As night fell, after the Mu Tian Grass was dug out by Lu Yang, the Golden Core Stage cultivators lost control and lay quietly in the swamp.

Occasionally, someone would mistakenly enter here, and upon seeing the scene of corpses strewn everywhere, they would be frightened by the eeriness and quickly turn to run away.

A gray figure floated down and, upon seeing this mess, picked up the useless Mu Tian Grass roots, furrowing his brow.

“Who did this!”

Anger surged within him. Years of preparation had been ruined in an instant, and this matter must have a conclusion.

Far away in the demon realm, he suddenly couldn’t sense the Mu Tian Grass’s movements, so he rushed here immediately.

Unfortunately, it was too late; the Mu Tian Grass had already been taken.

“Backtrack!”

He formed a complex and ancient hand seal, moving so quickly that it produced afterimages.

This was a great supernatural ability he had mastered, allowing him to backtrack time and view past events.

A light screen appeared before him. In the screen, a Golden Core Stage cultivator uprooted the Mu Tian Grass. This was the limit of his backtracking ability.

“How bold! A mere Golden Core Stage junior dares to ruin my plans!”

“I’ll remember your face!”

The gray figure gnashed his teeth, staring intently at Lu Yang. He was determined to find Lu Yang, retrieve the Mu Tian Grass, and tear him apart!

“I’m just a small character, why remember me?” A lazy voice sounded from the side.

“Who!” The gray figure was startled. The disappearance of the Mu Tian Grass had thrown his mind into chaos. In his haste, he hadn’t noticed someone nearby.

“It’s you! You dare appear before me again!” The gray figure’s eyes narrowed upon seeing Lu Yang. This person had ruined his plans by uprooting the Mu Tian Grass and now dared to show up, as if he had no temper, as if he were made of mud.

No, he’s just a Golden Core Stage cultivator. No matter how anxious I am, I shouldn’t have failed to notice a Golden Core Stage hiding nearby.

It’s a trap!

He suddenly soared into the sky, attempting to escape, but a large net descended from above, trapping the gray figure.

“Cultivating the Mu Tian Grass in secret, harming living beings—either accept justice on the spot or obediently come back with me to face trial!” Protector Zeng emerged from another space, standing beside Lu Yang, his eyes full of anger.

Ten Void Refinement Stage cultivators controlled the Sky Net, and no matter what methods the gray figure used, he couldn’t escape its coverage.

Protector Zeng squinted his eyes slightly. The gray figure’s methods were quite ancient, not those used by modern cultivators.

“It seems he’s an ancient cultivator, secretly cultivating the Mu Tian Grass to refine pills and enhance his realm.”

Void Refinement Stage cultivators have highly volatile cultivation, but that doesn’t mean they can’t make a move.

These ten Void Refinement Stage cultivators’ cultivation levels also fluctuated, but they could ensure that there were always two cultivators at the Unity Stage.

Plus, with Protector Zeng on the ground, there were three at the Unity Stage, enough to activate the Sky Net.

The Sky Net was a secret treasure from the Great Xia Dynasty’s treasury, one of the trump cards placed at the Demon Subjugation Pass to guard against demon invasions.

Unless it was an elder from the Dao Seeking Sect, the Sky Net could suppress anyone.

The gray figure was clearly not at the level of a Dao Seeking Sect elder, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been cultivating the Mu Tian Grass.

“Take him away!” Protector Zeng ordered, and the ten Void Refinement Stage cultivators dragged the gray figure back to the Demon Subjugation Pass.

“How did you know there was someone behind the Mu Tian Grass?” Protector Zeng asked curiously on the way back.

“Even the Mu Tian Grass itself didn’t know it was being cultivated by someone.” This was the result of Protector Zeng’s personal interrogation of the Mu Tian Grass.

“the Mu Tian Grass didn’t know because the person behind it might have altered its memory.”

“I guessed there was someone behind the Mu Tian Grass for two reasons.”

“First, the location of the Mu Tian Grass was too coincidental. Its ability is to control Golden Core Stage cultivators, and it appeared precisely in the dense forest where there were the most Golden Core Stage demon beasts and cultivators. It was as if someone had deliberately planted it there to make it easier for it to hunt.”

“I have considered that possibility too. Could it really be a coincidence?”

“That’s where the second reason comes in. What you might not know, Protector Zeng, is that during my battle with the Mu Tian Grass, it first used a formation to interrupt my directional teleportation talisman. The directional teleportation talisman was made by a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, and since the Mu Tian Grass only controlled Golden Core Stage cultivators, it couldn’t have known how to interrupt it from them.”

“Moreover, it moved the swamp using the Great Mountain Shift Array, which is another formation the Mu Tian Grass shouldn’t have known.”

“Someone must have taught the Mu Tian Grass these techniques for survival, and that person, fearing exposure, altered the Mu Tian Grass’s memory.”

“Since the Mu Tian Grass can help a Unity Stage Cultivator advance a minor realm, it means the person behind it is definitely a Unity Stage Cultivator.”

“Such an important thing like the Mu Tian Grass would certainly have a mark left on it. Once the mark disappeared, that person would come over. That’s why I asked you, Protector Zeng, to assist in ambushing the person behind it.”

Protector Zeng waved his hand. “You didn’t ask for my help. It’s my duty as a guardian. I should be thanking you. Without you, who knows how long the Mu Tian Grass and the person behind it would have continued hiding, harming more people.”

While the two talked, they returned to the Demon Subjugation Pass.

Protector Zeng needed to interrogate the gray figure overnight and parted ways with Lu Yang.

Lu Yang returned to the inn where Meng Jingzhou and the other two had prepared a feast to celebrate Lu Yang’s advancement to the Golden Core Stage.

“Come, let’s toast to Lu Yang’s advancement to the Golden Core Stage!” The four raised their drinks and gulped down a cup each.

“With Lu Yang advancing to the Golden Core Stage, the three of us need to speed up our progress too. I have some ideas, what about you two?” Meng Jingzhou asked.

“I’m considering forming a Golden Core related to illusions, but I still need to study how to do it,” Peach Blossom Leaf said.

“I haven’t decided what kind of Golden Core to form yet,” Barbarian Bone scratched his head, smiling a bit embarrassed.

“Don’t rush, we have plenty of time. At our age, besides Lu Yang, the three of us are cultivating the fastest. There’s no need to hurry,” Meng Jingzhou advised Barbarian Bone, who nodded in understanding.

“I need to return to my sect to consolidate my realm. There’s a flying boat tomorrow, so I won’t be going to the dense forest with you.”

The three understood. Now that Lu Yang was a Golden Core Stage cultivator, joining them in the dense forest to hunt demon beasts would make them feel no sense of crisis, greatly reducing the effect of their training.

Early the next morning, Lu Yang bought some local specialties from the Demon Subjugation Pass, took the Mu Tian Grass, bid farewell to Meng Jingzhou and the others, and boarded the flying boat.

Lu Yang didn’t choose to fly back to the Dao Seeking Sect for two reasons: first, the distance between the Demon Subjugation Pass and the Dao Seeking Sect was too great. The Golden Core Stage’s spiritual power reserves wouldn’t be enough and would require many stops for rest, which was not practical.

Second, Lu Yang had a fear of heights.

Of course, the first reason was the main one.

Inside the flying boat cabin, Lu Yang intended to study the shiny Invincible Core, so he entered his spiritual space, where he saw the Everlasting Fairy sleeping.

Clearly, she didn’t differentiate between day and night.

“Um, Lu Yang, you’re here?” The Everlasting Fairy rubbed her eyes, groggily greeting Lu Yang.

Originally, Lu Yang intended to ask the Everlasting Fairy about the Invincible Core, but the words changed when he spoke: “Fairy, why don’t you sleep a bit more?”

“Okay.” The Everlasting Fairy went back to sleep instantly.

Lu Yang: “…”

I was just being polite.