If I stay in the Hehuan Sect, I'll live off the pampered daughters of the Heavenly Pride Sect.

Deep within the underground cave of the Stone Stele Mausoleum.

Mo Chengyue sat cross-legged on the animal skin, his hands forming a mudra, pink spiritual light flowing in his palms.

Yu Jianhuan lay in front of him, her purple gauze dress half-open, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin.

Her eyes were closed, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her breathing was steady and long.

Ten days in total.

Mo Chengyue spends most of his time healing Yu Jianhuan every day, and the rest of his time maintaining the formation, guarding against the outside world, and cooking porridge to fill her stomach.

Life was monotonous and stressful.

The good news is that Yu Jianhuan's injuries have finally stabilized completely.

Not only is it stable, but it has even shown signs of a breakthrough.

Mo Chengyue withdrew his true energy, opened his eyes, and looked at Yu Jianhuan's face, which had regained its rosy color, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"At least all that spiritual energy I used wasn't wasted."

He stood up, stretched his stiff limbs, and walked to the entrance of the cave to check the operation of the formation.

The four-layered formation remained stable.

The outer warning array was not triggered.

Neither the maze formation nor the killing formation showed any signs of being disturbed.

Mo Chengyue nodded in satisfaction.

"It seems that these past ten days, everyone outside has been busy seizing opportunities and hasn't had time to come to this godforsaken place."

He turned and went back into the depths of the cave, took out a spirit stone from his storage bag, and began to restore his true essence.

I had just sat down for a short while.

A soft groan came from behind me.

"Well……"

Mo Chengyue turned his head to look.

Yu Jianhuan slowly opened her eyes, and her captivating phoenix eyes sparkled with an unprecedented brilliance.

She sat up, looked down at her hands, and then clenched her fists tightly.

"Click—"

The air was squeezed and burst.

A look of surprise flashed in Yu Jianhuan's eyes.

"Peak of Foundation Establishment..."

She raised her head, looked at Mo Chengyue, and a bewitching smile appeared on her lips.

"Junior brother, you are truly my lucky star."

Mo Chengyue remained expressionless.

Don't get too excited yet.

He pointed outside the cave.

"We don't know what the situation is outside yet."

Yu Jianhuan stood up, straightened her clothes, and sat down next to Mo Chengyue.

"Junior brother, you've had a tough ten days."

She reached out and gently placed her hand on Mo Chengyue's shoulder.

"Would you like... me to help you relax?"

Mo Chengyue turned his head and looked at her coldly.

"Senior Sister Yu, have you forgotten that we're still on the ancient battlefield?"

Yu Jianhuan blinked.

"I know."

That's why we need to hurry.

Mo Chengyue took a deep breath.

"If you keep acting like this, I'll throw you out to feed the monsters."

Yu Jianhuan chuckled.

"Junior brother, you may sound fierce, but you're probably actually reluctant to part with him, aren't you?"

Mo Chengyue did not answer.

He stood up, walked to the entrance of the cave, and scanned the outer array with his divine sense.

Sudden.

He frowned.

"Someone's coming."

Yu Jianhuan's expression changed.

"Who?"

Mo Chengyue closed his eyes and carefully sensed it.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, his expression solemn.

"A cultivator in the early stage of Core Formation."

"and……"

He paused.

"He was seriously injured."

Yu Jianhuan breathed a sigh of relief.

"That makes things easier."

She stood up and stretched her limbs.

"Junior brother, should I go out and kill him?"

Mo Chengyue shook his head.

"No rush."

He walked back to the depths of the cave, took out a jade slip from his storage bag, and stuck it to his forehead.

A moment later, he put down the jade slip, a cold glint in his eyes.

"This person is on the right path."

"and……"

He looked at Yu Jianhuan.

"He has something good about him."

Yu Jianhuan's eyes lit up.

"What good stuff?"

A smile appeared on Mo Chengyue's lips.

"You'll find out when he comes in."

The outer perimeter of the stone tablet mausoleum.

A middle-aged monk dressed in a blue Taoist robe staggered into the stone tablet forest.

His face was pale, and there was a deep wound on his chest from which blood was constantly seeping out.

"Damn it..."

He gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath.

"I didn't expect that monster to be so troublesome..."

He looked around at the lifeless forest of stone tablets, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes.

"This place..."

Something's not right...

But he had no other choice.

The pursuers could catch up at any moment.

He needs to find a place to hide.

The middle-aged cultivator took a deep breath and gritted his teeth as he walked into the depths of the stone tablet forest.

He had only taken a few steps.

Sudden.

Suddenly, the ground beneath my feet gave way to emptiness.

"What—"

Before he could react, he had fallen into a hidden trap.

"boom--"

The Exploding Flame Bead exploded.

Flames shot into the sky.

The middle-aged cultivator screamed and fell to the ground, his body charred black.

He struggled to get up.

But next second.

A thick cloud of toxic smoke billowed up.

"Cough cough cough—"

The middle-aged monk desperately held his breath, but it was too late.

The toxic fumes entered his mouth and nose.

His vision went black, and he fainted.

Inside the cave.

Mo Chengyue looked at the images transmitted back by the formation and nodded in satisfaction.

"Done."

Yu Jianhuan came closer and looked at the middle-aged cultivator lying in the trap, clicking his tongue in amazement.

"Junior brother, you've set a really ruthless trap."

Mo Chengyue said calmly.

"How can you survive if you're not ruthless?"

He stood up and walked out of the cave.

"Let's go see what good stuff this 'guest' has on him."

Yu Jianhuan followed behind him, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

The two emerged from the cave and reached the edge of the trap.

Mo Chengyue squatted down and began to grope the middle-aged cultivator.

After a while.

He took out a storage bag, scanned it with his divine sense, and his eyes lit up.

"It's been sent."

Yu Jianhuan leaned closer.

"What is it?"

Mo Chengyue opened the storage bag and took out several items.

Three demon cores.

Two bottles of pills.

There was also a jade pendant that emitted a faint spiritual light.

Yu Jianhuan stared at the jade pendant, a greedy glint in his eyes.

"This is……"

Mo Chengyue nodded.

"A mid-grade defensive magic weapon."

He weighed the jade pendant in his hand and smiled.

"This thing can withstand a full-force attack from a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator."

Yu Jianhuan reached out to take it.

Mo Chengyue, however, put it into his storage bag first.

"Junior brother?"

Yu Jianhuan frowned.

Mo Chengyue looked at her and said calmly.

"Senior sister, now that your cultivation has recovered, you don't lack this bit of defense."

"I'm different."

"I need to keep a few more trump cards up my sleeve."

Yu Jianhuan bit her lip.

"What about the demon core?"

Mo Chengyue thought for a moment, then took out a demon core from his storage bag and tossed it to her.

"This one is for you."

"I'll keep the other two."

Yu Jianhuan took the demon core, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes.

But she didn't say anything more.

Because she knew.

On this ancient battlefield.

Mo Chengyue was her greatest support in surviving.

Mo Chengyue stood up, looking at the unconscious middle-aged cultivator, a cold glint in his eyes.

"Senior sister, let's do it."

Yu Jianhuan was stunned for a moment.

"Kill him?"

Mo Chengyue nodded.

"Keeping it will only cause trouble."

Yu Jianhuan did not hesitate.

She raised her hand and smashed the middle-aged cultivator's head with a single blow.

Blood splattered all over the ground.

Mo Chengyue watched this scene expressionlessly, then turned and walked towards the cave.

"Clean up and let's continue hiding."

Yu Jianhuan followed behind him and suddenly spoke.

"Junior brother."

Mo Chengyue turned around.

"Um?"

Yu Jianhuan looked at him, her eyes flashing with complex emotions.

"you say……"

"Will we get out of here alive?"

Mo Chengyue remained silent for a moment.

"able."

"As long as you're cunning enough."

Yu Jianhuan smiled.

"Then I'm relieved."

The two returned to the cave.

Mo Chengyue re-examined the formation and, after confirming that there were no problems, sat down cross-legged.

He closed his eyes and began to recover his vital energy.

Yu Jianhuan sat down beside him, looking at his calm profile, a strange glint in her eyes.

"Junior brother..."

She spoke softly.

"You said, after we get out..."

Will things stay the same?

Mo Chengyue did not open his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

Yu Jianhuan bit her lip.

"that is……"

"Will they still be this close?"

Mo Chengyue opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Senior sister, you're overthinking it."

"We were just using each other."