Chapter 860: Leaving

Wang Ruyan sat cross-legged on the ground, casting spell after spell onto the formation disc. The Lion-Scaled Beast, a mere low-grade third-tier creature, struggled immensely. It had to fend off attacks from both the Azure Essence Talisman Soldiers and the Jade-Eyed Ice Silkworms, all while resisting the formation.

The Lion-Scaled Beast was covered in wounds. Several crimson scales had fallen off its belly, bleeding profusely. Dense white silk threads entangled its body, and its four limbs were grasped by four colossal white hands.

"Either obediently let me implant a restriction, or die," Wang Ruyan said coldly.

The Lion-Scaled Beast seemed unwilling to submit. It let out an angry roar, its body glowing with an intense fiery light, and the four white giant hands dissolved into puddles of water.

A cold glint flashed in Wang Ruyan's eyes as she cast another spell onto the formation disc. Inside the formation, strong winds raged, and a bone-chilling aura emanated from the ground. Thousands of white ice swords, each about ten feet long, appeared in the void. A loud whooshing sound filled the air as thousands of white ice swords descended from the sky, vying with each other to strike the Lion-Scaled Beast.

A series of loud explosions rang out as thousands of white ice swords successively struck the Lion-Scaled Beast. Many scales fell from its body, leaving it covered in blood. The azure long saber in the Azure Essence Talisman Soldier's hand flared with light, poised to cleave into the Lion-Scaled Beast.

"Ooooh! Ooooh!"

The Lion-Scaled Beast knelt down, uttering cries for mercy, effectively submitting.

Wang Ruyan breathed a sigh of relief. With her mouth open, she exhaled a stream of vital blood, which transformed into a large expanse of profound bloody runes that merged into the Lion-Scaled Beast's body. After subduing the Lion-Scaled Beast, Wang Ruyan's face showed delight. She put away the formation and her spirit insects.

The Lion-Scaled Beast transformed into a streak of crimson fire, flying to land in front of Wang Ruyan, where it lowered its head. Wang Ruyan patted its head and stored it inside her spirit beast pearl.

"Grandma, congratulations on subduing a third-tier spirit beast!" Wang Rongmiao exclaimed, his face beaming with joy.

"You helped out a bit this time too. Here are over a hundred fire crow corpses and dozens of magical artifacts; they're all yours. Don't wander off. Just stay here obediently and wait for the secret realm to close. I can't keep watching over you." Wang Ruyan took out a string of storage beads and tossed them to Wang Rongmiao. Wang Rongmiao repeatedly affirmed, agreeing to her words.

Wang Ruyan then walked towards the cave, having already dug up the entire Fiery Blaze Jujube Tree. After giving a few instructions, she left the cave. Wang Rongmiao cast an Earth Wall spell, sealing the entrance. Given that there were third-tier demon beasts here, he knew his luck couldn't always hold out, so he decided to simply wait for the secret realm to close.

Just as Wang Ruyan emerged from the cave, a deafening roar echoed, and a colossal crimson mushroom cloud appeared high in the distance.

"It looks like there's something good over there," Wang Ruyan murmured to herself, then transformed into a streak of light and swiftly flew directly towards the crimson mushroom cloud.

High in the sky, Fang Mu controlled over a hundred refined corpses, furiously attacking two Core Formation cultivators from the Blackwater Palace. The Flood Dragon-Scaled Beast was nowhere to be found. Fang Mu had set up the Hundred Corpse Grand Formation to deal with the Flood Dragon-Scaled Beast and had already wounded it. When the two Core Formation cultivators tried to seize the opportunity to pluck the Vermilion Sparrow Fruits, Fang Mu naturally refused, attacking them. As a result, most of his Bronze-Armored Corpse was destroyed by the Flood Dragon-Scaled Beast, which then retreated back into the subterranean fire pool.

"Fellow Daoist, it's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding!" A green-robed old man forced a smile and explained.

Fang Mu also had four Core Formation refined corpses and dozens of Foundation Establishment refined corpses, making the two Core Formation cultivators from Blackwater Palace no match for him. Fang Mu's gaze turned cold. "Misunderstanding? Tell that to my refined corpses. Go, drain their vital blood!"

Dozens of refined corpses let out strange roars and lunged at the two Core Formation cultivators. The four Core Formation refined corpses each released fine threads of different colors—azure, black, blood-red, and yellow—weaving them into a large net that enveloped the two Core Formation cultivators. Their magical treasures struck the threads but failed to cut them. Instead, they became entangled, and the spiritual light of the treasures dimmed. Clearly, these threads had the effect of defiling magical treasures. Above their heads, the void rippled, and a black ghostly claw, several tens of feet in size, materialized out of thin air and swiftly slammed down.

With two miserable screams, the two Core Formation cultivators fell to the ground, their bodies turning into desiccated corpses.

Fang Mu turned his head in a certain direction as Wang Ruyan flew over, landing not far from the ground.

"It's you. Do you also want to take advantage of the situation?" Fang Mu's expression was indifferent.

"Fellow Daoist Fang, you misunderstand. I have no such intention. However, I can join forces with you to eliminate the demon beast guarding the Vermilion Sparrow Fruits." Wang Ruyan's tone was sincere.

"No need. I can eliminate this demon myself. You may leave! I'm not interested in your corpse."

Wang Ruyan frowned slightly, then smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Fang, don't speak so soon. If you can eliminate that demon beast on your own, I will certainly not interfere."

The two Core Formation refined corpses stared at Wang Ruyan while Fang Mu cast spells to attack the subterranean fire pool. Strangely, no matter how Fang Mu attacked the subterranean fire pool, the Flood Dragon-Scaled Beast refused to emerge. However, when he attacked the Vermilion Sparrow Fruit tree, the Flood Dragon-Scaled Beast would manipulate the magma to thwart Fang Mu. If he forced the issue, the Flood Dragon-Scaled Beast would likely destroy the Vermilion Sparrow Fruit tree, and he certainly didn't want that to happen.

Fang Mu frowned deeply. Compared to the Vermilion Sparrow Fruits, he was more interested in the Flood Dragon-Scaled Beast's corpse. Fang Mu looked at Wang Ruyan and said, "If you can lure out the Flood Dragon-Scaled Beast without harming its body, I will give you two Vermilion Sparrow Fruits. I keep my word."

Wang Ruyan wasn't greedy; two Vermilion Sparrow Fruits were already a considerable amount. She released her Azure Essence Talisman Soldiers to stand guard, then sat down cross-legged, took out her Golden Lotus Zither, and began to play.

"A sound cultivator!" Fang Mu was somewhat surprised but said nothing.

Melodious zither notes filled the air, as if narrating a tragic love story. After a short while, sweat beaded on Fang Mu's face, and his eyes were filled with apprehension. A black light barrier enveloped his entire body.

Rumble!

A loud rumble echoed as the Flood Dragon-Scaled Beast flew out of the subterranean fire pool. Its body was covered in wounds, and many scales had fallen off its belly, leaving it bleeding profusely. Upon seeing the Flood Dragon-Scaled Beast, Fang Mu's eyes lit up. He quickly formed a spell seal, and his four Core Formation refined corpses lunged forward, releasing fine threads of four different colors which wove into a four-colored net, enveloping the Flood Dragon-Scaled Beast. A dazzling dark light flared in his right hand as he slammed it towards the void.

Wang Ruyan continued to play the tune with utmost concentration, and the zither's melody grew more impassioned. With Fang Mu, his four Core Formation refined corpses, and Wang Ruyan assisting, the Flood Dragon-Scaled Beast was no match for them. The Flood Dragon-Scaled Beast opened its mouth and spewed out a vast sheet of crimson flames, striking at the four Core Formation refined corpses, then transformed into a streak of red light and shot away through the air at high speed.

A low zither note sounded, and an invisible sound wave shot forth, swiftly sweeping over the Flood Dragon-Scaled Beast's body. It instantly showed an expression of pain, feeling its body lose control and its heart seemingly about to burst from its chest. Seizing this opportunity, the void rippled, and a ghostly claw wreathed in black flames materialized out of thin air, striking the Flood Dragon-Scaled Beast precisely.

Rumble!

The Flood Dragon-Scaled Beast's body slammed heavily onto the ground. Before it could even get up, a four-colored net descended from the sky, enveloping its body. The four Core Formation refined corpses swarmed it, opening their mouths to bite the Flood Dragon-Scaled Beast. Before long, the Flood Dragon-Scaled Beast was reduced to a desiccated corpse.

Wang Ruyan ceased her actions, and the zither's melody stopped.

Fang Mu harvested six Vermilion Sparrow Fruits and gave three to Wang Ruyan. He knew the Vermilion Sparrow Fruit tree would quickly wither and die if removed from the magma pool, making it impossible to transplant.

"Two Vermilion Sparrow Fruits are the agreed-upon reward, and the other is for making a friend." After saying this, he put away his refined corpses, transformed into a black cloud, and departed through the air.

Wang Ruyan flew back the way she came. She had acquired a considerable amount of treasure and had no intention of continuing to risk her life, preferring to simply wait for the secret realm to close.

Three days later, ripples spread across a certain void in the Blackrock Mountains, and Wang Ruyan emerged from it, her face beaming with joy. This time, she had obtained numerous fire-attributed spirit herbs over a thousand years old. Even consuming them raw, her cultivation could advance to the ninth layer of Core Formation.

Wang Ruyan then hurried towards a market town to rendezvous with Wang Tianqi and a few others, before flying towards Chongyang Market.