Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

A narrow escape from death!

Pfft!Pfft!

The survivors collapsed onto the shattered and devastated ground, their heavy breathing and suppressed groans rising and falling. The air was thick with the stench of blood, burnt flesh, and the faint, lingering stench of demonic energy.

Shen Mo was unconscious, his breath was as weak as a candle in the wind, his face was as pale as paper, dried blood remained in his seven orifices, and his body twitched slightly from time to time due to the pain.

Shi Tie, Su Xiao, and Zhao Qingyan were in slightly better condition, but they were all injured, their spiritual energy was depleted, and their souls were damaged. They even had great difficulty standing up. They could only sit with difficulty next to the broken star debris and stones, seizing every moment to swallow pills and circulate their energy to heal their injuries. However, their eyes were always warily fixed on the Lieyang Sect members not far away.

On the other side, the situation at the Blazing Sun Sect was equally dire. The Golden Core True Person, True Person Crimson Sun, sat cross-legged, his body glowing with flickering crimson light, desperately suppressing the surging blood and demonic backlash within him. His face was so grim it could drip water. Although he hadn't fainted, he had endured the main force of the demonic forces, and his injuries were extremely severe; he wouldn't recover without several months of rest.

The Crimson Sky Venerable was in an even more miserable state, his chest stained with blood, his Daoist robe torn, and his aura extremely weak. He was frantically feeding two unconscious Foundation Establishment mid-stage disciples life-saving elixirs, his eyes filled with lingering fear and an indescribable complexity.

A deathly silence spread between the two sides. Only the ceaseless energy storms of the chaotic sea emitted a low groan in the distance, as if recounting the fierce battle that had just taken place.

Time passed slowly. Several hours later, Shen Mo's eyelashes trembled a few times, and he opened his eyes with difficulty. Intense pain instantly swept through his body, causing him to groan involuntarily. As his consciousness gradually returned, he immediately felt the excruciating pain as if his meridians were being torn apart and the emptiness of his dantian.

"Sect Leader! You're awake!" Su Xiao, who had been keeping a close eye on him, was the first to notice and exclaimed in surprise. She struggled to move over, but the movement aggravated her injuries, causing her to wince in pain.

Shi Tie and Zhao Qingyan immediately turned to look at them with concern.

"I...I'm fine." Shen Mo's voice was terribly hoarse. He tried to sit up, but he was too weak. In the end, Shi Tie gritted his teeth and moved over to help him lean against a rock with his uninjured right arm.

Shen Mo looked around and saw that although his disciples were in a sorry state, they were all still alive, which put him at ease. Then, he turned his serious gaze to the Crimson Sun True Man opposite him.

Almost at the same time that Shen Mo woke up, True Man Chiyang also slowly opened his eyes. Deep within his indifferent golden eyes, there was a trace of weariness that was hard to conceal, but more than that, there was a sense of scrutiny and weighing.

His gaze met Shen Mo's in mid-air. He didn't speak immediately, and the atmosphere instantly became subtle and tense.

The alliance to fight the demon was a last resort, but now that the demon is temporarily sealed, the fragile alliance has naturally crumbled. The next question is: war or peace?

Sensing the ancestor's gaze, Master Chixiao stopped what he was doing, his eyes turning sinister as he looked at Shen Mo and the other three. His hand unconsciously rested on the magic weapon at his waist, clearly indicating that his hostility had not subsided.

The other two disciples of the Blazing Sun Sect also slowly regained consciousness. Although they were extremely weak, they struggled to gather behind True Person Chi Yang, united in their hatred of the enemy.

The spiritual energy in the air began to stir slightly, and a great battle seemed imminent.

However, Master Chiyang did not immediately react. He remained silent, his gaze sweeping over Shen Mo's heavily injured yet calm face, over the undisguised ferocity in Shi Tie's eyes, over the weak yet determined eyes of Su Xiao and Zhao Qingyan, before finally returning to Shen Mo.

The scene of sealing the demon, especially Shen Mo's method of drawing upon the power of the Chaos Sea and communicating with what appeared to be the origin of the "Boundary Stone," left a deep impression on him.

This young man is no ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator! His potential, his methods, and his understanding of this secret realm all far exceed expectations. The Azure Cloud Sect is also far from the small sect he previously thought he could easily manipulate.

While forcing a move would give them a high chance of keeping the four here, they were already at their limit, especially since they were seriously injured. If the other side launched a counterattack before they died, the consequences would be unpredictable.

More importantly, the secret treasure "Boundary Stone" has yet to appear, the Chaos Sea is fraught with danger, and other forces are eyeing it covetously. To fight the Qingyun Sect to the death at this time would be unwise. Perhaps… a different approach would achieve the desired result.

Thinking of this, the fierce look in Master Chiyang's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a condescending yet slightly gentle scrutiny.

He spoke slowly, his voice still carrying the majesty of a Golden Core cultivator, but with less killing intent: "Shen Mo, you are quite good. To be able to join forces with me in this perilous place to seal the demon with your Foundation Establishment cultivation, and even activate the power of the secret realm, has truly impressed me."

Shen Mo sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm. He forced a bow, his voice weak but clear: "Senior is too kind. This junior was merely lucky, relying on the legacy of the Ancestral Master and the environment of this place. Moreover, it was thanks to Senior's direct restraint that we were able to succeed. If it weren't for Senior's intervention, we would have been reduced to ashes long ago."

He first attributed the credit to Master Chiyang, giving the other party a way out.

Upon hearing this, True Man Chiyang's expression softened slightly, and he said calmly, "Hmph, you do have some self-awareness. However, merit is merit, and demerit is demerit. Your Qingyun Sect has illegally occupied the secret realm and has repeatedly offended my sect. This matter cannot be left unresolved."

The true intentions were revealed; they were starting to negotiate. Shen Mo knew this perfectly well and calmly asked, "Then, in your opinion, senior, what should we do?"

Master Chiyang swept his gaze across the direction of the ruined cave, then looked into the depths of the Chaos Sea, and said in a deep voice, "This secret realm has far-reaching implications and cannot be monopolized by your sect alone. That demon just now is clear proof of that."

"You must hand over the copy of the Flowing Cloud True Person's legacy and the method of controlling the secret realm. My Blazing Sun Sect will keep it safe to prevent similar calamities from happening again."

"In addition, the resources produced in the secret realm should be divided according to contribution, and my Lieyang Sect should take 70%."

"Bullshit!" Shi Tie was the first to lose his temper, his eyes wide with anger. "This secret realm was left behind by our ancestor! Why should we give you 70% of it? And even hand over our inheritance? Dream on!"

Immediately, the Crimson Cloud Venerable shouted angrily, "Insolence! You mere Foundation Establishment cultivators dare to disrespect your ancestor! If it weren't for your ancestor's mercy, you would all be nothing but withered bones in a grave!"

Shen Mo raised his hand to stop the enraged Shi Tie, then looked at True Person Chiyang and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Senior, the inheritance is the foundation of the sect, and there is absolutely no reason to hand it over. As for the allocation of resources... as you have seen, this place is fraught with danger and exploration will not be easy."

"Our Qingyun Sect is quite familiar with the secret realm and can be responsible for the main exploration and development. We are willing to share the resources obtained with your sect on a 50/50 basis."

"Furthermore, regarding the anomalies in the secret realm and the secrets of the 'Boundary Stone,' I am willing to share information with your sect to deal with them together. After all, the appearance of such a treasure will inevitably attract competition from all sides. It is unlikely that any single party can monopolize it, and may even bring disaster upon themselves."

His words combined both soft and hard tactics. He made it clear that the inheritance of tradition was non-negotiable, a bottom line. He made concessions on resources, proposed cooperative development, and offered the "Boundary Stone" as bait, implying that cooperation was more in the mutual interest than confrontation.

Master Chiyang's eyes flickered, clearly weighing his options. Shen Mo's proposed 50/50 split was lower than he had expected, but the other party emphasized familiarity with the secret realm and control over the exploration, which was crucial.

More importantly, the intelligence sharing and joint response capabilities regarding the "Boundary Stone" truly resonated with him. Although the Blazing Sun Sect was powerful, it was indeed extremely risky to monopolize the "Boundary Stone" in the face of potential rivals like the Burning Heaven Valley, the Five Poisons Sect, or even more powerful forces.

"Ancestor, do not trust him! This boy is cunning and must have ulterior motives!" Crimson Cloud Venerable said urgently, wishing he could kill Shen Mo immediately to avenge himself.