"It's come to this!"
"Let's think of a solution!"
Qin Yu, the Sect Master of the Xiandao Sect, put away the golden spear in his hand. He stood there coldly, his body also stained with blood, making it clear that he had no intention of giving any explanation for what had just happened.
"Hmph!"
The Shenxing Sect Master was furious and questioned him sharply.
"Master Qin, if you hadn't stopped him, Elder Jiang killing this man would have forced the Green Bull Demon Lord out. There would still have been hope to kill him! Shouldn't you take responsibility for this?"
Qin Yu replied coldly,
"This man is a disciple of the Xiandao Sect. He should not have died in such an unexpected calamity. What's more, didn't the Green Bull Demon Lord say before leaving that he had a backup plan? Even if the Jiang family head had forcibly killed him, it's not certain the demon lord would have been kept here."
"You're twisting words!"
"But let's look at the facts!"
Seeing that the argument was about to escalate, the Tianji Sect Master frowned deeply. His anger was no less than theirs. A rare opportunity had been ruined because of this junior. If the Green Bull Demon Lord had been suppressed here—even if they couldn't kill him outright—it would have bought the Eastern Region precious time. Now, trouble was inevitable.
"Tianji Sect disciples, follow me back to the sect!"
The Tianji Sect Master glanced at Ye Chen with disgust and spoke coldly. The surrounding Tianji Sect disciples quickly gathered, their expressions blank.
Leaving already?
They had just entered!
They hadn't even begun to explore the opportunities within!
Chu Yaoyao, the Sect Master of the Goddess Sect, looked pale and weak as well. She said softly,
"Disciples of the Goddess Sect, follow me back."
The Nangong Clan Head also spoke coldly,
"Nangong clan members, return with me."
Things had reached this point.
The Green Bull Demon Lord had escaped.
The Yin Dynasty ruins were no longer an opportunity, but a massive hidden danger. No one knew when or where the demon lord would reappear to strike. Even when eight Human Emperors joined forces, they couldn't kill him—now that he was hidden in the shadows, no one could withstand his attacks.
Besides, this trip had not been without gains. Apart from the Yin Dynasty's most precious treasures—the Great Phoenix Sutra and the Sword of the Nation—and the illusory Mysterious Inheritance, everyone had obtained other benefits. Leaving now was not considered a loss.
Swish!
Swish!
One sect master after another chose to leave, taking their people with them.
"Master Xiao, do you need me to escort you?"
Jiang Zhenshan exhaled and walked over to Xiao Rongyu. He knew she had just used a forbidden technique to burn her blood. Once its effects faded, she would fall into extreme weakness.
"It's fine," Xiao Rongyu said.
"I can still hold on for a while."
"Master Jiang, please be careful on your way."
She forced a smile. Her red robe appeared even more vivid against the blood, and her voice remained cold.
"Donglin Sect disciples, follow me back to the sect!"
Jiang Zhenshan nodded gently and did not insist further. As long as there was a Human Emperor waiting outside the Yin Dynasty ruins, she would be safe returning to the Donglin Sect. He then looked at the Jiang clan members who had already gathered, led by Jiang Jue. With a wave of his sleeve, a sphere of light enveloped them all as they stepped directly into the outside world.
Puff!
Left alone before the Scripture Pavilion, Xiao Rongyu spat out a mouthful of thick blood. Her face grew increasingly pale. She had overused forbidden techniques and had been targeted by the Green Bull Demon Lord. Her blood essence had burned violently, and now her life force was rapidly draining away. Every moment she remained came with immense pain and cost.
Swish!
Even so, she rushed into the Scripture Pavilion.
Her eyes were weak, yet filled with determination.
When she reached the eighth floor and saw the ancient books placed there, her pale cheeks suddenly bloomed into a bright, beautiful smile.
"Master!"
The Donglin Sect disciples outside were filled with worry. They now understood the entire cause and effect. What troubled them most was that the other sect masters avoided the Scripture Pavilion like a den of vipers, fearing hidden dangers—yet their own master had rushed inside without hesitation. They paced anxiously outside, not daring to step in.
Swish~
With a wave of her wide sleeves, Xiao Rongyu collected the remaining scriptures of the Yin Dynasty. She then looked up toward the ninth floor of the Scripture Pavilion.
After a brief hesitation, she chose to retreat.
Perhaps there were saint-level scriptures above.
But it was too dangerous.
The ninth floor of the Donglin Sect's Scripture Pavilion was filled with killing intent, and the Yin Dynasty's would be no better. A trace of regret flashed in her eyes as she murmured softly,
"If I survive this calamity, I will definitely come back to take these scriptures for you."
…
Swish!
As the Donglin Sect withdrew, the Yin Dynasty ruins fell into brief silence.
Soon after, however, a low and painful groan echoed from somewhere.
It was none other than Ye Chen.
Unlike the others, he did not leave with Qin Yu of the Xiandao Sect. Instead, he stayed behind, determined to seek opportunities.
Even if a terrifying demon lurked within, he no longer cared.
After what had happened, Sect Master Qin Yu clearly harbored resentment toward him. If Qin Yu were to learn that Old Monster Zhao had died because of him, Ye Chen suspected he might be killed in a fit of rage.
"Hehehe…"
"Little guy."
"You're really lucky."
The ring-bound master spoke in surprise. The Green Bull Demon Lord's possession had drained Ye Chen's blood and qi, but it had also left behind waves of demonic energy. The demon lord had intended for this energy to corrode Ye Chen slowly to death—but he hadn't expected that there was another great demon hidden within Ye Chen's ring.
"I'll teach you a cultivation and refining method," the ring-bound master said.
"Once you master it, you can devour this demonic energy."
After receiving the spiritual inheritance, Ye Chen frowned.
"Master… this technique feels a bit like demonic cultivation."
The demon in the ring sneered inwardly. Of course it was a demonic technique—was there even a need to hesitate?
On the surface, however, he spoke calmly.
"I have no other choice. In your current state, if you don't cultivate this method, you'll die soon. Don't worry—I once killed the creator of this technique myself. Give it time, and you'll be able to resolve this hidden danger completely."
Ye Chen hesitated, then nodded.
He trusted his master.
He began cultivating the technique.
His cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.
"Huh?"
The old man in the ring gradually grew uneasy. He had spoken casually, yet hadn't expected another type of true energy to exist within Ye Chen's body—one that was actively resolving the flaws of the demonic technique.
Surprised and doubtful, he muttered,
"This kid is truly blessed. Even in such a situation, he can turn danger into fortune and gain another harvest."
Compared to Ye Chen—
Jiang Chen's path was far smoother.
In the life simulation, he already knew that Ye Chen would obtain a heaven-defying fortune here. He wasted no effort and calmly entered a mysterious small secret realm within the Yin Ruins, where he successfully found three items:
The Great Phoenix Sutra.
The Sword of the Nation.
The Mysterious Inheritance.
Jiang Chen accepted the first two but did not open the third, planning to offer it to his master as thanks for his guidance. After memorizing the contents of the Great Phoenix Sutra, he slowly opened his eyes.
What he did not know was that above his head, purple luck had already gathered, faintly accompanied by the shadow of a dark lotus.
Now, the dark lotus was gradually solidifying.
After only a few breaths—
Peng! Peng!
His fortune advanced.
Dark Lotus Grade.