Qin rummaged through the body of the Demon Bat King but found no demon core. He had been trapped in the Demon Bat Cave for nearly a full day now, estimating that if the Green Skin Monster and Snake Scorpion Third Mistress waited much longer, they would likely leave without him. Only then did he approach the entrance of the demon bat lair.

Ye Qin did not rush out; he crouched in the shadows near the mouth of the cave, carefully surveying the scene outside. About a hundred zhang from the Demon Bat Cave lay a corpse, tinged with a sickly green hue. Ye Qin froze—it was Elder Bi, dead from poisoning long ago. Strangely, the belongings in Elder Bi’s satchel had not been taken; several spirit stones were even prominently displayed.

“A decoy trap!”

Ye Qin’s expression grew grave upon seeing the body. A brief moment of thought led him to conclude that if the Green Skin Monster and Snake Scorpion Third Mistress had already departed, people who survived by robbing cultivators would never leave behind valuable property like Elder Bi’s possessions. This was clearly a trap they had set. Since they had established a lure and hadn't retrieved it, their people must still be hiding nearby, ready to strike.

Ye Qin settled silently into the gloom of the cave entrance, meticulously scanning every patch of ground within his sightline for anything suspicious. Yet, he could not locate the hiding spots of the Green Skin Monster or the Snake Scorpion Third Mistress. These two were exceptionally experienced in ambush tactics and were not so easily discovered.

He remained motionless. Wait. He would wait until the Green Skin Monster and the Snake Scorpion Third Mistress revealed themselves. He refused to believe his patience could be weaker than theirs.

Ye Qin’s deduction was correct. At that moment, the Green Skin Monster was hidden beneath a hollowed-out boulder, his large hand constantly kneading the ample flesh of the Snake Scorpion Third Mistress while he muttered curses under his breath.

“It’s all your fault, you unreliable woman! It’s fine that the old poisoner is dead, but you let that brat snatch away his Insect Sutra! How will our clan continue its legacy without the Insect Sutra?”

“What’s that got to do with me? If you hadn’t chased that Xu fellow trying to steal the demon core, I wouldn’t have been left alone. We failed to get the core, and that brat brutally killed the old poisoner! How could I dare pursue him alone? Now his corpse is inside the cave—go in and fetch it if you’re so brave?”

The Snake Scorpion Third Mistress narrowed her phoenix eyes, allowing the Green Skin Monster’s hand to slip beneath her robes, roaming over her curves. She wriggled her body to accommodate him, occasionally letting out a soft hum.

The Green Skin Monster was furious. Shortly after Ye Qin entered the Demon Bat Cave, he too had risked rushing inside. But after only ten or so zhang, the spectacular sight of thousands of furious demon bats swarming him had turned his face ashen. Chased and battered by dozens of bats, he had scrambled out, never daring to go back in. But without the Insect Sutra, he was unwilling to leave. Helpless, he could only wait here, trying to devise a way to retrieve Ye Qin’s corpse from the cave. He hadn’t even considered the possibility that Ye Qin might still be alive; even a Ninth Layer Qi Condensation master couldn't survive in that cave for more than an hour or two.

Bored, he decided to use Elder Bi’s corpse as a “decoy trap,” hoping to slaughter a few rookie cultivators passing by.

Three days drifted by. Occasionally, small teams of veteran cultivators passed near the Demon Bat Cave. However, they paid no attention to Elder Bi’s corpse, dismissing the few low-grade spirit stones visible in his satchel with disdain. Were a few broken stones supposed to lure them in? They were clearly being underestimated.

It wasn't until the third day that a squad of five or six low-level rookie cultivators finally took notice of Elder Bi’s body. Even a few low-grade spirit stones were better than nothing; for the poor newcomers, earning even one low-grade spirit stone required considerable effort. This squad, mostly composed of Third Layer Qi Condensation cultivators, cautiously checked their surroundings, found nothing amiss, and sent one cultivator in a green shirt to retrieve the stones.

Whoosh!

The Green Skin Monster burst from beneath the rock, wielding his Flame Blade. Fierce flames erupted as he cleaved down with a single strike toward the greedy cultivator in green. The green-robed cultivator’s face turned to ash in horror; he had no time to counter and could only close his eyes in anticipation of death. The other cultivators were so shocked they nearly bolted. The Snake Scorpion Third Mistress, however, was already giggling as she circled behind them, trapping them. For two mid-stage cultivators at the Fifth Layer of Qi Condensation, ambushing and slaughtering five or six Third Layer cultivators was as easy as harvesting vegetables.

Just then, a seed shot out from the shadow of the Demon Bat Cave, streaking toward the back of the Green Skin Monster. The Green Skin Monster’s heart tightened; he cursed inwardly, “An ambush!” He reversed the arc of his Flame Blade, abandoning the cultivator in green, and struck at the seed. He feared being entangled by a binding technique, which would be extremely troublesome.

The seed did not disintegrate as expected under the searing heat of the blade’s flame. Instead, it swelled wildly with a bang upon meeting the fire, growing rapidly into flame-like thorny branches. These branches, utterly fearless of the fire, swiftly wrapped around the entire Flame Blade and began crawling rapidly toward his hand.

The Green Skin Monster was horrified. What kind of thorn bush was unafraid of fire? Seeing the thorns about to grasp his hand, he hastily dropped the Flame Blade and retreated backward.

Swish, swish, swish!

Three more red seeds shot out in a triangular formation. The Green Skin Monster could not evade them, and one fiery thorn vine instantly wrapped around him crazily. Though his defensive shield protected him, the strange vine squeezed him so tightly he could barely breathe.

A young figure in green flashed out from the mouth of the Demon Bat Cave, appearing before everyone in a few quick steps. He roared at the five or six stunned cultivators, “What are you waiting for? Kill them!”

The low-level cultivators snapped back to attention, realizing a powerful, unknown ally had arrived. They immediately unleashed their magic, engaging the horrified and frantic Snake Scorpion Third Mistress in combat. The Snake Scorpion Third Mistress had never imagined Ye Qin could survive nearly three days inside the Demon Bat Cave.

Ye Qin paid no mind to her fear. He drew the sword in his hand and lunged toward the Green Skin Monster. On the ground, the Green Skin Monster struggled desperately to snap the vines binding him, but they held fast. Filled with terror, he screamed, “Third Mistress, hurry up and cut these thorns off! Save me!”

The Snake Scorpion Third Mistress wanted to rush to his aid, but being entangled by the five or six Third Layer Qi Condensation cultivators prevented her from breaking free.

Slash!

A chill swept across the Green Skin Monster’s neck. The sword pierced his defensive shield and plunged directly into his throat, spinning once. Before any rescue arrived, the Green Skin Monster’s head was severed.

Ye Qin didn't spare him a second glance. He immediately joined the encirclement attacking the Snake Scorpion Third Mistress. Outmatched by the combined assault of Ye Qin and the low-level cultivators, the Snake Scorpion Third Mistress tried to flee in disarray. Before she could escape, she was struck by a red thorny seed and tumbled to the ground. Alarmed, she tried to use her scorpion pincers to sever the thorny vines, but Ye Qin’s and the other cultivators’ spells were already raining down upon her. She could not hold on for long, perishing alongside the Green Skin Monster.

Ye Qin inspected the two corpses briefly. With a detached air, he collected the Green Skin Monster’s weapon, the Flame Blade, along with the dozens of spirit stones and cultivation manuals from their belongings. He then turned to the five or six low-level cultivators and pointed at the Scorpion Pincers on the ground. “You all helped quite a bit just now. This spiritual artifact is yours.”

The team of low-level rookie men and women watched enviously as Ye Qin took the bulk of the loot, but none dared to try and steal from him. His cold ruthlessness, dispatching two Fifth Layer Qi Condensation cultivators without blinking, sent shivers down their spines. Seeing that Ye Qin did not want the Scorpion Pincers, they happily picked up the spiritual artifact belonging to the Snake Scorpion Third Mistress. This item alone was worth over a hundred low-grade spirit stones; it meant each person could receive more than twenty.

“Thank you!” “Elder Brother, you are so formidable, why don’t you become our captain? We desperately need a master to lead us!” “Exactly! Brother, if you lead us to hunt demonic beasts, we’ll surely earn a fortune!”

Before they could finish their excited pleas, Ye Qin had already turned and leaped away. With a few swift movements, he gradually vanished into the distance. The rookie squad slumped in disappointment. They had spent their time begging masters to lead them, but everyone refused. Ye Qin’s rejection was even more absolute—he hadn't even deigned to acknowledge them.

Such a small squad of rookie cultivators was practically volunteering to die in the Spirit Mist Canyon. Ye Qin had no interest in paying them much mind; besides being a burden, he couldn't imagine what use they would be.

The period of high winds in the Spirit Mist Canyon was very limited, lasting only one month. After October, the clouds and mist would return. Five or six days had already passed, and he had only found one spiritual herb required by the Azure Pill Sect—far short of their entry requirements. This realization allowed him no time to slacken; he focused all his energy on searching for spiritual materials. Now that there were no life-and-death enemies waiting to kill him on sight within the canyon, he could investigate more freely.

Not long after, Ye Qin landed near a waterfall. He was astonished to see hundreds of cultivators still gathered around the cold pool beneath the cascade, devising methods to deal with the Black Horned Demon Alligator, which had been sighted days ago but remained elusive. So many cultivators pooling their formidable means to hunt a single alligator was impressive.

The cultivators had diverted the waterfall's stream, digging a deep, separate channel to redirect the water elsewhere. The water remaining in the cold pool was intensely frigid, daring even Qi Condensation cultivators to touch it. The cultivators were using Ice-elemental freezing spells to turn the frigid water into blocks, which they then bound with ropes and hauled away piece by piece. In just a few days, a huge volume of water had been removed from the deep pool, lowering the water level by a full ten zhang. At this rate, though the pool was deep, it would eventually be emptied, and the Black Horned Demon Alligator hidden at the bottom would inevitably be flushed out. This explained the cultivators’ obsessive madness; obtaining the alligator’s black horn meant securing a spot in the Ancient Artifact Sect, offering tangible hope compared to other remote and difficult tasks. As for who would claim the horn, they decided they would deal with that after killing the alligator first.

Ye Qin crouched at the mouth of the waterfall and watched for a long time. Suddenly, a cry of alarm erupted from the crowd of busy cultivators surrounding the cold pool. “Cold Spirit Grass!” A grey figure flashed out, snatched a small, black herb growing on the sheer pool wall, and fled rapidly. The crowd around the pool erupted into chaos. Numerous cultivators excitedly drew their spiritual artifacts, converging on the grey figure to surround and intercept him.

Ye Qin’s eyes sharpened, and he stood up abruptly. Cold Spirit Grass, growing only in extremely cold water domains, was one of the required mission items for the Azure Pill Sect.

PS: Ugh, still haven’t caught up to the fifth, but now the others have overtaken me. The National Day holiday is on its sixth day, with only one and a half days left of double voting time. Brothers and sisters, don't hesitate—cast your monthly tickets for Zifu! (To be continued. For the rest of the story, please log in to www***m for more chapters, support the author, and support genuine reading!)