Peeking Through the Conspiracy

Beneath the abyss lay several caves.

The compass needle began to tremble violently here, finally pointing to the deepest, most shadowy cave on the far left.

"The tracks are fresh. They passed through not long ago." Xuanyuan Che squatted down, his fingertips brushing over a layer of extremely fine bone powder on the ground. "Five of them. One at the Saint Middle stage, four at the peak of Tai Xu. Heh, they're not holding back."

"Saint Middle stage..." Yun Mengyao's brows furrowed slightly. "If we confront them head-on, it might be troublesome." Although Junior Brother is strong, the opponent has also come a long way in the Saint Realm. Moreover, the Netherworld Clan's cultivation techniques are peculiar, specializing in curse killing and soul arts, making them hard to guard against. They are not comparable to the initial Saint we faced before."

"Troublesome?" Xuanyuan Che stood up and clapped his hands. "It's really not that serious, Second Senior Sister. Besides, who said we have to fight head-on?"

A cunning glint flashed in his eyes as he rummaged through his storage ring. A moment later, he pulled out three human skin masks as thin as cicada wings and three colorful, lustrous talismans.

"Here, the Thousand Illusions Netherworld Mask. Put it on, then activate this Breath Concealing Talisman. As long as you don't make a move, even a Saint King might not be able to see through you. We'll blend in." Xuanyuan Che distributed the items to the three of them.

Yun Mengyao took the mask and talisman. They felt cold to the touch. When she probed them with her divine sense, she couldn't perceive their material or internal structure at all, as if they were nothingness.

She gave Xuanyuan Che a deep look. "Che'er, what... how many good things do you still have on you?" Treasures that can perfectly disguise the aura of the Netherworld Clan are definitely not found in the Lower Realm."

"My sister gave me quite a lot, and my brother did too, plus..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xuanyuan Che felt a sudden dizziness, and then he entered a space that was exceptionally warm and soft.

"Junior Brother, your brother and sister will be fine. We'll help you get revenge together!" Yun Mengyao hugged him tightly.

Xuanyuan Che finally broke free, his face full of sincerity. "Senior Sister, my brother and sister are really fine."

Yun Mengyao nodded, her expression as gentle as could be. Seeing this look, Xuanyuan Che knew his Senior Sister was getting more and more convinced.

Xuanyuan Che shook his head and skillfully applied the mask and talisman to himself.

Instantly, his aura changed drastically. His original otherworldly demeanor vanished, replaced by a gloomy, obscure aura with a faint scent of death, making him look exactly like an elite disciple of the Netherworld Clan.

Yun Mengyao and the other two followed suit, and soon, the four of them had disguised themselves as members of the Netherworld Clan.

"Let's go, follow them and find out what exactly they're up to." The four of them turned into four shadowy figures and silently slipped into the cave.

The interior of the cave was winding and tortuous, with many forks. However, the compass needle consistently guided their direction. Along the way, scattered Netherworld Clan rune markings began to appear, clearly left by the group ahead.

The deeper they went, the thinner the deathly aura in the air became, replaced by a warmth with a faint trace of life. However, this warmth was not comforting; instead, it was mixed with an ancient, heart-palpitating pressure.

Suddenly, faint voices and the humming of some magical artifact could be heard from ahead.

Xuanyuan Che made a gesture, and the four of them concealed their auras. After rounding a bend, they were met with a sudden expanse.

At the end of the cave was a massive underground cavity! In the center of the cavity was a pool of dark red blood, in which countless grotesque remains and twisted souls were submerged. They wailed and struggled, transforming into the purest energy of deathly stillness, absorbed by a small sapling less than a foot tall in the center of the blood pool. The sapling was entirely black, yet its leaves shimmered with starlight.

That sapling, Xuanyuan Che immediately recognized it. It was almost identical to the depiction on the altar murals!

The one before them seemed even more demonic, even more... hungry!

Beside the blood pool, five cultivators in black robes embroidered with the Netherworld Clan's insignia were busy. The leader was a gaunt old man with sunken eyes, his aura precisely at the Saint Middle stage. He held a white bone banner, which he waved continuously, guiding the energy from the blood pool into the roots of the sapling.

The other four were positioned at the four cardinal directions, constantly throwing various demonic beast cores emitting powerful fluctuations, and even several human cultivator hearts that were clearly recently killed and still carried fresh blood, into the blood pool as nourishment.

"Speed up!" The gaunt old man's voice was hoarse, with a hint of urgency. "We must allow the Nirvana Star God Tree to absorb enough nutrients and bear the Star God Fruit before the Saint Corpse Guardian is completely enraged! As long as the Young Master takes this fruit, he will be able to fuse the origins of destruction and stars, and his physique will transform into the Netherworld Star Body. At that time, let alone the Earth Ranking, even the Heaven Ranking will have a place for the Young Master! The revival of our Netherworld Clan is in sight, hehehe!"

"Elder Ming Ku, the commotion above just now..." a Tai Xu stage cultivator said with some worry, "It seems like powerful individuals were fighting. The Saint Corpse Bone Demon lost an arm, could it be..."

"It's fine!" Elder Ming Ku interrupted him, his eyes flashing with fanaticism and cruelty. "The fiercer the fight above, the better! It'll distract them for us! As long as the Star God Fruit matures, we'll immediately use the Void Breaking Talisman bestowed by the clan to escape! As for those above... Hmph, they can be left for the fully awakened Saint Corpse Bone Demon and the other monsters at the bottom of the abyss to enjoy!"

"But Elder, I can't shake off a feeling of unease..." another cultivator said, "It felt like something passed by just now..."

"Paranoid!" Elder Ming Ku reprimanded. "This place is concealed by the Netherworld Blood Array. Even a Saint King would find it difficult to detect! Focus on your task! If you fail the Young Master's grand plan, you will never be able to atone for your sins!"

In the shadows, Xuanyuan Che and the other three heard their conversation clearly.

"Nirvana Star God Tree... Star God Fruit... Netherworld Star Body..." Xuanyuan Che mused, his eyes shining. "So that's what it is! No wonder the Netherworld Clan is willing to go to such great lengths! This fruit isn't of much use to me, but it would be an ultimate treasure for Sister Mu to temper her sword soul!"

Yun Mengyao transmitted her voice. "That Ming Ku is at the Saint Middle stage, and the blood array has already been formed. A frontal assault would be difficult. Moreover, the Star God Fruit is extremely fragile before it matures; energy conflicts could cause it to wither."

"Simple." Xuanyuan Che's lips curved into a smile. "Let them help us ripen the fruit, and then... hehe."

He took out a silver ball the size of a fingernail.

"Is that... the Void Mirage Pearl?" Yun Mengyao recognized the item. It was an extremely rare treasure of spatial illusion, capable of creating lifelike illusions and even temporarily distorting spatial perception.

"Second Senior Sister has sharp eyes." Xuanyuan Che chuckled and flicked his finger.

The mirage pearl silently merged into the void and disappeared.

The next moment, by the blood pool, a sudden change occurred!