Wang Xingzhi walked straight toward the Stone Sect. Fang Cheng and Wen Qianqian exchanged a glance and stepped aside.
The Wang Family disciple stood before the Stone Sect, examining it carefully for a while before letting out a soft sigh. "A Tier Two Array."
Fang Cheng's expression flickered. 'To think there's a Tier Two Array hidden on this Stone Sect. No wonder the Vajra Gu couldn't bite through the restriction.'
'I'm afraid only a Life Talisman Realm master would be able to break this gate.'
'This Wang Xingzhi is from the Wang Family. Will he bring his family elders here?'
At this thought, a glint appeared in his eyes. He was ready to escape into the Underground Dark Lake and leave this place at any moment.
Wang Xingzhi stood before the Stone Sect with his hands clasped behind his back. As if sensing their emotional turmoil, he spoke without turning around, "You two need not be wary of me. This opportunity is my own personal find and has nothing to do with the Wang Family."
Wen Qianqian said softly, "It seems Young Master Wang is not highly regarded in his family. Why don't the three of us join forces to explore this place together?"
This woman was sharp. From Wang Xingzhi's words, she had guessed he wasn't valued by the Wang Family. If he were to reveal the treasure here to his family, he probably wouldn't even get a sip of the leftover soup.
How could that compare to the benefits of exploring it himself?
Wang Xingzhi turned around and said, "Indeed. The Stone Sect is not yet open. If we cooperate, we both benefit; if we fight, we all lose. It's only logical that we work together to open the Stone Sect, then divide the treasures inside based on our own abilities."
Wen Qianqian gave a dazzling smile. "I naturally have no objection. It all depends on what Fellow Daoist Fang thinks."
Fang Cheng nodded. "I have no objection either."
Wen Qianqian's beautiful eyes sparkled as she glanced between Fang Cheng and Wang Xingzhi. She said:
"Fellow Daoists, it's not that I don't trust you, but my cultivation is low, and I truly dare not risk my life adventuring with you both. I wonder if the three of us could make a Heart Demon Oath not to kill each other during the treasure hunt..."
Wang Xingzhi gave Wen Qianqian a deep look, a faint, unreadable smile on his face. "Could it be that Fellow Daoist Wen doesn't trust me?"
Just as Wen Qianqian was about to speak, Fang Cheng interjected, "Actually, I think Fellow Daoist Wen's proposal is quite good."
Wang Xingzhi looked at Fang Cheng, fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Fine. Let's make the Heart Demon Oath."
He wasn't confident he could subdue them both before they could destroy their Jade Talismans.
Immediately, the three of them made the Heart Demon Oath.
This was a common method used by Demon Sect cultivators. Once the oath was violated, Heart Demons would run rampant, making it impossible to meditate and guard one's spirit. In mild cases, one's cultivation would stagnate. In severe cases, one would suffer cultivation deviation and go berserk.
Afterward, Wen Qianqian visibly relaxed, and the atmosphere among the three of them eased considerably.
She said, "There are still two Jade Talismans that haven't arrived. Why don't the three of us hide first... I have a Concealing Breath Talisman here. Even a Late-stage Sensing Cultivator would have a hard time detecting us."
As she spoke, she shot a glance at Fang Cheng with her beautiful eyes.
Fang Cheng had been able to detect her presence earlier. Although it was partly due to her own emotional fluctuations, his keen senses had truly astonished her.
Wang Xingzhi scanned the stone cave and said, "I have my own methods for hiding myself. No need to trouble Fellow Daoist Wen."
With that, his figure flickered, transforming into a dim ray of light that vanished into the darkness.
Even Fang Cheng could only faintly sense his position by relying on his Sword Heart.
Wen Qianqian looked at Fang Cheng with her beautiful eyes and said, "Fellow Daoist Fang, if you don't have a Stealth Technique, you can come over to my side."
Fang Cheng's gaze shifted, and he said, "Alright."
He then walked over to Wen Qianqian's side.
A fresh, elegant, and subtle fragrance wafted over, refreshing his heart and soul.
He possessed both the Poison Gu and the Vajra Gu, his Sword Technique was sharp enough, and with the restraint of the Heart Demon Oath, he naturally wasn't afraid of her trying any tricks.
The two stood side by side. Wen Qianqian took out a Talisman drawn on yellow silk. With a surge of her Magical Power, a layer of spiritual light appeared.
From a distance, it looked as if a paintbrush had simply erased their figures from existence.
The underground cave returned to silence. In the darkness, only the sound of water droplets hitting the lake's surface could be heard.
Wen Qianqian leaned close to Fang Cheng's ear, her breath as fragrant as an orchid. "Fellow Daoist Fang, if a Life Talisman Master happens to arrive later, please remember to help me when we flee for our lives."
The three of them knew full well that if the holders of the next two Jade Talismans were Late-stage Sensing Cultivators, they would stand a fighting chance if they worked together.
If it was a Life Talisman Master, their only option would be to flee.
However, Life Talisman Masters were lofty figures, an extremely rare sight in the entire Abyssal Marsh.
It wasn't easy to encounter one.
Otherwise, the three of them wouldn't have all tacitly chosen to continue waiting and take the risk.
Wen Qianqian's soft body pressed against Fang Cheng's side. Her eyes were like shimmering water, her thoughts unreadable.
「In the blink of an eye, an hour passed.」
Two streaks of Escape Light flew out from the cave tunnel. A fist-sized Luminous Bead hovered above one person's head, illuminating a thirty-foot radius as brightly as day.
From the darkness, Fang Cheng looked toward the two Cultivators.
The Cultivator with the Luminous Bead was a tall Female Cultivator with a refined, stunningly beautiful, and cold face.
She wore a purple dress, her expression cool and elegant. She was exceptionally beautiful, almost on par with Feng Ling.
The other person was a burly man in his thirties with ordinary features, but his body was a mass of coiled muscle. A single glance was enough to tell he was a Body Cultivator.
The purple-robed woman's cultivation was similar to Fang Cheng's, only at the Fourth Layer of Sensing. The burly man hadn't even reached the Mid-Sensing Stage; his was only a Third-Layer Sensing Cultivation.
But the man faintly exuded a thick Evil Qi, and it seemed his combat prowess was no less than the purple-robed woman's.
Fang Cheng and Wen Qianqian watched the two of them quietly, not revealing themselves just yet.
The hidden Wang Xingzhi did the same.
The purple-robed woman and the burly man circled halfway around the underground cave before they spotted the Stone Sect.
The two tested the power of the restriction on the Stone Sect for a moment, then gave up on the idea of a frontal assault.
"Someone has already been here."
The purple-robed woman's cool voice rang out. Her beautiful eyes scanned her surroundings, but she found nothing.
She furrowed her Dai Mei, took out a Jade Talisman, and tossed it forward. The Stone Sect immediately produced a suction force, pulling the Jade Talisman into a slot.
The Array Patterns on the Stone Sect slowly lit up, and the Jade Talisman also burst forth with a splendid radiance.
Then, she flew up and pried the Jade Talisman back out.
"Just as I thought. Fellow Daoist Yang, take out your Jade Talisman as well!" the purple-robed woman said to the burly man.
The burly man took the fifth Jade Talisman out of his storage bag and held it in his hand, but he did not place it on the Stone Sect.
At that moment, six gazes from the darkness all fell upon the Jade Talisman in the burly man's hand.
The purple-robed woman was heard saying faintly, "Let's wait here. If someone comes, this Jade Talisman will be our bargaining chip..."
The burly man nodded, looking as taciturn as ever.
「In the darkness.」
A faint voice sounded in Fang Cheng's ear, "Fellow Daoist Fang, are you confident you can snatch the Jade Talisman from the big man's hand?"
'Wang Xingzhi?'
Fang Cheng's expression flickered. Wen Qianqian was right beside him, yet she hadn't heard the voice.
'This is the Voice Transmission Secret Technique. I've heard of it often, but it's a legacy rarely found among Loose Cultivators.'