I asked you to go down the mountain and get married, not to shock the world!

Ji Zhou's eyes were sharp as he carefully observed the two black-robed cultivators and the environment at the cave entrance. He whispered, "The aura inside the cave is mixed. Besides this sinister aura, there are several stronger fluctuations. One of them... should be the late-stage Core Formation cultivator mentioned in the mission."

"The cave entrance has simple concealment and warning barriers, which are not very sophisticated, but forcibly breaking in will definitely alert the enemy."

"Then what should we do? Wait for them to change shifts?" Ye Chuhan asked.

Seeing Ye Chuhan's clueless expression, Ji Zhou couldn't help but glance at him a few more times.

This kid, the Spirit Realm is his home turf, how come he acts like he doesn't know anything?

Where do you spend your brain every day?

It's true that he's been following Doflamingo for too long; he relies on Doflamingo for everything.

However, Jizhou only grumbled these words to himself.

He shook his head, finally giving up and no longer looking at Ye Chuhan.

After a moment's hesitation, he replied to Ye Chuhan, "The longer we stay here, the more things can go wrong. Let's find a way to take care of these two quietly, and then sneak in."

Fortunately, although Ye Chuhan wasn't very bright, she was obedient and cooperated completely with Ji Zhou.

Jizhou's gaze also fell on the murky stream in the valley, and he made up his mind.

He gestured for Ye Chuhan to calm down, while he, like a gecko, silently slid down the other side of the rock, using the shadows of the jagged rocks on the bank to quickly approach the stream.

Upon arriving at the stream, Jizhou held his breath, formed hand seals, and circulated the pure wind-elemental spiritual energy within his body in an extremely subtle way.

He did not create a large airflow, but rather manipulated the cool, damp breeze that already existed above the stream, causing it to quietly gather and deform.

Soon, a slightly abrupt mountain breeze, carrying a strong sense of moisture and chill, swept along the surface of the stream and blew towards the cave entrance on the opposite bank.

The wind, seemingly natural, precisely stirred up a large amount of water vapor and a biting chill from the stream.

The two patrolling black-robed cultivators were feeling rather bored when a sudden, exceptionally cold and damp mountain wind blew in, causing them to shiver involuntarily. They instinctively wrapped their black robes tighter around themselves, their attention briefly drawn to the gust of wind.

At this moment!

Jizhou suddenly sprang out of the shadows like a cheetah ready to pounce, its speed so fast that it almost became a blurry afterimage, skimming across the stream!

He did not attack directly, but in the instant he passed by the two cultivators, his hands moved like lightning, striking the vital points on the back of their necks!

The two black-robed cultivators felt a numbness at the back of their necks as an extremely condensed spiritual force instantly invaded, sealing their meridians and blocking their voices. Before they could even cry out, everything went black, and they collapsed limply to the ground.

Ye Chuhan, who was already prepared, appeared from the other side like a ghost, reached out to support the two who were about to fall, and prevented them from making a sound. At the same time, he quickly dragged them to the shadow of the rocks next to them and hid them.

The whole process happened in the blink of an eye, silently, and the dim firelight at the cave entrance still flickered, as if nothing had happened.

Jizhou landed near the cave entrance, carefully sensed the area, and only after confirming that no restrictions had been triggered did he give Ye Chuhan a hand gesture.

The two exchanged a glance and nodded. Without further hesitation, they vanished like wisps of smoke into the ominous cave.

The cave was dark, winding, damp, and cold, and the sounds of metal scraping and faint conversations grew clearer and clearer...

The interior of the cave appears deeper and more winding than the exterior.

The passage was not naturally formed; rough carving marks could be seen on the rock walls on both sides. The air was filled with a strong smell of blood, the strange odor of medicinal herbs, and a nauseating, sinister energy, all mixed together to create an indescribable, foul atmosphere.

Ji Zhou and Ye Chuhan concealed their auras to the extreme, like two intangible shadows, clinging tightly to the cold rock wall, and carefully sneaking inward.

The ground underfoot is slippery and sticky, so extra caution is needed.

The deeper they went, the clearer and more piercing the metallic scraping sound became, interspersed with a few suppressed, painful groans and the unrestrained laughter of several cultivators.

"Hurry up! What are you dawdling for! Lord Blood Refining's Yin Sha Banner is only a few main souls away from being completed. If you delay, I'll refine you into it too!" a rough, hoarse voice roared impatiently.

"Hehe, Boss Wang, I heard that among the young ladies we captured this time, there's one with pretty good aptitude? After Lord Blood Refinement finishes using her, can the brothers have some too..." Another voice chuckled lewdly.

"Shut up! Before the item is successfully refined, no one is allowed to have any ulterior motives! If you ruin Lord Blood Refining's plans, you and I will both be in deep trouble!" The voice called Boss Wang sternly rebuked.

Ji Zhou and Ye Chuhan exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with icy killing intent.

These scoundrels are indeed doing heinous things!

Following the sound, the two passed through a relatively narrow passage, and suddenly the space opened up to reveal a huge natural cave.

In the center of the cave was a strange magic circle drawn with blood and some kind of black ore. At the center of the magic circle was a banner about the height of a person, completely black, emitting a thick black aura. On the banner, a twisted and painful human face appeared and wailed.

Beside the magic circle stood a black-robed figure exuding a powerful aura.

This man had a gaunt face, deep-set eyes, and was surrounded by a tangible, malevolent aura of fire. He was none other than the leader of the evil cultivators in the late stage of Core Formation, Blood Refinement!

He was concentrating intently on casting incantations into the Yin Sha Banner, guiding the power of the magic array.

In a corner of the cave, seven or eight ragged, terrified, and desperate mortals, men and women, were huddled together. They appeared to be villagers who had been abducted.

Beside them were three evil cultivators dressed in black robes similar to those of the cave guards. Their cultivation levels ranged from mid- to late-stage Foundation Establishment. They were keeping watch over the villagers while chatting idly, and the words just spoken came from their mouths.

Besides the central magic circle, there were some miscellaneous items and instruments of torture piled up on one side of the cave, while on the other side there was a fork in the road leading deeper into the cave, the destination of which was unknown.

Jizhou quickly scanned the entire scene, already having made his decision.

He made a few hand gestures to Ye Chuhan, indicating that he would take care of the three Foundation Establishment stage evil cultivators who were chatting idly, while he would focus on the Blood Refiner who was in the late Core Formation stage.

At the same time, he pointed to the fork in the road, indicating that Ye Chuhan should be wary of other possible enemies or escape routes.

Ye Chuhan understood, nodded, and quietly tightened his grip on the short blade in his hand, his body slightly arched, like a cheetah preparing to pounce.

Jizhou took a deep breath, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

He did not choose to ambush Xue Lian, because the opponent's aura was connected to the magic array, and a rash attack could easily cause uncontrollable changes.

His primary goal right now is... to interrupt the ritual!