A faint, verdant glow illuminated the area spanning ten zhang around, and in the darkness of a distant corner, Zhao Danchen stared in disbelief at the 'Beast King,' Wu Hou.

"Impossible! I never let my guard down for an instant, testing you again and again... I even managed to shake off that bald donkey cultivating the Shijia Heart Sutra. You, I never even detected you." Zhao Danchen's mind was in utter disarray. Qinghu Island had suffered so many losses just to acquire the Great Yu Emperor's treasure!

If they could secure the treasure, all the losses would be worthwhile.

Yet, at this most crucial juncture, the 'Beast King' Wu Hou had appeared. In terms of sheer power—Wu Hou could extinguish him with ease!

First place on the Heaven Ranking, his strength was beyond question!

"Hahahaha... The Shijia Heart Sutra is profoundly mysterious. But that old monk hasn't cultivated it to the highest depths. Compared to me, when it comes to concealment and tracking, he’s far behind!" Wu Hou laughed heartily, the sound echoing through the narrow passage, creating a complex tapestry of reverberations. "I must thank you; if not for you, how would I have found this place?"

First on the Heaven Ranking, and holding that position steadily for over thirty years!

The 'Beast King' Wu Hou excelled in so many aspects.

Though panic had initially seized him, Zhao Danchen quickly regained his composure. Regardless of what had happened, it was now a reality that had to be faced, no matter how painful. All he could do now was try his utmost to improve the situation.

"Wu Hou."

Zhao Danchen said gravely, "For this Great Yu Emperor's Treasure, my Qinghu Island has suffered grievous losses. Whereas Brother Wu Hou, you are alone, belonging to no sect or faction! The treasures within the Great Yu Emperor's Hoard are likely of little use to you, Wu Hou. How about this... the treasure that is useful to you personally, you may choose the best item and take it. But if an item is beneficial for the development of a sect... I implore you to let my Qinghu Island have it! We each take what we need, and moreover, I can guarantee you three opportunities to have our Grand Elder assist you. What do you say?"

"Oh? The Grand Elder, is that the 'Blind Sword Saint' from back then?" The Beast King 'Wu Hou' asked with surprise.

"Wu Hou, I advise you to show more respect to the Grand Elder of Qinghu Island." Zhao Danchen's face darkened.

The Island Master of Qinghu Island from over two centuries ago was ranked second on the Heaven Ranking and publicly known as the 'Heavenly Eye Sword Saint.' However, in private circles, some whispered the name 'Blind Sword Saint.' But calling him 'Blind' was rather disrespectful... and openly, few dared to say it in front of Qinghu Island's masters.

That Blind Sword Saint later achieved enlightenment, reaching the Void Realm. He then retired to Qinghu Island, rarely taking action.

Yet, every time he had intervened, the masters of the world knew that this Blind Sword Saint had attained a realm of unpredictability bordering on the divine... across all Nine Provinces, those who could stand equal to him were few and far between. This Void Realm powerhouse was also the cornerstone of Qinghu Island's dominance over Yangzhou!

"A Void Realm powerhouse will assist me three times? And I can choose the best item useful to me personally to take away?" Wu Hou chuckled. "Hmm, the terms are quite tempting... I’m almost persuaded. A pity though, I, Wu Hou, am immune to both soft and hard tactics. This Great Yu Emperor's Treasure, even if I can’t use it, I would sooner toss it into the sea than give it to Qinghu Island."

Zhao Danchen's face turned pale with rage, his hand trembling as he pointed accusingly at Wu Hou: "Wu Hou, you—"

"Me? What about me?" Wu Hou sneered.

"Don't push your luck too far! Our Grand Elder of Qinghu Island could kill you like crushing an ant." Zhao Danchen said in a low voice. "Let’s still take what we need; wouldn’t that be best for both of us?"

"Can't be helped." Wu Hou shook his head with a sigh and a smile. "I, Wu Hou, simply don't take a liking to your Qinghu Island. As for that Blind Sword Saint... hah hah, face-to-face, I might indeed not be the match for a Void Realm master. But... I, Wu Hou, treated the Savage Lands as my playground when I was young! Hmph, the number of people in this world capable of chasing me down is very small."

With that, Wu Hou turned and walked directly toward the entrance of the treasure vault.

"You—" Zhao Danchen's eyes flashed red with fury, yet he absolutely dared not make a move. If Wu Hou didn't kill him, that would be a mercy; how could Zhao Danchen possibly fight against him?

In this narrow lane.

"Roar~~" A deep, soul-shaking roar echoed out.

Both Wu Hou and Zhao Danchen's expressions changed drastically.

From the depths of the darkness in this alley, a Golden Tortoise, fully three zhang long, slowly crawled out. The end of this alley was a dead end, and sometimes, this Golden Tortoise would simply rest there; sleeping was what giant tortoises loved most to do.

The alley stretched nearly fifty zhang long, and the entrance to the treasure hoard lay right in the middle.

Thus, neither of the two men had noticed the Golden Tortoise.

"We're done for!" Wu Hou muttered.

"How is it here? Isn't it—isn't it supposed to be by the palace gate?" Zhao Danchen’s face also turned ashen. The Golden Tortoise ambled leisurely to the cave entrance and then settled down upon it. With its massive body spanning three zhang, it easily blocked the opening. Within its emerald-glowing pupils, there was a faint hint of smugness.

...

Around the corner, a dark silhouette was moving soundlessly toward the turn—it was Teng Qingshan, who had arrived by following the predicted route.

"The endpoint of this route map is right ahead." Teng Qingshan's heartbeat slowed to its absolute minimum, ceasing altogether; he breathed through the pores of his entire body. With his mastery over his muscles, every step he took was incredibly light, making not the slightest sound. In the darkness, Teng Qingshan peered forward.

He saw, twenty-plus zhang away, two luminous pearls embedded in the wall, emitting a faint, verdant glow that illuminated a radius of about ten zhang.

A Golden Tortoise was lying there.

Two human figures stood nearby: Zhao Danchen was upright, while the Beast King 'Wu Hou' was casually leaning against the wall, occasionally emitting a low growl from his throat.

"Hoo~~~Hoo~~~" The Golden Tortoise casually issued two more roars.

Neither this beast nor these two men perceived Teng Qingshan's presence.

In terms of concealing his aura and tracking stealthily, Teng Qingshan was exponentially superior to even a peak Golden Core expert.

"Hmm? Zhao Danchen, Wu Hou are both here? And the Golden Tortoise too?" Teng Qingshan instantly deduced many things. "The treasure is undoubtedly here! The Golden Tortoise is guarding the treasure, leaving Wu Hou and Zhao Danchen completely helpless. Zhao Danchen must have the labyrinth map, while Wu Hou likely doesn't... Wu Hou must have been tracking Zhao Danchen all the way here!"

Teng Qingshan observed everything in silence.

"Zhao Danchen, stop wearing a face like a dead woman," Wu Hou said, leaning against the wall, glancing back at Zhao Danchen with a smile. "I just had a chat with the Old Tortoise a moment ago... Believe it or not, this Old Tortoise has lived for nearly ten thousand years! He was quite happy to talk with me."

"You truly are bored!" Zhao Danchen sneered.

"Hmph, what do you know." Wu Hou smiled. "We were both lucky. The Old Tortoise told us... if either of us had rushed into the bottom of the cave earlier, we would have been certain to die once inside! That’s why the Old Tortoise isn’t anxious at all."

"Certain death?" Zhao Danchen frowned. "The Great Yu Emperor left a treasure; why would he set it up so that anyone who enters dies? Impossible."

"The Old Tortoise said so! This treasure can only be obtained by one who is predestined; those who are not destined will surely die upon entry. This Old Tortoise has lived nearly ten millennia and has a good temper. He doesn't wish to see lives lost... otherwise, he wouldn't have stopped us." Wu Hou explained. Zhao Danchen laughed in extreme anger: "Hahahaha, a joke! This Old Tortoise blocking us is actually helping us?"

Wu Hou stroked his chin. "It doesn't sound entirely convincing. But based on the special instinct I've honed since childhood... what the Old Tortoise said is probably true! Moreover, given the Old Tortoise's strength, if he wanted to kill us, he could have done so by the palace gate. Yet, he only stopped us... the Old Tortoise hasn't killed a single human from beginning to end."

Zhao Danchen froze momentarily.

Indeed—

Whether by blasting people away with a burst of energy or through intimidation, the Old Tortoise truly hadn't killed anyone.

"Wu Hou, you say the Old Tortoise told you, 'Only the destined can obtain it; those without destiny are certain to die upon entry.' What kind of statement is that? What defines 'destined' and 'undestined'?" Zhao Danchen asked anxiously. Destiny and affinity were concepts inherently difficult to articulate.

"I asked, but the Old Tortoise refused to elaborate," Wu Hou said helplessly.

"Hahahaha, Zhao Danchen, your Qinghu Island has suffered terribly this time. So many people dead, only to reach the door of this treasure hoard. And the Old Tortoise tells you... you are not destined for the treasure. Hahahaha..." Wu Hou couldn't help but burst into laughter. "It kills me! Hahahaha..."

Zhao Danchen's facial muscles twitched violently.

"No destiny?" Zhao Danchen's gaze turned icy. He would never accept that.

Qinghu Island lost so much, only to receive the vague pronouncement—'No affinity with the treasure'? He, Zhao Danchen, would never concede.

"How did things end up like this!" Zhao Danchen was anxious, a headache starting to pound. Everything had proceeded according to plan, but now so many Innate experts were dead, and he was reduced to this predicament. "It’s all that fellow named 'Qin Lang'; without him, no one else would have found the Bottomless Pit! Without him! Elder Hu wouldn't have died! Although I don't know how those elders died, Elder Hu's final roar clearly implicated that Qin Lang."

Zhao Danchen hated Qin Lang to the bone!

...

Teng Qingshan remained like a lifeless stone at the corner, observing silently. His training from a previous life had endowed him with boundless patience... He could squat and wait like this, not growing restless even if it took three or four days. He was certain... the opportunity would eventually arrive.

...

On the correct path, within one of the side tunnels.

The five surviving Innate experts from the Carefree Palace were gathered with the Long-Browed Old Monk, who held a labyrinth map in his hands: "There are three routes now... but what we heard just now should have been Wu Hou's voice. Following the direction of Wu Hou's location, only this one route is the correct one!"

The Long-Browed Old Monk had initially been tracking Zhao Danchen, following the correct route for a considerable distance.

However, when Zhao Danchen realized he was being followed, he immediately changed his route, managing to shake off the Long-Browed Old Monk with great difficulty.

But the Long-Browed Old Monk later encountered the contingent from Qinghu Island.

Their meeting was, in a sense, a stroke of luck for the Old Monk; he obtained the labyrinth map! Or, one could say it was luck for the Qinghu Island masters; with the Long-Browed Old Monk guiding them, they could narrow down the possible routes to a very small scope.

The Long-Browed Old Monk was quite certain about a segment of the correct path. With this segment, combined with the direction of Zhao Danchen’s fight with the beast, and the newly acquired labyrinth map, the Long-Browed Old Monk managed to filter the options down to three paths. Although Wu Hou's laughter carried many echoes, with his 'Heavenly Ear Insight,' he could still determine the direction.

"Master, truly astonishing," the refined, purple-robed gentleman from Qinghu Island smiled.

"Let's go. There are only sixteen more forks before we reach the treasure vault. If we go too slowly, Zhao Danchen and the others will seize it first," the Long-Browed Old Monk stated calmly. Immediately, the six of them moved quickly, hastening toward the treasure location.