Chapter 922: Who Is the Opportunist

The pool, only half a zhang in size, had accumulated its contents over tens of thousands of years. While the sacred Liao Xuan liquid had indeed appeared, its presence depended on the precipitation of the regular Liao Xuan liquid. Yet, after such an immense period, there couldn't possibly be so little. Normally, even if it didn't overflow, there should be several times more than what was currently present. But now, there was only a thin layer.

No wonder Feng Lintao and Lan Yao had such conflicted expressions. After all, they had paid a huge price to obtain the sacred Liao Xuan liquid this time. Each of them was constantly plotting, engaging in mutual deception and calculations. While they hadn't come away entirely empty-handed, the reality fell far short of their expectations.

"That damned golden mouse!" Feng Lintao gritted his teeth. Even though he'd had a premonition after seeing the golden mouse earlier and had mentally prepared himself, the sight before him still filled him with extreme rage. Helpless, he could only narrow his eyes and stare at the egg in the pool.

Lan Yao remained silent as well, her expression grim. As for Xu Qing, he was also frowning, his gaze fixed on the pool. He then looked around, pausing slightly in the direction of the passage entrance. He didn't reveal any hint of abnormality, subtly shifting his gaze. He walked around, searching, feigning an unwilling demeanor.

Noticing Xu Qing's behavior, Feng Lintao sneered. He knew everything about this place, except for the golden mouse, like the back of his hand. Knowing there were no other treasures, he paid no mind to Xu Qing's actions. Lan Yao, after a glance at Xu Qing, finally fixed her gaze on the pool.

"Let's not waste time," she said. "Although the quantity is small, it will still be of great help to us. As for this egg, I assume it's the reason the golden mouse was guarding this place." As she spoke, she moved swiftly towards the pool. Feng Lintao did the same, and Xu Qing also moved, rushing towards the pool.

But the moment the three of them neared the pool, something unexpected happened! The ground around the pool suddenly collapsed, and four dark figures burst out, lunging directly at the three individuals. They were, in fact, four enormous mantises. Their bodies were withered, emitting a thick, strange energy. Their internal aura was extremely unstable, and their eyes showed no sign of intelligence. It was as if only primal instincts remained.

Upon their appearance, one lunged at Xu Qing, while the other three instantly attacked Lan Yao. What's more, the very moment they attacked, Feng Lintao suddenly turned, his aura erupting and cultivation roaring, launching a strike towards Lan Yao. This wasn't the end; a phantom shadow, in fact, a long intestine, suddenly flew out from Feng Lintao's sleeve, coiling towards Lan Yao with astonishing speed. It was precisely the object that had appeared on their way here earlier.

While this might sound like a long explanation, everything unfolded in the blink of an eye. Xu Qing was relatively safe, facing only one mantis. Lan Yao, however, was in dire straits. The moment the three mantises neared her, they all chose to self-destruct. Additionally, the bizarre intestine wrapped around her, and Feng Lintao delivered a full-force attack.

A tremendous roar erupted, and powerful ripples swept through the surroundings like a violent gale. Lan Yao's body instantly disintegrated, torn into pieces. But before Feng Lintao could even register his triumph, Lan Yao's shattered body transformed into a damaged beast-hide talisman. The moment it landed, a ripple appeared in the void not far away, and Lan Yao's figure astonishingly re-materialized. She looked as if she had anticipated this.

Seeing this, Xu Qing immediately pulled back. The mantis that had attacked him also swiftly retreated, returning to Feng Lintao's side.

"Fellow Daoist Feng, this is a breach of promise," Lan Yao said with a slight smile.

"No, that's not it. It's not me breaking my promise," Feng Lintao retorted, "but rather Fellow Daoist Lan harboring malicious intent. Did you truly believe I wouldn't notice?" Feng Lintao sneered. He wasn't particularly surprised that Lan Yao had evaded his attack. He now turned to face the passage entrance, speaking coldly. "Fellow Daoist Ming Dong, you've been following us for so long. Aren't you going to show yourself yet? Did you think I was unaware of your secret plot with Lan Yao?"

The moment Feng Lintao spoke, Lan Yao's smile instantly froze, and a sharp glint appeared in her eyes. "Fellow Daoist Feng, what do you mean by this?"

Xu Qing also narrowed his eyes. Feng Lintao sneered, raised his right hand, and violently swept it towards the passage entrance. The next instant, a roar echoed as a figure abruptly appeared at the passage entrance, quickly becoming clear and revealing a woman. This woman was exceptionally beautiful, with an elegant figure. Though she appeared gentle, her eyes were cold.

"They say Feng Lintao is inherently suspicious and meticulous. It seems that is indeed the case," she said. This woman was indeed Ming Dong.

Lan Yao no longer concealed her intentions, nodding as she spoke. "I truly didn't expect Feng Lintao to have sensed this," she admitted.

Seeing the new arrival, Xu Qing blinked, then glanced at the Captain held by Feng Lintao. He then took another step back, clearly signaling his desire to remain uninvolved.

"Lan Yao of the Demon Feather Tribe, and Ming Dong!" Feng Lintao snarled. "Although you two appeared to have little interaction within the tribe, I've long known your relationship isn't what it seemed. I just didn't expect that you, who have such good reputations within the tribe, would stoop to such greedy and murderous acts! And it seems, Fellow Daoist Lan, you never intended to trade the item we originally agreed upon."

Feng Lintao gritted his teeth, then suddenly looked at Xu Qing. "Fellow Daoist Yan Xuanzi, you've seen what's happened today. Please lend us your aid. I will certainly repay you handsomely afterward!"

Xu Qing remained silent. His presence here was crucial. If he were to assist Feng Lintao, it would be impossible for Lan Yao and Ming Dong to end the battle quickly, especially since the golden mouse outside couldn't be trapped for too long.

Lan Yao sneered at his words. "Fellow Daoist Feng, there's no need to parade yourself as a victim. Do you truly believe I'm unaware that your talk of a trade with me was nothing more than an excuse? The reason you told me about the sacred Liao Xuan liquid was to lure me here. What you truly coveted, besides the sacred Liao Xuan liquid, was my Demon Feather sacred blood, wasn't it? One can only enter the Ancient Desolate Continent now, but not leave. You've certainly made quite the calculation! Fellow Daoist Yan Xuanzi, you're a smart person. Don't fall for his tricks. For today's matter, you only need to remain uninvolved. Even if your senior brother is in his hands, he wouldn't dare harm him. Once he kills your senior brother, he'll have to face three of us."

After speaking, Lan Yao swayed and charged directly at Feng Lintao. Simultaneously, Ming Dong raised her jade hand and waved it backward, forming a seal that descended upon the passage entrance, blocking everyone's retreat. Then, with a single step, she appeared directly in front of Feng Lintao. As she formed hand seals, her divine abilities spread out, and together with Lan Yao, she launched an assault on Feng Lintao. The sounds of battle quickly became deafening.

Facing the two women, Feng Lintao was forced to retreat repeatedly, his expression grim. He urgently spoke to Xu Qing. "Fellow Daoist Yan Xuanzi, if you don't intervene now, I'll reveal your secret! Did you think I didn't know why there's so little of the sacred Liao Xuan liquid here?"

The moment Feng Lintao spoke, both Lan Yao and Ming Dong's expressions shifted. Xu Qing's expression remained unchanged and composed upon hearing this. "Nonsense," Xu Qing said calmly. "I've been with you two the entire way. Your attempt to drag me into this is rather clumsy. As for what you want to say, Fellow Daoist Feng, feel free to speak. However, no matter what you fabricate, I have no desire to be involved in your three-way dispute. Furthermore, since Fellow Daoist Feng already knew he was being followed, I assume you've prepared a contingency, rendering my assistance unnecessary."

Xu Qing's gaze remained calm as he continued to retreat, backing all the way to the passage entrance. He paused there, coldly observing the three-way battle. Witnessing this, Lan Yao's eyes flickered. She intensified her attacks, speaking with a smile. "Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist Yan Xuanzi," Lan Yao said. "I also believe this Feng Lintao must have a contingency plan."

As she spoke, Lan Yao conjured an eight-colored peacock. Beside her, Ming Dong manifested a body of ice and snow, instantly chilling the area. A long ice spear simultaneously materialized in the air around her, hurtling straight towards Feng Lintao. The aura emanating from the spear was terrifying, capable of piercing through nothingness. Furthermore, around Ming Dong, two real and three illusory great worlds appeared. Under this suppression, combined with Lan Yao's eight-colored peacock, they formed a lethal combination.

Even if Feng Lintao was extraordinary and possessed numerous magical treasures, he was still forced to retreat. However, his expression showed no panic; instead, he sneered as he fell back. "Very well," he sneered. "Since you've already guessed I have a contingency plan, I have no more time to waste with you here. Lan Yao, you were mistaken earlier. My purpose, besides the sacred Liao Xuan liquid and your bloodline, also includes Fellow Daoist Ming Dong's primordial Yin. This will be the greatest assistance for me to forge my Sixth Realm!"

With that, Feng Lintao, still gripping the Captain in one hand, suddenly reached into thin air with his other, pulling out an object. It was a vine! It was golden and extraordinarily brilliant, as thick as an arm and about a zhang long. Its spiritual essence was astonishing; the moment it appeared, a vast and terrifying aura erupted from within it. A storm immediately erupted throughout the entire cavern, sweeping in all directions. Moreover, directly above Feng Lintao, the vine's appearance caused a phantom starry sky to materialize. This turbulent phantom showed an endless starry sky, countless stars, and even a colossal vine piercing through galaxies, winding its way within this cosmic expanse. The vine was permeated with countless profound, naturally inherent runes. It even bore fruits resembling stars, a truly astonishing sight.

Upon seeing that segment of vine and the phantom starry sky, Lan Yao and Ming Dong's expressions changed dramatically. Lan Yao cried out involuntarily, "The Holy Sky Divine Vine! A cosmic species whose mature form spans star domains! This is its young form! Even if it's a young form, how could you possibly possess such an item?! The Liao Xuan Saint Lord died by this very vine, and the Liao Xuan Holy Land was destroyed because of it. You..."

Although Xu Qing had never seen this item, he sensed the vine's immense power, and his expression changed. Feng Lintao, observing Lan Yao and Ming Dong's expressions, let out a sinister laugh. "How I obtained it is none of your concern," he snarled. "Dying beneath the Holy Sky Divine Vine can be considered your good fortune. However, the first to receive this 'good fortune' will be the one in my hand. Every time the Holy Sky Divine Vine acts, it requires a live sacrifice."

Feng Lintao burst into laughter, no longer bothering to conceal anything. The reason he had always held onto the Captain, seemingly for blackmail, was, in fact, to be able to perform a live sacrifice at the fastest possible moment! Amidst his laughter, he sent a divine thought to the ten-foot golden vine. Instantly, the vine glowed with golden light, opening its mouth like a snake and lunging straight for the Captain.

But the moment it neared the Captain, an incredible scene unfolded! The Captain suddenly opened his eyes, an unprecedented madness and greed shining within them. He actually bit the vine in one gulp. Then, with a single inhalation, the terrifying, aura-emitting vine suddenly began to tremble, for some unknown reason. As if encountering a natural predator, it tried to struggle. But as a blue light flashed in the Captain's eyes, the vine was directly sucked into his mouth.

This scene caused everyone present, except Xu Qing, to be utterly stunned, their minds reeling. The Captain's body swayed, and he instantly vanished, reappearing right beside Xu Qing. He let out a satisfied burp, his face beaming with triumph. "The reason I let you capture me was because I smelled this," the Captain declared, "I was just waiting for you to take it out. I've waited for a long time."