48: Booth

The gravity on Han Yuexi’s face.

It plunged into Lu Yuan’s heart lake.

Yet, it didn't stir a single ripple.

His heartbeat rhythm was no different than usual.

Ye Chen had gone missing.

The only dark-red variable in the [Sand Table Deduction] had slipped out of control.

In the depths of Lu Yuan’s pupils, that cool and anxious face silently overlapped with another scene.

The Azure Cloud Sect’s mountain-protecting array.

That immense energy wasn't for protection.

It was suppression.

Countless clues and deductions instantly completed a new, even crazier reorganization in his mind.

So that’s how it is.

He raised his head, looking towards the God Burying Abyss, his voice calm, devoid of any warmth.

“Go.”

“We don’t have much time.”

...On the outskirts of the God Burying Abyss, in a withered ancient forest.

The night wind passed through the gnarled branches, emitting long, sharp friction sounds.

Lu Yuan’s figure emerged from the shadows.

Han Yuexi and Su Qing followed closely behind him.

This was their agreed-upon final rendezvous point.

Han Yuexi’s gaze fell on Lu Yuan; she couldn't understand why this man could maintain such cold composure after learning that the biggest variable was out of control.

It was as if Ye Chen’s deviation was also part of his backup plan.

Lu Yuan ignored Han Yuexi’s scrutiny and turned his gaze to Su Qing.

The young girl’s face was filled with tension and unease.

“Junior Sister Su.”

Lu Yuan’s voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable power.

“In the plan that follows, you only need to do one thing.”

“When I tell you to act, infuse all the power within your body into the Divine Plant at the center of the valley.”

“This will buy me ten breaths of time.”

He didn't explain the reason, didn't describe the danger, but merely stated a task.

Su Qing looked into Lu Yuan’s deep eyes.

There was no deception, no exploitation, only a pure dedication to his goal.

She recalled the bottle of pills that had changed her fate and the seemingly unintentional guidance he had given.

She nodded heavily.

“I understand, Senior Brother Lu.”

Trust was Lu Yuan’s most successful investment in her.

The three no longer spoke, their figures transforming into three faint phantoms, silently infiltrating the deep valley where even light seemed to be swallowed.

The God Burying Abyss.

As soon as they stepped into the valley entrance, a heavy scent, mixed with decaying rust and old blood, assailed them, clinging stickily to their skin.

The air was dead silent.

There wasn't even a breath of wind.

As soon as Lu Yuan’s Divine Sense spread out a wisp, it touched several powerful auras, like barriers.

They were entrenched in various corners of the valley, confronting and guarding against each other.

Profound Ice Palace.

Demon Flame Valley.

And the most deeply hidden one, the Cultivation Realm old monster from Myriad Sword Villa.

All had arrived.

Han Yuexi flipped her jade hand, and a silken handkerchief, as thin as a cicada’s wing and embroidered with star patterns, appeared out of thin air.

Sky-Shrouding Scarf.

The handkerchief silently unfolded, transforming into a transparent ripple that completely erased the figures and auras of the three from this world.

They were traceless.

Under the cover of the scarf, the three stealthily made their way to a cliff deep within the valley.

From here, the scene at the bottom of the valley was completely visible.

In the center of the abyss, on a pitch-black giant rock, a plant no more than a foot tall was emitting nine-colored radiant light.

Every leaf shimmered with a halo, and the radiant light pulsed like breathing, illuminating the entire valley floor like a dream.

Nine-Revolutions Soul-Returning Grass.

Beside the Divine Plant, a demonic beast, shaped like a Qilin and covered in dark golden scales, lay prostrate on the ground.

Its eyes were tightly closed, its breathing long and steady.

Each exhalation caused the surrounding space to subtly vibrate.

A peak Cultivation Realm guardian beast.

In the valley, there was a deathly silence.

All the lurking powerhouses were waiting.

Waiting for the moment the Divine Plant fully matured and its medicinal power reached its peak.

That would be the signal.

The opening signal for a bloody battle.

Lu Yuan’s gaze, however, did not linger on the Divine Plant or the demonic beast.

He looked at the transaction interface in his mind, which only he could see.

A crimson number was relentlessly ticking down.

【10】

【9】

His heartbeat, at this moment, seemed to coincide with the countdown.

The sound of blood flowing was infinitely magnified in his ears.

【8】

He could feel Su Qing’s body trembling slightly; that was the most instinctive reaction when facing boundless pressure.

【7】

Han Yuexi’s fingertips were already clutching a jade talisman emitting terrifying fluctuations—her life-saving trump card.

【6】

...【3】

【2】

【1】

Lu Yuan’s pupils suddenly contracted into their most dangerous point.

“Now!”

A low shout, like a clap of thunder, exploded in Su Qing’s mind.

Su Qing’s body trembled, and without hesitation, she activated the cold and noble power within her, awakened by Lu Yuan.

Lunar Spirit Physique!

A visible, almost material, lunar essence surged from her body, transforming into a silver beam of light that ignored distance and instantly enveloped the Nine-Revolutions Soul-Returning Grass at the bottom of the valley!

Buzz—!

The Divine Plant vibrated violently, its nine-colored radiant light flickering wildly, actually presenting the illusion of its medicinal power being complete and on the verge of maturity.

“Roar!”

The guardian demonic beast, which had been dormant, suddenly opened its eyes—a pair of violent and chaotic golden vertical pupils.

It had been deceived.

It roared, instinctively separating half of its Divine Soul Origin, surging towards the Divine Plant, attempting to complete the final nourishment.

Its aura, in an instant, plummeted to rock bottom.

The only period of weakness in ten thousand years had arrived prematurely!

This was the moment!

The spiritual power within Lu Yuan’s body circulated with unprecedented speed, and he was about to transform into a streak of light and rush out.

Boom!!!!

The entire God Burying Abyss, no, the ground within a hundred-mile radius, experienced a violent, destructive tremor at this moment!

At the very center of the valley, the black giant rock beneath the guardian demonic beast suddenly exploded!

Endless, ink-black demonic energy surged out from deep underground, shooting straight into the sky, dyeing the clouds above a nauseating black.

A figure, bathed in the monstrous demonic energy, slowly ascended into the air.

He wore tattered Azure Cloud Sect Disciple robes, his exposed skin covered in bizarre black demonic patterns, his aura violent and insane, and his cultivation had clearly reached the peak Golden Core (Cultivation Realm)!

A familiar yet unfamiliar face turned towards where Lu Yuan was hiding, his lips curling into a ferocious arc.

An arrogant and venomous laugh echoed throughout the entire valley.

“Lu Yuan!”

“I was also part of your scheme!”

Ye Chen!

He had emerged from the earth as a Demonic Son!