Chapter 589: The Unlucky Jiuying Clan

Qin Feng fancied his concealment flawless, having eavesdropped on the entirety of the trio's plotting from the sidelines.

Yet when it came to the mastery of divine sense among peers of the same realm, who could possibly match Lu Yang?

Upon entering the first layer, Meng Jingzhou had utilized the map to calculate the distance from the entrance to the threshold of the heavenly ladder, estimating that it would take at least a day at topmost speed.

The first layer was a circular expanse; given that the rules dictated the slaughter of demonic beasts to acquire essence cores, the initial reaction of any contender would naturally be to disperse from the entrance, gradually exploring the domain to hunt down beasts, with none ever entertaining the notion of inspecting the heavenly ladder first for intelligence.

Once the mechanics of the first layer were fully grasped, both Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou simultaneously conceived the stratagem of constructing a collection chest right at the foot of the ladder to gather the essence cores.

The sole uncertainty plaguing this design lay in the strength of the beasts; had a Nascent Soul beast manifested the might of the Soul Formation stage, the prodigies of the Demonic Alliance would have lacked the capacity to secure even ten cores, rendering any deception at the ladder futile—in which case, the three of them joining forces to hunt beasts would have been a far swifter endeavor.

Thus, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou had immediately taken Jiang Shishi to slay a beast, testing its true capability.

Confirming that its power was indeed capped at the Nascent Soul level, Meng Jingzhou departed for the heavenly ladder without delay, leaving Lu Yang and Jiang Shishi behind.

To deceive any prying eyes, Lu Yang executed the Tree-Planting Art and the Pictogram Fist, altering his clone to assume the exact likeness of Meng Jingzhou.

Subsequently, detecting Qin Feng lingering in the shadows, Lu Yang decided to play along with the deception, feigning the creation of a gate-blocking scheme on the surface while covertly transmitting the authentic plan to Jiang Shishi via divine sense.

Only then had Jiang Shishi displayed such a mix of trepidation and excitement; left to her own devices, she could not have devised such a ruse in ten days, let alone in the blink of an eye.

Was this truly the profound wisdom of the human race's foremost geniuses?

Lu Yang and Jiang Shishi proceeded methodically with their hunt, deliberately delaying their arrival at the heavenly ladder.

And so, the preceding spectacle unfolded.

"Brother Qin Feng, you have labored greatly; I shall be taking these essence cores," Meng Jingzhou roared with laughter from the rim of the chest, the cores strung together and draped over his frame like a festive wrap, inciting deep envy in all who watched.

These were the accumulated cores of every single prodigy over the span of ten whole days!

"You bastard!" Qin Feng bellowed in a towering rage, reverting to his original form as a Nine-Infant—a creature possessing nine heads upon a single torso, each head bearing the likeness of a pitch-black serpent.

His eighteen eyes flared crimson, looking as though they might bleed.

The gate-blocking initiative had been his own recommendation to the prodigies of the alliance, which was the sole reason he had naturally claimed the mantle of leadership.

Now that the plan had collapsed entirely and been exploited by the opposition, leaving them devoid of cores, the wrath of the alliance's prodigies would inevitably crash down upon him.

Even with a Tribulation Transmutation patriarch shielding him, he could never withstand the collective fury of so many lineages.

"Return the cores!" Qin Feng spat fiercely, his nine serpentine heads lunging simultaneously toward Meng Jingzhou, who had long anticipated such a brainless assault and evaded it with a swift, lateral stride.

Witnessing this, the prodigies of the Demonic Alliance realized they had been played for fools by Meng Jingzhou; unveiling their true demonic forms, they surged forward to set upon him.

They could not afford to leave without a single core, lest they fail to pass even the very first layer!

Ao Yue's palm crackled with lightning as he weighed the option of intervening to seize the prize.

Their own cores were likewise held by Meng Jingzhou.

At that moment, Jiang Shishi stepped forward, intercepting Ao Yue.

Pointing toward the sprightly, dodging figure of Meng Jingzhou, she spoke: "This gentleman is my ally. We foresaw this treachery from the Demonic Alliance and laid an ambush in advance. Junior Brother Ao Yue may rest easy, as may the rest of you; our actions are directed solely at the alliance. Once he breaks free, he will distribute ten cores to each of you, ensuring your smooth passage to the second layer."

This was precisely the rhetoric she and Lu Yang had agreed upon beforehand.

From the perspective of Ao Yue and the others, they remained ignorant of Qin Feng being duped; they merely assumed Lu Yang's trio possessed superior cunning, outmaneuvering Qin Feng's scheme by hiding within the chest to mete out justice.

Having recovered what was lost, Ao Yue and his companions harbored no greed for more; ten cores were entirely sufficient.

In this manner, Lu Yang's trio secured both an illustrious reputation and the lion's share of the essence cores.

Jiang Shishi felt a wave of gratitude for her elder's foresight in permitting this alliance; otherwise, she would have been left with a pitiful ten cores.

Reflecting upon it sent a shiver down her spine; these two human prodigies were far too calculating. No wonder her elder always remarked that while her talent for cultivation was ample, her wits were somewhat lacking—this was precisely the disparity.

"Our profound thanks to Young Mistress Jiang!" The prodigies wept with gratitude at her magnanimity.

Ao Yue sensed a subtle incongruity, yet the present moment afforded no time for idle contemplation; the Demonic Alliance had oppressed them ruthlessly moments ago, so why not seize this chance to strike back?

"Everyone, strike together to aid this benevolent Daoist in his escape!"

Ao Yue shifted into his Azure Dragon form, his dragon pearl unleashing torrents of thunder; with a resounding roar, he swept his talons, striking wildly into the ranks of the Demonic Alliance.

Emboldened by the sight, the remaining prodigies let loose feral cries and charged the alliance.

The Demonic Alliance found themselves pursued by Ao Yue's faction while attempting to chase Meng Jingzhou; compounded by their deep distrust of Qin Feng and a total collapse of command, they were swiftly routed, fleeing in utter disarray.

"Well, Miss Jiang, partnering with the two of us is hardly a losing venture, is it?" Lu Yang remarked with a genial smile. Since arriving at the ladder, he had not lifted a finger, yet everything unfolded precisely as he had dictated.

Particularly as he watched Meng Jingzhou leaping and bounding to evade the onslaught like an agile ape while he rested comfortably in the rear, his satisfaction grew all the greater.

"A losing venture it is not," Jiang Shishi concurred, nodding. It was an absolute windfall. Though the events within the Ancient Realm could not be spoken of outside, the prodigies understood the reality in their hearts; this single endeavor would elevate her standing among her peers to new heights.

The Demonic Alliance scattered to the winds; the rules did not forbid slaughter, and should one perish here, the strictures of the realm prevented any disclosure of the truth, meaning one would die with no hope of vengeance.

Meng Jingzhou finally rejoined Lu Yang and Jiang Shishi, panting heavily from exertion. Catching sight of Lu Yang's serene, leisurely posture, he knew instantly he had been saddled with the thankless chore once more.

Yet there was no remedy for it; he simply lacked the mastery of the Tree-Planting Art and the Pictogram Fist.

Abiding by their pact, Meng Jingzhou distributed ten cores to every prodigy, leaving the remaining eight hundred to be divided among the three of them.

The crowd searched for a considerable time without finding a vessel to receive the cores, until Ao Yue tentatively stepped onto the heavenly ladder. The ten cores were absorbed instantly by the structure, and he was enveloped in light and transported to the second layer, revealing the method of passage to all.

One after another, the crowd queued to ascend, leaving only the remnants of the Demonic Alliance lurking in the distance.

Seeing Lu Yang and the others depart, Qin Feng wished to ascend as well, but lacking a single core, a barrier manifested before the ladder, repelling him.

As the final grain of sand slipped through the hourglass, the ten days expired, and all members of the Demonic Alliance were forcibly expelled from the Ancient Realm.

"Qin Feng, this is entirely your fault!"

The eyes of the alliance prodigies turned bloodshot with rage; the ancient realm offered fortunes capable of altering destinies, yet they had failed to reap even the slightest crumb.

"Elder, save me!"

Terrified, Qin Feng scrambled to hide behind his guardian.

Only then did he perceive that the atmosphere was remarkably tense—ominous, even—as though the gaze of every single lineage was fixed squarely, and with distinct malice, upon the Nine-Infant Clan.

What could have transpired out here?