Edge of the Corpse Bone Abyss, a certain cave.

"..."

Sheng Nian was toying with a communication talisman in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed, seemingly pondering something.

Just then, Lyu Qin returned from outside.

Sheng Nian quickly put away the communication talisman. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Although his movements were swift, Lyu Qin caught every single one of them.

"Junior Brother, you’re not Cultivating properly here. What are you doing?"

Sheng Nian maintained his arrogant Aura and attitude: "Hmph, mind your own business."

He stood up and walked out of the cave.

Perhaps he had grown accustomed to his Junior Brother’s attitude, or perhaps he was very good at enduring.

Lyu Qin’s face did not show much displeasure.

He slightly turned his head, looking in the direction Sheng Nian had left.

"That little bastard has been sneaking around these past few days..."

After a moment of contemplation, a layer of dim spiritual power appeared around him, concealing him in the night.

Sheng Nian walked along, occasionally glancing around cautiously.

Upon reaching a fork in the road, he suddenly leaped towards the northeast.

The Mass Grave.

Sheng Nian occasionally looked around, then quickly walked behind a stretch of dilapidated walls, to a set of downward gray stone steps.

A light flashed in his hand, and he slowly walked down, disappearing at the end of the steps.

On the Mass Grave, a silent, desolate mountain.

A moment later, Lyu Qin’s figure appeared at the entrance of the steps, like a shadow.

His gaze was not directed down the steps, but rather focused on a broken stone nearby.

He gently brushed away the dust and small stones on it, revealing a very hidden symbol.

It looked like some kind of helmet ornament, or perhaps the horn of a Demon Beast.

It was faintly visible, but not clearly discernible.

Lyu Qin’s pupils slightly contracted.

"Asura Path..."

His Junior Brother was actually in contact with people from the Asura Path.

But he had never heard that the Demonic Cultivators of the Asura Path were involved in this matter?

Before the two of them were ordered to come to Changping, Hermit Xin Shan had spoken to him alone.

"If you discover any unusual movements from Sheng Nian, there’s no need to stop him. Just observe the situation and report back truthfully afterward."

Just as he was pondering his next move, another sound came from the steps below.

Lyu Qin quickly concealed himself, blending into the night.

Sheng Nian emerged from below, scouted around, and then quickly left.

"..."

A moment later, a shadowy figure slowly walked down the steps.

There was a protective Formation here.

"Ho ho..."

Lyu Qin sneered: "A mere trick."

His Junior Brother probably didn’t know that before he became a Disciple under Hermit Xin Shan, he had entered the Dao through Formations.

He formed a Dao seal with his hand, a flash of blood light appeared on his fingertips, and he tapped several Formation eyes.

Buzz—

The Formation was still operating, but when he stepped in, he was not hindered.

This was a secret chamber.

Aside from this entrance, there was also a door on the opposite side, leading to an unknown place.

However, it was currently blocked by a pile of old incense, paper money, and an altar, making passage difficult.

In the center of the secret chamber was an altar.

On it lay a Jade Slip.

In the Cultivation World, Cultivators mostly used sound transmission talismans for communication, but sound transmission talismans also carried the risk of being intercepted.

Therefore, if the content was more secret, information could naturally be exchanged by engraving it on a Jade Slip and handing it over in person.

Lyu Qin slowly stepped forward, carefully inspected it, and after repeatedly confirming that there were no special methods on it, he picked it up and extended his Divine Thought into it.

"Jin Tianya!?"

His heart was startled.

The content of the Jade Slip was actually Jin Tianya’s exact location.

The Yellow Springs Path would move Jin Tianya in three days, and at that time, the Asura Path would intervene to snatch him.

"The Yellow Springs Path originally imprisoned Jin Tianya in Cheng Family Village..."

Lyu Qin pondered.

However, this was not the real focus of his concern.

What startled him was how deeply hidden the people of the Asura Path were.

The great Demonic Path orthodoxies in this world were divided into five branches.

The Asura Path, the Joyful Union Sect, the Yellow Springs Path, the Seed Demon Path, and the Evil Sword Sect.

In Qi Country, there were basically only Demonic Cultivators from the Yellow Springs Path and the Seed Demon Path.

As far as Lyu Qin knew, the Asura Path only had a significant presence in the Central Region and within the borders of Qi Country.

However... Changping was located on the border between Qi Country and Chu Country. If they heard some news and came here to interfere, it wasn’t impossible.

The key was, what was the relationship between his Junior Brother and the Asura Path?

"In three days..."

Lyu Qin took out a Jade Slip from his qiankun bag.

He meticulously copied the content of the message Jade Slip, then put it back on the altar exactly as it was.

With a thought of his Divine Sense, he perceived that someone seemed to be coming this way.

He quickly transformed into a shadow and left the secret chamber.

On the Mass Grave, a black-robed figure was walking towards them.

Lyu Qin did not use his Divine Sense to investigate, but merely by the strong, undeniable Killing Intent emanating from the other party, it was something he had never seen before.

"Asura Path...?"

The black-robed figure stepped into the secret chamber, but after a moment, he walked out and then left.

"Ho ho..."

Lyu Qin sneered.

He thought to himself that his Junior Brother, in terms of both Luck and Aptitude, was indeed extremely rare.

Unfortunately... he was a bit slow-witted.

"Sheng Nian, oh Sheng Nian..."

"He thinks that by joining forces with the Asura Path, he can deceive everyone."

Lyu Qin was now almost certain that Sheng Nian must have discovered Jin Tianya’s whereabouts, but wanted to conspire with the Asura Path to get a share of the spoils.

He pondered in his mind.

If he could personally capture Jin Tianya, extract the whereabouts of the Central Region’s secret treasure, and then report back to his Master, it would probably be enough for him to replace Sheng Nian’s position in his Master’s heart.

"In three days, I’ll have to go and see what kind of play the Yellow Springs Path and the Asura Path are putting on."

"If the sandpiper and clam fight, and both are injured..."

"I might as well be the fisherman!"

He schemed in his mind, his figure blending into the night, silently departing... Outside the Corpse Bone Abyss.

Sheng Nian sat alone on a cliff, gazing in the direction of Cheng Family Village.

"Next, it’s up to Old Song."

He muttered to himself.

Demonic thoughts surged in his mind, and the old voice softly rose: "Once Lyu Qin dies, Hermit Xin Shan will have almost no one truly capable under him."

"You no longer need to worry about him becoming suspicious."

Sheng Nian shook his head slightly: "It’s too early to say all that. Let’s consider it when Lyu Qin is truly dead."

The Demonic thought sneered: "Ho ho, Lyu Qin, though meticulous in thought, is extremely arrogant, always believing his own wisdom to be superior."

"He always thinks only he can see through situations that others cannot."

"I’ve seen too many people like him."

"Now he thinks you have courage but no strategy, and believes he can easily manipulate you."

On this point, Sheng Nian actually agreed with the old demon.

Regarding Jin Tianya, if he had told Lyu Qin directly, Lyu Qin would have become suspicious.

However, when Lyu Qin himself followed the "clues," detected others’ "flaws" and "telltale signs," and gradually uncovered the so-called secret step by step...

For someone like him, who was arrogant and believed in his own wisdom, he would naturally be convinced without a doubt.

Moreover, in the eyes of this Senior Brother, he was merely a foolish person with some Luck and no cunning.

"Three more days."