Chapter 118: The Mystery!

  "Such a treasure is rare. Have you thought about how you'll repay me?" Meng Yunxi brushed a few strands of hair from her shoulder and smiled, her charming eyes glinting with cunning.

  Yang Tian spread his hands helplessly. He had no choice—Meng Yunxi had already set the price.

  *Giggle...* "Let me decide for you. Give me five bottles of the byproduct, and this treasure is yours," Meng Yunxi said with a sweet smile, her eyes narrowing slyly.

  "Five bottles? You're really pushing it," Yang Tian exclaimed, though his hands moved quickly. He pulled out five bottles of the byproduct and handed them over with a grin. "I have some things to take care of. You can leave now."

  After being unceremoniously kicked out of the room, Meng Yunxi frowned, looking at the bottles in her hand. "Did I set the price too low?" she muttered to herself.

  Inside the room, Yang Tian examined the mask in his hand. He put it on, and with a surge of vital energy, the mask transformed his appearance into that of another person.

  "This is perfect for tricking people. That silly woman gave it to me for just five bottles. What a steal!" Yang Tian chuckled as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. His face now resembled Li Hongtao's. As long as he didn't run into a War Emperor-level expert, no one would see through his disguise.

  "If the Yin-Yang Sect gets hunted by the Li Family, it'll be quite the spectacle," Yang Tian mused, stroking his chin with a sly grin. The mask only required a steady supply of vital energy to maintain, with no time limit.

  In his hand was an ancient map of the Ten Thousand Mountains, detailing everything except the very center. It was incredibly precise, something even Demon-Suppressing City might not have in stock.

  The War King's cave was set to open in about eight days. According to Meng Yunxi, the cave's periphery was riddled with spatial rifts. Anyone with too high a cultivation level would be courting death by entering. The cave was most suitable for those at the Martial Warrior realm.

  "This War King's cave is a huge opportunity," Yang Tian muttered, licking his lips with a cold smile. Some debts were long overdue.

  "I wonder if Yun'er and the others will come. It'll be quite the show if they do," Yang Tian thought as he packed up. He slung the broken sword on his back, feeling its weight press down on him. He popped a Star Pill into his mouth and headed out the door.

  This training method was something Yang Tian had devised himself. It significantly sped up the absorption of medicinal energy and greatly benefited his physical body. With his vast supply of Star Pills, the cost was negligible.

  After leaving the auction house, Yang Tian wandered the city. Spotting a clothing store, he went in and bought a few sets of clothes before heading toward the city gates.

  Flashing the token Meng Yunxi had given him, Yang Tian swaggered past the guards and out of the city.

  The outskirts of the Ten Thousand Mountains were bustling with activity. Many young cultivators had come seeking opportunities, drawn by the opening of the War King's cave. Even some ancient families had sent their members.

  These ancient experts, long gone, were far beyond the capabilities of today's War Kings.

  The lush forest was peaceful, with a gentle breeze rustling the leaves, creating waves of green. Occasionally, a few birds soared across the sky.

  But the tranquility didn't last long. The sound of hurried footsteps broke the silence as a disheveled figure came running from the distance, his clothes in tatters.

  Zooming in, the figure was a young man of about seventeen or eighteen, wearing the uniform of the Yin-Yang Joyous Sect. His body was riddled with bloody wounds.

  The young man had been running for a long time. When he finally felt safe, he collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. But his relief was short-lived. His face turned pale with fear as he looked up.

  In front of him stood a young man in purple robes, holding a small cauldron. His expression was cold, his eyes filled with malice as he stared down at the wounded youth.

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  "Li Hongtao, what have I ever done to you? Why are you hunting me down?" the young man stammered, his voice trembling with fear.

  Earlier, Li Hongtao had ambushed their group of three, killing two of his companions instantly. He had barely managed to escape, only to be caught again.

  "I do what I want. Who are you to question me?" Li Hongtao sneered, his voice icy. With a flick of his wrist, the Qian Yuan Cauldron shot forward, slamming into the young man's chest.

  "Ahhh—!" Blood sprayed everywhere as the young man let out a blood-curdling scream. A gaping hole the size of a bowl had been torn through his chest.

  "Remember in your next life not to join the Yin-Yang Sect. Wang Long dared to take my woman, so I'll kill every disciple of your sect I come across. Who's going to suspect me?" Li Hongtao glanced at the dying youth with a cold smile before vanishing.

  About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea later, the supposedly dead young man suddenly opened his eyes. His gaze was filled with hatred as he looked around. Seeing the fatal wound on his chest, he let out a hoarse scream, "Li Hongtao, I won't let you get away with this! Just you wait!"

  The young man swallowed a pill, and once his wounds had stabilized slightly, he staggered away, not daring to stay any longer.

  Shortly after he left, a figure in purple robes appeared at the spot where the young man had fallen. The face shifted, revealing Yang Tian, who had already killed several disciples.

  "Time to change targets. If I keep this up, they'll get suspicious," Yang Tian muttered, stroking his chin with a sly grin. His face transformed into Wang Long's.

  A furnace appeared in his hand—a replica of the Yin-Yang Unity Divine Furnace. Yang Tian patted the furnace and changed into Wang Long's attire before setting off to find his next target.

  The Yin-Yang Sect had many such replicas, so Yang Tian wasn't worried about being exposed.

  The news of the War King's cave opening had spread throughout the Eastern Continent. Many young cultivators had flocked to the area, including some exceptionally powerful individuals.

  One day before the cave's opening, a fierce battle broke out between the Ancient Li Family and the Yin-Yang Sect. Their younger generations clashed, resulting in numerous casualties. While the two families seemed to be at each other's throats, their higher-ups remained eerily silent, adding to the mystery.

  Then, an even more explosive piece of news swept across half the Eastern Continent overnight, leaving many stunned and some even cursing in disbelief.

  The Holy Maiden of the Ancient Holy Land was rumored to be having an affair with her nephew—a fifty-something-year-old woman involved with a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy. The scandal spread like wildfire, though many found it hard to believe.

  Shortly after the rumor surfaced, the Holy Maiden herself emerged from seclusion, vowing to kill Yang Tian and tear him to pieces.

  However, her declaration only fueled the fire. Yang Tian's name spread like wildfire. Gu Mo had indeed gone missing in the Ten Thousand Mountains, and some speculated that Yang Tian had obtained incriminating evidence against the Holy Maiden.

  Instead of quelling the rumors, the Holy Maiden's outburst only made more people believe them. Her scandal became the talk of the town, with many discussing it openly. Some descendants of powerful lone cultivators even offered to pay a high price for any information about the affair.

  The news spread like a storm, and the Ancient Holy Land was thrown into chaos. But the rumors were already out of control, and those who had spread them had vanished without a trace.

  Meanwhile, the man at the center of the storm was busy hunting down his enemies. Since arriving in the Ten Thousand Mountains, Yang Tian had been stirring up trouble, even capturing a few core disciples and imprisoning them in the Golden Crow Divine Furnace.

  Inside the furnace, three men and two women were enduring unbearable torment. The once beautiful women were now on the verge of becoming haggard, their hair completely singed off.

  "It'd be perfect if I could capture a Holy Maiden too," Yang Tian muttered, scratching his head. If he could imprison a Holy Maiden, it would undoubtedly cause an uproar.

  "But I should stop here. If I push too far, I might attract the attention of some old monsters, and that would be trouble," Yang Tian thought. He changed his appearance to that of an ordinary-looking young man, someone who wouldn't stand out in a crowd.

  After checking the map, Yang Tian set off toward his destination.

  Falling Cloud Gorge was the location of the War King's cave, a forbidden area in the outskirts of the Ten Thousand Mountains. It was a gathering place for third-tier demonic beasts, and few dared to venture there.

  But with the recent opening of the War King's cave, the area had been cleared of beasts. Now, it was packed with people, their numbers stretching as far as the eye could see.

  At the forefront was a massive spatial corridor, its surroundings trembling violently. Spatial rifts were everywhere, and within them, the remains of a few unfortunate souls could be seen.

  The area within a few thousand feet of the spatial rifts was a death zone. Many who had doubted this had already paid the ultimate price.

  The atmosphere was lively, with powerful young cultivators from major factions scanning the cave from the surrounding mountain peaks.

  A seemingly ordinary young man arrived, drawing no attention. But as Yang Tian approached the cave, the Ancestral Dragon Ring in his sea of consciousness suddenly trembled.

  "What's going on?" Yang Tian's heart skipped a beat. He quickly scanned his surroundings before focusing on the cave's entrance.

  "Is there something inside that's attracting it?" Yang Tian's eyes gleamed with excitement as he licked his dry lips.

  In a distant, unfamiliar space, there was a massive cave spanning thousands of feet. The air was thick with a sinister aura, and a colossal formation rotated at its center. Within the formation sat a man in his thirties, his figure faint and his aura weak.

  He had thick eyebrows and a resolute face, but his body occasionally emitted faint traces of black energy, which were absorbed by the formation.

  Suddenly, his closed eyes snapped open. His gaze, filled with the weariness of countless years, flickered with surprise as a look of astonishment crossed his face.