This Sword Cultivator is Somewhat Dependable

Under Qin Yitian’s guidance, the group of four took many turns, passing several forks in the path, and after half an hour, the terrain had flattened and opened up, revealing a thick stone wall lying across their path as far as the eye could see.

This undersea land seemed to have reached its end, as the stone wall completely blocked the way, leaving no path forward. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Qin Yitian suddenly stopped and turned to softly speak to the three people behind her, "This is the place, this should be the lair of the Jiaolong Demon King that you all are searching for."

Now that they had arrived at their destination, Lu Qingshan momentarily put aside the doubts in his mind and quickly surveyed the surrounding environment.

With just a brief glance, he had ascertained that even if this place wasn’t the lair of the Jiaolong Demon King, it was definitely a core territory of the Jiao Clan.

Because on that road-blocking dark gray stone wall, there was a huge cavern, emitting a layer of radiant light waves, looking extraordinarily out of the ordinary.

"You go take a look, be careful," Lu Qingshan instructed the Rat Demon King.

He specifically brought the Rat Demon King along, anticipating the current situation.

While the Rat Demon King was notoriously sluggish on ordinary days, in times like these, he was still rather capable.

The Rat Demon King nodded his head. His silvery-gray fur gleamed brightly, instantly transforming into something like water ripples. After a layer of streaming radiance washed over him, his already tiny stature became even more elusive to the eye.

With a flash of movement, he turned into a barely audible shadow, quickly approaching the giant cavern on the stone wall.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the Rat Demon King charged into the wave of light.

The four people remained hiding beside a huge boulder far from the stone wall cavern, waiting for news from the Rat Demon King.

Even though they had the Spirit Concealing Pendants, they dared not be careless, fearing that any disturbance might be detected, so for the time being, they stayed far away from the cavern.

After a short while.

Your journey continues on empire

Zang Xiaojian frowned and grumbled, "How big can that cavern be? Why hasn’t he come out yet? Could something have happened to the Rat Demon King?"

Lu Qingshan also felt a hint of concern.

However, the sneaky ability awakened by the Rat Demon King was one of the most famous abilities of the Rat Demon Clan and, when looking at the entire Demon Clan, it was one of the top methods for stealth. Normally, there shouldn’t be any hiccups.

"Lu Qingshan, it’s true! That cavern is indeed the lair of the Jiaolong Demon King, and the Dragon Transformation Pool is built inside," spoke a voice abruptly, just as the three were growing anxious. Following that, at the foot of Zang Xiaojian, covered in silvery-gray fur, the Rat Demon King slowly revealed his form, startling everyone.

Unbeknownst to them, the Rat Demon King had silently left the lair of the Jiaolong Demon King and made his way back to their side.

Until the Rat Demon King chose to reveal himself, none of them had detected his return.

The bloodline talent ability of the Rat Demon was indeed quite extraordinary.

Perhaps someone had noticed but simply hadn’t said anything.

Lu Qingshan glanced at Qin Yitian from the corner of his eye and saw her calm demeanor with no sign of surprise, he thought to himself.

Mo Yan’s face showed a look of joy, "We’ve finally found it!"

"However, inside the cavern, there are two ferocious Third Grade Jiao Beasts circling as guards. It’s probably going to be difficult to bypass them and approach the Dragon Transformation Pool," the Rat Demon King added a word of caution.

At this, Mo Yan’s expression became solemn.

They had indeed easily slain that Third Grade elder Jiao previously, but Mo Yan understood that was only because the elder Jiao was already in a dire state with its combat power severely diminished.

The Jiao Beasts guarding the Dragon Transformation Pool were certainly from the Jiao Clan’s elite and would not be as easy to deal with.

"If we’re going to act on the Dragon Transformation Pool, we must first deal with those two Third Grade Jiao Beasts," Lu Qingshan said gravely.

Mo Yan understood this logic and said, "Actually, I’ve considered this situation before and have prepared many methods in advance. But after all, they are Third Grade Demon Beasts, and even with a full set of preparations, risks are inevitable ..."

"Master Mo, rest assured, we are fully aware of the risks of our mission, and since we accepted your invitation, we are prepared to face any danger," Lu Qingshan said to reassure Mo Yan, understanding his concerns.

"Lu Qingshan is right, a promise is a debt owed even to a team of horses!" Zang Xiaojian’s eyes sparkled with spirit. He gazed at the light waves at the mouth of the Jiaolong Demon King’s lair, eager to test his mettle, and brimming with confidence, "It’s just a trio of Third Grade Jiao Beasts, not the Jiaolong Demon King himself. It’s a good opportunity to test my sword!"

Assured that Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian had no intention of backing down, Mo Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He glanced at Qin Yitian, who stood quietly to the side. After a moment of thought, he walked up to her and bowed in thanks, "We’re indebted to Miss Qin for guiding our way. However, what we intend to do next is extremely dangerous and might even attract many Jiao Beasts.

It would be best for Miss Qin to leave now, so as not to be involved in our affairs. We will wait for Miss Qin to get to a safe distance before making our move."

Regardless of his previous suspicions about Qin Yitian, there was no doubt that she had led them to the Dragon Transformation Pool.

Thus, even if Qin Yitian’s background was enigmatic, it no longer mattered to Mo Yan. Given the circumstances, he did not wish to endanger Qin Yitian with his plans.

Qin Yitian gazed steadily at Mo Yan, his eyes clear, "No trouble, you all just go about your tasks, I’ll wait here."

"But...?" Mo Yan hesitated somewhat.

"Rest assured, I have my own methods to protect my life," Qin Yitian said, narrowing her long eyes lightly.

Mo Yan turned to look at Lu Qingshan, his eyes brimming with inquiry.

Lu Qingshan’s gaze moved to Qin Yitian.

Qin Yitian met his gaze calmly, her eyes rippling like water.

After a moment of consideration, Lu Qingshan decided, "Then Miss Qin, please be careful on your own."

Qin Yitian nodded her delicate head slightly and spoke no more.

...

The Jiaolong Demon King’s lair was the most prestigious and central location for the Jiao Clan, which is why the lairs of the other Jiao Beasts were all situated quite far from it, so they didn’t have to worry about the Jiao Clan’s reinforcements in the short time it would take to start the attack.

The only problem they faced was the two Third Grade Jiao Beasts guarding the Dragon Transformation Pool.

For Foundation Establishment Cultivators to even think about slaying two Third Grade Jiao Beasts, to others, that would absolutely be a fantasy.

"Luckily, the Dragon Transformation Pool is inside a cave, where the terrain is narrow, putting a significant limitation on the Jiao Beasts; we can make a plan around this and set up an ambush..." Mo Yan started to arrange the specifics of the attack plan.

"If the two of you have no objections, then shall we start acting according to my plan?" Mo Yan had set the general plan and was asking the two for confirmation.

Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian exchanged a glance and both shook their heads, "Master Mo is indeed well-prepared. With Master Mo’s plan, the likelihood of success is extremely high, we naturally have no objections."

"Good!" Mo Yan nodded emphatically, "Then let’s start our action."

...

The three left their hiding spot behind the large rock, sticking close to the rock walls on either side as they slowly approached the cave.

When they were only a distance of thirty to forty yards away from the cave, Mo Yan no longer concealed his figure.

In fact, at such a close distance, it was quite difficult to ensure they wouldn’t be discovered.

Mo Yan leapt into the air, his hands flicking repeatedly, and dozens of fist-sized, red beads flew out of his hands, shooting into the cave.

At the same time, Mo Yan spat out a Spiritual Pearl, and radiant, five-colored light spread out, momentarily blocking any noise from the area.

"Third Grade Jiao Beasts possess formidable combat power; if we were to confront them directly, I’m afraid we wouldn’t be up to the task."

"I’ve prepared dozens of Red Lotus Netherfire Beads. Once we begin our attack, I will throw all these Red Lotus Netherfire Beads into the cave.

It’s the Jiao Beasts’ duty to guard the Dragon Transformation Pool. To protect it, they will surely bear the brunt of the Netherfire Beads head-on, rather than choosing to flee the cave."

"The Jiao Clan is a branch of the Sea Demons, and these Netherfire Beads were refined from my own Red Lotus Netherfire as the main ingredient. Even for Third Grade Jiao Beasts, to endure so many Netherfire Beads will certainly be no easy feat."

This was the first step in Mo Yan’s plan.

The Red Lotus Netherfire Beads, whose refining principle was very similar to that of thunder beads, possessed even greater power due to the volatile Netherfire as their raw material. As a weapon against water-attribute Sea Demons, their lethality could even be significantly increased, making them an extremely terrifying consumable among Spiritual Objects.

Mo Yan had accumulated Red Lotus Netherfire Beads for many years, not a single one remaining, as he hurled them all at the two Third Grade Jiao Beasts within the cave.

Swish, swish, swish!

In mid-flight, the Red Lotus Netherfire Beads began to burn, quickly expanding into a fireball that easily smashed through the barrier at the mouth of the cave and shot inside.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

Moo! Moo!

The sounds of explosions, mingled with the furious roars of the Jiao Beasts, were deafening, causing Lu Qingshan’s ears to ring.

Fierce, red waves of flame continuously surged out from inside the cave.

The intense heat caused the rocks at the mouth of the cave to start melting.

One could only imagine the horrific Flame Domain that had formed inside the cave.