Translator: CinderTL
Half an hour later, the group had finished resting. The wounded received basic treatment, while those with severe injuries were left to fend for themselves.
Xu Sanyan had already assessed their numbers. Twenty-three cultivators remained: seven at the Mid Stage of Foundation Establishment and the rest at the Initial Stage. Their overall strength was slightly higher than when Luo Yu had been alive.
With Luo Yu's death, another Demonic Seed slot had opened up. Xu Sanyan could now plant three more.
Meng Zhuer had survived. Feeling he had enough Demonic Seeds for the time being, Xu Sanyan spared her life, reasoning that having a loyal maidservant by his side would be useful.
At that moment, Xiang Tan slowly awoke. Her eyes fluttered open, and she dazedly scanned her surroundings before murmuring, "Did Senior Brother Zhou win?"
She guessed Zhou Longsheng had prevailed because if Luo Yu had won, she likely wouldn't have woken up at all.
Chi Yu glanced at her, slightly surprised. Among those present, Xiang Tan had been among the weakest in both cultivation level and combat ability. Many stronger cultivators had perished, yet she had somehow survived until the end.
"Senior Brother Xu won," Chi Yu announced, helping Xiang Tan to her feet.
"Senior... Brother Xu?" Xiang Tan blinked, her expression blank. "Who's that?"
"Me." Xu Sanyan smiled and playfully patted her cheek, amused by her bewildered expression. He offered no explanation, turning instead to Chi Yu. "Junior Brother Chi, what's our next move?"
Xu Sanyan hadn't prepared for the Holy Son Competition, but he trusted that Luo Yu had made ample preparations. As Luo Yu's confidant, Chi Yu surely possessed valuable knowledge.
Chi Yu pointed in a direction. "There's an ancient ruin about four hundred li from here. It doesn't contain any treasures, but Senior Brother Luo—Luo Yu—suspected the three Hall Masters would likely place a Holy Son Token there."
Xu Sanyan nodded. "Excellent. Let's set out immediately!"
The group followed Xu Sanyan, striding purposefully forward.
Xiang Tan pursed her lips, still trying to grasp what had happened. How had Xu Sanyan suddenly become the leader?
She quietly sidled up to a familiar companion, tugged on her sleeve, and whispered, "Junior Sister Chu, what happened while I was unconscious?"
Junior Sister Chu glanced at Xiang Tan's disheveled robes, a pang of jealousy twisting her heart. That little hussy, she thought bitterly, she really hit the jackpot this time, seducing Senior Brother Xu. If she plays her cards right, she might actually survive this.
But she couldn't voice such thoughts. Gathering her composure, Junior Sister Chu said, "Senior Brother Xu is at Foundation Establishment Perfection. His physical body is incredibly resilient. He annihilated Luo Yu in a single strike, and now we're all following his lead."
"Huh?" Xiang Tan blinked in confusion, slapping her cheeks hard. She wondered if she was still dreaming.
"I heard you and Senior Brother Xu are quite close," Junior Sister Chu probed.
"Ah... not bad," Xiang Tan replied, neither confirming nor denying, adding, "We understand each other's boundaries."
Junior Sister Chu's jealousy intensified, but she kept a smile plastered on her face. "Then you must introduce me properly, Senior Sister! Junior Brother Xu's background is shrouded in mystery—no one knows anything about him. Do you happen to know anything?"
Xiang Tan had finally shaken off her daze and recognized Junior Sister Chu's thinly veiled attempt to pry for information. But she genuinely knew nothing.
She couldn't reveal her ignorance, however. After a moment's hesitation, Xiang Tan said, "I'm sorry, Junior Sister Chu. Senior Brother Xu asked me not to speak about it."
Junior Sister Chu listened to their conversation, further confirming her suspicion that Xiang Tan knew something. No wonder the two had been so close earlier!
Little hussy, keeping her mouth shut tight, huh? Hmph!
With a sweet smile, Junior Sister Chu looped her arm through Xiang Tan's and whispered in her ear from time to time, putting on the act of a perfect sisterly companion.
Xu Sanyan led the group, flanked by Chi Yu and the Jin Brothers, Jin Feng and Jin Ming.
The Jin Brothers were blood siblings, with Jin Feng as the elder and Jin Ming as the younger. They had previously collaborated with Chi Yu to manipulate the Dragon-Catching Net and capture Zhou Longsheng.
Both brothers were at the Mid Stage of Foundation Establishment. Their minds were deeply connected, making them formidable fighters and valuable assets to Luo Yu's team.
In front of the trio, Xu Sanyan tore open Luo Yu's storage pouch. His eyes immediately fell upon the Stone General.
He remembered this construct well—its combat strength rivaled that of a Mid Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, making it a useful tool.
Next, he examined the Compass. Pouring Spiritual Power into it, he watched the three needles swing wildly before the longest one settled, pointing straight ahead.
Chi Yu quickly advised, "Senior Brother Xu, let's take another route."
Xu Sanyan turned to him, waiting for an explanation.
Chi Yu pointed to the longest needle on the compass. "These three needles correspond to demonic beasts of different realms. The longest represents those in the Dao Seeking Realm, the middle one represents Foundation Establishment, and the shortest represents those below Foundation Establishment."
Xu Sanyan nodded in understanding, gently stroking the compass. "Truly a remarkable treasure."
"Is there no way to detect beasts beyond the Dao Seeking Realm?" Xu Sanyan asked.
Chi Yu shook his head. "Sixth Stage demonic beasts are equivalent to Soul Refining Realm cultivators. They possess intelligence comparable to humans and know how to conceal their aura, making them difficult to detect."
Xu Sanyan nodded slowly, following the compass's directions to take a detour. Best not to provoke Dao Seeking Realm demon beasts, he thought. Even if we all fought together, we'd likely be no match.
He handed the compass back to Chi Yu to lead the way while he continued searching through Luo Yu's storage pouch. He found a porcelain bottle, and when he shook it gently, he heard the sound of liquid sloshing inside.
"Does anyone recognize this?" Xu Sanyan asked.
Jin Feng took the bottle, removed the stopper, and sniffed. A pungent, fishy stench filled the air. "It's probably some kind of beast blood," Jin Feng guessed.
"Beast blood?" Xu Sanyan asked, puzzled. "What would Luo Yu need that for?"
Chi Yu explained, "Senior Brother Xu, you may not know this, but the blood of a powerful demonic beast attracts the attention of other demonic beasts in the vicinity. If it's the blood of a Sixth Stage demonic beast, it will agitate all the beasts within a hundred li radius."
Xu Sanyan nodded in understanding. It seemed Luo Yu had spared no effort in preparing for the Holy Son Competition.
The storage pouch contained a variety of miscellaneous items that Xu Sanyan had no interest in examining. The most valuable items were the Stone General, the Compass of Direction, the demonic beast blood, and the now-broken Dragon-Catching Net.
Each of these items was incredibly valuable. Luo Yu had likely exhausted his savings to acquire them, with the Dragon-Catching Net being the most expensive. According to Chi Yu, this treasure alone had cost Luo Yu eighty percent of his Merit Points, plus a substantial number of Spirit Stones to secure.
Next, Xu Sanyan opened Zhou Longsheng's storage pouch. Zhou Longsheng had also come well-prepared, possessing his own Compass of Direction and a set of formation flags: eight small flags and one large flag, which controlled the formation.
After some inquiries, Xu Sanyan learned that this defensive formation was called the Eight Directions Divine Lock Formation. Once deployed, even Soul Refinement cultivators would struggle to break through it.
Its drawbacks were that it needed to be set up in advance and could only defend, not attack.
It seemed Zhou Longsheng truly valued his life.
The two men had few Spirit Stones remaining, less than two hundred combined, having spent most of their resources.
As dawn gradually lit the horizon, the group had been traveling all night.
Due to the abundance of demonic beasts in Ten Thousand Demons Mountain, they had to proceed cautiously. Even with their Foundation Establishment cultivation levels, they had only covered less than two hundred li.
Just then, a soft, melodious female voice called out from the side, "Are you senior brothers from Crimson Dragon Mountain? May I ask if you're Senior Brother Luo or Senior Brother Zhou?"
(End of the Chapter)
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