The old werewolf, impatient, plunged into the pit, eager to see what lay beneath.
All eyes shifted from Ji Mo to the pit, from which a radiant glow erupted.
Judging by the situation, there truly might be something extraordinary underground.
The adventuring parties rushing from afar were like wolves catching the scent of blood, their speed increasing.
"Hand it over!"
Lang Jing knew he couldn't delay any longer and made his move.
Roar...
Lang Jing's roar was like thunder, the rocks beneath his feet cracking. His body shot out like an arrow loosed from a bow, lunging towards Ji Mo.
Possessing the cultivation of a late-stage Demon Emperor, he was confident that a mere claw strike would turn the dark-skinned fellow into a smear of flesh.
"Die, you!"
Ning Wen's beautiful eyes narrowed. She drew her bow, her arrows entwined with runes, and shot a fierce arrow.
The arrow was so fast it was imperceptible to the naked eye, yet it was incredibly powerful, carrying the roar of wind and thunder.
After Ji Mo had previously rubbed her face with "Red Face Smile," she had entered the Emperor realm, reaching the mid-stage Spirit Emperor. Her archery comprehension had also seen a leap forward.
Lang Jing's pupils dilated, his face changed drastically, and a chill ran down his spine as he felt the aura of death.
How could this be? Ning Wen had been an ant in the Spirit Saint realm before, and now she possessed the strength to kill him instantly!
He was terrified, scrambling to dodge the fatal arrow.
However, he couldn't evade it.
Lang Jing's chest was hit, and his body flew backward. His upper garment turned to dust under the immense energy impact, revealing a black metal vest underneath.
This was a Dream-grade Emperor Armor, which blocked the fatal arrow; otherwise, he would have surely died.
Just as he was relieved to have survived, a cold glint shot towards him again, bypassing the Emperor Armor and hitting his shoulder.
A scream rang out, blood splattered, and Lang Jing's shoulder was pierced by a bloody hole.
If not for his robust demonic body, his entire arm would have been lost.
Yet, it wasn't over.
Another cold glint appeared out of nowhere, aiming for his head.
If this strike hit, he would truly be dead.
The old woman with crane-like hair appeared beside Lang Jing and slapped away the cold glint, saving him.
She had already formed an alliance with Lang Jing and would not stand by and watch him be shot dead.
"Girl, you are so malicious..."
Just as she was about to scold Ning Wen, two more cold glints appeared, continuing to attack Lang Jing.
"Multi-arrow technique, Fivefold Arrow!"
The old woman with crane-like hair was shocked. She hadn't expected Ning Wen's archery skill to be so profound, capable of unleashing five attacks with a single arrow, each stronger than the last. It was truly astonishing; perhaps no one among the younger generation could compare.
She slapped out two more palms, repelling the cold glints.
Lang Jing finally breathed a sigh of relief, his face filled with terror, hiding behind the old woman.
It was too terrifying; he had almost been shot dead, leaving him shaken.
"Hand over the item. I won't make things difficult for you two, and I can even offer protection."
The old woman with crane-like hair said calmly, pointing to the approaching adventurers in the distance. "These are ruthless villains who devour people without spitting out bones. They are not as accommodating as I am."
"Make things difficult for us? You should ask if we will let you off."
Ning Wen did not attack again. She knew her bow and arrows were of poor quality and could not threaten the old woman.
If she had an ultimate Emperor bow, she would surely make the old hag yelp.
Now, she could only leave it to Ji Mo. Ning Wen eagerly awaited how Ji Mo would deal with these scoundrels.
How dare they try to steal the Great Liar's possessions! Were these people out of their minds?
"Youngsters, ignorant and foolish. Truly, you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin. To be so ungrateful, then this old woman will show no mercy."
The old woman with crane-like hair finally revealed her murderous intent. To snatch a celestial artifact, what was killing and plundering?
"Second Grandma, I order you not to do this."
Yu Xiao Huan couldn't bear to watch and used her status to issue an order.
However, the old woman with crane-like hair was determined and did not listen.
Lang Jing's face was filled with killing intent. He gritted his teeth and said, "Kill that dark-skinned fellow, capture this young lady alive, and we'll split the spoils fifty-fifty."
Since Ning Wen dared to shoot him, he would make sure to torment her, making her wish she were dead.
"Protect Miss Ning."
Yu Xiao Huan commanded, and the more than ten human cultivators belonging to the Yu family immediately surrounded them.
"Miss is foolish, but are you all foolish too? You are no match for me. Stand on my side, and I'll share the benefits with you."
The old woman shouted sternly, thinking these people had lost their minds to dare oppose her, attempting to shake a tree with a twig.
She didn't take these people seriously.
"Disregarding righteousness for profit, associating with jackals. Truly shameless."
"We are ashamed to be associated with you. If you disobey Miss's orders, Master will not let you off."
The human cultivators looked at the old woman with contempt, drawing their weapons, ready to fight to the death.
This was the difference between people. Some were driven by greed with ugly hearts, while others were passionate and pure, adhering to the bottom line of being human.
The old woman with crane-like hair became enraged. Her wrinkled old face was filled with murderous intent, and she decided to attack without reservation.
At worst, she would rebel against the Yu family. For a celestial artifact, what couldn't be done?
Rumble!
The earth shook violently, and the ground vibrated intensely.
Inside the pit, crimson blood glow steamed, and at the same time, rolling demonic energy erupted, rapidly spreading in all directions.
The cold, dead aura made everyone's scalps tingle, and their hearts tremble.
What had happened?
"Ah..."
A piercing scream echoed from within the pit.
It was the old werewolf, who had encountered something unknown.
Clearly, there was no celestial artifact underground, but an unimaginable terror.
Following that, desperate beast roars sounded one after another, quickly falling silent.
The demonic beasts responsible for digging had clearly met their demise, killed in a short period.
It was only then that someone remembered Ji Mo's earlier warning that this was a place of great ill omen and should not be excavated. Now, it had indeed come true.
"Run..."
A bloodied and mangled figure fled from the pit – it was the old werewolf.
His body was covered in blood, his skin torn open, and his arm exposed to the bone, as if he had been gnawed on by something.
The fastest to flee was this scoundrel Lang Jing. When he heard the old werewolf's scream, he sensed something was wrong and fled immediately.
"What exactly did you encounter?"
The old woman with crane-like hair asked, simultaneously channeling her spiritual energy to form a barrier, resisting the encroaching demonic energy.
The old werewolf, however, did not answer. He hopped and jumped, his expression one of extreme pain, as if trying to shake something off himself.
"Heavenly Poison Demonic Ants!"
Ning Wen's eyes were sharp. She spotted dark red, thumb-sized ants crawling all over the old werewolf. They had two pairs of thin wings and looked extremely ferocious.
These demonic creatures had sharp teeth, carried potent venom, and were incredibly brutal.
The most terrifying thing was that they were gregarious.
Indeed, a dense rustling of wings sounded, and countless Heavenly Poison Demonic Ants flew out of the pit, covering the sky.
The surrounding werewolves immediately fell victim, being gnawed at madly, leaving only bare bones in an instant.