Chapter 120: Suspicion

Tu Lu’s expression shifted instantly!

He had already agreed to scout the path; how could this group still refuse to let him go?

As for the promise made by the short young man, Tu Lu did not believe a single word of it. Even if he did, he could never accept it! Setting aside whether this "Poison King Pill" was truly as the short man described, even if it were real, would his life not still be held in their hands once the expedition concluded? If they used that as leverage to force him to continue risking his life, what then? He might yield temporarily, but he had no intention of being at someone else’s mercy for the rest of his life!

Thinking of this, his expression grew even more wretched.

"Boy, did you not hear what the Young Master said?"

At that moment, the young man in purple robes on the far left, growing impatient, shouted sternly. His name was Zi Bai, a disciple of the ancient Purple Cloud Palace. In this Taixuan Space, they were a force to be reckoned with, which made them arrogant and overbearing—not to mention that their Young Master was present! With a lineup like this, even solitary experts would have no choice but to submit. Yet Tu Lu, a mere cultivator at the Purple Mansion stage who looked as pathetic as a newcomer and had not even begun to temper his Taixuan Body, dared to hesitate?

In Zi Bai’s mind, upon hearing the Young Master’s demand, Tu Lu should have been groveling and begging to swallow that Poison King Pill. After all, even if it meant being a human shield or a sacrificial pawn, being associated with the Young Master was a matter of pride! After all, the Young Master was a Qualified One! How could Tu Lu possibly refuse?

***

Tu Lu gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "I can take it, but you must swear an oath. Once the exploration ends, you must give me the antidote and let me leave!"

Hearing this, Zi Bai’s face darkened instantly. "Insolence! What kind of thing are you to dare negotiate with the Young Master?"

With that, he swung a palm toward Tu Lu! He intended to teach him a lesson and make him realize his place. Tu Lu instinctively tried to dodge, but he failed to avoid the strike. Zi Bai’s palm landed squarely on his face. Tu Lu’s body jolted, and he stumbled back more than a dozen steps.

"Hmm?"

Tu Lu let out a soft sound of surprise. He was shocked, but not because Zi Bai’s attack was too strong—it was because it was too weak, far below his expectations! Although Zi Bai had the weakest aura among the five, in Tu Lu's perception, it had been unfathomable, at the very least above the Spirit Transformation stage. How could a strike from a Spirit Transformation master only force him to stagger back this far?

If that was the case, what was there to be afraid of?

Though he had retreated a dozen steps, it was only because the strike had been so sudden that he hadn't had time to brace himself. In truth, he hadn't suffered a single injury. The force of Zi Bai’s blow... it felt no different from that of an ordinary Mountain-Moving stage cultivator. Landing on his sacred body, it felt like nothing more than a tickle! If his own cultivation power hadn't been sealed, he could have crushed a whole crowd of them with a single finger!

Wait!

A thought struck him, and he suddenly understood. In his perception, these people indeed possessed terrifying auras, yet they couldn't exert any real strength. Could it be that, just like him, their cultivation power had been sealed?

***

Thinking of this, his heart began to race.

If that were true, what did it matter if they were Spirit Transformation experts or even Great Profound Heaven masters? Without cultivation power, who could stand against his sacred body? The key now was to confirm whether their power was truly suppressed.

Whether it was true or not, a single test would tell. He licked his lips, his eyes narrowing.

These people naturally noticed the change in Tu Lu’s expression, and they all furrowed their brows. Zi Bai, in particular, looked at his own palm with confusion. Although he hadn't used lethal force, that strike should have at least made Tu Lu cough up blood. The fact that there was no reaction at all was far from normal!

However, he quickly dismissed the doubt. After all, even with the power-sealing effects of the Taixuan Space, the gaps between the great realms could not be entirely negated. A Great Heaven cultivator who had tempered their body through multiple heavenly tribulations would always be superior to a Purple Mansion cultivator in terms of physique and raw strength! That strike must have been too light because he had been too cautious.

With this thought, he sneered, "Boy, that was just a small warning. Are you going to agree or not? If not, you can die right now!"

Hearing this, Tu Lu tightened his brow, a cold laugh forming in his heart. Before he could respond, a crisp voice rang out from behind him.