The mist within the Misty Forest seemed to have thinned somewhat, but not because the skies had cleared; rather, it had been dyed a sickly red by fresh blood and dispelled by the residual heat of bodies that had yet to turn cold. The thick, metallic stench of blood completely overpowered the forest's characteristic musty scent.
The chaotic battle had finally reached its end.
The Serpent King, the Foundation Establishment Vice Grotto Master of the Myriad Snake Grotto, had fallen. With his lifebound magical item destroyed and his mind heavily injured, coupled with the simultaneous attacks from Ly Tin and the massive demonic bear, he simply could not hold on. The price paid was one of Ly Tin's arms being ripped open by the demonic bear's claws, while the bear itself had taken a final venomous palm strike from the Serpent King, staggering away deep into the forest, its life or death unknown.
With the one possessing the strongest aura dead, the pack of Demonic Beasts seemed to regain a sliver of clarity. They no longer attacked in a mindless frenzy but began to scramble and tear at the corpses of the Black Dragon Stronghold grunts and the fallen beasts, creating a scene straight out of Hell.
Ly Tin, clutching his injured arm, his face pale but his gaze incomparably sharp, stood amidst the battlefield. He paid no heed to the beasts fighting over food. He was searching.
"Young Hero Tran! Where are you?!" he shouted, his voice laced with concern.
A moment later, from a high branch, a dark silhouette dropped down without a sound. It was Tran Kien.
His complexion was not much better than Ly Tin's. Using his "Saber Intent" to execute a strike above his cultivation level had completely drained his Primordial Qi and mental fortitude. He felt dizzy, his legs somewhat soft, forcing him to lean against a tree trunk just to stand firm.
"General, you are injured," Tran Kien said, looking at Ly Tin's wound.
"This flesh wound is nothing," Ly Tin waved his hand, then looked at the youth with an incredibly complex gaze. "You... you have saved my life once again."
He knew that without that heaven-shaking saber strike destroying the Serpent King's magical item, the one who would have perished was undoubtedly him. This young man, time and time again, managed to create unimaginable miracles.
"We are comrades," Tran Kien replied simply. He walked over, taking out some Blood Jade Weed he had gathered as a precaution, crushed it, and handed it to Ly Tin. "Use this for now. We must leave this place immediately. The stench of blood here will soon attract things far more terrifying than this pack of Demonic Beasts."
Ly Tin nodded. He understood this all too well. After hastily tending to the wound, the two did not bother sweeping the battlefield. They immediately followed the faint trail left by Uncle Sword, pressing deeper into the mist.
They walked in silence. Both were utterly exhausted. But within their hearts, an anxiety far greater than fatigue was brewing.
"General," Tran Kien suddenly spoke up. "Do you think Uncle Sword and the others are safe?"
Ly Tin remained silent for a long time. He was a general, accustomed to assessing battlefield situations. "It is hard to say. The Myriad Snake Grotto does not only have the Serpent King. According to intelligence, they have another Vice Grotto Master, nicknamed 'Blood Refinement', whose cultivation and cruelty surpass even the Serpent King. Furthermore, there is the mysterious Grotto Master who has never revealed himself. Uncle Sword is strong, but he has to protect two other people..."
He didn't finish the sentence, but the underlying meaning was crystal clear.
Tran Kien's heart sank slightly. He knew Ly Tin was right. Although his plan had succeeded in breaking the outer encirclement, it had inadvertently pushed Uncle Sword's group into a situation where they had to face the full might of the Myriad Snake Grotto head-on.
They picked up their pace. Every step carried a sense of urgency and trepidation.
After walking for another half an hour, they suddenly stopped. The mist ahead seemed thinner, and they could hear the sound of flowing water.
They advanced cautiously, hiding behind a large bush. Before them lay a small valley, in the center of which was a pitch-black lake, exuding a plume of toxic gas that hovered over the water's surface. Surrounding the lake were countless caves of various sizes, looking like the eyes of malevolent demons. This was clearly the heart of the Myriad Snake Grotto.
But what drew their attention was not the eerie scenery.
It was the three figures standing by the edge of the lake.
An elder, a youth, and a middle-aged man. It was exactly Trinh Cong, Lam Vy, and Uncle Sword!
"They are safe!" Ly Tin cried out in joy, preparing to rush out.
"Hold on!" Tran Kien immediately grabbed him, his gaze incredibly solemn. "Something is wrong!"
Ly Tin froze, taking a closer look. Only then did he realize. Although the three were standing there, they were as motionless as statues. Moreover, there wasn't a single Myriad Snake Grotto guard around them. The entire valley was eerily quiet.
Right at that moment, from the largest and darkest cave, a shrill, sycophantic voice rang out, carrying undisguised smugness.
"Hahaha... The Sword Cultivator of the Duke Dingguo's Manor truly lives up to his reputation. With just one man and one sword, you actually managed to kill Blood Refinement and nearly half of my Myriad Snake Grotto's Protectors. Truly admirable! Admirable!"
A figure slowly strolled out from the cave. It was not a vicious, demonic fiend as they had imagined. Instead, it was a frail-looking scholar dressed in brocade robes, holding a paper folding fan. His face was ghastly pale, his eyes narrowed into slits, and the corners of his mouth constantly bore a hypocritical smile.
However, the aura radiating from his body made both Tran Kien and Ly Tin feel their very souls tremble.
Mid-stage Foundation Establishment! He was even stronger than Iron Eagle!
"Who are you?" Ly Tin roared.
"Me?" The scholar chuckled. "I am but a nameless nobody. But you may call me 'Strategist'. The Strategist of the Black Dragon Stronghold, and the new 'friend' of the Myriad Snake Grotto."
He pointed his fan toward the three motionless figures of Uncle Sword's group. "Your friends are fine. They are simply enjoying a bit of a 'local specialty' here. It is an illusionary array combined with poison incense, named the 'Three Lives Dream'. Those afflicted will sink into the most beautiful dreams of their lives, slowly dying in absolute bliss without ever realizing it."
"You bastard!" Ly Tin raged, about to charge forward.
"I advise you to stand still," the Strategist fanned himself, his tone remaining leisurely. "This illusionary array is linked to their auras. Any external attack will cause the illusion inside to collapse, shattering their souls instantly."
Tran Kien and Ly Tin froze. This was a trap even more vicious than the previous ambush. A trap that gave them absolutely no opportunity to use force.
"What do you want?" Tran Kien asked coldly.
"I should be the one asking you that," the Strategist laughed. "One is a general of the Duke Dingguo's Manor. The other is a mysterious youth who managed to kill Serpent Scale. For two such esteemed guests to grace this remote Myriad Snake Grotto, what exactly are you after?"
He clearly knew everything. From beginning to end, this entire game of chess had been within his calculations.
"Now," he waved his fan, proposing a condition. "I can give you an opportunity. Hand over the Shamanic Map and the Lac Viet metal fragment. Then, cripple your own cultivation bases. I can spare all of your lives. How about it?"
This was a profound humiliation. A choice between living in disgrace or dying in glory.
But Tran Kien only looked at the Strategist in silence. He wasn't angry. He was analyzing. Illusionary array... Poison incense... Linked auras...
After a long while, he suddenly asked a completely unrelated question.
"Strategist, for you to set up such a grand chessboard, you must be very confident in your calculating abilities, aren't you?"
The Strategist was momentarily taken aback, then smiled: "Passable."
"Then, have you ever considered," Tran Kien said, a strange light flashing in his eyes. "What would happen if there was a chess piece that didn't follow logic, that didn't abide by any of the rules on your chessboard?"
Saying this, he no longer looked at the Strategist. He turned to look at Ly Tin.
"General, trust me one more time."
Without waiting for Ly Tin's response, he suddenly circulated all the remaining Primordial Qi in his body.
But he didn't attack the Strategist. He didn't attack the illusionary array either.
He raised his dull black saber.
And slashed it directly into... his own chest!