Inside and Outside the Snake Cave

"I'm so frustrated, so frustrated!"

"No need to rush, the Second Young Master has already been captured. No one can untie Ding Kui, so Ding Kui's location is not a problem!"

"That's what they say, but I'm just so annoyed!"

Ding Kui's power and defensive mechanisms are top-notch; even if someone takes it, it's not a problem. Approaching Ding Kui rashly will even lead to death.

However, a tiger with the Dingkui title is an extremely powerful tiger, while a tiger without the Dingkui title can only be considered a strong tiger, completely a level below.

Given this kind of change, how could Hu Yu possibly withstand it?

Especially seeing his trained subordinates lying there, looking like a pile of useless trash, made him even angrier.

"We just need to be wary of those old ghosts from Shadow!"

"Nine-Headed, Hundred-Eyed, Six-Eared, White Bone, and Seven-Spider—none of those old guys are easy to mess with. Without Ding Kui, we'll just have to avoid them!"

After the tiger's roar, the sounds of conversation gradually entered the snake's den.

"This journey has been truly unsuccessful. Not only is Dingkui lost, but we haven't found the embers stored in the Xulu furnace either!"

"The embers of the Void Furnace are probably buried under this snake dung!"

"This is absolutely disgusting! Eating snakes is one thing, but are we supposed to dig out the embers buried in this filth?!"

"We can only dig slowly!"

"I can't stand this place. Rather than digging up snake droppings to find fire and smelting a few of them, I'd rather use a few more idiots!"

"The location of the Void Furnace is remote, which avoids risks. It will take at least half a month for Su Hui and the others to remove the power of Ding Kui. We can dig around here while we're at it!"

"This is so annoying!"

The mentally resonant sound echoed continuously in the snake cave, causing Zhang Xuezhou and the others who were intently eavesdropping to change their expressions slightly.

The good news is that Hu Yu has indeed lost Ding Kui, but the bad news is that Hu Yu and other ferocious beasts are going to start digging into the snake den, trying to uncover everything there.

Even disregarding the area where they were located, if the Qin Meng Secret Stone and the Serpent Cave Medicine below were to be dug up, Zhang Xuezhou and the others would suffer significant losses.

They arrived a little too late; without Zhang Xuezhou's ability to traverse thousands of miles by leaping across airspace, they couldn't capitalize on the time difference.

"Try to get into shape; it'll likely be a tough fight!"

Inside the snake den base, Ren Yisheng pursed his lips and muttered to himself, feeling that conflict was difficult to avoid.

Although the two sides have not met yet, as long as the other side guards the outside of the snake pit, it will be difficult for them to go out.

They couldn't go without food and water indefinitely, and they couldn't stay at the base indefinitely until Hu Yu left.

"Don't rush," Zhang Xuezhou waved his hand, indicating, "They have a habit of going to sleep late at night, so leaving here won't be too difficult. The difficulty lies in how to take these things with them!"

In contrast to Ren Yisheng's instability, Zhang Xuezhou remained extremely calm.

He hadn't wasted these past few days; he knew exactly when the ferocious beasts like Hu Yu would rest.

Without Dingkui's protection, even passing by Huyu wouldn't cause any problems.

The real trouble is how to retrieve the great medicine, Qinmeng secret stone, and fire seed from the snake pit.

Even the lightest of the great medicines requires digging to obtain, not to mention the Qin Meng Secret Stone. The fire seeds are encased in the shell of the Void Fire Clan, and each fire seed weighs hundreds of kilograms, making them extremely difficult to take away, especially since one must avoid ferocious beasts like Hu Yu who are searching for fire seeds.

"It's good that you know the answer!"

Ren Yisheng breathed a sigh of relief.

Getting involved in dangerous situations with others is truly a matter of life and death, but following Zhang Xuezhou always leads to a solution.

Compared to the recklessness of others, Zhang Xuezhou would gather sufficient favorable factors before taking action.

Whether it was taking the opportunity to separate Ding Kui from Hu Yu, knowing the daily routines of Hu Yu and other ferocious beasts, or the master of the Snake Cave, Xu Lu, they were all under his control.

This allowed Zhang Xuezhou and his group to enter the snake pit with relative peace of mind, without panicking despite being blocked at the entrance by Hu Yu.

"Their sleep is our time for moving and eating, but these opportunities are hard to come by," Zhang Xuezhou said. "We've been preparing for the move as much as possible these past few days, hoping to transport everything at once!"

"What about me? Can I come along?"

Xu Lu looked up at the two of them and asked in a low voice.

Zhang Xuezhou and the others were unwilling to be trapped in the snake pit, and Xu Lu was equally unwilling.

Xu Lu knew Hu Yu all too well, and knew what would happen if he fell into Hu Yu's hands.

Tiger Yu, wielding the Ding Kui sword, can crush any opponent; Tiger Yu's roar intimidates. But Tiger Yu also possesses other untold skills.

If one possesses countless snakes and the 'Fire in Wood' that can impact the physical body and brain of Tiger Cub, then the Void Furnace can remain completely calm and composed within the snake pit, while Tiger Cub would be afraid of being ambushed and dare not enter the snake pit.

But all of that is no longer there; he doesn't even have the right to stand before Hu Yu.

Having left the Serpent's Lair, any region in Qinmeng now presents a high risk to the Void Furnace.

If he has the ability to travel far, Xu Lu hopes to go as far as possible until his body is adjusted to normal.

"You're leaving with us?" Zhang Xuezhou asked curiously.

"I will pay the price," Xu Lu said solemnly. "As long as you can take me away, I will do everything in my power to assist you!"

"Oh?"

"I should have the ability to correct his inferior bloodline, giving him greater strength and potential!"

Xu Lu pointed at Ren Yisheng.

Xu Lu used no polite language, bluntly stating that Ren Yisheng had an inferior bloodline, and implying that he had the ability to improve the situation.

"With your strength, you shouldn't be worried about me melting him down," the Void Furnace said with a hint of helplessness. "Besides, I've already melted him down; he can't even think of doing anything wrong!"

"Of course I believe you," Zhang Xuezhou nodded. "However, instead of waiting for later, why not make adjustments now? If we encounter Hu Yu and something unexpected happens, the stronger he is, the easier it will be for us to escape!"

"This..."

"If you're truly capable, we have quite a few people who need your assistance," Zhang Xuezhou said. "You'll also receive the best treatment from us, and you'll definitely feel it's worth the price. This will be a long-term partnership!"

"Can!"

Although Zhang Xuezhou looked young, Xu Zhang Xuezhou clearly regarded him as the leader of the team and a core figure cultivated by a powerful nation, without considering Ren Yisheng Zhang Xuezhou.

Xu Lu even used Ren Yisheng as a case study to demonstrate his willingness to surrender and contribute.

His attitude did not provoke any dissatisfaction from Ren Yisheng; on the contrary, Ren Yisheng breathed a sigh of relief.

If Zhang Xuezhou were to claim that Ren Yisheng holds a pivotal position in the Scarlet Alliance State and possesses the highest-ranking power within the Scarlet Alliance State, and could provide guarantees or similar assurances, the importance of such a status could easily trigger problems.

Conversely, the lower Ren Yisheng's status is in Xu Lu's eyes, the easier it is for Ren Yisheng to avoid future troubles and entanglements.

His identity will be exposed sooner or later. Even if he doesn't return to the Scarlet Alliance State, as long as his face is recognized in Qin Meng, it will cause problems with Zhang Xuezhou regarding the primary and secondary roles, and it will also lead to Xu Lu's suspicion.

If the Void Furnace truly possesses any means to modify bodily genes, the best time to demonstrate it is now, and the best place to do so is within this small space.

Ren Yisheng did not reveal his identity, so there would be no repercussions. Hu Yu's threat made Xu Lu not dare to be careless, and this area is Xu Lu's home ground, so it will definitely be able to achieve the best results.

Due to a combination of factors, Zhang Xuezhou Zhang Xuezhou made the decision on Ren Yisheng's behalf even without seeking Ren Yisheng's consent.

Ren Yisheng clearly trusted Zhang Xuezhou implicitly and knew very well that Zhang Xuezhou would not harm him.

If it were truly necessary to introduce a Fire Meteor creature into the Scarlet Alliance State, Ren Yisheng would need to consider whether it would bring sufficient value rather than endless trouble.

The test he underwent was enough to determine whether the Void Furnace would be treated as a guest, a prisoner, or even face death upon arriving in the Scarlet Alliance State.