32: Backstab

After a long while, the four gradually recovered their senses, but the burning desire in their eyes showed no sign of fading.

However, at this moment, the Formation became a roadblock, preventing them from stepping into a new world.

"Brother Shen, we'll have to rely on you..." The Black-robed cultivator's voice was a little hoarse.

Shen Lian nodded, knowing it was his turn to act.

He took out a round, rolling bead from his Storage Pouch.

The inside of the bead was translucent, with countless tadpole-like Talismans swimming within it.

A Formation-Breaking Bead!

This was also the reason why the other party was willing to include him.

Shen Lian had obtained this by chance and at first didn't know what it was, almost selling it as scrap.

Later, he found relevant records in ancient texts and understood its true nature.

A Formation-Breaking Bead, as its name suggests, is a treasure specifically for breaking Formations.

Its principle is also very simple: just as Talismans are the carriers of Spells, a Formation-Breaking Bead is the carrier of a Formation.

It has a large number of Formation patterns carved into it, integrating the power of a Formation into a single strike, in order to achieve the effect of breaking a Formation with a Formation.

And the Formation carved into this Formation-Breaking Bead was a first-tier top-grade Formation, the 'Earth-Shaking Formation'.

Its purpose was to destroy the Earth Vein, cutting off its energy supply to the Formation, and then destroying the Formation base and Formation Flags.

This would cause it to completely destabilize and finally collapse.

Although Shen Lian knew this bead was precious and rare, he had no use for it and had kept it hidden away, gathering dust.

Until this Black-robed cultivator came to him, inviting him to explore an Immortal Cave, on the condition that he contribute the Formation-Breaking Bead!

And he also happened to need to seek resources, so they hit it off immediately and he joined the team.

Now it was his turn to act.

Buzzing!

As Magical Power poured into it, the Formation-Breaking Bead shone brightly.

The bead floated in mid-air, and a yellowish-brown light began to gather, with Formation patterns gradually evolving on its surface.

Amidst the flashing of intense spiritual light, the Formation patterns began to self-arrange and combine, finally forming an illusory 'Great Earth-Shaking Formation' in mid-air.

"Go!"

The Formation-Breaking Bead disappeared into the Great Formation, as if filling the last flaw.

The 'Great Earth-Shaking Formation' slammed into the grey-white light screen and began to delve deep underground along the mountain wall.

Rumble!

The earth shook and mountains swayed, as if a Dragon had turned over, and the base of the mountain wall began to tremble violently.

The second-tier Formation guarding the Immortal Cave let out a mournful cry, its power plummeting.

This Formation had existed for an unknown period, and there was no one to control it.

After the Earth Vein was shattered, the Formation lacked energy support and no longer possessed its previous power.

Crack!

Crack!

Cracking sounds rang out, the immense grey light screen began to dim, and countless cracks appeared on its surface.

Another roar sounded.

The Formation was completely shattered!

"It's done!"

The four were overjoyed, rushing straight into the Immortal Cave the moment the light screen dissipated.

But the next moment!

It was as if some fierce creature was lurking in the dark, watching its prey, its ferocious fangs already bared.

Hiss, hiss~

As the hissing sound rang out, a strong and fierce spiritual power erupted from the cave ahead.

Stones and earth flew within the Immortal Cave, and several figures rapidly attacked the four, accompanied by several sticky white substances.

This attack came extremely suddenly; the sticky white poisonous substance spread out in a net-like fashion, and even though the four reacted, they could only barely use their Magical Artifacts to parry.

Sizzle!

A sizzling sound erupted the moment the sticky poisonous substance touched the Magical Artifacts.

Everyone's expressions changed slightly, and they quickly retreated to create distance.

"Gold-Devouring Spirit Spiders!"

Only then did the group clearly see what was attacking them.

Five colossal creatures, entirely black, with spider bodies a zhang long and eight sharp spider legs like cast metal.

Their gaping, ferocious mouthparts and eight bloodthirsty spider eyes all indicated that they had already taken the group as delicious prey.

The four's eyelids twitched wildly; based on the aura they emitted, three of them were still in the Middle Stage of the first-tier, but were close to the Late Stage of the first-tier.

The remaining two had already reached the Late Stage of the first-tier!

"Why are there living creatures inside!"

Shen Lian roared in anger.

Didn't they say the Formation had existed for a long time? Why could there still be living creatures inside?

But his confusion went unanswered, because the five Gold-Devouring Spirit Spiders attacked again.

The four displayed their Divine Abilities, Magical Power surged in the cave, and Talismans fell, turning into fireballs and wind blades flying out.

Shen Lian controlled his great sword, slashing at a Gold-Devouring Spirit Spider that was pouncing on him.

Clang!

The sound of metal clashing came.

Shen Lian moved his finger, and the great sword flew back, drawing a circle in the air before slashing at the Gold-Devouring Spirit Spider again.

Under the combined attacks of the group, several Gold-Devouring Spirit Spiders began to sustain injuries.

Shen Lian and the others were ecstatic; if they could hurt them, they had a chance!

Shen Lian stuffed the few Medicinal Pills he had into his mouth, frantically circulating his Magical Power to refine them.

He was going all in!

The group once again engaged the Gold-Devouring Spirit Spiders, launching a new round of attacks.

The Gold-Devouring Spirit Spiders also became fiercely aggressive, beginning to pounce, bite, and fight without regard for their injuries.

Cling, clang!

The sounds of collision were incessant.

The situation on the field also began to change.

Gradually, they began to gain the upper hand, jointly killing one, and even severing the leg of another Gold-Devouring Spirit Spider, rendering it unable to fight!

The four were exhilarated, their Battle Intent surging.

Four against three, the advantage was theirs!

But suddenly, Shen Lian felt his vision go dark, and an extreme fatigue washed over him.

"Damn it, this abnormality is back!"

Shen Lian's face changed drastically; he felt his essence, Qi, and spirit being rapidly drained, at dozens of times the usual speed.

Although it had happened before, it had never been this intense.

And he was still in battle; this abnormality was clearly coming for his life!

Shen Lian's heart sank to rock bottom, his eyes began to turn red, and he frantically circulated his Magical Power, trying to suppress it and make himself clearer.

He had already thought of retreating; now was not the time to covet the Foundation Establishment Opportunity.

Only by surviving would he have a chance; death would be the end of everything.

But he wanted to leave, and some people were unwilling for him to go.

At this point, the four had already gained the upper hand, and the Black-robed cultivator's attention was no longer solely on the Gold-Devouring Spirit Spiders.

He noticed Shen Lian's abnormality, and his eyes flickered slightly.

At this moment, another round of confrontation occurred; Shen Lian's old strength was gone, and new strength had not yet arisen, and a Gold-Devouring Spirit Spider lunged at him again.

Its sharp spider leg pierced towards Shen Lian like a long spear.

Shen Lian quickly brought out several Talismans, just about to activate them, when he heard a loud shout from behind.

"Fellow Daoist, I'll help you!"

Shen Lian was delighted, his action of activating the Talismans paused; as long as his companion's support arrived, he could seize the Opportunity to withdraw.

But accompanying a sound of breaking air was a dull thud.

Bang!

Shen Lian felt a huge force strike him from behind, and he involuntarily flew forward.

The spider leg landed, and the sound of flesh and bone being pierced rang out; from his shoulder, Shen Lian was impaled onto the spider leg.

"Ah!!!"

Shen Lian let out a heart-wrenching scream.

He looked with furious eyes at the Black-robed cultivator who had ambushed him.

"How dare you!"

Taking advantage of Shen Lian blocking the spider leg's attack, the Black-robed cultivator quickly manipulated his Magical Artifact to smash into the Gold-Devouring Spirit Spider.

A faint smile played on his lips.

"Brother Shen, you have fulfilled my Foundation Establishment Dao; I will remember it in my heart."

Shen Lian's heart was filled with despair; he never expected that he wouldn't die by the hand of his strange condition, but would instead be backstabbed by his companion.

He wasn't even given a single chance to live.

"If you want me to die, then let's die together!"

Shen Lian roared, his face contorted with ferocity!

Seeing the madness in Shen Lian's eyes, the Black-robed cultivator instinctively sensed a hint of danger.

The next moment.

Shen Lian's hand produced two pitch-black round beads.

A violent aura instantly filled the cave.

Upon seeing the black round beads, the Black-robed cultivator's pupils sharply contracted.

"Yin Lightning Beads! Are you crazy!!!"

The Black-robed cultivator never expected Shen Lian to have such a trump card.

Mother-Child Yin Lightning Beads were a special type of one-time use treasure.

The beads contained immense Yin Lightning power, and once detonated, the instantaneous attack generated could destroy everything in the vicinity.

"Quickly retreat!"

The Black-robed cultivator looked terrified, wanting to retreat.

But at this moment, he had already taken Shen Lian's place in fighting the Gold-Devouring Spirit Spiders.

He wanted to retreat, but the Gold-Devouring Spirit Spiders were unwilling.

The Gold-Devouring Spirit Spiders, with their limited intelligence, couldn't distinguish where the danger was coming from.

It only felt a crisis approaching, and instead, it attacked the opponent even more frantically.

With Shen Lian impaled on its spider leg, it rushed straight towards the Black-robed cultivator.

"No!"

The Black-robed cultivator watched all this with a distorted face.

Rumble!

An earth-shattering roar, a colossal booming sound, erupted like a clap of thunder in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.

All living beings within the cave were annihilated in an instant.

The mountain body shattered, and the cave collapsed.

The already damaged Earth Vein was affected again, being implicated and triggered.

The mountain body seemed to crack open with a dark fissure, like a wound, and began to shatter and collapse downwards.

The immense tremor echoed for several miles around, and thick smoke and dust began to spread.

Many Cultivators heard the sound, stopping what they were doing and turning to look.

They saw thick smoke rising from an area of the distant mountain range, like a lit beacon tower, drawing attention.

An Opportunity!

Such an anomaly immediately attracted the attention of nearby Cultivators.

Cultivators in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range moved at the sound, flocking towards where the sound came from, thinking there was some Opportunity.

One by one, they used their escape techniques and movement skills, or even directly mounted their spirit boats to travel.

Half an incense stick later, a Cultivator riding a Flying Sword was the first to arrive at the source of the sound.

When he used his Magical Power to disperse the dust, the scene that met his eyes froze him on the spot.

He stammered, muttering to himself, "This... this is... a Tungsten-Copper Mine!"

Below the collapsed mountain wall in front of him, in the fissure that resembled a deep cut, countless tungsten-gold stones sparkled dazzlingly under the sunlight...