The first entrance controlled by the Green Cloud Sect was not far from the base. Ye Chen only flew for half an hour before reaching it. The entrance was a vast cave.

A sect official guarded the exterior, who immediately bowed upon seeing Ye Chen arrive, "Greetings, Direct Disciple Ye..."

Ye Chen nodded with a smile and floated into the cave. Inside, the cave was exceedingly dark; those at the Qi Refining stage needed to use illumination talismans to explore. Of course, for someone at the Foundation Establishment stage, the darkness was no impediment.

However, if not for the need to "launder" the origin of the Five Elements Pills, Ye Chen really wouldn't bother visiting such a place. Not to mention the discomfort and the perpetual darkness, the opportunities here were mediocre at best.

They were even inferior to what Ye Chen could earn from alchemy. Not to mention that he also had the system. After walking for about five minutes, the cave expanded.

Ye Chen arrived at a grotto. Faintly, he could already see a cluster of buildings. Clearly, he had entered the ruins.

Due to the Boundless Demon Sect being buried under the mountain, the interior height was only about thirty meters, and many areas were obscured and divided by rock, twisting and turning. It was impossible to see everything at a glance; exploration had to be done slowly.

Ye Chen pulled out the map of the currently explored areas by the Green Cloud Sect and checked his mission location. He still had to go deeper. Along the way, he occasionally encountered other disciples from the Green Cloud Sect.

Sometimes, Blood Souls would suddenly emerge. However, such Qi Refining stage Blood Souls posed no challenge for Ye Chen, who didn't even need to pause his stride. A mere glance was enough to obliterate them.

Thus, under the awe-struck gazes of the disciples, Ye Chen followed the map deeper into the ruins. He didn't rush, nor was he reckless. Despite his strength, the Boundless Demon Sect was once a top-tier sect with a God Transformation stage powerhouse.

Who knew if a Golden Core stage spirit might appear? Thus, caution was paramount. The ruins of the Boundless Demon Sect were vast, and flying was restricted.

It took Ye Chen five full days to reach the location marked on the map. By then, encounters with Green Cloud Sect disciples had become scarce.

As Ye Chen approached the grand hall designated by his mission, he could hear roaring sounds emanating from within. The array that once protected this hall had failed, and upon pushing open the doors, Ye Chen saw a Blood Fiend shrouded in a mist of blood, its crimson eyes glaring directly at him. The Blood Fiend charged at him with inconceivable speed, roaring as it approached.

Both Blood Souls and Blood Fiends were products of the Boundless Demon Sect, allegedly crafted from the souls of enemies. Previously controlled by arrays, they served as attendants within the Boundless Demon Sect.

However, with the arrays now defunct, these Blood Souls and Fiends had gone rogue. They attacked cultivators, draining them dry into mummies. After absorbing a cultivator's essence and blood, they could become even stronger. Many Blood Souls had evolved into Blood Fiends thanks to unsuspecting scattered cultivators who served as easy prey. This had made the ruins increasingly dangerous.

Facing the charging Blood Fiend, Ye Chen remained calm, merely lifting his hand from afar. In the next moment, a giant hand formed behind the Blood Fiend, emanating a majestic purplish-gold light.

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The hand crashed down, capturing the Blood Fiend within its grasp, a radiant holy light illuminating the area. The Blood Fiend struggled wildly within the giant hand, to no avail...

In the blink of an eye, it was purified and vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a crimson crystal on the ground.

Ye Chen picked up the crystal. Blood Fiends, upon death, left behind Blood Crystals. These were valuable materials for practicing Blood Dao Divine Abilities and techniques.

Ye Chen stored the crystal safely, thinking he might give it to Su Yuxuan if he encountered her. Reflecting on the past year since the last inheritance secret realm, where he had given Su Yuxuan a genuine Foundation Establishment technique, Ye Chen wondered about her current strength.

After casually dealing with the Blood Fiend and fulfilling his sect mission, Ye Chen continued deeper into the ruins. Since he was already here, he decided to stay a few more days. If he could find a Five Elements Pill, even better.

Observing an aged Five Elements Pill would allow him to better age his newly acquired ones, ensuring they didn't give away their true origin. So, two more days swiftly passed.

As Ye Chen delved deeper into the ruins, he encountered an increasing number of Blood Souls. He even encountered two more Blood Fiends, but they caused him no trouble and were easily dispatched.

Another two days went by.

Ye Chen had now entered the core area of the Boundless Demon Sect. He even came across a building named the Scripture Pavilion.

However, as Ye Chen approached, he discovered that the array protecting it had long been ineffective. There were also signs that others had already entered. Upon opening the doors, it was as he suspected.

The place was completely empty; it was unclear whether it had been devoid of scriptures from the start or if someone had already taken everything.

Standing on the third-floor balcony of the Scripture Pavilion, Ye Chen surveyed his surroundings, contemplating whether it was time to return. But in the next moment, his expression subtly changed.

Sounds of combat echoed from afar, at least four or five kilometers away. The sounds of magical force clashing were distinctly audible.

Simultaneously, a voice carried over: "If there are any Green Cloud Sect elders nearby, come quickly to assist me in slaying this demon. Disciples should leave immediately."

A Green Cloud Sect elder was calling for help.

Ordinarily, Ye Chen would be expected to assist. However, Ye Chen recognized the voice. It was Kong Xiangli!

Ye Chen remembered that when he had left the sect base, Kong Xiangli was there too. He hadn't expected to encounter him again inside the ruins. A smile curled up on Ye Chen's lips, and he stood still, making no move to react.

Lately, Kong Xiangli had indeed been making amicable gestures towards him. It seemed as if previous conflicts were no longer of any concern.

However, Kong Xiangli's encouragement for Ye Chen to enter the ruins had made him somewhat cautious. And now, on his very first venture into the ruins, to run into Kong Xiangli seemed too coincidental.

Thus, Ye Chen pretended not to hear and continued gazing at the scenery from the balcony of the Scripture Pavilion, acting as if he was oblivious to the call.

But Ye Chen did not move. The sounds of battle, however, were drawing nearer. Soon, two figures locked in combat appeared within Ye Chen's line of sight.

One glance confirmed it was indeed Kong Xiangli. His opponent was an old man with white hair and beard, wielding a banner emitting dense black smoke, known as the Human Emperor Banner.

Both were mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, and their battle was fiercely intense. Spells flew chaotically, colliding with loud, rumbling noises. Both combatants' faces were noticeably pale.

Kong Xiangli, upon spotting Ye Chen, immediately brightened up: "Fellow Daoist Ye, come quickly and assist me. This man is the Black Soul Elder from the Misty Sect. He has just sacrificed four of our disciples and we have been battling for several hours. He is surely at the end of his strength. Defeating him would be a great contribution to our sect!"

Kong Xiangli pleaded for support.

The Black Soul Elder, seeing that Kong Xiangli had reinforcement, showed a look of panic on his face and attempted to flee. However, Kong Xiangli blocked his escape.

Yet, Ye Chen, lounging on the balcony of the Scripture Pavilion, looked down at the two with a visibly amused expression.

The moment the two appeared, Ye Chen had used the Emperor's Qi Viewing Technique to scan them. Both were brimming with magical power and vitality, showing no signs of injury whatsoever.

Fighting for hours and ending up like this, are you dancing?

"Fellow Daoist Ye, the Green Cloud Sect has rules—we must not stand by and watch fellow disciples die without helping..." Kong Xiangli, feigning exhaustion, shouted loudly.

Ye Chen, smiling cheerfully, replied: "Stop it, you two shouldn't fight anymore. The way you're fighting, you won't kill anyone like that."

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