With a loud "bang," the valley was shaken for a moment, and the standing Desolate Beast fell to the ground. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Li and Xu struck the Desolate Beast hard on the back, creating a deep crater in the valley.
"Roar!"
The Desolate Beast roared helplessly in the mud, its massive body struggling in the mud, its howls echoing among the surrounding peaks, and a large pit was dug out of the mud.
With Li and Xu on his back, he struggled to break free, his thick claws digging into the mud. Suddenly, a cold glint flashed in his blood-red eyes.
With a "thud," a long Miao sword pierced its neck. The Desolate Beast slumped its head helplessly, its eyes reflecting the mournful cubs.
"Hahaha, you all have quite the skills! I've truly broadened my horizons. Here are the promised Spirit Stone!"
Seeing that the situation was settled, a hearty laugh rang out from the valley. A young cultivator with a square face emerged from his hiding place and casually tossed a small storage bag into the middle of the valley.
When the crowd heard his first compliment, they didn't react at all. But when the storage bag containing the Spirit Stone was thrown out, their eyes lit up and they all stretched out their arms to reach into the air.
The person who threw the Spirit Stone had his own agenda. He deliberately aimed the Spirit Stone towards the Miao sword cultivator. By the time the wiry man caught the storage bag with one hand, the surrounding cultivators had already arrived.
All eyes were fixed on the storage bag in their hands, their eyes burning with desire, as if the contents were something incredibly tempting.
The wiry man frowned upon seeing this, flipped his hand and placed the Miao sword beside him. Then, under everyone's gaze, he opened his storage bag. Everyone's expressions varied, and when they simultaneously extended their spiritual senses, they couldn't help but feel wary of each other.
After distributing the Spirit Stone, the wiry man quickly withdrew from the crowd, and the others, watching each other closely, divided the Spirit Stone in their storage bags.
"Now that we have successfully captured the Spirit-Seeking Armadillo cub, would you all be willing to travel together?"
After the square-faced youth saw that everyone had finished distributing the Spirit Stone, he looked at the young beast beside the Two Lin Brothers and slowly spoke to everyone.
"I am willing to follow Fellow Daoist Deng's command!"
The burly man seemed to be in a good mood after receiving the Spirit Stone. Upon hearing Deng Shouchong's question, he put away his Miao sword and was the first to speak.
The group looked at each other, staring at the Spirit Stone in their hands. After some deliberation, they followed the example of the strong and capable man and expressed their willingness to go with Deng Shouchong.
Deng Shouchong was the young man who had just thrown out the Spirit Stone. He had gathered a group of cultivators in the Red Land, intending to plunder the spiritual veins.
The Land of Exile is extremely barren, with no permanent natural resources on the land, and the few small spiritual veins that exist are controlled by powerful forces.
How could humans find the spiritual veins in this vast, Red Land? That's why they resorted to luring and killing Desolate Beast beasts. To survive in this desolate land, Desolate Beast seem to be even more adept at survival than humans.
It was only through the combined efforts of everyone that the Desolate Beast was captured and killed. The mother beast was difficult to control, so they had to work together to hunt it down. The cubs were controlled by the Two Lin Brothers to search for the location of the spiritual vein.
Intense battles inevitably require the use of Magic Power. Without Spirit Stone to replenish it, it is difficult to restore one's Magic Power. In the Red Land, everyone knows what the consequences would be if one did not have strong martial arts to protect them.
Therefore, although Deng Shouchong did not personally hunt or kill the Desolate Beast, the crowd still implicitly regarded him as their leader, and the Spirit Stone he donated had already convinced them of his plan.
Looking at the diverse expressions on the faces of the crowd, Deng Shouchong's eyes revealed a strange smile; he had been prepared for this long ago.
Searching for spiritual veins requires Desolate Beast, Two Lin Brothers are beast tamers. The other three cultivators are all rogue cultivators he recruited along the way.
At first, the crowd wasn't enthusiastic about Deng Shouchong's recruitment efforts, but after they actually offered Spirit Stone, their attitude softened considerably.
They weren't entirely without ulterior motives towards Deng Shouchong, who possessed the Spirit Stone; however, they couldn't discern any flaws in him at the moment, and if they rashly attacked, they might end up losing more than they gained.
Therefore, with the intention of seizing Spirit Stone, various groups temporarily gathered behind Deng Shouchong, since the Red Land was fraught with danger and the barren land could not obtain Spirit Stone resources.
In Deng Shouchong's plan, the group was to search for spiritual veins. Murder and robbery were as commonplace as eating and drinking in the Land of Exile. Moreover, with Deng Shouchong's provision of Spirit Stone, the group felt much less burdened.
When Deng Shouchong looked at him, the two Lin cultivators standing to the side immediately understood and clasped their hands in affirmation, saying:
"My brother and I have already subdued the Spirit-Seeking Armadillo cub. With just a few incantations, it will submit completely. Spirit-Seeking Armadillo can survive for a thousand years in the Red Land; they naturally know the location of the spiritual veins within Red Land!"
"Very well! Two Lin Brothers is indeed skilled. In that case, let's all follow the Spirit-Seeking Armadillo!"
"I am willing to follow Fellow Daoist Deng!"
After he finished speaking, everyone automatically dispersed. A dark shadow swept through the valley, accompanied by a foul stench. The Two Lin Brothers seemed completely unconcerned about the escape of the cub.
The two of them strode off with smiles on their faces, seemingly taking a leisurely stroll, yet their figures always trailed behind the cub.
The mother beast's carcass in the valley had already been dismembered by everyone. In this barren land, the essence of the Desolate Beast's flesh and blood, as well as its pair of sharp claws that gleamed with cold light, could not be wasted.
As Deng Shouchong watched the figures of the crowd dart and turn among the valleys and mountains until they gradually disappeared, he intentionally or unintentionally raised his head, glanced at the clouds in the sky, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.
Ten thousand meters above the ground, a strong wind arose as a massive black shadow burst forth from the clouds, causing the airflow below to become turbulent. The air was compressed by a Super Strength between the wings and then released in an instant, creating a series of tiny sonic booms in the sky.
With thick clouds obscuring the view, not a single shadow could be seen on the ground. As the air currents became turbulent, before anyone could react, the intense sunlight in front of them dimmed slightly before returning to normal.
Xu Long's will locked onto the fleeing cubs below. He hadn't seen any signs of human habitation along the way, while the square-faced cultivator and his group seemed quite skilled at using the cubs to search for spiritual veins!
This was the first cultivator Xu Long had encountered since entering the Land of Exile. He was planning to extract information about the Land of Exile from these people when he suddenly sensed a gaze from the ground.
Xu Long raised an eyebrow, somewhat speechless. He vaguely sensed that the square-faced cultivator among this group seemed to have ulterior motives.
Xu Long gazed into the distance from the back of the Vulture King. He hadn't seen a single person in the air above 10,000 meters, nor had he sensed even the slightest energy fluctuations.
In this barren land, perhaps no one would be so extravagant as to Magic Power to fly and travel.
After the Vulture King spread its wings and swept across the valley, it looked out from the air and saw that some greenery had already appeared on the land ahead.
Xu Long did not alert the group below, but he sensed a different aura emanating from Deng Shouchong.
After crossing the valley, the group below headed in the opposite direction from the beast's den.
The mountain peaks reflected in the ground became increasingly dense, and the winding river valleys were gradually replaced by flat ground, with towering stone mountain ranges rising from the earth.
Some gray-green vines climbed up the stone wall, which was as steep as if it had been cleaved by a sharp sword. Only layers of vines that could not wither in the sun or die of thirst clung to its surface.
The group didn't exchange a single word as they walked, keeping their figures far apart. Each person looked preoccupied, seemingly consciously or unconsciously wary of those in front and behind them.
Deng Shouchong up the rear, observing the terrain and the direction the group was heading, a serious look flashing in his eyes.
"Fellow Daoist Deng, the Spirit-Seeking Armadillo has located the spiritual vein, but there are quite a few cultivators guarding the stone walls, and some arrays have been set up outside this small spiritual vein. It seems it belongs to someone!"
The words of the Two Lin Brothers brought everyone to an abrupt halt. They then looked at each other in the mountains, momentarily hesitant.
"Hahaha! Two Lin Brothers, you are indeed skilled. Now that you have found the location of the spiritual vein, none of you want to explore it further. How can you survive in this Red Land for long?"
Deng Shouchong naturally knew what they were hesitating about. The spiritual vein that the Two Lin Brothers had discovered belonged to someone else. If they wanted a share of the spoils, they would have to engage in a murderous and thieving business.
However, cultivators who can occupy spiritual veins are no ordinary people; they might end up losing more than they gain Spirit Stone!
Upon hearing Deng Shouchong's words, everyone's expressions changed drastically, as if their secret thoughts had been exposed, and their eyes turned resolute as they looked at Deng Shouchong.
" Two Lin Brothers, take the Spirit-Seeking Armadillo and break the formation first. Fellow Daoist Xu Li and Xu, hold off the enemy at the front. Ma Fang, you will provide support. I will coordinate from the center. If a powerful cultivator comes to oversee things, I will naturally intervene. At that time, we will attack from both inside and outside, employing a two-pronged approach. You all must risk your lives for this cause. After it is accomplished, I will not take a single Spirit Stone!"
After taking in the resolute expressions of everyone, Deng Shouchong calmly delivered a speech, stating that arrangements had been made for everyone in the plan, and generously added that no Spirit Stone were needed at the end.
If there were any doubts in their hearts just now, after hearing that Deng Shouchong did not need to distribute Spirit Stone, a greedy look flashed in their eyes, and then they all expressed their opinions as if they had made up their minds.
After the Two Lin Brothers disappeared, the other three followed. Deng Shouchong, who was behind them, clearly saw the greed on their faces.
Spirit Stone are the absolute hard currency in the Land of Exile, and the greed in everyone's hearts has been aroused. Now that morale is high, who cares who the owner of this small spiritual vein is? The greedy people don't even think about that question.
A slight smile played on Deng Shouchong's lips as his gaze fell behind the continuous stone walls. He seemed to be plotting something in his mind, and his Magic Power began to circulate throughout his body.
He had never made a move along the way, but everyone knew that he was not short of Spirit Stone. Now, he was using all his Magic Power to deal with the cultivator guarding the spirit vein!
After the tasks were assigned, everyone performed their duties. The Two Lin Brothers controlled the cub and headed into the stone wall. Once the cub broke through the array barrier, Li and Xu went to launch a strong attack, while the skilled cultivator Ma Fang followed behind to provide support.
Deng Shouchong's series of arrangements seemed to have been meticulously planned over countless times. The strength of the group in the Red Land was beyond doubt, and under Deng Shouchong's arrangement, they were quite adept at this risk-free business.
As a deafening explosion resounded across the land, Deng Shouchong's expression hardened, and he stared intently into the stone wall.
Dust and smoke were already rising from behind the steep cliff, and faint shouts of battle could be heard through the array barrier. The Two Lin Brothers, with the Spirit-Seeking Armadillo, had succeeded!
At this moment, Li and Xu were launching a fierce attack behind the stone wall. With the Spirit Stone that Deng Shouchong earlier, the two no longer concealed their cultivation levels.
Seeing that the spiritual vein had been discovered and a large number of Spirit Stone were right in front of him, the weapon he usually held in his hand was suddenly activated by his full Magic Power.
Deng Shouchong's guess was indeed correct. People who survive in the Red Land never care about their background; when survival is at stake, everything else is forgotten.
Li and Xu discovered the clues behind the continuous stone walls.
Ordinary spiritual veins are mostly found beneath mountains that have accumulated over tens of thousands of years, but spiritual veins are extremely rare in the Land of Exile. The small spiritual vein that everyone discovered this time using the Spirit-Seeking Armadillo was hidden behind a series of stone walls.
The continuous stone walls are incredibly steep, and the mountain range, which seems to reach the sky and connect with the earth, is completely devoid of vegetation. Behind each stone wall lies a deep canyon, and there are even some formations set up around the canyon.
Several hidden sentries were stationed within the stone walls, while a passage ran through the canyon leading directly into the interior of the walls, where powerful auras flickered.
Ordinary Desolate Beast would never be able to find this place, but the Spirit-Seeking Armadillo is best at digging into rocks and soil, searching for spiritual veins, and breaking through array barriers is a piece of cake for it, which has grown two sharp claws.
"Who dares to come to my Rogue Cultivators Association's Earth Realm and try to freeload!"
A roar erupted from the canyon behind the stone wall, accompanied by a gust of wind, and a powerful cultivator, almost turning into a blur, swiftly emerged from the canyon.
Li and Xu exchanged glances, both seeing a ruthless glint in each other's eyes. At this moment, they didn't care about the other party's reputation as a "Rogue Cultivators Association." What mattered most to them was the small spiritual vein in the canyon behind the stone wall!
The powerful cultivator who emerged from the canyon had a plan in mind. Those who could find this canyon must be familiar cultivators from the Land of Exile.
Even if the Spirit Stone are tempting, it would be good to intimidate him by revealing his own name, since the reputation of the Rogue Cultivators Association is not weak in the Land of Exile.
The second purpose was to remind the cultivators guarding the canyon passage that while he was blocking the enemy from the outside, the cultivators inside the spiritual vein should prepare for whatever might happen.
But his plan was clearly wrong. The two attackers showed no respect for the " Rogue Cultivators Association," responding only with two sharp blades.
A look of seriousness flashed in his eyes, and the great cultivator from the Rogue Cultivators Association felt a chill in his heart. It seemed that the visitors were not friendly!
With the support of the spiritual veins behind them, the great cultivators of the Rogue Cultivators Association were not stingy with their Magic Power output. They poured all the Magic Power condensed in their palms into a flying sword, and their sleeves were bulging from the strong wind.