"My lord jests; it was merely a trivial effort on my part, truly nothing worth mention. Besides, you have already paid me for my service, how could I dare covet anything more?"

Lu Yuan promptly said with sincere trepidation.

It turned out that Zhao Letian's inquiry about the black stone had made him realize that this kind of stone might be even more valuable than he had thought.

Thus, as soon as Zhao Letian left, he began investigating how that black stone ended up in Zhao Letian's hands.

The result of a simple investigation revealed to him the conflict between Zhao Letian and the Yu Family over this stone.

This incident made him more acutely aware of the value of the black stone, as well as the value of Zhao Letian himself.

After some consideration, he resolutely decided to package Zhao Letian's whereabouts and the information about that kind of black stone and sell them to the Yu Family.

He knew that these two pieces of information would bring him a huge fortune.

And indeed, the Yu Family did not disappoint him, giving him a full thousand High Grade Essence Stones.

This was ten times more than what he traded with Zhao Letian, so he felt that this deal was very worthwhile.

More importantly, if he could take this opportunity to attach himself to the Yu Family, his future life would become much more comfortable.

"Rest assured, you have performed a great service today. Once we leave Ten Thousand Demon Mountain, I will definitely bestow upon you an additional reward."

The White-robed Elder seemed to say generously, but a cold murderous intent flashed quietly in the depths of his eyes.

The reason he spared Lu Yuan's life was simply to utilize his extensive experience to lead the Yu Family out of Ten Thousand Demon Mountain; otherwise, he would have already killed Lu Yuan.

After all, the treasure could only be in the hands of the Yu Family, and the information must not be leaked.

Aside from the Yu Family, anyone else who knew had to die.

Especially Lu Yuan, who provided them with information, had to be eliminated without exception.

When they leave Ten Thousand Demon Mountain, that would be the time of Lu Yuan's demise.

"Many thanks, my lord!"

Lu Yuan truly believed that the Yu Family would give him more rewards, and immediately expressed his heartfelt gratitude.

"All right, follow me to take a look at that cave."

The White-robed Elder said indifferently, and then led everyone towards the cave.

"A mere Illusion Array, how could it confound this old man, break!"

The White-robed Elder looked at the Illusion Array at the entrance of the cave with disdain, then with fingers together like a sword, he waved lightly, instantly releasing a sharp sword energy from his fingertips that directly shattered the chaotic stone Illusion Array, revealing the vast cave entrance behind it.

After breaking the Illusion Array, the strong Life Force from inside the cave immediately surged out, causing both the people of the Yu Family and Lu Yuan to exhibit shocked expressions.

"Such a rich Life Force, indeed it is a treasure trove, let's go in!"

With a gleam of excitement in his eyes, the White-robed Elder shouted and led everyone to step inside.

...

At the same time, in a dense forest very far away from that barren mountain.

The mercenary brigade was engaged in fierce battle with a Wind Roar Beast.

By now, the swirling winds enveloping the Wind Roar Beast had already been dismantled by the concerted efforts of the mercenaries, revealing the beast's true form.

It turned out to be a King-level demon beast, resembling a leopard with a pair of enormous wings, but only half a step into King-level.

However, this Wind Roar Beast looked somewhat different from what people remembered.

A normal Wind Roar Beast would have brown fur all over, but this one had blood-red skin.

Moreover, its Physical Strength was far more formidable than a normal Wind Roar Beast, and its power considerably more terrifying — it was estimated to be capable of contending head-on against a King-level human powerhouse.

After battling for an hour, the mercenaries had still not managed to capture it; instead, they had lost over a dozen Sect Martial Realm warriors.

"Damn it, this Wind Roar Beast seems to have mutated, with extraordinary strength. All of us together can only maintain an even struggle against it. If we continue to fight, it's uncertain who will fall first." Enjoyingthestory?Discovermore

on*.

The Mercenary Captain, possessing almost King-level strength, frowned deeply as he wielded a curved blade. He made sweeping, powerful slashes, sending out extremely sharp edges of the blade, desperately restraining the Wind Roar Beast in front while constantly facing lethal dangers.

The other mercenaries formed a battle formation, attacking and defending as one, their combat effectiveness even stronger than that of their Captain. They persistently harassed the Wind Roar Beast from the sides, looking for an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow and subdue it.

However, the Wind Roar Beast was tremendously powerful. In an instant, it could strike countless claw shadows, easily tearing through the Mercenary Captain's slashing blade light, and from its mouth, it could emit terrifying Wind Blades that no one dared to confront head-on.

Moreover, its movement technique was terrifyingly fast. With a mere flap of its wings, it could easily dodge the concerted attacks of the other mercenaries with astounding speed.

It could be said that the Wind Roar Beast was nearly invincible, and subduing it would likely only be possible by slowly exhausting its strength.

"Roar!"

The Wind Roar Beast let out another furious roar, swinging its claws, casting a barrage of sharp shadows that covered the sky and overwhelmed the Mercenary Captain and those in the battle formation, forcing everyone to hastily dodge.

However, what followed next was unexpected; the Wind Roar Beast did not press its advantage and continue its assault. Instead, it suddenly paused, then turned to look at the barren mountain where Zhao Letian was located, both shocked and enraged.

It turned out that the moment the White-robed Elder of the Yu Family forcibly broke through the Illusion Array, the Wind Roar Beast had sensed it.

"Roar!"

In the next moment, the Wind Roar Beast roared again, disregarding the mercenaries. It flapped its powerful wings, transforming into a blood-red streak of light, and flew towards the distant barren mountain at a staggering speed.

"Eh? What exactly happened to enrage this beast so? Let's go and check it out!"

The Mercenary Captain's eyes showed a hint of surprise. His thoughts raced before he gritted his teeth and led his men to swiftly pursue the creature.

...

At the same time, deep within the cave, Zhao Letian, who was nearing the end, suddenly stopped in his tracks and frowned as he looked back.

He, too, had sensed something the moment the Illusion Array was broken.

Although he didn't know exactly what had happened, a sense of foreboding filled his heart, prompting him to quicken his pace. He transformed into a blur of residual shadows and dashed towards the end of the cave.

"Is this the Eternal Tree?"

Moments later, Zhao Letian arrived at the end of the cave. Looking forward, he saw in the vast cavity a black, withered tree over thirty feet tall. From the broken branches, blood-red sap oozed slowly, gathering into a blood-red pool beneath the tree.