’t guarantee her safety,” the man threatened.

That was the last straw for Bai Su. Her voice turned icy. “You’re the only two people who’ve dared try that trick in front of me. Go ahead—make your move. But after that, I’ll cut off the heads of every single member of the Weisheng Family, including the one you’re looking for, grind them into pieces, and feed them to the dogs.”

Lian Mu added coldly, “Azure Dragon East’s Weisheng Family, is it? I’ll remember that name. I may be young, but if you so much as touch a hair on my friend’s head, as long as I draw breath, I’ll cut down every Weisheng I see.”

Words spoken with venom were meant to assert dominance.

The two on the other side paled visibly.

“If you tell us where he is, we’ll naturally let your friend go. This could’ve been a peaceful exchange—why let it get to this point?” the golden-eyed woman said.

Their aura had clearly diminished compared to earlier. The standoff had reached a tense deadlock—neither side willing to back down.

The three-eyed man fell silent, deep in thought.

The problem was that the sword cultivator wasn’t taking the bait. They’d spent so long setting this up, expecting her to start suspecting Bai Su, to turn against her, to grow wary of the Flying Sea Pavilion. But instead, she’d taken Bai Su’s side.

If she had come alone, they’d have had a good chance of subduing her. But with Bai Su here, things had spiraled out of control.

Bai Su was known for doing exactly what she said. If she declared she’d destroy someone, she would. And with her unfathomable strength, she absolutely could. Being targeted by her was a nightmare.

They needed to find a way to separate the two.

The man exchanged a glance with his companion. The golden-eyed woman instantly understood.

Just as Bai Su was about to strike, the two suddenly split left and right, unleashing a Spiritual Energy Void Vortex that surged toward them.

Bai Su dodged sideways, missing the perfect moment to attack.

“Wind Shadow Art—Scatter!”

The man’s talisman flared with pure, dense spiritual power. A fierce wind erupted, and the two of them turned into smoky shadows, riding the wind in opposite directions.

Bai Su sneered. “Even with Wind Shadow Art, where do you think you can run?”

The entire Flying Sea Pavilion was sealed off. Not even the wind could pass through the barrier.

Lian Mu asked, “Should we split up?”

“What do you think?”

“They’re trying to isolate me. But since they’ve thrown out the bait, might as well play along. That woman has my friend—I’ll go after her.”

Bai Su hesitated. “You sure? She may only have three Spiritual Roots, but her cultivation is deep—at least a century’s worth. She won’t be easy to handle.”

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing,” Lian Mu replied. “We need to catch them. That man seems like the stronger of the two—he’s yours, Pavilion Master.”

Bai Su smiled. “So you’ve been hiding your cards. Very well. We’ll split up. Take this dark signal whistle. Once you find her, call in the Flying Sea Shadow Guards.”

Lian Mu took the whistle, and the two of them flew off in different directions.

Tracking the golden-eyed woman was easy. She carried Green Bean’s aura, which became even more distinct after she turned into wind. All Lian Mu had to do was reach out with her senses.

She sped up. Half a quarter of an hour later, she caught up with her above the Beast Fighting Arena.

“Well, aren’t you quick?” the golden-eyed woman hovered in midair, twin wind vortices swirling beneath her feet, spiritual energy surging around her. “You care so much for your little friend, it’s making me jealous.”

“You came alone. Do you really think you can beat me that easily?”

Lian Mu replied calmly, “I wouldn’t say easily. But with the right tactics, I might just scrape out a win.”

The woman laughed, her voice like silver bells. “So modest. With three unique Spiritual Roots, if you fought with everything you had, I doubt even I could match you. But what a pity—your Spiritual Roots seem to have a flaw.”

Lian Mu narrowed her eyes. “You’ve investigated me?”

Very few people knew about her Spiritual Roots—she could count them on one hand. This was their first meeting. How could she possibly know?

“Others might not see it, but these eyes of mine can see through all the world’s secrets,” the woman said with a sly smile, making no effort to hide her ability. “The flow of spiritual energy around you is different. Besides the power you actively control, there’s a portion that’s constantly leaking away.”

She lifted her finger and, from a distance, traced the outline of Lian Mu’s body in the air. “You’re fast. But if it were just damaged meridians, you wouldn’t be losing spiritual energy at this rate. The real problem is your dantian, isn’t it?”

Lian Mu replied, “You remind me of someone.”

The golden-eyed woman asked, “Who?”

Lian Mu’s sword shot from her hand as spiritual energy surged through her palm. “Someone who liked to use their special abilities to pry into others’ privacy.”

The sword cut through the swirling winds around her, aiming straight for her throat.

The golden-eyed woman reacted instantly, twisting to the side and stepping back two paces.

“But we both spied on each other, so I guess that makes us even,” Lian Mu said. “People like you are the ones I hate most.”

She chuckled. “Are you trying to pick a fight with me? With that half-broken sword of yours? Or your dantian that’s on the verge of collapse? Kid, when I was speaking nicely to you, you should’ve just answered my question. I’ll give you one more chance—have you seen a man named Weisheng Ming?”

“And I’ll say it one last time—no.”

A flicker of doubt flashed in her eyes, but before she could dwell on it, a blade of sword energy laced with fire spiritual power slashed toward her from the side. She raised her hand, revealing an ice-blue jade ring on her finger.

“Water Veil.”

A burst of light shot from the jade ring, and the temperature around her plummeted. Just as the sword energy was about to strike, a thin curtain of water formed, enveloping her completely.

The sword energy was instantly absorbed upon contact with the water veil.

“You’re attacking me directly? Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill your friend?” the golden-eyed woman said coldly.

Lian Mu answered, “Would you dare? The only reason you can stand so confidently in Flying Sea Pavilion is because you’re holding a hostage. Without that leverage, the Pavilion would kill you without hesitation. Not just you—your entire family would be implicated. I don’t think you can afford that.”

“You’re clever,” she said. “Since you understand that, there’s no point wasting words. Until I get the information I want and leave safely, you’re not taking her anywhere.”

“You’re an artifact refiner, aren’t you? Maybe you don’t realize—us sword cultivators don’t like to talk things out. We prefer to settle matters with the sword.”

The smile on her face faded slightly. “Kid, you’re fresh out of the academy. You probably have some misconceptions about artifact refiners.”

From her sleeve flew a folding fan. The twelve ribs of the fan spread out and floated before her. She tapped one with her fingertip, channeling spiritual energy into it. The twelve fan ribs transformed into glowing orbs of black, blue, and white.

“We artifact refiners may be refined and peace-loving, but don’t mistake elegance for weakness. When it comes down to it, you might not be able to handle us.”

In an instant, the fan ribs burst into a tri-colored radiance. The black ones grew heavy, turning into four puppets made of flowing sand. The blue ones twisted and morphed into a flock of water-formed birds. The white ones, light as air, drew upon the forces of nature to create miniature whirlwinds, pulling in everything in their path.

She fixed her gaze on Lian Mu. “You’re young—probably haven’t seen many truly powerful artifact refiners. I’m not bragging, but as your senior, I think it’s time you got a taste of the real world.”

“And maybe, get a clear sense of your own strength.”

Lian Mu could tell—her three spiritual roots were earth, water, and wind. In contrast, his were metal, wood, and fire, which clashed with hers.

The golden-eyed woman moved to the side as the four sand puppets closed in from all directions.

“If you won’t talk, I’ll just take you with her.”

Lian Mu thought she was insane. She’d already said she didn’t know the person—why keep pestering hee like this? She felt a bit exasperated, but the arrow was already nocked, and there was no turning back.

The golden-eyed woman saw her raise her sword and found it amusing. That cracked blade? Still trying to use it? It fit her impression of some of those broke sword cultivators.

But just as she was thinking that, she saw her pull out a pill from her spatial pouch and swallow it.

Then, spiritual energy began to gather in her hand. From her perspective, the red spiritual energy around her grew murky, and threads of golden light began to seep out from within.

“You’re right—I am young, and in terms of cultivation, I’m nowhere near your level. But at the very least, I can stall you.” Lian Mu blew a hidden whistle, releasing a long, clear note.

“Flying Sea Shadow Guards?” The golden-eyed woman narrowed her eyes. “Bai Su really does trust you. Now I’m a little curious to see what you’re truly capable of.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the flock of water birds flapped their wings and soared into the sky, circling above Lian Mu. Their liquefied feathers rained down like arrows—hundreds, thousands of them.

“Let’s see if you can hold out long enough for the Flying Sea Shadow Guards to arrive.”