Bear and pig on the prowl

After deciding on a strategy to actively seek out the Yaomo's Cave Dwelling, Lin Yu immediately activated the [Demon-Sniffing Gu].

A wisp of Pure Qi flowed into the octagonal, double-layered wooden box, and then, with a "click," the box popped open, revealing a gap.

A bluish-black poisonous bee with two horns, about the length of a finger, flew out, its wings vibrating and making a buzzing sound.

Although at first glance it looks like a living bee, a closer look reveals that... this venomous bee is not a living creature, but a magical Magical Artifacts crafted from a specimen of some kind of venomous bee.

Its body was coated with a beeswax-like paint, its wings were carved with intricate runes, its head was replaced with some kind of jade micro-carving, and its abdomen had six small holes pierced.

When Lin Yu saw this, Lin Yu instantly understood why Qin Siyu had said it was very expensive and rare.

Judging from the workmanship, this certainly doesn't seem like Magical Artifacts that could be crafted in a short period of time.

What's more... this thing's function is to find traces of Yaomo.

In the Prison Mountain Realm, this is an extremely practical [Item].

The exquisite craftsmanship convinced Lin Yu that its functionality in this area was absolutely excellent.

After all, when the people from the Hunyuan Dao Palace gave him this [Demon-Sniffing Gu], they didn't mention anything about its distance limitations.

Now it seems... perhaps it's because this thing has an extremely long detection range, so there's no need to mention it at all.

After releasing the Gu worm, Lin Yu also suppressed the Yaomo aura on his body. The poisonous bee then hovered in the air and quickly flew off in one direction.

With one hand dragging the wooden box and the other carrying Qin Siyu, Lin Yu quickly followed the [Demon-Sniffing Gu].

Seemingly to prevent Lin Yu from losing track of them, a wisp of blue smoke drifted out of the octagonal wooden box in his hand as the bees flew—this smoke drifted out in the direction the bees were flying.

However, Lin Yu didn't need the green smoke for guidance—after all, with his speed, he wouldn't lose track of the bee-insect.

He followed the bee and insect quickly, but the bee and insect meandered and soon deviated from the original mountain path, heading towards a steep, sloping slope of loose rocks.

Although Lin Yu n't normally consider taking these routes, he could certainly manage to follow the bees and insects down such a path.

There were many white frost Ice Cube in the cracks of these pebbles, and the pebbles shook when stepped on, which frightened Qin Siyu into screaming repeatedly.

"Ouch, ouch... Senior, be careful!"

Even knowing that this senior could fly, and even that her own light-footed skills were quite good, Qin Siyu couldn't help but feel somewhat panicked by this precarious and out-of-control feeling.

Fortunately, it was impossible for Lin Yu to actually slip and fall.

Soon...

After climbing over the scree slope, Lin Yu reached a new platform.

And after that new platform...

Lin Yu was somewhat surprised to discover this.

"There's... still a road here?"

Beyond that scree slope lay a path leading to another peak within the Nine Cold Mountain —whereas from the path below, the view was completely obscured by the rocky cliffs.

"The terrain within these two mountains is extremely complex. Many parts of the mountains themselves are hollow... Furthermore, the icy pools and caves within Nine Cold Mountain and the Sulfur pools on Zhiyang Mountain are bottomless, teeming with hidden Yaomo. That's why this place is a forbidden zone for Human Race," Qin Siyu sighed. "Even if the Yaomo on the surface are cleared out, who knows how many more Yaomo within these two mountains!"

Even if many skilled individuals enter together, it's impossible to guarantee their safe return.

Qin Siyu sighed with emotion, and Lin Yu once again understood the relationship between Yaomo and humans within the Prison Mountain Realm.

Indeed... Nowadays, the Martial Arts, Daoist Arts, and Fang Techniques of the Human Race are constantly developing, and almost every village and town has someone who practices martial arts or cultivates Daoism. Although the Daoist Sect is still short-handed, it is enough to cover the villages and towns in the Six Hells.

The era when Yaomo could wantonly hunt and kill Human Race... is indeed over.

In Human Race settlements, Yaomo can only tuck their tails between their legs and behave like humans.

However... on the other hand, due to the harsh environment, the vast wilderness, and especially the existence of these two mountains, it is by no means an easy task for the Daoist Sect and Martial Artists to join forces to eliminate Yaomo.

These Yaomo are not easy to find unless they show themselves.

Lin Yu agreed with Qin Siyu's sighs and lamentations.

"That makes sense. If all the Yaomo's lairs and Cave Dwelling were in the open and their locations easily traced, the Daoist Sect disciples would probably be launching attacks on one or two random Yaomo lairs every few days."

Qin Siyu wholeheartedly agreed—after Lin Yu said those words, as a native of the Prison Mountain Realm, she could even imagine that scene.

"Anyway... it seems there are no Yaomo around where we landed. It's just that we happened to arrive at a place with exceptionally complex terrain and inner and outer layers," Qin Siyu said optimistically. "I was so scared! I really thought Yaomo near the Wind Prison in Nine Cold Mountain were gathered together plotting something."

Lin Yu shook his head.

"No... While it's true that this place is divided into inner and outer layers, and we were just on the outer layer, which is why we didn't see or detect any Yaomo, that doesn't mean the Yaomo weren't gathered there."

Now that he realized there were "mountains within mountains," Lin Yu naturally extended his Mental Power further inward and had already sensed the presence of several Yaomo in the distance.

He no longer needs the [Demon-Sniffing Gu] as much.

And the Yaomo auras that Lin Yu sensed...

They were almost all clustered together.

This still puzzled Lin Yu.

After all, under normal circumstances, even Yaomo of the same kind would not get that close.

Unless they are Yaomo who are inherently gregarious.

But the problem is... those Yaomo were not only close together, but they didn't seem to be resting or anything—because Lin Yu sensed their presence through his Mental Power, so he could feel it...

The Yaomo were on edge, but there was no obvious hostility or wariness towards each other.

This puzzled Lin Yu.

However, just as Lin Yu was about to put away the [Demon-Sniffing Gu] and get closer to investigate...

Suddenly, from the other side of the road behind the slope, the aura of another Yaomo emanated.

And...

The Yaomo quickly unleashed a Qi Mechanism, and... it firmly locked onto Lin Yu and Qin Siyu!

Qin Siyu felt a chill run down her spine, her hair standing on end.

She quickly exclaimed, "Senior, senior... it seems we've been discovered by Yaomo!"

Lin Yu nodded. "I know."

Then...

The next moment, a somewhat surprised, deep, and chilling voice rang out.

"Human Race... and they even possess Magical Artifacts?"

"Where did this 'righteous man' come from, choosing this day to rush to his death?"

Then, an undisguised wave of yin energy rolled in, and at the end of the road, a tall, imposing figure, easily five or six meters tall, appeared from around the corner, carrying a very thick weapon that resembled a spiked club and was covered in sharp points.

The burly figure, as imposing as a small mountain, strode heavily toward Lin Yu with an air of aggression and aggression.

As Lin Yu watched the approaching figure, he calmly put away the [Demon-Sniffing Gu] and then released the demonic energy from his body.

"Dude, it seems you... have mistaken me for someone else."

In the blink of an eye, Lin Yu's originally restrained and calm aura instantly surged with demonic energy once again.

The burly figure sensed this aura and stopped, seemingly somewhat surprised.

Then, from the direction of that burly figure, another equally deep and heavy voice, but one that sounded even more impatient and fiery, came from.

"I told you long ago, there couldn't possibly be any 'Human Race' here... There aren't that Human Race out there— the Daoist Sect guys may not be mentally sound, but they wouldn't come to Nine Cold Mountain to die for no reason!"

The same chilling voice rang out again.

"How would I know... this guy's skill at concealing his aura is just too good!"

Although Lin Yu only saw one figure, it seemed as if two Yaomo were communicating.

After a brief exchange between the two voices, they seemed to have confirmed that Lin Yu was indeed Yaomo and that the previous misunderstanding was just that—a misunderstanding. So they slowed their pace and stepped forward.

"Oh, it's all a misunderstanding—I thought Human Race had come to cause trouble—after all, today is my friend's birthday, and I was worried something might go wrong!"

Are you just passing by... or are you here to offer birthday wishes?

As the figure stepped forward, Lin Yu quickly got a clear look at what the other person looked like.

It was a gigantic... Bear Yaoguai.

His body was covered in fluffy brownish-gray fur. The monster's actual size was probably only a little over four meters tall and two or three meters wide... but it was made to look several times larger by the fluffy, frizzy fur.

Although the other party was a Yaomo that had not yet taken human form, judging from its fluent speech and the fact that it was wearing clothes, this guy's "intelligence" was not low and its cultivation was definitely not shallow.

As the other person drew closer, Lin Yu also saw clearly where the other voice was coming from.

It was the "weapon" in the Bear Yaoguai's hand—something Lin Yu had initially thought was a spiked club, but upon closer inspection, Lin Yu realized it wasn't.

It was a slender, powerful Porcupine Yaoguai, about the size of a wild boar.

After confirming that Lin Yu meant no harm, the Bear Yaoguai released the porcupine.

The two demons then introduced themselves to Lin Yu.

"We are friends of the master of this place, invited to celebrate his 500th birthday... I am the Giant Bear Great Sun!"

The Bear Yaoguai spoke.

The other porcupine also spoke up eagerly.

"I am the Furious Pig Howls at Heaven!"