Chapter Eleven: Overwhelming Oppression

“Insolence!” Meng Jun, the wandering immortal of Heaven and Earth Gate seated at the center of the hall, could no longer sit still. As he tried to rise, a vast force descended from above, pressing him down. In an instant, beads of cold sweat appeared on Meng Jun’s forehead, and his body slowly bent forward.

“Who are you calling insolent?” Qin Shuang’s face still wore a smile—the kind of smile that, in Meng Jun’s eyes, was no less than that of a devil.

“Meng Brother!” The two other wandering immortals from different sects sensed something was wrong first. The pair exchanged fearful glances, and their gaze at Qin Shuang had already transformed completely.

Meng Jun’s head was now bowed below his waist, his body trembling in a strange manner. The three sect leaders and other elites stared in horror at Qin Shuang. In the blink of an eye, Meng Jun’s head was fully lowered, as if admitting guilt.

“Master Qin, please show mercy!” Meng Xu, the head of Heaven and Earth Gate, finally could not withstand it any longer, trembling as he clasped his hands and bowed in a plea to Qin Shuang.

Qin Shuang smiled at Meng Xu, offering no reply. With Lei Shan, he walked straight inside, found two seats, and sat down. Of the eighty Kuya people, only five captains remained standing behind them, while the rest waited outside the hall.

“Brother Qin!” Lei Shan whispered. Anyone could see that Qin Shuang had just made Meng Jun suffer a great loss. Lei Shan had long known Qin Shuang was formidable, but not to such an extent.

“No worries. With me here, you can safely attend this gathering,” Qin Shuang smiled again. Meng Jun abruptly raised his head, sweat still lingering on his face, staring intently at Qin Shuang—though now with only fear in his eyes.

“Everyone is here. You may begin,” Qin Shuang suddenly produced a bottle of red wine from Earth, savoring it alone, paying no heed to anyone in the hall.

Qin Shuang’s display of power shocked everyone. No cultivator now believed he was merely at the Golden Core stage. Meng Jun had said nothing, but all could see the truth: compared to Qin Shuang, Meng Jun was utterly outmatched. Qin Shuang could toy with him at will, and his strength was beyond their imagination.

Qin Shuang had made his point; no one dared to underestimate him anymore. Qin Shuang had arrived with the Kuya people, and with him present, none dared offend them. Meng Xu even ordered chairs to be brought for the five Kuya captains behind Qin Shuang and Lei Shan. Even the seventy others outside were courteously received by disciples.

“Master Meng, would you lead us?” Ling Yufei and Yang Dingtian, leaders of Black Feather Sect and Yin-Yang Sect, pushed Meng Xu forward. Their original plans had been completely disrupted by Qin Shuang’s overwhelming presence, and now they had to treat the Kuya as equals.

“Those cunning fellows!” Meng Xu regretted it in his heart; he should not have insisted on hosting the meeting at Heaven and Earth Gate. Yet, holding it elsewhere would have been unreasonable. Of the five Ruan Spirit Jades, only Heaven and Earth Gate possessed two, one of which had been seized from the Kuya.

“Gentlemen, I believe you all know why I invited you. The goal is to unite the Ruan Spirit Jades in our possession and together unlock their mystery. Currently, Heaven and Earth Gate holds two, Black Feather Sect one, Yin-Yang Sect one, and the Kuya tribe one. If we bring all five together, today we may unravel the secret of the Ruan Spirit Jade!”

Meng Xu cleared his throat, abandoning all previous plans—especially those targeting the Kuya. These words amounted to formally recognizing the Kuya as equals among them.

Ling Yufei and Yang Dingtian were about to nod their assent when Lei Shan suddenly stood up. “Wait. I recall that it was my Kuya tribe that held two Ruan Spirit Jades. When did they become yours, Heaven and Earth Gate?”

Lei Shan was no fool; he was clever. Qin Shuang’s great strength was his backing, and now that his patron stood beside him, and everyone had witnessed his power, not to use it would be foolish.

Qin Shuang nodded inwardly—this was the Lei Shan he had chosen.

“Lei Shan, that Ruan Spirit Jade has long been in our possession. How can you say it is yours?” Meng Xu suppressed his anger. Heaven and Earth Gate had acquired that jade with difficulty, and cultivators always believed that strength determines ownership. If I am strong, all things should belong to me. Yet Meng Xu forgot that Qin Shuang was stronger than all of them combined.

“Yours? How did you acquire it? The Ruan Spirit Jade of the illustrious Kuya tribe was stolen not long ago. We didn’t know who was responsible until now, and it turns out it was you thieves!”

Lei Shan stood up abruptly, his loud reprimand giving him a commanding presence.

“So, thieves, are you?” Qin Shuang, having finished a bottle of wine, produced two more—handing one to Lei Shan and opening the other for himself. His words and actions clearly supported Lei Shan.

“Master, I recall now. That Ruan Spirit Jade was entrusted to us by a Kuya tribesman for safekeeping, to be passed along to his kin!” A clever elder from Heaven and Earth Gate hurried forward to smooth things over. Qin Shuang was too inscrutable to provoke; he could toy with even wandering immortals. If he lost his temper, Heaven and Earth Gate would be history.

“Yes, yes, I had forgotten. That jade was indeed meant to be delivered by us to a Kuya friend. Now, with Brother Lei Shan present, it is most fitting to hand it over!” Meng Xu gratefully took the lifeline offered by his shrewd disciple, though his heart bled—for they had lost many good disciples over that jade.

“A man who knows when to let go,” Qin Shuang silently praised. He had intended to help Lei Shan make a name for himself, but now could only let it be.

Lei Shan took the Ruan Spirit Jade and produced his own. Clever Lei Shan knew that, though they were on Sky Soul Peak, the initiative for this negotiation had fallen into his hands.

“Now our Kuya tribe holds two Ruan Spirit Jades. Shouldn’t we be the ones to lead the effort to unlock their secret?”

“Well, we should discuss it further. For instance, if the secret really takes us to another planet, how many should go? How do we return? These questions deserve consideration,” Ling Yufei and Yang Dingtian pushed Meng Xu forward again. Lei Shan’s direct method of unlocking the secret was unacceptable to them.

“What’s there to discuss? If we can go, we can return. If we can’t come back, it won’t be just one person—it will be all of us!” Lei Shan glared, ready to flare up.

“Brother Lei Shan, don’t be upset—I was only speaking hypothetically. If that planet has treasures or valuable resources, how should we divide them?” Meng Xu hurried to placate Lei Shan, glancing once more at Qin Shuang.

“So that’s your true concern,” Lei Shan thought coldly. These cultivators, in the end, only sought profit. Remembering the elders’ instructions and looking at Qin Shuang, Lei Shan had already made up his mind.

“If the treasures are ownerless, we divide them according to the number of Ruan Spirit Jades. The same goes for resources.”

“Brother Lei Shan, that’s unreasonable. The Ruan Spirit Jade is merely a tool for us to cross over—how can we base the division on its quantity? I think we should divide by the number of people; that would be a fairer allocation of resources.”

Lei Shan’s proposal startled Meng Xu. Dividing by the number of jades meant five shares. Regardless of the treasure or resources, the Kuya—only sixty thousand strong—would take forty percent. This was unacceptable to the cultivators; if so, they’d rather not unlock the mystery at all.

“My brother Lei Shan’s suggestion is excellent. Since those things are found thanks to the Ruan Spirit Jade, let the division be based on their number,” Qin Shuang slowly stood, tossing the empty wine bottle away. Yet the bottle did not fall—it soared upwards, its mouth pointed at the crowd. A suction force issued from the bottle’s mouth, and everyone felt as if they were about to be pulled inside, struggling desperately to resist.

“A supreme spiritual artifact!” Meng Jun blurted out. Everyone stared at the bottle, then at Qin Shuang, their faces consumed by terror—utter, absolute terror.

When Qin Shuang drank earlier, all had noticed—the wine was fine, and the bottle attractive, but both were ordinary. The cultivators disliked the taste and hadn’t paid attention.

Yet in these few words, the ordinary bottle had become a supreme spiritual artifact. It could only mean that, in this brief time, Qin Shuang had refined it into a supreme artifact—perhaps even faster.

“We agree! We agree! Please, senior, show mercy!” The three sect leaders could no longer endure. Bearing the greatest suction, they finally shouted together in surrender.