"Fellow Daoist Xiao, are you from the Martial Alliance?" Lei Yunhan asked curiously.

From Lin Zheyu's fighting style, he resembled those from the Martial Alliance, though there were subtle differences. Lei Yunhan was not entirely certain.

"Haha, I am just a rogue cultivator." Lin Zheyu shook his head slightly, avoiding a direct answer.

Lei Yunhan smiled and did not press further. Asking about someone's background was already somewhat intrusive. Since he was unwilling to say, she did not pursue the matter.

"Brother Xiao, would you like to move together with us?" Lei Yunshu invited.

She had witnessed Lin Zheyu's strength before. From their previous encounter, she believed she understood him somewhat. He was a reliable person. With the power he had just displayed, if he intended harm, he could have acted back in the demon god barrier last time. There was no need to wait until now.

"No, I still have matters to handle later." Lin Zheyu shook his head. After learning more about the descent of the rule fragments, he was more inclined to cooperate with Ji Zitong.

"That makes sense. With your strength and your Immortal Martial Cultivation, working with Ji Zitong is indeed the better choice," Lei Yunshu said with a smile.

After a moment's thought, she took out a crystal ball about the size of a baby's fist from her storage pouch. Lin Zheyu had seen such items before. It was a commonly used communication device in the cultivation world, known as a Spirit Resonance Sphere.

"This is my Spirit Resonance Sphere. After this demon god barrier ends, you can use it to contact me," Lei Yunshu said with a smile. She blinked and looked at Lin Zheyu, waiting for his response.

Lin Zheyu took the sphere. Seeing Lei Yunshu watching him expectantly, he suddenly realized something and showed a trace of embarrassment as he replied, "After we parted last time, I had intended to visit, but something came up and delayed me."

Lin Zheyu smiled awkwardly and continued, "I ran into danger earlier and my storage pouch was taken. All my Spirit Resonance Spheres were lost as well. I have not bought new paired spheres yet, so..."

Like the Green Bamboo Mirror, the Spirit Resonance Sphere was also a paired mother-child dharma artifact. The difference was that the Green Bamboo Mirror functioned more like a walkie-talkie, suitable for short-range use and ideal within environments like the demon god barrier. The Spirit Resonance Sphere, however, was more like a telephone. As long as one was within its coverage, it could be used for long-distance communication.

The Spirit Resonance Sphere worked in conjunction with the Spirit Resonance Formation. The formation's range defined the coverage area. It functioned like a signal receiver and had to remain active at all times to receive transmissions. The spheres came in mother and child pairs. The mother sphere was kept by the user, while the child sphere contained special restriction codes and encrypted formations. Only after obtaining the other party's child sphere and integrating it into one's own mother sphere, imprinting the encryption, could two-way communication be established.

After receiving Lei Yunshu's sphere and integrating it into his own mother sphere, Lin Zheyu could contact her. However, the communication was one-way. Lei Yunshu would need his child sphere to send messages back. Otherwise, she could only receive messages. That was why she had been looking at him expectantly earlier. Though somewhat cumbersome, this system was extremely secure, ensuring the highest level of information safety. It was well suited for cultivators, who were highly sensitive to such matters.

"It is fine, it is fine. You can give it to me next time we meet," Lei Yunshu said with a wave of her hand and a smile.

After chatting awkwardly for a while, Lin Zheyu bid the three farewell and left.

After Lin Zheyu left, Lei Yunhan could not help but tease. "Yunshu, have you taken a liking to Fellow Daoist Xiao?"

"What are you talking about? Including this time, I have only met Brother Xiao twice. He is my benefactor. I just want to find a chance to express my thanks," Lei Yunshu said, shooting Lei Yunhan a look. She had only met Lin Zheyu twice. Her impression of him was good, but as for liking him, that was not the case at all.

"Really?" Lei Yunhan looked at Lei Yunshu with a half-smile. "Brother Xiao walks the path of Immortal Martial Cultivation. Without opportunity, peak Foundation Establishment realm would be his limit."

"In this era, those who walk the immortal martial path are far more sought after than cultivators like us. With Brother Xiao's strength, he and Yunshu would make quite a match."

"I am not talking to you anymore. Honestly." Lei Yunshu pouted, though a thoughtful look flickered in her eyes.

At the same peak Foundation Establishment realm, martial artists on the Immortal Martial Cultivation path were more valued than immortal cultivators. They were less affected by demonic qi and could display greater strength within the demon god barrier. Compared to immortal cultivators, they were better suited for missions in the demonic realm.

"Hehe..." Lei Yunhan and Lei Yunzhi exchanged a smile and stopped teasing her.

***

Within the demon god barrier, the tide of demonic qi grew increasingly violent, stirring up fierce winds. In the darkness, Lin Zheyu moved swiftly, his Perception Domain fully activated as he remained on guard. His brows furrowed slightly. He was being watched.

"One... two... three... three groups, eight people in total," Lin Zheyu murmured softly.

This was what he could sense. Some were using special techniques or dharma artifacts to conceal themselves, only detectable within a hundred or two meters. There were likely more than eight people targeting him.

Greed moves the heart. They must think that the treasure is with me.

Despite being targeted, he was not worried. The strongest among them were only at the level of Tu Yuan or Ji Zitong. None had reached the Golden Core realm. What he was wary of were the unknown, powerful dharma artifacts they might possess. Otherwise, he could wipe them all out with ease.

The sound of thick liquid flowing in the demonic river grew louder.

Lin Zheyu glanced at the river and shook his head slightly.

"Forget it. I will spare your lives."

He decided not to stir up trouble. This was not the time to act. More and more powerful figures were appearing in the demon god barrier, and unknown experts might be lurking nearby. If he fought now, others could take advantage of him. With a thought, purple-black runes appeared across his skin, and dense energy surged outward.

He leaped forward and plunged into the demonic river, disappearing from sight.

"He ran?"

"Are we still chasing?"

"Of course. Does he think he is the only one who dares enter the demonic river?"

As Lin Zheyu vanished into the river, the cultivators tracking him frowned. The demonic qi within the river was incredibly dense and had a strong effect on cultivators. In addition, all kinds of strange and powerful yao lived within it. Ordinary cultivators lacked Lin Zheyu's concealment methods and would easily attract attacks upon entering. However, not everyone was without their own tricks.

"Hehe, my chance has come! I was not mistaken. That thing has a strong suppressing effect on the yao will within me. The demonic river is dangerous for ordinary cultivators, but for me, it is my territory!" A man in black sneered as he approached the river. A dense surge of purple-black energy erupted from his body, which began to swell and transform as he entered a yao-like state.

The man leaped into the river like a cannonball. His powerful perception spread outward as he searched for Lin Zheyu's trail.

Fifteen minutes later.

The man frowned deeply, his expression turning grim as he muttered, "Where is he? Where did he go?"

To lose track of a martial artist who walks the path of Immortal Martial Cultivation within the demonic river was a disgrace for a demonic cultivator. Unwilling to accept it, he gritted his teeth and leaped out of the river.

"Not good!"

The moment he emerged, the man's expression changed drastically. A fierce gust struck him at an unbelievable speed. Before he could react, a powerful hand clamped tightly around his neck.

A thunderous boom echoed, and the ground shook like in an earthquake. Gripping the man by the neck, Lin Zheyu slammed him repeatedly into the ground, leaving him dazed and disoriented.

"You have some nerve, chasing me alone," Lin Zheyu said coldly, lifting the half-conscious man.

He had remained cautious all along. Only after confirming that no one else had followed did he strike decisively.

"You are a demonic cultivator?" Lin Zheyu asked calmly.

The man recovered from his daze and snorted coldly, "Yes."

Those who cultivated demon arts were all ruthless. Not only did the man not beg for mercy, but he also glared viciously at Lin Zheyu, his eyes filled with savage killing intent.

Lin Zheyu took out a blank jade slip from his storage pouch and said coldly, "Interesting. Inscribe the demon arts you cultivate onto this, and I will spare your life."

The man before him was fairly strong. If he could obtain his demon arts, it would greatly aid Lin Zheyu in improving his Primordial Golden Body.

"Hehe..." The man sneered as energy surged violently within his body.

Lin Zheyu frowned and moved again.

Boom, boom, boom!

Another deafening series of crashes followed, leaving the man on the brink of death.

"Well?" Lin Zheyu asked indifferently.

"Hmph!" The man snorted, his eyes filled with madness.

Lin Zheyu frowned and thought, These demonic cultivators truly are lunatics.

Boom!

He threw a punch, and the man's head exploded, leaving him lifeless. Just as the rumors said, those who cultivated demon arts were all mad. Lin Zheyu had no intention of interrogating him further. He sensed several auras rapidly approaching. After quickly searching the body and taking the storage pouch, he leaped back into the demonic river.