648: Chapter 638 Senichi (13)

As soon as the Zhao Family leader spoke, the atmosphere within the caravan shifted.

The hushed discussions from before were immediately silenced.

Whether it was the Loose Cultivators, the retainers, or even the few guards who had tagged along, everyone steadied their gazes; no one dared to bring up the probing from last night again.

"This Fellow Daoist is actually a True Immortal."

"He looks too young; he seems like someone from a major Sect out to gain experience."

"The Zhao Family really hit the jackpot this time, to be able to invite someone like this."

"Don't talk nonsense, didn't you hear how polite the Zhao Family leader was?"

Whispered exchanges spread through the caravan, and the surroundings became a bit quieter.

The middle-aged Zhao Family leader clearly changed his attitude as well, his tone slowing down.

"The two Fellow Daoists, it was my lack of insight last night; I failed to recognize an Immortal Master."

"Since we have arrived at the Zhao Family's territory, there is no need to be constrained from here on out."

"For this hunt, the two of you just need to observe the situation; if there is a need, the Zhao Family will protect you first."

He spoke very politely, and his posture was deferential.

The surrounding Loose Cultivators listened with envy.

The Zhao Family is a True Immortal Family; to be valued by them to this extent was already giving them a lot of Face.

Some people were secretly speculating about Qin Yun's background.

"He is most likely a Disciple of a major Immortal Sect."

"Otherwise, how could there be such a young True Immortal?"

"Perhaps he is a successor of some great Dao expert, out traveling."

"It is also possible he is a Prodigy from some hidden lineage, carrying an ancient legacy."

As these words were passed around, even the guards' gazes toward Qin Yun changed.

Chi Li sat on the edge of the carriage, arms crossed, watching all of this. There was no expression on his Face, but he was very clear in his heart.

These people changed their Faces too quickly.

So quickly, as if they had been prepared for a long time.

Qin Yun leaned against the carriage wall, his expression calm, as if he hadn't heard the speculations around him.

But the sense of unease in his heart grew even stronger.

The Zhao Family's attitude before and after was too different.

Last night they were still probing, and today they were pushing him toward the core position.

It was too smooth.

Too smooth, as if they had been waiting for him to nod all along.

The caravan continued forward, and the sky gradually darkened.

The mountain road also began to narrow.

The further they went, the fewer living things there were by the roadside; even the grass in the rock crevices had withered and turned black.

The middle-aged Zhao Family leader began to formally introduce information about that great demon.

"The Black Mountain Great Demon, at the True Immortal realm, has occupied this place for over thirty thousand years."

"This demon is adept at escaping and is best at hiding its Qi; once it senses something amiss, it can use the earth meridians within the mountain belly to flee."

"It once injured two True Immortal retainers of the Zhao Family, so this time, we absolutely cannot let it escape."

"The Loose Cultivators on the perimeter are responsible for sealing the path, the middle layer is to be surrounded by Zhao Family guards, and someone is needed on the flank to restrain it."

When he said this, he looked specifically at Qin Yun.

"Fellow Daoist Qin has profound strength; this position is the most suitable."

The words were praise.

But Chi Li immediately sensed the underlying meaning.

This was not trust.

It was throwing the most dangerous position over, letting someone else take the brunt of it first.

Qin Yun did not refuse, only asking one question.

"What is in its lair?"

The middle-aged man smiled.

"What else could there be in a great demon's lair?"

"Demon cores, demon bones, spirit mines, old blood pools; if luck is good, perhaps one might even dig up some ancient artifacts."

"If Fellow Daoist is interested, after the matter is concluded, all of it can be shared."

He spoke very casually, as if it were truly just an ordinary hunt.

But after hearing this, the doubt in Qin Yun's heart had settled into certainty.

The caravan traveled for another half an hour, and the fog ahead began to thicken.

Qin Yun swept the area with a perception technique from the Nine Arts, his brows slightly furrowed.

Something is wrong.

This mountain area has a problem.

The Demonic Qi is very heavy, yet it is not restless, as if something has been coiled in one place for a long time, not hunting everywhere.

There is also a very subtle fluctuation beneath the ground, like an old array being suppressed.

The mountain terrain and mist flow further away are also wrong, as if they had been altered by someone beforehand.

What is most wrong are those few Zhao Family guards.

On the surface, they are surrounding the area, but in reality, every movement is forcing everyone to veer toward the east side.

That side has the narrowest terrain.

And it is most suitable for sealing people in.

Chi Li also realized this and said in a low voice.

"They aren't afraid of the demon running away."

"They are afraid it won't retreat in that direction."

Qin Yun gave an affirmative grunt.

"You saw it too."

Chi Li shot him a sidelong glance.

"I'm not blind."

"I'm just hungry, not useless."

Qin Yun did not respond to this.

This youth has a sharp tongue, but his brain is not slow.

Being able to be chosen by the Nine-Headed Phoenix, he is also no ordinary person.

The caravan continued forward, and not long after, a low bestial roar came from the fog ahead.

The Black Mountain Great Demon had arrived.

It did not pounce out directly.

Instead, it stood on the edge of a cliff; its form resembled a giant ape covered in black scales, but it had bone spurs growing on its back, and a layer of gray-white mist was entwined between the bone spurs.

After seeing the crowd, it did not charge violently, but instead retreated half a step.

A flash of joy flickered in the eyes of the middle-aged Zhao Family leader.

"Attack."

With the middle-aged man's shout, the Zhao Family guards and the perimeter Loose Cultivators lunged out simultaneously.

The circle began to tighten.

The Black Mountain Great Demon resisted at first, but later, as if it sensed something, it suddenly became agitated, turning to circle around a certain piece of terrain, as if it would rather die than retreat to a certain point.

Qin Yun's eyes narrowed.

This is not just a simple demon hunt.

The Zhao Family people no longer bothered to hide it; the guards' positioning became increasingly clear, forcibly pushing the battle line toward the east side.

The mountain wall there is thinner, and the terrain is narrower.

The Black Mountain Great Demon suddenly let out an angry roar and slammed its palms into the ground.

The mountain split open.

An ancient stone gate buried underground slowly revealed itself.

The gate was covered in black patterns, but in the center of the black patterns, a faint immortal light flowed.

At this moment, everyone was stunned.

It is not an ordinary demon lair.

It is the entrance to an Immortal Cave.

And an Immortal Cave that had been guarded by a great demon for a long time.

The middle-aged Zhao Family leader's breathing grew heavier; the greed in his eyes could no longer be hidden.

"It really is here."

His voice was very soft, as if afraid of startling something.

The perimeter Loose Cultivators finally reacted.

"An Immortal Cave?"

"The Zhao Family knew all along?"

"We were used to scout the path?"

"The demon hunt is fake, opening the gate is real?"

As the shouts became chaotic, the formation also fell into disarray.

The middle-aged Zhao Family leader's expression darkened.

"Shut up!"

"Whoever moves again, dies."

The guards immediately drew their weapons, their auras simultaneously locking onto the surrounding Loose Cultivators.

At this, everyone fully understood.

They were not here to hunt from the very beginning.

They were here to serve as bait.

The Black Mountain Great Demon was guarding the Immortal Cave.

The Zhao Family knew.

They deliberately recruited so many people just to let everyone take the brunt of the initial killing intent, and then force the great demon into the most suitable position.

What they really wanted to open was not a demon lair.

It was this Immortal Cave.

Watching the reactions of the Zhao Family members, the last bit of speculation in Qin Yun's heart was confirmed.

The Zhao Family had hidden things very deeply.

Polite on the surface, but in reality, they had already calculated everyone into the scheme.

The Black Mountain Great Demon suddenly let out a long howl, turned its head, and swiped a claw at the stone gate.

The gate patterns lit up.

A layer of gray-white ancient array rose, directly knocking it back several zhang.

This strike seemed to have completely awakened the thing that was being suppressed.

From deep underground, an aura even more ancient than the Black Mountain Great Demon slowly rose.

The middle-aged Zhao Family leader's expression changed slightly.

"Not good, there is still an Array Guardian Spirit inside!"

Just as he said this, a second vibration came from behind the stone gate.

Boom.

The ground split wide open.

A tattered but extremely powerful immortal array pattern lit up from within the gate, extending in all directions along the ground cracks.

This is not opening a gate.

This is activating a killing array.

The people who were hunting a moment ago instantly all became the trapped ones.

The perimeter Loose Cultivators' Faces turned pale.

"The Zhao Family deceived us!"

"They deliberately sent us in!"

"Retreat quickly!"

But the retreat path had already been cut off.

Layers of gray-white light screens rose, the canyon closed in on all sides; those outside could not get in, and those inside could not get out.

The Zhao Family people finally stopped pretending.

The middle-aged leader raised his head, his expression turning cold.

"Since we have been seen through, there is no need to act anymore."

He turned his head to look at Qin Yun, his tone calm.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, you are very smart."

"But smart people often die quickly."

Qin Yun stood in place, not moving.

Chi Li had already quietly retreated to his side, his expression also darkening.

The middle-aged man slowly raised his hand, and several Zhao Family guards simultaneously spread out, blocking all retreat paths.

"To tell you the truth."

"This Black Mountain Great Demon is just a key."

"The true Opportunity is in this Immortal Cave."

"An Immortal Cave left behind by an ancient Profound Immortal; inside is the Origin spirit liquid for the transformation of an immortal body, as well as incomplete Immortal Treasures sufficient to allow a True Immortal to advance further."

When he said this, the greed in his eyes could no longer be hidden.

"The Zhao Family has waited for this day for thirty thousand years."

"Today, I ask you all to fulfill this."

At this moment, that more ancient aura behind the stone gate fully awakened a bit more.

The Black Mountain Great Demon let out a low roar, as if warning of something.

But this time, no one had the heart to care about it.

Because the immortal array patterns on the stone gate were lighting up bit by bit to their fullest.

The Opportunity revealed itself.

The killing intent also descended along with it.

Qin Yun looked at that slowly opening stone gate, his heart suddenly sinking.

This scheme is even bigger than he had imagined.

And what the Zhao Family people truly want is likely not just the Opportunity behind the gate.

They are using the entire team to feed and open this Immortal Cave.

Before the words had faded, the Black Mountain Great Demon suddenly laughed.

It raised its ferocious beast head and actually spoke in human language, its voice hoarse and filled with mockery.

"Stupid Human Race, do you really think it is you who are hunting me?"

"Extremely stupid."

The Immortal Cave opened, and a set of remains slowly walked out; a powerful aura transformed into a Domain, enveloping the entire scene.

Everyone was trapped within this Domain.

The Zhao Family leader's expression changed, and he spoke with an uncertain tremor.

"Immortal Corpse..."

"How could it be an Immortal Corpse!"