Qin surveyed the area along the magma river. The confluence of the earth-fire and the molten flow bathed the surroundings in a fierce, reddish glow. Save for the bubbling, sloshing roar of the erupting magma, the vast emptiness echoed with absolute silence. Clearly, very few cultivators ventured to this desolate place.

He selected a safer route and hurried toward the exit of the third level of the cavern. The monster lairs along this path had been cleared once before by him and Huangfu Bing'er, so large hordes of beasts were unlikely to be encountered anytime soon.

Of course, the occasional passing flying monster or beast was unavoidable.

What annoyed Ye Qin was that several swift-running Crimson Sand Wolves, though they spotted him, more or less dismissed him with disdain.

Cultivated beasts typically judged strength by aura. A cultivator like Ye Qin, who barely released any spiritual presence, probably registered to them as no different from a stone or a patch of grass, hence their indifference.

Ye Qin could only offer a wry smile internally. He strode along brazenly, not even needing to cast any concealment techniques.

What surprised him even more was that after traveling for a hundred li and nearing the exit of the third level—only tens of li away—he unexpectedly saw numerous trial disciples from sects like the Ancient Artifact Gate, the Earth Locus Gate, and the Great Luo Gate. They were moving in groups of seven or eight, sometimes over ten, loudly clearing out the monster nests scattered nearby.

When these cultivators saw Ye Qin moving alone within the cavern, they were surprised but showed absolutely no intention of attacking him.

Ye Qin felt a pang of confusion.

Since when had these cultivators become so agreeable? During these trials, lone cultivators were the easiest targets for ambushes and encirclements by others from different sects, with any resulting deaths conveniently blamed on monsters. Even the attacked parties usually had no choice but to accept their bad luck, unable to voice any grievance.

However, Ye Qin soon understood why the cultivators from other sects did not make a move against him. He had traveled less than two li when he encountered a group of over twenty trial disciples from the Azure Pill Gate.

They stood beneath a colossal stalagmite pillar, hundreds of feet high, wielding Fire Sabers and Gold Swords, their gazes fixed upwards toward the cavern ceiling. Above the pillar, nestled on the ceiling, was the nest of a Dual-Headed Fiery Plume Vulture, a structure several zhang across, woven from dead branches and gravel. Several of these vultures circled near their nest, their sharp eyes locked onto the cultivators below, issuing mournful cries as they guarded their home.

Ye Qin instantly grasped the situation: a large contingent of Azure Pill Gate disciples was nearby. No wonder the cultivators from other sects naturally dared not attack him openly.

The leader of this Azure Pill Gate group consisted of three core disciples in blue robes, accompanied by seventeen or eighteen disciples in azure shirts. The leading blue-robed youth was imposing, possessing a majestic bearing, and was currently directing the azure-shirted disciples to climb the giant pillar to raid the Dual-Headed Fiery Plume Vulture nest.

Seeing Ye Qin standing alone nearby, he immediately waved and called out loudly, "That junior brother there, come quickly and lend a hand!"

Ye Qin paused for a moment, then immediately walked toward the group of Azure Pill Gate disciples. Inside the Withered Ridge Caverns, being with a group of fellow disciples was certainly safer than drifting around like a lone ghost.

Furthermore, he intended to leave the third, second, and first levels of the Withered Ridge underground caverns alive, preferably alongside these fellow sect members.

What Ye Qin hadn't expected was that upon approaching, he realized he had met most of these Azure Pill Gate cultivators before. They were the first batch of core disciples in blue robes and the cannon fodder disciples who had entered the Withered Ridge Caverns to scout the situation: Wu Hao, the son of Sect Master Wu; Wu Zijian, the son of Vice Sect Master Wu; Yan Xuan, the daughter of Elder Yan; and a group including Shen Bao and Zhang Yunzi.

Yan Xuan was angrily staring up at the monster nest on the cavern ceiling, vexed about how to strike down the screeching Dual-Headed Fiery Plume Vultures. Hearing Senior Brother Wu Hao call out to a distant Azure Pill Gate cultivator, she turned and saw Ye Qin standing alone. Her eyes widened in shock, her mouth opening wide, "Junior Brother Ye, you—you weren't dead? How are you here?"

Among this small group of Azure Pill Gate disciples, not many recognized Ye Qin. They glanced at him, seeing a mere obscure fellow sect member, then contemptuously turned back to focus on the monster nest.

The truly astonished ones were only Yan Xuan and her two former companions from entering the cave, Shen Bao and Zhang Yunzi. Shen Bao and Zhang Yunzi also spotted Ye Qin and were so shocked they nearly froze in place.

Shen Bao’s eyes widened as if seeing a monster, and he ran over quickly, slapping Ye Qin’s shoulder in delight, "Senior Brother Ye, you’re not dead after all? We haven't seen you in the cave for half a month; we all thought you must have died long ago!"

Ye Qin replied calmly, "Of course, I'm not dead. If I were dead, could you still see me?"

At that time, he and Old Man Kong had entered the second level first, following a crowd of cultivators from other sects to hunt the Poison Corpse. Yan Xuan, Shen Bao, and Zhang Yunzi entered the second level later, failing to catch up, and lagged behind.

Shen Bao quickly recounted their experiences.

They searched the second level for a long time before finding the Poison Corpse’s lair. Along the way, they discovered numerous cultivator corpses, including Old Man Kong, who met a tragic end inside the Poison Corpse’s nest due to excessive glee. So many cultivators, huddled and slain together, strongly suggested a fight over some extremely important item. Otherwise, the traces left behind would never indicate such a fierce struggle leading to death.

However, they did not find Ye Qin’s body. The three of them assumed Ye Qin had been incinerated to ash by the Yang fire of other cultivators. Afterward, they cautiously searched the cavern, and later, when they ran into Senior Brother Wu Hao, Senior Brother Wu Zijian, and some scattered fellow sect members, they merged with them and entered the third level.

Ye Qin finally understood and couldn't help but give a self-deprecating smile.

Wu Hao was directing everyone to destroy the nest. Seeing Ye Qin, Shen Bao, and the others chatting animatedly to the side, he felt displeasure and frowned, barking out, "Enough standing around gossiping! Finish clearing out this monster nest quickly so we can move on to the next one."

Yan Xuan, Shen Bao, Zhang Yunzi, and the others immediately fell silent and obediently returned to attacking the monster nest. They dared not offend Senior Brother Wu's authority.

Ye Qin naturally lowered his head and followed them. He planned to stay with these fellow sect members for the time being, then figure out a way to safely leave the Withered Ridge and return to the Azure Pill Gate to forge his foundation.

He carefully examined the huge nest atop the colossal pillar. Four or five Plume Vultures resided there, and a hatchling occasionally poked its head out to call once or twice. These four or five vultures were all third-tier monsters, no match for the more than twenty Azure Pill Gate cultivators present. Their feathers were dishevelled, some even stained with blood, and many flame-like broken feathers littered the ground. Their terrified shrieks suggested they had suffered considerably. However, even if they couldn't defeat the cultivators on the ground, as long as they flew in the air, the ground-based cultivators couldn't attack them.

There was no easy way to deal with these Dual-Headed Fiery Plume Vultures nesting on the cavern ceiling.

The cultivators on the ground could not reach the flying vultures and could only target their nest. But the nest was also extremely high up, near the cavern roof hundreds of feet above, making it difficult to attack.

The only method was to climb the giant pillar to that height and then hack at the monster nest.

But the moment they started climbing, the Dual-Headed Fiery Plume Vultures would swoop down, spewing fire, pecking fiercely, and tearing with sharp talons, using their aerial advantage to knock off any cultivator attempting to destroy their nest.

The Azure Pill Gate cultivators had been here for a full day, launching repeated assaults. Several cultivators had even sustained claw wounds but failed to get close enough to smash the nest or knock down the vultures.

In desperation, Wu Hao changed tactics. He arranged the disciples into four or five small teams, taking turns climbing the giant stone pillar to constantly harass the nest, exhausting the vultures and weakening their stamina by denying them rest.

Ye Qin naturally joined the small team with Yan Xuan and Shen Bao. As soon as one team descended the stone pillar, their group immediately ascended, Spirit Blades in hand, to harass the vultures. The few of them labored for a full half an hour, but their minds were not focused on killing monsters, so they didn't injure the vultures. After exhausting more than half their magical power, they immediately came down to let the next team take over.

Ye Qin made no move to use his magic artifacts, nor did he display any high level of strength, performing similarly to Shen Bao and Zhang Yunzi.

Shen Bao had witnessed Ye Qin use artifacts before, knowing he possessed two: a water-attribute flying sword of unknown origin, and a red gourd obtained from a Great Luo Gate cultivator. He understood that Ye Qin was conserving his strength.

After retreating, the few of them sat meditating and resting near a secluded red rock.

Shen Bao winked at Ye Qin and lowered his voice, "Senior Brother Ye, you fought your way from the second level to the third alone and stayed here for half a month. Did you gain any special rewards?" He knitted his brows, "We are fellow sect brothers, we entered in the same year, risked our lives together, sharing hardships. Naturally, we should share any benefits. Senior Brother Ye, don't keep secrets from us!"

Ye Qin's expression was placid as his cold gaze swept over Shen Bao, as well as Yan Xuan and Zhang Yunzi. Both of them looked at him with expectant eyes. They all knew Ye Qin's strength was far greater than theirs. With Ye Qin taking the lead, he was the one most likely to gain benefits in this cavern.

Ye Qin considered for a moment, then shook his head plainly, "I was alone; how could I compete with others? Just managing to protect myself was enough. By the way, do you know how many Azure Pill Gate disciples have entered the cavern so far?"

Shen Bao didn't believe him. Old Man Kong and Senior Brother Ye charged at the front; Old Man Kong died, yet Senior Brother Ye lived. Why would he come to the dangerous third level of this cavern alone?

However, Shen Bao also understood that with so many people around, saying anything could lead to trouble if discovered by ill-intentioned individuals. Even if Ye Qin had benefits, he couldn't speak of them here.

Shen Bao chuckled, "There are nearly a hundred Azure Pill Gate cultivators on this third level alone. There must be quite a few on the second and first levels too. Moreover, Senior Brother Wu sent a Sound Transmission Talisman to Sect Master Wu, reporting the discovery of vast quantities of earth-attribute minerals here. After receiving the message, Sect Master Wu and the others replied that they would personally come down immediately to assess the situation and determine the ore reserves. Given their speed, they should be reaching the third level of this cavern around now."

Ye Qin’s heart suddenly stirred.

Sect Master Wu is coming to this cavern?

He recalled something. The distribution of Foundation Establishment Pills was handled personally by Sect Master Wu, who had explicitly stated that map scrolls could be exchanged for Foundation Establishment Pills. If so, perhaps he could approach Sect Master Wu Ruanyang directly and trade the map scrolls for the pills.

It was known that the spirit stone mineral veins of Withered Ridge would soon be occupied by various major sects and developed into spirit stone mines. Once the veins were claimed, each would have dedicated guards. Keeping the map scrolls on him would become utterly useless after a short while, completely obsolete. It was much more advantageous to exchange them for Foundation Establishment Pills as soon as possible, making good use of waste. No matter how many Foundation Establishment Pills he obtained from the Sect Master, it was a benefit.

Of course, he could refine Foundation Establishment Pills himself.

But he needed one Foundation Establishment Pill to serve as a cover.

This was because it was extremely rare for cultivators to forcefully break through the bottleneck relying solely on their own strength without the aid of a Foundation Establishment Pill. Among thousands of cultivators, perhaps only one genius with extremely high innate talent would appear. Such a prodigy could not only establish their foundation independently but also have a high chance of breaking through the Golden Core bottleneck. The appearance of such an innate cultivator would certainly lead to them being strictly protected by the sect, becoming the sect's "reserve" Golden Core cultivator.

Ye Qin did not want to be encased in layers of sect protection.

If he handed over the map scrolls and received several Foundation Establishment Pills as a reward, even if he succeeded in establishing his foundation later, others would assume it was due to consuming those pills.

They would not consider other aspects, nor would they uncover his secret.

Ye Qin had pondered this point many times.

Moreover, these eight map scrolls were enough to exchange for eight Foundation Establishment Pills, saving him the large amount of spirit stones required to refine the pills himself, thus avoiding the need to mine spirit stones day and night.

However, obtaining Foundation Establishment Pills from the sect posed a problem.

The Foundation Establishment Pill induced dangerous greed. If a mere unknown disciple in green robes like him were rewarded with eight Foundation Establishment Pills, he likely wouldn't survive a day, dying before even knowing how. The time between receiving the pills, consuming them, and finally establishing the foundation was far from short—enough time for ambitious individuals to plot against him.

Ye Qin weighed the situation in his mind, his gaze sweeping over Yan Xuan, Shen Bao, and Zhang Yunzi.

A faint smile touched his lips. "Sharing the fortune," was indeed true. They had all worked hard, risked their lives, all for the sake of establishing a foundation and pursuing the path of immortal longevity. Otherwise, why would they be here? They had contributed when they were on the first level, and he felt awkward keeping all the benefits to himself.

However, sharing the burden was even more in line with natural principles.

If the Sect Master distributed the pills and a change occurred, at least the focus wouldn't be solely on him, right? Being eyed covetously by every Qi Refining cultivator participating in the trial was something he could not handle. It was not the thief he feared, but the thought of being targeted by the thief.

"Let's go, follow me to find the Sect Master!"

Ye Qin whispered, and after restoring his magical power, he suddenly stood up and bolted directly toward the exit of the third level of the cavern.

Yan Xuan, Shen Bao, and Zhang Yunzi exchanged glances, and ecstatic joy instantly lit up their faces. Ye Qin certainly possessed something good; otherwise, he wouldn't be seeking the Sect Master. Moreover, Senior Brother Ye was generous enough to call them along. Regardless of the final outcome, they would certainly get their share of the benefits. Without making a sound or alerting the other sect disciples, the three slipped away.

Their location was secluded, so their departure was unlikely to be noticed by others.

"Junior Sister Yan, it's your turn to go up. Junior Sister Yan, huh? Where are they?!" After the previous group rotated down, Wu Hao was about to ask Yan Xuan to lead her team up, but he turned to find Yan Xuan and the others gone, causing him to freeze in surprise.

A blue-robed youth standing beside Wu Hao, his face bearing a slight smile, remarked casually, "Senior Brother Wu, no need to call. They left hastily toward the cavern exit without a word. Since Junior Sister Yan rejoined us, she’s been distracted. And that new junior brother seems peculiar; since he arrived, Junior Sister Yan hasn't stopped looking at him, and the other two junior brothers left with him. Isn't there something strange about this?"

Wu Hao frowned, "Wu Zijian, what are you implying? Is Junior Sister Yan the type to disregard her reputation?"

Wu Zijian coughed awkwardly, realizing Wu Hao had misunderstood. "I mean, that newly arrived junior brother's movements are highly suspicious. He must possess some great benefit to make Junior Sister Yan and the other two leave without a word? Senior Brother, shall I follow them to see what benefit made them rush off so quickly? There aren't many things in the Withered Ridge Caverns that can attract such attention. It must be map scrolls, Foundation Establishment Pills, or some rare, precious spiritual item—nothing less. Otherwise, why would they rush off so hurriedly, as if rushing to their deaths?"

Wu Hao hesitated, "Junior Brother Wu, following them like that... I fear it might be inappropriate."

Wu Zijian sneered, "Senior Brother Wu, great achievements require disregard for minor details. If that brat truly has a wondrous item that can be exchanged for Foundation Establishment Pills, do we wait until they obtain the pills and establish their foundations, only to then have to address Junior Sister Yan and the others as Senior Aunt?"

Wu Hao immediately fell silent.

Wu Zijian understood Wu Hao's character extremely well; his silence was equivalent to agreeing with his assessment. It was inconvenient for Wu Hao to take the lead in this matter. Wu Zijian hesitated no longer and immediately flew off in the direction Ye Qin and the others had gone.

First publication.

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