Qin Yang hurried along, doing his best to conceal his tracks. He climbed mountains and crossed forests, knowing he didn't have much time left before Nangong Ling caught up with him.
"How is there a building here?" Qin Yang leaned against a tree, gasping for breath. At least the ice power wasn't something he had to activate through a technique - it was part of his own strength. This might be the only advantage he had right now.
He spotted a tall wall in the distance and walked toward it.
After passing through a patch of trees, the forest suddenly opened up.
A thirty-meter-high wall stretched into the distance, its end invisible. The wall was covered in weathered marks and terrifying claw marks left by demonic beasts.
"What's inside this wall?" Qin Yang frowned. He'd be caught in the mountains sooner or later, so why not...
The Treasure Rat led the way, heading toward the wall. Qin Yang followed along the wall for a long time before finding a small door.
The door was already broken, made of some unknown metal that had cracked in half. He kicked it open with ease.
A pitch-black passage lay ahead, as if ready to swallow everything. The Treasure Rat fearlessly charged in.
Qin Yang had no time to think. He disappeared into the darkness.
"Are there any demonic beasts here?" Qin Yang cautiously advanced through the darkness, his heart pounding with unspoken questions.
"Yes, many. Countless numbers," Dragon Jade replied. "I can sense the presence of numerous demonic beasts here."
Qin Yang had already ventured far into the pitch-black tunnel, the entrance's light now completely obscured. His body stiffened at these words.
It's like escaping a dog's jaws only to fall into a wolf's den...
"But..." Dragon Jade added hesitantly, "Most of them appear to be dead."
Qin Yang felt no relief. With so many dead demonic beasts, had they slaughtered each other?
No time to ponder this. I should find a hiding spot here. Returning might lead me straight into Nangong Ling's path.
Gritting his teeth, Qin Yang pressed forward with determination.
Nangong Ling... Wei Yu... The Eight Divine Clans' Ultimate Annihilation Decree...
He took a deep breath, committing these details to memory.
I've never sought trouble, but I'll never cower from it!
I'll make you all understand - I'm not some soft fruit to be crushed! Want to bite me? You'll break your teeth and lose your lives!
"Huh? Could that be..." Qin Yang advanced further, spotting crescent-shaped glows up ahead.
In the darkness, even the faintest light captivated. The cluster of crescent lights shimmered with ethereal beauty, illuminating the path before them.
"Black Moon Flowers!"
The luminous blooms began fading. No explanation needed - the culprit was clear!
"Stop gnawing! We finally have some light! Keep eating and we'll be back in the dark!" Qin Yang growled.
The Treasure Rat paused, clutching a Black Moon Flower in its tiny paws. It licked the blossom hesitantly, torn between hunger and obedience.
Qin Yang chuckled. "Fine, one more. But no more after that!"
The rodent squeaked in delight and devoured the flower ravenously. Its cheeks puffed like a hamster's, leaving only a stem behind.
Qin Yang passed through the floral field, reaching the corridor's end.
"This is..." He examined the surroundings by the remaining glow. Stoves, chopping boards, and rust-pitted woks greeted him. A knife handle lay nearby, its blade long gone.
The air reeked of decay.
"A kitchen... A massive kitchen..."
Qin Yang was at a loss for words. He found a lamp-shaped magical artifact and inserted a low-grade spirit stone into its slot.
The white glow instantly illuminated the surroundings, revealing hundreds of stoves in this kitchen alone!
As he explored, he spotted small writing on a wall near a doorway: "Demon Hunter's Field Kitchen No. 3."
"Hiss! This is just one of the kitchens!" Qin Yang couldn't help but exclaim, then paused. "Demon Hunter's Field? What does that mean?"
On the vegetable racks and in baskets, the rotting ingredients had deteriorated beyond recognition. In such an environment, only earth-connected Black Moon Flowers could possibly survive.
After finding the exit, Qin Yang didn't leave. Instead, he returned to the small door leading outside.
"All these Black Moon Flowers are yours now," Qin Yang declared with a sweeping gesture.
The Treasure Rat's eyes lit up with excitement. With a swift movement, it darted over and began devouring the flowers with relish.
Listening intently, Qin Yang heard faint footsteps approaching through the corridor.
Nangong Ling and the others had indeed followed him in!
Just as he was about to urge the Treasure Rat to eat faster, he realized there was no need. Though the Black Moon Flowers no longer glowed under the magical lamp's light, they remained the only visible objects in the corridor. The entire patch of flowers was nearly devoured by the Treasure Rat.
The Black Moon Flower was merely a second-tier spirit medicine. Even with the abundance consumed, it failed to alter the Treasure Rat's aura.
Qin Yang's eyebrow twitched. "How could I forget? You're now a high-level demonic beast!"
He clicked his tongue. High-level demonic beasts ranked just below Zongshi-level, equivalent to the human Qi Sea Realm.
In other words, this little creature now shared the same cultivation realm as Qin Yang...
"Chirp!" The Treasure Rat responded with a contented squeak, its tiny belly showing no signs of expansion.
Alas, no matter how powerful the Treasure Rat became, its sole purpose remained treasure hunting. It possessed no combat capabilities, though its sensory range did expand with increased strength.
"I need to assign you a task," Qin Yang declared.
"Chirp!" The Treasure Rat's squeak clearly expressed its desire for sleep.
"No sleeping! Refuse this, and I'll never feed you again!" Qin Yang threatened.
The Treasure Rat immediately acquiesced.
Qin Yang instructed the Treasure Rat to remain in the kitchen, ready to tease Nangong Ling and the others when they entered. Meanwhile, he would first scout the surroundings.
Leaving Kitchen 3, Qin Yang found himself in the same pitch-black darkness. Fortunately, he carried a magical lamp that illuminated his surroundings.
He circled the area cautiously. The interior of the building was completely dark, making it an excellent hiding spot.
There were stairs leading upward, but Qin Yang didn't continue exploring. He quickly returned to Kitchen 3, turned off the magical lamp, and took up a position guarding the main entrance.
Before long, chaos erupted within Kitchen 3.
Nangong Ling and his group had been on high alert for Qin Yang's ambush. Following Qin Yang's instructions, the Treasure Rat scurried past their feet.
The group was startled into action, unleashing various martial arts techniques. In the confusion, they even began attacking each other.
The scene quickly devolved into complete chaos.
"It's just a rat! Look at you fools, panicking over nothing! Cease this madness at once!"
Blind in the darkness, the group froze at Nangong Ling's furious command.
"Qin Yang must not be here," Wei Yu observed. "He's definitely left!"
Guided by the sounds created by the Treasure Rat, they continued feeling their way through the darkness until they found the door.
As the door swung open, Qin Yang simultaneously lit his magical lamp.
Everyone's eyes were already wide open when the sudden burst of light appeared right before them. The blinding brightness made them instinctively close their eyes. Only Nangong Ling managed to squint through the glare, catching a faint glimpse of a silhouette.
Thump!
Silhouette? That can only be Qin Yang!
"Heaven offers a path, yet you refuse to walk it. Hell's gates stand open, and you charge in! Die!" Qin Yang roared, then extinguished his magical lamp.
Tension coiled through every body in the room.
Qin Yang leaped, his foot connecting with Nangong Ling's chest. The impact sent the young man flying backward.
Nangong Ling's lackeys caught him mid-air, their group retreating in unison.
"Today, I'll make you all die here!" came the shout.
The door slammed shut with a thud, followed by the click of a lock.
Everything had happened in the blink of an eye.
Silence fell over Kitchen 3, so complete that the group dared not even breathe too deeply.
"Qin Yang arrived first," Wei Yu said, his voice low. "He knows this place better than us. Watch for ambushes."
Everyone assumed Qin Yang was hiding in the shadows, ready to ambush them. They all lived in constant fear.
How could they defend themselves when they couldn't see anything?
"Don't talk," Nangong Ling whispered. "If he tries to sneak up on us, he'll make noise. The moment we hear anything, I'll shoot him dead! None of you move without my word!"
Nangong Ling pressed a hand to his chest, a cold smile spreading across his face. That kick hadn't carried much force. It seemed Qin Yang's injuries were more severe than expected!
The group held their breaths, ears straining for any sound.
Nearby, a vegetable basket rustled. Nangong Ling loosed an arrow immediately, but no scream came from Qin Yang. Silence fell again, the tension thickening the air.
Outside the kitchen, Qin Yang froze.
He'd set up the Treasure Rat to distract the group and buy time. But without the rat, where would he find the spirit medicine?
"Miscalculated..." Qin Yang sighed inwardly. The vast building would require a thorough search on his own.
Listening to the intermittent arrows from the kitchen, Qin Yang smiled as he slipped away. Only after putting distance between them did he reactivate his magical lamp.