I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

"Junior Brother Han, there's no need to be so nervous."

Zhou Yuan's voice rang out calmly. He looked at Han Li, who seemed to be facing a formidable enemy, and his tone was indifferent but carried an undeniable air of authority.

"We came from Yellow Maple Valley together and fought side by side many times. How could I be instigated by outsiders?"

Upon hearing Zhou Yuan's words, Han Li's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and he almost collapsed, but at the same time, the alarm bells in his heart remained high.

He knew all too well the cruelty of the cultivation world.

So-called camaraderie among fellow students can sometimes be as fragile as paper in the face of enormous interests.

Zhou Yuan's "statement" at this moment may not be the final choice.

"Hmph! They don't know what's good for them!"

The fake smile on Xuan Le's face vanished instantly, replaced by ruthlessness and murderous intent.

"I was originally planning to keep you around until I finished dealing with this spider, but since you're so eager to die, then die with this kid!"

Before she finished speaking, Xuan Le already had a piece of light gauze in her hand, as thin as a cicada's wing and almost transparent.

He draped a light veil over himself, and although he was still standing in the same spot, all the magical fluctuations, life force, and even his presence seemed to have been erased.

They vanished without a trace in an instant!

If it weren't for the fact that its outline was still visible to the naked eye, one would almost think that there was nothing there.

"Hidden Spirit Veil!"

Zhou Yuan thought to himself.

As a time traveler, he naturally knew about this special magical artifact that Xuanle was quite famous for.

This veil can perfectly conceal the wearer's entire aura. As long as no magical attack is used or the wearer moves too fast, during the Foundation Establishment stage, almost no one can detect their presence by divine sense or aura perception, unless they lock onto them with their naked eyes.

As expected, after concealing her presence, Xuan Le did not attack immediately. Instead, she moved silently like a ghost behind the shadow of a protruding boulder, intending to find the best opportunity to launch a sneak attack, or to watch Zhou Yuan, Han Li, and the Blood Jade Spider suffer mutual damage.

Having lost Xuan Le as its obvious "target," the Blood Jade Spider immediately locked onto Zhou Yuan and Han Li, whose auras were exposed, with its cold compound eyes, and let out a threatening hiss, ready to pounce.

However, a barely perceptible sneer appeared on Zhou Yuan's lips.

The Hidden Spirit Veil might be able to deceive ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators, or even those in the late Foundation Establishment stage, but how could it deceive him?

The powerful divine sense brought by the second level of the Great Evolution Technique had already quietly covered the entire cave. Xuan Le's supposedly clever concealment was as clear to him as a candle flame in the dark, and his movement trajectory and position were exactly as he perceived them!

"You beast, get out of here!"

Zhou Yuan's eyes turned cold. He raised his hand and made a gesture, his magical power surging within him.

Amidst the buzzing sound, thousands of pale golden solidified sword lights appeared out of thin air, instantly forming a dense golden sword rain. With a shrill whistling sound that tore through the air, it swept towards the restless Blood Jade Spider like a metal storm!

"Puff puff puff puff—!"

The sword light struck the spider's crystalline carapace, unleashing a dense chorus of metallic clangs.

The Blood Jade Spider, in pain, hissed and swung its claws to defend itself. Countless fine sword marks were slashed across its carapace. Although the attack did not break through its defenses, the powerful impact successfully forced it back several steps.

Its offensive has been temporarily halted.

Just as the Blood Jade Spider was completely distracted by the Thousand Blade Technique, and Xuan Le was secretly delighted, thinking she had found an opportunity, Zhou Yuan made his move!

With a thought, the pair of ferocious dark golden claws—the Black Dragon Claws—suddenly shot out from his side as if they were alive!

The target was neither the Blood Jade Spider nor Han Li, but the boulder where Xuan Le was hiding!

"Boom—!"

The boulder was instantly pierced and pulverized like tofu by Wulongduo's terrifying penetrating power and sharp claws!

Amidst the flying rocks, Xuan Le's disheveled figure had nowhere to hide and was completely exposed to everyone's gaze and divine sense!

"What?!"

Xuan Le was shocked, his face filled with disbelief. His secret weapon, the Spirit Veil, which he relied on to conceal his attacks, had been so easily seen through?

Shocked as he was, Xuan Le reacted swiftly. He instantly retracted the now-ineffective Spirit Concealment Veil, and with a flash of light, he donned a close-fitting leather armor that was entirely fiery red, covered in fine scales, and radiating intense spiritual pressure!

Judging from its spiritual light and power, it is clearly a top-tier defensive magic weapon!

At the same time, he did not hesitate to summon the yellow bronze bell again. The bell spun around and grew larger, stretching in the wind, with its mouth aimed at the whistling black dragon, intending to use the same trick to trap or knock it away.

"Senior brother, I'm here to help you!"

How could Han Li, who was standing to the side, let go of such a golden opportunity? Although he and Zhou Yuan did not have a deep friendship, at this moment they were in the same boat. If Xuan Le did not die, he would have no way to survive.

He had been preparing for a long time, and upon seeing this, he immediately summoned a simple and ancient bronze mirror with a hazy blue surface—the very same special top-tier magic weapon he had obtained after joining forces with Zhou Yuan to kill Feng Yue and Duobao Nu, the Azure Condensation Mirror!

Han Li poured his magic power into the mirror, and the mirror surface shone brightly with azure light. A highly condensed azure beam shot out instantly, precisely enveloping the yellow bronze bell that was about to grow larger!

The bronze bell, illuminated by the blue light, seemed to be held down by an invisible hand, abruptly stopping its rotation and expansion. Its spiritual light froze, and it was forcibly "fixed" in mid-air, maintaining its original palm-sized shape, unable to move!

The bronze bell, illuminated by the blue light, seemed to be held down by an invisible hand, abruptly stopping its rotation and expansion. Its spiritual light froze, and it was forcibly "fixed" in mid-air, maintaining its original palm-sized shape, unable to move!

"The Azure Condensation Mirror?!"

Xuan Le's pupils constricted sharply, and he cried out in shock. How could he not recognize this top-tier magic artifact, renowned even within the Hidden Moon Sect for its "stabilizing" and "breaking" properties? He never expected it to fall into the hands of this brat from Yellow Maple Valley! With this mirror appearing, his bronze bell magic artifact, which he relied on, was instantly rendered useless!

With the ritual implements restricted, Xuan Le finally began to panic.

Zhou Yuan was able to see through the Hidden Spirit Veil, demonstrating his unfathomable strength. With Han Li wielding the Azure Condensation Mirror to assist him, the situation instantly reversed!

"Xuan Le, rest in peace!"

Zhou Yuan's icy voice was like the pronouncement of death.

He unleashed the full power of the Black Dragon Claw, its dark golden claws tearing through the air with a mournful whistling sound, fiercely grabbing at Xuan Le, who was restrained by the Azure Condensation Mirror and whose defenses had gaped!

Xuan Le had nowhere to dodge, so she could only roar and frantically pour all her magical power into the fiery red leather armor on her body. The leather armor glowed red and formed a thick layer of flame light.

"clang--!!!"

Wulong slammed his fist into the flame shield, unleashing a deafening roar and blinding light.

The flame shield shook violently, its light dimming by more than half in an instant. Even the leather armor itself creaked under the strain, but it managed to barely withstand the fatal blow.

Xuan Le felt a sweet taste in her throat, her blood surging. Just as a sliver of hope rose in her heart, she saw a cold glint flash in Zhou Yuan's eyes.

The Twelve Assassins of the Divine Court – Activated!

An invisible and intangible yet extremely sharp spiritual spike ignored spatial distance, the flame shield, and the leather armor defense, instantly traversing several meters and piercing with unparalleled precision into the depths of Xuan Le's sea of ​​consciousness, which had slightly relaxed due to his all-out defense!

"ah--!"

Xuan Le felt as if his head was being stabbed and churned by a red-hot iron rod, and the indescribable pain instantly overwhelmed all his consciousness!

His vision went black, his ears rang, and the magic power circulating in his body instantly went out of control and became chaotic. The protective flame shield around his body also fluctuated violently, flickering and on the verge of collapse!

It's now!

Zhou Yuan's Wulong Snatch seized this fleeting opening, and the dark golden claw light suddenly intensified by three times, tearing fiercely!

"Snap! Pfft—!"

The flame shield shattered instantly, the fiery red leather armor was torn apart, and Wulong's sharp claws mercilessly pierced Xuan Le's chest, drawing out a spray of tragically beautiful blood!

Xuan Le's eyes quickly dimmed as excruciating pain and the chill of death swept over her entire body.

However, this is not the end.

Han Li, who had been keeping a close eye on the battle, suddenly unleashed a fierce glint in his eyes. A condensed azure sword beam (Azure Origin Sword Beam) that had been gathering at his fingertips for a long time shot out like a viper spitting its tongue!

"laugh!"

The sword's edge flashed past, precisely slicing across Xuan Le's neck.

A head, its face contorted with shock and resentment, shot skyward, then crashed heavily to the ground along with the headless corpse. Blood gushed out, quickly staining the ground crimson.

In the blink of an eye, an elite cultivator at the late Foundation Establishment stage was killed by Zhou Yuan (mid Foundation Establishment stage) and Han Li (early Foundation Establishment stage) working together with lightning speed! His death was extremely frustrating.

The cave fell silent again, save for the angry hiss of the Blood Jade Spider, which was temporarily blocked by the Thousand Blade Technique.

Han Li slowly retracted the Azure Condensation Mirror, his gaze turning to Zhou Yuan with a complex expression. He then quickly swept his eyes over the corpses of Xuan Le on the ground and Lü Tianmeng in the distance, as well as the storage bags at their waists.

He very tactfully took half a step back, gestured to Zhou Yuan as if to say "please," and said respectfully, "Senior Brother Zhou, please."

His meaning was clear: all the spoils of war belonged to Zhou Yuan, and he would never touch them.

It wasn't just because Zhou Yuan had put in more effort, but also because Zhou Yuan's bizarre method that made Xuan Le suddenly clutch her head and scream in agony had sent chills down Han Li's spine and made him extremely wary!

"What kind of secret technique is that? A mental attack? It can instantly render Xuan Le, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, incapable of resistance! If it were used on me..."

Han Li dared not think any further, feeling his back already soaked with cold sweat. At this moment, Zhou Yuan seemed even more unfathomable in his eyes, far more dangerous than the Blood Jade Spider.

"roar--!"

Just then, the Blood Jade Spider, which had been temporarily suppressed by the Thousand Blade Technique, finally went into a frenzy. It smashed through the remaining sword light, moved all eight legs, and with a gust of bloody wind, it once again pounced fiercely on Zhou Yuan and Han Li!

"court death!"

Zhou Yuan snorted coldly, his eyes showing no fear. He didn't even consider a level four demonic beast, which had low intelligence and relied entirely on instinct and a powerful body, a threat. He didn't even retract the Black Dragon Snatcher; he simply raised his hand and waved it again.

Another dense array of thousands of pale golden sword lights appeared out of thin air.

Like a second wave of metal frenzy, it blasted down on the Blood Jade Spider!

Its power is three times greater than before!

Han Li dared not be negligent in the slightest, suppressing his fear of Zhou Yuan, knowing that they had to work together at this moment.

He unleashed the Golden Cicada Mother-Child Blade, which transformed into several golden rays to assist in the attack from the side.

He didn't care about mana consumption at all (he had an equipment slot to replenish it), and he unleashed Thousand Blade Techniques one after another, occasionally manipulating the Black Dragon Spear to launch tricky piercing attacks.

Although the Blood Jade Spider has a hard shell and immense strength, it began to struggle under such high-intensity, high-frequency saturation attacks. More and more cracks appeared on its shell, and pale green fluid seeped from the wounds. Its hissing gradually became tinged with pain and weakness.

Han Li was terrified.

Senior Brother Zhou's magical power... is simply unfathomable! To use intermediate-level spells so recklessly, even an ordinary late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn't last long!

The fierce battle lasted for about half an incense stick's time.

The Blood Jade Spider's movements slowed down noticeably, and the crystalline luster that had flowed around its body dimmed. Its demonic power (true essence) was nearing exhaustion due to the continuous high-intensity defense and counterattack.

It is no longer possible to spread demonic power throughout the body and form a perfect defense as it did at the beginning.

The flaw has been revealed!

A sharp glint flashed in Zhou Yuan's eyes.

Wulongduo, who had been roaming and harassing the outside, suddenly withdrew. At the same time, he grasped the dark gold broadsword that he had never used to attack the spider—the Broken Gold Sword.

"cut!"

Zhou Yuan let out a low shout and rushed forward like lightning. He did not use any fancy sword moves, but simply poured all his magical power into the Broken Gold Sword.

With its unparalleled "defense-breaking" characteristic, it simply and unadornedly slashed down at the weakest point of the Blood Jade Spider's neck joint, which was weakened by its lack of demonic power!

"laugh--!"

The dark gold sword light swept past, like a hot knife slicing through solidified grease.

The Blood Jade Spider's incredibly hard shell was actually cleaved open by the combined effect of the Golden-Piercing Sword's sharpness and the dissipation of its demonic power!

A hideous spider head flew high into the air, its massive body crashing to the ground, twitching a few times before coming to a standstill.

Level 4 demonic beast, Blood Jade Spider, vanquished!

Only then did Zhou Yuan calmly put away the Broken Gold Sword and the Black Dragon Sword, as if the fierce battle just now was merely a warm-up.

He didn't even glance at the spider's corpse. Instead, he strode over to Lü Tianmeng's body, took its storage bag, and then went to Xuan Le's headless corpse, taking its storage bag in the same way. The whole process was unhurried, as if he were merely picking up a pebble from the ground.

Han Li stood at a distance, his eyes following Zhou Yuan's movements closely. His throat was dry, but he didn't dare to even breathe loudly, let alone go forward to snatch or examine the spider's corpse.

His fear of Zhou Yuan had now reached its peak.

His strength is unfathomable, his methods are unpredictable and ruthless, and his temperament is decisive and calm...

Such fellow disciples put more pressure on him than demonic cultivators.