Ancestral Grotto

Zhao Min raised his hand to signal to the group.

"Stop. Ye Jianhong, leave the captives with Jin Ju and Yu Lingxin."

Jin Ju: "What happened? Is there a problem?"

Ye Jianhong crouched down and laid the tied up captives on the ground.

Zhao Min: "I have a bad feeling. Chi Lao might have done something we overlooked. The two of us will go and check it."

Yu Lingxin: "We should go back as well, what if you need help?"

Zhao Min: "No, you two stay. We cannot take the captives everywhere we go. If we don't return by daybreak then go on without us."

Jin Ju: "Then we will await the good news."

Yu Lingxin and Jin Ju could only listen to Zhao Min's orders as he was in charge of this mission.

As midnight fell, the group split up as Zhao Min and Ye Jianhong headed back.

Zhao Min and Ye Jianhong moved with a swift, silent haste through the dense pine forest in the valley. The air was still and cool, and the only sounds were the faint rustling of leaves and the soft crunching of pine needles underfoot.

The forest was dark, illuminated only by the pale light filtering through the treetops. Shadows danced across the ground, and the gnarled branches of the old pines seemed to twist and writhe in the dim light.

"Can you tell me at least what's going on?" - Ye Jianhong broke their silence.

Zhao Min: "We didn't check the camp or Chi Lao's body thoroughly."

Ye Jianhong: "And?"

Zhao Min: "And what? Are you an idiot? Think! Why would Chi Lao suicide when he only became our captive?"

"Because getting captured by your enemy is worse than death. I actually feel the same, it should be I who decides what happens to me even if it's death!" - Ye Jianhong declared!

Zhao Min didn't reply, he only laughed silently.

Ye Jianhong: "What?"

Zhao Min: "What else would I have expected from you? I'm the idiot for even asking..."

Ye Jianhong: "So tell me then! Am I wrong?"

"You should treasure your life, while you're under my command. After that you can die a fool's death for all I care." - Zhao Min shrugged.

"You!" - Ye Jianhong felt a vein pop on his forehead as he swallowed the urge to cave in Zhao Min's smug face.

"Quiet! We are almost there." - Zhao Min's tone became serious again.

Zhao Min and Ye Jianhong's twelve feet giant figure emerged from the dense forest and into a clearing, which had once been the supposed bandits' camp.

The ground was still damp with water from the previous fighting, and the remains of the makeshift structures lay scattered around the clearing. The eerie silence was punctuated only by the occasional rustling of leaves in the wind.

Zhao Min hurried ahead, where they left Chi Lao's body.

"Just as I thought." - Zhao Min noticed a peculiarity.

Under the eerie light, a gu worm bobbed up and down above Chi Lao's lifeless body.

"What is that?" - Ye Jianhong also noticed it.

"I believe it is a resurrection method he prepared. That's why he was so eager to end his life. He did it to escape being captured." - Zhao Min explained quietly.

Realization dawned on Ye Jianhong's face at once.

"So that's it." - He gritted his teeth in shame.

Ye Jianhong reached out and grabbed the gu worm in the air.

"Oh, what gu is this?" - He opened his fist to take a closer look at it.

Ye Jianhong: "Huh, where did it go?"

But the gu worm disappeared from his palm by the time he looked.

"What? You crushed it with your big hands? Do you even know how valuable a resurrection method is? Well, at least for those that value their lives..." - Zhao Min snapped at him.

"No! It just disappeared, I swear." - Ye Jianhong stood there dumbfounded.

They turned back to the body on the ground. The wounds on it have noticeably healed, but it was still cold and lifeless.

Zhao Min acted decisively, and cut off the head with a single strike.

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"Crush the body." - He ordered Ye Jianhong.

Ye Jianhong gladly obliged.

"Sly bastard, try reviving now!" - Ye Jianhong smirked to himself as he carried out the orders.

Zhao Min carried the head at his side by its hair, leaving a trail of dark blood dripping from the severed neck.

"That should be it. Let's go." - Zhao Min concluded with a hint of tiredness in his voice.

* * * * *

Xu Lian Blessed Land

Xu Lian's will watched on eagerly what Bao Zhi was preparing.

Bao Zhi worked quickly and efficiently, carefully placing gu worms and immortal materials in its designated location within the groundwork of a formation.

"Xu Lian, I will need your assistance in gathering the gu worms necessary for the formation." - Bao Zhi said at once.

Xu Lian's will nodded, eager to help in any way he could. "Of course, Ancestor. What gu worms do you need?" - Xu Lian's will asked.

Bao Zhi began to list off the names of the gu worms he required.

"I will need twenty-four Thunderwood Gu, hundred-and-ten Ironroot Gu, and all the Bloodvine Gu. I will also need some Spiritbloom Gu, and Seedless Refinement Gu..." - Bao Zhi said.

Xu Lian's will quickly gathered the gu worms, handing them to Bao Zhi one by one. As he did so, Bao Zhi carefully examined each one, making sure it was the correct gu he needed.

Xu Lian's will watched from the sidelines, his eyes flickering with curiosity and worry. He knew that Bao Zhi was skilled with immortal formations, but he couldn't help but wonder how this would help his main body.

"Do not worry, this formation will resolve the predicament once it's activated." - Bao Zhi commented.

Xu Lian's will nodded in understanding, still keeping a curious eye on the proceedings.

Bao Zhi began to lay down the immortal formation, carefully placing each gu worm in its designated spot.

Xu Lian's will could sense the immense power flowing through the place, and he couldn't help but feel a little intimidated. But he had faith in Bao Zhi and knew that he was the only one who could help him.

He noticed Bao Zhi stopping his actions for a moment.

"What do we need to do now?" - Xu Lian's will asked anxiously.

"We need to attach the lotus root to the formation." - Bao Zhi explained.

"This core is necessary in order to open the blessed land's entrance. It will be a difficult task, however. We need to be careful not to damage it."

As Bao Zhi continued to work, he asked Xu Lian's will for various gu worms and materials. Xu Lian's will readily obliged, eager to help in any way he could.

When Xu Lian didn't have a particular gu, Bao Zhi asked for an immortal material to substitute with.

Xu Lian's will provided him with everything he had, knowing that Bao Zhi's skills were unparalleled in his eyes.

With the Lotus Root attached to the aperture origin core, Bao Zhi focused his attention on it. He could sense the deep connection the root had to the aperture origin core, and he knew that it would serve as the perfect formation core for this immortal formation.

As he began to channel the immortal essence into the formation, the Lotus Root started to glow with a bright, white light.

The formation supplied with the immortal essence from the Lotus Root surged, creating a powerful aura that expanded outwards. The sky above them started to ripple and distort as the formation interacted with the blessed land's fabric.

Xu Lian's will felt a shiver run down his spine as he realized that this formation was not just powerful, but dangerous. It was affecting his small world, and he could see the subtle changes happening around them. The colors of the sky were shifting, and the clouds were swirling in a strange pattern.

But Bao Zhi seemed unfazed by the changes happening around them. He gave Xu Lian's will a reassuring smile and instructed him to enter the formation and help control it.

Xu Lian's will took a deep breath and stepped into the formation, feeling the energy flow around him as he added his own immortal essence to fuel it.

The power of the formation intensified, and the changes in the sky became more pronounced.

"Ancestor, what is this formation doing exactly?" - Xu Lian's will could only transmit, his voice would have been drowned out by the intense humming of the formation.

"I'm going to forcefully open the blessed land's entrance. But focus now! We only have a single chance with this formation. Once the immortal materials are spent I can't set up another one." - Bao Zhi replied in a strained tone.

The power that emanated from the formation was overwhelming, and Xu Lian's will struggled to control his part of the formation. He could feel his consciousness being stretched to its limits as he tried to keep up with the complex controls of the formation's immense power.

"Do no falter! Keep it going!" - Bao Zhi encouraged Xu Lian's will as they operated the formation.

"The formation must be stabilized before we can proceed!" - He added.

Despite Xu Lian's will's exhaustion, he nodded and continued to channel his immortal essence into the formation.

The formation operated loudly, and lights flashed around the aperture origin core continuously like moths drawn to a flame.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as they fought to keep the formation running.

The two of them had to keep the formation running for a long time before its effect would be apparent.

Xu Lian's will was not sure how much longer he could hold on, but he knew that he had to endure until the very end.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the formation began to stabilize, and the power flowing through it became more manageable.

Bao Zhi stepped forward and inspected the formation closely, nodding in satisfaction.

"The formation is stable." - He said with a slight smile. "We can proceed."

Xu Lian's will breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground, his will was trembling from exhaustion.

Bao Zhi ignored him and continued to work on the formation, his hands moving with expert precision.

The power within the formation continued to grow, and Xu Lian's will could sense that something was not quite right. He tried to speak up, but his voice was too weak.

As the final steps of the formation were completed, the energy within it reached a crescendo. The sky above them exploded in a burst of light, and a shock wave of energy rippled outwards, shaking the very foundation of Xu Lian's small world.

"What is happening?" - Xu Lian's will thought to himself with worry.

Suddenly, Bao Zhi's hands moved with lightning speed, and Xu Lian's will could feel a surge of a strange sensation throughout his body.

He tried to scream, but no sound came out.

The formation finished with a loud bang, and Xu Lian's will could feel the aperture origin core changing.

A small gap appeared in the air, opening the blessed land's entrance was now almost within reach.

Bao Zhi stepped out of the formation, without any hint of exhaustion on his face.

Next he turned around and reached out with his hand.

Before the very eyes of Xu Lian's will, the aperture origin core shrunk to the size of a goose egg before it gracefully landed in Bao Zhi's palm.

Xu Lian's will struggled to regain control of his body. He realized the truth by now, Bao Zhi was not helping him; he was stealing his aperture origin core!

"A-ancestor!" - The realization hit him like a bolt of lightning, and he tried to fight back, but was stuck in the formation.

But it was too late. Bao Zhi had already succeeded in his nefarious scheme, and Xu Lian's aperture origin core was now in his possession. Any connection Xu Lian felt towards the aperture origin core pereviously was now severed.

Without the aperture origin core, this blessed land would regress and wither, living being would die en masse.

As the blessed land's entrance slowly opened, Bao Zhi turned to Xu Lian's will with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Thank you for your help, Xu Lian." - He said and stored the aperture origin core away.

Bao Zhi's stepped into the air and disappeared through the blessed land's entrance.

* * * * *