I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

"Hurry! Hurry up! The Zhao family is about to break through the outer defenses of the ruins. If we're too late, we won't even get a sip of soup!"

"What's the rush? With your Qi Refining stage cultivation, what can you possibly achieve by charging in?"

"Hey, you can't say that! Who can predict what will happen next? What if I get lucky and find a third-tier spiritual item inside? Then I won't have to worry about resources for cultivation at all, let alone Foundation Establishment!"

Deep within the Black Tooth Swamp, the edge of that wide, dark pool, as vast as a lake, was already completely surrounded by rogue cultivators who had rushed there upon hearing the news.

Everyone was eager to try, their eyes fixed intently on the faintly visible array halo deep within the pool, the air thick with restlessness and greed.

The one in charge of breaking the formation was Zhao Wenyuan, who had fought Lin Che in the ring before.

At this moment, his face was solemn, and he was focused on directing the clan members to take their positions according to the plan that had been repeatedly rehearsed over the past few months.

Although the ruins were shrouded in a fourth-order grand formation, its power was greatly diminished due to years of neglect and the emergence of its flaws; it would be good if it could maintain the third order.

Based on their research over this period, the Zhao family figured out the tricks of the trade and devised a set of effective solutions.

When the appointed time arrived, Zhao Wenyuan, who was stationed at the core of the formation, flashed a sharp light in his eyes and shouted in a deep voice, "Fellow clansmen, proceed according to the plan and break the formation!"

Upon hearing the command, the Zhao family cultivators responded in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized as they unleashed their specially prepared array plates.

In an instant, spiritual light shone from all directions, connecting with each other to form a mysterious energy network that covered the ruins array.

As a result, the array of light that had been obscuring the view began to fluctuate violently, and its concealment ability quickly dissipated, completely exposing the true scene inside the ruins to everyone.

"hiss--"

A collective gasp filled the air.

"The interior... is so vast? This... this is no ordinary cave dwelling; it's clearly the ruins of a sect! Haha, what an incredible opportunity!"

"But there are too many monsters inside! If we want to get any benefits, we'll probably have to get past them first."

"A lot of demonic beasts is a good thing! It means there's a high chance this place has a beast-taming tradition! If I can obtain it, I might even be able to establish the third beast-taming family here!"

Zhao Wenyuan ignored the clamor and discussion among the rogue cultivators, his mind completely absorbed in breaking the formation.

His fingers flew across the keyboard, constantly casting spells and guiding the power of the combined formation.

Soon, the energy pathways of the Relics Grand Array became increasingly clear under the impact of the array plate's spiritual light.

Zhao Wenyuan's eyes narrowed, seizing the fleeting opportunity, and he roared, "Now! Join forces and strike!"

Upon hearing the order, all the Zhao family cultivators simultaneously poured their magical power into the array plates in their hands.

All the smaller formations instantly connected, and a beam of earth-yellow light, imbued with the power of everyone, slammed out with incredible precision, striking the weakest point in the formation's structure!

"Click—"

A sound like shattering glass came clearly, and the solid light barrier was torn open with a huge gap.

"The formation has been broken! Fellow clansmen, follow me inside and seize the opportunity!" Zhao Wenyuan's voice boomed like a bell. He was the first to transform into a sword light and shoot into the gap.

"Yes, sir!"

Behind them, the Zhao family members echoed in unison, their expressions excited, and followed closely behind, like streaks of light flowing into the ruins.

In a short while, all the Zhao family cultivators had entered.

Then, following the established plan, they dispersed in an orderly fashion, quickly disappearing into the ruins and overgrown vegetation.

Seeing that the ruins formation had been forcibly broken, the Zhao family cultivators rushed in like a tide, and the scattered cultivators gathered outside could no longer hold back and immediately became agitated.

Someone shouted, "Charge!"

The crowd surged forward like a burst dam, each wielding their magical artifacts and displaying their agility, vying to squeeze through the crack into the ruins.

Among them, the majority were Qi Refining stage cultivators, but there were also many Foundation Establishment stage rogue cultivators with even deeper auras, as well as some cultivator teams from small and medium-sized families.

About an incense stick's time after the vanguard entered the ruins, Zhao Wenxuan and Zhou Wanhong leisurely walked out side by side from the temporary camp.

Zhou Wanhong's round face still wore a friendly smile, his small eyes narrowed into slits as he looked at Zhao Wenxuan beside him.

His tone was calm and unhurried: "Brother Wenxuan, in your opinion, when would be the best time for us to enter?"

Zhao Wenxuan stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the entrance of the ruins, a calm smile playing on his lips.

"Brother Zhou, why the rush? Let those rogue cultivators do their work first. Once they've dealt with most of those troublesome monsters, we can go in and clean up the mess. Wouldn't that save us time and effort?"

He paused, a hint of calculated satisfaction in his voice: "Perhaps that friend of the Lin family is also mingling in the crowd right now, 'enthusiastically' clearing the road for us!"

His words were clear and logical, but he made no mention of inviting the Zhou family cultivators to enter at this moment.

Logically, since their clansmen have already entered, the Zhou clan members should now enter together with the Zhao clan members to share the danger. Why is he not mentioning this at all?

It's quite simple; the Zhao family's elite troops had already entered the ruins and hidden themselves according to plan.

Once the monsters are eliminated, we can seize the resources in the core area as quickly as possible.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wanhong's smile widened, as if he hadn't noticed the problem in Zhao Wenyuan's words at all.

He clapped his hands and laughed, "Haha, Brother Wenxuan is right, we don't need to rush! And that Lin family probably won't be able to cause trouble for much longer!"

However, he sneered inwardly, fully aware of Zhao Wenxuan's scheme.

Did they think Zhou Wanhong was stupid?

During his previous reconnaissance missions, he had secretly ordered his clansmen to identify several key points around the ruins and find an extremely well-hidden hiding place very close to the core of the ruins.

The Zhou family members had already blended into the earlier influx of rogue cultivators and were now quietly gathering at their designated location.

To ensure that the Zhou family gets a share of the spoils as soon as the monsters are eliminated, the Zhao family will not be allowed to monopolize the gains.

The two exchanged a knowing smile, their eyes sparkling with unspoken understanding. The atmosphere seemed harmonious, but undercurrents were swirling beneath the surface.

……

On the other side, Lin Che was indeed in the crowd.

He was using his Absolute Concealment Divine Power to hide his figure, hovering in mid-air, calmly overlooking the chaotic battle between cultivators and demonic beasts below.

The vast majority of independent cultivators were already locked in fierce combat with the raging monsters in the ruins, with various spells flashing and the sounds of weapons slicing through the air filling the air.

Given their similar strength, these demonic beasts, whose intelligence was damaged by the curse and who only knew how to attack frantically, were clearly no match for the rogue cultivators who had been living on the edge of death for many years. One demonic beast after another fell down amidst their mournful howls.

Lin Che's gaze swept quickly across the chaotic battlefield, and soon locked onto three Qi Refining cultivators dressed in uniform with the Zhao family crest embroidered on their lapels.

They are carefully avoiding the main battle groups and moving in a specific direction.

Lin Che smiled slightly and quietly followed them, trailing them all the way to a seemingly ordinary rock wall.

The rock wall is covered by a cleverly concealed array, making it extremely difficult to discover that a cave is hidden behind it unless one is deliberately exploring.

With a thought, the massive figure of the Purgatory Fiend Tiger silently appeared beside Lin Che.

Beneath its giant paws, two Qi Refining stage wolf demons, still struggling wildly and baring their teeth, were firmly pinned down.

Lin Che gave a mere glance, and the Hellfire Tiger understood immediately. Its powerful forelimbs suddenly exerted force, slamming the two wolf demons like stones into the hidden formation!

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, the concealment formation fluctuated violently, its spiritual light dissipated, and the cave entrance hidden behind it was instantly exposed.

Having done all this, Lin Che had already vanished like a ghost, leaving no trace whatsoever.

Almost simultaneously, from inside the cave with only one exit, terrified screams, the clash of weapons, and the frenzied roars of monsters suddenly erupted.

The Zhao family cultivators, trapped in the confined space, and the two enraged demonic beasts had already engaged in a fierce conflict.

Lin Che did not stop. Using the same method, relying on his superb stealth ability and keen perception of aura, he found several other carefully arranged hiding places of the Zhao family and accurately "delivered" them to the enraged and berserk monsters.

It is worth noting that all his "favors" were precisely reserved for the Zhao family, while he deliberately "ignored" the Zhou family's influence.

Listening to the faint sounds of battle and chaos coming from different directions, belonging to the Zhao family's hideout, Lin Che's lips curled into a cold smile.

"The real show is just beginning."