218: Chapter 218 Strange Man

When Ye Jing arrived at the vicinity of the palace, he discovered a Cultivator in front of the palace's already broken gates.

It was a relatively young-looking man, sitting cross-legged as if adjusting his breathing.

The surrounding conflicts seemed to have nothing to do with him.

However, the Poisonous Variant Bees beneath Ye Jing were buzzing incessantly, appearing extremely fearful of this man.

Seeing this, Ye Jing also felt a sense of vigilance; anyone who could appear here was certainly not simple.

Therefore, Ye Jing did not approach further, only observing from nearby for a while. To conceal his appearance, he had transformed himself into a middle-aged man, pretending to be just an ordinary Sect Disciple.

Due to the Formation ahead, Ye Jing found it difficult to use his Divine Sense to scout the surroundings, so he first let the Poisonous Variant Bees check if any other figures were present.

But according to the report from the Poisonous Variant Bees, there seemed to be only the two of them in the vicinity.

"Come out. It's exhausting to hide so sneakily for so long, isn't it?" the man said with a cold sneer.

Hearing him say this, Ye Jing knew the man had discovered him. Spiritual energy surged in his hands, and he even prepared the Yao Beasts he intended to use in battle.

He walked up to the man without saying much.

The seemingly frail-looking man before him saw Ye Jing and said with a light smile, "This Fellow Daoist has certainly abandoned the small for the large. To think you would come here just like me, heading straight for the Hall of the Demon God."

After saying that, he even cupped his hands in greeting. "Fellow Daoist, there is no need to be nervous. My name is Jia Zheng, a Cultivator from the Qinghuai Valley. This place is fraught with danger; I am only here for wealth!"

Seeing his sincere words, Ye Jing immediately cupped his hands in return.

His voice was lowered slightly, matching the air of a middle-aged Cultivator. "I am but a Sect Disciple, also here in search of some Opportunities."

This Jia Zheng had directly revealed his name and origin, which was a bit too enthusiastic, forcing Ye Jing to remain on guard.

Jia Zheng did not press him about his background, only pointing toward the dilapidated palace behind him.

The broken palace gates were made of flawless white jade, with flashes of spiritual light appearing within, which was very eye-catching.

He said with great regret, "If we're talking about the greatest treasure in the Minghai Realm, it's this Hall of the Demon God. But unfortunately, it cannot be cracked by my strength alone."

"What insights do you have, Fellow Daoist?" Ye Jing asked upon hearing this, as he seemed to be very knowledgeable about the palace.

A hint of solemnity appeared on Jia Zheng's frail face. "Fellow Daoist, this palace-guarding Great Formation is called the 'Heart-Burning Spirit-Devouring Array'."

Ordinary cultivators would die upon contact with it.， Even if one's cultivation reaches the late Golden Core stage， It would take most of one's spiritual power to barely break the formation.。

"Not to mention there are also Demon God remnants and ancient Yao Beasts guarding the interior. The path to wealth is as difficult as ascending to the heavens."

The Poisonous Variant Bees beneath Ye Jing continued to buzz lowly, but compared to the fear they showed at first, there was now a bit more restraint. Clearly, Jia Zheng was not releasing any malice.

His vigilance decreased slightly, but he still did not relax. "Since Fellow Daoist Jia knows the danger, why wait here? Could it be that you already have a way to break the Formation?"

Jia Zheng smiled and did not say much. He said, "Fellow Daoist might as well wait a while with me."

Hearing him say this, Ye Jing couldn't help but frown slightly. He could see that this Cultivator was plotting something.

But currently, Ye Jing had no way to deal with this strange Formation, so he stood to the side and waited to see what kind of scheme Jia Zheng was up to.

At this time, the battles among the Cultivators in the forest had not yet ended.

Ye Tianhao appeared in a remote part of the forest. Fortunately, no Yao Beasts had appeared here. As soon as he arrived, he concealed his spiritual energy and hid in the trees.

Most of the Cultivators who had come here were already grouped up or working alone; a few might be lying in wait in the shadows like him.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, an explosion sounded from the forest. The violent noise made Ye Tianhao run to the side without a second thought to get away from the area.

Now, many rare medicinal herbs on the ground were being harvested and collected by the Cultivators, and then fought over. It had already turned into a chaotic mess.

"Stop right there! You little wench!" Just as Ye Tianhao was thinking of a way to leave, a veiled woman appeared in front of him, seemingly fleeing toward his direction.

This familiar scene made Ye Tianhao frown. He immediately turned and leaped toward another side.

Seeing Ye Tianhao, the woman hurriedly flew over, directly trying to reach his side.

"Fellow Daoist, please help me!"

Ye Tianhao frowned and turned the sword in his hand. Seeing the woman being pursued by so many Cultivators, he shifted his sword and avoided her entanglement.

The veiled female Cultivator's eyes widened instantly. She clearly hadn't expected this male Cultivator to be so cruel as to ignore her, letting her be chased by those Cultivators.

When those Cultivators saw Ye Tianhao and were about to attack, Ye Tianhao said coldly, "That female Cultivator has nothing to do with me!"

"How can you say it has nothing to do with you? Didn't you, Senior Brother, tell me to harvest the Hundred-Leaf Fruit?"

The woman spoke directly, and her words instantly caused Ye Tianhao's Killing Intent to surge.

Seeing this, the Cultivators also became a bit suspicious. The leading man immediately said, "Regardless of whether they are together or not, kill them both!"

Killing Intent erupted from around Ye Tianhao like cold blades. His fingertips condensed spiritual energy onto the sword blade, and a cold light flashed. He did not rush forward immediately but stared intently at the veiled woman, his voice as cold as ice: "You did that on purpose."

A flash of cunning crossed the woman's eyes, yet her face remained pitiful. Her voice carried a sob: "Senior Brother, how can you not recognize me? If you hadn't told me to pick the Hundred-Leaf Fruit, I wouldn't be hunted by these Fellow Daoists..."

As she spoke, she intentionally moved closer to Ye Tianhao, clearly intending to drag him down with her.

The leading Cultivator's gaze sharpened. He clearly didn't bother to distinguish truth from lies and waved his hand. "Enough nonsense! Since she recognizes you as her Senior Brother, then you are together. Die together!"

"This female Cultivator killed my Senior Brother! Today, she must pay with her life!"

Before the words had even faded, four Foundation Establishment Cultivators had already spread out, surrounding Ye Tianhao and the woman. Amidst the surging spiritual energy, the surrounding trees were shaken, causing leaves to rustle and fall.

Seeing this, Ye Tianhao directly drew his sword. He detested being schemed against the most.

"Courting death."

Ye Tianhao wasted no more words. His figure flickered, and his sword moved with him. A sharp Sword Qi went straight for the leading Cultivator's face.

That Cultivator hadn't expected him to strike so suddenly and hurriedly raised his hand to block.

With a crisp "Clang,"

the spiritual energy recoiled, and he was actually shaken back several steps, the skin between his thumb and forefinger splitting open.

Seeing this, the other Cultivators immediately swarmed forward. Ye Tianhao's swordsmanship was sharp, and for a time, they were unable to take him down.

Ye Tianhao noticed that these Cultivators weren't just fighting for treasures; they harbored immense hatred for the woman, as if they couldn't wait to cut her into a thousand pieces right then and there.

Ye Tianhao couldn't help but have some thoughts.

The female Cultivator intentionally followed Ye Tianhao's movements to ensure her own safety.

Gradually, it became a bit strained for Ye Tianhao to fight four Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and with the female Cultivator behind him pestering him relentlessly, he immediately used a feint and then quickly retreated to one side.

Seeing this, the female Cultivator immediately gave chase. Ye Tianhao knew that this whole matter was caused by her.

He immediately stabbed a sword toward her, letting her handle the trouble she had caused herself.

The masked female Cultivator clearly hadn't expected this Cultivator to attack her instead. She immediately cried out, "I am a Disciple of the Shuangyue Sect! You cannot touch me! Otherwise, my Revered Master will not let you off!"

Seeing the woman starting to threaten him and the other Cultivators in hot pursuit, Ye Tianhao immediately used a Talisman, grabbed the woman's slender wrist, and quickly fled the scene.

Seeing this, the woman had a look of secret joy, thinking that the male Cultivator had been frightened by her.

A Magical Artifact quietly condensed in her hand, as she prepared to take the male Cultivator's life once they reached a safe place.