Translator: CinderTL
"This journey is far more complex than it appears. The mission involves a reward of one hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones. Normally, Manager Yin would only entrust such a task to trusted acquaintances. I initially believed the group would consist solely of myself, Manager Yin, and Feng Youyou. However, you and Bu Ren, two unfamiliar faces, have joined us."
"Fellow Daoist, your mastery of thunder magic is invaluable to our mission. But Bu Ren possesses no particular skills, and his cultivation level is only at the mid-stage of Divine Transformation. His inclusion in this mission raises serious suspicions."
"Bu Ren was brought here by Manager Yin, and I've been wary of him from the start. After entering the Primordial Qi Death Zone, I observed him closely. His demeanor and behavior are nothing like those of a rogue cultivator; he lacks the necessary vigilance and caution. Instead, he acts more like someone from a pampered sect or noble family, displaying an almost naive curiosity about everything in the Death Zone."
"Therefore, I suspect that Manager Yin and Bu Ren have ulterior motives. Perhaps, after finding the Beauty Serpent, they plan to betray you, me, and Feng Youyou. If we join forces, we can easily handle them both."
Perhaps to convince Song Wen, Yan Tong explained his reasons in great detail.
Song Wen said, "In that case, why don't we just withdraw now?"
Yan Tong replied, "Fellow Daoist, you're being too simplistic. If Bu Ren and Manager Yin truly intend to harm us, they wouldn't let us leave so easily. Besides, the Beauty Serpent is an extremely rare void fiend. Even without Manager Yin's introduction to his powerful backer, if we capture this demon alive, we can find other buyers. That's a hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones—are you truly unmoved by such a sum?"
Song Wen immediately understood that this was Yan Tong's true reason for refusing to withdraw.
These four individuals possessed mediocre strength but were each more cunning than the last.
However, Song Wen's overwhelming power meant he had little to fear from them.
"Since you trust me so implicitly, Fellow Daoist, I cannot betray your trust. I agree to cooperate. Furthermore, your owl void demon has a detection range far exceeding mine. If any sudden danger arises, I hope you'll alert me promptly."
"Of course," Yan Tong replied.
Having reached an agreement, they exchanged knowing smiles before accelerating to catch up with the three figures ahead.
"Manager Yin, how much further?" Feng Youyou suddenly asked. "At this rate, our protective measures might not hold out much longer."
Manager Yin was leading them deeper into the Primordial Qi Death Zone.
By now, they had ventured nearly a million li into the zone.
Although the increase in Primordial Qi concentration had become less pronounced after the first ten thousand li, after a million li, the Qi remained terrifyingly dense.
Song Wen's divine sense range had been compressed to just ten zhang, while Manager Yin and the others could only sense within five zhang.
For Feng Youyou and her companions, this level of Primordial Qi was nearing the limits of what they could endure.
"Not much further," Manager Yin said, his voice uncertain as he gazed at the floating scale before him. "The Beauty Serpent should be within the next few tens of thousands of li."
Feng Youyou said nothing more. Having already risked so much to come this far, she had no intention of turning back easily.
After another thirty thousand li, they arrived above a hilly region.
The area was dotted with numerous earthen mounds.
Nearly every mound contained one or two caves that plunged deep into the earth.
The caves intertwined, forming a vast and intricate underground labyrinth.
Of course, none of the group, including Song Wen, could perceive this directly. All this information came from the two void fiends.
Manager Yin landed on a hilltop, gazing down at the dark caves below. "The Beauty Serpent should be somewhere within these underground caves," he said.
Yan Tong replied, "This could be troublesome. The caves are crisscrossed and interconnected. If the Beauty Serpent detects us, it will undoubtedly use them to escape."
Manager Yin nodded. "If we were outside, we could split up and surround the Beauty Serpent. But here, our divine sense is severely suppressed. If we separate, we might never regroup. At this point, we have no choice but to charge in headfirst."
Bu Ren added, "Since there's no other option, let's not waste any more time. Let's enter the caves!"
"Agreed!" Manager Yin responded, and he plunged into the cave below, leading the way. Bu Ren followed closely behind, then Yan Tong and Feng Youyou. Song Wen brought up the rear.
The five of them stayed close together, maintaining a distance of no more than ten feet between each person.
"Shadow Void, is the Beauty Serpent in this cave?" Song Wen asked in his Sea of Consciousness.
"Yes. It's about five thousand miles away," Shadow Void replied. "It's hiding in a massive natural cavern, commanding over a dozen low-tier void beasts."
"Are there any sixth-tier void fiends?" Song Wen inquired.
"No, all fifth-tier and fourth-tier," Shadow Void confirmed.
Song Wen immediately felt more at ease. Manager Yin and the others couldn't afford to die here.
Simultaneously, another question occupied his mind: how to lure the four of them to the Six Fiends Hall?
To prevent the Beauty Serpent's escape, Manager Yin and the others had grown bold, holding nothing back as they fled at full speed.
Soon, Yan Tong warned, "The owl void demon senses a fifth-tier void beast a thousand miles ahead. Everyone, be cautious."
As he spoke, Yan Tong's voice suddenly erupted with wild joy.
"The Beauty Serpent is in a cave just a hundred miles beyond that fifth-tier void beast, mating with a group of void fiends! And they're all fifth-tier and fourth-tier!"
The group's spirits surged, their pace quickening, and they summoned their mystic treasures or began preparing powerful spells.
"Ugh..."
Suddenly, a piercing bestial roar echoed from ahead.
"Careful! It's a divine sense attack!" Manager Yin, at the front of the group, shouted a warning and immediately activated a jade token he had already summoned.
The token hovered above his head, emitting a faint silvery-white glow.
The silver light enveloped not only Manager Yin but also Bu Ren, Yan Tong, and Feng Youyou behind him, leaving only Song Wen unprotected.
Song Wen summoned a human-head-sized disc that radiated a faint azure light, forming a protective barrier around him.
This disc was a low-grade divine soul defensive spirit treasure, the origin of which Song Wen couldn't even recall. He typically paid little attention to such mystic treasures, considering them useless to him.
By this time, Manager Yin had already engaged the fifth-tier void beast.
The void beast's body was a three-zhang-tall mass of flesh, sprouting nine writhing tentacles that nearly completely blocked the narrow cave passage.
The tentacles lashed out wildly, each striking at Manager Yin with ferocious force.
Manager Yin activated a flying sword, slashing fiercely at the void beast.
(End of the Chapter)
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