A pungent odor filled the lair.
Jiang Lu immediately shut off her senses and swept her divine sense across the surroundings. Since the magical beast had lived here for years, a significant amount of demonic energy lingered inside the cave.
She wrapped herself in a barrier to avoid coming into contact with the demonic energy.
If demonic energy entered the body, it would clog the meridians, making cultivation difficult.
Getting rid of demonic energy once it was inside was no simple task.
As she went deeper, the aura inside the lair grew increasingly chaotic. There were even numerous demon beast carcasses and pelts scattered all over the place.
A bloody stench filled the air, making Jiang Lu feel extremely nauseous.
Walking further inside along the stone wall, she noticed the magical beast's aura fading slightly. She quickened her pace and finally spotted a few glimmers of light around a corner.
Joy flared on her face. The Treasure-Hunting Mouse poked its head out and squeaked a few times; it seemed they had arrived.
Chi Li immediately translated for Jiang Lu, “Master, the Treasure-Hunting Mouse says this is the place! And there are crystals inside that can boost our strength.”
With that, Chi Li stared at the pile of treasures with glowing red eyes. This was exactly why choosing the right person to follow was so important!
Spiritual plants, magic treasures, spirit stones, demon cores...
Looking at the massive pile of items before her, she couldn't help but feel astonished.
As expected of a Tier Five magical beast, its hoard was incredibly bountiful.
Jiang Lu only swept a brief glance over it before sweeping everything into her space. She didn't have the time to pick and choose slowly; who knew when that group of cultivators outside would rush in?
Fortunately, she had already developed her divine sense, and its range was steadily increasing. She didn't have to collect items piece by piece into her space like she used to.
It was the same old saying: these were all ownerless items, so finders keepers. Rather than letting others have them, she might as well take them for herself.
As for the items tainted with demonic energy, she would leave them for the cultivators to deal with.
After all, she had to leave something behind; otherwise, how would they explain it?
They would probably thank her. Hehehe.
Chi Li: I knew it! Master has a spatial magic tool on her!
Treasure-Hunting Mouse: Wait, where did all my treasures go?
After erasing her own aura, Jiang Lu headed in the direction where Liu Qingqing and the others had left.
However, she discovered that everyone's auras had long since vanished. Any further ahead would lead deeper into the Illusionary Forest.
She stopped, squatting on a tree trunk, and sighed. She wouldn't be able to follow them to pick up any more scraps!
But on second thought, she had already obtained plenty of opportunities this time. Just as water overflows when a cup is full, it was better not to be too greedy.
Magical beast: You've stolen everything I have, and now you claim you're not greedy?!
She immediately headed toward the outer region of the Illusionary Forest. With her current strength, she shouldn't be lingering in the middle region.
If she hadn't been following Fu Yao's group, she wouldn't have dared to step foot into the middle region in the first place.
Besides, leaving now seemed like a much better idea...
As she departed, the roars of demon beasts echoed from not far away.
Frowning slightly, she directed her divine sense toward that direction.
The demon beasts in the inner region were already starting to grow restless, showing signs of an impending riot.
There was only one explanation: that magical beast had been subdued. Without a stronger beast to suppress them in this area, the other demon beasts were growing restless.
They wanted to fight for territorial dominance over this area.
This meant that once the elders finished off the magical beast, they would likely head toward its lair very soon.
Jiang Lu quickened her pace even more. She didn't know how those cultivators would view her, but she knew that whether or not they realized she was the one who took the treasures, they would definitely suspect her.
She ran swiftly toward the outer region, while the Treasure-Hunting Mouse and Chi Li curled into tight balls inside her pouch, not daring to make a single sound.
She didn't stop until the restless roars of the demon beasts could no longer be heard.
Finding a secluded spot, her figure flashed, and she entered her space.
Not long after, several figures appeared where she had just been.
It was Elder An's group, with Fu Yao and a few others following behind.
A white fox in Elder An's hand sniffed the air, squeaked a few times, and spun around on his palm before its tail drooped.
“The aura has completely vanished!” Elder An said in a low voice.
After subduing the magical beast, they had immediately sent messages to Ren Haotian, Fu Yao, and the others to head to the magical beast's lair together.
Yet, they only found a portion of natural treasures tainted by demonic energy inside.
Since they couldn't use those items, they had simply burned them to ashes.
But based on their experience, it was impossible for a Tier Five magical beast to have nothing of value.
Either the beast had consumed everything itself, or someone had beaten them to the punch!
They leaned toward the latter, but they had no idea who would dare to pull such a stunt right under their noses.
Elder An's eyes darkened as he thought of the figure that had been following them the entire time.
“Fu Yao, are you sure that cultivator followed behind you when you left?”
Another elder asked in a heavy voice, his expression rather unsightly. Having paid such a heavy price only to get absolutely nothing, anyone would be displeased.
Fu Yao nodded, her tone certain. “Elder Sun, I am positive that cultivator was behind us. I just don't know when she slipped away.”
“She followed you from the moment she entered, only to suddenly leave. I don't believe there isn't something fishy going on.”
Elder An gripped his staff tightly. His face was still pale, and the white fox in his hand stared intently at the surroundings.
“But she's just a minor Qi Condensation cultivator. How could she possibly run so fast?” Ren Haotian asked, somewhat puzzled.
“Qi Condensation? She hid her strength. Who knows if she's actually at Qi Condensation? I even suspect she didn't show her true face.”
“Are you saying she might be at Foundation Establishment or even higher?”
“Only that would explain how she managed to entangle with the magical beast for so long, and how she silently left you to act on her own, wouldn't it?”
Hearing this, everyone fell silent.
Now she was in the dark while they were in the light. Things had become complicated, especially considering the identity they suspected she had...
Although Jiang Lu had erased her aura inside the magical beast's lair, the white fox in his hand was no ordinary creature. Even if there was only a trace left, it could track her down.
Although he didn't know why her scent was growing weaker, it indirectly proved that this matter was far from simple.
“You guys guard this place for a few days. If she's hiding in the dark, I refuse to believe she won't show herself.”
“Yes, Elder.”
Fu Yao and the others nodded.
Elder An and the other elders scanned the area once more with their divine sense. Seeing no sign of her, they left.
“Eldest Senior Sister, do we really have to wait here?” a disciple asked. He felt that waiting here was a waste of time. That cultivator had probably run off long ago; otherwise, how could they explain her vanishing into thin air?
Besides, a Tier Five demon beast had so many treasures; there was no way a minor Qi Condensation cultivator could have carried them all away in such a short amount of time.
“What else are we supposed to do?”
Fu Yao glanced at him, walked over to the side, and sat down cross-legged to meditate.
She didn't believe it either. In fact, she was certain that the cultivator only possessed the strength of the Qi Condensation realm.
Sighing softly to herself, she began to meditate. It was only a few days; it wasn't as if they couldn't afford to wait.
Rate on N.U.
