Seizing Destiny From Heavens Hands

Chapter 289: One of the Three Treasures for Unlocking a Heavenly-Grade Soul, the Soul Abyss Spike

Yang Qiye was both shocked and furious as he looked at the newcomer.

This voice was one he was all too familiar with—it was Shen Mo.

"Shen... Young Sect Master, I respect you as the Young Sect Master, but I am the Second Elder. You should speak with more respect!"

"My disciple, Ye Yan, how could he possibly be someone who betrayed the sect?!"

He locked eyes with Shen Mo, clearly demanding an explanation.

Shen Mo smiled faintly. "Ye Yan claimed he was going to Longjiang Prefecture on a mission?"

"I investigated. The mission he took was to eliminate a group of rampaging demon generals in Longjiang Prefecture."

"The mission wasn't particularly difficult, nor were the rewards significant. With Ye Yan's vision, there's no way he'd have chosen such a task."

"Yet, he did. He went to the southern Longjiang Prefecture."

Yang Qiye frowned. "So what? He had a sudden whim to take that mission—is that not allowed?"

Shen Mo didn't answer directly but continued, "From the sect to the mission location in Longjiang Prefecture, with Ye Yan's cultivation level, it would take at most ten days."

"Even accounting for the time to hunt the demon clan and the round trip, it wouldn't exceed a month."

"But now, it's been three years since he left the sect. Do you think he's still coming back?"

Yang Qiye's expression froze.

Shen Mo continued, "Moreover, a few days ago, Elder Wang Wu from the Second Peak sent someone to collect a debt from Ye Yan. No matter what they did, they couldn't break through the formation protecting his residence."

"Later, with the Grand Elder's permission, the Disciplinary Hall sent people to crack the formation. What they discovered was that Wang Wu had long disappeared, leaving behind an empty residence."

Yang Qiye frowned deeply. "What does that have to do with Yan'er?"

Shen Mo smiled faintly. "Have you forgotten? Wang Wu used to be Ye Yan's staunch supporter. However, ever since the Protector endorsed me as the Young Sect Master, Wang Wu hastily severed ties with Ye Yan and even went out of his way to avoid him."

"With Ye Yan's temperament, how do you think he would have handled Wang Wu?"

As soon as Shen Mo finished speaking, the surrounding Jade Cauldron Sect disciples began to murmur among themselves, their discussions growing louder.

"No way! Could Ye Yan have left the sect? And before he left, killed Wang Wu?"

"If he killed someone, why is there no corpse or signs of a struggle?"

"Idiot. Both Ye Yan and Wang Wu are Nascent Soul cultivators, but Ye Yan is far stronger. If he caught Wang Wu off guard, killing him instantly wouldn't be difficult."

"Exactly. That way, there wouldn't be any traces of a fight. He could have even stashed the corpse in a storage ring and taken it with him."

"Tsk, tsk. Who would've thought Ye Yan would turn out to be such a person?"

The cultivators shook their heads in amazement, clearly surprised that Ye Yan might one day betray the sect and flee.

Listening to their discussions, Yang Qiye felt his head spinning.

It's true.

Over the past three years, he had considered the possibility.

But he never dared to believe it.

The disciple he had painstakingly nurtured, his most beloved student, could one day abandon him!

Could it be that, in Ye Yan's heart, he, as a master, held no weight at all?

For the first time, Yang Qiye felt as though his body might collapse.

His reputation in the Jade Cauldron Sect had already plummeted.

Out of fear of the Old Flood Dragon's power, the Fourth, Seventh, and Ninth Elders had distanced themselves from him, maintaining only superficial ties.

And now, even his beloved disciple had forsaken him.

Who could he trust from now on?

"Second Elder, continue to fulfill your duties. You are still the Second Elder."

Shen Mo met Yang Qiye's gaze and spoke calmly.

At first, Yang Qiye could hold his ground, but Shen Mo's eyes remained as calm as still water, radiating an undeniable authority.

Eventually, Yang Qiye had no choice but to look away.

Even as a Soul Transformation cultivator, he dared not meet Shen Mo's gaze any longer.

Drip, drip.

Yang Qiye turned around and walked out of the Treasure Pavilion.

The crowd instinctively parted, making way for him.

Shen Mo watched his retreating figure, which seemed desolate and lonely.

The Second Elder had clearly recognized his predicament.

If this person were not a Divine Transformation cultivator but a Nascent Soul cultivator, there would be no need for Li Zhendao, the Sect Master, to speak up. With just one order from Shen Mo, they could be thrown into prison and subjected to a thorough interrogation.

However, Yang Qiye was a Divine Transformation cultivator.

Every Divine Transformation cultivator possesses immense power.

Moreover, the sect's highest combat strength also lies with its Divine Transformation cultivators. Losing even one of them would be a significant loss.

Therefore, even if they could not be befriended, at the very least, they should not be made into enemies.

Since Yang Qiye had not overtly betrayed the sect, things would remain as they were.

He would still be the Second Elder of the Jade Cauldron Sect.

"Where is the Soul Abyss Spike?"

Shen Mo approached the Treasure Pavilion steward.

The steward respectfully handed over a jade box to Shen Mo. "Young Sect Master, this item was specifically reserved for you by Elder Zhao and Elder Lü. You do not need to contribute any points."

Shen Mo nodded slightly.

This item was incredibly valuable.

He estimated it would take at least four Grade-A contributions to exchange for it.

Fortunately, no contribution points were required this time.

It was a win for everyone.

The surrounding cultivators watched Shen Mo leave with expressions full of envy.

"I heard that the Void Spring and the Soul Abyss Spike are two of the most extraordinary treasures for breaking through the Nascent Soul stage. Obtaining even one can potentially open up an Earth-Grade Soul. The Young Sect Master is truly blessed by fortune, acquiring a Soul Abyss Spike without any effort."

"Exactly. If only I had luck like the Young Sect Master's."

"Now that Ye Yan has betrayed the sect, the Young Sect Master is the sole unparalleled genius of the Jade Cauldron Sect. That's not necessarily a bad thing."

"True. It eliminates internal strife. Besides, someone as domineering and cold as Ye Yan could never compare to the Young Sect Master."

…

Meanwhile, Shen Mo returned to Dragon Snake Mountain.

There, he began to closely examine the small black spike, about the length of a forearm, in his hand.

It seemed to be made from some sort of bone, yet it was surprisingly heavy and had a metallic texture.

What made it even more remarkable was that staring at the Soul Abyss Spike for an extended period made one feel as if countless long needles were piercing into their mind.

The pain was so excruciating that one would feel like rolling on the ground in agony.

However, the moment the gaze shifted away, the strange pain would completely vanish.

As if it had never existed.

Shen Mo clicked his tongue in amazement.

The mysterious properties of this item were evident after just a few glances.

"Out of the three items required to unlock a Heavenly-Grade Soul, I have already obtained two: the remnants of the Sky-Hanging Whisker and the Soul Abyss Spike."

"The only thing left is the Divine Lightning of the Suppressing Demon Sea."

"But the Suppressing Demon Sea is far beyond the Eastern Sea, and I don't even know how to get there. How am I supposed to obtain the Divine Lightning?"

Shen Mo pondered deeply.

Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind.

"Perhaps I don't need the actual Divine Lightning. Just the lingering aura of the Divine Lightning might be enough!"

"I must keep an eye out for any news related to this in the future."

"The demon clans might have something related to it…"

Shen Mo seemed to be lost in thought.

Of course, he was not yet in the Divine Transformation stage, so there was no need to take unnecessary risks.

Instead of venturing into Mist State to clash with the demon clans, it was better to stay safe and grow steadily within the Jade Cauldron Sect.

After all, as the Young Sect Master, the contribution points he received every month rivaled those of the Six Cauldron Elders.

Moreover, his status was even higher than theirs.

As long as he had enough contribution points, anything in the Treasure Pavilion or Scripture Pavilion was within his reach.

And the people in the sect were polite, talented, and eloquent. He genuinely liked it here.

🌟 Unlock Exclusive Early Access on Patreon! 🌟

Hello, beloved readers!

Join my Patreon community to enjoy:

📚 Daily Updates: Never wait for new chapters—get your story fix every day!

📖 20 Chapters Ahead: Access new chapters far in advance of Scribblehub/RoyalRoad/Webnovel releases.

Support the creation of the stories you love and dive deeper into my world!

Patreon.com/Alex_Cruise

https://ko-fi.com/anish_44