The shockwave slowly subsided after a moment, and the elders emerged from the illusion.
Seeing the chaos around them, they were greatly astonished. Yan Buxiu, on the other hand, was kneeling on the ground, blood spilling from his mouth, his complexion pale as death.
"Island Master!" The elders rushed over, "Thank you for protecting us!"
Yan Buxiu was too exhausted to scold them. "Go... gather the scattered magical artifacts, spirit stones, and elixirs... quickly!"
This was the foundation of Penglai Island! It must not be lost!
The elders exchanged glances, each harboring their own thoughts.
But Yan Buxiu noticed their ulterior motives and coldly warned, "You’ve been on Penglai Island for so many years. Surely you know what happens to those who betray it?"
Several elders immediately stifled their thoughts. Even if they could unite to kill Yan Buxiu, they wouldn’t escape death if the island master’s wife and two sons returned.
"Master, we misunderstood! We’ll go immediately!" The elders expressed their loyalty and turned to recover the scattered treasures.
However, given the earlier tremendous impact, finding everything would naturally take some time.
Yan Buxiu had already expended a significant amount of spiritual power when he activated the Immortal Sect’s defenses. Now, after another fierce battle, he was even weaker.
He sat down to absorb spiritual energy, slightly recovering from his injuries.
The elders gradually returned. The magical artifacts, unless specifically concealed, all emitted faint auras, and even the elixirs released herbal scents, making them relatively easy to find even in the corners.
The problem was—some elixirs had been hidden away by the disciples. Under pressure, they handed over some, but those that could absorb spiritual energy to enhance cultivation were swallowed by certain disciples.
Moreover, over a dozen magical artifacts were missing.
Yan Buxiu’s expression darkened.
He gathered all the island’s disciples and said, "Return the magical artifacts. I can overlook this and allow you to continue cultivating on the island. Otherwise..."
Those disciples who had hoarded elixirs were struck by wind blades, their bodies severed into pieces, blood gushing out, regardless of whether they had reached the Base Building stage or the Golden Core realm.
The disciples gasped.
Was this not more ruthless than that Firewood Cutter?
They hurriedly surrendered the magical artifacts they had hidden.
The Primordial Lotus Seed was undoubtedly gone, but after Yan Buxiu’s inspection, he discovered that the Crimson Nine Lands Spear was also missing.
He had already given the disciples a chance, so he ordered them to produce their Qiankun Bags and storage bags, including the elders, to inspect them one by one.
The Crimson Nine Lands Spear was an immortal artifact, entirely crimson, with a sharp spearhead that seemed to burn with flame.
One strike could pierce the hardest crystal, break through the most resilient barriers, and shake the land of the Nine Continents!
As a Spell Cultivator, Yan Buxiu found such an excellent immortal artifact a waste to use himself, so he intended to give it to his second son.
But as he finished his inspection, he found nothing.
Many disciples had died, leaving no trace behind. Investigating based on status would certainly not work.
He was ready to kill disciples to force them to reveal the whereabouts of the Crimson Nine Lands Spear.
One disciple hurriedly bowed down and said, "Master, it was Xu Chengzhou... he took the Crimson Nine Lands! Just now, I saw him alive, but now I can’t see him anywhere; he must have taken the spear away!"
"Xu Chengzhou?" Yan Buxiu clearly didn’t recall this person.
The elder managing the outer disciples spoke, "Master, he is an outer disciple."
Yan Buxiu furrowed his brows, "Base Building?"
"Yes..." The elder hesitated, "He recently achieved Base Building."
Yan Buxiu was furious. Since he had reached Base Building, he must have fled on his sword!
He immediately issued an order: "Proclaim my command! Capture Xu Chengzhou, and whoever brings me his head will be rewarded with a mid-grade Gathering Qi Dan! Whoever retrieves the Crimson Nine Lands Spear will be awarded a top-grade Hunyuan Dan and promoted to a third-ranking elder!"
The disciples were excited, eager to go capture Xu Chengzhou immediately.
At this moment, a cry echoed from the horizon: "Father!"
He saw Yan Luo landing after she sheathed her sword, her face pale, clearly frightened.
She sobbed as she approached, her eyes red and swollen.
"Father, that... that Firewood Cutter almost killed me. Luckily, I had the talisman that exchanges one life for another; she killed someone else, so I survived... You must tear her to pieces, or I’ll never sleep soundly again..."
Before she could finish, Yan Buxiu slapped her hard across the face.
Empowered by spiritual energy, Yan Luo couldn’t withstand the force, tumbling onto the ground.
Her fair face was heavily bruised, with blood seeping out.
She gently touched her injury, seeing the blood on her fingers, her complexion turned even paler, and her pupils constricted.
"Father... why did you hit me?"
She questioned hoarsely, "What did I do wrong?!"
Yan Buxiu hesitated for a moment, but seeing Yan Luo’s defiant expression only fueled his anger.
He pointed at her and scolded, "You broke the magic formation, allowing the Firewood Cutter to wreak havoc again. She came to Penglai Island to kill, causing many disciples and elders to die, and I lost numerous magical artifacts and elixirs. Tell me, how could I not hit you?!"
Yan Luo finally glanced around.
The devastation and bloodshed around her were beyond comprehension.
She pouted but said, "Just a few people died and some magical artifacts and elixirs were lost, and you hit me... Father, you’ve never hit me! Why can you do this today?!"
Yan Buxiu was infuriated, clutching his chest, "Do you... do you know that the Crimson Nine Lands spear meant for your Second Brother has been lost? You know his temper; if he finds out you caused this trouble, he will definitely skin you alive!"
Indeed, the moment her Second Brother was mentioned, Yan Luo turned pale and trembled all over.
That was the immortal artifact her Second Brother wanted most.
If he knew it was lost, he would truly beat her to death...
She covered her face and cried out, "Father, it wasn’t on purpose! I just wanted the Firewood Cutter to kill those vile Daoists. I really didn’t expect her to come to Penglai Island..."
"It must be Chu Nanli! She must have instigated the Firewood Cutter to come here! It has nothing to do with me!"
At this moment, an elder spoke up: "Master, the Fourth Young Miss has caused such a great disaster; she should be executed!"
Another elder chimed in, "Indeed. We’ve lost three elders and many Golden Core disciples. Penglai Island has suffered severe losses!"
A third elder added, "Those were the most promising disciples of Penglai Island. Now, most of the remaining ones are at the Base Building stage. With this, Penglai Island will face a severe gap in strength, greatly diminishing our power in the Immortal World!"
Not to mention those elixirs...
Seven or eight elders knelt down, pleading with Yan Buxiu to take action.