Sudden Change

Ren Qing noticed on his way to the karst cave that Mu Yi's figure was absent from the camp, likely having gone to the Forbidden Zone to replenish the sealing techniques.

The sounds inside the cave were now extremely chaotic, with prisoners wielding iron picks everywhere, and the air had grown much more turbid.

As the excavation of the mountain passed the halfway point, Song Zongwu and the other Forbidden Guards were digging with all their might, eager to seal off the Forbidden Zone as quickly as possible.

Arriving at his own mine shaft, Ren Qing suddenly noticed a new one beside it, from which came the rustling sound of chewing.

He couldn't help but glance over, seeing hundreds of dark-gold beetles gnawing at the rock, slow but steady in their persistence.

Meanwhile, Li Yaoyang was busy with Gu Insects on Camel Peak Mountain, only occasionally returning to camp.

This kept two Forbidden Guards outside at all times, leaving no visible opening to exploit.

Ren Qing stood before the stone wall, eyes closed in contemplation, his right hand resting on the saber hilt.

Based on the experience he had accumulated over these days, to make the blade cleave through rock as if it were nothing.

Aside from concentrating as much strength as possible, cutting along the grain was also important, as it could reduce resistance to some extent.

Ren Qing raised the Great Miao Saber above his head, continuously simulating how to swing it.

Half an hour later, Ren Qing sheathed the Great Miao Saber and took a long breath.

It wasn't that he was backing down, but rather the opposite—he now had enough confidence.

His Double Pupils began to rotate involuntarily, and as he crouched, every muscle in his body tensed, then he assumed a drawing stance.

The stone wall in Ren Qing's eyes gradually magnified, with no detail escaping him, not even the dust particles floating in the air.

He felt as if he could sense the countless years this mountain rock had endured.

Clang!!!

The Great Miao Saber was drawn half a finger's length, a cold light enveloping the narrow mine shaft, and the continuous chipping sounds around suddenly ceased.

Ren Qing pushed off with his legs, gliding half a meter.

He remained in the motion of swinging the blade.

Dust danced in the mine shaft, flowing like smoke under the dim light.

Crack, crack, crack...

A Dao rift abruptly split the rock wall. Though not completely broken through, it was clearly the result of a sharp weapon's strike.

In the adjacent mine shaft, Huang Ziwang's expression was deeply suspicious.

If he remembered correctly, Ren Qing had only been digging at the rock wall for a few days.

From barely being able to keep an iron pick from snapping, to now wielding a weapon effectively—could mining really have such an effect?

Huang Ziwang's eye twitched as he glanced at the iron pick nearby.

Ren Qing snapped back to reality and inspected the Great Miao Saber, finding the blade as new, with no damage.

He casually flicked the Great Miao Saber, feeling it move as if it were an extension of his arm—such a drastic change in so short a time.

Ren Qing didn't rush to strike again, knowing he was far from mastering it fully, and refocused his attention on the stone wall.

After a long while, Ren Qing drew and slashed.

Whoosh!

Another strike.

Small fragments fell from the stone wall, and the blade's mark was visibly deeper.

Ren Qing struck at a slow rhythm, heat involuntarily rising from his body—a sign of rapid energy depletion.

Before even a hundred strikes, he was already showing signs of exhaustion.

But the gains were richer than days of digging with an iron pick. Ren Qing gradually integrated his saber technique with his Double Pupils.

Later, he could even plan to incorporate the Werewolf Transformation from the Divine Feet Scripture into his strikes, allowing the techniques to synergize.

Of course, this had to be done without any Forbidden Guards nearby.

Ren Qing left the karst cave directly, intending to return to camp for some food and rest.

Stepping outside, he found it was already evening. The camp was filled with the aroma of roasted meat, and many busy yamen runners could be seen.

In the open space, Mu Yi was still absent.

Ren Qing couldn't help muttering to himself, "So this is the only chance left?"

He shook his head and headed toward the wooden hut, when his peripheral vision caught a figure staggering toward the karst cave.

It was one of the Hunters, who had been recovering in the hut for the past few days after his limbs were torn by wild beasts.

Ren Qing frowned, his steps halting.

At first, the Hunter seemed normal, even responding when someone greeted him, but soon something was off.

Terror filled his eyes, and just as he was about to speak, his right hand covered his mouth.

Blood dripped from the corner of the Hunter's mouth. He wiped it away indifferently, but his face twisted in pain.

As he took a step, a bloody tongue fell from his sleeve.

The Hunter's pace quickened, blood seeping through the gauze on his limbs, his movements carrying an extreme sense of discordance.

Whenever something is abnormal, there must be a reason.

Ren Qing didn't hesitate, drawing the Great Miao Saber and lunging with force toward the Hunter.

But before he could close in, the Hunter dropped to all fours, crawling, his spine cracking repeatedly.

The Hunter opened his mouth, the shape of his lips clearly forming a plea for help.

Then he crashed to the ground and lay still, only twitching occasionally, a large pool of blood spilling out.

Eyes sprouted from the blood, each radiating pure malevolence.

The blood exploded.

A Blood Mist enveloped the clearing, spreading to the mouth of the Karst Cave, countless eyes flickering in and out of sight within the haze.

Those nearby scattered, but they were still half a step too late; several were splashed by the blood and instantly dragged into it.

Ren Qing quickly realized this was clearly a forbidden zone formed by a Half-Corpse Realm Eerie Object, likely originating from the Hundred-Eyed.

But the Hunter was obviously not Song Rong in disguise, and his mind was relatively clear, not influenced by any technique—how had the other party sent the Eerie Object here?

Ren Qing quickly calmed down.

It was only a Half-Corpse Realm forbidden zone; with four Forbidden Guards inside the Karst Cave, it could at most delay them for a moment.

Sure enough, several auras erupted from within the Hundred-Eyed Forbidden Zone.

A newborn Eerie Object hadn't even developed intelligence yet, so how could it contend with Forbidden Guards? Before long, it showed signs of collapsing.

Moreover, the Hundred-Eyed's Eerie Object inherited the ability to create illusions, but facing Song Zongwu, who mastered the Diting Art, it would likely be ineffective.

If it were the more troublesome Human Skin Book, which could hide and possess others, it might have lasted longer.

Ren Qing suddenly realized something.

Song Rong had likely forcibly stripped all of the Hundred-Eyed's eyeballs, paying an immense price—this was a desperate gamble.

Ren Qing turned to look at the distant forest, where beasts were gathering in droves toward Camel Peak Mountain, their target the Disaster Aversion Forbidden Zone.

But then, swarms of Gu Insects surged from the trees and grass to meet them.

The Beast Tide advanced with difficulty, only a portion breaking through into Camel Peak Mountain.

Ren Qing's eyes flickered. He had already guessed Song Rong's method, and finding him with Double Pupils wouldn't be hard.

In his view, Song Rong was trapped in a dead end, doomed to lose.

But the techniques within Song Rong held no small opportunity for Ren Qing, possibly even containing clues to extending life.

Ren Qing turned and headed toward Camel Peak Mountain.

Once the Forbidden Guards broke free, it would be too late to take advantage.

The next chapter will explain Song Rong's method—all I can say is, he's truly a ruthless one.

Thank you to the Lord of All Phenomena for the reward.