Sprinting to a spot several li away from the third level exit of the cavern, he halted, his chilling gaze fixed ahead.

He found the area completely transformed.

The once vast, empty expanse of sand and gravel was now dotted with numerous temporary encampments, large and small, along with hundreds of disciples from various sects. They were utilizing materials sourced on-site—rock, sand, and wood from the hollows—to construct simple stone dwellings and set up defensive formations. Banners from the major immortal cultivation sects fluttered at the entrances of these camps, each sect's encampment separated by a considerable distance, creating clear demarcations.

Shen Bao, who had been trailing close behind Ye Qin, suddenly exclaimed with delight, "Look quickly! There's our Green Pill Sect's camp ahead! There was nothing here yesterday, and now it's everywhere today. The Sect Master and the others must have descended already."

"Let's go take a look!"

The four figures swiftly flew over.

The temporary camps ahead belonged to the Ancient Artifact Sect, the Earthly Gate, the Green Pill Sect, and others. Additionally, there were a few camps belonging to smaller sects, but many more had yet to arrive.

To excavate fire-attribute ores in the third level of the Myriad Wither Ridge Cavern, temporary residences would certainly be necessary to house the garrisoned personnel and the miners. These sects were rushing to secure the best mining spots first, to facilitate easier extraction.

Inside the Green Pill Sect's temporary camp on the third level of the cavern, a group of over a hundred Qi Refining stage disciples were rapidly constructing the temporary camp and setting up the stone houses.

Sect Master Wu Ruiyang, Vice Sect Master Wu, Elder Yan the Great, Elder Zhao, and others, toured the perimeter of the camp. They were clearly highly satisfied with the chosen location for the camp. Their faces were wreathed in smiles. They had arrived early, and the position they chose for their camp happened to occupy an excellent fire-attribute ore deposit. Once the mining disciples arrived, they could begin excavation nearby immediately.

Behind them followed two or three dozen Foundation Establishment stage cultivators clad in white robes.

It was exceptionally rare for such a large contingent of Foundation Establishment cultivators to descend into the deep underground of the Myriad Wither Ridge. If not for the need to personally oversee the deployment here, Sect Master Wu likely wouldn't have brought so many Foundation Establishment cultivators into the cave.

A white-robed cultivator, covered in dust, approached them and reported with a cupped-hand salute, "Sect Master, preliminary estimates suggest that the spirit stones in the cavern's second level alone are enough for seventeen sects to mine for three hundred years. As for the fire-attribute ores on this third level, they should suffice for our major sects combined for at least four to five hundred years. As for the exact distribution each sect receives, it will take a considerably longer time to determine."

The Sect Master nodded slightly. "Indeed. Such abundant spirit stone reserves temporarily relieve a major worry for our Green Pill Sect. How is the investigation into the casualties among our disciples progressing?"

The white-robed cultivator immediately reported, "The cavern trial resulted in considerable losses. The worst hit was the first wave of nearly fifty disciples who entered to scout the cavern; they suffered almost half in personnel reduction—a severe toll. However, the disciples who entered later encountered fewer obstacles, mainly focused on securing the mining tunnels, resulting in far fewer casualties, not exceeding ten percent. Currently, we estimate nearly a hundred disciples have been lost, accounting for about one-eighth of the total participants in this trial. Nevertheless, compared to the benefits gained, even with some losses among the trial disciples, it is entirely worthwhile."

Sect Master Wu shook his head sorrowfully. "Although casualties are inevitable, they are still our sect's disciples and should not be neglected. We must retrieve the bodies where possible, and provide adequate compensation to the families of those who had kin. Once the situation in the Myriad Wither Ridge stabilizes, we must allocate at least twenty experienced Foundation Establishment junior brothers to garrison the area, to prevent any unforeseen incidents. Vice Sect Master Wu, Elder Yan, and Elder Zhao, what are your opinions?"

Vice Sect Master Wu and Elder Yan conversed cheerfully, each recommending several Foundation Establishment cultivators to remain stationed at the Myriad Wither Ridge.

Elder Zhao, however, maintained a grim expression, following behind with his hands clasped behind his back, not uttering a word.

Sect Master Wu knew Elder Zhao was still troubled by the inexplicable disappearance of his son, Zhao Qiankun. He smiled and said, "Elder Zhao, although your son Qiankun was separated from our other fellow disciples on the way here, his strength is considerable. He should not have met with any mishap. Perhaps he is already participating in the trial within the Myriad Wither Ridge Cavern; we simply haven't found him yet."

Vice Sect Master Wu and Elder Yan were unconcerned about Zhao Qiankun's disappearance. Frankly, such a missing person case without a single clue was difficult to trace or verify. If his corpse and primordial spirit had been annihilated, even mobilizing the entire sect would yield no trace. Furthermore, Elder Zhao was not without other heirs; if one son were lost, others remained to inherit the family legacy.

Elder Zhao grunted, his voice rough. "Sect Master, I earnestly request to remain here to search for the whereabouts of my son."

The Sect Master weighed the request, offered a slight appeasement, and said calmly, "Very well. It is rare for Elder Zhao to volunteer; Elder Zhao shall temporarily oversee the affairs of the Myriad Wither Ridge, which will also facilitate the search for Qiankun's location."

The leadership of the Green Pill Sect—Sect Master Wu, Vice Sect Master Wu, and others—decided on the garrison personnel for the Myriad Wither Ridge in just a few exchanges.

A blue-robed disciple hurried over from not far away and respectfully reported, "Reporting to the Sect Master, several disciples seek an audience, claiming they have important matters to report concerning Elder Yan's daughter, Senior Sister Yan."

"Oh, let them come in," Sect Master Wu said.

After they finished inspecting the camp, they returned to the main tent at the center of the encampment. The seats, tables, and screens inside the tent were all fashioned from red rock.

Yan Xuan, Ye Qin, Shen Bao, Zhang Yunzi, and the others entered the tent in single file and paid their respects to the Sect Master, Vice Sect Master, the Elders, and the Martial Uncles.

The Sect Master smiled. "Respected Niece Yan, what urgent matter brings you to seek your Martial Uncle?"

"Sect Master Martial Uncle, it is not this niece who has an urgent matter to report, but Junior Brother Ye here who has something important to say," Yan Xuan replied with a beaming smile. Being the daughter of Elder Yan the Great, she spoke without much reservation. She gestured to Ye Qin beside her, indicating for him to speak.

Sect Master Wu's gaze, carrying a slight air of authority, fell upon Ye Qin.

Only then did Ye Qin look up at the Sect Master, his eyes simultaneously sweeping across Elder Yan and Elder Zhao seated on the sides. Upon seeing Elder Zhao, Ye Qin's heart suddenly skipped a beat, recalling something, and he inwardly thought, Not good.

Elder Zhao and Zhao Qiankun were father and son, sharing a strong resemblance—both were gaunt and carried an air of arrogance. With just a glance, Ye Qin vaguely guessed the identity of this Elder Zhao. On his way here, he had slain the arrogant and aggressive Zhao Qiankun and seized his Profound Yin Sword. Seeing Elder Zhao sitting on the stone chair above with a somber expression, Ye Qin couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt.

However, Ye Qin stabilized himself with a slight tremor, instantly calming down. No one knew Zhao Qiankun was dead. Even the blue-robed and green-robed disciples who participated in the fight at the time were unaware of Zhao Qiankun's whereabouts. Elder Zhao wouldn't easily trace it back to him.

The only thing that worried him was that Shen Bao, Zhang Yunzi, and Old Man Kong had all witnessed him use the Profound Yin Sword to kill a core disciple of the Great Luo Sect. Old Man Kong was dead, so there was no cause for concern. Yan Xuan was unconscious at the time and hadn't seen it. Shen Bao and Zhang Yunzi were both cultivators at the lowest tier of the Green Pill Sect, just like him. Even if they had seen him use the Profound Yin Sword, they wouldn't have recognized it as Elder Zhao's magic tool. Otherwise, they wouldn't have remained so casually close to him.

Ye Qin settled his resolve. These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

"Reporting to the Sect Master, when entering the second level of the cavern, this disciple discovered some important scroll items. I present them for the Sect Master's review!" Ye Qin retrieved the eight map scrolls from his storage bag and presented them to Sect Master Wu.

The Sect Master started, "Scrolls?" He personally opened one. Light bands immediately materialized within the scroll, causing him to rejoice instantly. With his level of knowledge, how could he not recognize what these items were? They were precisely map scrolls of the spirit stone mining tunnels on the cavern's second level!

At this, even Elder Yan and Elder Zhao could no longer sit still; they promptly took them to examine and cross-reference these map scrolls, their faces showing surprise and delight. In the Myriad Wither Ridge Cavern, disciples of all immortal cultivation sects were operating blind; none knew whether the tunnel they occupied was rich or poor in ore, nor the status of other sects' holdings—it was pure chance. But with these map scrolls, the distribution of spirit stone tunnels would become immediately clear. There were a total of thirty-two map scrolls. By presenting these eight scrolls, Ye Qin had secured a preemptive advantage for the Green Pill Sect in claiming the spirit stone veins of the Myriad Wither Ridge, rendering a monumental service.

"Good, very good!"

Sect Master Wu could not suppress his elation. He handed the map scroll in his hand to a trusted white-robed cultivator behind him for safekeeping. "Immediately take these to meticulously study the mining points on these eight maps, then dispatch men to ascertain which sect controls the tunnels indicated on these eight maps. Plan carefully, and identify the most valuable targets to move against."

"Yes!" The white-robed cultivator immediately responded.

Seeing that they were entirely focused on processing the scrolls and hadn't mentioned any reward, Yan Xuan immediately protested, turning to Sect Master Wu and Elder Yan. "Martial Uncle, Father, what about the rewards?"

Sect Master Wu, Vice Sect Master Wu, Elder Yan the Great, Elder Zhao the Third, and the others suddenly realized their oversight; they remembered Ye Qin, who presented the scrolls, and the three disciples, including Yan Xuan, who shared in the credit.

Sect Master Wu looked at Ye Qin, his stern face softening into a smile. "Your surname is Ye, correct? Well done. How did you come by these eight map scrolls?"

Ye Qin did not conceal the truth; he vaguely recounted the events within the poisonous corpse nest after entering the second level of the cavern. However, he did not claim responsibility for the fighting but stated that a group of cultivators had been fighting fiercely, and he had inadvertently profited by snatching the storage bag of a core disciple from another sect, only to discover these scrolls inside. He added that he was subsequently hunted by disciples of other sects, forced to flee to the third level, where he hid for a long time before encountering his fellow sect members and emerging.

Ye Qin's account was nine parts truth and one part fabrication, making it difficult to discern the reality.

Sect Master Wu nodded repeatedly. According to this account, Ye Qin was eligible for a reward of eight Foundation Establishment Pills. An ordinary cultivator had roughly a one-in-ten chance of successfully establishing their foundation after taking one Foundation Establishment Pill. These eight pills equated to an eighty percent chance of success; it was almost guaranteed that any cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining could achieve foundation establishment with these pills. With these invaluable pills, Ye Qin was virtually certain to establish his foundation and become an important disciple of the Green Pill Sect.

Not only were the gathered disciples filled with envy, but even Sect Master Wu, Vice Sect Master Wu, and Elder Yan were envious of Ye Qin's fortune. They recalled that they had fought fiercely to reach the Foundation Establishment stage; even a single Foundation Establishment Pill was immensely precious to them back then.

The Sect Master pondered for a moment. "Before the trial, I announced that anyone who obtained one map scroll of the Myriad Wither Ridge would be rewarded with one Foundation Establishment Pill. Eight scrolls, therefore, total eight pills."

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