Chapter 356: Underground Labyrinth

Xie Yan heard the words "Xie Gou", his eyes growing even colder, yet the corners of his masked lips curved ever so slightly.

He swung a sword at Yuan Yao!

But it was blocked by Ying Wuji.

Ying Wuji rushed toward Xie Yan with a fierce attack.

Clang—

As the two swords clashed, an extremely powerful sword aura erupted, startling everyone.

Suddenly, a voice of Xie Yan echoed in Yuan Yao's sea of consciousness, "Do you want to contract the Mountain King?"

Yuan Yao raised her sword and asked through the transmission, "If I say yes, will you give the Mountain King to me?"

While battling them, Xie Yan did not answer but retorted, "Why do you want to contract the Mountain King?"

"Because I have my own selfish motives."

As soon as the words finished, Xie Yan's figure darted past Ying Wuji and Cang Li, and in an instant appeared before Yuan Yao, slashing at her with a sword!

Yuan Yao instantly gathered her spiritual energy onto the Phantom Spirit Sword and raised it to block!

Their two swords intertwined.

Their gazes met in mid‑air.

"Then let each rely on his own skill," he whispered.

Although Xie Yan gave no further explanation, Yuan Yao understood.

If Xie Yan first slashes the Mountain King beneath his sword, the Beast Pill would naturally be his.

If she can, before Xie Yan moves, forge a master‑servant contract with the Mountain King, then he will no longer vie for the Mountain King's Beast Pill.

"Fine." Yuan Yao replied softly, while swiftly creating distance from Xie Yan.

Before Yuan Yao could ask, "Why do you want the Mountain King's Beast Pill?", the ghost‑faced youth had already darted away.

Ying Wuji's eyes flickered briefly, and he did not pursue.

He looked toward his own little junior sister with a hint of puzzlement, feeling that something was odd between Xie Yan and Yuan Yao.

Since the Wuduan Mijing, Xie Yan and Yuan Yao had already borne a grudge.

But according to Xie Yan's temperament, if he truly despised someone, he would either kill them or make their life worse than death.

And now…

It feels rather abnormal.

After the mysterious ghost‑faced youth left, Hua Chengyan asked, "Yuan, fellow cultivator, did you really break through the sealing barrier?"

The moment those words were spoken, everyone stared intently at Yuan Yao.

Lu Xiangxiang was no exception.

She furrowed her brows, gazing at the white‑clothed girl wielding the Phantom Spirit Sword nearby, feeling uneasy because she sensed Yuan Yao's growth was not only accelerating but also stealing the spotlight that never belonged to her.

Yuan Yao…

The one who was supposed to have died early.

Yuan Yao answered affirmatively, "I can break through this sealing barrier."

Before anyone could speak, Cang Li immediately spoke up.

"Everyone—"

"If you want my junior sister to break the sealing barrier, there are conditions."

Yuan Yao was slightly stunned, turning her head toward her own Third Senior Brother.

What does the Third Senior Brother intend to do?

"What conditions?" Hua Chengyan asked.

Cang Li clasped his hands together, smiling, and said, "Please, everyone, fund our little junior sister."

"You want us to give Spirit Stones?!" the Seventh Elder of the Heaven One Sect's face turned dark, "Are you that short of money?!"

"Short, terribly short!" Cang Li said gravely.

Yuan Yao and Ying Wuji: "…"

Cang Li let out a deep sigh, "Everyone, we don't demand how many Spirit Stones you give; any amount is appreciated."

Hua Chengyan chuckled, "Hua here, on behalf of all present Hua Sect disciples, I am willing to offer thirty‑thousand Low‑Grade Spirit Stones!"

The others present changed expression upon hearing that.

"Thank you!" Cang Li beamed, giving a thumbs‑up, and exclaimed, "I never expected the young master of the Hua Sect of the Eighth Continent to be so generous; it's comparable to the major sects of the First Continent!"

The two elders of the Heaven One Sect beside them turned green upon hearing this.

It should be noted that the Heaven One Sect is undeniably one of the top sects of the First Continent, its status highly revered.

Now, Cang Li dares, in front of so many, to compare them with the modest Hua Sect of the Eighth Continent, and even claim that its young master is more generous than they are…

If the Spirit Stones they give are fewer than the Hua Sect's, wouldn't that become a laughingstock when spread?

"Second Elder…" the Seventh Elder looked toward the Second Elder with a complicated expression.

The Second Elder had just barely bandaged his severed hand; his complexion was ghastly pale, and he looked even more aged than before.

"Give!" he gritted his teeth.

The treasures inside are worth dozens of times more than tens of thousands of Low‑Grade Spirit Stones!

The Second Elder raspily said, "Our Heaven One Sect will contribute fifty‑thousand Low‑Grade Spirit Stones."

Bian Chen's gaze fell on Yuan Yao's face, and he said, "I am willing to give ten‑thousand Low‑Grade Spirit Stones to Miss Yuan."

Nie Bai let out a light laugh.

"I didn't bring many Spirit Stones; it's embarrassing. I'll just give a hundred Low‑Grade Spirit Stones."

The people present twitched the corners of their mouths a few times upon hearing Nie Bai's words.

"Thank you, everyone." Cang Li clasped his hands, then with a serious expression told them: "First, give me the spirit stones; otherwise, after we enter, if you start arguing and I have to collect spirit stones from you later, it will cause displeasure."

Everyone: "……"

After they handed the spirit stones to Cang Li, he said to Yuan Yao: "Go ahead and break the seal barrier for everyone."

Yuan Yao reached out her hand toward him.

"Here, take it." Cang Li showed a pained, reluctant expression, gritted his teeth, and placed the storage ring containing all the spirit stones onto Yuan Yao's palm.

This action almost drained all his strength.

Yuan Yao put away the storage ring, raised an eyebrow, and smiled at everyone: "Everyone, get ready to compete for the treasures."

Having said that, she instantly gathered her mental power and headed toward the eye of the seal barrier.

In an instant, the seal barrier suddenly surged.

Next, under everyone's rapt attention, the seal barrier began to crack, emitting a "crack-crack" sound.

Soon, the seal barrier resembled a spiderweb, then emitted a booming sound and shattered like a broken mirror.

Boom!

In that moment, a bottomless passage appeared on the ground ahead, leading deep underground.

Seeing this, almost everyone showed delight.

Lu Xiangxiang immediately leapt down, heading toward the depths underground.

The others, seeing this, quickly followed suit.

Yuan Yao withdrew her mental power, exchanged a glance with her third senior brother and youngest senior brother, then also darted down into the depths.

"Below is a labyrinth." Suddenly, Yue Liu's voice echoed in Yuan Yao's sea of consciousness.

Yuan Yao: "?"

"I thought you had already dissipated."

Yue Liu: "……"

Yuan Yao: "Why are you telling me this? Do you intend to give me the treasure?"

Yue Liu: "If you want my hint, finding the treasure I left behind means you must agree to my three conditions."

"Go on, say them."

"First, enter Tian Jiaocheng; second, avenge my Yue family; third, make a contract with Tian Xue."

Yuan Yao's heart sank, her expression turning grim: "You actually dared to eavesdrop on my conversation with others?"

"Sorry." Yue Liu said softly.

Yuan Yao's voice grew colder: "I don't need your hint; disappear from my sea of consciousness at once."

He again repeated those three words: "Sorry."

Yuan Yao was about to use her mental power to completely expel Yue Liu's lingering obsession from her sea of consciousness, but then she heard him say: "If you can agree to these three conditions, I will help you find the treasure and ten saint-rank formation manuals, plus one immortal-rank formation manual."

"If you dispel my lingering obsession, I will vanish forever from this world. Even if you manage to find the treasure, you will not be able to locate my privately hidden formation manuals, for only I know where they are concealed."