Chapter 2631: Ambush (None Today)

"He dared to come looking for us again? It seems he's brought help. Could it be a Mahayana cultivator?"

The old man in the golden robe was deeply worried.

"Probably not. Given his background, he wouldn't need to hunt demonic beasts for a living. Still, we can't rule out the possibility. Since it concerns True Monarch Xiaoyao's meditation cave, should we go or not?"

The woman in the black dress furrowed her brows.

They worried it might be a trap if they went treasure hunting, but they were unwilling to give up the opportunity if they didn't go, caught between conflicting desires.

"Let's first probe his intentions and see what he has to say."

The old man in the golden robe said in a deep voice.

Kaiyun Tower, one of the most renowned teahouses in the market, was situated in its northwest corner. Many high-ranking cultivators gathered there to converse and exchange ideas.

In a private room on the fifth floor, Wang Xiangrong sat at a tea table. Beside him sat a blue-shirted young man with ordinary features and a curvaceous woman in a blue dress. These were Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan, who had altered their appearances.

Given the potential dangers of treasure hunting, they naturally preferred not to use their true identities. It's always wiser to be cautious when dealing with unfamiliar territories.

A short while later, a knock sounded at the door, followed by a somewhat aged male voice: "Fellow Daoist Wang, we're here."

"Fellow Daoist Jin, Madam Li, please come in!"

Wang Xiangrong spoke, and with a flick of his sleeve, the door swung open, revealing an old man in a golden robe and a woman in a black dress who then entered. They seemed somewhat surprised to see Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan, their brows furrowed in confusion.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, who are these two fellow Daoists?" the old man in the golden robe asked, puzzled.

"After I parted ways with you, I was ambushed on the road. I was fortunate to break through the encirclement, thanks to the timely assistance of these two fellow Daoists; otherwise, I would have perished. These two will be joining us in the treasure hunt. If you don't agree, then so be it. We can simply part ways now and pretend this meeting never happened."

Wang Xiangrong said in a deep voice. Although a Mahayana cultivator's meditation cave was tempting, Wang Changsheng was not desperate to acquire it.

The old man in the golden robe and the woman in the black dress exchanged glances, their lips subtly moving as they communicated via spiritual transmission.

"No problem, but we also wish to invite two fellow Daoists of ours who are currently in the market." The old man in the golden robe stated his condition.

"Very well. Call them over now, and we can all examine the map together to locate the cave, then proceed to search for it. How does that sound?" Wang Xiangrong suggested.

The old man in the golden robe did not object and agreed. He then took out a communication disc, cast a spell, and made a few gestures.

"How should we address the two of you? Which island group do you usually frequent? Perhaps we've heard of it." The woman in the black dress asked with a smile.

"My surname is Huang, and this is my wife. We are merely reclusive cultivators, so it's perfectly normal that Madam Li hasn't heard of us." Wang Changsheng explained, his tone cool and implying an unwillingness to elaborate further.

Noticing his demeanor, the woman in the black dress did not press for more details.

Fifteen minutes later, a burly man in a red shirt and a graceful young woman in a silver dress entered. The man was at the peak of the Void Refinement stage, while the woman was at the late Void Refinement stage. Both the old man in the golden robe and the woman in the black dress were at the mid-Void Refinement stage, possessing considerable strength.

"Fellow Daoist Jin, why are there so many of us?" the red-shirted man said with a frown.

The old man in the golden robe closed the door and briefly recounted the events.

"In that case, let's retrieve the inheritance stone and locate True Monarch Xiaoyao's meditation cave." The red-shirted man said in a deep voice.

The old man in the golden robe produced half a jade token, and Wang Xiangrong did the same. When the two halves were joined, they emitted a dazzling spiritual light. A golden ray then flew out, transforming into a sea map that displayed a golden mark on a particular island. The display then shifted, allowing them to clearly discern the details of the island and its surrounding landmasses.

"This appears to be the Golden Maple Archipelago." The young woman in the silver dress said, puzzled.

Wang Xiangrong nodded. "In that case, let's head to the Golden Maple Archipelago. Hopefully, we'll find our destination."

The others had no objections. The group then left the teahouse and teleported away from Kaiyao Island.

The Golden Maple Archipelago earned its name from the abundance of golden maple trees that grew throughout its waters.

Across a vast, azure sea, beneath a scorching sun and a brisk sea breeze, a long red streak of light darted through the sky at an exceptionally high speed. After a short while, the red streak of light halted, revealing a crimson-glowing flying boat. Wang Changsheng and the other six stood aboard it.

They had spent over a decade taking circuitous routes, cautiously probing and reconfirming that no other cultivators were trailing them. Only after multiple verifications did they begin their search for the ancient cultivator's cave dwelling.

"This should be the place. Let's hope there are no errors this time."

The old man in the golden robe looked down at a barren island, several hundred miles in size. Its terrain sloped from east to west, covered in numerous golden maple trees whose red leaves lay scattered across the ground. To the east of the island lay a continuous range of rolling mountains, bisected by a long river. They had searched over a dozen islands without success. Given the vast span of time, it was understandable that some islands might have expanded or shrunk.

Wang Changsheng's divine sense swept across the entire island, detecting no anomalies.

The red-shirted man raised his right hand high, and countless crimson sparks manifested in the air. After a moment of distortion, they coalesced into tens of thousands of crimson fireballs. With a gentle clap of his palm, tens of thousands of crimson fireballs rained down onto the island. Following a series of thunderous roars, flames erupted across the island. Numerous demonic beasts scattered, but before they could flee far, they were overwhelmed by the deluge of crimson fireballs. After more than half an hour, a significant portion of the island had been reduced to scorched earth, yet no anomalies were discovered.

The young woman in the silver dress released a completely yellow python, which transformed into a streak of yellow light and vanished into the ground. After a short while, the yellow python emerged from the ground near a valley encircled on three sides by mountains. Wang Changsheng's divine sense swept through the valley, probing repeatedly, but detected no problems.

The void vibrated and distorted, and countless crimson flames appeared, coalescing into a hundred-mile-wide crimson fire cloud. The fire cloud then violently swirled, transforming into a crimson fire phoenix that plunged towards the valley below. Following a series of thunderous roars, a crimson light flared, and torrents of flame engulfed the entire valley, causing the ground to shake violently. Once the flames subsided, the valley was flattened, revealing a massive crater on the ground and a yellowish-brown light barrier.

Wang Changsheng frowned. The concealment effect of this formation was remarkably good; he wondered if it had been set up using formation flags.

With the entrance discovered, the rest of the task would be straightforward.

The seven of them collaborated, effortlessly breaking through the yellowish light barrier. A yellow stone staircase then appeared before them, descending deep underground. Wang Changsheng's divine sense swept through the area, detecting no anomalies. The seven individuals entered one by one, each casting several defensive spells upon themselves.

After descending several hundred steps, they reached the end of the staircase, where a yellow stone door blocked their way. They easily broke through the yellow stone door, revealing an underground cavern roughly an acre in size. In the center of the cave lay a humanoid skeleton, and a portrait hung on the wall, depicting a dignified old man in a green robe gazing into the distance. A light golden storage bracelet was conspicuously placed on the humanoid skeleton's left hand.

The four, including the red-shirted man, eyed it with fervent anticipation but did not act rashly.

"It appears this is indeed True Monarch Xiaoyao's meditation cave. One wonders what treasures it contains!" The red-shirted man said in a deep voice.

"Not necessarily! This could be a trap set by an evil cultivator. True Monarch Xiaoyao was a rogue cultivator; it feels too easy for us to have broken through the restrictions with such little effort. Doesn't this opportunity seem almost too conveniently acquired?" As Wang Changsheng spoke, he flicked his finger, sending a blue light darting out. It struck the portrait, which then exploded and shattered into fragments.

"Fellow Daoist Huang, you're overly suspicious. How many evil cultivators could there possibly be?" The red-shirted man said nonchalantly.

"If there aren't, then why don't you step forward and claim the treasure, fellow Daoist?" Wang Changsheng scoffed.

No one was a fool; they all recognized the potential issue and were simply waiting for the other party to fall into the trap.

"Heh heh, since you've all figured it out, I'll send you on your way." A chilling male voice rang out.

No sooner had the words faded than a chilling gust of wind erupted. The humanoid skeleton came to life, rising to its feet. Concurrently, a mass of black spiritual light surged at the entrance, forming a black light barrier adorned with a ghostly black face.

"A Void Refinement stage ghostly entity! Are you True Monarch Xiaoyao?" The old man in the golden robe exclaimed in surprise.