40: Chapter 40: Source Arts Clear the Way, Hunters Watch the Show!

His pace was neither fast nor slow, like a stroll through a quiet courtyard.

Su Yuxi followed closely behind, her slender figure walking side-by-side with Lin Yi.

Chu Wanqing jogged a few steps to keep up, naturally grabbing Lin Yi's sleeve.

Xu Chen carried a pile of Spiritual Fruits, trotting along at the very back.

Wang Hong and several other Holy Land Disciples brought up the rear on the periphery.

The group walked in just like that, in a grand and swaggering manner.

The surrounding Cultivators who hadn't had time to enter yet all looked over.

"Look at their Aura, then look at ours..."

"Don't compare, it hurts the self-esteem."

Soon, Lin Yi's group arrived at the entrance of the ancient mine.

The moment they stepped into the crack, the temperature plummeted.

Thick gray mist surged from all directions, severely obstructing their vision.

Ordinary Cultivators here couldn't even see clearly beyond ten zhang.

But a flash of Hongmeng Immortal Light appeared in Lin Yi's eyes.

The outline of the entire ancient mine appeared with absolute clarity in his eyes.

The flow of ley lines, hidden killing intent, and scattered Opportunities.

They all turned into clear lines of light, appearing within his field of vision.

Like an unfolded treasure map.

It marked all the Treasure Trove locations and trap coordinates.

"Interesting!"

Lin Yi whispered softly.

He saw hundreds of miles ahead.

Ye Chen was stopping at a fork in the road filled with Death Qi.

He took out a compass and an ancient book, beginning his Source Heaven Art deduction.

Ye Chen's brows were tightly furrowed as he constantly changed his hand seals.

As he performed the deduction, he was panting heavily, and pea-sized beads of sweat seeped from his forehead.

Clearly, performing the Source Heaven Art consumed a huge amount of energy!

But Ye Chen's attainment in source arts was indeed very strong.

Soon, he completed the deduction and found the correct path.

Then, gritting his teeth, he advanced step by step toward the depths of the mine vein.

Every step was incredibly difficult.

Every step was a gamble with his life.

Lin Yi couldn't help but sigh in his heart as he watched this scene.

One had to admit, this treasure-hunting rat's perseverance and deduction abilities were indeed decent.

But unfortunately.

The direction was right, but the outcome was destined to be in vain!

"Lin Yi, what are you looking at?"

Su Yuxi noticed Lin Yi staring blankly into the mist ahead and couldn't help but ask.

"I'm watching a rat digging a hole!"

Lin Yi withdrew his gaze and smiled.

"It's digging very hard. When it finishes the hole, we'll go over and pick the fruit."

Su Yuxi frowned slightly; although she didn't fully understand what Lin Yi meant.

Her intuition told her that Lin Yi was scheming against someone again.

And the person being schemed against probably wouldn't even know how they died.

She looked at Lin Yi's calm and unruffled appearance.

Then she thought of Ye Chen's miserable state at the auction.

A hint of pity suddenly rose in her heart.

Not pity for Ye Chen.

But pity for anyone who opposed Lin Yi.

"There's a shortcut ahead, let's go that way."

Lin Yi suddenly spoke, pointing to a narrow mine tunnel on the left that looked full of danger.

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed, only to see the mine tunnel filled with eerie winds.

At the entrance lay several skeletal remains that had long since turned into white bones.

It looked extremely perilous.

"Senior... Senior Brother Lin, are you sure we should go that way?"

Xu Chen shivered, and the Spiritual Fruits in his arms almost fell.

"That place looks so scary."

"Look at those bones, they're all shattered."

"Exactly, so that shows people have walked this path before. It's safe!"

Lin Yi said with a straight face.

Xu Chen opened his mouth, feeling that something was not quite right with this logic.

But he couldn't say what.

Chu Wanqing, however, didn't hesitate at all, pulling Lin Yi's sleeve and walking toward it.

"I'll go wherever Brother Lin Yi says. I believe in Brother Lin Yi!"

Su Yuxi glanced at Chu Wanqing.

She snorted coldly in her heart.

Hmph!

Always trying to curry favor!

But her footsteps followed without the slightest hesitation.

It turned out that Lin Yi's judgment was terrifyingly accurate.

That seemingly dangerous mine tunnel actually had all its killing intent deactivated.

The residual Restrictions and Formations automatically dissipated before the Aura of the Hongmeng Chaos Body.

The group easily passed through the outer area as if they were taking a stroll.

The speed was so fast it was ridiculous.

On the other hand, over at Ye Chen's side.

He was currently being chased up and down by a Vicious Beast that had crawled out from underground.

He was in a state of utter wretchedness, crawling and rolling away.

Lin Yi saw this scene through his Primordial Immortal Pupil.

He shook his head.

"Keep it up, treasure-hunting rat!"

"I have great confidence in you!"

He stood with his hands behind his back on a high cliff, overlooking the entire ancient mine.

Under the scan of the Primordial Immortal Pupil.

Ye Chen's figure, struggling through the mine veins.

Was approaching the core area of the ancient mine step by step.

The corners of Lin Yi's mouth slowly curled into an arc.

The treasure-hunting rat is in position.

Then...

The game begins.

Su Yuxi stood behind Lin Yi, looking at his confident appearance.

The curiosity in her heart grew even stronger.

What exactly is this man planning?

Why does he know everything about this ancient mine like the back of his hand?

How many more secrets is he hiding?

Su Yuxi bit her lip, a complex light flickering in her beautiful eyes.

She found that she could see through Lin Yi less and less.

But strangely, the less she could see through him.

The more she wanted to get closer!

...

On the other side.

Taichu Ancient Mine, outer mine veins.

After Ye Chen had just shaken off a Vicious Beast that had emerged from the ground.

He leaned against a cold rock wall, panting heavily.

His black martial attire was already tattered.

On his left shoulder, a bone-deep wound was seeping blood.

It was left behind during the fight with the Vicious Beast just now.

The two Dao Protectors weren't doing much better.

One had lost half an arm, and the other had three claw marks on his face.

"Young Master Ye, this place is too dangerous. Why don't we retreat first and plan further?"

The one-armed Dao Protector advised, his voice full of exhaustion.

Hearing this, Ye Chen suddenly looked up.

In those bloodshot eyes, a flame called obsession burned.

"Retreat?"

"You want me to retreat?"

"I think you want me to die!"

He squeezed these words through his teeth, his voice hoarse.

"By now, I have no way back!!"

The humiliation at the auction.

The stolen Double Pupil Origin.

Lin Yi's calm and unruffled face.

These images surged repeatedly in his mind every moment.

If he, Ye Chen, couldn't even get the ancient divine source.

Then his life would be completely over!

Not only would his Ancient Desolate Holy Body be unable to reach Major Achievement, but the curse of the Source Heaven Master lineage would also trigger early.

At that time.

Only one ending awaited him.

Covered in red hair, an ominous youth!

He wouldn't even have the qualification for an ominous old age!

And then, death!

And it would be a pathetic, inexplicable death.

"Enough nonsense, keep going."

Ye Chen took out a Medicinal Pill and swallowed it, forcibly suppressing his injuries.

Then, gritting his teeth, he stood up and continued forward.

The two Dao Protectors looked at each other and followed helplessly.

Ye Chen took out that ancient compass from his bosom, formed a seal with his fingers, and poured in spiritual power.

The needle on the compass spun wildly for a while.

Finally, it pointed toward a certain direction deep within the mine veins.

"There it is!"

The spiritual power around Ye Chen erupted, and strange runes appeared in his eyes once again.

This was the secret technique of the Source Heaven Master lineage—Heaven-Observing Pathfinding Art!

By sensing the flow of residual Heaven and Earth Source Qi within the ley lines.

To judge which path was safe and which had killing intent.

Having found the only safe passage, Ye Chen couldn't help but laugh wildly, his arrogance reaching the sky:

"Hahaha, as expected, I, Ye Chen, am the true Child of Destiny!"

His gaze was cold and disdainful, and he mocked in his heart:

"Lin Yi, oh Lin Yi, this Taichu Ancient Mine is full of killing intent and extreme danger.

At this moment, you must be trapped in a desperate situation, unable to move an inch, right?"

"I already said, do not covet Opportunities that do not belong to you!

For Forbidden Grounds you shouldn't touch, forcing your way in will only lead to death!

This Taichu Ancient Mine was never a place you could covet or be qualified to step into!"