81: Rescuing a fool from the dungeon and stealing a sheep along the way.

That chilling aura, like a cold wind from Hell, pouring out, was enough to make any Cultivator in the Qi Refining Realm tremble with fear. The strong smell of blood and decay mixed within it was even more nauseating, as if the bottom of that cave entrance connected to a sea of blood filled with billions of corpses.

However, Lin Ye's face showed no ripples of emotion.

In his eyes, which shone astonishingly bright in the darkness, there was only a bottomless calm.

Without the slightest hesitation, his figure flickered, like a wisp of untraceable smoke, silently merging into the profound darkness leading to the unknown.

The spiral stone steps wound downwards, seemingly without end.

On the walls, every ten zhang, there was an embedded luminous stone emitting a ghostly green phosphorescence, illuminating the entire passage with an eerie glow. In the air, the cold, damp, bloody smell grew thicker, and one could even faintly hear, from deep underground, faint moans filled with endless pain and despair.

Lin Ye's footsteps were as light as falling feathers, making not the slightest sound.

The Minor Achievement Realm of Advanced Stealth Technique allowed his figure to perfectly blend with the surrounding shadows, making it extremely difficult for even a Demon Cultivator at the Treasure Body Realm to detect his presence, unless they deliberately used their Divine Sense to probe.

Soon, he reached the end of the stone steps.

What appeared before him was a narrow passage paved with bluestone. On both sides of the passage were incredibly sturdy cells made of thick black iron bars.

And at the entrance of the passage, there were actually four black-armored guards, holding long halberds and exuding a fierce aura! Their cultivation had all reached the Peak of Qi Refining Realm eighth layer!

Clearly, this was the most crucial Forbidden Ground of the City Lord's Mansion—the dungeon!

Lin Ye did not stop for a moment; his figure, like a stream flowing along the shadows of the wall corners, silently glided past the four guards.

From beginning to end, the four guards remained like wooden or clay statues, completely unaware.

Entering the passage, the stench of blood, decay, and excrement combined was almost enough to make one faint.

Lin Ye slowly walked towards the deeper part of the passage.

His gaze calmly swept over the dark cells on both sides.

He saw that inside those small cells, dozens of ordinary commoners were imprisoned, dressed in rags and with numb expressions!

Among them were white-haired elders, infants still in swaddling clothes, and women and children who couldn't even fight a chicken... At this moment, they were all curled up like livestock in these dirty cages, their eyes vacant, filled with endless despair, as if they had long accepted their impending, tragic fate.

Seeing this scene, Lin Ye's heart, which had long grown cold due to cultivation, inexplicably trembled violently!

An uncontrollable, icy rage surged up from his chest once again!

These... were the 'sacrifices' that the Black-Robed Demon Envoy spoke of, prepared for the 'Blood Soul Grand Sacrifice'!

He clenched his fists tightly, his fingernails digging deep into his palms, barely managing to forcibly suppress the killing intent that was almost about to burst out of his body.

He knew that now was not the time for impulsiveness.

He continued to walk deeper into the dungeon.

After passing through the area where ordinary commoners were held, a massive iron door, half a foot thick and crafted from a single piece of thousand-year profound iron, appeared before him!

On the iron door, there were even densely packed, complex runes shimmering with a faint Spiritual Qi!

Clearly, beyond this iron door lay the true core of this dungeon!

Lin Ye slowly walked forward and extended his right hand.

"Mechanism Disruption, activate!"

His fingers, which had become more nimble than the most precise instrument, did not touch the cold iron door, but instead, like caressing a lover, gently brushed over the densely packed runes.

Streams of faint spiritual power, filled with profound aura, silently probed into the core of the runes through his fingertips!

He could clearly "see" the extremely complex spiritual power circulation within the Restriction, like a spider web!

But, in his eyes, this seemingly flawless Restriction was full of flaws!

His fingertips, like dancing sprites, quickly tapped, plucked, flicked, and pressed on hundreds of rune nodes with dazzling speed!

"Click."

An extremely subtle sound, like the buzzing of a mosquito's wings, echoed from within the massive iron door.

The Restriction runes, which had been shimmering with a faint Spiritual Qi, suddenly dimmed, instantly losing all their luster!

Lin Ye did not hesitate; he pushed against the iron door with both hands, slowly opening a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.

Beyond the iron door, there was actually a whole new world!

Here, it was no longer dark and damp cells, but a spacious, bright... stone chamber!

In the center of the stone chamber was a Spirit Gathering Array paved with Spirit Stones, where the rich Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi almost materialized!

And around the stone chamber were rows of jade shelves made of thousand-year warm jade!

On the jade shelves, a dazzling array of treasures, emitting brilliant precious light and making one's eyes blur, were displayed!

Mountains of High-Grade Spirit Stones, shimmering with various colors!

Rows of precious Medicinal Pills, stored in white jade porcelain bottles and emitting a rich medicinal fragrance!

Volumes of high-grade Cultivation Techniques, written on gold-threaded Jade Slips, plundered from unknown sources!

Even, in the very center of the stone chamber, several Magical Artifacts emitting powerful auras were enshrined!

This... was actually the treasure vault that Qian Wanshan and the Black-Robed Demon Envoy had plundered over the years!

Looking at this "treasure mountain" before him, enough to drive any Cultivator mad, even Lin Ye's usually unperturbed state of mind couldn't help but be stirred into a frenzy!

An unprecedented, extreme ecstasy instantly overwhelmed all his calmness!

"I've... struck it rich!"

He didn't even have time to count in detail; with a thought, he fiercely brought out his massive Storage Pouch!

"Collect! Collect! Collect!"

Spirit Stones! Medicinal Pills! Cultivation Techniques! Magical Artifacts!

Where he passed, not a blade of grass remained!

In just the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, this treasure vault, which had been radiating with precious light, was now empty, not even a single hair left!

Having finished all this, Lin Ye contentedly patted the now heavy Storage Pouch, a genuine smile of satisfaction spreading across his face.

However, just as he was about to leave, his gaze was drawn to an inconspicuous, old wooden box casually thrown in the corner of the stone chamber.

He walked forward curiously and kicked the already decayed wooden box into smithereens!

Several tattered parchment scrolls rolled out from inside the box.

Lin Ye casually picked one up, opened it, and with just a glance, his dark eyes suddenly constricted!

On it, a map was depicted using an extremely ancient script!

A treasure map marking "Black Wind Mountain Range, Ancient Cultivator's Immortal Cave"!

"So... this was the true objective of those 'bandits' after all?"

Lin Ye instantly understood that this so-called "bandit suppression mission" was a complete scam from the very beginning!

Qian Wanshan and that Demon Cultivator clearly intended to use the guise of "bandit suppression" to wipe out all Cultivators who coveted this Immortal Cave!

He carefully put away the scrolls of maps, then, without further delay, turned and entered the other side of the treasure vault... Passing through the treasure vault, ahead was an even gloomier and more heavily guarded passage.

Here, those imprisoned were no longer ordinary commoners, but Cultivators, each with a weakened aura, their Dantian and Qi Sea locked by special shackles!

At the end of the passage, in a massive cell made of solid profound iron, Lin Ye finally saw those familiar figures.

Han Meng, and his several followers whose fates were unknown, were thrown into the corner of the cell like dead dogs.

Their bodies were covered with hideous wounds, their breath weak, and they had long lost their previous arrogance.

And on the other side of the cell, Su Qingyue was sitting cross-legged.

Although her snow-white robes were stained with some dust, her beautiful face still maintained its usual coldness and serenity. It was as if, for her, being imprisoned was merely changing locations for quiet cultivation.

Lin Ye did not reveal himself immediately; his gaze fell upon the entrance of the cell.

He saw that on the cell door, there was an extremely complex lightning-type Restriction, shimmering with eerie blue electric arcs!

However, in Lin Ye's eyes, it was still... full of flaws!

He silently approached the cell door.

He slowly extended his right hand.

"Mechanism Disruption, activate!"

His ten fingers, like sprites dancing on piano keys, quickly tapped, plucked, flicked, and pressed on the Restriction runes, which were shimmering with dangerous electric arcs, with dazzling speed!

"Zzz... Zzz-la..."

The originally violent lightning-type Spiritual Qi, under his guidance, actually calmed down slowly, like docile sheep!

Inside the cell, Su Qingyue's cold eyes, which had always been tightly closed, suddenly opened!

She looked in disbelief at the familiar yet unfamiliar, slender figure that had silently appeared outside the cell door!

It was him?!

How... did he get in?!

Before she could recover from her shock, with a soft "click," the massive cell door, made of thousand-year profound iron and capable of trapping even a Spirit Body Realm powerhouse, was pushed open... as easily as an ordinary wooden door.

Lin Ye calmly walked in.

He first glanced at the fool who had long since passed out, then turned his gaze to the beautiful figure who had maintained absolute composure from beginning to end.

"Senior Sister Su," he said slowly, his voice not loud, but every word was clear, "I've kept you waiting."