"What a total waste. I think you've disgraced yourselves completely. I really have no idea what they’ve been doing all these years they’ve been in seclusion."

Sun Taozhen watched the three Foundation Establishment cultivators being chased all over the valley by the great Earth Clan Chief, his old face flushed crimson with anger; he simply couldn't bear to watch, muttering curses under his breath.

He glanced at Ye Qin's expression. Ye Qin was indifferent, his gaze sweeping over the entirety of Chisong Island, seemingly unconcerned by the battle unfolding in the valley.

But Sun Taozhen could imagine the contempt Ye Qin must feel for the strength of these Foundation Establishment cultivators from Great Wilderness Island, even if he wasn't showing it.

Sun Taozhen felt a deep sense of shame, wishing he could just sink into the earth. If the two Jiangs and Zhu brought disgrace, he shared in it, as they were all from the same faction. Furthermore, he was their leader.

"If this fighting continues, who knows what the outcome will be. We can't afford to lose any more face; I have to step in myself," Sun Taozhen muttered secretly. Disregarding his own reputation, he descended directly toward the valley.

Under normal circumstances, cultivators in the cultivation world generally maintain a certain decorum; combat has its rules, and one doesn't act recklessly. Unless one is a petty, small-minded high-tier cultivator, or involved in a life-or-death struggle for a spiritual treasure, a high-tier cultivator would not casually suppress a lower-tier one without cause. Of course, all of this assumes the lower-tier cultivator didn't provoke the higher one first; otherwise, their death would be well-deserved.

Sun Taozhen, being a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator himself, having lived for over a hundred years, was naturally self-possessed and would not easily engage in combat with the lower-strength Earth Clan Houndsmen.

According to his original plan, he had intended for the Jiang brothers and Zhu Heyuan to break through the stone hall guarded by the Earth Clan strongmen. He believed this level of strength was essentially sufficient. Even if the three early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn't conquer the Earth Clan tribe, they should at least be able to force their way into the stone hall and draw out the Earth Clan elders inside.

But he hadn't expected the Jiang brothers and Zhu Heyuan to be unable to handle the great Earth Clan Chief, unable to even set foot inside the hall door, forcing him to intervene personally—a deeply humiliating situation.

With Sun Taozhen stepping in personally, he had already cast aside all concern for appearances. Fortunately, there were no outsiders on Chisong Island; Ye Qin was with them, so there was no fear of their reputation being ruined by word spreading.

"Haste!"

Sun Taozhen slapped his waist storage bag and flung out an earthy-yellow Earth Element Dharma Shield. The earth shield swelled in the wind, rapidly expanding into a massive shield several zhang square, which he brought crashing down upon the great Earth Clan Chief's head.

"Three against one, and now another one shows up because you couldn't win! You immortals are truly shameless! I’m not fighting you anymore!"

The great Earth Clan Chief had long recognized that Sun Taozhen's strength far surpassed that of the Jiang brothers and the others. If the fight continued, he stood to suffer a major loss. He wasn't foolish; he immediately abandoned the pursuit of the Jiangs and others and turned to flee toward the stone hall, shouting indignantly as he went.

Though his escape was fast, he couldn't outrun Sun Taozhen's Dharma Shield.

The shield whistled, swiftly pressing down toward the great Earth Clan Chief's head. Although he tried to hack at the giant shield with his Black Iron Heavy Saber, the shield’s defense was too strong; the Black Iron Heavy Saber couldn't even scratch it. The great Earth Clan Chief had no choice but to brace himself and use both hands to resist.

While he had managed to chase the Jiangs and others all over the valley, in Sun Taozhen’s hands, he looked anything but impressive; the difference in strength was too vast. He had originally intended to use brute force to shove the giant shield artifact away.

But the moment his hands touched the massive shield, he realized it was heavy as a mountain, even heavier than the largest sea beast he had ever hunted in the ocean. The giant shield grew heavier and heavier, impossible to push away; instead, he was pinned down. With his hands lifted, supporting the enormous shield as if carrying a heavy tortoise shell, he stumbled forward several dozen paces, panting heavily. Finally, unable to withstand the crushing pressure, his face turning red, he dropped to his knees with a thud, unable to run further.

By this time, Zhu Heyuan and the others had caught up from behind. In their frustration, they intended to fly over on their swords and kill the brute.

"Halt!"

Sun Taozhen roared, casually sending out a Wind Blade to intercept Zhu Heyuan's attack. Then, from his storage bag, he took out a Azure Rope magical artifact, which shot out swiftly and bound the great Earth Clan Chief dozens of times, securing him tightly before he retracted the Dharma Shield. The great Earth Clan Chief cried out in fury, unwilling to submit.

"Brother Sun, this Earth Clan man nearly injured me. If I don't slay him, I won't ease the hatred in my heart!" Zhu Heyuan said, deeply agitated.

"Why stoop to the level of an Earth Clan man? Such immense brute strength—it would be a terrible waste not to make him a servant. Great Wilderness Island is in dire need of strong laborers to quarry stone. The island has a faint, weak spiritual vein; who knows, perhaps we can dig up spirit stones. Wouldn't that be excellent?" Sun Taozhen said with a smile.

Zhu Heyuan immediately quieted down. Although the probability of finding spirit stones on Great Wilderness Island was minuscule, using these Earth Clan strongmen for quarrying was the best possible idea.

Sun Taozhen ignored the cursing of the bound great Earth Clan Chief on the ground and strode toward the stone hall in the valley with the Jiang brothers and Zhu Heyuan.

"Halt! This is the Sacred Hall of my Bai Clan; outsiders are forbidden entry!" a deep and majestic voice boomed from within the stone hall.

Sun Taozhen hesitated for only a moment before walking into the hall. Since he had come this far, there was no need to reconsider. He would not give up until he obtained the formula for the Malevolent Spirit Pill.

Whoosh! A fierce gust of dark light shot out from within the hall, aimed directly at Sun Taozhen.

Sun Taozhen sneered, casually tossing out his Earth Shield, which transformed into a round shield several zhang in size, blocking in front of him. He had immense confidence in his magical artifact. "Dong—!"

The dark light and the yellow Dharma Shield collided head-on, erupting in a dazzling glare. The dark light did not shatter the shield artifact, but its sheer force was something an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator could not withstand. Sun Taozhen managed to block the blow, but it was not easy; the dark light sent him stumbling backward three steps before he regained his footing. A trickle of blood welled up in his mouth, which he forcefully swallowed down.

Only then did he clearly see what the dark light was: a giant iron halberd, two to three zhang long, as thick at the shaft as a sea bowl. After striking him, it retreated back into the stone hall. This giant iron halberd was fully four or five times larger than the Black Iron Heavy Saber wielded by the great Earth Clan Chief.

The weapons of the Earth Clan Houndsmen were simple. This Black Iron was forged by Earth Clan artisans from deep-sea iron sand, hammered and tempered a thousand times. It was neither a Spirit Artifact nor a Dharma Artifact, but it was exceedingly heavy, solid, and durable. The stronger the Houndsman's divine strength, the heavier the weapon they wielded. The cultivator who hurled this giant iron halberd undoubtedly possessed divine strength at least four or five times greater than the previous Earth Clan Chief.

When Sun Taozhen saw the black light clearly, his gaze sharpened intensely. He had visited Chisong Island to investigate several years prior and had been stopped by this enormous iron halberd, not daring to rashly enter this stone hall. Today, he was determined to force the Houndsmen inside the stone hall out.

The Jiang brothers and Zhu Heyuan also stopped abruptly, daring not to advance further. The divine strength of the Earth Clan Houndsmen inside this stone hall was beyond their capability to fight. One strike from that halberd would likely crush their protective shields along with their heads.

Sun Taozhen considered for a moment, did not approach the stone hall further, and turned back toward Ye Qin, who was not far behind, with a stiff expression. He smiled and said, "Brother Ye, entering this stone hall seems a bit beyond my current capabilities. I must request Brother Ye Qin to make a move..." Without absolute certainty, he dared not take the risk. Ye Qin's cultivation was a full three levels above his; naturally, it was best for Ye Qin to take the lead.

Ye Qin, still composed, had already arrived near the stone hall. He was growing increasingly fascinated by this stone hall. A minor Earth Clan tribe on Chisong Island possessed so many Houndsmen, each more formidable than the last; this was certainly no insignificant, nameless tribe. Getting to witness the methods of the Earth Clan Houndsmen made this trip to Chisong Island worthwhile.

"Brother Sun, why don't we go in together!" Ye Qin smiled faintly, gesturing with his hand, and then walked straight toward the main door of the stone hall.

Sun Taozhen, naturally, didn't seriously intend to enter with Ye Qin; he lagged half a step behind.

"Truly courting death! You must be taught a lesson by this Elder?!" a cold snort echoed from within the stone hall.

That beam of dark light shot out again. This time, it was aimed directly at Ye Qin.

Ye Qin was prepared. The moment the dark light manifested, he opened his mouth and spat out a foot-long streak of golden light. This golden light swelled rapidly in the wind, exploding into an incomparably brilliant golden radiance in the blink of an eye, striking the dark light head-on.

This sphere of golden light was so dazzling that it even overshadowed the fierce sun above Chisong Island, making it nearly impossible for the other four Foundation Establishment cultivators present to look directly at it. Sun Taozhen, who could see slightly better, only vaguely perceived Ye Qin’s figure moving toward the stone hall, flowing smoothly and without hesitation.

"Sever!" Ye Qin made a slight gesture, giving a clear shout.

"Clang—!" A crisp sound of metal striking metal rang out. Then, the golden light that enveloped hundreds of zhang around them gradually receded. The gazes of the onlookers finally recovered. Both the golden light and the dark light had vanished without a trace. No one knew who had won or lost.

However, Ye Qin had already crossed the threshold and entered the stone hall.

Several sounds of surprise echoed from within the stone hall.

"Primordial Spirit Artifact!"

Sun Taozhen, the Jiang brothers, and Zhu Heyuan—the four Foundation Establishment cultivators from Great Wilderness Island—were filled only with astonishment and envy. They clearly understood that the artifact Ye Qin had used moments ago was unmistakably a Gold Element Primordial Spirit Artifact, though they couldn't discern what specific item it was.

"As expected of a cultivator at the ninth level of Foundation Establishment; their strength truly cannot be compared with that of low- or mid-tier Foundation Establishment cultivators." They then looked at their own flying swords and magical artifacts, feeling them appear incomparably shabby. Ordinary Dharma Artifacts simply could not compare to a Primordial Spirit Artifact. However, though they envied, they knew their place and dared not compare themselves to Ye Qin.

Entering the stone hall, Ye Qin quickly surveyed the surroundings. Deep inside the hall was an altar for worship, upon which sat an unknown statue. Below the altar sat four figures.

Three were Earth Clan elders, seated cross-legged. The leading one, a white-haired elder, was short and thin, yet in his left and right hands, he held two Black Iron halberds, each several times larger than he was, his face filled with agonizing regret. It was evident that the Black Iron giant halberd had been cleanly cleaved in two. Clearly, this white-haired elder had suffered a major loss in the collision between the golden light and the dark light; even his weapon had been utterly severed in a single blow.

The other two white-haired elders, slightly younger, glared angrily at Ye Qin.

Besides these three elders, there was also a young woman. On either side of her slender waist were inserted two Black Iron spirit forks, and her calves were bare. This woman was none other than Bai Xiuer, whom Ye Qin had met once before on the beach of Great Wilderness Island.

Seeing the beautiful Earth Clan maiden again, and observing her small frame, Ye Qin felt a strange sensation. He even wondered: how could such a delicate, soft body, possessing divine strength not much less than that of the great Earth Clan Chief and capable of handling a Fourth-tier Sea Scorpion as if it were a toy, lack the solid musculature of the chief? From where did this divine strength erupt?