You're just a single demon beast? I have a whole army of beast tamers!

Qin Shou gave him no chance to catch his breath.

He was on the back of the roc, holding a first-grade high-quality golden arrow talisman and the wave-splitting dagger in his hands.

"go!"

Golden Arrow Talisman activated,

Three golden beams shot out in a triangular pattern.

Go straight for Dragon Seven's top, middle, and bottom lanes!

At the same time, the wave-splitting spike silently transformed into a thin, dark blue line, hidden behind the golden light, and attacked its throat!

Long Qi barely managed to deflect the golden arrow, only to be horrified to find that the thin, dark blue line was already right in front of him!

He desperately turned his head, and the spiky blade grazed his neck, leaving a trail of blood and severing an artery!

The intense pain and sudden blood loss made him momentarily paralyzed.

In that instant, the Xuanbing Spirit Fox's sharp claws shattered his shield.

The jade python's tail lashed heavily across his back!

"puff!"

Long Qi coughed up blood, his internal organs seemed to shift, and he was sent flying, crashing heavily into a rock.

Before he could land, the gray-feathered roc swooped down, its sharp claws gleaming with cold light, and fiercely grabbed at his crown!

"Snap!"

The skull shattered, and red and white substances splattered everywhere.

Long Qi's eyes widened in shock and resentment, and his aura vanished instantly.

From discovery to kill, the entire process took no more than thirty breaths.

Qin Shou landed, expressionlessly put away the spirit beast, and quickly took Long Qi's storage bag.

He used a fire talisman to destroy the corpse, and then used a wind blade technique to swirl up sand to cover up the traces.

"His cultivation level is at the eighth level of Qi Refining, and his equipment is quite good, much better than the two from last time."

It seems the Long family is serious.

Qin Shou felt little emotion, only a deeper sense of vigilance.

Since the other party was able to send someone to track the disciple surnamed Sun...

This indicates that they have already suspected or even locked onto their own area.

He quickly returned to the deer park.

The disciple surnamed Sun was still inside the warning barrier and was completely unaware of the brief but intense battle taking place outside.

Qin Shou removed the restriction and said to the disciple surnamed Sun with a solemn expression:

"Junior Brother Sun, someone was following you just now. It was a cultivator from the Long family, but I've already dealt with them."

"What? The Long family?!"

The disciple surnamed Sun turned pale with fright.

He had naturally heard of the Long family's fearsome reputation for robbing cultivators.

"That's right. Baicaotang is the Long family's secret base in Linjiafang Market."

Qin Shou said in a deep voice, "This matter started because I bought spirit herbs, and now it has implicated you."

To prevent future troubles, once you return, immediately report this matter to the Foundation Establishment senior member of the Lin family stationed in the market.

Just say that you accidentally discovered that Baicaotang was suspicious.

A cultivator from the Long family was following you with malicious intent, but was repelled by fellow disciples who happened to be passing by.

"We must make sure the Lin family removes Baicaotang from our lives!"

Upon hearing this, the disciple surnamed Sun was both frightened and excited.

What I fear is getting involved in this power struggle, but what excites me is that if I can really expose the Long family's stronghold, I might be able to get credit from the Lin family.

"Senior Brother Qin!"

Don't worry, I will definitely tell the Lin family elders the whole story!

But... Senior brother, you're staying here alone, won't you...?

"It's alright, I know what I'm doing. Go quickly and come back soon, be careful on the road."

Qin Shou waved his hand.

The disciple surnamed Sun repeatedly expressed his gratitude before hurriedly getting on the flying shuttle.

He sped off towards the market, already regarding Qin Shou as a senior brother who kept his true abilities hidden.

In Qinglin Market, the Lin family's residence is located.

After listening to the embellished report by the disciple surnamed Sun, Lin Yuanshan, a middle-aged cultivator dressed in the robes of a Foundation Establishment elder of the Lin family,

He suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze gleaming.

"Is Baicaotang a stronghold of the Long family? And there are Foundation Establishment cultivators lurking there?"

Lin Yuanshan's voice was calm. "Do you have any evidence?"

"This junior dares not speak presumptuously! Although the corpse of the cultivator who was following this junior has been disposed of..."

However, the Dragon Family Token and the characteristics of the cultivation technique in his storage bag were confirmed by his fellow disciples to be correct!

Moreover, the shopkeeper at Baicaotang has been acting strangely for the past two months, as I go there every month to purchase medicinal herbs for my senior brother.

His repeated, indirect inquiries about the uses of the spiritual herbs and his senior brother's background are highly suspicious!

The disciple surnamed Sun quickly spoke and presented the dragon-shaped token that Qin Beast had given him.

Lin Yuanshan took the token, scanned it with his divine sense, and his expression instantly darkened:

"As expected of the Long family's Hidden Dragon Token! How dare they extend their claws into the heart of my Lin family's market town!"

Without further hesitation, he immediately sent out several communication talismans.

A moment later, three powerful auras belonging to Foundation Establishment cultivators rose from different directions in the market.

One of them was surprisingly from the neighborhood where Baicaotang is located!

"Oh no! We've been discovered!"

Inside the Hundred Herbs Hall, there was Long Li, the Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Long family who had always been stationed there.

When the Lin family's Foundation Establishment cultivators locked onto them, they immediately realized that their stronghold had been exposed.

He reacted with lightning speed, smashing the wall of the back room with a single palm strike, and let out a low roar:

"withdraw!"

The elder of the Long family and the other lurking cultivators in the secret chamber had already been alerted.

Upon hearing the sound, they immediately followed Long Li and scattered to escape through the back door and secret passage.

The three Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Lin family immediately gave chase, and the market's grand formation was partially activated, sealing off several main exits.

In an instant, spiritual energy surged within the market, and shouts and sounds of fighting erupted, creating utter chaos.

Long Li, possessing the highest cultivation level at the early Foundation Establishment stage and having prepared in advance, bravely took Lin Yuanshan's attack head-on.

Accompanied by the elder of the Long family and three or four core disciples,

Using pre-arranged earth-遁符 (a type of talisman),

They forced their way out of the weak point of the market formation and fled into the wilderness in a panic.

However, the other Long family cultivators who were slower to react or had lower cultivation levels...

They were either intercepted and killed or captured alive by the Lin family cultivators.

Bai Cao Tang was completely shut down, and a large number of secret letters and supplies related to the Long family were found inside.

This confirmed its status as a spy base.

......

A desolate valley more than a hundred miles away from Qinglinfang City.

Several disheveled figures staggered down; it was Long Li and the elders of the Long family who had escaped.

"puff!"

Long Li's face turned pale, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

He had just taken a direct hit from Lin Yuanshan, which caused him considerable internal injuries.

His eyes were gloomy as he stared intently at the equally injured old man.

"Longhuai! What on earth is going on?!"

How did the Lin family suddenly discover Baicaotang? And where is Long Qi?

Didn't he go to track them? Why hasn't he sent any news back?!

Long Li shouted sharply, his voice echoing through the valley.

Long Huai, the scarred old man, trembled and knelt down:

"Elder... Elder, please calm down! This subordinate... this subordinate also does not know why I was exposed so quickly."

Long Qi… he was ordered to track the disciples of the Ten Thousand Beasts Tavern, and he hasn't returned yet. I'm afraid… I'm afraid he's met with some misfortune.”

"waste!"

Long Li kicked Long Huai over, "We've lost manpower one after another, and our stronghold that we've been building for years has been exposed!"

This mission was a complete failure, and you are largely to blame!

Go back and go to the punishment hall to receive your punishment!

"Yes...yes..."

Long Huai's face was ashen.

Long Li took a few deep breaths, suppressing his surging blood and anger, his eyes flashing with killing intent:

"However, this matter must not be left unresolved!"

Long Qi was tracking a disciple of the Ten Thousand Beasts Restaurant.

Behind that disciple must be the one who bought the spiritual herbs, and possibly also the one who killed my two previous disciples!

Have you found out who it is?

Long Huai quickly got up, enduring the pain, and said:

"Reporting to the elder, based on previous clues, that person is more than 90% likely a disciple of the Myriad Beasts Sect stationed at the Deer Park in the Green Forest Grassland."

However… this person appears to be only at the mid-stage of Qi Refining.

Yet they were able to repeatedly kill my Long family's late-stage Qi Refining disciples.

They're probably hiding their true strength or possess considerable beast-taming skills.

"Outer disciple of the Myriad Beasts Sect..."

Long Li frowned deeply.

If it were an ordinary rogue cultivator or a member of a small family, he would definitely rush to their door immediately, extract their soul and refine their spirit to vent his hatred.

However, when it comes to the Myriad Beasts Sect, even if one is just an outer disciple, one must be cautious.

The Myriad Beasts Sect is a behemoth with a Nascent Soul cultivator at its helm, far surpassing the strength of the Long family.

It would be a losing proposition to antagonize the Myriad Beasts Sect for the sake of a disciple.

We can't do it openly, and we have to deliver a fatal blow!