"Given the current conditions, even if I wanted to cooperate, I couldn't!" Ghost Face quickened his pace once more as he spoke, "You really don't understand what excites us."

"Imagine if you knew that ahead of you is a peerless Cultivation Technique that can greatly enhance your strength, and once mastered, you'd be invincible in the world." Ghost Face retorted, "Wouldn't you feel excited and your blood boiling?"

"Of course, I'd be somewhat excited, but not to the extent you are!"

After Xiao Tian confirmed this, he looked at Ghost Face, whose steps were as lively as if he were on parade, each step bouncing like a spring was underfoot, and showed a helpless expression.

Trying hard to suppress his laughter, Xiao Tian suddenly saw Ghost Face turn his gaze onto him, sizing him up and down, with a puzzled look: "Actually, I'm very curious why you're not very proactive about restoring your strength?"

This truly wronged Xiao Tian. His desire to restore his own power was far more intense than most people present.

The numerous battles and dangerous situations along the way had deeply ingrained in him a sense of helplessness.

Many times, in facing adversaries, he could easily identify their weaknesses, but simply lacked the power to capitalize on them, missing many good opportunities.

If there's a word to describe his current situation, it would be reaching for the lofty while settling for the low, yet he has no choice but to accept this reality.

So, to say Xiao Tian is unenthusiastic about regaining his strength would be a grave injustice!

He just didn't want to show too much eagerness or impatience in wanting to restore his strength, which might pressure those around him.

If success is to be achieved, then the possibility of failure must be planned for in advance. Xiao Tian didn't want to see those around him disappointed, so he hid his true thoughts, appearing to go along with fate.

Just as he was about to answer Ghost Face's question, the group simultaneously halted their steps.

Because they all saw a group approaching from a distance, initially estimating around forty people, with about half of them tied up at the front of the group, being occasionally pushed.

As the group got close enough to be barely discernible, Xiao Tian frowned and said, "Why do I have a feeling those people's outfits look familiar? Like I've seen them somewhere before."

At this moment, Lin Bingxuan also saw the approaching group and immediately recognized them: "Do you remember Saintly Virtue Daoist?"

With one sentence, Xiao Tian was suddenly enlightened: "No wonder I thought they looked familiar!"

Realizing the newcomers were not friends, Lin Bingxuan lightly bit her lip and said worriedly, "We should hide on the side first, and move after they pass by."

Ghost Face agreed: "Exactly, the urgent task is to get the Five Elements Crystal first, and as for any unnecessary trouble, better to avoid it if possible."

Seeing over half of the four-person group had already agreed, Xiao Tian turned his gaze to Melinda, waiting for her to express her thoughts.

"Although I don't know what conflict you have with those people, if it's not important, I agree with Bingxuan. You should stay low until your strength is restored!"

With three people supporting retreat, and Xiao Tian not being a war fanatic, plus not having suffered major losses in confrontations with Saintly Virtue Daoist and others, he agreed, leading everyone to hide behind a large rock by the roadside.

...

As the distant group approached, they soon heard a familiar voice.

"I need to pee, let me go!"

The four people behind the rock were simultaneously surprised. Wasn't that Yun You's voice? Why was he with the Dao Yi Sect people and tied up like a dumpling?

Xiao Tian left the invisibility Jade Pendant with Lin Bingxuan and Melinda, then quietly led Ghost Face closer to the roadside stones, hoping to gather some useful information.

However, when the two saw a man with a swollen, unrecognizable face who looked like Yun You, tightly bound, they couldn't help but be shocked.

Looking at the man, tied more securely than the others, with thicker ropes, the two observed closely and when they saw the scabbard on the man's back, their eyes were filled with disbelief.

Celestial Punishment Daoist?!

After confirming the identity, Xiao Tian and Ghost Face exchanged glances and then looked around the field, finding that all the bound individuals were Celestial Punishment Daoist's people.

"Uncle Saintly Sea, this guy is too much trouble, why don't we just leave them here to fend for themselves?" A disciple said, untying Yun You while complaining.

"Short-sighted!" Celestial Punishment Daoist scolded sternly: "Do you think what Celestial Punishment Daoist just explained was everything?! I can assure you it wasn't!"

"Carrying these people with us is troublesome, but nobody knows the exact location of that treasure, it's all luck finding it, who finds it is still uncertain!"

Saintly Sea Daoist added: "These people can be used as cannon fodder if necessary, or even as bombs to explode, whoever gets the treasure we snatch from them, and the blame won't be ours, it'll be on the Kunlun Sect."

"Uncle, you're simply brilliant!" The disciple, who had already untied Yun You, looked at Saintly Sea Daoist with admiration, complimenting him.

Hiding behind the nearby stone, Ghost Face couldn't help but whisper: "Who exactly is this Saintly Sea that he dares to act against Kunlun Sect people on Kunlun Mountain?!"

In Ghost Face's view, although this place is deep within Kunlun, far from the Kunlun Sect's mountain gate, it shouldn't be done so blatantly!

"They're from Lu Province..." Xiao Tian briefly explained the situation to Ghost Face, which only confused him further.

"The current situation is hard to say, but Celestial Punishment Daoist probably faced a large-scale siege; Saintly Sea Daoist and crew alone wouldn't be a match for him!" Xiao Tian said, indicating Ghost Face to keep watching.

Indeed, Xiao Tian was puzzled by many things, like how Saintly Sea Daoist openly stated his plan in front of the Kunlun Sect people without any attempt to hide it.

Moreover, despite Celestial Punishment Daoist and the Kunlun Sect people hearing his words, they showed no reaction, appearing dejected, which was bewildering!

The only slightly normal-looking person was the least powerful Yun You, unlike others' desolate appearances, he seemed indignant as if greatly wronged.

As he pondered, Yun You had started moving, but because the ropes on his injured feet weren't completely untied, he moved slowly, almost like a senile old man, shuffling along.

"They're all men, why's this guy going so far away, afraid to make us feel inferior after seeing him?"

As the words were spoken, laughter erupted from the disciples behind Saintly Sea Daoist.