The Yin Water Black Turtle smashed through the Golden Bell magic artifact with two ounces of force from its shell. It burst free from its confinement and hurtled towards the four Golden Core cultivators from the Heavenly Demon Alliance: Qiao Shouhu, Yan Hao, and the other two.

The four Golden Core cultivators were horrified, realizing the immense power of the impact. Their protective barriers and magic artifacts would be useless against it, so they frantically dispersed towards the edges of the cavern, instantly retreating two or three hundred zhang.

The cavern was about six hundred zhang across, feeling rather cramped for Golden Core cultivators. They couldn't fully deploy their movement techniques, nor could they fly high to evade. This somewhat confined terrain was even more advantageous for the Yin Water Black Turtle.

After driving the four away, the Yin Water Black Turtle pursued briefly but failed to catch them. With a loud "bang," it landed near the Cold Abyss, staunchly guarding the abyss and the Zi You Lotus within. It lifted its head, roaring challenges toward Yan Hao and the other three Golden Core cultivators in a clear show of dominance.

Its gaze continuously swept over Yan Hao and the others. Anyone who dared approach the Cold Abyss to attempt harvesting the Zi You Lotus would certainly become a target of its attack.

"Damn beast, it’s so agile, and it even seems to possess some intelligence. Luring it away from the Cold Abyss won't be easy. And a Ninth-Rank Black Turtle’s shell is too hard; killing it won't be simple. What a hassle!"

Yan Hao hovered a hundred zhang high on his sword, staring at the Yin Water Black Turtle showing aggression towards them. His face was etched with cold malice. "I don't know what its weakness is. It's a Water-elemental sea beast. Brother Li, try attacking it with your Fire-elemental flying sword and see if it fears Samadhi True Fire."

"Yes!"

A green-faced Golden Core cultivator slapped his storage pouch. A fiery, high-grade flying sword shot out, carving a trail of intense flame dozens of zhang long through the air as it slashed toward the Yin Water Black Turtle.

The Yin Water Black Turtle looked up at the incoming fire sword with disdain. As the sword rushed close, it thrust its head out with lightning speed and actually caught the body of the fire sword in its massive jaws. With a loud "crunch," the flying sword snapped.

The fierce flames failed to harm it in the slightest.

Ye Qin watched coldly as Yan Hao and the other three Heavenly Demon Alliance Golden Core cultivators cautiously besieged the Yin Water Black Turtle.

He knew that the true strength of Yan Hao's group hadn't been fully revealed; it was far more than what was apparent on the surface. They hadn't even unleashed any of their Nascent Soul artifacts or treasures, only deploying some high-grade magic artifacts so far.

It was still uncertain which side—Yan Hao's group or the Yin Water Black Turtle—would gain the upper hand.

He then turned his gaze toward the entrance of the cavern.

Jiang Ling and Shi Hanyang were guarding the entrance, setting up something.

In this scramble for the Zi You Lotus, Jiang Ling and Shi Hanyang were the most active and zealous. Ye Qin hadn't exerted his full strength, merely playing the role of a supporting member within Jiang Ling's contingent.

Since the other cultivators were intensely competing for the lotus seeds, no one would contend with him for the lotus platform itself.

However, Ye Qin still felt a degree of concern. Yan Hao's artifacts were likely not simple. Once the two factions of Golden Core cultivators clashed, the final victor was still unknown.

Ye Qin considered his options and solemnly took out the Water Shell Spirit Pearl and the Pink Dust Pearl—two treasures—from his storage pouch, preparing for any contingency. Four low-grade Nascent Soul artifacts and two treasures should be sufficient for him.

Moreover, he still possessed the formidable hidden weapon, the Bronze One Silver Armor Guard, safely stored in his pouch. Even in the worst-case scenario, this Ninth-Rank Silver Armor Guard puppet would be enough to intercept and kill any Golden Core cultivator inside this cave.

"It will be difficult for Yan Hao to kill this Ninth-Rank Black Turtle. Even if he succeeds, the cost will be extremely painful, and his strength will be significantly weakened. That’s the perfect opportunity for us to strike and seize the treasure. However, I worry that other Golden Core cultivators or Earth Tribe Warriors might enter the Nine-Bend Stone Cave, adding variables to our plan. This includes that Sea Demon, Ma Lishijing Soul; even though he fled, he might not be reconciled and could return anytime to disrupt our operation. Brother Shi, you are skilled in formations; is there any way to stop outsiders from entering?"

Jiang Ling stared coldly into the cave and spoke to Shi Hanyang.

"I am setting up an Illusionary Formation and a Defensive Formation at the cave entrance to prevent anyone from outside from entering. If the newcomer doesn't understand formations, it will be difficult for them to break through what I’ve set up. Even for a formation-savvy cultivator, it would take at least half an hour to break in. Jing Soul is an Earth Tribe member, so he certainly won't grasp the mysteries of formations and will struggle to force his way through," Shi Hanyang replied after a moment's thought.

"Good, let’s do that," Jiang Ling said gravely.

Shi Hanyang immediately took out dozens of formation flags glowing with an earthy yellow light and planted them sequentially on the rock walls, establishing two formations at the mouth of the cave to prevent any other warriors or Golden Core cultivators from rushing in.

The formations were soon complete, enveloping the cavern in a field of yellow light, turning the entire space into a sealed grotto.

Yan Hao naturally noticed the actions of Jiang Ling, Shi Hanyang, and the other Golden Core cultivators, but he was powerless to stop them.

An enraged Ninth-Rank Black Turtle had already forced his own contingent of four Golden Core cultivators to go all out, daring not to relax even slightly. If he provoked Jiang Ling's group into attacking them as well, their outcome would be disastrous.

Yan Hao knew well that his four cultivators could hardly kill the Black Turtle without injury, and even if they managed it, they would pay a huge price. Jiang Ling's group would surely counter-attack.

He was a decisive man. Immediately setting aside his pride, he called out to Jiang Ling, appealing for peace, "Brother Jiang, if you all lend us a hand and take down this Black Turtle together, we can split the spiritual items in the Nine-Bend Stone Cave equally. How about that?"

"Heh, what kind of talk is that, Brother Yan? Since you've already set your sights on this Zi You Lotus to present to the Yan Family Ancestor for his grand birthday, how would I, a mere Mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, dare to steal your beloved? You handle this Black Turtle yourself; I promise not to intervene," Jiang Ling replied with a dry, cracking laugh, though inwardly he scoffed in utter disdain.

He had already decided to wait until Yan Hao and the Yin Water Black Turtle were both heavily injured before making his move to seize the Zi You Lotus. Now that Yan Hao was suffering a major setback and was firmly suppressed by the Yin Water Black Turtle, why would he help them escape their predicament?

Yan Hao’s face turned pale, a surge of frustration trapped in his chest that he couldn't release.

"You promise not to interfere in taking the Zi You Lotus? Then why not just leave this Nine-Bend Stone Cave clearly and let me go all out killing the Black Turtle? You are guarding the entrance, blocking my retreat path—it’s obvious you harbor murderous intent. Do you expect me to fight the Black Turtle with my full power?"

Yan Hao was almost driven to curse aloud but forced the words back down his throat before they could escape.

Initially, it was he who saw Jiang Ling's group and the Sea Demon Ma Lishijing fighting, attempting to take advantage and steal the Zi You Lotus.

Then, when the Sea Demon Ma Lishijing saw the situation turning unfavorable and fled, the Yin Water Black Turtle suddenly burst out of the Cold Abyss. The situation reversed abruptly, and it was Jiang Ling's group who was now poised to profit. Yan Hao now sought Jiang Ling's aid, but Jiang Ling was unwilling to provide it.

If he had known this situation would arise, Yan Hao wished he could have arrived at the Nine-Bend Stone Cave several hours later, waiting until Jiang Ling's quartet had already killed the Yin Water Black Turtle before showing himself.

Yan Hao was in agony now.

He dared not unleash his full strength to kill the Yin Water Black Turtle, nor did he dare to openly confront Jiang Ling. If he attacked the Black Turtle, Jiang Ling would certainly strike. If he attacked Jiang Ling, he feared the Black Turtle would strike him.

One misstep, and he could lose his life here today.

Yan Hao pondered endlessly, trapped between advance and retreat, a look of dejection spreading across his face as he sighed.

"Brother Jiang, I apologize for any offense earlier. This spiritual item should rightfully belong to you all on a first-come, first-served basis. I will take my men and leave now, yielding the spiritual items in the Nine-Bend Stone Cave to you. I ask that Brother Jiang clear a path and remove the formation flags so we can exit."

Finally, Jiang Ling yielded, bowing to Yan Hao and saying, "Brother Yan, these few people blocking the exit clearly have ill intentions. Let's kill these few surnamed Jiang first... and then deal with the Yin Water Black Turtle. This Zi You Lotus has always been what Elder Yan desired. Presenting this item to the Ancestor will surely bring him great joy; we absolutely cannot give it up."

The green-faced cultivator who accompanied Yan Hao grew anxious and urged him, "Li Laosan, shut your mouth! My Heavenly Demon Alliance and the Heavenly Dao Alliance are here to encircle and annihilate the Earth Tribe, not to start a conflict over a mere spiritual item. If this provokes a great war between the Heavenly Demon Alliance and the Heavenly Dao Alliance, no one can bear the consequences. Even if the Ancestor finds out, he won't blame me; he will only praise me for prioritizing the bigger picture."

Yan Hao sternly reprimanded the green-faced cultivator, then apologized to Jiang Ling, "Brother Jiang, I am a descendant of a Heavenly Demon Alliance magnate, and you are a promising cultivator from the Heavenly Dao Alliance. We shouldn't damage our relationship over a trivial spiritual item."

Ye Qin paused slightly.

Yan Hao was known for his volatile temper; forcibly seizing treasures for spiritual materials was a common occurrence. When had he ever been so considerate of the greater picture, making such a huge concession?

"Yan Hao wants to leave here first, and once we kill the Yin Water Black Turtle, they plan to stage a surprise return to seize the treasure."

Ye Qin immediately grasped the reason for Yan Hao's submission and couldn't help but sneer inwardly. This scheme was indeed clever, but it was unlikely they would fall for such a trick.

If this deceptive plea couldn't fool him, it certainly wouldn't fool Jiang Ling, an old cultivator who had been active in the cultivation world for over one hundred and seventy years.

Jiang Ling frowned and whispered something to Zheng Chenghui.

Zheng Chenghui's eyes brightened, and he nodded. He slapped his storage pouch, and a drum adorned with nine ox skulls flew out—it was the Little Xu Ox Drum.

"Dong!"

Several resounding beats that made the blood boil immediately resonated throughout the several hundred zhang space within the cavern.

This drum sound wouldn't have much effect on cultivators, as they all possessed Mind Clearing techniques capable of forcefully suppressing surging vitality. The true purpose of the drum sound was to agitate the Yin Water Black Turtle and drive it into a frenzy.

As expected, stimulated by the muffled drumming, the Yin Water Black Turtle’s demonic blood surged upward. Its jade-green eyes became tinged with scarlet, turning blood-red for a moment. It opened its maw and emitted a low roar that shook the entire cavern with a deafening, booming echo.

Then, it widened its mouth and inhaled sharply.

The bottomless Cold Abyss churned as black water surged upward, transforming into four ten-plus-zhang-tall "Yin Water Black Turtles," each baring its claws and fangs, aggressively charging toward Yan Hao's four Golden Core cultivators.

Wherever the four "Yin Water Black Turtles" formed of black water passed, the rock floor cracked inch by inch, life force vanished, and the light within the cavern dimmed.

"What a terrifying divine ability, capable of turning water into form! This is a high-level spell. No, this black water—what kind of water is this? How can it carry such an intense aura of annihilation?"

Yan Hao suddenly sensed that something was amiss, something he had been overlooking. His eyelids twitched violently, and his expression was one of utter horror.