The Bone-Rotting Alligator had fought countless bloody battles throughout its life; never before had it been restrained so ignominiously. After Ye Qin forcibly cracked open its skull and took its demon core, it thrashed wildly in terror and fury, letting out piercing roars. Its sharp tail whipped around violently, attempting to break free from the Immortal-Binding Ropes and the dense thicket of frost thorns.

Ye Qin merely chuckled and stepped back several yards to avoid being struck by the tail, paying it no further mind, letting it struggle its death throes. Having secured the cerulean-black sixth-rank demon core, he knew his objective was achieved and had no cause to fear the Alligator escaping. Its current fierce struggles were nothing more than a final surge of energy before death, burning off the last vestiges of its demonic power.

Indeed, after only a brief period of thrashing, the Bone-Rotting Alligator inhaled a massive amount of corpse miasma. It convulsed in agonizing spasms, copious amounts of black blood oozing from its body, and the fierce, muddy glare in its eyes soon faded completely.

Ye Qin gave a soft grunt, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

All its demonic cultivation resided in that core. Without the suppression of the core, its strength had plummeted; it couldn't even withstand the toxic corpse mist it itself spewed. This mist, originally a tool for attacking enemies, had now become the fatal poison claiming its life. It quickly perished amidst the corrosion of the miasma, its rotting flesh entirely dissolved by the toxic fog, leaving behind nothing but an incomparably precious skeleton.

This skeleton was inherently sturdier than low-grade magical artifacts. Being the innate skeletal structure of a half-corpse, half-demon creature, it was prime material for refining Skeleton Artifacts, its value immeasurable. Cultivators specializing in Necromancy would likely pay tens of thousands of low-grade spirit stones and still fail to acquire such a complete sixth-rank demonic beast skeleton.

Ye Qin reeled in the Immortal-Binding Ropes, then transferred the intact, several-zhang-long skeleton of the sixth-rank Bone-Rotting Alligator into his storage pouch. With a wave of his sleeve, a strong wind swept across the ground, quickly dispersing the large area of corpse miasma. His protective barrier stabilized, ceasing its drain on his spiritual power.

In this brief skirmish, he had expended nearly half his spiritual power; it had been dangerously close. Had he not managed to forcibly restrain the Alligator with successive harsh measures in an extremely short time, his spiritual power might not have sustained him until he secured the beast.

The swamp depression, freshly scarred by slaughter, slowly regained its quietude.

Shen Bao, Shi Wenhong, and Feng Tong, the three Green Core cultivators, only cautiously flew toward Ye Qin after seeing the toxic fog blown away by the strong winds. When they reached the spot and saw that the Bone-Rotting Alligator, previously frozen to the ground by a mass of thorns, had vanished, yet Elder Sun was still saved, their eyes widened in disbelief.

"Where did that Bone-Rotting Alligator go?"

Shen Bao was deeply puzzled; had the creature fled, sensing it was defeated?

Ye Qin ignored their confusion. He glanced around the surrounding swamp, retrieved a small gourd, took a long drink of Fire Spirit Wine, and said calmly, "Shen Bao, immediately help Elder Brother Sun clear the toxins, force out the corpse poison as quickly as possible. This place is dangerous; we shouldn't linger."

Shen Bao naturally understood the danger. He responded with an affirmative, pulling out a pill bottle from his embrace, taking out a Detoxifying Spirit Pill, and placing it in Sun Shi’s mouth before driving his spiritual power to aid in the detoxification. However, Shen Bao soon discovered that this corpse poison was extremely vicious and pervasive, making its removal difficult. His cultivation was too low; at best, he could only delay the poison, unable to truly eradicate the corpse miasma.

Sun Shi felt both sorrow and joy. The corpse poison had invaded his marrow, severely damaging his vital essence; he believed most of his cultivation would be wasted, dropping him at least to the low stage of Foundation Establishment. However, the fact that Ye Qin had taken down that terrifying Bone-Rotting Alligator meant he had survived the ordeal, which already brought him overwhelming relief.

If his cultivation was ruined, so be it. He had lived for one hundred seventy or eighty years, and his lifespan was already limited. He had long since shed grand ambitions and had earned enough wealth over the years to live out his remaining days comfortably in Spirit Mist City or at the Green Core Sect.

Sun Shi sighed inwardly. As he looked toward Ye Qin again, his gaze grew increasingly complex. If it weren't for his Junior Brother Ye’s unexpectedly formidable strength, he certainly wouldn't have survived this calamity today. This favor would be hard to repay.

Before he could indulge in further contemplation, several sounds of rapidly flapping garments tearing through the air echoed from the distant mist. Those strong winds approached rapidly, carrying intense killing intent, clearly aimed at them.

"The cultivators from Wan Yue Lake are here!"

Ye Qin's expression shifted slightly. The cultivators from Wan Yue Lake must have detected the commotion and were rushing over at full speed. Judging by the sound of the rushing wind, there were at least four or five of them. The fact that cultivators from Wan Yue Lake dared to traverse this swamp so recklessly suggested they were at the Foundation Establishment stage. If they engaged, it would undoubtedly be a brutal, bloody fight. Four or five Foundation Establishment cultivators were not comparable to a single demonic beast.

Ye Qin looked towards the others; all of them wore expressions of panic.

Sun Shi’s already pale face turned ashen, completely drained of color.

Half the members of their small team were only at the first or second layer of Foundation Establishment; their initial strength was already weak. With his severe injury rendering him combat-incapable, their overall weakness made it impossible to fight the Wan Yue Lake cultivators head-on. If the Wan Yue Lake cultivators were attacking, their best option was immediate flight. He, at this moment, was a burden. If the others abandoned him, he would surely die here.

"Junior Brother Ye, take me with you! I don't want to die here; I just want to live out my remaining decades in peace. Junior Brother Ye saved my life; I, Sun Shi, will repay you eternally."

In that instant, Sun Shi descended into sheer terror and despair. The only thing he could do was beg Ye Qin, knowing that only Ye Qin could save his life. The others—Shen Bao, Shi Wenhong, Feng Tong—all looked to Ye Qin for direction.

"Junior Brother Ye, we must leave immediately! If we delay, it will be too late!" Shen Bao urged, tugging at Ye Qin’s sleeve while quickly blinking his eyes, subtly signaling not to take Sun Shi along.

Ye Qin glanced at Sun Shi, a fleeting moment of hesitation appearing in his eyes.

Although Sun Shi’s injuries weren't instantly fatal, he was essentially without fighting capacity. Only by taking him back to Spirit Mist City and seeking intervention from a Sect Elder might his life be spared. Even if he lived, most of his cultivation would likely be gone.

If not for the pursuit by the Wan Yue Lake cultivators, Ye Qin would undoubtedly have taken Sun Shi back to the Spirit Mist City perimeter.

But now, the heavily injured Sun Shi would severely drag down the combat effectiveness of the others, potentially leading the entire team to annihilation in the Cold Lake Swamp. Was it better to sacrifice one or let five die? This caused Ye Qin to hesitate.

As the leader of the team, his primary responsibility was ensuring the survival of the majority.

Yet, Ye Qin could not bring himself to ignore the terror and despair etched on Sun Shi’s face. They were, after all, fellow disciples; even if there was no prior affection, they still shared the bond of kinship.

"Back to Spirit Mist City! Shen Bao, carry Elder Brother Sun on your back. Feng Tong, Shi Wenhong, you two guard Shen Bao. I will lead the way. Go!" Ye Qin made his decision, swiftly moving in the opposite direction of the approaching Wan Yue Lake cultivators.

He sighed inwardly; this decision might very well lead to all of them perishing. Perhaps he was simply unfit to be a leader.

Having failed in the initial objective, they had already lost one seasoned member at the Foundation Establishment fourth layer right after entering the swamp. The other three were only at the first or second layer of Foundation Establishment. Their team was far too weak to remain in the Cold Lake Forest. The mission to attack the Wan Yue Lake camp should be left to Qian Bojiang and the others. They needed to return to Spirit Mist City immediately; even if he faced reprimand from the Sect Elders for failing the mission, it was far better than being buried in the Cold Lake Forest.

Shen Bao opened his mouth, hesitated, then reluctantly hoisted the severely injured Sun Shi onto his back. Under the protection of Feng Tong and Shi Wenhong, he followed Ye Qin, rushing into the swamp mist, evading the Wan Yue Lake pursuers.

The group sprinted several li through the fog, but the sounds of the pursuit grew closer; figures were now visible, shouting curses and ordering them to stop, barely a hundred to two hundred zhang behind them. In less than ten breaths, these Wan Yue Lake cultivators would catch them.

Ye Qin glanced back. Shen Bao was already gasping, carrying Sun Shi and running with all his might. Their speed could not increase further. Their own cultivation levels were low, and carrying a person inevitably hampered their pace; they could not outrun the pursuers.

Ye Qin sighed internally; it seemed he must abandon Sun Shi. This wasn't due to ruthlessness, but genuine inability. Sun Shi could not fight and also prevented Shen Bao from using his strength effectively, effectively reducing the team’s combat power by two members. Fighting five with three offered little chance of victory. At this critical juncture, sacrifices had to be made.

They rushed past the vicinity of a small patch of jungle. Just as Ye Qin was about to tell Shen Bao to put Sun Shi down and prepare to engage, a sudden upheaval occurred.

Several magical artifacts shot out from the small jungle, targeting the relentlessly pursuing Wan Yue Lake cultivators, instantly catching the five pursuers—who had been excitedly closing in—off guard, causing them to tumble and fall. Then came a boisterous laugh as Qian Bojiang and the five other Green Core cultivators charged out, intercepting the Wan Yue Lake group.

By sheer luck, Qian Bojiang’s group had been wandering lost in the swamp, unable to discern north from east. They had heard the sounds of Ye Qin’s fierce battle with the Bone-Rotting Alligator and had stealthily approached to observe the situation.

However, they couldn't be sure it wasn't a trap meant to lure them in, so they concealed themselves in the small jungle to deliberate. Just then, Ye Qin's small team, with one Green Core member injured, fled past. With four or five Foundation Establishment cultivators from Wan Yue Lake hot on their heels, Qian Bojiang’s group rejoiced and immediately attacked without hesitation. Their numbers clearly held nearly double the advantage. Only a fool wouldn't strike.

The swamp was chaotic; a fleeting battle opportunity, once missed, was lost forever.

Ye Qin never expected Qian Bojiang’s group to be lying in ambush in that unremarkable patch of jungle. Overjoyed, he immediately signaled his team to halt, set the injured Sun Shi down in the jungle, and led Shen Bao, Shi Wenhong, and Feng Tong back to join the fray. Nine fighters against five—the situation had drastically improved. A dozen or more assorted magical artifacts danced wildly near the small jungle, dazzling the eye, overwhelming the Wan Yue Lake cultivators.

This time, the ones suffering and crying out in distress were the small squad of five Wan Yue Lake Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The leader of this squad was none other than the Elder from the Spirit Spring Sect, a high-level cultivator at the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment. After being thoroughly berated by the Young Sect Master, he was eager to prove himself and had been leading his men searching for enemy traces in the swamp. He had finally located the enemy's presence.

However, he never anticipated that the Spirit Mist cultivators would have reinforcements and launch an ambush, completely surrounding his small team instead.

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