51: Chapter 51: Were we set up?

Ten miles away.

Near the ruins of a collapsed ancient hall.

Two groups of people were fighting.

One side consisted of three Cultivators wearing golden Daoist robes.

Based on the aura of their Cultivation Technique, they were Disciples of the Jin Yang Sect, a second-rate Sect in the Northern Region known for its metal-element Cultivation Techniques.

The other side was five black-clad Loose Cultivators; their techniques were varied, but they coordinated with a chemistry that clearly marked them as veterans who had worked together for years.

In the center of the battlefield, a spiritual plant, entirely golden and bearing three fruits, shone brightly.

"Jin Yang Fruit!"

Xiao Ran, hiding in the shadows, instantly recognized the spiritual item before him.

A Profound Rank High Grade spiritual fruit, it contained Pure Yang Metal Qi and was exceptionally effective for Cultivating metal-element techniques and tempering the Physical Body.

At this moment.

The three Golden Core Early Stage Disciples of the Jin Yang Sect were being besieged by five Golden Core Early Stage Loose Cultivators, and they appeared to be in a precarious situation.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, we discovered this Jin Yang Fruit first!"

A Jin Yang Sect Disciple roared.

"What do you mean you found it first? I found it first."

"Treasures of the Ancient Battlefield belong to those with the strength to take them!"

"Kill them!"

The leader of the Loose Cultivators grinned savagely.

The battle instantly reached a fever pitch.

Xiao Ran remained hidden in the dark, quietly observing.

The Jin Yang Fruit wasn't very useful to him, but it could be exchanged for contribution points.

More importantly... among the five Loose Cultivators, one had a dark red token hanging from his waist, which seemed to be engraved with the character 'Yun'.

"Could this design be a fallen immortal token?"

"What's going on?"

Xiao Ran's pupils constricted slightly.

The White Bone Scholar had said there were only nine fallen immortal tokens in total, scattered throughout the ruins and extremely rare.

Yet, less than an hour after entering, someone had already obtained one?

And it was a Golden Core Early Stage Loose Cultivator, at that.

"Is this a coincidence, or... has someone intentionally set a trap?"

Xiao Ran's mind raced, and he made a decision in an instant.

Regardless of whether it was a setup, he would get his hands on the token first.

On the battlefield.

A Disciple of the Jin Yang Sect was struck by a blade light from a Loose Cultivator, spitting blood as he collapsed to the ground.

Just as the leader of the Loose Cultivators was about to deliver the finishing blow...

"Nine Nether Mystic Yin Formation, rise!"

A black light barrier suddenly rose, trapping the five Loose Cultivators.

"Who's there?"

The Loose Cultivators were shocked.

Xiao Ran's figure emerged, with Guixu Demonic Light swirling around him.

He didn't waste any words and attacked immediately.

"Three-Part Return to Origin Finger."

In an instant, countless finger strikes flew through the air, covering the entire Formation.

Wherever the Return to Origin Finger passed, the Loose Cultivators' protective spiritual light shattered like paper.

Screams rang out one after another.

Within just three breaths, all five Loose Cultivators were dead.

Having survived the ordeal, the three Jin Yang Sect Disciples hurriedly bowed.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for saving our lives!"

However, when they saw Xiao Ran's attire clearly, their pupils constricted one by one.

Isn't this the damn Demonic Son of the Demonic Sect?

We're doomed!

We've run into a Demonic Path Cultivator who kills without blinking.

The three Jin Yang Sect Disciples' hearts instantly turned to ash; they had already mentally drafted their wills several times.

However, Xiao Ran walked right past the three of them.

With a wave of his hand, he instantly collected the Jin Yang Fruit and the Loose Cultivators' Storage Pouches.

Then, he walked over to the corpse of the Loose Cultivator who had been wearing the fallen immortal token and removed it.

It felt cold to the touch, with an ancient texture.

"Judging by this texture, it really could be a fallen immortal token."

Xiao Ran speculated inwardly.

He gripped the token, feeling its cold, ancient texture.

The token was about the size of a palm, with a blurred 'Yun' character pattern engraved on the front and some slight damage along the edges.

The back was covered in dense cloud patterns, with faint spatial fluctuations flowing through it.

But they were extremely weak, nowhere near as strong as the resonance with the core area of the Ancient Battlefield that the White Bone Scholar had described.

"This token... something's not right!"

Xiao Ran frowned slightly.

He carefully injected Guixu Demonic Light into the token to test it, and a layer of dark red light immediately shimmered on its surface.

It then quickly dimmed, as if it lacked sufficient energy.

The trace of spatial fluctuation became slightly clearer for a moment after the demonic light was injected.

But the direction it pointed to was blurred and not fixed; instead, it seemed to be... changing at any moment?

"This isn't a complete fallen immortal token."

Xiao Ran reached a conclusion instantly.

At the very least, it wasn't one of the nine core tokens that the White Bone Scholar had mentioned could open the Immortal-Demon Burial Ground.

But since this object could trigger spatial fluctuations and was engraved with the character 'Yun', it must be related to the Ancient Fallen Immortal Battlefield.

It felt as if a complete map could pinpoint the Treasure Trove's location, while Xiao Ran was currently holding just a corner of that map.

He could only vaguely discern a direction, but he was still far from finding the Treasure Trove!

"Could it be a replica? Or a fragment?"

He speculated inwardly, put away the token, and looked at the three trembling Jin Yang Sect Disciples.

Their faces were deathly pale; seeing Xiao Ran's gaze sweep over them, they were on the verge of kneeling and begging for mercy.

Seeing this, Xiao Ran simply waved his hand. "Get lost!"

The three felt as if they had been granted a grand reprieve and scrambled away, not even daring to look back.

Xiao Ran didn't care.

He looked around; under the gloomy sky, the Bone Wasteland stretched out endlessly.

In the distance, the light of other Cultivators' flight could be seen flickering, and ripples from battles occasionally drifted over.

The Ancient Battlefield had been open for less than an hour, yet fighting was already visible everywhere.

"I should leave this place first."

Xiao Ran's figure transformed into a streak of black light, sweeping toward the northeast.

He needed to find a relatively safe place to carefully study the token and plan his next moves.

...

Half an hour later.

Xiao Ran took a temporary rest in the ruins of a partially collapsed ancient hall.

This place had once been the mountain gate of some small ancient Sect, but now only broken walls and ruins remained; the statues enshrined within the hall had long since shattered.

The incense burner was overturned and covered in dust.

He set up a simple concealment Formation in the hall and began to regulate his breathing.

The chaotic energy within the Ancient Battlefield was a burden for ordinary Cultivators, but for the Myriad Dao Guixu Body, it was a tonic.

Xiao Ran circulated his Cultivation Technique, and a grayish-black vortex emerged around him, rotating slowly.

Behind him, a black hole faintly appeared, devouring the surrounding chaotic Devilish Qi, Evil Qi, and Death Qi.

After the Guixu Body converted the various distinct types of Qi, they turned into pure demonic essence and flowed into his Dantian.

In just half an hour, the demonic essence consumed in the previous battle was fully restored, and his cultivation had even made a microscopic advancement.

"This place... is actually suitable for long-term Cultivation."

Xiao Ran opened his eyes, a flash of satisfaction in them.

But now was not the time for secluded meditation.

He removed the concealment Formation and was about to leave when the sound of something cutting through the air suddenly came from the distance.

Three streaks of light were flying rapidly toward the ancient hall, with four more streaks of light in hot pursuit!

"Hand over the token fragments, and we'll spare your lives!"

A harsh shout came from behind.

Xiao Ran's eyes narrowed; he quietly retreated, blending into the shadows of the ruins.

He saw the three people fleeing in front were wearing matching azure Daoist robes with cloud patterns embroidered on the sleeves.

They were Disciples of the Qingyun Sect, a third-rate Sect in the Northern Region known for their light-body escape techniques.

All three were at the Golden Core Early Stage; their clothes were stained with blood and their auras were erratic, clearly indicating they were seriously injured.

The four people chasing them were Loose Cultivators dressed in mismatched robes.

Their cultivation ranged from Golden Core Early Stage to Middle Stage, led by a One-eyed man wielding a ghost-head blade, exuding a menacing Evil Qi.

"One-eyed Dragon! We found this token first, don't push us too far!"

The leading Qingyun Sect Disciple turned back and roared.

"Pushing you too far?"

The One-eyed man grinned savagely.

"In the Ancient Battlefield, the weak are prey to the strong; there's no such thing as first come, first served! If you don't hand it over now, I'll send you to see your Ancestral Master!"

He raised his hand and slashed; a black blade light tore through the air, striking directly at the Qingyun Sect Disciple's back!

The Qingyun Sect Disciple gritted his teeth and turned, summoning a small azure shield.

*Clang!*

The small shield shook violently, its spiritual light dimming.

The Disciple was sent flying back, coughing up blood, and happened to fall toward the ruins where Xiao Ran was hiding.

The One-eyed man and the other three quickly surrounded him, blocking all paths of retreat.

"Running? Why aren't you running anymore?"

The One-eyed man approached with his blade raised, his gaze landing on the Qingyun Sect Disciple's chest.

A corner of dark red was visible there—it was a token similar to the one in Xiao Ran's hand!

"Hand over the token, and I'll give you a quick death."

The Qingyun Sect Disciple's face was miserable, knowing he could not escape today.

"I'll be taking this token."