"Where is he? Where is the item?"

Within the demon god barrier, in the demonic lake Lin Zheyu had artificially created, the shifty-eyed man arrived at the massive crater he had smashed out. His brows could not help but knit together. In this place, his perception was heavily restricted, yet that unmistakable aura from earlier could not possibly have escaped his senses.

"Come out!" the man barked softly, forming hand seals with both hands before slamming them onto the ground.

Invisible waves of energy spread rapidly outward from him, like radar pulses, forming a feedback perception within his mind.

"It's really gone? How is that possible!" said the man as his expression darkened. He had even used that bone dharma artifact as his trump card, yet the other party still managed to escape. Gritting his teeth, he glanced behind him, sensing the fluctuations coming from the rear as well.

"Hmph, even if I have to dig three feet into the ground, I'll drag you out!" he snorted coldly. His figure flickered, and the soil seemed to melt as he sank into it and vanished.

A few breaths later, the sound of something slicing rapidly through viscous liquid echoed out. Three men with powerful auras arrived, standing not far from the crater Lin Zheyu had created. They glanced at each other warily but did not act at once. The item had yet to be obtained, and a reckless clash would only leave both sides injured and hand the advantage to others.

The middle-aged man with a small mustache smiled at the two opposite him, saying, "Fellow Daoist Liao, Fellow Daoist Lei, it's been a while. You sensed that aura just now as well?"

They all knew each other, and though there was no real friendship, each was wary of the others' strength.

"Fellow Daoist Yuan, what a coincidence. I just saw that Earth Demon Rat. If you don't give chase, he'll get away," Liao Xingfan said calmly. He glanced at Lei He beside him and let out a cold laugh, as if there was some past grudge between them.

Tu Yuan is here, too? 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Yuan Qiu was inwardly startled.

Among the three, he had arrived last. By the time he got there, the shifty-eyed man had already vanished. That man was somewhat famous in the cultivation world. His earth-escape techniques were masterful, earning him the nickname Earth Demon Rat. His real name was Tu Yuan.

"Move!"

Yuan Qiu exchanged a glance with the others, a silent understanding passing between them. With a sharp wave of his right hand, several streaks of red light appeared and shot into the ground. Immediately after, he formed hand seals, and the red lights connected, instantly forming a small formation.

"Condense!" Yuan Qiu shouted softly. In an instant, a stronger red beam formed and shot into the ground, following the lingering aura left behind by Tu Yuan.

"Go!"

At the same time, Lei He and Liao Xingfan made their moves as well. In their view, that unknown treasure had undoubtedly fallen into Tu Yuan's hands. No matter what, they had to join forces first and drag Tu Yuan out of the demon-tainted soil.

***

"More and more people are arriving."

Hidden in the shadows, Lin Zheyu sensed more and more powerful auras gathering outside the demonic lake. This artificially created lake was not large—only a few dozen cubic meters in size. Although over twenty auras had appeared, only a handful dared enter the lake. Most lingered outside, their faces filled with curiosity.

Boom!

Suddenly, a burst of formation rumbling came from not far away. A powerful aura shot out from the soil, blasting through Yuan Qiu, Lei He, and the others' blockade like a cannonball and bursting free.

Earth-yellow escape light flared around Tu Yuan as he cursed inwardly, Damn it! I didn't even get the item, and now I've stirred up trouble instead. Where the hell did that bastard go? Even if I say the item isn't on me now, they probably won't believe it.

That old man Yuan Qiu had quite a few tricks. He had actually managed to locate him and force him out from deep underground. If he had known he wouldn't find the item, he would have fled immediately.

All because of greed! Tu Yuan muttered to himself.

He had originally planned to hide in the shadows like Lin Zheyu, waiting for a chance to reap the benefits as a third party. But too bad for him, before the plan could even begin, Liao Xingfan had already discovered his aura.

"But if you think you can catch me just like that, you're far too naive! I didn't earn the name Earth Demon Rat for nothing," Tu Yuan sneered coldly.

The earth-yellow escape light around him grew denser, and an invisible pale blue ripple suddenly formed around it. In an instant, his speed surged again as he shot straight into the earthen wall ahead. Noticing him rushing in his direction, Lin Zheyu shifted slightly, sliding more than three meters to the left in a flash.

"Hm? This aura feels familiar..."

Tu Yuan immediately sensed Lin Zheyu's movement and glanced toward his hiding place, surprise flickering across his face.

A trace of realization flashed through Tu Yuan's mind.

So it was this guy just now? Such dense yao aura, he almost fooled me. That mysterious and powerful golden aura earlier... could it be a treasure he uses to suppress the yao will within him?

He had roamed far and wide for decades and had seen all kinds of things. He had even encountered an old monster who cultivated demon arts and had reached the Nascent Soul realm, yet still retained his sanity. But that old monster's lucid periods grew shorter by the day, with only one hour of clarity left each day.

The rest of the time, he had to seal and isolate himself, forcing himself into sleep to avoid descending into madness. Thus, the moment Tu Yuan discovered Lin Zheyu and sensed the dense yao aura on him, he immediately took him for a demonic cultivator practicing demon arts.

Tu Yuan's heart burned with excitement as he thought, A treasure that suppresses yao will... What a good item! With this, I'd even dare venture into those forbidden places I avoided before!

He wanted to attack Lin Zheyu immediately, but there was no time. The three behind him clung tightly, giving him no chance to breathe. A black light flashed across Tu Yuan's body. Just before plunging into the earthen wall, he suddenly turned and spat out a jet of ink-black liquid.

"Not good! This is... retreat!" Yuan Qiu and the others' expressions changed drastically at the sight. Their movements halted abruptly as they retreated instead of advancing.

Lin Zheyu frowned slightly as he watched Tu Yuan's back and muttered, "Hm? That guy noticed me just now?"

He had also noticed the subtle movement Tu Yuan made as he entered the earthen wall. Though it was extremely well concealed, Lin Zheyu still caught it. It seemed this battle would not break out after all. Besides the four powerful auras, Lin Zheyu sensed five more strong presences. The thought of retreat arose in his mind. Just as he quietly withdrew, intending to slip away unnoticed, another figure hidden in obscurity like him suddenly detected his aura.

"Hm!" A crisp exclamation rang out. Lin Zheyu sensed a sharp aura shooting straight toward the center of his brow.

Lin Zheyu struck back with a palm, unleashing terrifying force into the viscous liquid and shaking the entire lake. Yet that sharp aura was barely affected, shooting straight toward the center of his palm. With a crisp clang, he felt a faint sting, like a mosquito bite, on his palm. His hand clenched suddenly, crushing the silver needle between his fingers and grinding it into a tiny ball.

Splash!

Lin Zheyu kicked off with both legs and burst out of the demonic lake. The purple-black energy around him vanished instantly. His body shuddered as golden energy surged forth, flowing into the degraded purple-black runes. Within a few breaths, the runes reverted to gold and sank back into his flesh. The moment he emerged from the lake, he sensed over twenty gazes falling upon him.

"Hmph!" Lin Zheyu snorted coldly.

A powerful aura spread from him as he swept the others with a cold gaze, then landed off to the side as if nothing had happened. Quite a few had gathered, and no one knew who had arrived first. Blending into the crowd like this, he would not draw much attention. At most, they might harbor some suspicion that he had obtained the treasure.

After Lin Zheyu emerged, the sound of splashing followed. A woman with delicate features and a cool demeanor leaped out from the haze. She wore a fitted goose-yellow dress that perfectly accentuated her graceful figure. Her appearance drew many gazes. She glanced at Lin Zheyu and curled her lips into a faint smile.

"Hm?"

Lin Zheyu frowned slightly. It had been that woman who attacked him just now. Yet he sensed no hostility from her. Either she concealed it extremely well, or she truly bore no ill intent. After all, her earlier strike had felt more like a probe.

"I am Ke Zishan. I meant no harm just now. If you are free later, perhaps we could speak further." Her clear voice suddenly echoed within Lin Zheyu's mind.

Lin Zheyu could not help glancing at her again. She was looking straight at him, a faint smile on her face, and it was quite beautiful. He let out a soft scoff and gave no reply. Toward such inexplicable approaches and overtures, he remained fully on guard.

Boom, boom!

More and more cultivators arrived from all directions, and the battle fluctuations within the demonic lake grew increasingly intense, though they were moving farther away from this spot.

Suddenly, the ground exploded, and Lei He was blasted backward in a miserable state.

Someone muttered quietly, "It's Tu Yuan! Looks like that Earth Demon Rat is going to take the treasure again."

The battle fluctuations were intense. Some cultivators familiar with Tu Yuan immediately recognized who was fighting.

Tu Yuan burst out of the ground, shouting loudly, "Damn it! I already told you that the guy got away; the item isn't on me. Why are you going all out like this?"

Behind him, Yuan Qiu and Liao Xingfan pursued relentlessly.

"Hmph! Open your storage pouch and let us see. Then we'll believe you!" Yuan Qiu snorted coldly.

"To hell with you! If you want to die, come at me. Push me too far, and I'll fully activate this thing!" Tu Yuan shouted.

A shriveled skull suddenly appeared in his hand. Within its sunken eye sockets, two ghostly lights flickered, like a pair of sentient eyes.