Chapter 426: Fourth-Tier Mineral Vein, Red Jade Scorpion King

Just as they were condensing their Divine Abilities.

Xu Chuan made his move.

"God-Slaying Spike!"

Two consecutive Divine sense attacks plunged into the seas of consciousness of the two men.

"Argh!"

Caught off guard, the black-clad Sword Cultivator and the crimson-robed demonic cultivator felt as if heavy hammers had smashed into their seas of consciousness.

The Divine Abilities they were condensing in their hands immediately dissipated.

The Chi did not disappoint Xu Chuan. Seizing this opening, their dark red claws slashed viciously across the two men's bodies!

"Squelch!"

Their protective spiritual barriers shattered, their Dharma Robes were torn apart, and their flesh was ripped open.

Even more terrifying was the bizarre combination of numbness and searing pain that immediately erupted from their wounds. The strange, dark red energy invaded their bodies like a living creature.

It frantically destroyed their vitality and disrupted the flow of their Mana.

Under normal circumstances, they might have been able to forcefully suppress it with their profound Mana, then find a safe place to expel the energy.

But right now, the dizziness and agonizing pain from their damaged seas of consciousness were still ongoing.

The surrounding Chi followed up with relentless attacks, leaving them no time to defend themselves!

The two men's movements grew increasingly sluggish, leaving them full of openings.

They were swiftly and severely injured.

At that moment.

Xu Chuan finally made his move, executing another Divine Sense Secret Method to strike the two down.

Seeing other Chi surging forward to devour their bodies, Xu Chuan's figure flashed as he appeared in midair.

Compared to two lifeless corpses, Xu Chuan was undoubtedly a much greater temptation to the Chi.

"Thanks for the help, everyone. I'll seek you out again next time there's a chance," he declared.

"Flourishing Glory Seal!"

With that said, his expression turned solemn as his hands formed hand seals.

Boundless Mana surged out, transforming into a resplendent, massive seal that sent over twenty Chi flying away.

The three or four Chi at the very front were struck as if by lightning. The dark red energy on their bodies violently dispersed, and they let out agonizing wails.

Taking advantage of this opening, Xu Chuan stored away the two corpses and sped toward where Xu Deling and Xu Mingxian were.

They were similarly besieged by a large number of Chi.

Before Xu Chuan even arrived, his Divine Ability had already struck.

"Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter; the cycle of the four seasons!"

Four seals were unleashed simultaneously!

They instantly blasted all those Chi away. Had the attack been concentrated on just one or two Chi, it would have been enough to obliterate them completely.

"Let's go!"

Xu Chuan shouted in a low voice, grabbing each of them by the shoulder.

Transforming into a streak of azure light, he immediately dashed out of the Foggy Area, heading in the direction of True Lord Fierce Sun.

The Battle Array had been centered around Xu Mingxian; with him gone, it naturally dissipated.

A swarm of Chi chased relentlessly after Xu Chuan and the others, but unfortunately for the monsters, their speed simply couldn't compare.

Although even Nascent Soul Cultivators faced the danger of perishing if surrounded, the clever ones could easily kite these Chi using their Divine Abilities and speed.

There were even many who, like Xu Chuan, leveraged the Chi to their own advantage.

Seven or eight minutes later.

Hundreds of miles away.

Xu Chuan caught up to True Lord Fierce Sun.

"Daoist Friend Fierce Sun, you certainly run fast," Xu Chuan said with a smile.

"Since you didn't want my interference, staying there to watch the show would have only made me a target for the Chi. That being the case, I figured it was better to keep my distance," True Lord Fierce Sun explained.

Xu Chuan naturally had no intention of blaming him.

"Being able to find you this time was all thanks to Senior Scarlet Dragon Child."

"Martial Uncle Scarlet Dragon Child?" Fierce Sun's eyes flashed with confusion.

Xu Chuan briefly recounted the transaction between them.

"For Daoist Friend Kurong to lend a hand is certainly worth the price. However, this place is vast and its true size is unknown; running into each other is no easy feat," Fierce Sun noted.

Fierce Sun said this because he trusted that Xu Chuan would keep his promise. If Scarlet Dragon Child had asked another Early-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator, it would be a different story entirely.

Of course, very few would have agreed in the first place.

After all, the Nascent Soul Cultivators who entered were too busy searching for their own Opportunities to care about the Golden Core Stage Cultivators from other Sects and factions.

If anything, they might even kick them while they were down.

"Daoist Friend Kurong must have gained quite a bit from this trip, yes?"

"It's decent," Xu Chuan replied.

Two High-Grade Magic Treasures, multiple Mid-Grade Magic Treasures, Low-Grade Magic Treasures, various Pills, Ancient Classics, Spirit Grasses, high-level Materials, and so on.

Combined, it was far more than everything Xu Chuan had acquired in the Ancient Battlefield over the past few months.

Unless one stumbled upon some rare Opportunity, honestly, nothing was as profitable as Plunder.

After all, those who managed to survive until now were mostly Golden Core Elders from major factions, all with profound wealth.

True Lord Fierce Sun didn't dwell on the topic and instead asked, "By the way, Daoist Friend Kurong, where are you planning to go next?"

"To find the rest of my Xu Family. Ultimately, I'm still quite worried about them."

"Many from your Xu Family entered?" True Lord Fierce Sun asked in surprise. "Ordinary Golden Core Cultivators claim they're coming in to try their luck, but in reality, most are just throwing their lives away."

Pausing for a moment, he let out a soft sigh. "However, this is the norm in the cultivation world.

"Whether it's the demonic cultivators of the Blackwater Region or our Heavenly South cultivators, everyone is willing to cling to a sliver of hope and try their luck for the sake of an Opportunity.

"It's always better than spending the next few centuries with no progress in their Cultivation Realm."

Xu Chuan nodded slightly. "I believe their luck isn't bad, but if we can reunite, I imagine any issues we encounter will be much easier to solve."

"Then I shall accompany you," True Lord Fierce Sun offered.

Xu Chuan's eyes glinted in thought. "Are you hoping to see if you can gather some people from the Heavenly Foundry Sect?"

"If that is the case, I can give you the Token."

"My Martial Uncle gave you the Token with his own intentions in mind. The Ancient Battlefield is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers; although my strength is decent, I will still encounter risks.

"If you hadn't arrived earlier, I fear I would have had no choice but to hand over the Heavenly Sun Crystal and make a run for it.

"But on second thought, those two demonic cultivators wouldn't have let me off so easily anyway."

Xu Chuan pondered for a moment, glanced at Xu Deling, and nodded. "Very well. Until I've gathered all the members of the Xu Family, you may tag along with us, Daoist Friend Fierce Sun.

"However, I cannot guarantee how many Heavenly Foundry Sect Elders and disciples we will be able to find."

"I understand. Thank you, Daoist Friend Kurong," True Lord Fierce Sun said, cupping his hands.

The four of them immediately soared into the air, riding their streaks of light into the distance.

Three months passed in a flash.

Xu Chuan found Xu Deyue, Ye Fan, and Xu Mingyuan.

The remaining missing individuals were Xu Mingxuan, Xu Mingshu, and Mei Yun.

Finding Xu Mingxuan and Xu Mingshu was one thing, but Mei Yun was not a member of the Xu Clan, making it impossible to track him through bloodline resonance.

He had also attempted to divine his location using the Heavenly Secret Dao Derivation.

But the results were somewhat blurry, merely pointing deeper into the battlefield.

Xu Chuan suspected that Mei Yun might have been teleported straight into the inner depths from the very beginning.

After all, given his cautious personality, there was absolutely no way he would have ventured in there on his own.

As for the Heavenly Foundry Sect.

They had indeed encountered someone on their way, a man named Yan Bailian.

He was a Heavenly Foundry Sect Elder and a member of the Yan Family.

Moreover, he was a seventh-generation descendant of Yan Longzi.

Hearing that Yan Longzi had requested Xu Chuan to aid the Heavenly Foundry Sect's members along the way, he temporarily joined their group as well.

In addition to this, they had also killed two lone demonic cultivators and a late Third-Tier Demonic Beast during their journey.

"Father, Mingxuan and Mingshu should be just a few thousand kilometers away," Xu Mingyuan communicated via voice transmission. "I'm guessing his luck flared up again and he managed to find Mingshu.

"Mingshu has Xu Ying with her. Even if her combat strength is slightly lacking, her speed is definitely not slow.

"And on the outskirts of this battlefield, speed is an absolute lifeline.

"Those who couldn't outrun the Chi should mostly be dead by now."

"Perhaps," Xu Chuan replied.

They continued flying for several hours.

Suddenly, they spotted an immense, sky-obscuring fog in the distance.

It looked as though it had been deliberately reined in to form a stark boundary.

It stretched infinitely out to both sides, as if attempting to encircle the entire outer perimeter of the battlefield.

"To think we've actually reached the boundary," Yan Bailian muttered.

Yan Bailian was deeply shaken by the sight before him. He sent a voice transmission to True Lord Fierce Sun, "Senior Brother Fierce Sun, do we still need to keep following them?

"Along this journey, we haven't obtained a single Opportunity.

"Why don't we ask for the Jade Tablet back? We can search for Opportunities on our own while looking for our other Fellow Brothers or surviving Sect disciples.

"With our combined strength, as long as we're careful, we shouldn't encounter any life-threatening danger."

True Lord Fierce Sun fell silent for a moment before replying, "The previous agreement was indeed to wait until we found everyone in the Xu Family before discussing our next steps.

"The Xu Family has many members. They barely have enough Opportunities to split amongst themselves as it is.

"It's true that they are unlikely to share any profits with us."

"So you agree, Senior Brother?"

"Having come all this way, we can't exactly return empty-handed."

The two of them instantly reached an agreement.

On the other side.

Xu Mingxuan and Xu Mingshu were also waiting for Xu Chuan and the others to arrive.

With several Xu Family Bloodlines moving toward them simultaneously, they had already guessed that it could only be Xu Chuan bringing the rest of the group.

"Father and the others are here. We can finally make another attempt on the Red Jade Scorpion nest," Xu Mingxuan said.

Xu Mingshu's eyes rippled slightly. "If we fail this time, we'll have no choice but to give it up."

"A fourth-tier Red Sun Flame Gold mineral vein, with its core entirely composed of fourth-tier ores. Even the outermost edges should yield second-tier ores.

"This is an absolute fortune.

"Unless the difficulty of obtaining it is impossibly high, Father definitely won't give it up.

"Furthermore, there are remains of Ancient Era cultivators there. Who knows, there might even be an ancient Inheritance."

In less than fifteen minutes.

Xu Chuan and his group rendezvoused with Xu Mingxuan and Xu Mingshu.

"Father," Xu Mingxuan and Xu Mingshu called out excitedly.

They then exchanged warm greetings.

At that moment, True Lord Fierce Sun spoke up. "Congratulations to Daoist Friend Kurong for reuniting with your clansmen. Since that is the case, Junior Brother Bailian and I should take our leave to search for our remaining Fellow Brothers."

"There is still plenty of time left in the Ancient Battlefield. I am certain you two will be able to find the rest of your Sect members," Xu Chuan replied politely.

He didn't bother exposing their petty ulterior motives.

Everyone who entered the Ancient Battlefield did so to fight for Opportunities for themselves or their clans. Naturally, it was impossible to yield such gains to outsiders.

After all, for the vast majority of Golden Core Stage Cultivators, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enter.

"Please take this Jade Tablet. It should provide you with some assistance."

"Thank you."

True Lord Fierce Sun took the Jade Tablet and then turned to Xu Deling. "Junior Sister Feng Ling, do take care of yourself. Junior Brother Bailian and I will be taking our leave now."

"Stay safe, Senior Brothers. Being able to leave this place alive is a victory in itself; it doesn't matter if you secure fewer Opportunities," Xu Deling advised.

True Lord Fierce Sun gave a slight nod. Then, he and Yan Bailian departed on their flying lights.

"Have you two gained anything over these past few days?" Xu Chuan asked.

"A little," Xu Mingxuan answered.

With a smile, he flicked his sleeve, and three items instantly materialized in front of him.

A purple net, a Token, and a jade slip.

"Father, this purple net is a High-Grade Magic Treasure called the Purple Flame Helmet. I have only established an initial blood connection and haven't fully refined it yet. But once it traps a target, they will be scorched by powerful Purple Cloud True Flames.

"If they cannot escape, even someone at Golden Core Perfection wouldn't last long."

Xu Deling stepped forward to inspect it closely. "This should be a top-tier High-Grade Magic Treasure. In the Heavenly Foundry Sect, only my Honored Master, Zhen Yangzi, would be capable of forging something of this caliber.

"Even Senior Brother Yan Zhen might not be able to forge a similar Magic Treasure."

She looked at Xu Mingxuan and said, "Third Uncle, your luck is truly in a league of its own within our Xu Family."

Xu Mingxuan smiled faintly. "This second Token seems to be called an Ancient Prodigy Token or something."

"That is an Ancient Prodigy Token," Xu Chuan explained. "It's related to the ancient Prodigy Roll. Today, all the major factions in both the Blackwater Region and Heavenly South are collecting them.

"A single Ancient Prodigy Token can be exchanged with an overlord-tier Nascent Soul faction for one High-Grade Innate Spirit Item.

"With three, you can exchange them for a low-grade fourth-tier Spirit Vein."

Xu Mingxuan drew a sharp breath. "This broken little Token is actually that valuable?"

"It is tied to a massive Opportunity. Its intrinsic value is unknown, but because the major factions are in desperate need of them, they are willing to offer such exorbitant prices."

"Then it must be an extraordinary Opportunity."

Xu Mingxuan sighed with emotion, "The remaining jade slip records a Cultivation Method called the Earth Emperor Scripture. It seems it can be cultivated all the way to Divine Transformation Perfection."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, this luck..." Xu Mingyuan felt a bit jealous. "Your second brother doesn't even know what to say anymore."

"The Ancient Battlefield contains countless Opportunities; only here does Mingxuan's Innate Talent truly shine. Back in the Land of Imprisonment, there wouldn't have been anywhere to find such things in the first place," Xu Chuan remarked.

He then cast a glance at the black ring on Xu Mingxuan's hand. "That Storage Ring is incredibly valuable as well."

Xu Mingxuan let out a sheepish laugh.

"Hand the Ancient Prodigy Token over to me for safekeeping. You may keep the rest. As for the Cultivation Method, we'll follow the old rules.

"Make a Rubbing of it and give it to your father. I will store it in the Dao Repository Pavilion within the Grotto-heaven."

"Yes, Father," Xu Mingxuan said, bowing with cupped hands.

"And you, Mingshu? Did you reap any rewards?" Xu Chuan asked.

"I merely managed to obtain a couple of peak third-tier Materials, and that was only because of Ah Ying's speed allowing us to snatch them right from under the noses of the Chi."

Xu Mingshu elaborated, "Not long after that, I ran into Third Brother and we started traveling together.

"Oh, right. In a desert nearby, we discovered a fourth-tier Red Sun Flame Gold mineral vein. The deposit should be quite substantial, but..."

"Is there a complication?"

"Father, that area is the Territory of Red Jade Scorpions, and they've already formed a large colony. I suspect this colony might even house a fourth-tier Red Jade Scorpion.

"The Red Jade Scorpions' carapaces possess incredibly strong defense, and they can spew highly devastating crimson true flames.

"Their tail stingers carry a neurotoxin that targets the soul.

"If someone is careless enough to get stung, their soul will experience intense dizziness, making it difficult to concentrate.

"Even an early third-tier Red Jade Scorpion can significantly affect a Late-Stage Golden Core cultivator."

"That is quite interesting... A fourth-tier Red Sun Flame Gold mineral vein is definitely worth investigating."

Xu Chuan paused for a moment, then asked, "From what you're saying, you two have had your eyes on that vein for a while now. Have you been staying in this vicinity the entire time?"

"Father, are you referring to how lingering in one place for too long will attract the Chi?" Xu Mingxuan chuckled. "I actually discovered something.

"The closer you get to the fog boundary, the fewer Chi there are.

"While there are still a fair amount of Chi within this several-thousand-kilometer radius, it's nowhere near as dense as other places. Elsewhere, staying put for just a few hours would attract a massive swarm.

"But out here near the boundary, you'll encounter three to five of them at most.

"Of course, this also means there aren't many resources nearby.

"Perhaps it's naturally barren, or maybe all the resources were scavenged by people who entered in the past."

"No wonder the Red Jade Scorpions could form a colony here. The existence of the Chi is the natural bane of all living creatures. If they were constantly besieged by massive swarms of Chi, they would never have been able to build up their numbers.

"Wandering perpetually would have been their only option."

"Exactly. Furthermore, it seems the Chi will not venture into the fog. And half of that Red Jade Scorpion nest is located straight inside the Foggy Area."

"Since it's safe for now, we'll rest here for a day and go investigate the situation tomorrow," Xu Chuan decided.

"Yes," the rest of them replied in unison.

The next day.

Under Xu Mingshu's guidance, the group sped toward the desert occupied by the Red Jade Scorpions.

The journey of several thousand kilometers passed by in a flash.

Suddenly.

A vast, boundless sea of scorching sand came into view.

As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but rolling dunes of golden sand.

Waves of heat rippled upward, causing the distant scenery to gently warp and distort.

The air was thick with a dry, baking sensation, standing in stark contrast to the landscapes Xu Chuan had seen previously.

"This is the place."

Xu Mingshu halted her flying light and pointed at the sea of sand below.

"Red Jade Scorpions are accustomed to lurking deep beneath the sand and rarely emerge. They will only reveal themselves if they are disturbed or sense prey.

"We only need to attack the sand to draw them out."

Hearing this, Xu Chuan gave a slight nod.

He didn't immediately make a grand display. Instead, he hovered midair.

His eyes glowed with divine light as he scanned the area for a moment, eventually settling on a seemingly ordinary sand dune. Then, he flicked his finger.

"Whoosh!"

"Bang!"

A condensed bullet of Spiritual Qi shot out, accurately striking the side of the dune. It exploded, blasting a crater several meters wide and sending sand and gravel flying in all directions.

The calm surface of the sand froze for a brief instant.

Then.

Centered around that crater, the sand within a radius of hundreds of meters began to violently churn as if it were boiling over!

"Rustle! Rustle! Rustle!"

The dense, grating sound of friction was enough to make one's teeth ache.

One after another, dark red figures burst from the sand, as fast as lightning!

They were none other than the Red Jade Scorpions!

The larger ones were about a meter and a half tall, while the smaller ones were the size of millstones.

Their entire bodies were covered in dark red carapaces that looked as if they had been polished from red jade. The luster was dim, yet the shells were extraordinarily hard.

A pair of compound eyes on their heads flickered with a cold, vicious gleam.

The most striking feature was their disproportionately massive pincers.

The deep crimson hue bordered on black, and they clicked with a metallic clang as they opened and closed, looking as though they could effortlessly snap refined iron in two.

Their hideous mandibles twitched, dripping with thick, viscous venom.

Their tails were raised high in the air, culminating in pitch-black, foot-long stingers whose tips glowed with a chilling, spectral blue sheen.

In an instant.

Dozens of Red Jade Scorpions had burrowed their way out.

Xu Chuan swept a glance over them. These were merely first and second-tier Red Jade Scorpions.

But not long after.

A couple of towering Red Jade Scorpions, standing six to nine meters tall with significantly more powerful auras, appeared.

Their carapaces were of a darker shade, and their pincers and stingers were thicker and more menacing. They had clearly reached the Third-Tier!

They locked onto the provocative Xu Chuan hovering midair.

The most muscular Third-Tier Red Jade Scorpion among them let out a shrill shriek. Transforming into a dark red afterimage, it lunged toward Xu Chuan before any of the others!

Its speed was terrifyingly fast, its massive pincers snapping straight toward Xu Chuan's waist.

Simultaneously, its stinger thrust silently toward the center of his back like a venomous spear.

The coordination was flawless, and the strike was exceptionally vicious.

Xu Chuan's expression remained unfazed. Shifting his body ever so slightly midair, he dodged the snapping pincers by a hair's breadth.

The Red Jade Scorpion's stinger followed like a shadow, thrusting relentlessly forward.

Unflustered, Xu Chuan pressed his fingers together to form a Sword Finger.

An incredibly condensed point of azure light suddenly flared at his fingertips. Striking precisely and arriving first despite moving later, he tapped the side of the incoming stinger.

"Clang!"

A crisp sound, like metal clashing against metal, rang out.

That invincible pitch-black stinger was actually knocked off course by this tiny speck of azure light.

The Red Jade Scorpion's momentum violently staggered.

Seizing the moment, Xu Chuan flipped his palm and pressed downward.

A 'Withering and Thriving Seal' erupted, crashing down heavily onto the Red Jade Scorpion's carapace.

"Crack!"

The deep brown exoskeleton immediately echoed with the sound of fracturing bone.

The Red Jade Scorpion let out a tragic wail as the immense force smashed it into the sand, forming a deep crater.

Dark red bodily fluids seeped from the cracks in its shell.

It struggled to rise, but Xu Chuan had already plummeted down like a meteor.

He stomped down hard on the vulnerable joint connecting its head to its thorax.

"Squelch!"

This peak early third-tier Red Jade Scorpion was slaughtered on the spot.

"Father's strength is growing increasingly unfathomable," Xu Mingxuan sighed in awe.

"Father is the pillar that holds up the sky for our Xu Family. Naturally, the stronger he is, the better!"

Xu Mingshu smiled, her eyes brimming with pure adoration.

This swift kill briefly deterred the rest of the Red Jade Scorpions.

Though their intelligence was lacking, they were still living creatures and understood fear.

Xu Chuan soared into the air and said calmly, "Let's leave for now."

The group nodded and followed him a few dozen miles away.

Seeing them retreat, the Red Jade Scorpions patrolled the area for a bit before burrowing back under the sand.

"The carapaces of the Red Jade Scorpions are exceedingly tough. Without using a Magic Treasure, one would need a Minor Success stage Divine Ability at the very least to injure them, and that's just for the early third-tier ones.

"The early and mid-stage ones are comparable to Low-Grade defensive Dharma Tools.

"The Late-stage and Peak Third-Tier ones approach the resilience of Mid-Grade Magic Treasures.

"Moreover, their attack speed isn't slow either."

"Are you going to make a move, Father?"

"Naturally."

Xu Chuan looked at Xu Mingxuan. "Right now, I hold two fourth-tier trump cards in Moyue and the Profound Yin Corpse King. I can hold my own even against an expert at the mid fourth-tier.

"However, if we can achieve our goals through negotiation, there's no need for a massive battle.

"Even half of the mineral vein is more than enough.

"Of course, if the other party lacks the sense to cooperate, our Xu Clan has never shied away from a fight!"

Xu Mingxuan then added, "By the way, Father, there should also be the remains of an ancient cultivator buried deep beneath the sand sea. We just don't know if there's still a Storage Pouch or anything similar.

"Mingshu and I stumbled upon it by chance when we dived down last time.

"Unfortunately, we were discovered by the Red Jade Scorpion colony shortly after and were forced to flee."

"Even that happened?" Xu Mingyuan was taken aback before offering a wry smile. "It's a good thing you have such great luck, Third Brother. Anyone else would likely have been discovered while still on the perimeter.

"They'd have been devoured so thoroughly that not even their bone fragments would be left behind."

Xu Mingxuan laughed sheepishly.

He himself felt that ever since Xu Chuan had blessed him with some sort of Innate Talent last time, his luck had steadily been improving.

In the past, he only possessed an intuition regarding the good or ill fortune of the situations he encountered.

Now, he could stumble upon Opportunities simply by walking around.

He constantly experienced inexplicably fortuitous coincidences.

Just like how they managed to escape the sandy depths of the Red Jade Scorpion nest.

Even Xu Chuan would have had to rely on pure strength to force his way out.

"Alright, we'll discuss this later. Now, let's go over the plan." Xu Chuan smiled and said, "I will have Moyue force the fourth-tier Red Jade Scorpion out first.

"If it is willing to yield half of the Red Sun Flame Gold mineral vein, then we can part ways peacefully.

"If it refuses, then we battle!

"The fourth-tier one will be left to Moyue. There's no need to kill it; keeping it occupied will suffice.

"I will handle the Peak Third-Tier and some of the Late-stage ones. Deling, you'll also pitch in to deal with a portion of them.

"Given your current strength, you can handle a few Late Third-Tier Red Jade Scorpions simultaneously without an issue."

"Yes, Grandfather," Xu Deling acknowledged with a nod.

"The rest of you, with the exception of Mingxian, will handle the remaining Red Jade Scorpions.

"Don't forget to collect the corpses of the ones you kill. The carapaces, pincers, and stingers are all excellent Materials for forging Dharma Tools and Magic Treasures."

Everyone smiled and replied, "Understood."

"Mingxian, your task is to scout out the Red Sun Flame Gold mineral vein and set up the Cloud Heaven Illusionary Array around its perimeter to prevent any other Red Jade Scorpions from approaching.

"I'll have the Corpse King handle the extraction of the fourth-tier ore veins."

Pausing for a moment, Xu Chuan continued, "According to my estimations, the Red Jade Scorpions likely use this mineral vein to incubate their eggs. It probably accelerates the hatching process.

"If my guess is correct, we might be able to find some Red Jade Scorpion eggs.

"Keep an eye out for them, Mingxian.

"Red Jade Scorpions possess extraordinary potential. Our Xu Clan could dedicate substantial resources to raising them. Who knows, we might be able to cultivate our own colony of Red Jade Scorpions."

Xu Mingshu's eyes lit up. "If we actually manage to acquire some, you can leave the task of raising them to your daughter."

Xu Mingxian also chimed in, "Understood, Father. I will keep an eye out."

"Do the rest of you have any other concerns?"

They all shook their heads.

Following that, Xu Chuan handed the Yin Corpse Pouch to Xu Mingxian and instructed the Profound Yin Corpse King on what to do next.

Two hours later.

They arrived at the edge of the scorching sea of sand once again.

Xu Chuan lightly tapped his Spirit Beast Pouch.

The next moment, a dark shadow darted out.

Shortly after.

Majestic and boundless demonic energy erupted from the shadow like a breached dam. The terrifying Pressure churned the surrounding heat waves, causing the sand and dust to flow backward!

Under everyone's watchful eyes.

Moyue's figure rapidly expanded and elongated within the surging demonic energy.

Bowl-sized, dark green scales shimmering with a cold, metallic glint surfaced. His head grew towering horns, his limbs morphed into sharp claws, and a swing of his long tail whipped up a howling gale.

In the blink of an eye.

A Flood Dragon spanning hundreds of feet long hovered majestically in the air above the sea of sand!

Moyue did not manifest his full thousand-foot demonic body.

After all, sometimes having too large a body was not necessarily an advantage.

"Roar—"

The Flood Dragon form of Moyue let loose a world-shaking roar.

"Rumble!"

The calm sea of sand instantly churned like angry tidal waves.

Centered on the impact point of the dragon's roar, waves of sand swept outward in successive layers.

Countless low-tier Red Jade Scorpions lurking beneath were forced to frantically dig their way out of the sand by the terrifying Pressure and tremors, fleeing in all directions in total chaos.

However, this was merely the beginning.

Moyue's massive dragon eyes locked onto a specific location deep within the sand sea.

Raising a Dragon Claw, immense demonic energy rapidly converged, forming a gigantic pillar of light over a dozen feet in diameter that smashed ruthlessly down upon that patch of sand!

This was a provocation, and more importantly, a display of brute force.

"Crack! Sizzle!"

Extreme cold and extreme heat collided violently, sending ice crystals and steam erupting wildly into the air.

That patch of sand was instantly blasted into a bottomless crater.

The sand and gravel around its edges rapidly froze into solid permafrost.

Just as the pillar of ice fell—

"Hiss!"

A sharp, utterly furious shriek suddenly exploded from the absolute depths of the sand sea!

The Pressure carried within that hiss clearly belonged to the fourth-tier as well.

The temperature of the entire desert seemed to instantly skyrocket. The sand grains below began to melt and turn red in a bizarre fashion, resembling flowing magma.

Immediately following that, an intensely brilliant crimson light blazed from the depths of the crater!

"Boom!"

An unimaginably thick column of crimson fire shot into the sky, blasting straight toward Moyue!

From within the pillar of flames, a colossal, dark red figure slowly rose.

It was the undisputed overlord of this land—the fourth-tier Red Jade Scorpion King!

Its size far surpassed that of its kin, as large as a small hill. Its entire carapace was no longer a simple dark red, but rather a blackish-red hue reminiscent of cooling lava.

It was densely covered in natural, searing-hot patterns, as if actual magma were sluggishly flowing beneath the shell.

Its pair of massive pincers were the size of houses, sending sparks flying with every clack. Their edges were as sharp as divine weapons.

The most terrifying part was its stinger, which had transformed into a translucent, deep crimson hue, as though carved from the purest red jade, exuding an incredibly dangerous aura.

It hovered in midair, standing directly opposite Moyue, its compound eyes brimming with intense fury.

Moyue's Flood Dragon form did not back down in the slightest, his Dragon Whiskers thrashing wildly in the wind.

The demonic energy enveloping his body surged like a relentless tide, firmly resisting the crimson fire pillar.

Ice and fire clashed, releasing deafening sizzling sounds as an immense cloud of white mist billowed into the sky.

Seeing this, Xu Chuan floated over, landing gracefully on top of Moyue's head.

This sudden development caused the Red Jade Scorpion King to pause slightly.

"Scorpion King, we mean no offense with this disturbance. We merely wished to call you out to negotiate," Xu Chuan stated.

"What is your relationship with it?"

"Moyue is my partner."

The Red Jade Scorpion King's pupils shrank. "A Mid-stage Golden Core cultivator like you actually managed to tame a fourth-tier Flood Dragon?!"

"That is none of your concern, Scorpion King."

"What do you want to negotiate?"

Since the Flood Dragon before it was entirely its equal in strength, the Scorpion King decided to patiently hear Xu Chuan out.

"There is a Red Sun Flame Gold mineral vein here. Give me half, and we won't bother you anymore."

"Insolence!"

"That belongs to my colony. For you to ask for half just like that... do you really take this king for thin air?"

"Treasures of the world belong to the capable. Moyue's strength is not inferior to yours, so demanding half is hardly excessive. If a Late-Stage Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator were to arrive instead.

"If he asked for it, would you dare refuse?"

The Red Jade Scorpion King's compound eyes contracted slightly.

After a moment, it spat, "Unfortunately, he isn't, and you certainly aren't either!"

"It seems there's no room for negotiation then."

"So what if there isn't? Do you honestly think the two of you and those few early and mid-stage Golden Core Stage Cultivators over there are enough?"

"My children, come out!"

Following the Red Jade Scorpion King's roar, massive Red Jade Scorpions burst forth from the sea of sand within a radius of dozens of miles.

Among them were quite a few whose sizes far exceeded the early third-tier Red Jade Scorpions they had seen just a short while ago.

"As expected, there are Peak Third-Tier ones, and two of them at that. It seems they've been entrenched here for many years," Xu Chuan muttered.

Aside from the two Peak Third-Tier Red Jade Scorpions, there were also five or six late third-tier ones.

In total, there were over twenty third-tier and above Red Jade Scorpions.

Xu Chuan swept a glance over them, feeling no surprise whatsoever.

"Act according to plan!" Xu Chuan sent a voice transmission to the others, then said to Moyue, "He is yours."

"Don't worry. Although he has reached the early fourth-tier, there aren't many Demonic Beasts within the same rank that can contend with our Flood Dragon clan," Moyue replied confidently.

Moyue immediately charged at the Red Jade Scorpion King.

Both the dragon and the scorpion seemed to intentionally steer clear of their current location.

In just a few moments, they were over twenty miles away.

"Kill the intruders!"

One of the Peak Third-Tier Red Jade Scorpions roared.

It and the other Peak Third-Tier Red Jade Scorpion instantly rushed toward Xu Chuan, hoping to swiftly decapitate the group's leader!

Xu Chuan merely smiled and gave a wave of his Sleeve Robe.

The Azure Dragon Treasure Umbrella shot out. As the precious umbrella opened, it dropped a curtain of azure-gold light.

Bang!

The massive pincer attacks from the two Peak Third-Tier Red Jade Scorpions only caused the barrier to ripple slightly.

"A High-Grade Defensive Magic Treasure!"

They were slightly startled.

Then, they watched as Xu Chuan formed a hand seal. Twenty-Eight Flying Swords flew out from the ribs of the umbrella. Sword qi crisscrossed wildly, condensing in midair to form a Sword of the Azure Dragon over a hundred feet long.

"Roar!"

A terrifying dragon's roar rang out.

While the Pressure of the Sword of the Azure Dragon couldn't match Moyue's, it was still a tier above that of the two Peak Third-Tier Red Jade Scorpions.

The peerlessly sharp sword qi felt capable of slicing right through their defensive carapaces!

"Go!"

Xu Chuan pointed his Sword Finger, and the Sword of the Azure Dragon immediately raised its claws and pressed down on them.

In just a single exchange, they were sent flying by the sharp sword qi. Had their defenses not been tyrannical enough, they likely would have been cleaved in half.

However, even so, it was impossible for their defenses to hold out forever.

Under continuous, unrelenting attacks, there would eventually come a moment when their shells were broken.

Realizing they were no match, the two Peak Third-Tier Red Jade Scorpions immediately called for the other late third-tier ones to assist them.

At that exact moment.

Xu Deling arrived at the scene.

She let out a soft shout as pale gold flames surged upward, transforming into a fire phoenix that spread its wings with a clear, resonant cry.

She proactively engaged three of the late third-tier Red Jade Scorpions.

Relying on her Magic Treasure and her own Divine Abilities, Xu Deling fought one against three and still managed to ruthlessly suppress them.