Chapter 22: Would You Even Deceive a Beast?

Qin Ming had already been quite polite.

Forcing someone to buy a coffin for no reason? What sane person would want to be associated with such a jinx? Furthermore, this kind of forced sale was clearly nothing short of robbery. His polite refusal only drew boisterous laughter from the Cloud Sky Sect cultivators.

"Let me be blunt: you are going to buy it whether you want to or not!" The stout cultivator sneered, his expression turning icy as murderous intent welled up in his eyes.

"And if I say no?" Qin Ming arched an eyebrow.

At these words, the stout cultivator drew a long blade from his back that shimmered with a chilling light. "You are welcome to try!" He spat. "Looking at your ignorant face, I assume you are a short-lived fool. Once you step into the Celestial Gold Grotto, you won't make it out alive anyway. Why not just let me kill you right now?"

The standoff between the Cloud Sky Sect and Qin Ming had attracted quite a few onlookers. They shook their heads in pity. Offending the Cloud Sky Sect? Was he tired of living? Everyone knew the Cloud Sky Sect had several elders of the Bitter Sea Realm overseeing this place; they were an absolute juggernaut. Forced sales were considered an act of mercy—at least they provided a coffin. Some rogue cultivators were even forced to hand over a portion of the divine metals they unearthed within the grotto to the sect. For this man to openly defy them was madness.

Just as tensions reached a breaking point, the jade tablet at the stout cultivator's waist suddenly flickered. Immediately after, the Celestial Gold Grotto erupted with a brilliant, blinding light, as radiant as the sun. After glancing at the message on his tablet, the stout man glared fiercely at Qin Ming. Finally, he waved his hand, leading his disciples as they dashed toward the grotto.

"The Golden Celestial Ox has emerged. Hurry and support the elders!" he shouted. "As for this guy... I'll kill him later."

With that, they flew off in a rush, vanishing into the grotto in moments. The instant they disappeared, Qin Ming’s eyes flickered. He had noticed a strange light ripple over their bodies as they crossed the threshold, and they had seemingly turned into metal. The Celestial Gold Grotto was truly a place of profound mysteries.

"Amazing, isn't it, young man?" A voice spoke up beside him. An old man had approached, offering an explanation. "Once an outsider steps into the Celestial Gold Grotto, they are assimilated and transformed into 'metal' themselves. We hunt the metal creatures within, but those very creatures also hunt us as food."

The old man shook his head, looking at Qin Ming with deep regret. The youth was about the same age as his eldest grandson, who had lost his life in the grotto years ago—a lingering sorrow in the old man's heart. That was why he felt a twinge of kindness toward the boy. "Young man, while the Cloud Sky Sect is currently preoccupied, I advise you to run. Otherwise..."

The white-haired elder didn't finish the sentence, but his expression said it all. Qin Ming cupped his hands in a salute and replied, "Thank you, senior, but I have decided to go in and try my luck."

The old man, seeing Qin Ming’s resolve, ceased his attempts to persuade him. He had lived long enough to know that one should let go of the urge to intervene and simply respect the fate of others. If not for the boy's youth, he wouldn't have bothered. The Cloud Sky Sect had several elders at the third or fourth levels of the Bitter Sea Realm inside. This boy was essentially walking to his death. He was far too young—barely twenty. At that age, one would be lucky to reach the Bone-Refining Realm. Even the geniuses fighting on the Heavenly Path were at most in the Soul-Building Realm. The Bitter Sea Realm? That was the domain of the older generation. This boy was like a mayfly trying to measure the vastness of the blue sky.

After bidding farewell to the old man, Qin Ming leaped into the air and dived into the Celestial Gold Grotto. A layer of light engulfed him, and instantly, his flesh and blood underwent a transformation, hardening into metal. Qin Ming felt a sense of surprise; he rapped his knuckles against his own arm, and it emitted a distinct, metallic clanking sound.

"My whole body turned to metal? I wonder if that applies to... everything?" Qin Ming thought, his expression turning slightly odd.

He was now a walking statue of metal. It seemed the hunting in the Celestial Gold Grotto was a two-way street. Outsiders hunted the metal creatures to refine treasures, while the metal creatures hunted the outsiders as sustenance. However, this was not the time to ponder such things.

After navigating the long, narrow passage through the cliffs, the terrain opened up into a vast landscape. It was practically a hidden paradise, complete with mountains, forests, and a sky of its own. Suddenly, a rabbit hopped out from the woods. Qin Ming was quick; in a flash, he flicked his finger.

"Bang!"

The rabbit was struck dead instantly. Its blood was also metallic, flowing like liquid. Qin Ming picked it up, feeling its heavy weight. It was indeed a metal creature. Once dead, it stopped moving, as if all its essence had been drained away. A quick inspection revealed that while it wasn't a rare divine material, its quality was decent.

"This place is interesting. No need to mine; everything is earned through the hunt," Qin Ming analyzed. He assumed this must be the outer perimeter; only in the "deep waters" would truly heaven-defying materials appear. More importantly, he was fixated on the Golden Celestial Ox the Cloud Sky Sect had mentioned. Given their reaction, it was likely a top-tier metal of immense quality. After all, anything that could bear the name "Celestial" was never ordinary.

Qin Ming headed toward the "deep waters." Along the way, he witnessed many scenes of carnage. Some outsiders were killed and devoured by metal creatures, while others who had painstakingly gathered treasures were ambushed and perished on the spot. Qin Ming remained calm. He noticed that the metal creatures were indeed fond of devouring outsiders, especially after they had been "assimilated" into metal. However, these creatures were cunning; at the slightest sign of trouble, they would vanish without a trace. They were seasoned survivors.

Suddenly, a smile spread across Qin Ming's face. An idea struck him. He decided to let the local metal creatures experience a taste of the treachery found in the outside world. He would engage in "fishing enforcement."

He decided to "play dead." Finding a comfortable spot, he lay down and used his Indestructible Dao Body to suppress his aura completely. He had to admit, he had a bit of talent for playing dead. Once he lay flat, he looked exactly like a corpse, devoid of even a trace of life.

After half an hour, Qin Ming’s muscles tensed as he felt a chill above his head. A violet-blue metallic raptor was diving down from the sky, its claws curled, shimmering with metallic luster and a hint of flame. Its cultivation was not weak—the eighth level of the Soul-Building Realm.

"Phoenix-Power Scorching Gold."

Qin Ming smiled, and as he did, he "came back to life." He pointed a finger forward, unleashing the first move of the Nine Heavens God-Slaying Sword Technique.

"Screech!"

The violet-blue raptor froze. How was this prey alive? How could it be so shameless? Even a beast would be tricked! It frantically flapped its wings, shedding metallic feathers, but it was a step too late. The finger pierced through its body, extinguishing its meager intelligence, and it fell to the earth, dead.