Chapter 323: The Building Left Empty

The first level of the crystal mine cave—a trap room!
Under the control of the Blood River Sect, more than thirty people entered the small hall near the trap room without feeling crowded at all. The three sect leaders exchanged glances. Blood River Jiu Tian gritted his teeth and said, “Brother Hu, Brother Zhao, Jiu Tian will lead the brothers ahead first…”
“Forget it, Brother Jiu Tian. You and your brothers still haven’t fully recovered your strength. Let my Jade Fox Palace and the righteous factions take the lead this time. What do you think, Brother Zhao?”
Hu Yanluo was able to rally a massive force of over eight thousand people in Bao Kang—not just because of his appearance that made girls scream, but also because of his strength and charisma, which were the main reasons why countless brothers followed him.
“Brother Hu is right. Brother Jiu Tian, you can come in during the second wave.” With that, Zhao Wuji and Hu Yanluo each took six of the most skilled fighters from their factions and resolutely entered the trap room.
After placing the colorful minerals there…
Boom!
A wall descended at the entrance of the trap room, isolating everyone outside.
By the time the trap room reopened, it was completely empty. Hu Yanluo and the others had already gone to the second level. Blood River Jiu Tian didn’t dare delay and quickly led his men in to place the colorful minerals.
Once inside…
The expected fierce battle scene didn’t appear…
In the small hall, less than thirty meters long and wide, the crystal walls reflected dazzling light. Hu Yanluo, Zhao Wuji, and over a dozen skilled fighters from the two factions stood in the somewhat empty and quiet hall, their faces filled with surprise and confusion. One disciple caught the attention of the “Stone King,” who was running around with dangerous creatures at the Liberation Realm.
“Damn it! No one here!”
“It seems the news leaked. They’ve logged off.” Blood River Jiu Tian reacted quickly, frowning as he stepped in front of Hu Yanluo and Zhao Wuji.
“That can’t be… What’s the point of logging off? If we don’t leave, their situation will only get worse!” Hu Yanluo scanned the surroundings, noting the traces of excavation, and said strangely, “Lei Zhan is a top-ranked expert after all. He can’t possibly be this careless.”
Zhao Wuji and Blood River Jiu Tian nodded in agreement.
As long as they stayed here, the enemy had no way out—either stay offline forever or die if they tried to come out…
Just as everyone was puzzled, a homing pigeon flew in!
Whoosh!
Another one! A third!
The three sect leaders received messages via homing pigeons at the same time. Their expressions changed, and they hurriedly unfolded the notes. After reading their contents, they all gasped in shock.
“What a clever tactic!”

“As expected of the number one expert…”
Hu Yan Luan Yu also gave a bitter smile, glancing at Xue He Jiu Tian, whose expression was already grim.
After reading the note, Xue He Jiu Tian’s paleness deepened even more.
The people from the Xue He Sect seemed to realize something and gathered around him, showing signs of anxiety and worry.
He instantly appeared years older, speaking in a dry voice, “Happy is outside the cave…”
“What!”
The group was stunned, their faces turning extremely grim.
What shocked them wasn’t Happy’s arrival, but the timing… After all, all the elite members of the three major factions were gathered here, including the renowned warrior “Hu Yan Luan Yu.” Unlike the guys from the Reed Marsh, they wouldn’t necessarily be afraid of the famous Happy in a direct confrontation.
But the problem was that they had spent 24 pieces of multicolored ore to reach the second level of the Crystal Mine…
At the current market price, that equaled 12 million silver taels!
Yet, having failed to achieve their goal, a crisis had arisen outside—without going out, relying solely on their allies outside, they would surely struggle to resist Happy. Even if Happy couldn’t break in, dealing heavy blows to the elites of the three major factions would be easy!
In an instant, the three major factions found themselves in a dilemma!
Leaving the second level of the Crystal Mine meant wasting 1,200 silver taels. Although this amount wasn’t huge when spread out, it was still a heavy blow to them…
But staying put meant their outside allies would be left defenseless, vulnerable to Happy’s attacks at any moment.
Judging from the hesitant expressions of the leaders of the three factions, it was clear how difficult this decision was!
“Brother Jiu Tian…”
Taking a deep breath, Hu Yan Luan Yu looked at Xue He Jiu Tian:
“This time, we’ve all lost.”
“…”
Xue He Jiu Tian’s face was filled with bitterness; he couldn’t speak.
“Never mind. Let’s just free up some space on our second levels so Brother Jiu Tian can settle in. Happy is tough to deal with and extremely cunning. If we keep fighting, I’m afraid…” He didn’t finish the sentence.
But the people from the Xue He Sect understood what he meant.
This time, Happy’s appearance only cost them millions of silver taels. If he had gone straight to Baokang County and attacked their headquarters, the Xue He Sect would undoubtedly become the second Wu Du Sect.
“Then thank you, Brother Hu and Brother Zhao.”
Xue He Jiu Tian completely gave up.

Actually, from the moment he received the message and learned that Happy had appeared at the entrance of the crystal mine, he already had an epiphany—deciding to completely give up on this place…
…
Whoosh!
A group of people gradually emerged from the secret chamber. Under the astonished gazes of the numerous miners in the mine hall, they left the crystal mine swiftly with heavy expressions.
As they separated from the crowd and stepped out of the mine, the three of them were immediately captivated by the figure on horseback across from them.
Unlike the talking horse, the horse ridden by the stranger was completely black, flawless in every way, and exceptionally magnificent. It seemed utterly unaware of the tense atmosphere around it, contentedly grazing on the dewy grass. On its back sat a swordsman in a plain blue robe, wearing a conical hat, sitting motionless like a rock, looking down at the three people emerging from the crowd.
Although the stranger had caused him to lose four million taels of silver in just a few minutes, the talking man still displayed the grace of the Master of the Jade Fox Palace. He stepped forward calmly:
“Are you Happy? I’ve long heard of you! Seeing you in person today, I confirm you’re truly as impressive as the rumors say!” His voice was loud yet measured, carrying the authority of a leader.
Happy, sitting quietly on the horse, also showed a hint of admiration in his eyes.
“So it’s the Jade Fox Palace, Master Hu.” Happy gently pulled on the reins and dismounted from the horse. “I’m sorry for showing up unannounced and causing trouble. Please forgive me! There’s something urgent—hearing that the three leaders are here, I rushed over to avoid having to go to each of you separately.”
“…”
The talking man, Blood River Nine Heavens, and Zhao Wuji were stunned, showing strange and wary expressions.
“You’re looking for us three?”
“That’s right.”
Happy smiled brightly as he explained while walking over. “My brother Lei Zhan has decided to establish a gang in Baokang in the near future. You three are the most influential figures in Baokang—seeing you often, I naturally had to come and pay my respects. I also want to apologize to the brothers of the Blood River Sect to prevent misunderstandings like yesterday from happening again.”