Laifu, is that you?

"Senior Brother Tu, there seems to be some movement over there. Should we go and take a look?"

Hearing the explosion from thousands of miles away, Zhuang Qingyun couldn't help but put down the tent in his hands and found Tu Ruoxu, who was surveying the terrain nearby.

Tu Ruoxu glanced at the mushroom cloud that refused to dissipate for a long time, frowned in thought for a moment, and then shook his head, saying:

"No need to worry about it. This explosion is clearly Fellow Daoist Qi's handiwork. To create such a large commotion, one would need to detonate at least a hundred Yang Explosion Talismans simultaneously."

"The power of this strike is not at all inferior to the Soul Transformation Peak. Coupled with the enhancement of Yang Baleful Qi, his enemy has likely been blown to ashes by now; there's no need for us to go and save him."

Having said that, he paused and continued calmly:

"If the enemy Fellow Daoist Qi encountered could withstand even this, then even if we rushed over, we would probably only be able to collect his corpse. It would be meaningless other than wasting time."

"In short, no matter what happens over there, both of us must remain calm, respond to changes with stability, and act according to the plan. Do you understand?"

"You're right."

Zhuang Qingyun nodded with a face full of admiration. "Senior Brother Tu is still the one who considers things thoroughly; it was I who was too impetuous."

Then Tu Ruoxu added:

"Since Fellow Daoist Qi has encountered an enemy that forced him to go all out so quickly, it seems the dangers of this Immortal Cave are even greater than I previously anticipated."

"In that case, the three layers of warning Formations outside the camp are far from enough. At least ten layers must be set up to be sufficiently secure."

"Yes, Senior Brother Tu."

Zhuang Qingyun immediately agreed.

Then, the two of them smiled at each other and began to calmly set up the tent and lay down the Formations... elsewhere.

Someone's here!

Qi Yuan subconsciously looked toward the direction of the voice and saw a figure in a black robe and hood slowly descending from the entrance of the treasury.

The person was tall and thin with a withered face that faintly showed a deathly paleness. Even more bizarrely, the person's eyes had no whites at all, but were instead a haunting, eerie crimson!

A Demonic Sect Cultivator?

After seeing the newcomer's attire clearly, he was momentarily stunned.

Wasn't it said that the space here could only accommodate at most three Cultivators no higher than the Nascent Soul Realm? How did this person get in?

Just as Qi Yuan was filled with doubt and uncertainty, a massive pressure suddenly descended, carrying with it threads of blood-scented aura that felt almost tangible, instantly enveloping him.

He felt the blood throughout his body gradually solidifying under the influence of a strange power, as if he had fallen into a boundless mire, making every movement exceptionally difficult.

"Humble ant, how dare you not kneel upon seeing this seat!"

The Black-robed person's tone was filled with thick resentment and loathing, as if he hated every living being in the secular world.

As the words fell, Qi Yuan felt his shoulders sink, as if an invisible mountain was weighing heavily upon him.

What a powerful fellow!

Amidst his palpitations, Qi Yuan unhesitatingly circulated his mana with all his might. The Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Suit on his body suddenly burst with brilliance, and a cluster of golden-yellow light rose up, just barely managing to withstand this terrifying pressure.

At the same time, based on the memories of the Killing Life Daoist, he had already faintly guessed the identity of this mysterious presence.

The spatial rules here were dilapidated and simply could not withstand the arrival of a Cultivator with too much power.

This "Demonic Sect Disciples" before him had at least the strength of the Void Refining Realm, yet he hadn't caused the Immortal Cave's space to completely collapse, which was clearly illogical.

This meant that the other party wasn't an outsider at all, but a part of the Immortal Cave!

"Eh?"

Seeing that Qi Yuan hadn't been completely crushed, the Black-robed person seemed somewhat surprised. He then revealed a cold smile and said in a low voice:

"No wonder you could break in here all by yourself. It seems you have some tricks up your sleeve. Unfortunately, you've encountered this seat today, and you're destined to die here!"

With that, he raised his right palm, and countless blood-red chains gushed out from thin air, like blood snakes coiling toward Qi Yuan.

Just as he was about to be completely suppressed by the blood-colored chains, Qi Yuan remained still, neither dodging nor evading. He simply stared at his opponent with a contemptuous gaze and said coldly:

"Lai Fu, it's you, isn't it?"

Lai Fu?!

Upon hearing those two words, the Black-robed person's face suddenly changed drastically. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he cried out:

"You, you know me?"

Thinking of something, he suddenly shuddered and hastily retracted the attack he had just launched, looking at the young man not far away with a face full of suspicion and uncertainty.

"Lai Fu, of course I know you."

Qi Yuan smiled faintly and said leisurely, "You are the Blood Spirit Clone created by Fellow Daoist Han, and also the steward of this Immortal Cave. Am I right?"

Just by looking at the expression on this guy's face, he knew he had guessed correctly, and he let out a heavy sigh of relief in his heart.

This was originally the other party's home ground, and with him being a Void Refining Realm Blood Spirit, Qi Yuan didn't have much chance of winning in a real fight.

Instead of using brute force, it was better to use wit.

He just hadn't expected before coming here that the Immortal Cave's steward, Lai Fu, would still be alive.

One must know that a Blood Spirit Clone usually perishes along with its main body after it falls; the possibility of survival is extremely small.

Although this Blood Spirit's cultivation seemed to have dropped from the Hedao Realm to the Void Refining Realm, it hadn't died and had even possessed a Demonic Sect Cultivator. It must be said that this was quite rare.

However, Han Lie's naming skills were truly subpar. The name he chose was far too cliché, used by humans and dogs alike.

Fortunately, the Blood Spirit was a steward who never left the premises; otherwise, it would be hard to imagine the embarrassing scene if it were to announce its true name outside.

A former Hedao Realm expert, and his name is "Lai Fu"?

While Qi Yuan was silently complaining, the Black-robed person's body shook violently, his pupils constricted suddenly, and he blurted out:

"You... who exactly are you? How on earth do you know?"

The corners of Qi Yuan's mouth curled up as he said composedly:

"I am close friends with your master, so of course I know your identity."

"Close friends? Hmph, nonsense!"

Upon hearing this, Lai Fu's face darkened, his tone filled with suspicion. "My master fell tens of thousands of years ago. You are just a mere junior in the Nascent Soul Realm. How could you possibly know my master!"

"Won't say, will you? This seat will search your soul right now to see what secrets you're hiding!"

After saying that, Lai Fu's expression suddenly became sinister, and he was about to step forward and take action.

"Do you recognize this?"

Qi Yuan quickly pulled out a dark-green longsword from his storage space, waved it in front of the other party, and then tucked it away with lightning speed. "This is the token your master gave me."

"If you still dare to be disrespectful to me, when your master returns in the future, he will surely skin you, drain your blood, and refine you into dross!"

"ningyuan sword?!"

Upon seeing the ningyuan sword, the Black-robed person's originally distorted and hideous face instantly froze. His gaze toward Qi Yuan was filled with shock and uncertainty. "How could Master's personal sword be in your hands?"

Qi Yuan laughed. "Fellow Daoist Han didn't actually die. He was just severely injured during the Dao Tribulation and fell into a deep sleep, only waking up recently."

"However, because the Dao injuries were too severe, Fellow Daoist Han's cultivation has regressed to the Foundation Establishment Realm. He intends to return to this Immortal Cave to go into seclusion and heal, but he doesn't have the ability to withstand the harsh environment of the Void Realm outside the domain."

"Therefore, Fellow Daoist Han asked me to come and retrieve items from the Immortal Cave to help him return to his Peak, and this ningyuan sword is the token!"

He had once browsed through Han Lie's memories via Soul searching; even if he claimed to be Han Lie himself, there wouldn't be much of a problem.

But the Blood Spirit before him had clearly developed self-awareness. If it saw that its "master" was now only at the Nascent Soul Realm, who knew if it would harbor rebellious intentions and stage a drama of a wicked servant killing its master?

Claiming to be Han Lie's friend was different. This way, Lai Fu would know his master was still alive and could return powerfully at any moment, instinctively creating a sense of awe. He wouldn't have the courage to act rashly.

After all, with Han Lie's abilities, even if he were only at the Foundation Establishment Realm now, it wouldn't take long for him to rise again and become the powerful Killing Life Daoist once more.

Now that Qi Yuan was openly looting the Immortal Cave under the banner of doing errands for Han Lie, even if Lai Fu still suspected his identity, he wouldn't dare take action against him at the risk of disobeying his master.

This is an open scheme!