169: Chapter 169 Earth Vein Spirit Cave, Primordial Spirit Immortal Milk

The vast, ancient forest was boundless, seemingly without end.

Lin Wan moved through the towering ancient trees, his figure like a ghost. His Aura merged perfectly with the surrounding environment, as if he had become a part of the ancient forest. Having promoted to Earth Immortal and with his chaos reincarnation immortal body reaching Minor Achievement, his control over his power was more minute. While traveling, he barely leaked any Aura, avoiding many hidden dangers.

He did not rush to the "Earth Vein Spirit Cave" marked on the animal skin map. Instead, he first explored the ancient forest, collecting some Spirit Medicine and familiarizing himself with the Secret Realm environment, while also wanting to see if there were any other "tails" following him.

Facts proved his caution was correct. In the following three days, he encountered three more waves of attacks. One wave came from "Tian Sha Sect," and two waves from "Black Flame Valley." All were at the Earth Immortal Middle Stage, with numbers ranging from two to four people. These people did not seem to know Lin Wan's specific strength and were just following orders, using ruthless methods, launching killing moves right from the start.

The result was naturally without suspense. Under the suppression of the Chaos Reincarnation Domain, combined with the Chaos Return to Void Fist and Samsara Tribulation Finger, Lin Wan easily dealt with these waves of enemies, harvested their Storage Rings, and also confirmed once again that the Xuan Yin Sect, Tian Sha Sect, and Black Flame Valley—these three forces—were indeed joining hands to target him, wanting to eliminate him in the Donghua Secret Realm and seize the secrets on him.

"The Earth Immortal Late Stage has not yet appeared. It seems they are being kept as a backup or have other tasks." Lin Wan analyzed in his heart. After resolving these small fries, he also harvested quite a few Spirit Medicine and Ore. Although the grade was not particularly high, it could still be exchanged for quite a few immortal crystals. More importantly, from the Storage Ring of one of the Black Flame Valley Cultivators, he found a more detailed Secret Realm map. It marked several dangerous areas and resource points, among which was the "Earth Vein Spirit Cave," and it was marked as "Extremely dangerous, suspected to have a Heavenly Immortal rank Yao Beast lurking."

"Heavenly Immortal rank Yao Beast..." Lin Wan frowned slightly. With his current strength, dealing with Earth Immortal Late Stage was fine, but facing a Heavenly Immortal, even a Yao Beast at the Early Stage of Heavenly Immortal, he had almost no chance of winning. Yao Beasts were usually stronger than Cultivators of the same rank because they had strong physical bodies and strange innate Divine Abilities. However, the temptation of the origin spirit immortal milk was truly too great, and the location marked on the animal skin map seemed to be on the periphery of the Earth Vein Spirit Cave, not the core area. Perhaps there was a chance to avoid that Heavenly Immortal rank Yao Beast.

"Wealth is sought in danger. I will go to the periphery to investigate first. If it is impossible, it will not be too late to retreat." Lin Wan made up his mind and, following the map's instructions, sneaked toward the direction of the Earth Vein Spirit Cave.

Traveling for another two days, crossing several dangerous Yao Beast territories, and avoiding several naturally formed deadly Restrictions, Lin Wan finally approached the area marked on the map.

The Spiritual Qi in the air became unusually dense, even forming faint spirit mists. Beneath the earth, low roars faintly came, as if a giant dragon was turning over underground—that was the sound of the flow of Earth Vein Spiritual Qi. The surrounding plants also became taller and more lush, with long years, and among them were many rare Spirit Plants.

"It should be around here." Lin Wan slowed down, his Divine Sense pouring out like mercury, carefully probing everything around him. He was already very close to the Earth Vein Spirit Cave, and the level of danger had greatly increased; he had to be extremely careful.

Soon, at the bottom of an inconspicuous cliff, he found a cave entrance covered by vines and rubble. The entrance was only a person's height, pitch black and bottomless, with pure Spiritual Qi and scorching Earth Fire Aura faintly pouring out from the cave. The rocks around the entrance showed a dark red color, as if they had been scorched by Earth Fire for a long time.

"One of the entrances to the Earth Vein Spirit Cave." Lin Wan compared it with the map and confirmed that this was one of the entrances. The map indicated that there were numerous entrances to the Earth Vein Spirit Cave, leading in all directions like a maze, but they would all eventually lead to the core area of the Earth Vein Spirit Cave. That was where the Earth Fire Spiritual Veins converged, and also the lair of the Heavenly Immortal rank Yao Beast, the "Earth Fire Flame Lizard King." And the marking point for the origin spirit immortal milk was in a "Spirit Milk Cave" on the periphery of the Earth Vein Spirit Cave, which required passing through several complex side paths to reach.

Lin Wan did not enter immediately but concealed his Aura and lurked near the entrance, observing carefully. His Divine Sense was powerful, and he could faintly sense several hidden Auras near the entrance, seemingly waiting for something.

"Sure enough, I am not the only one eyeing the origin spirit immortal milk." Lin Wan realized in his heart. Such a heaven and earth spiritual treasure as the origin spirit immortal milk could not possibly be known only to him. The people from Xuan Yin Sect, Tian Sha Sect, and Black Flame Valley perhaps did not only have him as their target; this origin spirit immortal milk was probably also one of their goals.

After waiting for about half an hour, the several Auras near the entrance began to stir. Three figures appeared silently from their hiding spots, vigilantly observed the surroundings, and then quickly flashed into the cave entrance. These three were two men and one woman, all at the Earth Immortal Middle Stage. Judging by their attire, they seemed to be Disciples of some medium-sized Sect.

"Having someone to scout the way is good." Lin Wan did not rush to follow. After waiting for a moment and confirming that no one else was lurking, his figure flickered, and like a ghost, he followed in silently.

Inside the cave, it was much wider than imagined. The passages wound downward, leading in all directions like a spider web. On the cave walls, some Ores that could emit light on their own were embedded, emitting a faint glow, barely allowing one to see the path. The further in he went, the higher the temperature, the more scorching the air, and the denser the Spiritual Qi. The mixed Aura of Earth Fire and Spiritual Qi flowed in the passage, forming strands of scorching airflow.

Lin Wan restrained his Aura and, like a shadow, hung far behind the three. The three clearly knew something about the terrain here, as their speed was not slow. When encountering side paths, they almost did not stop and directly chose a passage to enter.

Deep in the cave, the low roars of Yao Beasts and the sounds of fighting could be heard from time to time. Clearly, someone was fighting the Yao Beasts lurking here. In the Earth Vein Spirit Cave, many fire-attribute Yao Beasts lived, such as "Earth Fire Lizards," "Lava Beasts," and "Fire Bats," with strength ranging from Human Immortal to Earth Immortal. The three had good luck; the route they chose seemed to avoid powerful Yao Beasts, only encountering a few Human Immortal-level Fire Bats, which were easily dealt with by them.

Lin Wan followed behind and also casually dealt with a few low-level Yao Beasts that were blind, harvesting some fire-attribute Ore and Materials.

After going deep for dozens of miles, the passage in front began to narrow, and the temperature was terrifyingly high. The Earth Fire Aura was so dense it almost turned into tangible flames. The three stopped in front of a relatively spacious cave hall, their expressions grave, as if there was some danger ahead.

Lin Wan hid behind a huge stalactite, his Divine Sense quietly extending out. He saw that in the center of the cave hall, there was a small pool several feet in diameter. The pool did not contain ordinary water, but a milky white, viscous liquid emitting strong spiritual light and a refreshing fragrance—it was exactly the "origin spirit immortal milk"! The pool was not big, but the origin spirit immortal milk contained within it was estimated to be more than a dozen drops!

And beside the small pool, a behemoth was lying prone. It was a Yao Beast with a completely crimson body, covered in heavy scales, resembling a pangolin, but its size was dozens of times larger. Its body length exceeded ten zhang, like a small hill, and it was sleeping with closed eyes, snoring like thunder. Every breath it took exhaled a scorching Earth Fire Aura. Its Aura had clearly reached the Peak of Earth Immortal Late Stage, only one step away from Heavenly Immortal!

"Earth Fire Pangolin!" Lin Wan recognized this Yao Beast. The Earth Fire Pangolin was the king among fire-attribute Yao Beasts. It had extremely strong defense, could travel underground, and could spit Earth Fire lava from its mouth. Its strength was comparable to an Earth Immortal Peak Cultivator, and it was thick-skinned and extremely difficult to deal with.

"Senior Brother, it's an Earth Fire Pangolin, Peak of Earth Immortal Late Stage!" Among the three, the female Cultivator with a pretty face and petite figure had a pale face and transmitted her voice.

"What are you afraid of! The three of us from 'Spirit Sword Sect' are at the Earth Immortal Middle Stage. If we join hands to set up the 'Three Talents Sword Formation,' it is not impossible to slay this beast!" The leader was a young man with a resolute face and a long sword on his back, who said in a deep voice, "The origin spirit immortal milk is right before our eyes. Are we to return empty-handed?"

"Senior Brother Li is right! Although this Earth Fire Pangolin is strong, its intelligence is not high. If we set up the sword formation to trap it, then quickly take the immortal milk and retreat immediately, it is not impossible to have a chance!" Another short and fat Cultivator also said, his eyes flashing with greed.

"Good! Then let's give it a try! Set up the formation!" The petite female Cultivator gritted her teeth and also made up her mind.

The three quickly separated, surrounding the Earth Fire Pangolin in a triangle shape. At the same time, they pinched sword incantations, and the long swords on their backs unsheathed with a "clank," hovering in the air. Sword light spat out, their Auras connected, and in an instant, they set up a "Three Talents Sword Formation" with menacing sword light, trapping the Earth Fire Pangolin in the formation.

"Roar—!"

As soon as the sword formation was raised, the Earth Fire Pangolin was immediately alarmed, waking up from its deep sleep and letting out a deafening roar. Its lantern-sized crimson eyes stared fixedly at the three, full of violence and killing intent. Its massive body suddenly stood up, its thick tail swept across, bringing up a scorching gale, fiercely whipping towards the sword formation.

"Sword Formation, rise!"

Senior Brother Li shouted sharply, and the three simultaneously activated their sword incantations. The three Flying Swords burst with light, and the Sword Qi crisscrossed, turning into countless sharp sword lights that slashed at the Earth Fire Pangolin.

"Ding ding dang dang..."

A sound of metal clashing rang out, and sparks flew everywhere. The Earth Fire Pangolin's scale armor defense was indeed astonishing. The Sword Qi of the Three Talents Sword Formation slashed on it, but it could only leave white marks and could not break through the defense! Instead, the Earth Fire Pangolin's tail was powerful and heavy, whipping on the light screen of the sword formation, shaking the light screen violently, and the three people's faces also turned slightly pale.

"What a strong defense!" The short and fat Cultivator exclaimed.

"Don't panic! Trap it! Attack its weak points like its eyes and mouth!" Senior Brother Li was still calm and directed them.

The three constantly changed positions, activating the sword formation. The sword light was like rain, specifically attacking the relatively weak points of the Earth Fire Pangolin such as its eyes, nostrils, and mouth. The Earth Fire Pangolin was annoyed by the harassment of the sword light, roaring repeatedly, and spitting out scorching Earth Fire lava from its mouth, rushing towards the sword formation like a fire dragon.

"Watch out for the Earth Fire!" The petite female Cultivator exclaimed and quickly activated her Flying Sword to slash at the Earth Fire lava.

"Boom!"

The Earth Fire lava collided with the sword light, erupting with a violent energy explosion, and the entire cave hall was shaking. The Earth Fire lava spat out by the Earth Fire Pangolin had an extremely high temperature and carried strong corrosiveness. The sword light was constantly consumed, and the light screen of the sword formation also dimmed a bit.

"This beast is formidable! Prolonged battle is disadvantageous!" Senior Brother Li's face was ugly. The defense and attack of the Earth Fire Pangolin far exceeded their expectations. Although the Three Talents Sword Formation could trap it for a while, the consumption was huge. If they dragged it on, I am afraid it would be them who couldn't hold on first.

"Senior Brother, what should we do?" The petite female Cultivator had sweat on her forehead and asked anxiously.

"Fight it! Use that move! Quick battle, quick decision!" A ruthless look flashed in Senior Brother Li's eyes. He looked at the other two, and simultaneously bit the tips of their tongues, spitting out a mouthful of essential blood, sprinkling it on their respective Flying Swords.

"Three Talents as One, Slay the Demon and Exterminate the Evil!"

The three shouted in unison. The three Flying Swords, having absorbed the essential blood, burst with light, and instantly merged into one, turning into a giant sword several zhang long. With the momentum to cut and destroy everything, it slashed fiercely towards the head of the Earth Fire Pangolin! This sword strike condensed the essential blood and most of the immortal energy of the three, and its power had reached the level of Earth Immortal Peak!

The Earth Fire Pangolin also seemed to feel the threat. A flash of fear crossed its crimson eyes, and it roared. Its whole body's scales suddenly opened, gushing out crimson flames, condensing into a thick flame shield in front of it. At the same time, its thick tail also whipped like a steel whip towards the falling giant sword.

"Boom—!!!"

The giant sword collided fiercely with the flame shield and the giant tail, erupting with an earth-shaking loud noise! The entire cave hall shook violently, gravel fell down with a rustle, and the ground was cracked with fissures. The violent energy shockwave swept out, shattering the stalactites and stalagmites in the cave hall.

"Pfft!"

"Pfft!"

"Pfft!"

Senior Brother Li and the other two simultaneously spat out a large mouthful of blood, their faces as pale as paper, and their Auras were withered. That giant sword, after shattering the flame shield and sending the giant tail flying, also exhausted its power. It let out a whine and turned back into three Flying Swords with dim light, flying backward.

Looking at the Earth Fire Pangolin again, it was also miserable. The flame shield was shattered, the giant tail was dripping with blood, revealing white bones, and there was a sword mark deep enough to see the bone on its head. Crimson blood flowed out continuously, dyeing half of its body red. It let out a painful and angry roar. Although its Aura was much weaker, it clearly still had the strength to fight. Its crimson eyes stared fixedly at Senior Brother Li and the other two, full of violent killing intent.

"Not good! We failed to kill it in one blow! Retreat quickly!" Senior Brother Li's expression changed drastically. He forcibly raised a breath of immortal energy, intending to take his Junior Brother and Junior Sister to retreat.

However, the Earth Flame Pangolin was clearly thoroughly enraged. Ignoring its injuries, its massive body lunged forward violently. Opening its blood-filled maw, it spat out a mouthful of incredibly scorching Earth Flame Magma, carrying a foul, fishy stench, like an angry dragon towards the three!

This mouthful of Earth Flame Magma contained its raging power, its might several times stronger than before. If they were hit, the three would undoubtedly die!

"Junior Sister, watch out!"

"Junior Brother, retreat quickly!"

Senior Brother Li and the short, stout Cultivator were terrified to the extreme. They wanted to dodge, but the previous strike had consumed too much of their energy. At this moment, their blood and Qi were churning, and their circulation of Immortal Yuan was obstructed, causing them to be a beat too slow! It looked as if the three were about to be engulfed by the Earth Flame Magma!

Just at this moment, a sudden change occurred!

A cyan figure, like a ghost, abruptly appeared in front of the three. Facing the Earth Flame Magma capable of melting metal and iron, the cyan figure did not dodge or evade, but merely slowly raised its right hand, spread its five fingers, and lightly clenched them towards the surging Earth Flame Magma.

"Chaos, Return to Void."

The calm voice rang out in the scorching cave hall.

The next moment, a scene appeared that the three, including Senior Brother Li, would never forget for the rest of their lives. That Earth Flame Magma, capable of burning metal, melting iron, and destroying everything, seemed to strike an invisible barrier when it approached within three feet of the cyan figure's palm. Then, at a speed visible to the naked eye, it rapidly melted and decomposed, turning into the most primitive fire-attribute Spiritual Qi, which was devoured by the cyan figure's palm as if by a great whale drinking water! In the blink of an eye, the raging Earth Flame Magma disappeared without a trace, as if it had never appeared at all.

The cave hall instantly fell silent. There was only the heavy panting of the Earth Flame Pangolin and the incredulous gasps of Senior Brother Li and the other two.

"Roar?"

The Earth Flame Pangolin was also stunned. Its crimson eyes were filled with confusion and a trace of instinctive fear. Its full-force strike, capable of gravely injuring an Earth Immortal Late Stage Cultivator, had actually been resolved and devoured by someone so nonchalantly?

The cyan figure was naturally Lin Wan. He had not intended to intervene, but considering that these three had merit in "scouting the path," and they did not seem to be vicious, villainous people like those from the Xuan Yin Sect, Tian Sha Sect, or Black Flame Valley, he saved them in passing. Moreover, this Earth Flame Pangolin was still of some use to him.

"Sen... Senior?" Senior Brother Li was the first to react. Looking at the young man in cyan robes who had suddenly appeared before them and nonchalantly resolved the Earth Flame Pangolin's fatal strike, especially upon feeling the unfathomable Aura on him, he immediately understood that they had encountered an expert. He hurriedly pulled his Junior Brother and Junior Sister to bow and salute. "Thank you, Senior, for saving our lives!"

"Tha... Thank you, Senior, for saving our lives!" The short, stout Cultivator and the petite female Cultivator also reacted, hurriedly following suit to salute, their eyes filled with gratitude and lingering fear. If this Senior had not intervened just now, the three of them would have already been reduced to ashes.

Lin Wan waved his hand, his gaze falling on the Earth Flame Pangolin in front, which remained vigilant but already showed fear in its eyes.

"Just right, let's test the power of the Chaos Reincarnation Domain after advancing to Earth Immortal." Lin Wan took a step forward, and the Chaos Reincarnation Domain unfolded silently, instantly shrouding the entire cave hall.

Gray, hazy Chaos Qi permeated the area, with faint phantoms of Reincarnation floating within. Inside the Domain, the Earth Flame Pangolin felt as if it had fallen into a quagmire; its movements became incomparably sluggish. The dense fire-attribute Spiritual Qi around it was also rapidly devoured and assimilated by the gray mist, making it unable to absorb and recover. What made it even more terrified was that an Aura of ending, decay, and decline was constantly eroding its vitality and Divine Soul!

"Roar!"

The Earth Flame Pangolin let out a low growl filled with fear and turned to burrow into the ground; this was its innate Divine Ability—Earth Burrowing Technique.

"Samsara, Tribulation Finger."

Lin Wan pointed a finger, and a grayish-black finger energy, launched later but arriving first, instantly submerged into the Earth Flame Pangolin's body. The Earth Flame Pangolin's massive body suddenly stiffened, and the luster in its eyes rapidly dimmed, as if it had instantly experienced the erosion of thousands of years of time. Its vitality flowed away rapidly, and its massive body withered and decayed at a speed visible to the naked eye, finally collapsing with a bang, turning into a pile of dry bones that turned into fly ash with a gust of wind.

An Earth Flame Pangolin at the Peak of Earth Immortal Late Stage with astonishing defensive power could not even withstand a single breath under Lin Wan's Chaos Reincarnation Domain and Samsara Tribulation Finger, and it completely perished, its body and soul destroyed!

Silence.

A deathly silence.

Senior Brother Li and the other two had their mouths wide open, their eyeballs nearly popping out. They looked at Lin Wan as if they had seen a ghost, then looked at the pile of dry bones on the ground that had rapidly turned into fly ash, feeling a chill surge from the soles of their feet straight to their crowns.

This... what kind of method is this? The Earth Flame Pangolin at the Peak of Earth Immortal Late Stage, just like that... gone?

Who exactly is this Senior before us? Could it be... a Heavenly Immortal?

At the thought of a Heavenly Immortal, the three were so scared that their legs went weak. A Heavenly Immortal, that is an existence capable of founding a Sect and reigning as an ancestor! In the entire Donghua Immortal Domain, there are only a few dozen Heavenly Immortals, and every one of them is a high and mighty big shot, elusive as a dragon! In their "Lingjian Sect," the strongest is merely an Old Ancestor at the Earth Immortal Peak; they haven't even touched the threshold of a Heavenly Immortal. Could this person before them be a suspected Heavenly Immortal?

"Sen... Senior..." Senior Brother Li's voice was trembling, and his gaze towards Lin Wan was filled with awe, and even a trace of fear. Just moments ago, they wanted to fight this Senior for the origin spirit immortal milk? It was truly like an old man eating arsenic—tired of living!

"The origin spirit immortal milk belongs to me. Do you have any objections?" Lin Wan turned around, looked at the three, and asked indifferently. His voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable majesty.

"We dare not! We dare not! This origin spirit immortal milk is naturally the Senior's! It is already a great fortune that we could save our lives; how could we dare to covet the Senior's items!" Senior Brother Li waved his hands repeatedly, his head shaking like a rattle-drum. The short, stout Cultivator and the petite female Cultivator also nodded hurriedly, indicating they had absolutely no objections.

Just kidding, fighting for items with a suspected Heavenly Immortal Senior? Unless they were tired of living.

"Hmm." Lin Wan nodded, quite satisfied with their sensibility. He walked to the small pool, took out several jade bottles he had prepared long ago, and carefully collected all the origin spirit immortal milk in the pool, not leaving a single drop. There were eighteen drops in total; the milky-white immortal milk emitted an alluring spiritual light and a fragrant scent within the jade bottles.

"This Earth Flame Pangolin's corpse is still of some use to you. Take it for Artifact Refining or to exchange for resources." Lin Wan pointed to the side of the pile of dry bones on the ground, where the Earth Flame Pangolin's Yao Beast Core, as well as a few of the hardest scales and sharp claws, lay. These Materials were also decent Artifact Refining Materials for Earth Immortal Cultivators.

"Thank you, Senior, for the reward!" Upon hearing this, the three, including Senior Brother Li, were overjoyed and hurriedly thanked him. Although the most precious origin spirit immortal milk was gone, being able to obtain the Yao Beast Core and Materials of an Earth Immortal Late Stage Peak Yao Beast could be considered a worthwhile trip. Moreover, they had saved their lives.

"The matter here is concluded; leave quickly. Deep within the Earth Vein Spirit Cave, there are Heavenly Immortal-level Yao Beasts entrenched; it is not a place you can set foot in." Lin Wan said to the three after putting away the origin spirit immortal milk.

"Yes, yes, yes! We will leave immediately! Thank you, Senior, for the reminder! Senior's great kindness, Lingjian Sect's Li Qing (Wang Hu, Liu Yiyi) will keep it in our hearts!" The three, including Senior Brother Li, bowed and saluted again, then dared not linger, quickly leaving the cave hall and returning along the path they came.

After the three left, Lin Wan did not leave immediately. He walked to the place where the Earth Flame Pangolin had originally been lying. There was a small hole the size of a washbasin, bottomless, and wisps of incomparably pure Earth Vein Spiritual Qi were rising from the hole.

"There seems to be something else below." Lin Wan's Divine Sense probed into the small hole and discovered that there was a hidden world below, seemingly a small underground space where the Spiritual Qi was so dense it had almost turned into liquid.

He did not hesitate any longer. His figure flickered, turning into a stream of light, and he dove into the small hole.

The small hole went straight down for about a hundred zhang. After landing, he found a sealed stone chamber only a few zhang in circumference. In the center of the stone chamber, there was a small stone basin. Inside the basin was a pool of milky-white, crystal-clear liquid that emitted an even richer fragrance. Its volume was nearly half less than the origin spirit immortal milk in the pool outside, but the spiritual light was more restrained, and the Aura was even purer.

"This is... the essence of the origin spirit immortal milk? Or rather, is it the 'Milk Heart' of the origin spirit immortal milk?" A trace of pleasant surprise flashed in Lin Wan's eyes. According to the records of "Immortal Realm Strange Tales," in places where origin spirit immortal milk gathers, after passing through tens of thousands of years, there is a very small chance that a small pool of "Milk Heart" will be born at the core. This is where the essence of the origin spirit immortal milk lies, and its effect is more than ten times that of ordinary origin spirit immortal milk; it is of great use even to Heavenly Immortals!

Unexpectedly, hidden under this Earth Flame Pangolin's lair was a pool of "Milk Heart"! This beast certainly knew how to enjoy itself, hiding this "Milk Heart" under its lair to slowly absorb it. No wonder it could Cultivate to the Peak of Earth Immortal Late Stage.

"This trip was worth it." Lin Wan was happy in his heart. He took out a higher-quality jade bottle and carefully collected this small pool of "Milk Heart." There were only five drops in total, but each drop seemed to contain the essence of a small Spiritual Vein, and its value was immeasurable.

After putting away the "Milk Heart," Lin Wan carefully inspected the stone chamber again. After confirming there were no other treasures, he left the small hole with satisfaction and returned to the cave hall above.

"The origin spirit immortal milk is in hand, and I also obtained five extra drops of 'Milk Heart'; the harvest is quite abundant. I can find a place to consume the immortal milk and improve my cultivation." Lin Wan calculated in his heart. Although this place was temporarily safe, the commotion just now was not small, and it would inevitably attract others. Moreover, if the Heavenly Immortal-level Yao Beast "Earth Flame Lizard King" deep in the Earth Vein Spirit Cave were disturbed, it would be troublesome.

He did not linger any longer. His figure flickered, ghost-like, and he quickly left the Earth Vein Spirit Cave along the path he had come.

Shortly after Lin Wan left, several figures quietly appeared in the cave hall. The leader was that middle-aged man with a feminine face from the Xuan Yin Sect, who had an Earth Immortal Late Stage cultivation base. Behind him followed four others, whose Auras were all at the Earth Immortal Middle Stage.

"The Earth Flame Pangolin is dead, and the origin spirit immortal milk is gone too." The feminine man inspected the scene, his face looking terribly gloomy. "Looking at these traces, it was instantly killed by a strange power carrying an Aura of ending and decay, and there wasn't even time to collect the Yao Beast Core or most of the Materials. Was it done by that Lin Wan?"

"Elder, could that Lin Wan have already advanced to Earth Immortal? And is his strength so terrifying?" A subordinate asked, filled with suspicion and uncertainty. The Earth Flame Pangolin at the Peak of Earth Immortal Late Stage would require some effort even for their Elder to take down, yet there were almost no signs of a fight at the scene, and the Earth Flame Pangolin was killed. This strength was probably already close to a Heavenly Immortal!

"Hmph! Regardless of his strength, if he dares to kill people from my Xuan Yin Sect and take treasures that my Xuan Yin Sect has taken a fancy to, he must die!" A cold light flickered in the feminine man's eyes. "He obtained the origin spirit immortal milk; he will definitely find a place to refine it. Send word to the people of the Tian Sha Sect and Black Flame Valley to blockade the outer area of the Earth Vein Spirit Cave and search inch by inch! He won't run far!"

"Yes!"

Lin Wan did not know that the people from the Xuan Yin Sect, Tian Sha Sect, and Black Flame Valley had already set up a dragnet on the perimeter of the Earth Vein Spirit Cave. At this moment, he was hiding his Aura, traveling through the maze-like passages of the Earth Vein Spirit Cave, looking for a safe and hidden place to prepare to refine the origin spirit immortal milk.

He held the animal skin map obtained from the Xuan Yin Sect Cultivator in his hand. Comparing it with the more detailed map he had just obtained, he discovered that apart from marking the "Earth Vein Spirit Cave" and "origin spirit immortal milk," there was another location marked with a special symbol, with two blurred ancient characters written on it—"Fire Lotus."

"Fire Lotus? Could it be... an Earth Core Fire Lotus?" Lin Wan's heart stirred. The Earth Core Fire Lotus is also a rare fire-attribute heaven and earth spiritual treasure, usually growing at the core of Earth Fire Spiritual Veins, containing incomparably pure Earth Fire essence. It is a top-grade material for cultivating fire-attribute Cultivation Techniques, tempering the Physical Body, and refining fire-attribute Medicinal Pills, its value not inferior to the origin spirit immortal milk.

"It seems that this Xuan Yin Sect has long had designs on several treasure locations in the Secret Realm. That's good; it saves me from searching slowly. After I refine the origin spirit immortal milk and my strength improves further, I will go to this 'Fire Lotus' marked point to take a look." A cold smile curled at the corners of Lin Wan's mouth. Want to kill him and seize treasures? Then let's see who is the hunter and who is the prey in the end.

He accelerated, quickly disappearing into the deep, dark passage. A game of hunting and counter-hunting was about to unfold in this crisis-ridden Earth Vein Spirit Cave.