Demon Sword Sect's Undercover-Chapter 741 - 740: Underground Struggle

Huang Hou and Bai Dou plummeted into the ground and immediately felt the movements of the Earth Spirit Pearl. As the Earth Spirit Pearl had left Xing Huan’s body, it no longer repelled others—it was a treasure without an owner, open to anyone regardless of their Cultivation Realm, provided their fate was aligned.

The two of them pushed their Earth Escape skill to the maximum. In the underworld where pure strength was the key, not even Cultivators of the Tongtian Realm could withstand them—nor could the Constellation True Inheritors.

They estimated that it wouldn’t take long to catch up with the Earth Spirit Pearl, and when they did, they had endless methods to claim it. As for the consequences that this would cause in the tribe, they didn’t have the luxury to care anymore.

Just then, someone converted their Divine Sense into Earth Element Power, sending information through the underground in an instant: Cultivators from the Northern Heavenly Gate are here to snatch the Earth Spirit Pearl!

Divine Sense and Earth Element fluctuations could indeed be converted into each other, but there was no way to direct them; when you spread a message, everyone underground would know, without missing a single person. Therefore, no one used this method to communicate, preferring to silently comprehend the Great Dao without bothering each other.

Yet as soon as this message was sent, it was like poking a hornet’s nest!

Nearly a hundred Cultivators underground had been wondering why the vibrations of the Earth Spirit Pearl they were sensing during their Cultivation suddenly changed? Why did its location no longer seem fixed? Hearing this message, they suddenly understood. Regardless of what the person who released the information was thinking, how did they know it was the Cultivators from the Northern Heavenly Gate, and why didn’t they seize the Earth Spirit Pearl themselves but chose to tell everyone instead?

None of that mattered now. What mattered was that the Earth Spirit Pearl was without an owner, and whoever had enough Fate could claim it!

What mattered was that indeed, two Cultivators had mysteriously emerged from the center! Without thinking, they were surely those who had descended from the burial site of the Saintess underground!

Their intent was clear as day, deceiving no one!

It was like throwing a piece of rotten meat into a pond full of piranhas—with the opportunity in front of them, all concerns for rules, danger, or the Earth Spirit Pearl belonging to the entire Continent were disregarded.

For ambitious Cultivators, the entire Continent was theirs to claim, let alone the Earth Spirit Pearl, right?

Huang Hou and Bai Dou immediately found themselves in a difficult situation—they might have been chasing the Earth Spirit Pearl, but they might also have walked into a trap. At that moment, a Cultivator’s ability was put to the ultimate test, dancing on the edge of a knife.

At that moment, the two reacted identically, accelerating forward!

It was a display of courage as well as judgment for they knew those closest would surely be the small Cultivators of the Tongtian Realm; they could still handle them, and if they were quick enough to take the pearl and leave, it wouldn’t be a difficult feat.

It was as if a hundred pangolins were burrowing through the ground, all aiming for the center point where Earth Element Power surged—the location of the Earth Spirit Pearl. The Earth Element Pearl too was in constant motion, albeit not very fast. However, its direction remained steady.

For Huang Hou and Bai Dou, there was good news and bad news.

The bad news was, someone was moving towards the Earth Spirit Pearl on its trajectory, and judging from their relative speed, they would reach it before Huang Hou and Bai Dou.

The good news was that this person, due to their proximity to the pearl, was surely one of the lowest in the Cultivation Realm, either God Sensing or Tongxuan, or else they wouldn’t be so close to the center. Even if that person got the Earth Spirit Pearl, they would not escape from their clutches.

The only doubt was who had sent out that message? It was highly unlikely to be this small Cultivator... With no time to spare on further thought, immediate action was the only option.

Hundreds of presences were distinctly noticeable amid the Earth Element fluctuations. Just as the two from the Northern Heavenly Gate had guessed, the Earth Spirit Pearl and the small Cultivator collided head-on... and then, suddenly vanished, including both the Earth Spirit Pearl and the small Cultivator!

Did the small Cultivator consume the Earth Spirit Pearl? Or did the Earth Spirit Pearl consume the small Cultivator? How could a stranger possess such an ability? Before the duo could wrap their heads around it, they were already under attack from several power strikes nearby.

With a counterstrike, Bai Dou had already inflicted serious injuries on the attacker. A mere Tongtian Realm junior Cultivator dared to be so brazen?

Yet despite his severe injuries, that junior Cultivator issued a chilling Divine Sense message, "These two have pocketed the Earth Spirit Pearl!"

Bai Dou was furious, his Divine Sense transforming into Earth Element fluctuations, "I didn’t do it, it wasn’t me!"

In such a situation, in such an environment, amidst such chaos, how could it be clearly explained with mere words? It was difficult enough to make things clear above ground, let alone underground where Divine Sense was needed for communication.

All thieves would say I didn’t have it! They would also say it’s my first time!

Only a fool would believe that, and there were all sorts of people here, just no fools!

One person was seriously injured, yet more people pounced upon him!

These Tongtian Realm cultivators dared to come here; their ambitions were uncontainable and bursting forth. They all knew their opponents were two Golden Cores, but they also knew there were dozens, maybe hundreds on their side. There might be danger, but beyond that danger lay immense benefits—who didn’t understand that there is no gain without risk?

Leaving here would mean safety, yes, but the Earth Spirit Pearl would then be forever out of reach; someone might die, but what if it’s not me?

It was always worth a try—after all, many people didn’t even get that chance!

The underground darkness sans daylight was the perfect environment for stealthy movements, killings, and arson.

The two Golden Cores from the Northern Heavenly Gate were ensnared in an encirclement. Underground was not like the air above; their unique escape skills were useless, leaving them only with Earth Escape. At their location, dozens of cultivators were closing in.

Before they set off, their sect had given them strict orders never to reveal their identities as cultivators of the Northern Heavenly Gate, especially in front of their peers from the Cultivation World. Suspicions were inevitable, but being caught in the act was not allowed, as it violated the rules of the Continent’s Cultivation World.

If no one else acts, will you sneakily take action? While everyone is digging in the dirt, starving, you’re thinking about taking the treasures back for a peaceful offering?

Being caught red-handed meant the Northern Heavenly Gate couldn’t explain themselves to the Cultivation World on the Continent and would have to face endless threats and harassment from the established Daoist Sects until they spat out the treasures!

Given their current situation, being caught in the act was one thing, but the key issue was that the treasure was lost—how could they possibly explain that? It was like getting mud in one’s pants...

Under these circumstances, they had no choice but to fight desperately, though at this point they were no longer trying to snatch the Earth Spirit Pearl but rather figuring out how to leave this place.

In the midst of the chaotic battle, another cultivator rushed forward, throwing a punch...

Huang Hou struck back with his palm and felt his arm go numb. Shocked, he realized that the more distant Golden Cores from the Daoist Sects had finally arrived!

This was the first one, and soon there would be more and more!

There was no time to delay; the two struggled to burrow upwards, not caring about the heavy blows they received, but how many times could they withstand the strikes of fellow Golden Cores?

They couldn’t wash clean of this! There was no way out!

Having been targeted, the two had the resolve of Death Soldiers—rare individuals with unwavering determination. Even in their utter despair, they tapped into their potential, fighting for a sliver of chance for themselves and their sect, but there were just too many people!

Now they were the Earth Spirit Pearl; in the scramble, no one thought to hold back—it was too much trouble...

After a moment, not only were their Spatial Bags taken, but even the corpses of the two men had been stripped clean. Underground, everyone had turned into beasts.