Chapter 65: Heavy Casualties

Outside the underground palace, the scattered disciples of Gu Du Peak were attacked by large swarms of Corpse Poison Bees. Without a late-stage Qi Cultivation leader, their strength plummeted significantly.

Their initial desire to explore the palace and find opportunities was completely extinguished by wave after wave of poisonous stings.

With heavy casualties, they were forced to retreat towards the passage.

Then, a desperate scene unfolded: the path was blocked.

Screams and wails were incessant!

Meanwhile, near the abandoned camp in the middle of the Three Profound Bone Mountains, the disciples of Five Yin Peak, having recently been plundered by Wang, had to pull themselves together and continue with their original plan.

Their sole objective was the opportunity within the underground palace.

Having specifically chosen a thin rock layer, a new underground passage was being rapidly opened from both sides.

Before long, the ground suddenly caved in, and a head emerged—it was Fang Zhuo, the skilled movement technique practitioner who had been sent down.

His face contorted in terror, he shouted, "Disaster! Disaster! Pull me up!"

Everyone reached out, intending to ask questions, but then felt the ground begin to shake. With a rumble, the collapsed area expanded further.

A nearly ten-meter-long Grim Bone Lion leapt out, Fang Zhuo still clutched in its jaws.

Its teeth, as formidable as rock pillars, instantly bit him in half. It swallowed one half whole, then let out a low roar.

Massive white bones erupted from the ground, forming a bone cage around the group. The faces of the Five Yin Peak disciples turned grim.

"A second-tier Grim Bone Lion…"

This was almost unbearable for them! The three, Liu Jinxian, and the others, could contend with these second-tier evil creatures because they had many methods. For these disciples, it was a different story.

The second-tier Grim Bone Lion began its massacre, facing almost no resistance. Wang Yu, observing from the shadows, felt his scalp tingle.

There were too many unexpected developments in this Profound Bone Mountain.

Troubles of the Foundation Establishment level were everywhere. If a second-tier Yin Soul was also hidden among the associated Yin Souls in the Bone Wood Forest, things would get even more chaotic.

After much consideration, he decided not to intervene.

The more people died, the better. This way, Liu Jinxian and her group's status would be compromised. Without enough manpower, Wang Yu would have the chance to briefly stand at the top.

Besides, he really didn't want to deal with a second-tier Grim Bone Lion.

He watched as it hunted the Five Yin Peak disciples. In a short time, nearly a hundred people were slaughtered, leaving only a dozen or so who finally broke through the bone cage. They fled Profound Bone Mountain like madmen, not daring to look back.

Such an act was tantamount to betraying the sect.

The Grim Bone Lion pursued them for a while but then returned, no longer chasing. It settled down in front of the new passage, its bloody maw wide open, waiting for the next "fated" individual.

At this point, the Three Profound Bone Mountains were empty!

Seeing this, Wang Yu used the mystique of the Night Concealment Spell to secretly infiltrate Profound Bone Mountain and plunder all the resources in the storerooms.

He then returned to the abandoned camp to collect the storage bags of the disciples killed by the Grim Bone Lion, instantly becoming a "Hundred-Bag Elder" and delighting in his spoils.

"What a great opportunity, what good fortune! It's only right that I, Wang, get rich!"

Underground Palace.

With fully controlled subordinates, Liu Jinxian forcibly compelled Gu Zhengshun and Situ Hong to yield.

Using two Qi Cultivation sixth-layer cultivators as bait, they finally activated the core of the Yang Yi formation, and the third gate of the Condensing Moon Palace opened wide. Everyone rushed in.

But in less than ten breaths, Liu Jinxian and the other two retreated in disarray, with not a single subordinate left.

"Damn it, there's something wrong with this cursed place."

At this moment, Liu Jinxian held the bee-gu that had emerged early. Its state was much more stable, and its aura had strengthened considerably.

The pursuers behind the three were now only a single Corpse Demon.

The fate of the Poison Bee King was self-evident.

"What ancient sect ruins? This is clearly a trap specifically set to harm future generations!"

The three rushed out of the Condensing Moon Palace and sped towards the passage.

The Corpse Demon, trailing behind, made a few steps as if to pursue but then stopped. The two flames in its eye sockets had, at some point, transformed into a pair of agile eyes.

Its aura also changed dramatically. Standing at the highest point of the stairs, it overlooked the entire underground palace and sighed, "Did all fail?"

"The cage is hard to break, I am not reconciled!!!"

After a few steps, the Corpse Demon's body paused, and a wisp of remnant soul floated from its head, silently turning to ash.

A ripple stirred in the air, and a cold snort seemed to flash by.

The Corpse Demon, now back to normal, scratched its bald head, let out a roar to the sky, and continued its pursuit, following the human scent.

Three days later, the dishevelled Liu Jinxian and the other two emerged from the Right Profound Bone Mountain, from the very spot where Gu Zhengshun had set up the Earth Yin Corpse Puppet formation. They wore expressions of great vexation.

Situ Hong said with a grim look, "I couldn't be mistaken; a remnant soul must have escaped from that magic treasure. If I hadn't had my Yin Ghost for protection, I would surely have fallen for it."

Gu Zhengshun also frowned and said, "Since there's a remnant soul, this underground palace is definitely not some ancient sect ruin but rather a place specifically arranged by a cultivator for possession. I wonder what happened to that Corpse Demon."

Taking an eight-hundred-year lifespan of a Core Formation cultivator as an example, if they died at five hundred years old, their soul would still have three hundred years of Yin lifespan. Even if they underwent possession and rebirth, their lifespan would not change. They would not gain any additional lifespan by breaking through again, unless they surpassed their original limit and reached the Nascent Soul stage.

Therefore, Gu Zhengshun's judgment was logical. The underground palace ruins were not real but artificially arranged, more like a trap.

At this point, only Liu Jinxian had reaped the greatest benefits. The other two had only gained a little during the grave digging, and no one had expected things to turn out this way.

"Alas, there's no point in saying more. Let's all go home."

"Precisely. With the Profound Essence Flower, these five years won't have been in vain."

Liu Jinxian remained silent. Though she had gained much, her losses were also significant, making it hard for her to feel good.

Then, the moment the three exited the protection of the formation, they froze.

In the distance, a giant Grim Bone Lion was resting on the ground, its Foundation Establishment-level aura undeniably present. The Three Profound Bone Mountains were devoid of any human presence, as quiet as a dead land.

"This—"

"No…"

"What happened here?"

In just one year, over five hundred people had vanished? The three felt their scalps prickle, and a chill ran down their spines.

Wang Yu appeared opportunely, standing in the shadow of a large rock, and sighed softly, "The three of you have finally returned."

The three: "???"

After getting away from Profound Bone Mountain, the four sat at a stone table, quietly listening as Wang Yu recounted the events of the past period. There was no need to hide anything; it was, after all, a struggle between the Five Yin Peak and Gu Du Peak, where these evil creatures merely reaped the benefits. Of course, his own profitable involvement was conveniently omitted.

After finishing, Wang Yu said with emotion, "The three of you arrived too late. The remaining people from Five Yin Peak were scattered by this bone beast. I merely survived thanks to a stealth spell."

Liu Jinxian stared at Wang Yu and coldly asked, "Then why didn't you help?"

Wang Yu looked surprised and bewildered. "Senior Sister Liu overestimates me. I am merely at the fifth level of Qi Cultivation; how could I possibly stop a Foundation Establishment bone beast?"

Situ Hong quickly interceded, "Junior Brother Wang is right. Senior Sister Liu, you're being unreasonable. It's already good enough that he could protect himself."