Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 915 - 915 0553 Cant Withstand Scrutiny_2

Chapter 915: Chapter 0553 Can’t Withstand Scrutiny_2 Chapter 915: Chapter 0553 Can’t Withstand Scrutiny_2 Gao Jinmei sat waiting for Zhang Ting to touch the prohibitions, and once that happened, the alarms on the Storage Bag would go off, allowing her to “awaken.” After that, she could openly and rightfully give Zhang Ting a beating. Qi Tian merely forbade her from killing Zhang Ting, so the worst she could do was leave Zhang Ting with severe injuries.

However, a scene Gao Jinmei hadn’t anticipated unfolded before her. Zhang Ting’s hand still passed through the Storage Bag without any hindrance, and with a swift grab, she retrieved several items.

This sight nearly startled Gao Jinmei into opening her eyes, but she reacted quickly and managed to steady her emotions. If she had carelessly released her presence, even for a split second, it could have spooked the quarry and ruined Qi Tian’s plan.

At this moment, a slight smile appeared at the corner of Qi Tian’s mouth. After monitoring Zhang Ting’s entire theft through the sensing function of the Heavenly Dao Engine for over an hour, he finally understood how Zhang Ting, with her mere first level of the Foundation Establishment Stage strength, managed to easily empty the Storage Bags of all seven people present.

Frankly speaking, this matter wasn’t really closely related to Zhang Ting. Or rather, she was just the executor, the one charging into the fray. The true reason Zhang Ting possessed such ability was only one, and that was the spirit crow.

When Zhang Ting reached her hand into the Storage Bag, Qi Tian captured a breath that did not belong to her. This breath was extremely faint and weak, and if it were not for the Heavenly Dao Engine’s capability to detect the slightest traces of Spirit Qi in the world, this secret might never have been revealed.

In other words, Zhang Ting could ignore the layers of prohibitions on the Storage Bag because the spirit crow cooperated with her, combining one of its innate divine abilities with Zhang Ting. This divine ability must be quite powerful; otherwise, it wouldn’t have allowed Zhang Ting to empty seven Storage Bags with such ease.

Qi Tian found this innate divine ability quite intriguing. If he could get his hands on it, breaking various prohibitions in the future would be much easier. Every time, he had to use Locust Thief Bees, which, while helpful, had limited capabilities. They could assist Qi Tian now, but in time, as his cultivation level increased, the Locust Thief Bees would gradually become irrelevant. In contrast, the assistance provided by the spirit crow was considerably more potent and potentially usable over a much longer period.

Determined, Qi Tian pondered how to acquire this innate divine ability in the future. He wondered whether the spirit crow’s innate divine ability could be extracted and then given to a person or other Spirit Beasts. If possible, that would be ideal, but if not, he would have to think of another way.

By this time, Zhang Ting had also emptied Gao Jinmei’s Storage Bag. Upon seeing the loot was even less than what they obtained from Qi Tian’s bag, Zhang Ting again called out “poor ghosts.” After cursing, she returned each of their Storage Bags, not out of kindness but in hopes of delaying the detection of the theft from the bags as long as possible.

Qi Tian watched as Zhang Ting meticulously returned each Storage Bag, chuckling to himself. Zhang Ting’s thieving experience was clearly lacking—just look at the seasoned thieves, none of them would make such a mistake. Wouldn’t they whisk away the wallet and discard it after taking the cash? Returning it would be like waiting to get caught, wouldn’t it?

Zhang Ting seemed either oblivious to this fact or, perhaps, she was keenly aware, yet so confident in the Bewilderment Pills she used; she wasn’t worried about Qi Tian and his companions waking up early. That must have been why she thought to tie up loose ends in this manner.

A cold smirk played upon Qi Tian’s lips—there was no one in this world who could steal from him without paying a price. Qi Tian had already taken note of the Storage Bag Zhang Ting used to hold all the loot; she had casually slung it around her waist, seemingly planning to organize the bag and secure it carefully once back inside her tent.

Perhaps it was overconfidence that led Zhang Ting to not secure the Storage Bag with a fast knot but rather a slipknot. Qi Tian spread his palm open and the Transporting Whirlwinds flew out, heading straight for Zhang Ting.

At that time, Zhang Ting was diligently returning the seven Storage Bags to their proper owners. The spirit crow, which had done commendable work, was perchance drained of its energy and began to doze off on a nearby tree branch; its eyes closed and its head bobbing slowly.

The Transporting Whirlwinds quickly entwined with the slipknot on the Storage Bag around Zhang Ting’s waist. Under Qi Tian’s deft control, the knot loosened bit by bit until it came undone. As the bag, pulled by gravity, began to slide from Zhang Ting’s waist and seemed about to hit the ground with a thud, the Transporting Whirlwind hurriedly scooped it up. Cradling the Storage Bag, it flew back to Qi Tian’s hand even faster than before, allowing him to easily stow the entire bag within the Heavenly Dao Engine’s storage chamber for safekeeping.

After accomplishing all this, Qi Tian no longer paid attention to how Zhang Ting returned the other Storage Bags. He fixed his gaze on the spirit crow perched on the tree branch. He could easily use the Transporting Whirlwind to capture the spirit bird swiftly into his palm, but that would mean risking noise from the crow. A single squawk could jeopardize his plan and leave him with no choice but to kill Zhang Ting and seize the treasure by force—a result Qi Tian did not wish for. Moreover, Qi Tian was keen on using Zhang Ting to connect with the Imperial Family, mainly because of the spirit crow, the reason she was favored by them. If Qi Tian were to take the spirit crow, Zhang Ting’s chances of gaining imperial favor would be slim at best, making it incredibly difficult for him to forge ties with the Imperial Family.

As for the chance of approaching the Imperial Family personally with the spirit crow, Qi Tian had dismissed the idea from the beginning. Direct contact with the Imperial Family was far too risky; it was safer with Zhang Ting as a buffer to avoid drawing their attention and becoming a target. Besides, Qi Tian was not a native of the Imperial Family Secret Territory—it would not withstand scrutiny.

After weighing the pros and cons, Qi Tian chose to let go. Although he was quite interested in the spirit crow and its innate divine ability, compared to establishing a connection with the Imperial Family and learning the core secrets of the Imperial Family Secret Territory, these things paled in significance. Besides, these opportunities were always there; not seizing them now did not mean he wouldn’t have a chance later. And although the spirit crown was a prized Spirit Bird in the Imperial Family Secret Territory, it was not rare. If Zhang Ting could acquire one, so might others, and even Qi Tian himself might come across an unclaimed spirit crow eventually. Then, he could delve into the so-called innate divine abilities at his leisure.