Chapter 474: The Praying Mantis, the Yellow Sparrow

When Patriarch Ji Yin heard the other party dismiss his words as nonsense, a flicker of black energy passed over his face. However, the subsequent remarks from the other side forced him to suppress his rising anger. He turned away to engage in a hushed discussion with Barbarian Beard and the Green-robed Scholar through voice transmission.

“It seems we have no choice but to agree with you. We’ll hold off on any conflict for now and settle everything after retrieving the treasure!” Before long, Patriarch Ji Yin concluded their discussion and coldly addressed Wan Tianming.

“Excellent! That is undoubtedly a wise decision. Let us proceed together.” Wan Tianming chuckled lightly before rising to his feet and heading toward the massive stone gate. Tian Wuzi and the old farmer followed closely behind.

“Hmph!” Barbarian Beard snorted disdainfully at Wan Tianming’s arrogant demeanor. His gaze then shifted to Yuan Yao and the Core Formation cultivator Han Li didn’t recognize, a menacing glint flashing in his eyes.

Almost simultaneously, the two sensed the hostility radiating from Barbarian Beard. Their faces paled, and without hesitation, they transformed into a yellow streak and a red streak, darting toward the stone tower.

Seeing this, Barbarian Beard let out a sinister laugh. “Where do you think you’re going?” He rubbed his hands together before thrusting them forward, sending two golden beams shooting out. The beams caught up with the fleeing streaks in an instant.

A agonized scream erupted from within the yellow light as a figure stumbled and plummeted downward. The golden beam ensnared him mid-air, slicing his body into seven or eight pieces. Bloody fragments scattered across the ground.

Meanwhile, the red streak, struck by the other golden beam, erupted into several blinding green flames that momentarily dispersed the golden light. As if provoked, the red light instantly morphed into a crimson strange bird, accelerating several times faster than before. It broke through the golden obstruction and vanished without a trace, reappearing moments later within the passage of the stone tower. After a few flickers, it disappeared completely.

“Oh? That’s rather peculiar.” The scholar-robed elder and Patriarch Ji Yin, initially indifferent to Barbarian Beard’s actions, showed surprise upon seeing the red light escape his attack. The elder frowned slightly and murmured under his breath.

“Barbarian Beard, what is the meaning of this? Why kill innocent people?” Tian Wuzi turned around, displeasure evident on his face as he questioned.

“I was in a foul mood and felt like killing a few outsiders. Do you have a problem with that? Or perhaps you’d like to test my Tuo Tian Devil Art yourself?” Barbarian Beard retorted coldly, casting a sidelong glance at the Daoist priest.

“You…”

“Enough, Tian Wuzi! Those two weren’t from our righteous path anyway. Their deaths are inconsequential. Focus on the task at hand!” Wan Tianming snapped without turning around.

Hearing this, Tian Wuzi could only shoot a hateful glare at Barbarian Beard before reluctantly turning away.

Soon after, the righteous path cultivators passed through the stone gate and entered the inner hall.

“Brother Barbarian, that was a fine kill! I too dislike having a couple of rats scurrying about before important matters. Two Core Formation cultivators daring to enter the inner hall to fish in troubled waters—they were clearly tired of living. However, it seems there’s still one left. Why haven’t you dealt with him?” Patriarch Ji Yin watched Wan Tianming’s retreating figure before clapping softly with a sinister smile. His gaze then shifted to Xuan Gu.

Faced with this, Xuan Gu remained composed, showing no reaction, as if Ji Yin’s attention was directed at someone else.

“This person has ties to me; he’s a descendant of an elder who once showed me kindness. Naturally, I won’t harm him. And neither will either of you.” Barbarian Beard stated expressionlessly, surprising the others.

“If he’s related to you, Brother Barbarian, Brother Qing and I naturally won’t act recklessly. Though it is surprising to learn that even you, Brother Barbarian, have debts of gratitude.” Patriarch Ji Yin’s eyes narrowed slightly as he scrutinized Xuan Gu, confirming he didn’t recognize him before offering ambiguous remarks.

“Heh! Ji Yin, are you interrogating me?” Barbarian Beard’s face darkened as he fixed a cold stare on Patriarch Ji Yin.

“Not at all! I was merely curious. If you’d rather not discuss it, so be it. But that black-robed woman who escaped seems to have significant backing. You should be cautious, Brother Barbarian.” Patriarch Ji Yin chuckled, stepping back but leaving a meaningful warning.

“Do you think I’m blind? I recognized immediately that she was using the Green Flame Thunder of the Three Yang Old Fiend. Only his closest disciples would possess such an item; ordinary disciples of the Green Flame School wouldn’t. Did you truly believe she escaped on her own merit?” Barbarian Beard fell silent for a moment before replying with a grim expression.

“Haha, it seems I overstepped.” Seeing Barbarian Beard’s displeasure, Patriarch Ji Yin wisely chose to say no more.

“It’s fine. Even if that woman is connected to the Three Yang Old Fiend, with your cultivation, Brother Barbarian, you have nothing to fear. However, given the current struggle between our demonic path, the righteous path, and Star Palace over the Chaotic Star Sea, it’s best not to make an enemy of him unnecessarily. He may be from the demonic path, but his allegiances are fickle. Let her go.” The scholar-robed elder interjected, attempting to mediate.

Clearly, Barbarian Beard held some apprehension toward the Three Yang Old Fiend mentioned by the others. He nodded woodenly and fell silent.

This series of events left Han Li, following behind Patriarch Ji Yin, with a whirlwind of complex thoughts. Various ideas surfaced in his mind.

A Core Formation cultivator had been killed as easily as squashing an ant right before his eyes, yet Yuan Yao had managed to escape?

Xuan Gu had somehow formed a connection with Barbarian Beard, the top expert of the demonic path in the Virtual Sky Palace—no wonder he remained so calm.

Yuan Yao seemed linked to the Three Yang Old Fiend, someone even the domineering Barbarian Beard appeared wary of.

Han Li’s thoughts were tangled, unable to sort them out clearly for the moment.

He could only listen attentively to Barbarian Beard and the others, hoping to gather more information to devise a safer strategy.

Unfortunately, the scholar-robed elder concluded their conversation with a faint remark.

“Let’s hurry into the inner hall. We’re losing sense of those righteous path fellows. We can’t let them slip away unnoticed.” The Green-robed Scholar frowned, casting a glance at the vast passage beyond the stone gate.

Hearing this, Barbarian Beard also looked toward the stone gate. After a moment’s contemplation, he strode forward without a word.

Patriarch Ji Yin and the elder exchanged glances before calmly following suit.

Naturally, Han Li, Wu Chou, Xuan Gu, and the others trailed behind into the stone gate.

Gradually, their figures receded into the distance within the blue stone passage until they vanished from sight.

Two or three hours later, the dimmed teleportation formation once again emitted a dazzling white light. Two blurred figures materialized side by side.

It was the two white-robed elders from Star Palace!

They cautiously scanned their surroundings, only relaxing when they confirmed no one was present.

“It seems they’ve all entered. No matter how cunning these old monsters are, they’d never guess that Star Palace deciphered the teleportation restrictions here a millennium ago. We can come and go as we please,” one of them chuckled softly.

“Let’s go, but we must be extremely careful. Unless they actually retrieve the Virtual Sky Cauldron, we must not reveal this secret by acting rashly,” the other replied coldly.

“Naturally,” the first agreed with a nod.

With that, they transformed into two white beams of light and shot into the stone gate.

Han Li walked behind Patriarch Ji Yin, side by side with Wu Chou, which made him exceedingly uncomfortable.

However, for some reason, Wu Chou now displayed extreme enthusiasm toward Han Li, engaging him in constant chatter as if afraid to leave him out. It was as if the previous jealousy and resentment had never existed.

Yet, the more Wu Chou acted this way, the heavier Han Li’s heart felt.

“Could Patriarch Ji Yin have hinted to Wu Chou that I’ll be eliminated after retrieving the treasure? Is that why his attitude changed so drastically?” Han Li couldn’t help but think with a bitter smile.

Despite his inner turmoil, Han Li maintained a smile and exchanged pleasantries with Wu Chou. The hypocrisy between them was palpable, even from several yards away.

But Patriarch Ji Yin, Barbarian Beard, and the others pressed forward silently, paying no heed. Since entering the inner hall, the three Nascent Soul stage old monsters had become solemn, shedding their earlier nonchalance.

What puzzled Han Li was that, despite having been inside the tower for some time, nothing had happened. They hadn’t encountered any restrictions or dangers.

“Could it be that restrictions are only triggered upon entering those stone gates?” he wondered.

With this thought, Han Li began to carefully survey his surroundings once more.