Starting at the Nascent Soul stage, a rogue cultivator is incredibly poor.

"What do you mean by that, fellow Daoist?"

Elder Yang stepped forward, his gaze fixed intently on the blurry silhouette of Qingyouzi behind the fire curtain.

His voice was low, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

"How can you say it can't be done without even trying?"

He paused, his tone growing serious, like an elder admonishing a younger person, or a fellow traveler offering advice:

Such are the twists and turns of life. The path to immortality is long and winding, just like that. Some opportunities, if we watch them slip through our fingers, we may truly miss them in this lifetime. But if we can seize them…

A burning glint flashed in his eyes.

"That would be a vast and boundless expanse, free for me to roam. Conversely, if I cannot grasp it..."

His tone suddenly turned cold, and his magical power surged around him, no longer concealing the pressure of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

"I'm afraid we might... lose our lives in vain."

As he spoke, his robes fluttered without wind, and his aura grew even more imposing, subtly enveloping Qing Youzi.

Qingyouzi stood still. Faced with these almost threatening words and rising momentum, he not only did not retreat, but also took a step forward.

The two were now less than five feet apart.

"Fellow Daoist Yang,"

Qingyouzi's voice was calm, yet sharp and confrontational.

"Some things are better left unsaid. Some opportunities that seem within reach may conceal a deadly threat that could devour us."

Elder Long had silently moved to the side and behind Qing Youzi, his magical power subtly concealed, forming a pincer movement with Elder Yang.

He spoke in a deep, cold voice:

"Fellow Daoist Qingluan, what exactly do you mean by that?"

Inside the cave, the air seemed to freeze.

Only at the entrance of the deep pit did the countless black cubes silently rotate, and the black light shield flickered, casting ever-changing light and shadow on the faces of the three people.

Silence, like a taut bowstring.

moment.

Qingyouzi suddenly chuckled softly.

Laughter filtered through the blue fire curtain, carrying a hint of something elusive.

His gaze slowly swept over Elder Yang in front of him, and then over Elder Long to his side and behind him.

"I suddenly feel..."

He spoke, his tone suggesting a sudden realization.

"What Elder Yang said just now is very reasonable."

Elder Yang raised an eyebrow, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes, thinking that the other party had finally been persuaded or subdued.

He stroked his beard, his tone softening:

"It's good that you've come to this understanding, fellow Daoist. In that case, why don't you..."

"Some things, you either don't do, or if you do, you have to act swiftly and decisively."

Qingyouzi interrupted him, her voice suddenly turning cold and her speech quickening.

"Some opportunities are right in front of you; if you don't seize them, you'll miss out for life. And..."

He paused, and his gaze behind the curtain of fire suddenly turned icy cold.

"On the contrary, it could cost them their lives."

Elder Yang's words caught in his throat, and the smug look on his face instantly froze.

He suddenly realized that the "opportunity" Qingyouzi spoke of didn't seem to refer to the ancient formation of the Holy Mountain, but rather...

Himself!

The moment the thought arose, something unexpected happened!

A dozen or so sounds of earth breaking apart erupted from the ground beneath Elder Yang's feet and around him almost simultaneously!

Eerie threads, their entire bodies wreathed in a faint blue flame!

They seemed to have been lying in ambush all along, and suddenly launched their attack with astonishing speed, instantly wrapping around Elder Yang's legs, waist, and arms!

The threads tightened, digging deep into the skin and flesh!

Even worse, the ancient green demon fire attached to it was relentlessly eroding his life force along the point of contact!

"ah--!"

Caught off guard, Elder Yang let out a painful roar.

"you……!"

His eyes widened in fury, his face instantly contorted with shock and rage. His mind raced, he frantically channeled his magical power, and simultaneously his divine sense frantically communicated with the hidden array points he had secretly laid out here!

However, there was no response.

It's like a stone sinking into the sea.

"Looking for this?"

Qingyouzi sneered and raised his hand to make a move.

Whoa!

Several identical blue flame threads emerged from the crevices of the rock wall beside them, each thread tightly binding a small array flag with a dim spiritual light and burn marks on its surface.

This was Elder Yang's pre-planned ambush, prepared to be launched when necessary, to trap and kill Qingyouzi!

"I could hear everything clearly when you were discussing things in the tribe's cave using soundproof barriers."

Qingyouzi's voice was indifferent.

"The reason we followed was simply to see what was hidden in this sacred mountain that was worth such a risk."

From the very beginning, this was a scheme of mutual calculation. Neither side intended for the other to leave alive.

"die!"

A sharp shout rang out from the side!

The moment Qingyouzi tied up Elder Yang, Elder Long launched his attack!

He had been preparing for this moment for a long time, and now he held nothing back. His golden spear burst forth with a dazzling golden light, transforming into a golden lightning bolt that tore through the air and pierced straight into Qingyouzi's temple!

Qingyouzi didn't turn his head, but simply raised his hand and flicked it to the side.

The Demon Dragon Shield flew out from his sleeve, growing larger with the wind, instantly transforming into a thick, dragon-patterned giant shield the size of a door panel, steadily blocking the golden spear light.

"clang--!!!"

The deafening clang of metal striking metal made the cave reverberate, and pebbles fell in a flurry.

The golden spear light dissipated.

The Demon Dragon Shield remained completely still, its surface shimmering with dark light, neutralizing the devastating blow that could have shattered rivers and overturned seas, leaving not even a ripple.

Elder Long's pupils shrank sharply, his face filled with horror! His all-out sneak attack had been blocked so easily?

His mind raced, and he immediately wanted to recall his natal spear and withdraw to fight again.

However, another unexpected event occurred!

A large black net, which had been quietly unfurled at some unknown time, suddenly descended from above, precisely catching the spear that was about to fly back!

The spear entered the net and immediately felt as if it were stuck in quagmire. No matter how Elder Long urged it, it could not struggle and the spiritual light quickly dimmed.

Elder Long was decisive. Upon seeing that his magic weapon was restrained, he immediately abandoned it and retreated rapidly. At the same time, a golden light flashed in his hand, and a condensed golden magic knife was slashed out, cutting towards the several blue fire threads binding Elder Yang.

Several threads snapped in response.

With the pressure lessened, Elder Yang seized the opportunity to unleash his magical power, causing a protective aura to rise from his body. He then broke free of the remaining threads and stood shoulder to shoulder with Elder Long.

At this moment, both of them had ashen faces and were breathing heavily. Elder Yang, in particular, was pale, clearly having been severely burned by the Ancient Azure Demon Flame.

But just as they were freed and their minds were slightly at ease,

"jingle……"

A clear, ringing sound suddenly rang out from the depths of their souls!

Qingyouzi's powerful divine sense, honed to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, amplified the power of this treasure!

Yang and Long felt a "buzz" in their heads, as if they had been hit hard by a heavy hammer. Their souls were shaken, and their consciousness went blank and stiff for a very short time.

Even if it's only half a breath!

But for masters fighting, it's already fatal!

"roar--!"

A dragon's roar suddenly rose!

A blue fire dragon composed entirely of condensed ancient blue demon fire roared out from in front of Qing Youzi, baring its fangs and claws, and pounced on the two people who were standing there dumbfounded!

A life-or-death situation.

Elder Long broke free from the half-breath of stiffness, and seeing this, he was terrified. He roared, and golden light shone brightly around him. An ancient metal shield instantly enlarged and blocked in front of him, while he retreated rapidly.

Elder Yang also came to his senses, his face pale, but a hint of ruthlessness and cunning flashed in his eyes.

Instead of joining Elder Long in defense, he unleashed a surge of magical power and stomped his foot!

A powerful surge of magic transformed into an invisible giant hand, which did not strike the fire dragon, but instead slammed down on the back of Elder Long, who was fully activating the golden shield!

"you……!"

Elder Long was completely caught off guard by the sudden attack from behind. He was thrown forward by the force of the blow, and ended up facing the oncoming azure fire dragon!

His own golden shield, due to this sudden imbalance and interference, experienced a momentary shift and a disturbance of its spiritual light!

At the same time, Elder Yang himself used the force of the recoil to shoot like lightning towards the entrance of the tunnel he had come from!

He was actually going to abandon his companions and die, choosing to escape alone!

Elder Long's face instantly shifted from astonishment to boundless anger and resentment, but it was all too late.

"boom--!!"

The azure fire dragon crashed solidly into his golden shield, whose spiritual light was unstable.

The spiritual light burst forth, and the azure flames pierced through the shield, slamming into Elder Long's protective spiritual light.

"ah--!!"

A piercing scream rang out. Azure flames touched his body, frantically devouring his life force, eroding his magical power, and scorching his soul.

He writhed in agony, desperately channeling his magic to resist, but it was like a drop in the ocean.

next moment.

"Pfft!"

The dull thud of a sharp blade piercing flesh.

The golden spear was manipulated by an external force, turning its head and piercing his heart with greater speed and precision!

Elder Long's body stiffened abruptly, the light in his eyes dimmed rapidly, and his eyes were filled with disbelief and boundless hatred.

"Buzzing..."

Countless tiny, crimson flying insects, like a swarm of locusts attracted by the smell of blood, surged out from Qingyouzi's sleeves and pounced on Elder Long, frantically gnawing at his flesh and bones.

Finally, the black net of a hundred demons descended once more, firmly trapping, tightening, and eroding his remains along with the nascent soul that had tried to escape... Within moments, all was silent.

A Nascent Soul cultivator in the early stage perished, his body and soul destroyed.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

Qingyouzi didn't even look at where Elder Long had died; his cold gaze had already locked onto the fleeing figure of Elder Yang above.

"snort."

He snorted coldly, a thought flickering in his mind.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh.

Countless strands of hair, which had been lying in wait, suddenly burst out from the rock in the cave walls, ceiling, and even the rock strata near the entrance of the tunnel!

Following a pre-set trajectory, they rapidly shuttle, intertwine, and connect in the air!

In the blink of an eye, a dense, three-dimensional net, shimmering with faint blue flames, was woven along Elder Yang's escape route, sealing off most of the space above!

"Damn it! This is outrageous!!"

Elder Yang was forced to stop abruptly, and looking at the layers of obstacles that suddenly appeared in front of him, he was filled with shock and anger.

Desperate to escape, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. Without further hesitation, he pressed his hands down sharply!

"Boom—!"

Centered on his feet, an intricate lightning array instantly unfolded! Blue and white lightning bolts danced and leaped wildly.

The entire massive, downward-extending tunnel began to shake violently, and countless boulders tumbled down from the top and sides.

"break!!"

He roared and pushed upwards with both hands!

The raging lightning accumulated within the formation instantly split into two torrents!

A surge of lightning transformed into a ferocious lightning dragon, a galloping lightning bear, and a nimble lightning deer...

Various strange beasts formed from lightning roared and charged upwards, bombarding the blue fire nets that blocked their way!

The other force transformed into countless twisted lightning arrows, pouring down like a torrential rain, covering a large area where Qingyouzi was located, serving both to block the enemy and to attack!

Qingyouzi's expression remained unchanged as he raised his hand and pointed at the Demon Dragon Shield in the air.

The Demon Dragon Shield emitted a brilliant dark light, instantly splitting into eighty-one smaller shields. These smaller shields were arranged and combined, layer upon layer, forming an extremely tight shield array above his head.

"Bang bang bang bang—!"

A series of impacts, as dense as the beating of drums, rang out as thunderous arrows struck the shield array, exploding into dazzling bursts of lightning, yet failing to budge the shield array in the slightest.

At the same time, Qing Youzi's figure had already transformed into a streak of azure light, braving the aftershocks of thunder, going against the current, and chasing after Elder Yang!

He made a hand gesture with one hand and pointed downwards.

The countless threads that had been lying dormant on the ground below and the surrounding rock walls suddenly shot into the sky!

They nimbly weave through the gaps in the raging thunder, avoiding the strong and attacking the weak, rapidly intertwining and transforming in the air!

In the blink of an eye, they transformed into dozens of giant axes, swords, long knives, and spears burning with eerie blue flames...

From all directions, they attacked Elder Yang, who was struggling to control the formation and bombard the silk net in the air!

The attack was fierce, sealing off all angles for dodging!

Elder Yang was horrified. He couldn't care less about continuing to activate the thunder array to break the net. He roared and summoned his natal tortoise shell magic weapon.

The tortoise shell instantly enlarged, firmly protecting his entire body. A bright yellow light shone on the shell, revealing ancient and heavy defensive runes.

The numerous weapons formed from the blue flames slashed, thrust, and cleaved at the tortoise shell almost simultaneously!

A series of loud noises were followed by a sudden flash of light!

The tortoise shell trembled violently, emitting a mournful cry of unbearable strain.

On the surface of the carapace, the thick yellow light quickly dimmed, and clear cracks spread out like a spider web!

"puff--!"

Inside the tortoise shell, Elder Yang was struck as if by a heavy blow, and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, which even contained some fragments of internal organs.

His natal magic weapon was severely damaged, and the backlash from it exacerbated his injuries, causing his aura to weaken significantly in an instant.

The tortoise shell's spiritual light completely dissipated, rapidly shrinking, and flew back into his hand, now covered in cracks and greatly diminished in its spiritual essence.

Elder Yang, disheveled and bleeding from his mouth and nose, hung in mid-air in a wretched state. Looking down at Qing Youzi, who had broken through the lightning barrier and was approaching, despair and fear finally appeared in his eyes.

"Stop...stop! Fellow Daoist! Fellow Daoist Qingluan! Let's talk this out!"

His voice was hoarse and pleading.

"What do you want? Boiling Blood Fruit? Spiritual Consciousness Fruit? I have other treasures in my cave! Spare me! I swear an oath to my inner demons that I will never seek revenge! The secrets of the Holy Mountain are yours too! Just spare my life!"

Qingyouzi stopped a few feet away, the fire curtain was quiet.

He didn't answer, but simply raised his hand and shook it gently.

"jingle……"

The bell rang again.

Elder Yang was in excruciating pain, and his consciousness began to waver again.

In that moment of confusion, a fierce glint flashed in Qingyouzi's eyes. He pointed his fingers like a sword and pointed fiercely at Elder Yang's dantian!

At his fingertips, countless threads intertwined and merged with the ancient azure demon fire, compressing and condensing into a three-inch-long, solid azure sword.

The sword is silent.

A flash.

It then entered Elder Yang's dantian.

Aiming straight for the Nascent Soul stage!