185: Chapter 184 Qiankun Token

Inside the small courtyard.

Qin Changsheng sat cross-legged on a futon, his mind beginning to review every word and sentence of his recent conversation with Chen Erniu.

Initially, he had assumed Chen Erniu was just like himself, both seeking Golden Core Yao Beast cores to exchange for a Sword Villa invitation, thereby entering the Sword Imperial Pool to obtain treasures.

However, Qin Changsheng noticed that when mentioning the cores of Golden Core Yao Beasts, Chen Erniu did not show much excitement.

Instead, he seemed somewhat excited when speaking about creating a commotion on the west side.

"Chen Erniu is the Reincarnation of a Soul Transformation expert."

"With his strength, even if his cultivation hasn't fully recovered, it wouldn't be difficult for him to obtain a Golden Core Yao Beast core on his own. Why go through the extra trouble of inviting me to collaborate? Furthermore, he's unwilling to reveal his escape plan, which clearly indicates he has other designs."

He repeatedly recalled Chen Erniu's expression while explaining the plan. He had little interest in the Sword Villa, but when the Lin Family of Liuhuo Prefecture was mentioned, a trace of hard-to-detect urgency was hidden deep in his eyes.

A thought flashed through Qin Changsheng's mind like lightning, bringing him instant clarity.

Chen Erniu didn't come for the Yao Beast cores at all.

Those two Golden Core Yao Beast cores were merely his excuse!

Chen Erniu wanted Hu Nan to attract the Lin Family's attention.

His true target must be some treasure belonging to the Lin Family of Liuhuo Prefecture.

Hu Nan was nothing more than Chen Erniu's pawn.

"The Lin Family... what kind of treasure could the Lin Family of Liuhuo Prefecture possibly have that would make a Soul Transformation Reincarnation like Chen Erniu so concerned?" Qin Changsheng was filled with doubt.

Although he wasn't sure exactly what the treasure was, for it to make Chen Erniu go through such lengths to carefully lay out a plan, it must be an extremely precious existence.

Qin Changsheng had to figure out Chen Erniu's true objective in advance and seize the initiative. Only then could he maximize his gains while avoiding harm, securing the Yao Beast cores while also taking the opportunity to investigate the tracks of that unknown treasure.

After a moment of thought, Qin Changsheng made his decision.

That was to send his Incarnation, Wang Cheng, to Liuhuo Prefecture ahead of time.

He would investigate what treasures the Lin Family had acquired at that recent auction in Liuhuo Prefecture.

Once he knew what the treasure was, Qin Changsheng would make his move.

...

Liuhuo Prefecture.

Liuhuo Prefecture was a city near the Heavenly Sword Sect.

The streets of Liuhuo Prefecture were wide and lined with shops. The cries of street vendors and the sounds of conversation intertwined. Although the concentration of Spiritual Qi was not as high as in the Heavenly Sword Sect, it was far denser than in ordinary towns. Cultivators in various Daoist robes could be seen everywhere; it was clearly a gathering place for practitioners.

Wang Cheng's arrival did not attract anyone's attention.

Not long after Wang Cheng entered the city gates, he spotted Lin Hao.

At this moment, Lin Hao was leading several youths of similar age toward a restaurant.

Qin Changsheng was delighted to see Lin Hao entering the restaurant.

He hadn't expected to find Lin Hao so soon after entering Liuhuo Prefecture.

Qin Changsheng knew Lin Hao very well.

He loved to show off, especially after drinking.

As long as Qin Changsheng had Wang Cheng follow him into the restaurant, he might be able to obtain the Intelligence he wanted.

With this in mind, Qin Changsheng had Wang Cheng enter the restaurant as well.

The building was bustling with noise, the aroma of wine intermingling with Spiritual Qi. Cultivators sat in small groups of twos and threes engaged in conversation; it was noisy but not chaotic.

Qin Changsheng's gaze quickly swept across the first-floor lobby, but he did not see Lin Hao or the others.

Immediately, Qin Changsheng controlled Wang Cheng to head up to the second floor.

The second floor was quieter than the first, with private rooms on both sides. The open seating in the middle was much sparser, and the Cultivators there mostly spoke in low voices, showing more composure.

As soon as Wang Cheng stepped onto the second-floor landing, his gaze accurately locked onto a window-side table not far away.

Lin Hao was sitting there, surrounded by three or four youths of similar age. All were dressed in brocade robes and possessed an extraordinary bearing; they were clearly members of the Lin Family.

Wang Cheng found an inconspicuous corner not far from Lin Hao's group and sat down. He feigned calling over an attendant to order a pot of Spiritual Tea and began to drink.

Lin Hao and the others were talking and laughing. Initially, they discussed some interesting anecdotes and their insights on how to Cultivate. Wang Cheng waited patiently without the slightest agitation.

Time passed slowly, and after only fifteen minutes, a curious voice reached Wang Cheng's ears.

"Cousin, I heard some Family Elders chatting a few days ago. They said that last year, our Family acquired a total of three treasures at the Southern Region's largest Auction House. Is that true?"

Hearing this, Lin Hao slowly set down his wine cup, his tone carrying a hint of disdain and helplessness. "What three treasures? Who have you been listening to?"

"Our Lin Family only got two Golden Core Yao Beast cores. That third item can't be considered a treasure at all."

"We were scammed!"

"Scammed?" The youth's eyes flashed with surprise as he hurriedly pressed for more, his tone urgent. "Cousin, what exactly was it that could actually scam our Lin Family?"

The other youths also chimed in, their eyes full of curiosity as they urged Lin Hao to explain in detail.

Lin Hao waved his hand, his face showing some impatience, yet he still slowly spoke: "It was a token called the qiankun token."

"At the time, the Auction House's pitch made it sound extravagant, saying this token contained Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and could open a hidden Secret Realm. But after we bought it, our Family's Elders inspected it repeatedly and found that it's just an ordinary token. Aside from a few lines of obscure patterns carved on it, it has no special function at all."

Lin Hao seemed extremely dissatisfied with that token.

Far away in his small courtyard at the Heavenly Sword Sect, a flash of joy crossed Qin Changsheng's eyes when he heard the words 'qiankun token'.

Immediately, Qin Changsheng directly summoned his Heavenly Dao Entry Intelligence.

At the same time, Qin Changsheng began to search for the qiankun token within the Heavenly Dao Entry Intelligence.

In an instant, lines of clear text slowly emerged.

[qiankun token: A special token of the Qiankun Pavilion from the East Sea Cultivation World. Possessing four qiankun tokens allows one to enter the Qiankun Pavilion Secret Realm and comprehend an Ancient Divine Ability within.]

[Holder Details: 1. Qin Changsheng, Location: Heavenly Sword Sect;]

[2. Chen Erniu, Affiliation: Heavenly Sword Sect, near Hu Nan's courtyard]);

[3. Liuhuo Prefecture Lin Family: Lin Family Ancestral Hall]

[qiankun token: A total of one hundred tokens, scattered within the Southern Region Cultivation World and the East Sea Cultivation World]

"The East Sea Cultivation World!"

"No wonder Lin Zhentian and the others didn't know!" Qin Changsheng's heart was hit by a wave of shock, and he couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice.

They were currently in the Southern Region Cultivation World.

Qin Changsheng had heard people speak of the East Sea Cultivation World before.

The overall cultivation level of the East Sea Cultivation World was much higher than that of the Southern Region Cultivation World.

Golden Core and Nascent Soul Cultivators were very common there.

There were even many Soul Transformation powerhouses.

In contrast, Golden Core Cultivators were quite rare in the Southern Region Cultivation World.

Nascent Soul powerhouses were also few and far between.

However, the connection between the East Sea Cultivation World and the Southern Region Cultivation World had been severed tens of thousands of years ago.

It was extremely difficult to travel from the Southern Region Cultivation World to the East Sea Cultivation World.

Only now did Qin Changsheng understand why Chen Erniu was so concerned about this token.

It turned out that as long as one obtained four tokens, they could enter the Qiankun Pavilion to comprehend an Ancient Divine Ability.

Qin Changsheng's mind was as clear as a mirror; Chen Erniu's layout, from the moment he invited the collaboration, was a carefully woven trap.

That detailed Lin Family defense map and the seemingly thorough plan to steal the cores were merely bait used to keep him steady.

As a Soul Transformation Reincarnation, Chen Erniu likely knew from the beginning that a qiankun token had fallen into the hands of the Lin Family in Liuhuo Prefecture.

Qin Changsheng also understood Chen Erniu's objective perfectly.

He was having Hu Nan attract the attention of the Lin Family's experts.

At that time, Chen Erniu could use the chaos to break free from any entanglement and slip in while they were vulnerable to search the Lin Family for the qiankun token.

This would greatly increase Chen Erniu's chances of success.

A plan to counter Chen Erniu and seize the initiative began to take shape in his mind.

First, he would proceed according to Chen Erniu's plan.

He would let Hu Nan attract the attention of the Lin Family's experts.

Then, while the Lin Family's experts were distracted by Hu Nan, Wang Cheng could enter the Lin Family's Ancestral Hall and take the qiankun token one step ahead of Chen Erniu.

Qin Changsheng simulated the plan several times in his mind.

He found that there were no omissions in this plan.

After all, Chen Erniu was still not clear on where exactly the qiankun token was located.

But Qin Changsheng knew it was inside the Ancestral Hall.

By the time Chen Erniu began his search, Wang Cheng would have already slipped into the Ancestral Hall and taken the qiankun token away.