This group consisted of people with diverse duties. The Yang clan was not one to merely confine themselves within their compound to cultivate. No, they spread across the empire, each member contributing to the clan's growth in their own way.

Yang Suyin himself only visited the clan compound once every five years to report on the mining business he oversaw. While not particularly successful, his official role as leader of the mining operation in Whirling Cloud City masked his true purpose: to impose order and remind the governor that they answered to both the Twelve Sun Empire and the Yang clan. His position ensured they remained vigilant and maintained stability. True, some questionable money lined his pockets, but who could claim absolute purity? What mattered was the stability and prosperity of the Yang clan, and in that, he had succeeded.

"Indeed, it's a shame," Yang Suyin said, recalling the treasures the prince had unloaded from his spatial ring.

That ring had been filled with treasures and talismans left behind by the Elders. The prince had shown them these artifacts, allowing them to test each one in hopes of finding items they could use. However, most proved unsuitable. Either the treasure requires bonding first or restricted to stronger Core Splitting cultivators. It was an oversight none had considered: that such powerful and valuable treasures might lie beyond their ability to wield. Even the prince had failed to harness the most valuable ones. Instead, he and Yang Hongying use subtler treasures that enhanced their qi and control.

Yang Suyin suspected these treasures might prove useful later, when they had the time and resources to properly bond and study them.

Their saving grace was that the pills and talismans remained usable. Yang Yuchen, as leader of the third group, had been entrusted with many such items to distribute when needed. Thus far, they'd only used the initial presence-concealing talismans.

"Alright, since the initial mission is complete, let's go reinforce the fourth group."

At Yang Yuchen's words, the ten people around him gulped nervously. The fourth group held the most precarious position. They are tasked with scouting the path to the Emperors' Tomb using their stealth techniques and treasures. Now their own group would join that risky endeavor.

Yang Suyin initially mistook their expressions for reluctance. But determination quickly filled their eyes as they nodded with resolve.

"Let's go!" they said in unison.

The moment they spoke, a commotion erupted behind the group. A man whose face he recognized but whose name escaped him struggled to contain a fireball in both hands. The orange sphere blazed like a miniature sun, with whips of light lashing out to score the ground and walls. Sweat beaded on his pale forehead as he fought for control.

"What the hell are you doing?" Yang Yuchen said.

"I-I can't control this fireball!"

Yang Suyin thought that this guy must be a talentless hack who took pills like water. The Fireball Technique was one of the Yang Clan's most fundamental skills. Not being able to control a fireball was like saying that a man couldn't maintain his manhood in front of a naked fairy of the Frozen Cloud Palace. Besides, he was a core splitting cultivator. How could he have such terrible qi control?

"Stop playing around!" Yang Yuchen shouted.

"I think this fireball will keep growing until it explodes. It won't stop until it depletes all my qi!"

Yang Suyin, Yang Yuchen, and the entire third group's eyes widened in alarm.

Could he be serious? Such an explosion would draw every worm crawling through the palace straight to them. While their group might not hold the same importance as the Prince's group or the fourth group scouting the Emperors' Tomb, their force remained vital to the mission's success.

"Did you activate one of the treasures you grabbed?" Yang Yuchen asked, eyes narrowing. "Which one?"

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"It's called the Eternal Fire Talisman! I thought it sounded impressive, and I wanted to test it before the actual battle!"

"You fool! That's a suicide attack talisman!" Yang Yuchen roared.

"Help me!" the man begged.

Yang Suyin blinked in disbelief. How had such an idiot advanced to the Core Splitting realm?

The fireball between the man's hands grew rapidly, like a hungry sun consuming qi in its desire to usurp the true sun above. In mere moments, it swelled larger than a person. If it exploded, the sound would echo through the castle and bring the worms straight to their position.

Yang Suyin's mind suddenly sharpened. His first instinct was to order this man to cut off his qi, but he quickly realized if that were possible, the man would have done so already. His next thought was to absorb the fire collectively. With group effort, they could drain the heat from the fireball within minutes. But that would only destabilize it and can cause premature detonation.

"Yang Yuchen, use the barrier talisman!" he shouted, the solution crystallizing in his mind.

Yang Yuchen was a handsome, sociable man assigned to the Twelve Sun Army. Earlier, when they stood atop the prince's tower slaying the army abominations, Yang Yuchen's face had been filled with sorrow, knowing his former friends were among the abominations they killed. From that memory alone, Yang Suyin knew him as a kind soul. For a moment, he feared Yang Yuchen might hesitate to erect a barrier around this fool. After all, doing so would trap the man inside with the explosive fireball. But better one death than all of theirs.

Yang Yuchen's eyes flickered with conflict, no doubt sharing Yang Suyin's thoughts. But surprisingly, his gaze hardened as he retrieved a talisman from his spatial bag and slapped it to the ground.

A red rectangular line formed on the ground around the hapless cultivator.

The man holding the massive fireball widened his eyes at the sight of those lines, clearly recognizing their purpose. Instantly, he aimed the enormous fireball toward the far room. Before the barrier could fully form, the man launched the fireball. It streaked through the air, striking the treasure room's far wall, creating a thunderous boom that would draw every abomination within range.

Then, as if to mock them, Yang Yuchen's red barrier finally materialized around the fool, who scratched his cheek apologetically, as if he'd merely caused an inconvenience rather than a fatal mistake.

Yang Yuchen deactivated the barrier. "We have to go!"

A rumble echoed through the chamber as Yang Suyin realized that worms were coming. He needed to think carefully. While survival instincts screamed to flee, abandoning their mission felt wrong. The prince had trusted them, and they'd completed half their objectives. Their next task was to rendezvous with the fourth group and wait until all groups could launch their assault. But regrouping now seemed dangerous, but failing to regroup could prove equally fatal. With the cold clarity born from years of maintaining order and surviving, he proposed their best option.

"Yang Yuchen, we need to split up!"

Some would die, but better than losing them all.

Yang Yuchen glared at him, but before he could respond, a worm burst through the roof. Its pink skin was unmistakable, its face disturbingly like a toddler's with chubby cheeks and closed eyes. Yet its mouth gaped wide, white teeth gleaming like blades.

"Scatter!" Yang Yuchen shouted. He spun toward Yang Suyin, grabbed a spatial bag from his left waist, and threw it.

Yang Suyin caught it and rolled behind an empty shelf and masking his qi. He observed the worm as it looked left and right, tracking the scattering cultivators. As he watched, he caught sight of the fool who had endangered them all.

He studied the man's features intently, determined to remember him. Though he didn't know every clan member's name, surely he could recall this one.

After a moment's contemplation, watching the man regroup with Yang Yuchen and several other people, a name came to him: Yang Zhiqiang. An airheaded cultivator of supposedly low talent who had somehow broken through repeatedly. As expected, he was an elder's son, but Yang Suyin recalled this elder's close ties to Yang Lihuo.

With Yang Zhiqiang's connection to Yang Lihuo and this convenient "accident," Yang Suyin narrowed his eyes as doubt took root in his heart.

He began cycling qi through his body, activating his secret technique. Yang Suyin focused on the treasure room's second floor. He blinked, and instantly, darkness enveloped him. When he opened his eyes, he found himself crouched behind a shelf on the upper level, still close enough to observe Yang Yuchen, who was followed by Yang Zhiqiang and several other people.

Yang Suyin scanned the room, searching for the best escape route. Suddenly, he saw the worm had already chosen its target: a lone clan member running with panicked, thundering footsteps toward a window, clearly intending to leap through it. The man's frantic flight seemed to draw the worm's attention, and it coiled its body like a spring. But before it could pounce, Yang Zhiqiang made an unexpected move.

Running behind the group, fear visible but controlled on his face, he flung a small fireball at the worm. The creature, struck by the flames, whirled around. He threw a small ball of fire at the worm. The creature, struck by the flames, whipped around in anger and shot like an arrow at the group.