Chapter 435: A Turn for the Better, Cave Estate Intelligence

Sun Chuanxing was slightly startled.

He had only managed to catch a quick glimpse just a moment ago.

He felt that such breath-concealing methods should belong to a Nascent Soul level existence.

Only now did he realize it was a Golden Core cultivator, and one who had not even reached Golden Core perfection!

"Kid, I advise you to get lost right now, otherwise you won't even know how you died later!"

Sun Chuanxing also sighed. "Daoist friend, it seems this Sun has misunderstood. This battle is not something someone at your level can participate in."

"Is that so? Whether I can participate or not, we will know once we try,"

Xu Chuan said, the corners of his mouth curving slightly upwards.

Well, it was time for another face-slapping moment.

With a swift swish, the treasure umbrella opened on its own, dropping a solid, thick azure-gold light screen that tightly protected Xu Chuan's entire body.

Then.

"Azure Dragon Sword Formation, gather!"

Xu Chuan shouted in a low voice, his hands forming a sword art to guide the energy.

In an instant, a clear and resonant dragon's roar echoed through the clouds!

Twenty-eight flying swords condensed into a Sword of the Azure Dragon dozens of meters long.

The sword dragon raised its head, its eyes filled with a bone-chilling sword intent.

Without the slightest hesitation, it violently swung its massive dragon tail!

"Roar—"

The trajectory of the swinging tail shockingly transformed into a dazzling, heaven-shaking sword radiance that seemed capable of slicing through the void. Tearing the air apart, it slashed down right toward the Blood-Robed Old Demon's head with the force of a thunderbolt!

Wherever the sword radiance passed, a brief, empty scar was left in the void.

The might of this strike had shockingly reached the Nascent Soul level!

"Hm?!"

The Blood-Robed Old Demon's initially contemptuous expression vanished instantly, his pupils sharply contracting.

His expression turned solemn as he shouted fiercely, "Blood Sea Barrier!"

He forcefully swiped both hands in front of him. The boundless blood-colored Demonic Qi surrounding his body gathered frantically, instantly condensing into a thick, dark red light barrier that continuously churned like the waves of a blood sea.

"Boom—"

The heaven-shaking sword radiance ruthlessly cleaved into the blood-red light barrier!

The blood-red light barrier caved in and rippled violently, its surface torn with countless fine cracks by the Sword Qi.

The blood light and Sword Qi frantically eroded and annihilated one another.

Eventually, the sword radiance exhausted its power and slowly dissipated.

As for the blood-red light barrier, it had dimmed considerably and was covered in cracks, looking as if it would shatter at any moment.

"You are the Azure Dragon Sword Venerable, Xu Chuan?!"

The Blood-Robed Old Demon's figure swayed slightly. The way he looked at Xu Chuan had completely changed, filled with shock, wariness, and a hint of disbelief.

'What kind of title is that?'

Xu Chuan raised his eyebrows slightly, a flash of surprise also crossing his eyes.

"I am indeed Xu, but I don't know where this Azure Dragon Sword Venerable title came from. This one absolutely cannot bear such a name.

Senior shouldn't have seen me before, right?"

"I haven't."

The Blood-Robed Old Demon spoke in a low voice, his gaze glancing at the Sword of the Azure Dragon hovering in midair. "But I have heard people mention it, saying that an incredible prodigy recently emerged in the Heavenly South.

With just a Golden Core body, he can rely on a sword formation to unleash might comparable to the early-stage Nascent Soul realm.

Seeing it today, your reputation is indeed well-deserved."

His heart chilled; the opponent's strike just now was a genuine Nascent Soul level attack.

Of course, it was strictly limited to the first layer of the Nascent Soul stage.

Since he had reached the peak early Nascent Soul stage, he definitely wasn't afraid of Xu Chuan.

He was simply astonished by the potential.

He originally thought it was merely a rumor, but now that he saw the person himself, he realized the tales were true.

Sun Chuanxing, who was standing to the side, had a face full of pleasant surprise. "So it's Daoist Friend Kurong! I have long heard of your reputation in Profound Moon Prefecture.

The matter of you killing the Heavenly Azure Sect's Grand Elder Xi Daoyun has spread throughout the entire Northwest Region.

It can be said that everyone knows about it."

He hurriedly cupped his hands, his attitude instantly becoming warm and friendly.

"Your esteemed son, Xu Mingxian, is good friends with a junior of my Sun Family, Sun Zhantian. Before coming here, he specifically went to your Azure Dragon Prefecture's group to look for Xu Mingxian.

Unfortunately, they didn't manage to meet."

"Greetings, Daoist Friend Sun," Xu Chuan greeted, cupping his fists.

Listening to Sun Chuanxing's words, the Blood-Robed Old Demon's expression shifted unpredictably.

'Killing a Nascent Soul? How is that possible?!'

'However, this matter might be exaggerated, but it certainly isn't completely false either.'

His gaze darted back and forth between Xu Chuan and Sun Chuanxing.

Sun Chuanxing's cultivation base was slightly inferior to his own and was even faintly suppressed by his arts, but with the addition of Xu Chuan...

If the two of them joined forces, he would undoubtedly be at an absolute disadvantage.

Xu Chuan's weakness was glaringly obvious in the eyes of these Nascent Soul cultivators.

Activating the sword formation might grant him Nascent Soul combat power, but given his mana and divine sense, he certainly couldn't sustain it for long.

Therefore, in their view, he could only be considered half a Nascent Soul cultivator.

But even as just a half, cooperating with Sun Chuanxing was enough to pose a threat to him.

If the stalemate continued, let alone snatching treasures, he might even get injured himself.

His eyes flickered as he weighed the pros and cons in a mere fraction of a second.

Ultimately, he forcefully suppressed his unwillingness and resentment, turning them into an icy snort. "Hmph! Old Ghost Sun, count yourself lucky this time.

What goes around comes around. We will meet again!"

Dropping those harsh words, the Blood-Robed Old Demon didn't linger any longer.

The blood light around him suddenly surged, transforming into a piercing bloody streak. Without looking back, he rapidly fled toward the distant sky, vanishing over the horizon in the blink of an eye.

Seeing the formidable enemy retreat, Sun Chuanxing let out a long sigh of relief.

The gaze he directed at Xu Chuan was filled with gratitude.

With a wave of his hand, Xu Chuan dispersed the Sword of the Azure Dragon and recalled his flying swords.

However, he didn't stow away the Azure Dragon Treasure Umbrella; instead, he held it securely in his grasp.

"Many thanks for your assistance, Daoist Friend Kurong."

"You are too polite, Daoist Friend Sun. This one merely stumbled upon this by chance and didn't really exert any effort," Xu Chuan replied.

Sun Chuanxing smiled. "Many times, deterrence is far more important than actual combat. That old blood demon still needs to seek out other opportunities. Without at least sixty or seventy percent certainty, he wouldn't carelessly fight someone of the same rank."

Hearing this, Xu Chuan nodded slightly.

"By the way, would you like to travel together?"

"No, thank you. I am just wandering around and don't really care how many opportunities I obtain. For our Xu Family this time, making it out alive is already good enough."

Sun Chuanxing's eyes rippled slightly, his estimation of Xu Chuan rising by quite a bit.

'The Xu Family is indeed extraordinary. Unblinded by greed—it's no wonder they could rise so rapidly.'

If Xu Chuan could hear his inner thoughts at this moment, he would probably be chuckling to himself.

'No, no, no. It's just that our Xu Family has already profited enough.'

'As for the rest, only the things we manage to bring out alive can truly be considered ours.'

"Since that's the case, I won't force the issue. If the Xu Family ever needs help in the future, just come to Profound Moon Prefecture to find my Sun Family."

Sun Chuanxing felt the Xu Family possessed significant potential and was intentionally trying to build a good relationship.

"Many thanks, Daoist Friend Sun," Xu Chuan said, nodding with a smile.

Following that, the two parted ways.

Suddenly, a voice rang out.

"Why didn't you summon this seat just now? With that old man Sun, this seat, and you, we should have been more than enough to make that Demonic Dao Nascent Soul stay behind forever."

"Killing a Nascent Soul cultivator isn't that simple. As long as he has some life-saving abilities, he can escape. Moreover, if we went all out, our true strength would be completely exposed."

Moyue knew in his heart that Xu Chuan had his own concerns.

Besides, the man wasn't even his enemy to begin with. There was no need to annihilate the other party the moment they met.

"How boring. When will this seat finally get to make a move?"

"There will eventually be an opportunity."

Xu Chuan smiled and continued flying forward.

Several months later.

In a certain mountain range, Xu Chuan stumbled upon a massive chaotic brawl.

Five hegemonic powers were involved: Azure Cloud Sect, Profound Moon Sect, Corpse Yin Sect, Thunder Sound Temple, and Heavenly Fiend Sect. In addition, Spirit Taming Sect and Blood Demon Grotto were also present.

With so many Nascent Soul experts engaged in a chaotic free-for-all.

Xu Chuan didn't dare to approach at all, only daring to observe from over thirty miles away.

In the end, he discovered that what they were fighting over was the Tribulation-Crossing Heart Lotus he had been searching for all along.

Shockingly, three Tribulation-Crossing Heart Lotuses were growing in a deep pool within that secluded valley, and two of them appeared to be fully mature.

"No wonder they are fighting so viciously!"

Xu Chuan's eyes flickered, looking somewhat tempted.

However, after a moment, he let out a long breath and said, "Forget it. This endeavor is far too dangerous. Although the Tribulation-Crossing Heart Lotus is precious, the Xu Family's path must still be taken one step at a time."

Those involved in the melee belonged to at least top-tier Nascent Soul powers, all with Grand Cultivators holding down the fort.

Only with such backing could they be confident of keeping it in their hands after snatching it.

If it were the former Heavenly Azure Sect, even if they had the fortune to snatch it, powerful experts would inevitably show up at their door afterward.

A single set of materials for a Tribulation-Crossing Pill wasn't just a single pill in the hands of a top-tier alchemy grandmaster.

Take Xu Chuan himself as an example. Although he had only refined it once.

His current attainment in the Dao of Alchemy had improved by more than ten times compared to back then.

If refining three pills in the Azure Dragon Secret Realm that time was considered a fluke or sheer luck.

Then right now, if he had a set of materials, he was confident he could refine seven or eight pills in a single furnace, with more than half being high-grade pills.

Xu Chuan gazed at the distant scene one last time.

Then prepared to leave.

"Wait, that lotus seed..."

Xu Chuan suddenly thought of something and immediately transformed into an azure streak, flying away.

After fleeing over three hundred miles away and ensuring there was no one else around, he finally entered the Xu Clan's Grotto-heaven.

Moyue suddenly found that the Spirit Beast Pouch he was in had been sealed off by a mysterious power, preventing even his divine sense from spreading out.

Xu Chuan arrived by the edge of the spirit pool.

With a raise of his hand, he summoned the shriveled, pitch-black lotus seed he had obtained from the Lei Family into his palm.

"These patterns, this color... although slightly different, this is undeniably a Tribulation-Crossing Lotus Seed. No wonder it looked somewhat familiar back then.

To think I actually got my hands on one so early."

Pausing for a moment, Xu Chuan added, "It's just a pity that trying to restore its vitality is truly difficult."

He possessed a treasure but didn't know how to make it bloom with life again.

Xu Chuan frowned tightly.

After pondering for a long while, he muttered, "Continuing to soak it like this will hardly have any effect. If I had a special spirit liquid, like the Six Yang Spirit Liquid, it might be possible.

Another method would be to nourish it with the Dao intent of life and death, utilizing the cycle of life and death to reignite its vitality.

No, there's another way, and it's even easier to accomplish."

Xu Chuan thought of this very grotto-heaven itself.

Even Xu Huai had benefited from the grotto-heaven's continuous evolution, gaining the potential to transform into a Profound Heaven Immortal Tree.

This was a supreme stroke of fortune.

In that case, reviving this Tribulation-Crossing Lotus Seed wasn't impossible.

"If mid-stage Golden Core isn't enough, then late-stage Golden Core, or even breaking through to Golden Core perfection."

"However, searching for the Six Yang Spirit Liquid formula and nourishing it with the Dao intent of life and death cannot be put aside either. I can advance on multiple fronts simultaneously."

Xu Chuan gripped the pitch-black lotus seed.

He felt a sense of finding dark willows and bright flowers leading to another village—discovering a new path when all seemed lost.

It also felt like suddenly looking back, only to find the one sought in the dim, waning light—stumbling upon what he desired right before his eyes.

Afterward.

Xu Chuan instructed Xu Huai to continue tending to this medicine garden, and then left the Xu Clan's Grotto-heaven.

Upon returning to the outside world.

Moyue suddenly asked, "Xu Chuan, what happened just now? Why was this seat unable to communicate with the outside world?"

Only then did Xu Chuan remember him, and he replied with a smile, "I just took a trip into my grotto-heaven. The power of the grotto-heaven must have sealed off your spirit beast pouch."

"This grotto-heaven of your Xu Family is truly profoundly mysterious."

After a short moment, Moyue's voice turned faint, before asking with curiosity, "When will this seat be able to go inside and take a look?"

"There will definitely be a chance in the future."

Xu Chuan continued to travel around the vicinity.

A few days later.

He unexpectedly encountered two Nascent Soul demonic cultivators pursuing and trying to kill Zhang Daoran.

At this moment, Zhang Daoran's face was deathly pale. His body bore multiple wounds, and the areas around the cuts were faintly turning black.

"Zhang Daoran, you cannot escape the methods of our Heavenly Fiend Sect. Be sensible and hand over the item, and we might just let you off the hook!"

Zhang Daoran remained silently resolute.

He simply focused entirely on fleeing, though it was blatantly obvious that his speed was continuously dropping.

Being caught was only a matter of time.

'It seems the battle over the Tribulation-Crossing Heart Lotus has concluded. These two are relentlessly chasing Zhang Daoran—could he be one of the winners?

Did he manage to snatch a Tribulation-Crossing Heart Lotus, or a few lotus seeds?

Carrying Zhang Fan's spirit treasure, it is indeed possible that he managed to seize something out of that chaotic melee.

But judging by his current condition, he was clearly besieged by many people as well.'

Setting aside Xu Chuan's relationship with Zhang Fan, just the fact that he was the Sect Master of the Profound Moon Sect—the dominant overlord of the Northwest Region—made him well worth investing in.

Of course, if there were three or four Nascent Soul cultivators hunting him right now.

Xu Chuan would highly likely be forced to give up.

But with only two, he could still barely manage it.

Xu Chuan restrained his aura and hid himself off to the side. As they were busy racing along the path, they completely failed to notice his presence.

"Senior Zhang, what a coincidence. I didn't expect we would meet here in the battlefield depths."

The familiar voice transmission startled Zhang Daoran. After taking a moment to identify it, he finally remembered. "Daoist Friend Xu, you are nearby?"

"Exactly. Senior, how did you end up in such a state?"

"Daoist Friend Xu, help me out this once, and my Profound Moon Sect will definitely reward you generously in the future!"

Zhang Daoran had a streak of arrogance in his personality. Ordinarily, he certainly wouldn't throw away his face to beg for help.

But on him, he was not only carrying Zhang Fan's spirit treasure, but also two Tribulation-Crossing Pills, two Tribulation-Crossing Lotus Seeds, and one Tribulation-Crossing Heart Lotus devoid of seeds.

Therefore, he absolutely could not allow himself to slip up.

As long as he could bring these items out, the Profound Moon Sect would continuously prosper for the next two to three thousand years.

"Ancestor of Profound Moon has treated this junior well, so it is only right," Xu Chuan said. "Senior Zhang, pretend that your mana has run out. Stop and make a desperate stand against them to draw their attention.

This junior will launch a sneak attack from the shadows to see if I can injure them.

As long as they take damage, they will have no choice but to retreat."

"Alright, we will do as you say."

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea later.

In the sky above a rugged mountain pass littered with jagged rocks ahead.

Zhang Daoran's fleeing figure abruptly came to a halt.

The spiritual light surrounding his body, which had been relatively stable, suddenly flickered violently and dimmed, causing his aura to appear weak and chaotic.

He turned around to face the two Nascent Soul elders of the Heavenly Fiend Sect and Corpse Yin Sect who were hot on his trail, a look of profound exhaustion showing on his face.

Alongside it was the absolute hatred of a man forced into a corner.

"Are you truly determined to hunt me down to the very end?!"

Seeing this, a glint of joy and ruthlessness simultaneously flashed through the eyes of the two pursuers.

The Heavenly Fiend Sect elder's body surged with baleful qi, while the corpse refinement standing beside the Corpse Yin Sect elder let out a low, guttural roar.

"Zhang Daoran, you can't escape. Hand over what you just obtained, and perhaps we will let you die a quick and painless death!"

"Aren't you afraid of offending my honored master?"

"Ancestor of Profound Moon is indeed tyrannical, but does he dare to assault my Heavenly Fiend Sect all by himself?!"

"Why waste words with him? Let's join forces and take him down while he's exhausted!"

The two exchanged a glance.

One on the left, one on the right, they instantly accelerated, forming a pincer maneuver.

The majestic pressure of the Nascent Soul realm descended upon him.

They activated the top-tier magic treasures in their hands, each emitting a humming sound as they prepared to strike.

Their divine senses were firmly locked onto Zhang Daoran, guarding against his final, desperate counterattack.

From their perspective, Zhang Daoran abruptly stopping with a rapidly declining aura.

Was the exact sign that his mana was on the verge of running out.

If he fought right now, he could still unleash some residual might.

But if he really fled until his mana was completely exhausted to the point of being unable to activate his magic treasures, that would truly be a dead end.

"You forced my hand! I invite the spirit treasure to slay my enemies!"

Zhang Daoran's beard and hair bristled as an almost crazed, ferocious expression took over his face.

With a flash of light, the Scarlet Flame Coiling Dragon Staff appeared before him.

As mana poured in, the Scarlet Flame Coiling Dragon Staff trembled continuously, erupting with streaks of golden radiance. A heaven-shaking dragon's roar seemed to ring out.

Right in this moment of hanging by a hair.

Xu Chuan abruptly made his move from the shadows.

Without any hesitation, he rapidly cast the Sword of Divine Sense multiple times in succession.

Caught completely off guard, the spiritual seas of the two men were instantly thrown into a chaotic upheaval.

It was as if the very void of their spiritual seas was being ripped open.

"What?!"

"Urgh—"

Two miserable shrieks rang out almost simultaneously!

The Heavenly Fiend Sect Grand Elder's body violently convulsed. His vision went black, and his spiritual sea felt as if it was being simultaneously churned by thousands of sharp blades, transmitting agonizing, tearing pain.

He almost dropped the top-tier magic treasure he was controlling.

The Corpse Yin Sect Grand Elder let out an even more miserable howl, traces of black blood seeping out of his seven orifices. The corpse puppet connected to his mind also emitted a pained wail.

However, the two were ultimately top-tier experts at the peak of the early Nascent Soul stage.

Although they had taken a bad step and suffered damage to their Nascent Souls, they immediately suppressed the pain by force.

"An ambush! It's a spiritual sense attack!"

The two spoke in unison.

The Heavenly Fiend Sect elder was secretly horrified. 'Even the old ghosts from the Heavenly Ghost Sect who entered might not have such a terrifying divine sense secret method!'

"Who is it?! Come out!"

The Corpse Yin Sect Grand Elder furiously bellowed.

"Daoist Friend Zhang, well done. You truly managed to lure the two of them over," Xu Chuan's voice echoed from all directions.

"This seat has come to help you!"

An astonishing dragon's roar resounded as a fourth-tier true dragon pressure enveloped a radius of several miles.

This inflicted a significant amount of mental pressure upon the two Grand Elders of the Heavenly Fiend Sect and Corpse Yin Sect.

The two exchanged a look.

Both of them saw the terror and the intent to retreat in the other's eyes.

Although Zhang Daoran had heavy treasures on him, one needed a life to be able to take them.

They had already lost the initiative. Continuing to fight would only plunge them into extreme danger.

"Daoist Friend Gongyang, let's retreat for now! The tracking mark on Zhang Daoran's body cannot be removed in a short amount of time. It won't be too late to look for an opportunity once he's alone again!"

The Heavenly Fiend Sect Grand Elder made a prompt decision and transmitted a message through gritted teeth.

"Since Daoist Friend Chou says so, this old man will trust you."

The two took a deep look at Zhang Daoran before summoning two beams of escaping light and departing.

In the blink of an eye, they disappeared into the vast shadows of the mountains.

In the sky above the mountain pass.

Only Zhang Daoran, whose aura was weak and face was slightly pale, remained.

With a flick of his sleeve robe, he stowed the Scarlet Flame Coiling Dragon Staff into his storage ring.

Shortly after.

Xu Chuan and Moyue flew out, arriving before him.

Zhang Daoran looked at Xu Chuan, complex emotions flashing in his eyes.

There was relief, gratitude, and a trace of the cruel irony of fate.

He never expected that there would come a day when he would need Xu Chuan to save his life.

He cupped his hands and said solemnly, "Daoist Friend Xu, this Zhang will etch this great favor into his heart."

"Senior Zhang is too polite. This one originally thought we would have to fight them head-on to force the two of them back. I didn't expect them to just be scared away."

"Looking at their condition just now, their divine senses must have been injured."

Zhang Daoran glanced at Xu Chuan meaningfully, but he did not ask how Xu Chuan had managed to do it. Instead, he continued, "Injuries to the divine sense are incredibly troublesome to heal.

Carrying such an injury is detrimental to future battles.

Combined with their inability to gauge their opponents, that is why they left first."

"That's not all. If there was an item I absolutely had to get, if it were me, I definitely wouldn't give up, unless..."

Xu Chuan paused for a moment before continuing, "...they were confident they could track down Senior Zhang later."

Zhang Daoran sighed. "I have a mark on my body left by a Heavenly Fiend Sect secret art, which is why I haven't been able to shake those two off."

"Is there a way to erase it?"

"Assuming my injuries are fine, a few days' effort should be enough to remove it!"

"Could you let this Xu take a look? My Dao is Wither and Flourish—Wither and Flourish, Life and Death. It is most adept at grinding away marks. I can also help treat Senior's injuries along the way."

"There is no need for Daoist Friend Xu to go so far. By driving those two away for me, you have already done this Zhang an immense favor. If I have you heal my injuries too, this debt of gratitude..."

Zhang Daoran abruptly stopped speaking, clearly not wanting to owe Xu Chuan any more favors.

Xu Chuan waved his hand and laughed. "Ancestor of Profound Moon has shown kindness to my Xu Family. Senior Zhang can just treat this as my way of repaying the Ancestor of Profound Moon's favor.

If you truly feel uneasy about it, anything Senior Zhang drops from his hands would be enough to count as a reward, wouldn't it?"

Zhang Daoran pondered for a moment and eventually stopped insisting, nodding his head. "Then I will have to trouble Daoist Friend Xu."

Xu Chuan smiled faintly. "This is not a good place. Let's leave here first."

After the two flew for half an incense stick of time.

They found a desolate mountain range and carved out a simple cave estate there.

Afterward, Xu Chuan began healing Zhang Daoran.

He used the Dao of Withering and Flourishing to expel all the residual demonic qi, baleful qi, and corpse qi from the wounds.

Supported by wound-healing pills, it only took half a day for Zhang Daoran's injuries to recover by seventy to eighty percent.

Of course, Xu Chuan naturally had no way to replenish his exhausted mana; he could only rely on himself for that.

Over the following two days, Xu Chuan helped him erase the mark left behind by the tracking secret art.

Another half day later.

Xu Chuan left with Moyue.

Not long after.

Zhang Daoran himself summoned a beam of escaping light and headed off in another direction.

"How stingy, just a pile of fourth-tier materials. Does he really think you don't know what he snatched?" Moyue grumbled incessantly from within the spirit beast pouch.

"And you as well. Aren't you quite good at scheming? How is it you couldn't even extort a single Tribulation-Crossing Lotus Seed?"

Xu Chuan shook his head helplessly.

"Leaving aside how many Tribulation-Crossing Lotus Seeds he managed to obtain this time, even if he did have one, it is a strategic-level treasure for any of the major Nascent Soul powers.

A single seed can determine the future rise or fall of a power.

No matter who it was, they would never give it away as compensation to another person."

"Then why did you put so much effort into saving him? You might as well have waited and picked up the scraps at the end."

"If my Xu Family currently possessed the heritage and strength of the Profound Moon Sect, doing so naturally wouldn't be an issue. But right now, further deepening our relationship with the Profound Moon Sect is far more important."

"Forget it. This seat doesn't understand. Developing and expanding the Xu Family is for you to worry about; this seat is too lazy to care."

'Tough on the outside, soft on the inside,'

Xu Chuan chuckled inwardly.

He continued wandering around, making a move whenever he encountered the right person or opportunity.

Most of the time, however, he simply avoided others.

————————————

Meanwhile, on the other side.

In the battlefield outskirts.

Many among Xu Mingyuan's group had seen a substantial increase in their strength.

Aside from continuing to hunt for opportunities, they were doing something similar to Xu Chuan.

Whenever they met someone worth helping, they would lend a hand, accumulating connections for the Xu Family.

For example, they had come across Sun Zhantian, Zhang Xuanzhi, and True Lord Fierce Sun.

Before long.

They ran into Lu Qingxue once again.

For the major Nascent Soul powers, the Ancient Battlefield was both a trial and a filtering process.

Only those who survived were worthy of the sect's full grooming and cultivation.

In this era, if one wanted to become a Grand Cultivator, talent, opportunity, and luck were all indispensable.

They scared off a demonic cultivator.

Lu Qingxue flew up to them, cupping her fists as she said, "Many thanks to the various Daoist friends of the Xu Family."

Xu Deling replied, "Sister Qingxue is too polite. The Ancient Battlefield is cruel. Helping out when we can is the least we can do. Who knows, when we face a crisis, we might just need Sister Qingxue to lend us a hand."

"If that time comes, Qingxue will definitely help with everything I have."

She swept her gaze over the Xu Family members. "Why don't I see Senior Kurong?"

"Grandfather's strength is tyrannical. If we stayed with him, we would only be a burden."

"He went into the battlefield depths?"

Xu Deling nodded slightly. Seeing a sudden look of regret between Lu Qingxue's brows, she couldn't help but ask, "What is it?

Is there something wrong with the battlefield depths?"

"No, I'm just sighing with emotion that only an invincible Golden Core expert like Senior Kurong would dare to venture inside. Unlike Senior Brother Shen Fei... he..."

"Daoist Friend Shen perished?"

Lu Qingxue nodded her head.

"Daoist Friend Shen ultimately lacked a bit of luck," Xu Mingyuan sighed.

"By the way, everyone has helped me out, and Qingxue has no other way to repay you. I will tell you about a cave estate I know of. It is guarded by a half-step fourth-tier grand formation. If you are interested, you can try exploring it.

Of course, I cannot guarantee what might be inside the cave estate."

"Many thanks. We will discuss this carefully."

"Farewell." Lu Qingxue cupped her fists, then turned into an azure streak and departed.

A moment later.

Xu Mingyuan looked at Xu Mingxian and asked, "Fifth Brother, are you confident in breaking that half-step fourth-tier grand formation?"

"Naturally. Half a month's time is enough," Xu Mingxian stated calmly.

"Third Brother, do you think Lu Qingxue's cave estate is worth risking?"

Xu Mingxuan pondered for a moment. "I think we can go take a look."

"Then let's go!"

Good fortune, a grandmaster of array formations, and two fourth-tier trump cards.

If they still didn't dare explore that cave estate with all this, it would be far too timid.

After adjusting themselves for half a day.

They advanced deeper into the battlefield.

The cave estate Lu Qingxue mentioned was located within sixty miles of the encroaching mist.

Resources were not particularly abundant in this area, so the dangers were relatively few as well.

Several days later.

They arrived at the location of the cave estate.

Looking at the traces left behind in the surroundings, it seemed someone had been here but failed to break through. It was likely not a Nascent Soul cultivator.

It made sense; Nascent Soul cultivators were all seeking opportunities far deeper in. Naturally, they wouldn't waste their time painstakingly searching in the outer regions.

Xu Mingyuan casually launched a spell art forward. Suddenly, a dark green light screen rose up halfway, blocking the spell art.

The light screen did not produce the slightest ripple.

And when the light screen rose, a cave estate appeared at the foot of the mountain inside.

"It really is here," Xu Deling remarked.

However, a moment later, the dark green light screen concealed itself, and the cave estate vanished entirely.

"What a miraculous array formation," Xu Mingshu marveled, feeling quite surprised.

The group turned to look at Xu Mingxian, who explained, "This is a composite formation. It possesses the effects of defense, stealth, and isolating spiritual sense probing.

The person who set it up must be a grandmaster of array formations with transcendent attainments in the Array Dao."

"Are you confident?" Xu Mingxuan asked.

"The stealth and spiritual sense isolation are mainly to prevent detection. The part we truly need to break is the defense. If this array incorporated misdirection and illusions, it would be far more troublesome.

It might have taken a month or even longer."

Pausing for a moment, Xu Mingxian's eyes flashed before he continued, "Half a month, and I guarantee it will be broken."

"Then we'll leave it to you," Xu Mingyuan smiled slightly.

Xu Mingxian began breaking the array formation, while the rest stood guard over the surroundings.

This was simply leaving professional matters to professionals.

Within the three generations of the Xu Family, they had all been taught directly by Xu Chuan's words and example.

Therefore, even though they each had their own specialties, they would never hinder each other. Instead, they mutually assisted one another, using their strengths to make up for each other's weaknesses.

For instance, Xu Deling and Xu Mingxian had once cooperated to forge a set of dharma tools.

By integrating array formations, they could increase its overall might.

Even third-tier blacksmiths might not have thought of doing such a thing, let alone actually accomplishing it.

After all, true all-rounders were far too rare.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, only two or three days were left before the array was broken.

Suddenly, uninvited guests arrived.

Three Golden Core demonic cultivators, each one having attained great accomplishment in divine abilities.

Leading them was a disciple of the Corpse Yin Sect, controlling a peak third-tier corpse puppet.

"To think there's actually a cave estate here. Judging by the grade of the array formation, it isn't low. Daoist Friend Yin, there must surely be treasures inside."

Yin Shuo sized up Xu Mingyuan and the others, then looked at the dark green light screen. Finally, his gaze landed on Xu Mingxian, who was focused on breaking the array.

"My Corpse Yin Sect claims this cave estate."

Seven early-stage Golden Core cultivators and one mid-stage Golden Core cultivator. A lineup like this didn't warrant the slightest bit of attention from them.

"Daoist Friend Xu, Daoist Friend Yan. You two deal with two each, and I will handle four. I am taking half of the treasures in this cave estate."

The two men exchanged a look. "We will go according to Daoist Friend Yin's arrangement."

"You're courting death!"

Ye Fan was the most fiery-tempered. He charged straight at the Demonic Cultivator Xu on the far left.

He pinched a fist seal and activated the Brahma Sacred Fist, his entire body erupting with an unparalleled, fierce momentum.

A giant fist spanning several meters blasted toward his face.

Demonic Cultivator Xu's eyes narrowed slightly. Just from the might of that technique, he knew the opponent was no ordinary early-stage Golden Core cultivator. In fact, it gave him the feeling that this man was no less powerful than a Golden Core perfection expert.

However, he wasn't afraid.

He calmly summoned a shield, bringing up an earthy yellow light screen that successfully blocked Ye Fan's dark gold fist seal.

Just as he was about to counterattack.

Xu Mingyuan had already brandished the Heavenly Talisman Brush in his hand, sweeping a ray of light toward him.

"A high-grade magic treasure!"

All three of them possessed high-grade magic treasures, so they were naturally very familiar with the aura of this grade of artifact.

Although Xu Mingyuan couldn't fully unleash the power of a high-grade magic treasure, the might it erupted with was still not to be underestimated. As the golden light struck the light screen, it caused violent fluctuations.

Its power was not much weaker than Ye Fan's attack.

Of course, Xu Mingyuan wouldn't be able to hold out for long while activating the magic treasure, whereas Ye Fan would have absolutely no problem fighting for three days and three nights straight.

The endurance gained from the dual cultivation of Dharma and Body was something ordinary cultivators couldn't even begin to imagine.

Demonic Cultivator Xu stared at the Heavenly Talisman Brush, a greedy look surfacing in his eyes.

He immediately activated his own high-grade magic treasure flying sword. A streak of pitch-black light darted toward Xu Mingyuan like a venomous snake.

While Xu Mingyuan could only unleash forty or fifty percent of the high-grade magic treasure's power, Demonic Cultivator Xu could draw out at least seventy or eighty percent.

Xu Mingyuan did not dodge or evade.

Just when Demonic Cultivator Xu thought he was about to succeed, a seven-colored light screen descended, shielding him.

Without anyone noticing, Xu Mingxuan had appeared by his side, holding a Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda in his hand.

"A high-grade defensive magic treasure?!"

This time, even the gazes of Demonic Cultivator Yan and Yin Shuo were drawn over.

Although all three of them possessed high-grade magic treasures, they were all of the most ordinary offensive type. A defensive high-grade magic treasure was many times more precious than a standard offensive one.

Right at this moment.

The Supreme Yin flying sword appeared in Xu Deyue's hand, and she slashed out a sword light over ten meters long toward Demonic Cultivator Yan.

The sword light was supremely dark and cold to the extreme. Wherever it passed, flakes of ice crystals condensed in the air.

Demonic Cultivator Yan hastily snapped back to reality and threw out a mid-grade defensive magic treasure to block it.

"She's actually this strong?!"

Seeing the light screen shuddering violently, Demonic Cultivator Yan was instantly horrified.

'What kind of freaks are they?!'

'An early-stage Golden Core unleashing an attack close to an expert at Golden Core perfection with great accomplishment in divine abilities?'

'No.'

'The aura of that flying sword is weird!'