"Bai Mu, Immortal Canglan, long time no see." Puxius flapped his demon wings and greeted them with a cheerful laugh. "A thousand years have passed in a blink since we last met. Seeing both your auras are stable, it seems you are both close to the peak of the early Integration stage, yes?"

The bald, White Tiger Clan man named Bai Mu coldly interjected, "Blood Fiend Demon King Puxius, cut the nonsense. You tricked me last time, and I haven't settled that score yet. If your intelligence is false this time, I will let you taste the might of my clan's Sky-Swallowing White Tiger Art." He raised an eyebrow, clearly showing not an ounce of goodwill toward Puxius.

"Heh heh, Bai Mu, don't be rash. I was forced to retreat and flee last time, after all. Moreover, you didn't actually suffer a loss, did you? You even gained quite a bit." Puxius was unconcerned by Bai Mu's threat, appearing hearty as he laughed aloud. "Besides, if you truly believed I was setting you up, you wouldn't have bothered coming, would you?"

"Hmph. In any case, if you dare to flee again the moment things look unfavorable, like last time, don't blame me for being merciless," Bai Mu didn't deny the point, his bald figure looking fierce as he spoke.

"Alright, alright, you two, let's have a little less talk," Immortal Canglan interjected to smooth things over. "Puxius, let me ask you: in your message, you claimed to have found a small pocket dimension brimming with abundant Chaos Spiritual Qi, but it is guarded by several formidable Void Beasts. Is what you stated in the message true?"

"False," Puxius replied leisurely.

"What?" At this, it wasn't just Bai Mu whose face changed; even Immortal Canglan's expression turned grim. Both stared at Puxius with ill intent, as if the slightest movement would prompt them to strike him down together.

The short-tempered Bai Mu roared first, "Puxius, have you lived too long and grown weary of existence? Should this venerable one loosen your muscles for you?"

"Can the two of you calm down for a moment?" Puxius chuckled, perfectly composed. "While I said what was in the message was false, that doesn't mean there isn't a treasure trove for the three of us to explore. To share."

"Puxius, stop playing games. Please tell us the exact situation. Otherwise, Bai Mu and I will turn around and leave," Immortal Canglan said coldly, her expression unfriendly. Although she knew Puxius wouldn't be foolish enough to summon them merely for amusement. Despite the surface-level peace and the formation of the Expeditionary Allied Force among their three clans, the skirmishes in private never ceased.

Years of mutual warfare had forged countless, inextricably tangled grievances that couldn't simply be wished away.

Seeing that he had built up enough suspense, Puxius chuckled and stated honestly, "In truth, the reason for summoning you here is indeed to explore a hidden small space. However, the guardians are not several powerful Void Beasts, but rather some War Puppets and a few defensive formations."

"Puxius, are you trying to amuse us? Merely some War Puppets and defensive formations—how could you, a high-ranking demon of the Integration stage, be unable to handle them and still require us to take a share?" Bai Mu shouted impulsively, fierce light blazing in his eyes, clearly dissatisfied with Puxius's words and looking to use the moment to vent his old grievances.

"Bai Mu, hold your horses. Puxius shouldn't be someone who doesn't understand gravity," Immortal Canglan of the Immortal Clan seemed relatively calm and rational, though her face now carried a heavy look. "Puxius, if even you cannot deal with those puppets, does that mean..."

"Precisely. Those are three War Puppets whose strength rivals that of the Integration stage," Puxius finally threw out the bait, his own expression turning solemn. "And those defensive formations—their protective power and lethality are extraordinary. I was nearly severely injured."

"Crystal Ancient Clan ruins?" Bai Mu and Immortal Canglan exchanged a glance, then uttered the phrase that instantly lit up their eyes. Everyone knew how terrifying the Crystal Ancient Clan's War Puppets were, as well as the rich resources hidden within their ruin bases.

Since the demise of the Crystal Ancient Clan, spanning hundreds of millions of years, various deeply hidden Crystal Ancient Clan ruins had been uncovered intermittently. Varying in strength, yet without exception, any ruin guarded by Integration-stage War Puppets was undoubtedly a location of former importance to the Crystal Ancient Clan. Unlocking such a high-tier ruin meant striking it rich.

The three present, while not the absolute apex beings in the Three Realms, could certainly be considered major figures. In terms of desire and vision, they were top-tier. Few things in this world could truly entice them anymore. But the Crystal Ancient Clan ruins were certainly capable of igniting their intense craving.

"My esteemed colleagues, after hearing this news, do you still resent me for lying?" Puxius boomed with laughter. "The reason I dared not tell the truth in the message was the fear that the news might leak and cause unnecessary trouble."

Bai Mu and Immortal Canglan exchanged glances, both discerning the thirst and elation in the other's eyes. However, they held a degree of disdain for Puxius's honesty now. That fellow likely withheld the truth for fear that his invited allies would make extensive preparations beforehand, wouldn't he? Naturally, lying was understandable; anyone would do the same.

Still, Immortal Canglan harbored doubts, frowning her immortal brow as she asked coldly, "Since it is a Crystal Ancient Clan ruin guarded by Integration-stage War Puppets, why didn't you seek out experts of your own race to explore it, Puxius? Although we have collaborated a few times, our relationship is hardly one of ironclad trust, is it?"

"It's simple. I don't want my kin to gain too much benefit and then try to lord it over me, Blood Fiend Demon King. Furthermore, I need to prevent them from attempting to claim it all for themselves," Puxius declared with the air of a genuine villain. "But the three of us belong to different factions and fundamentally lack major conflicts of interest. If you secure some benefits, it won't directly impact me, Puxius. Moreover, although the three of us remain wary of each other, we have cooperated several times, building some baseline trust. Especially now, after we all secure immense profits, our statuses within our respective factions will rise. Having each other as mutual support will benefit all our future development."

Puxius laid out a flurry of reasons, the core idea being his desire for advancement: not only must he become stronger, but he also couldn't allow his competitors within his own race to grow powerful—a logic that held up.

Bai Mu and Immortal Canglan conferred privately, estimating that Puxius's account was likely largely accurate. Otherwise, fabricating a lie that would soon be exposed would be entirely unnecessary and pointless. The only remaining worry was whether Puxius had prepared a contingency plan to use the two of them as cannon fodder, only to discard them once the spoils were secured.

The latter scenario was highly plausible. Faced with immense temptation and wealth, many individuals would behave unscrupulously under the right circumstances. Thus, despite how eager Bai Mu and Immortal Canglan were for the benefits within the Crystal Ancient Clan ruin, they couldn't afford to let down their guard.

It was clear that Puxius held the reins of the current situation; if he had a backup plan, he must have already arranged it. Bai Mu and Immortal Canglan, despite belonging to different factions and having past grievances, now naturally allied themselves.

Puxius, of course, paid no mind to the subtle coordination between Bai Mu and Immortal Canglan; it was entirely expected. If he were in their shoes, he would do the same.

With the three-party agreement sealed, they began their journey under Puxius’s covert leadership toward the secret base hidden within a void fissure. Traveling in unassuming personal vessels, it took them a full two to three months before they reached a vast expanse of space that was utterly calm and waveless, offering no discernible clues. Meanwhile, Lei Dong and Yin Fedi followed secretly in the rear.

No one paid them any mind. After all, the Crystal Ancient Clan was an exceptionally profound and mysterious race, possessing an almost unbelievable grasp of Space Laws. It would naturally be difficult to discern the location of the base ruin from the surface.

Upon disembarking from their flying boats, both Bai Mu and Immortal Canglan fixed their gaze upon Puxius, watching to see his next move.

Puxius wasted no time, instead summoning a stream of crimson light, the color of fresh blood. This light spread out like a vast sea of gore, extending for thousands of miles. The sea exuded a thick, bloody aroma, which Puxius inhaled deeply, seemingly enjoying it. This was the Demon Clan's famed Blood Fiend Divine Art. Though it originated within the Demon Clan, it eventually spread to other races, such as Ancestor Blood River and various humans who cultivated similar techniques. The title of Blood Fiend Demon King was partly derived from this.

Bai Mu and the other showed expressions of disgust. Despite several collaborations, they still hadn't fully adjusted to Puxius's sanguinary demonic arts. However, they had to acknowledge the sheer power of the technique.

As the sea of blood billowed, a rift invisible to both the naked eye and divine sense suddenly manifested in the calm, undisturbed void. This fissure, only about ten feet wide and a hundred feet long, appeared like an eye embedded in the void, emphasized by the bloody expanse, exuding an air of uncanny mystery.

"Haha, I discovered this rift accidentally while chasing a group of barbarians here last time," Puxius said with a touch of pride. "An ordinary person truly wouldn't find this place intentionally."

Indeed. If it weren't for sheer coincidence, how could this ruin, hidden for billions of years, remain undisturbed?

"To prevent any lingering doubts, I shall enter first. You two follow immediately after," Puxius's form shifted, transforming into a crimson mist that drifted into the 'eye.'

Bai Mu and Immortal Canglan exchanged glances, nodding to each other, and then propelled their streams of light into the void fissure. Little did they know, two figures trailed them closely, entering the fissure right behind them.