Deep underground, Shen Luo activated his Invisibility Talisman and concealed his aura with the Soft-Smoke Silk Robe. He also transformed into an earth turtle and hid in the soil.
Only after sensing that no one remained above did he breathe a sigh of relief. He dispelled the Seventy-Two Transformations and swiftly burrowed upward, his divine sense locking onto the spot where he had previously planted the Blood-Colored Bone Staff. A faint smile curved his lips.
The Essence-Devouring Demon Wand and the other four demonic artifacts lay quietly on the ground there. He had chosen to retreat underground precisely so he could collect these five artifacts.
With Shen Luo's current cultivation, his escape speed was astonishing. In the blink of an eye, he approached the surface and raised his hand, sending a stream of yellow light sweeping toward the five demonic artifacts.
But just then, a streak of green light shot over from the side, likewise targeting the five demonic artifacts. It was even faster than Shen Luo's yellow light.
A figure lurked within the green light: Mu Xiao, who had escaped underground earlier. Unexpectedly, he too had been hiding nearby.
Shen Luo's gaze turned cold. The yellow light in his hand flared and abruptly accelerated, wrapping around the five demonic artifacts at the same instant as Mu Xiao's green light.
Both exerted their strength and pulled. With a bang, the five demonic artifacts scattered.
Shen Luo's yellow light caught the Essence-Devouring Demon Wand and Yuan Ming's black box. Mu Xiao's green light also seized two treasures-the black bell and the short black-and-yellow ruler that Elder Mei had obtained earlier.
The last artifact, Nine Serenities, was knocked away in another direction by the collision between the yellow and green lights.
Shen Luo was still underground, but Mu Xiao had already emerged