Night had fully fallen outside the Demon Sealing Ruins.
Black mist drifted across the broken valley, moving between ancient stone walls like breath from something buried too deep to die. The cracked entrance gate remained silent after the exploration group entered, and from a distance, the ruins looked quiet.
Quiet, but not peaceful.
Above the valley, on a hidden cliff covered by layers of concealment formation light, six figures stood around a blood-red array drawn into the stone floor. Their auras were deep and heavy, far beyond Qi Conjunction and Spirit Foundation. All six were Core Formation cultivators, two from River Sword Sect, two from Crimson Flame Hall, and two from Black Mountain Gate.
The formation beneath their feet was not large, but every line carried terrifying pressure. Low-grade and middle-grade spirit stones had been piled around its edges, and several jade bottles filled with dark red blood essence had already been opened. The cost of activating this array was not small, but none of the elders showed hesitation.
A River Sword Sect elder looked down at the silent ruins. His white robe carried silver wave patterns at the cuffs, and his eyes were calm in the way only people with power could afford to be.
"Begin."
The others did not speak.
Qi erupted.
The formation lit up.
Blood-red light spread across the cliff before sinking silently into the ground. The entire valley trembled faintly, but the movement was buried beneath the concealment formations. No one inside Rivercloud City would notice. No wandering cultivator nearby would sense it. Even the recruited cultivators inside the ruins would not understand that another hand had begun moving above their heads.
A Crimson Flame Hall elder opened his palm, and a flame-colored jade bottle shattered. Blood essence poured into the formation, making the red light deepen. His face paled slightly, but his voice remained steady.
"This path will not remain open for long."
A Black Mountain Gate elder said coldly, "Long enough."
The formation light grew stronger. The closed entrance gate below did not open. Instead, a dark crack slowly appeared in the air beside the cliff. It was narrow and unstable, trembling at the edges like a wound being forced open.
The River Sword Sect elder frowned. "The outer formation is resisting."
"Of course it is," the Crimson Flame Hall elder said. "This ruins rejects Spirit Foundation auras. If forcing them in were easy, we would not need to spend so much effort."
One of the Black Mountain Gate elders took out three black talismans covered in dense formation lines. "Suppressing talismans. They will hide their cultivation temporarily, but if they fight at full strength, the ruins will sense them."
The River Sword Sect elder nodded. "That is why they will not act early."
Behind the six Core Formation elders stood three young cultivators. They were silent, but the suppressed pressure around them was not weak. Each had already stepped into the Middle Spirit Foundation Realm, and compared with Qin Yuesheng, Huo Lan, and Meng Shi, these three were on another level entirely.
The first wore white robes marked with silver wave patterns. His long narrow sword rested at his side, and his eyes were cold, clear, and sharp. Lu Han of River Sword Sect looked like the kind of swordsman who measured people by where his blade would enter.
The second wore dark red robes, and his hair was tied back with a flame jade pin. Heat faintly distorted the air around him, giving his smile a dangerous softness. Yan Chi of Crimson Flame Hall had the look of someone who could burn a house down and call it lighting a lamp.
The third wore black-brown armor. His body was tall and powerful, and every breath he took sounded heavy, as if his chest carried stone. Guo Zhen of Black Mountain Gate stood without much expression, but the ground beneath his feet seemed to remember his weight.
These three were not disciples sent to lead.
They were disciples sent to kill.
The River Sword Sect elder looked at Lu Han. "You know your mission."
Lu Han lowered his head. "Yes, Elder."
The Crimson Flame Hall elder looked at Yan Chi. "Do not act too early. Let the recruited cultivators search first."
Yan Chi smiled faintly. "Let them dig, then we harvest."
The elder did not reprimand him, because that was exactly the plan.
The Black Mountain Gate elder's voice was heavy. "The deadline is three days. Before the ruin ejects them, you will move."
Guo Zhen nodded. "Kill all outsiders?"
The River Sword Sect elder's eyes remained calm. "Not openly."
Yan Chi laughed softly. "Elder means we need a reason."
The Crimson Flame Hall elder said indifferently, "Reasons are easy. They hid restricted treasures. They approached forbidden areas. They were infected by demonic Qi. They attacked sect disciples. They tried to steal from the three sects. Choose whichever excuse fits."
The six Core Formation cultivators remained expressionless.
To them, the recruited cultivators had never been partners. They were tools used to test traps, gather scraps, and die in places where sect disciples should not. The recruitment notice had promised rewards, spirit stones, first claim on minor discoveries, and fair treatment, but those words were only bait.
No sect that controlled Rivercloud City would allow wandering cultivators and small clan disciples to leave the Demon Sealing Ruins with anything truly valuable. If the outsiders found nothing, perhaps they could live. If they found something useful, they would die.
That was all.
Lu Han looked toward the black crack. "What about Qin Yuesheng and the others?"
The River Sword Sect elder replied, "They know only part of the matter."
Yan Chi's smile deepened. "Huo Lan does not know?"
The Crimson Flame Hall elder glanced at him. "She does not need to know yet."
Guo Zhen frowned slightly. "Meng Shi will not like this."
The Black Mountain Gate elder's expression did not change. "Then do not let him see too much."
The meaning was clear.
Even the disciples openly leading the exploration were only pieces.
More valuable pieces than the recruited cultivators, but still pieces.
Lu Han lowered his eyes. "I understand."
The formation trembled violently, and the dark crack widened. One River Sword Sect elder's face turned pale as blood leaked faintly from the corner of his mouth, but he ignored it.
"Go."
The three Middle Spirit Foundation geniuses stepped forward. Before they entered, the Crimson Flame Hall elder gave one final warning.
"Hide first. Do not reveal yourselves until the final day unless absolutely necessary."
The Black Mountain Gate elder added, "If you find any major inheritance, secure it before killing the others."
The River Sword Sect elder's gaze became sharp. "And if anyone resists beyond expectation, kill them immediately."
Lu Han, Yan Chi, and Guo Zhen cupped their hands. Then they entered the crack, and the forced passage swallowed them silently.
A moment later, the crack closed.
The blood-red formation dimmed. Several piles of spirit stones turned to dust, and the six Core Formation cultivators withdrew their Qi at the same time.
For a while, no one spoke.
Then the Crimson Flame Hall elder smiled. "To think those wandering cultivators were so happy over five low-grade spirit stones."
The River Sword Sect elder said calmly, "Greed blinds the weak."
The Black Mountain Gate elder looked toward the ruins. "And rules bind only those without strength."
Below them, the Demon Sealing Ruins remained silent.
Inside the ruins, recruited cultivators were still struggling through danger, still believing that survival would bring reward.
None of them knew.
The real hunters had just entered.
Deep beneath the ruins, Fang Lin stood before the black altar.
At the entrance of the underground hall, flame light flickered. Huo Lan's eyes remained fixed on him, sharp and suspicious.
"Who are you?"
Her voice echoed throughout the hall.
Qin Yuesheng's sword was already half drawn, silver-blue sword Qi faintly flowing along its edge. Meng Shi's expression was heavier than before. His gaze moved from Fang Lin to the broken corpses scattered across the ground, then to the dark mist above the altar.
The sect disciples behind them looked shocked. Some were afraid, but more than fear, greed appeared in their eyes.
An underground hall. Ancient corpses. A black altar. And a mysterious dark mist.
No matter how dangerous it looked, everyone understood one thing.
There is a treasure here.
Perhaps even an inheritance.
Fang Lin did not answer immediately. His current face was not Lin Mo's, and his aura was no longer pretending to be Early Qi Conjunction. During the earlier fight, he had revealed part of his real strength. Even if he suppressed it now, the traces around him could not be hidden completely.
Frost marks lingered on the ground. Broken corpse cores leaked black smoke. The golden-armored corpse lay shattered not far away.
No weak cultivator could have done this.
Huo Lan's gaze sharpened. "You were hiding among the recruited cultivators."
Fang Lin looked at her calmly. "And you were using them to test the ruins."
The hall became quiet.
Several recruited cultivators behind the three sect disciples stiffened. They had followed down after surviving the earlier dangers, thinking they might share some opportunity if luck favored them. Now, hearing Fang Lin speak so directly, their faces changed.
Qin Yuesheng frowned. "Careful with your words."
Fang Lin's expression did not change and replied indifferently, "Were they wrong?"
Huo Lan sneered. "Even if they are right, so what?"
The recruited cultivators behind her turned pale.
One wandering cultivator could not endure it and said unhappily, "You said minor treasures belong to the finder!"
Huo Lan turned her head slightly. Her eyes were cold. "Did you find one?"
The wandering cultivator froze.
Huo Lan smirked. "Then why are you shouting?"
The man's face flushed with anger, but he did not dare speak again.
Meng Shi remained silent. Qin Yuesheng's expression became slightly unpleasant, but he did not deny anything.
Fang Lin saw everything.
So this was Rivercloud City.
Smiling faces outside. Blades inside.
The dark mist above the altar churned slowly. It did not attack. It seemed to be watching, like an old prisoner entertained by the greed of children.
Huo Lan raised her hand, and flames gathered around her fingers. Her dark red robes were torn from earlier battles, but the flame patterns at her cuffs still glowed faintly.
"Hand over whatever you obtained here."
Fang Lin looked at her. "I obtained nothing."
"No one believes that."
"That is your problem."
Huo Lan laughed coldly. "You think because you killed some corpses, you can speak to us like this?"
Her aura rose, and the heat in the hall sharpened. She was already at Peak Qi Conjunction, and her fire Qi was unstable but powerful. Behind her, several Crimson Flame Hall disciples stepped forward. Qin Yuesheng did not stop them. Meng Shi frowned, but he also remained silent.
The recruited cultivators instinctively stepped back.
Fang Lin's gaze passed over everyone.
There were too many people. Qin Yuesheng, Huo Lan, and Meng Shi were not weak among Qi Conjunction cultivators, but they were not the true danger. The true danger was the altar behind him and whatever test had not yet finished. If he fought everyone here, he could kill many of them, but the dark remnant might use the chaos. The ruin itself might react. His identity might be exposed further.
His mind moved quickly.
Then he lowered Frost Wind slightly. "I need to leave from here."
Huo Lan's smile became mocking. "Leave?"
She pointed at the altar. "After entering first? After opening this hall? After touching whatever is here? Do you think we are fools?"
Fang Lin looked at her. "I think you are greedy."
The temperature in the hall rose sharply.
Huo Lan's eyes filled with killing intent. "Courting death."
She stepped forward, but before she could attack, the dark mist above the altar suddenly moved. A low laugh echoed through the hall, dry and ancient, making every disciple freeze.
The black eye within the mist opened again.
"More children have come."
The sect disciples' faces changed. Qin Yuesheng immediately drew his sword. Meng Shi's body tensed. Huo Lan's flames flickered violently.
The dark remnant ignored them.
Its attention remained mostly on Fang Lin.
"Your second question has been delayed."
Fang Lin's eyes narrowed slightly.
Huo Lan heard the words and immediately looked at him. "Second question?"
Qin Yuesheng's gaze sharpened. "You were accepting an inheritance?"
The greed in the hall became heavier.
Several disciples could no longer hide it. Inheritance. That single word was enough to burn away caution.
A River Sword Sect disciple shouted, "Senior Brother Qin, we cannot let him leave!"
A Crimson Flame Hall disciple added, "He must have already taken something!"
The recruited cultivators looked at Fang Lin with mixed expressions. Some were afraid. Some were jealous. Some quietly moved backward, realizing that this place was about to become a slaughter ground.
Fang Lin sighed inwardly.
The remnant had done that deliberately.
It had sharpened their greed with one sentence.
The dark mist laughed again. "Darkness does not need to chase greed. Greed walks into it willingly."
Huo Lan suddenly attacked.
A flame palm struck toward Fang Lin with enough force to burn an ordinary Late Qi Conjunction cultivator to ash. Fang Lin moved, Flowing Wind Steps carrying him aside as the flame palm struck the ground and exploded, lighting the broken corpses in red fire.
At the same time, Qin Yuesheng moved. His sword flashed like silver water, fast and clean, aimed at Fang Lin's shoulder rather than his throat. He wanted to capture him first.
Fang Lin's eyes remained calm.
Frost Wind rose.
The two swords collided, and cold Qi spread against river-like sword Qi. Qin Yuesheng's expression changed instantly. Fang Lin was far stronger than he had expected.
Fang Lin's wrist turned, and Frost Trace Sword Art left a pale mark in the air. Qin Yuesheng retreated half a step to avoid it, but the moment he moved back, Fang Lin had already shifted away.
Meng Shi appeared behind him, and a heavy fist descended.
Fang Lin turned and raised his left hand.
Wind Break Palm compressed silently.
Palm and fist collided.
Meng Shi's body shook, and Fang Lin slid back one step while Meng Shi slid back two. His eyes widened in disbelief. In physical strength, he had actually lost slightly.
"How?"
Fang Lin did not answer.
Huo Lan's flames came again. Qin Yuesheng's sword followed. Meng Shi adjusted his stance and charged. The three attacked together, and the hall erupted into chaos.
The recruited cultivators scattered. Some tried to flee toward the entrance, but the stone door suddenly trembled. Black vines grew across it, sealing the exit.
Panic spread instantly.
"The door!"
"It is sealed!"
"Open it!"
A wandering cultivator rushed toward the vines and slashed with his blade. One vine moved like a snake and pierced his chest. He screamed once before his body dried rapidly, becoming a corpse within a few breaths.
No one dared approach the exit again.
The dark remnant laughed softly. "Since you came, stay."
Fang Lin's expression became colder.
So that was its intention.
It wanted everyone trapped here. Whether for the test or for sacrifice, he did not know. But one thing was clear.
The hall had become a cage.
Qin Yuesheng realized it as well. His face darkened. "Huo Lan, stop scattering flames carelessly."
Huo Lan snapped, "Then stop him!"
Meng Shi looked at Fang Lin with a deep frown. "This person is not an ordinary cultivator."
Qin Yuesheng's sword aura sharpened. "I know."
Fang Lin stood several steps away with his aura still controlled. He had not used his full strength, but the three sect disciples were already serious. Behind them, more disciples began moving around the sides, trying to surround him.
Fang Lin glanced toward the altar.
The black mist was still watching.
Waiting.
If this dragged on, things would become worse. He needed to break the rhythm.
His grip on Frost Wind tightened, and cold Qi flowed along the blade. The first frost mark on the ground brightened faintly. Then the second. Then the third.
Qin Yuesheng noticed first. His pupils contracted. "Move away from the marks!"
Too late.
Fang Lin stepped forward.
Frost Trace Sword Art activated.
The pale marks he had left behind trembled and connected for an instant, forming a thin net of cold sword Qi. Several nearby disciples screamed as frost lines cut across their legs and arms, slowing their movements. Huo Lan's flames surged and melted part of the frost net, but that moment was enough.
Fang Lin appeared before a Crimson Flame Hall disciple.
Wind Break Palm struck.
The disciple's chest collapsed, and he flew backward into two others.
Fang Lin turned, his sword flashing as a River Sword Sect disciple's weapon broke. Blood sprayed from the man's shoulder. Fang Lin did not kill everyone, but he made them unable to interfere. And Fang Lin was still hiding his actual strength.
Qin Yuesheng's expression became ugly. "He is using the whole hall."
Meng Shi's voice was heavy. "And he is still hiding something."
Huo Lan's eyes burned with anger. "Hiding? Then force it out!"
She took out a red pill and swallowed it. Her fire Qi surged violently, rising from Peak Qi Conjunction to half a step beyond. Fang Lin's eyes narrowed. A temporary enhancement pill. Dangerous to the body, but powerful in short bursts.
Huo Lan raised both hands, and a fire serpent formed behind her. At the same time, Qin Yuesheng's sword Qi flowed like a silver river around his blade, while Meng Shi's skin darkened faintly, like black stone.
All three prepared their stronger methods.
Fang Lin looked at them calmly.
Then, from somewhere far above the ruins, three faint fluctuations appeared.
They were very faint, almost completely hidden, but Fang Lin's soul perception caught them for a brief instant.
His eyes moved slightly.
Spirit Foundation?
No.
Suppressed Spirit Foundation.
And not weak.
They had just entered the ruins.
Fang Lin's heart sank slightly.
The three sects had more plans than he had expected. Much deeper plans.
The dark remnant above the altar seemed to sense it too. The mist churned, and its voice carried amusement.
"Oh? More hunters enter the cage."
Qin Yuesheng frowned. "What does that mean?"
Huo Lan did not care. Her fire serpent roared. "Die first!"
The attack rushed toward Fang Lin.
At the same moment, deep in three different parts of the Demon Sealing Ruins, three figures silently appeared.
Lu Han landed inside a collapsed sword pavilion. The suppressing talisman against his chest burned faintly, hiding most of his Middle Spirit Foundation aura. His white robes carried silver wave patterns, and his hand rested lightly on his long sword as he looked toward the depths of the ruins.
"Three days," he murmured. "Let them gather treasures first."
Elsewhere, Yan Chi appeared beside a ruined furnace covered in black ash. His dark red robes shifted in the hot air around him, and the flame jade pin in his hair glowed faintly as he sensed scattered life auras throughout the ruins.
"So many little lambs running around," he said with a smile, flames flickering in his palm. "I hope they find something good before they die."
In another region, Guo Zhen stepped out from a cracked stone tunnel. The ground sank slightly beneath his heavy boots. His black-brown armor carried a dull mountain sheen, and his expression remained flat as he looked toward the central ruins.
"Orders are orders."
Then he disappeared into the darkness.
None of the recruited cultivators knew they had entered.
Qin Yuesheng did not know.
Huo Lan did not know.
Meng Shi did not know.
Fang Lin only sensed a trace.
But that trace was enough to know that something else was brewing in the ruins.
Inside the underground hall, Huo Lan's fire serpent descended.
Fang Lin's eyes became completely calm.
The three sects were more ruthless than he had expected. The dark remnant was more dangerous than it appeared. The ruins themselves were closing around everyone. And the second question still waited in the darkness.
Fang Lin raised Frost Wind.
Cold Qi spread along the blade. His body strength stirred quietly. His soul became still.
If they wanted to use him as prey, then they had chosen badly.
The fire serpent arrived.
Fang Lin stepped forward.
The hall shook.