Trouble Arrives

While Yu Linglong dealt with the Human-Faced Jade Infant Fruit Tree, Bai Yu searched the surrounding area.

By all rights, if this strange place could nurture a treasure like the Human-Faced Jade Infant Fruit Tree, there should not have been only a single supreme-grade item nearby.

Bai Yu inspected the area thoroughly, even ordering Black Charcoal to weave through the surrounding corpses. Only after confirming that there was nothing else nearby did he let out a regretful sigh.

"Young Master, the fruit tree has been secured, but something seems to have changed inside the Grotto-Heaven. The consumption of spiritual energy has increased. Originally, one spirit stone could last a day, but now it can only last three hours."

Yu Linglong slowly emerged from the Grotto-Heaven, surprise in her voice.

"That's normal. Look at the environment around us—all the energy in this area has practically been absorbed by the fruit tree. That shows just how terrifying the resources needed to cultivate it must be."

"But there's no need to worry. They're only spirit stones. Once we return to the Heavenly Demon Sect and sell the wine bugs, we'll naturally have plenty."

Bai Yu was not worried in the slightest about the increased spiritual energy consumption within the Grotto-Heaven. He had even prepared for it long ago.

After tidying up the area, Bai Yu planned to continue wandering through the White Bone Mountain Range.

Although he had yet to discover any aura above green after being here for so long, there were still several rather distinct crimson auras nearby.

Thus, Bai Yu did not want to let them go just like that.

Boom!

Just as Bai Yu was preparing to leave, a violent shockwave suddenly erupted from the dense mist. The commotion was so great that even the ground trembled!

Bai Yu frowned at the sight. Staring at the white mist not far away, he immediately led Yu Linglong behind a massive boulder to hide, his gaze solemn.

Anyone capable of causing such a disturbance had to possess at least Golden Core-level cultivation. Such a cultivator was not someone he could deal with easily.

Whoosh!

Two figures shot out. A man clutching a compass shoved Li Shishi hard, sending her out of the white mist, while a gigantic bloody hand followed close behind and clenched the man tightly.

The next instant, the sound of bones breaking rang out from within the bloody hand.

"Senior Sister!"

"Go! Inform the sect and avenge us!"

Bang!

As soon as the man finished speaking, he exploded into a cloud of blood. Li Shishi crashed heavily to the ground, rolled several times, then spat out a mouthful of blood, her face turning even paler.

Her face was filled with killing intent and unwillingness. Of the entire Sixth Enforcement Squad, she alone remained.

It was all because she had been careless and failed to notice this monster's transformation in time!

"Still think you can run?"

"Since you chose to make a move, you should have been prepared to die!"

A cold voice rang out as a huge man holding an iron mace staggered out from the white mist.

His bloodshot eyes brimmed with Sha Qi.

Unlike an ordinary human, the man's body had swollen to a grotesque extent.

The skin over his body was split like a spiderweb, dark veins bulging out from within. A massive evil eye had even grown in the center of his chest. He looked like a giant, wicked and bizarre beyond measure.

"Run?"

"If I didn't need to get the news out, why would I have left?"

"Zhao Tianlong, you will pay for my junior brothers and sisters with your life!"

Looking at the surroundings, Li Shishi knew that no matter how fast she ran, it would be meaningless.

Because there was simply no way out.

With that thought, Li Shishi gripped her spear and slowly pushed herself to her feet, fixing him with an icy stare.

"Hahahaha, pay with my life?"

"You cultivators are people, but the soldiers who followed me weren't?"

"Were all those slaughtered in Zhao King City not people?"

"You're clearly from a demonic sect, yet you can still say something like that. You truly have no shame."

Zhao Tianlong's voice was somewhat hoarse, his tone steeped in hatred.

He had originally been the Grand Tutor of Wu Shu Kingdom. Due to its geographical location, he had spent all year guarding the frontier.

Ever since the founding of Wu Shu Kingdom, he had protected this land. Yet overnight, the royal family had been slaughtered to the last, and the entire Zhao King City had become a living hell!

When Zhao Tianlong first heard the news, he felt as though his entire world had been destroyed.

Through the Iron Sword Sect's investigation, he finally learned that the ones who had ruined everything were the lofty Heavenly Demon Sect.

Compared with cultivators, the army he had been so proud of was little more than ants before them.

Fortunately, Wu Shu Kingdom had a good relationship with the Iron Sword Sect. After discussion, the Iron Sword Sect brought them the Great Medicine that could increase one's strength!

To take revenge on the Heavenly Demon Sect, he had led his personal guards into hiding within the White Bone Mountain Range. After consuming the Great Medicine, they began taking revenge on the Heavenly Demon Sect's disciples here.

A few days ago, he had vaguely sensed that something was amiss. Thus, he planned to send his personal guards down the mountain in advance while he faced whatever was coming alone.

Yet he encountered Li Shishi, who had entered the mountain to investigate. After discovering that they had taken the Great Medicine, she immediately prepared to bring them back for questioning.

For that very reason, the conflict between the two sides had erupted outright, and the personal guard he valued most had died at the hands of the enforcement team.

Perhaps Heaven had taken pity on him. At the final moment, Zhao Tianlong activated the power of the Great Medicine within his body and launched a counterattack against Li Shishi and the others, creating the current situation.

Hearing Zhao Tianlong's words, Li Shishi narrowed her eyes and placed an azure pill into her mouth.

The next instant, golden dharma power surged out from Li Shishi's body with a howl, her terrifying aura rising without end.

"Those who consume the Great Medicine are beings intolerable to Heaven and Earth."

"I don't know what happened to you, but I can say for certain—you've been used!"

Li Shishi's aura continued to climb until it finally stopped at the sixth level of the Golden Core Realm.

Feeling the energy within her body and considering the pill's time limit, Li Shishi did not hesitate in the slightest. Gripping her spear, she shot toward Zhao Tianlong!

"Buzz!"

The golden current flowing over the spear ripped through the air, while the phantom image of a fierce tiger condensed around its tip descended like a god from the heavens!

"Heh heh!"

Zhao Tianlong's face twitched involuntarily. He held his twin maces in both hands as black Sha Qi gathered ceaselessly around him, and charged straight at her!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The great battle erupted at the first touch. Hidden in the shadows, Bai Yu watched the scene with a grave expression.

He had heard Zhao Tianlong's words clearly just now.

He had never expected that the upheaval in the White Bone Mountain Range was actually connected to the Wu Shu Kingdom—perhaps even an extension of that previous incident!

Looking at Zhao Tianlong's monster-like appearance, Bai Yu had already formed a rough judgment about the matter.

"Hahaha! You pampered lot—if our Wu Shu Kingdom had a cultivation method like yours, your Heavenly Demon Sect would have been breached long ago!"

Holding his twin maces in both hands, Zhao Tianlong unleashed a terrifying blast of black qi. That dreadful power was a completely crushing force against Li Shishi.

As the two clashed again and again, Li Shishi quickly fell into a disadvantage. If not for the golden light protecting her body, she would have long since been torn to pieces by Zhao Tianlong's killing techniques, honed upon the battlefield!