Translator: CinderTL
The ruins were vast. The combined forces of Xu Sanyan and Gong Niang, totaling nearly fifty people, scattered across the area like drops of water in the sea, barely causing a ripple.
Curious about the interior of a stone cave, Xu Sanyan leaped up, grabbed the entrance with one hand, and peered inside.
In the dimly lit cavern, four or five Bloodthirsty Demon Bats clung upside down to the ceiling. Each bat, about the size of a rooster, had tightly wrapped its leathery wings around its body, forming a grotesque fleshy sphere with only its sharp claws piercing the stone above to suspend it motionless.
Though pitch-black, the bats weren't entirely repulsive. Dark crimson blood veins etched onto their wings added a touch of grim beauty.
Xu Sanyan released his grip and landed lightly. He glanced around at the countless stone forests surrounding them. If the Holy Son Token were hidden in one of these bat caves, even twice their numbers would struggle to find it.
But that would defeat the purpose of the Holy Son Competition, turning it into a mere scavenger hunt.
Xu Sanyan pondered silently. The three Hall Masters weren't playing a treasure hunt with them; they wouldn't go to such lengths to conceal the Holy Son Token.
Putting himself in their shoes, he thought, "If I were a Hall Master, where would I hide the Holy Son Token?"
The location would need to be difficult to access yet easily noticeable, challenging but still within the participants' capabilities.
If the Holy Son Token was truly hidden here, it must be...
His gaze swept across the landscape before settling on the tallest stone pillar, its imposing height accentuated by the surrounding ancient trees.
The pillar was thick enough for ten people to encircle, standing roughly seventy to eighty feet tall. Countless caves dotted its surface—at least a hundred visible at a glance. The largest cave at the very top was noticeably larger than typical bat caves, suggesting that the Bloodthirsty Demon Bats dwelling inside were likely larger as well.
That was likely the lair of the Bat King. If Xu Sanyan were tasked with hiding the Holy Son Token, this location would undoubtedly be the ideal choice.
The Bat King of the Bloodthirsty Demon Bats was a fourth to fifth-tier demonic beast, still within the capabilities of the sect's disciples. Its conspicuous location meant that anyone with even a shred of wit could easily find it.
Of course, even someone lacking brains could spot it with good eyesight.
Xu Sanyan narrowed his eyes, unhurried. After scanning the surroundings to ensure he was unobserved, he retrieved eight small flags from his storage pouch and buried them deep in the ground according to the cardinal directions.
These were the formation flags for the Eight Directions Divine Lock Formation, obtained from Zhou Longsheng's storage pouch. The formation boasted formidable defensive capabilities but required advance preparation.
Just as the formation was completed, a brilliant rainbow light suddenly erupted from the distant mountains, its vivid colors piercing the sky.
Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow. "Someone's already found a Holy Son Token?" he muttered to himself.
He hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. Only a few days had passed since the Holy Son Competition began, and the first Holy Son Token had already surfaced. This meant the Holy Son Competition had officially entered its most intense phase.
Xu Sanyan pulled out a simple map and compared the rainbow light's direction and distance. It seemed to originate near the Phoenix Tree Forest. "So Qi Liang wasn't the first after all," he mused.
Tranquil Heart Pool spanned roughly a hundred acres, its waters still and undisturbed, reflecting the sky like a mirror. Through the crystal-clear surface, one could easily see fish and shrimp darting across the bottom.
Contrary to the saying that crystal-clear waters hold no fish, Tranquil Heart Pool teemed with large fish, making it a paradise for anglers. Even if one failed to catch anything, simply wading in to scoop them up would guarantee a successful haul.
A large group stood along the shore, led by Qi Liang, clad in a white short-sleeved robe. His gaze was fixed on the fish swimming below, a subtle glint of calculation in his eyes as he meticulously scanned the depths.
This was Qi Liang's faction.
Beside Qi Liang stood Sima Xin, a middle-aged man with a somber expression. "Senior Brother Qi," he inquired slowly, "have you found it yet?"
Sima Xin was another Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator from Qi Liang's faction. He knew Qi Liang possessed a mystical eye technique capable of piercing through illusions, making it ideal for locating the Holy Son Token.
Rumor had it that this technique had been personally bestowed by the Sect Leader himself. Everyone understood the implications: Qi Liang had already secured his claim to a Holy Son Token from the start.
The seemingly fair Holy Son Competition was, in reality, a battle for only four remaining spots.
Qi Liang remained motionless by the shore, offering no reply. After a long pause, he shook his head slightly, the light in his eyes fading. His face paled, and his breathing turned heavy. He withdrew an elixir and swallowed it, a clear sign of the technique's draining nature.
"There's no Holy Son Token here," Qi Liang declared confidently. He trusted his Master implicitly; if the Sect Leader had claimed this technique could pierce the Token's concealment, then it surely could.
Suddenly, a rainbow light erupted in the distance, leaving a vivid, lingering trail that unmistakably marked its source.
Qi Liang's head snapped up. "Quick, the map!" he urged.
Sima Xin swiftly unfurled the map. After a quick comparison, he reported, "Near the Phoenix Tree Forest."
Qi Liang studied the map without looking up. "Who's headed that way?"
Sima Xin paused to recall. "Mengdie, ranked third, Fang Xiang, ranked fifth, and Jiang Qinqin, ranked ninth. They were all moving in that direction."
The rankings he referred to were those of the Ten Great Talents:
Qi Liang (Harmonious Heart Mountain)Tu Wanshan (Blood Refinement Mountain)Mengdie (Joyous Harmony Mountain)Zhou Longsheng (Crimson Dragon Mountain)Fang Xiang (Blood Refinement Mountain)Luo Yu (Crimson Dragon Mountain)Gong Niang (Joyous Harmony Mountain)You Jianfeng (Harmonious Heart Mountain)Jiang Qinqin (Joyous Harmony Mountain)Ma Changjie (Blood Refinement Mountain)
Of these, Harmonious Heart Mountain had two representatives, Crimson Dragon Mountain had two, Blood Refinement Mountain had three, and Joyous Harmony Mountain had three.
Rivalries within the same sect could be fierce, as exemplified by the animosity between Luo Yu and Zhou Longsheng. Both were now dead, leaving only Xu Sanyan alive from their group.
"Let's go!" Qi Liang waved his hand dismissively and surged toward the Phoenix Tree Forest.
The Divine Tree stood not far from the northern edge of the Phoenix Tree Forest.
It was named the Divine Tree because of the ancient, ten-thousand-year-old tree that grew there. Its immense size resembled a small town, with countless interwoven branches forming a labyrinth of "streets and alleys."
Innumerable demonic beasts inhabited its boughs, representing a diverse range of species. Remarkably, these creatures refrained from slaughtering each other while within the tree's embrace. Only upon leaving the Divine Tree would their innate ferocity be unleashed.
Tu Wanshan stood at the base of the tree with his companions, gazing upward in awe. "Every time I see this tree, I'm amazed," he murmured. "How could an ordinary Li Yang Tree grow to such an extraordinary size?"
Beside him, a bald, muscular woman scratched her rear, her exaggerated pectoral muscles straining against her sweat-soaked shirt, threatening to tear the fabric.
She stepped forward, reaching out to coax a small beast perched on a branch, her eyes softening with affection. "Oh, you adorable little thing," she cooed in a clear voice. "I wish I could take you home as a pet."
She retrieved a tiny elixir from her storage pouch. The creature crept closer, twitching its nose to sniff the treat before gulping it down, its face relaxing into contentment.
Overwhelmed with delight, the muscular woman tugged at Tu Wanshan's sleeve excitedly. "Senior Brother, look! Isn't it precious?"
Tu Wanshan shook his head wearily. "Junior Sister, stop playing around. We need to focus on finding the Holy Son Token. No one leaves this place without it."
The bald, muscular figure was actually a woman!
No wonder her pectoral muscles were so exaggerated.
"Oh..."
The bald woman gently placed the little beast back on its branch. The creature glanced back at her before darting away, disappearing into the dense foliage.
(End of the Chapter)
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