"Whatever spiritual treasures I possess is my own affair. If Your Excellency insists on examining them, is this not a threat?" Ye Qin's expression instantly turned cold as he swept his gaze over the cultivator in the dark green shirt and the crowd of Nascent Soul cultivators behind him. He could immediately tell that the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator in the dark green shirt was likely the leader among them, holding considerable prestige, otherwise, so many others wouldn't be following him.

"Did you not slay the Abyssal Strange Beast? You ruined the foundation of my Southern Demon Continent, and you must pay the price. Furthermore, Brother Xu merely wishes to see your spiritual treasure!" A cultivator in the early stage of Nascent Soul roared angrily.

"The death of the Abyssal Strange Beast was the work of this Blood-Devouring Ancient Vine; what has it to do with me? Does this Dao Brother perhaps believe that this entire expanse of Blood-Devouring Ancient Vine jungle obeys my command? Since this jungle does not obey me, why accuse me of killing the Abyssal Strange Beast?" Ye Qin pointed to the surrounding vine jungle, utterly refusing to admit anything.

"Hmph." The Nascent Soul cultivator was immediately struck dumb, lacking any direct evidence.

"Since you have no proof, you should stand aside," Ye Qin scoffed coldly.

His divine sense had already surveyed the surroundings. The Abyssal Strange Beast had indeed been killed by the Blood-Devouring Ancient Vine, and those Nascent Soul cultivators who had previously competed for the spiritual paste probably hadn't escaped; most were likely dead. Only Bing'er and Qingqiu Li, staying by his side, had survived. As long as he denied it, no one could definitively pin the deed on him. Bing'er and Qingqiu Li knew the truth, but Bing'er certainly wouldn't speak. Qingqiu Li also dared not betray him. If the origin of the Blood-Devouring Ancient Vine were exposed, leading to deeper investigation, her secret—that she was a Demon Saint possessing Dou Hongshan's body—would certainly be revealed, leading inevitably to her death. Based on this, Ye Qin trusted her intelligence would prevent her from speaking rashly. Qingqiu Li currently stood silently, likely wishing to avoid involvement. Ye Qin had no intention of shouldering the immense burden of responsibility for "the death of the Abyssal Strange Beast." Even though this group of Nascent Soul cultivators did not yet know what kind of spiritual treasure he possessed, once they had a legitimate reason to suppress him, they would likely stop at nothing to forcibly demand it, resorting to outright robbery if refused.

"The death of the Abyssal Strange Beast, and the origin of the Blood-Devouring Ancient Vine—it is indeed difficult to ascertain the truth immediately. However, Daoist Friend Ye happened to be undergoing his Nascent Soul tribulation at this very location when the beast died, and the manner was exceptionally mysterious and bizarre. Your suspicion is the highest. If you cannot prove these matters are unrelated to you and establish your innocence, then this matter must be laid at your feet. All Nascent Soul cultivators present have the right to suspect you," Cultivator Xu stated coldly, his expression already becoming aggressively confrontational. "You must display your spiritual treasure now to dispel the doubts in everyone's minds." His gaze was fixed solely on Ye Qin. He practically ignored Huangfu Bing'er and Qingqiu Li, the two Nascent Soul cultivators, as their power was too weak to influence the larger situation. What Cultivator Xu said was rather barefaced, barely concealed.

"What Daoist Friend Xu said is precisely what we all think! The innocent will prove themselves, and the corrupt will be exposed. Daoist Friend Ye needs to provide an explanation for this string of bizarre events recently, otherwise, I fear the cultivators of my Southern Demon Continent will be greatly unsettled." An elder with a long beard stroked his whiskers and spoke at length.

"Why stand on ceremony with him!" "Besides him, which other Nascent Soul cultivator here could kill the Abyssal Strange Beast? It's obvious he did it." "Take him down first!" Immediately, more than ten Nascent Soul cultivators roared in anger. The atmosphere in the field instantly became tense, on the verge of escalating into a mass brawl. More Nascent Soul cultivators merely observed Ye Qin with strange looks, remaining silent as they calculated their own interests. Dozens of cultivators maintained close ties with Cultivator Xu, while others belonged to different small factions, not all following Cultivator Xu's lead or joining the clamor. Naturally, they were unacquainted with Ye Qin and certainly wouldn't side with him. The reason several hundred Nascent Soul cultivators present had not yet resorted to open robbery was not merely because Ye Qin was alone; it was primarily due to consideration for the reactions of the other cultivators. If they struck first, and the crowd joined in the plunder, it would likely descend into chaotic, uncontrollable fighting, severely depleting the strength of the Southern Demon Continent's Nascent Soul cultivators. Unless absolutely necessary, such a self-destructive situation should be avoided. Especially now that an adult Abyssal Strange Beast was dead, and the Demon Saints of the Demon Realm were aware, the strength of the Nascent Soul cultivators could ill afford further losses. Ye Qin’s gaze swept over the angry Nascent Soul cultivators, and he fell silent. The Purple Mansion was one with him; not only could he not produce it, but even if he could, he absolutely would not. It was the foundation of his cultivation and the source of his power. However, he still possessed a gray egg. No one knew about the existence of the Purple Mansion within him; if the situation became absolutely dire, he could use the gray egg to divert the attention of the Nascent Soul cultivators. "Rather than passively wait for them to gang up on me relying on sheer numbers, it’s better to act first and resolve the crisis," Ye Qin thought to himself. After his strength soared to the fifth level of the Nascent Soul stage, the spiritual stones and raw materials within the Purple Mansion were almost completely depleted, and the vital energy rain had also ceased. He needed to acquire large quantities of objects rich in abundant spiritual energy from the outside world to decompose into spiritual energy within the Purple Mansion and then transform it into vital energy so he could continue ascending his Nascent Soul cultivation. "Fine! Since you are so eager to see my spiritual treasure, I might as well give it directly to all of you," Ye Qin mused for a moment before speaking. The Nascent Soul cultivators were astonished. Had he surrendered so quickly, offering up the spiritual treasure that was likely above the sixteenth rank? Even those who had been shouting for immediate action stopped, looking at Ye Qin with surprise. "However, since there are hundreds of you, I cannot possibly name individuals to bestow it upon. We shall proceed according to the rules of the Cultivation World: the strongest possesses the treasure. Anyone among you who believes himself stronger than me may step forward for a duel. Whoever defeats me, I will willingly hand over this rare and peerless spiritual treasure! If you cannot win, then I regretfully cannot part with it. Moreover, the victor who wins the treasure must remain, allowing others to continue challenging until the strongest cultivator prevails and no one else dares to challenge," Ye Qin continued. Simply put, his meaning was: one-on-one fights only. If you want the treasure, come and challenge me; don't have hundreds of Nascent Soul cultivators act shamelessly in a mob fight. Cultivator Xu’s face immediately darkened as his thoughts raced. "This brat has managed to turn a disadvantageous situation around again... but that’s fine; one-on-one still offers a chance to take him down. The most troublesome might be Divine Lord Eryu; I don't know the depth of his strength, how truly formidable he is. Fortunately, Divine Lord Eryu is only one person... we have a high chance of defeating him through attrition." "This method is feasible! Whoever is strongest gets the treasure—this is fair. It’s much better than everyone attacking at once and descending into chaos," "Let's follow Daoist Friend Niu's suggestion," The Nascent Soul cultivators murmured among themselves; most were clearly tempted. "Very well! Since Daoist Friend Ye has put it this way, I also trust in Daoist Friend Ye's sincerity!" Cultivator Xu nodded. Seeing that the others were moved, he could not stop it and could only follow this method to determine the ownership of the spiritual treasure. "This area is only a few hundred zhang; it is barely enough for two cultivators to duel. You all should leave one person here, and the rest of you retreat from the Blood-Devouring Forest, waiting outside for the duel's outcome!" Ye Qin stated calmly. "Let's go wait outside. Whoever wishes to challenge can choose to stay," Cultivator Xu's expression was unreadable as he turned to leave. The giant cultivator wielding an axe beside him asked doubtfully, "Brother Xu, could he be plotting a trick, trying to escape while we’re gone?" "All the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Southern Demon Continent are gathered here; we are not dead men. Where can he run?! If he truly escapes, we who have cultivated for a thousand years on the Southern Demon Continent will have no face left to demand the treasure. Let's go!" Cultivator Xu shook his head, not minding the compliance. Cultivator Xu flashed away, leading his group of several dozen people out of the forest through the path previously cleared. Subsequently, more and more Nascent Soul cultivators left the forest, including many late-stage powerhouses. Nearly all the Nascent Soul cultivators present were eager to contend for the unrevealed, super-tier spiritual treasure. Everyone had a chance until no one dared to challenge further. Therefore, instead of challenging first, it was better to wait for later challengers. The fewer people there were later on, the easier it would be. Few would rush to challenge at the beginning. Divine Lord Eryu, surprisingly, remained silent, casting a deep look at Ye Qin before turning and vanishing in a flash, leaving the Blood-Devouring Forest. The hundreds of Nascent Soul cultivators gathered outside the Blood-Devouring Forest found places to sit in meditation, or hovered in the air on Rank 13 flying beasts, closing their eyes to recuperate, or even took pills to cultivate, awaiting the outcome of the duels inside the forest. In their view, this series of duels would likely be quite protracted, but Nascent Soul cultivators never lacked patience or time. In the center of the thousand-mile Blood-Devouring Forest, only Ye Qin and one early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator remained in the end. Of course, Huangfu Bing'er and Qingqiu Li also remained, though they stood behind Ye Qin observing the battle; the Nascent Soul cultivators wouldn't bother whether they were present or not. "I am True Man Chaotian. Daoist Friend Ye, our strengths are about equal. I am at the third layer of the early Nascent Soul stage, and although you are at the fifth layer of the Nascent Soul stage, you only recently passed your tribulation. If we fight, it will be difficult to determine a winner without a day or two. Why don't you first show me that spiritual treasure, let me see its marvelous nature that caused so many strange phenomena!" The Nascent Soul cultivator's facial features were somewhat ugly due to his upturned nose, earning him the moniker True Man Chaotian from the Southern Demon cultivators, which he took in stride, using it as his self-address. True Man Chaotian controlled his artifact, licking his thick lips. "I know my limits; my strength is also quite ordinary. Regardless of the outcome of my duel with you, this spiritual treasure will not fall into my hands. There is a large group of formidable Nascent Soul cultivators waiting outside. I merely wish to have a preview—to see what kind of spiritual treasure it is, whether it’s Rank 16 or Rank 17 or 18. After I see it, I'll leave. This will also save you some effort dealing with the subsequent cultivators!" "Oh, you must defeat me first to earn the right to see it. Forget seeing it, I’ll give it to you directly if you win. Let's see what skill you possess!" Ye Qin sneered, controlling eight flying swords while crossing his arms, mocking him.