Chapter 2040: Qi Ling’s Secret Treasure Vault

From beginning to end, the nearby demon guards failed to detect Han Li in the slightest.

At this moment, Han Li grew even more curious about the identities of the two figures ahead.

He could disregard the restrictions on the city walls thanks to his formidable abilities, yet the two ahead, clearly far weaker than him, had also passed through these restrictions without triggering them.

Evidently, they either possessed special treasures to bypass restrictions or had control over the restrictions themselves, suggesting they held significant status within Blood Crow City.

As Han Li pondered, he continued to shadow the two fleeing figures like a persistent shadow, following them for over ten thousand miles until they arrived above a pitch-black field of scattered boulders.

Suddenly, the green light at the front descended and vanished among the rocks in a flash.

The gray light trailing closely behind paused briefly before also dropping down without hesitation.

On a large boulder below, the light dissipated, revealing a silver-eyed elder in gray robes, his expression cold and sinister as he scanned his surroundings.

“Hmm? Isn’t that the lord of Blood Crow City?”

Han Li silently appeared above the boulder field, observing the elder below, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.

Naturally, the Blood Crow City Lord remained unaware of Han Li’s concealed presence. After a sweeping glance, he snorted coldly, flipped his hand, and produced a small black umbrella. Muttering an incantation, he tossed it into the air.

*Whoosh!*

The black umbrella instantly expanded to a size of several meters, hovering mid-air and releasing countless black rays that enveloped an area of several acres.

A faint sound came from behind a smaller boulder dozens of yards away from the elder.

A figure in pale blue robes staggered into view, as if struck by an immense force—an ordinary-looking middle-aged man with an expressionless face, seemingly unfazed by his sudden exposure.

Han Li’s eyes flickered slightly as he recognized the man.

It was none other than the demonic cultivator “Sheep Lao’er,” who had acquired the sacred brick at the auction earlier.

The moment the man was forced into the open, the Blood Crow City Lord let out a low shout and swung his palm through the air.

A blood-red streak over ten yards long flashed past, cleaving the boulder in front of Sheep Lao’er in half with a thunderous crash.

Yet the middle-aged man’s figure blurred, vanishing from the spot just as the blood-red light struck empty air.

A ten-yard-long trench appeared on the ground, a terrifying sight.

“Heh, for an external object, Fellow Daoist Bing is truly willing to take Sheep’s life?” Sheep Lao’er reappeared some distance away, arms crossed, a trace of mockery in his tone. Astonishingly, he showed no fear toward a Body Integration-stage demonic venerable like the Blood Crow City Lord.

“So, you deliberately lured me outside the city. If you have any helpers, summon them now,” the Blood Crow City Lord said coldly, his silver eyes gleaming.

“Helpers? Why would Fellow Daoist Bing say that? Aside from Sheep, there’s no third person here,” Sheep Lao’er replied with a laugh.

“A mere Void Refinement cultivator wouldn’t dare act so composed before this city lord unless someone is backing you,” the Blood Crow City Lord said darkly, silver light swirling in his eyes.

“If Fellow Daoist Bing doesn’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do. But I brought you here with no ill intent—only to propose a mutually beneficial transaction,” Sheep Lao’er said, blinking nonchalantly.

“A transaction is fine, but only if you have the qualifications to negotiate with me. Killing you would grant me what I want—why bother with a deal?” The Blood Crow City Lord burst into laughter, then took a sudden step forward, vanishing in a flash of bloody light.

The next moment, spatial fluctuations rippled behind the middle-aged man as the city lord reappeared like a ghost. His body swelled, and a massive blood-red hand, reeking of foul wind, descended toward Sheep Lao’er’s head.

The Blood Crow City Lord had no intention of listening further—he aimed to kill the man with a single strike.

Sheep Lao’er’s eyelids twitched, but without turning, he countered with a backhanded palm strike.

A ghostly wail erupted as an inky-black hand materialized.

A deafening explosion followed, and both figures were sent flying backward in a sudden hurricane-force gale.

“Mid-Body Integration! You’re not Sheep Lao’er!”

The Blood Crow City Lord’s furious cry rang out amid the chaos. As the blinding light faded, his face paled slightly.

Opposite him, the middle-aged man, now steady on his feet, radiated an aura unmistakably at the mid-Body Integration stage.

“Does it matter if I’m Sheep Lao’er or not? Besides, who says I’m not?” Sheep Lao’er’s lips curled into an eerie smile.

“You went to such lengths to target me—are you from the Seven Fiends of Thunder Sea or the Sky Chamber Mountain?” the Blood Crow City Lord demanded coldly after scrutinizing Sheep Lao’er’s face.

“Fellow Daoist Bing is sharp. I hail from Thunder Sea, but I’m not one of the Seven Fiends—just a lone cultivator. Back then, you took advantage of the chaos when the Seven Fiends and Sky Chamber Mountain raided the resting place of the Weeping Spirit Sage, stealing three of the four sacred bricks and leaving them to fight while you fled far away to become a city lord. Tsk tsk, if the Seven Fiends and Sky Chamber Mountain were to learn of this, would there be any place left for you in the Holy Realm?” Sheep Lao’er chuckled.

“Hmph, you know quite a bit about my past. That sacred brick at the auction must have been a fake you planted,” the Blood Crow City Lord said, his lips twitching.

“The auction house verified it—how could it be fake? I merely erased some key parts of its incantation. You chased me here for this fourth brick, didn’t you?” Sheep Lao’er flicked his sleeve, producing an emerald-green wooden box with a meaningful smile.

The Blood Crow City Lord’s expression darkened as he stared at the box. After a long pause, he said, “Regardless of who you are, I must have that fourth brick. State your terms.”

“Fellow Daoist Bing is straightforward. Then I’ll be direct. We both know these four bricks are tied to the legendary Weeping Spirit Secret Map. Rumor has it that combining them not only grants the sage’s divine abilities but also reveals a treasure map he personally drew. Beyond rare treasures, the ‘Ink Spirit Holy Ark’—ranked among the top three flying treasures in the Holy Realm—would make even ordinary sages think twice before attacking its owner. I propose we work together to uncover the map and split the treasures equally.”

“I have three bricks; you have one. An equal split is absurd,” the Blood Crow City Lord retorted coldly.

“Sheep believes one brick is no different from three. If you could decipher the map with just three, you wouldn’t have hidden in Blood Crow City for so long. My demand is fair.”

“This matter is too significant. I need time to consider. Before that, I must verify your brick.”

“How? Do you expect me to hand it over?” Sheep Lao’er frowned warily.

“No. Just activate it slightly with spiritual power. I’ll use a secret technique to verify its authenticity.”

After a long hesitation, Sheep Lao’er reluctantly agreed. “Fine. To earn your trust, I’ll make an exception.”

The Blood Crow City Lord’s eyes gleamed with delight. He hadn’t expected such easy compliance.

“Watch closely.” Sheep Lao’er tapped the box, and with a flash, the lid opened. A translucent brick floated out, hovering before him.

As Sheep Lao’er channeled spiritual power into it, the Blood Crow City Lord focused intently, unleashing a powerful divine sense to probe the brick.

Suddenly, a silver spark ignited at the brick’s core. With a crisp crack, it exploded into white motes, forming a swirling silver vortex that devoured the probing divine sense.

“No!”

The Blood Crow City Lord recoiled, a bloody glow enveloping him.

At the same instant, a golden streak shot from the void above, aiming for his neck—while behind Sheep Lao’er, a pale ghostly hand materialized, slashing toward his back.

Both men had been ambushed with lethal precision.