Along the way, the two were silent. Chu Xiu meditated quietly to restore his mana, while Jiang Miaoyin was lost in her thoughts.

Half a day later, as they approached the city, she suddenly spoke, "Senior, actually, the patriarch also said that I am too soft-hearted to be the next successor of the Jiang Family."

"..."

"He said that although I possess great strength, deep inside, I am still an immature girl with naive fantasies. If this doesn’t change, there’s a high chance I will die in the Heroic Spirit Trial. That’s why I am the only one from the Jiang Family who came this time."

"..."

"He also said that the Jiang Family already has enough women; what we need now are warriors, or at least women who can return with powerful warriors."

"So what are you trying to say?"

"I..." Jiang Miaoyin hesitated for a moment, then shook her head, "It’s nothing, senior."

Chu Xiu glanced at her but didn’t say anything either.

The descendants of such big families have everything arranged for them from birth. Even if mistakes happen, there’s always someone to cover for them.

This excessive margin for error makes them complacent, eventually leading to their death from an inconspicuous decision.

But trying to reverse this ingrained mindset isn’t possible through mere lectures. It requires painful lessons in reality to make a lasting impression.

Soon, the familiar Bronze Giant Gate appeared before them.

As the door swung open, a boy, the illusory manifestation of the Master of the Domain, appeared in front of them.

"Is there any news?" He looked at them with an expectant expression.

Chu Xiu, not wasting words, casually tossed the bound Exorcist clan member onto the ground.

The Master of the Domain seemed surprised, not expecting there to be a survivor! And that Chu Xiu had brought him here so quickly! This made him doubt his own eyes, suspecting the protagonist of using an illusion technique to deceive him!

After all, deep in his subconscious, he couldn’t believe anyone could survive that tribulation and continue to reproduce in this apocalyptic world for two thousand years!

But once he confirmed that the person was indeed one of his colony, a look of ecstatic joy appeared on his face!

Mist rolled over like tendrils to reclaim the clansman back into the domain, but a burst of Demonic Qi stopped them. The mist tendrils sizzled upon contact with the Demonic Qi, evaporating like water meeting lava.

The Master of the Domain’s face darkened, "What is the meaning of this?"

Chu Xiu calmly responded, "The agreed-upon reward, I trust you haven’t forgotten?"

The boy snorted coldly, "Of course not. You think we, like humans, would go back on our word?"

"As long as you let my clansman in, I will give you what was promised."

Chu Xiu said casually, "But what if after I send the person into the domain, you refuse to honor the agreement?"

The boy frowned, "Then what do you propose?"

"How about you give me the secret treasure you mentioned before as a deposit?" Chu Xiu suggested.

After some thought, the boy nodded, "Fine, but I can only give you a portion. Should you break the agreement, you can forget about ever learning the whereabouts of other locations where Yin Qi gathers."

After speaking, the mist surged, dropping several pieces of equipment and artifacts with a clatter on the ground.

Though of low grade, together they were worth a substantial fortune.

Without further ado, Chu Xiu pushed the bound man into the domain.

The myriad of mist eagerly surrounded him, carefully assessing the man’s condition, then as if transporting a treasure, drew him into the depths of the domain.

"It’s time to fulfill your promise," Chu Xiu demanded.

There was a moment of silence in the mist, followed by an angry voice, "What do you mean by this? Sending me an old man who is on the brink of death? What use do I have for an old man?"

Chu Xiu said nothing, but his face bore a knowing grin, "So, does that mean you won’t provide the location of the Yin Qi gathering spot?"

After a pause, the other replied, "The condition I agreed to was that you’d give me ’hope,’ but a dying old man can’t qualify as such."

"However, I just asked a simple question and heard there’s another tribe there?"

"How about this: bring me a pair of a man and a woman, regardless of age. It’ll be considered that you fulfilled the agreement, and I promise, next time I’ll... "

"No need." However, before finishing, Chu Xiu interrupted him.

The voice in the mist was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting Chu Xiu’s outright rejection, then spoke more softly, "Alright, I admit it’s my fault for breaking the contract, but exchanging our ancestral land for an old man seems too good a deal, no?"

"How about this: give it a try, and regardless of success or failure, I’ll provide you with equipment and artifacts. If you successfully bring people back, I’ll immediately hand over the locations of those ancestral lands."

"Though it requires more effort on your part, think about the benefits of the ancestral lands; you’re bound to reap a significant reward."

The Master of the Domain confidently argued.

It couldn’t fathom why Chu Xiu would refuse.

Even though it went back on its word, it was confident that nobody could remain unmoved by such tempting benefits.

Even Jiang Miaoyin seemed persuaded, her expression changing from anger to contemplation.

However, Chu Xiu remained silent, his face instead showing a peculiar smile.

"You’ve made a good point."

"But I refuse."

"Hmm?" Both the Master of the Domain and Jiang Miaoyin were slightly taken aback.

Chu Xiu’s smile widened, "As punishment for your breach of contract, I will not only refuse but also return to the Blessed Land and wipe out the last remnants of your civilization; I will employ the most brutal methods, letting them burn to death in despair and agony."

"You!" The Master of the Domain was clearly not expecting such a response, caught between shock and rage, visibly flustered.

Before it could figure things out, Chu Xiu continued, "After finishing all this, I will return here and dismantle your domain piece by piece."

"Everything in this world requires energy to sustain. In the past, countless arrays in the city gathered Yin Qi for you, but now these arrays are long defunct. How long do you think your domain can withstand me with only the Yin Qi naturally settling?"

"I will initiate an attack from the outermost layer, little by little, even if this takes one year, two years, or even ten years! I will never give up."

"I will drag your essence out from within the domain and eradicate you along with all your clansmen!"

As he spoke, a cruel smile crept over Chu Xiu’s face, akin to a serial killer who has found his favored target.

Even Jiang Miaoyin couldn’t help but feel a chill to the bone, subconsciously stepping back half a step.

The Master of the Domain was utterly panicked, "Why, why would you do this? There’s nothing for you to gain from such actions!"

"Are you still trying to deceive me?" The sight of the flustered expression on the boy’s face let contempt rise in Chu Xiu’s eyes.

"The artifact that led us to the Blessed Land has only enacted its function because a survivor has consistently maintained the communication device."

"But without maintenance, how would you provide us with a map to other ancestral lands?"

"Furthermore, in the very first Blessed Land we explored, it’s so coincidental that we stumbled upon a survivor? I can’t believe in such fortune."

"If I’m not mistaken, all the artifacts guiding to ancestral lands you have, only the one we received is still functional, right?"

"Merely those secret treasures you provided are not ’part of’ your collection, but all of it, isn’t that so?"

"In other words, you have nothing left to trade with currently."

With Chu Xiu’s words hanging in the air, the boy fell into utter silence.

Jiang Miaoyin gaped in astonishment; she hadn’t considered so much. The seemingly harmless boy at the start had, in fact, deceived the two of them, leveraging the blind spots in human thinking, presenting all truly valuable items initially, leading others to assume more were forthcoming.

However, if they had indeed delivered the clansman, this Master of the Domain would likely have turned on them instantly.

With a wave of his hand, Chu Xiu gathered the scattered equipment and artifacts and prepared to leave.

This place held no more value, and he did indeed plan, as mentioned, to return stronger and eliminate this Master of the Domain, engulfing its soul body.

But just as Chu Xiu turned and took a step, a voice suddenly called from behind.

"Wait!"

"Hmm?"

"I have one last trade item."

Turning back, Chu Xiu saw the Master of the Domain as if making a resolute decision, pounding his chest decisively.

"And that is myself."