After separating the pearls from the oysters, Zhao Shiyong's complexion improved slightly.
This pearl contains refined water-elemental spiritual energy, making it a good cultivation material for cultivators with water and wood Spirit Root. Even if he can't use it, he can still exchange it for a good price when he returns to the Profound Firmament Sect.
But at the same time, I also feel it's a bit of a pity.
Chen Shuangbai saw through his mood and laughed, "Fellow Daoist, this kind of mentality is not advisable. This item is an extra gain from this trip. The real treasure is just ahead, so why look so gloomy?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Shiyong agreed.
He continued to cast spells to activate the blue demon butterfly, and its soft antennae began to twitch again. After a few breaths, it transformed into a beam of dark blue light and flew towards a stone cave.
The two followed closely behind.
After circling around countless times and walking for an unknown period of time, the blue butterfly finally slowed down its flight, and a light far brighter than the azure glow on the surrounding cave walls appeared at the cave entrance ahead.
There's something going on.
Chen Shuangbai offered a reminder.
Zhao Shiyong nodded slightly, a hint of joy appearing in his eyes.
The area was humid, which wasn't very friendly to him, a cultivator who practiced fire magic. He felt completely soaked, and if it weren't for the water-repelling bead on his body, he would probably feel even worse.
Just as they were about to burst out of the brighter opening, they suddenly heard a soft splattering sound coming from inside.
Zhao Shiyong's expression changed slightly. He sensed with his mind that the blue demon butterfly he controlled had stopped moving. He lowered his voice and sent a message to Chen Shuangbai.
"Something's wrong, hide."
Chen Shuangbai understood the implied meaning of the song and quickly moved into the shadows of a recess in the cave wall, summoning water vapor to conceal his aura.
A few breaths later, the two of them saw two cultivators dressed in crimson and black robes fly out of the bright cave entrance and land on the two tallest stone pillars at the entrance, looking around warily.
"Strange... the formation set up here... seems to have been activated..."
The image of the jade ring appeared in Chen Shuangbai, her pupils narrowed slightly, and she sensed the Blood Qi emanating from the two individuals. A thought stirred within her—
The cultivators of Heart-Eroding Stronghold?
Upon hearing his telepathic message, Zhao Shiyong's expression turned somewhat unpleasant and confused.
He transmitted his voice using Secret Method, saying, "My master foresaw that there would be a major hurdle on this journey, and it seems that it will occur here."
Chen Shuangbai replied, "Fellow Daoist, what are your plans... to force your way in... or..."
While the two were plotting, the two cultivators from the Heart-Eroding Stronghold had already discovered the corpse of the demon butterfly that had fallen to the ground. One of the Heart-Eroding cultivators picked it up and examined it carefully. Fortunately, the demon butterfly's body was fragile and had been badly damaged by the attack just now. They assumed it was just a cave creature that had accidentally entered the formation.
"It must have been something in the underground cave that was accidentally touched."
The Heart-Eroding cultivator who discovered the demon butterfly's corpse casually tossed it aside, clapped his hands, and said to his companion beside him:
"Alright, let's go back now. Don't keep the young master waiting."
The two were about to go back.
But at that moment, two lights suddenly appeared from the shadows on both sides of the cave wall.
A cold, sharp glint of light, a fiery red silhouette.
Two soft thuds were heard, and the two of them collapsed limply to the ground. One's head flew several feet away, and the other had a large gash in his chest.
Chen Shuangbai and Zhao Shiyong emerged from the shadows and landed beside the two.
Zhao Shiyong searched the two men and found two tokens. The backs were inscribed with the two large characters "[ Heart-Eroding ]" in ancient seal script, while the fronts bore their names in smaller characters, above which were two more ancient seal characters—
" Evil Ghost!"
"Fellow Daoist Chen... what is this?"
Chen Shuangbai recalled the sect's records about the Heart-Eroding Stronghold Dock and explained them to Zhao Shiyong.
"Besides the lord of the Heart-Eroding Stronghold, there are four envoys under his command, representing the four cardinal directions. These four envoys are in charge of one hall and are respectively [ Hundred Poisons ], [ Ruthlessness ], [ Evil Ghost ], and [ Resentful Blood ]."
"Each of these four halls is presided over by a Foundation Establishment Devil Cultivator cultivator, who commands many capable demonic dogs. These two are likely from the [ Evil Ghost ] faction."
Zhao Shiyong was a disciple of the Xuanxiao Sect of the Zhao Kingdom, so naturally he knew less about the local cultivation forces than Chen Shuangbai, a local cultivator from the Jing Kingdom.
" Fellow Daoist Zhao, do you have any intention of withdrawing?"
Chen Shuangbai looked at Zhao Shiyong and asked.
Zhao Shiyong shook his head slightly and said, "We've come this far, there's no reason to turn back. Why don't we disguise ourselves as these two, go in and scout the situation first, and then make our plans?"
The two stripped the clothes off the two dead Devil Cultivator of the Heart-Eroding Stronghold, then each concealed their aura, each holding a [ Evil Ghost ] token, exchanged a glance, and then rushed inside.
Chen Shuangbai suddenly felt a sense of clarity and understanding.
Before them lay an underground space far larger and more spacious than any of the previous underground caves.
The cave walls above are inlaid with many irregularly shaped and slightly larger luminous crystals, illuminating the entire underground space. Below, in the stalagmite forest, unknown mosses and mushrooms grow, together creating a magnificent underground world.
The two silently entered, and looking around, they saw that there were indeed several array flags planted near the cave entrance where they had come from, forming an array.
Chen Shuangbai released her spiritual sense to investigate and sensed that the formation was not weak and was used as a warning; there were also several similar formations on the walls of this huge underground space, obviously serving the same purpose.
Look over there!
Zhao Shiyong reminded Chen Shuangbai to look towards the center of the underground space, where a towering, enormous stone pillar stood. It was recessed in the center, and strangely shaped stalactites hung down from it, dripping water continuously year after year, which had actually gathered into a sizable lake.
The lake was very deep, clear at the top and a deep blue below. There was a small island in the middle of the lake, on which grew an enormous mushroom. Around the mushroom grew many colorful smaller mushrooms. The cap of the mushroom shook slightly, releasing large amounts of colorful dust, which hindered the dozen or so Heart-Eroding Stronghold cultivators dressed in red and black robes on the shore.
Chen Shuangbai and Zhao Shiyong exchanged a serious look.
"I can sense that the treasure is either in the lake or in the mushroom forest," Zhao Shiyong transmitted his voice.
Chen Shuangbai nodded almost imperceptibly. He was silently using his Spirit-Appraising Pupil to look at the dozen or so Devil Cultivator from the Heart-Eroding Stronghold. Each of them was emanating Blood Qi and black energy, and their cultivation levels were generally around the Third Layer of Qi Refinement.
Only the three in the middle.
A tall, burly man with extremely broad shoulders and an expressionless face was probably at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining.
One was thin and bony, wearing a gray robe, with long, thin arms, no lips, and a pair of teeth that were directly exposed. He was probably at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining.
The two men were guarding a pale-faced young man.