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The dark cave was damp, with water steadily dripping from above.
Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the tunnel, followed by a bright white light that cast the shadows of three figures against the rocky walls.
"As for the spirit stone matter," Xuan Le said firmly, gripping a moonstone tightly in his hand, "both of you must keep it a secret. If word gets out, not only will we lose the stones, but the six sects will punish us as well."
Lu Tianmeng smiled awkwardly and whispered, "Brother Xuan, you know me well. I'm trustworthy... but I'm more concerned about Brother Qi..."
He shot a sideways glance, hinting at something unspoken.
Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow and replied earnestly, "Rest assured, Senior Brother. I won't say a word about today's events."
Xuan Le laughed heartily. "Good, good! With Junior Brother Qi's word, I can relax."
He turned to Lu Tianmeng. "Junior Brother Lu, have you found a way out yet? We've been wandering this mine for too long. If we don't get out soon, the disciples outside will start to worry."
Lu Tianmeng was about to answer when his mole spirit beast suddenly reacted strangely. With a hint of excitement, Lu Tianmeng said, "Senior Brother Xuan, my mole seems to have found something unusual."
"Oh? Which direction? Let's take a look," Xuan Le said, already imagining another stash of spirit stones.
"Over here! Follow me!" Lu Tianmeng called out before vanishing in a flash.
Xuan Le's expression hardened. Lu Tianmeng's urgency seemed suspicious — was he planning to claim whatever treasure he'd found for himself?
Turning to Qi Yuan, Xuan Le barked, "Hurry up! Don't drag your feet, or you'll regret it."
Despite his irritation, Xuan Le knew better than to confront Lu Tianmeng outright. They needed to cooperate for now — the Blood Jade Spider was still unaccounted for, and petty squabbles could cost them their lives.
Qi Yuan nodded. "Got it, Senior Brother."
Xuan Le scowled at his casual tone but chose to ignore it. Without another word, he sped off to follow Lu Tianmeng.
Qi Yuan smirked. Hidden in his sleeves were several newly acquired treasures. He quickened his pace, ensuring he wouldn't miss whatever lay ahead.
Soon, they reached a three-way intersection where Lu Tianmeng and Xuan Le were already waiting.
Qi Yuan arrived silently, watching the two from a distance.
Xuan Le gave him a brief nod of approval — for once, Qi Yuan hadn't delayed.
Lu Tianmeng's expression was neutral, making it difficult to read his thoughts. Chanting under his breath, he forced his mole forward, though the creature resisted.
The mole's hesitation was troubling, but Lu Tianmeng concealed his concerns. His mistreatment in the Yanyue Sect had left him bitter, and if fortune favored him today, he had no intention of sharing his spoils.
Perhaps, if Xuan Le and Qi Yuan tired themselves out in battle... an opportunity might arise.
He clenched his fists tightly, already planning his next move.
"This way... the tunnel on the right," Lu Tianmeng said before darting forward.
Xuan Le snorted and followed, while Qi Yuan lingered a moment before trailing after them.
The deeper they went, the more skeletal remains littered the ground.
Lu Tianmeng ignored the bones — he'd seen enough death to be unfazed.
Xuan Le's eyes grew wary, yet his gaze brightened upon spotting something in the distance. Whatever he'd seen, he kept it to himself.
Qi Yuan paused to inspect the bones more closely. Their skulls were punctured in a way that suggested something sharp... like spider legs.
His gaze drifted back to Xuan Le. The man was moving faster now, almost too fast.
The Blood Jade Spider's nest must be near.
Moments later, they emerged into a massive cavern, its ceiling rising high above them, with stone pillars scattered throughout. In the center lay a vibrant, multicolored corpse — bright and unnatural in the dimly lit cave.
Next to the corpse stood a black formation etched with intricate patterns — clearly an ancient teleportation array.
Lu Tianmeng's heart raced. An ancient teleportation array...
Xuan Le's face hardened as he sent out his spiritual sense, scanning the area for the Blood Jade Spider. Treasures were tempting, but survival came first.
Qi Yuan's eyes flickered with emotion as he observed both men. They were hiding something — both playing dumb, yet aware of the array's significance.
Suddenly, a sharp noise rang out.
From the shadows, a massive white jade spider emerged, its gleaming black eyes fixed on the intruders. Eight sharp, menacing legs twitched, poised to strike.
Xuan Le's face darkened. The spider's aura was stronger than anticipated.
Lu Tianmeng swallowed hard, calculating his chances. Even if they worked together, victory seemed unlikely.
Then, without warning, Qi Yuan shoved both men forward.
"Qi Yuan, you traitor!" Lu Tianmeng shouted.
Qi Yuan smirked. Why wait for them to betray him when he could strike first?
The Blood Jade Spider lunged.
Lu Tianmeng hurriedly raised his green wooden shield, but the spider's legs slashed through it like paper, impaling him straight through the chest.
The Blood Jade Spider let out a triumphant screech as it prepared to strike again.
Xuan Le barely dodged, hurling talismans to block the spider's advance.
"Qi Yuan!" Xuan Le snarled. "You think you can win? That spider will deal with you next!"
Qi Yuan sneered, releasing twelve venomous dragon swords to intercept Xuan Le's retreat.
Xuan Le gritted his teeth, summoning the Heaven-Covering Bell to trap the spider. With a flick of his hand, a golden spear shot forth, clashing with Qi Yuan's swords in a shower of sparks.
But just as Xuan Le prepared to activate his Hidden Spirit Veil, Qi Yuan launched two thunderbolts directly at him.
The explosion rocked the cavern, causing parts of the ceiling to collapse.
The Blood Jade Spider, now furious, underwent a grotesque transformation, its body turning crimson as its power surged.
Qi Yuan grinned. The beast's strength had doubled — Xuan Le stood no chance.
As the spider closed in on Xuan Le, Qi Yuan summoned his formation flags, activating the **Yaoguang Star Formation**.
The ceiling shimmered like a starlit sky, raining endless beams of light that pierced the spider's body.
Weakened and injured, the Blood Jade Spider faltered.
Qi Yuan struck, driving his twelve venomous swords into the spider's mouth. With one final effort, he released two thunder seeds, detonating the beast from within.
When the smoke cleared, only the spider's hardened shell remained.
Qi Yuan calmly looted Xuan Le and Lu Tianmeng's storage bags, burned their bodies, and claimed the spider's eggs.
With the teleportation array concealed under layers of illusion spells, Qi Yuan ensured no one would find it easily.
He turned to leave — but the ground suddenly shook violently beneath his feet.
Something was happening outside...
(End of Chapter)