In the bamboo forest, Yan Shouyi and his two companions, riding a green ox, burst forth.
Yan Shouyi's palm lightning strike from the shadows caught the tomb-guarding snake demon off guard, blinding one of its eyes.
While the snake demon was still reeling, Yan Shouyi, riding the green ox, swiftly closed in. As he reached the demon, he leaped into the air again.
"Grab my Scarlet Divine Umbrella! We'll pull you out!"
Lin Zhitong held Yan Shouyi with one hand, her upper body leaning out, while her other hand grasped the Scarlet Divine Umbrella.
The moment the green ox leaped over the snake demon, the Scarlet Divine Umbrella also passed before Ma Jinxuan. Ma Jinxuan reacted quickly, snatching the end of the umbrella.
Immediately after, the green ox, carrying everyone, escaped the snake demon's attack range.
The snake demon clearly hadn't anticipated an unexpected intervention at this crucial moment, ruining its plans.
By the time its other eye regained vision, Yan Shouyi and the others were already tens of meters away, having fled to safety.
Having fled a distance, the green ox braked sharply, nearly throwing Yan Shouyi and the others off.
Clearly, the green ox had fulfilled its mission and no longer wished to be ridden by Yan Shouyi and his companions.
Yan Shouyi quickly dismounted, and as Ma Jinxuan landed, she stumbled and half-knelt on the ground.
"Why did you come back?" Ma Jinxuan asked warily.
Yan Shouyi replied, "I originally didn't want to interfere, but now I have a reason to enter the Jian Wang Tomb. We can cooperate."
"That Spirit Mushroom belongs to us!" Ma Jinxuan stated immediately.
Long Feicheng let out a laugh of exasperation. "We just saved your life! We're not asking you to pledge yourself to us, but at least you should show some gratitude!"
Ma Jinxuan glared at Long Feicheng. She was no demure maiden; how could she possibly pledge herself to him?
Lin Zhitong said calmly, "We have a different objective for entering the Jian Wang Tomb. The Spirit Mushroom is all yours; we're not interested."
Hearing this, Ma Jinxuan visibly relaxed. She said, "If that's the case, cooperation is fine. But we must deal with this tomb-guarding snake demon first. To open the entrance to the Jian Wang Tomb, we must gather thirteen snake demon gallbladders."
Yan Shouyi nodded. "We'll handle the snake demon. You're injured, so retreat to the rear."
However, Ma Jinxuan was not one to stay behind. She sat on the ground, grabbed her ankle without a word, and then pulled forcefully.
With a "crack," the woman had performed a bone-setting maneuver on herself.
Her sprained ankle was now only slightly weakened, but it was vastly better than before, no longer rendering her immobile.
This move even made Yan Shouyi's eye twitch. He had to admit, Ma Jinxuan possessed a fierce spirit; if she could be so ruthless with herself, she would undoubtedly be even more so with her enemies.
Fortunately, the two parties had just reached an agreement and were no longer enemies.
Ma Jinxuan stood up again, quickly repaired her broken Flying Tiger Claw, and said, "Since we're here for the Spirit Mushroom, we must contribute. Let's kill this snake demon together!"
It seemed Ma Jinxuan didn't want to take any advantage of Yan Shouyi and his group. In other words, if she didn't owe them anything, she wouldn't be soft-hearted when it came to dividing the Spirit Mushroom and other treasures later.
Should they descend into the Jian Wang Tomb and encounter danger, Ma Jinxuan wouldn't hesitate to abandon Yan Shouyi and his companions if necessary.
Understanding Ma Jinxuan's intentions, Yan Shouyi's heart grew colder. "Alright, then we'll proceed according to the rules."
Trust was mutual. Since Ma Jinxuan was wary of them, Yan Shouyi would also draw a clear line for the safety of Lin Zhitong and Long Feicheng.
Just then, Ma Xingping finally arrived. Seeing that Ma Jinxuan was unharmed, he, as her elder brother, breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yan Shouyi, thank you for saving my sister. We owe you a favor."
"The favor can be repaid now. We've suddenly found a compelling reason to enter the Jian Wang Tomb, so we can cooperate from here on," Yan Shouyi said, waving his hand.
Ma Xingping blinked, then exchanged a look with Ma Jinxuan. Seeing her nod in agreement, Ma Xingping didn't ask too many questions. "Alright, I agree! Let's deal with this snake demon first, and then we'll make further plans!"
The situation was dire, and this was clearly not the time to discuss cooperation. Therefore, seeing Ma Jinxuan's assent, Ma Xingping readily agreed.
As the two parties converged, Yan Shouyi glanced back. Besides the rather useless Boss Zhou, only five other extraordinary individuals remained.
Though these five didn't appear strong, they possessed some self-preservation abilities, at least more useful than Long Feicheng.
However, the Tomb Relocating Taoist Yang Li was nowhere to be seen.
Yan Shouyi always felt that this fellow was a hidden threat. He wouldn't give up so easily and was surely lurking nearby, waiting for an opportunity.
The tomb-guarding snake demon rubbed its wound and reacquired its targets, flicking its massive forked tongue and moving angrily towards Yan Shouyi and his group.
Everyone stood ready. Ma Xingping said in a low voice,
"The tomb-guarding snake demon is a common defensive method in ancient tombs for grave robbers. They are agile and aggressive, far more useful than ghosts kept in tombs. Like snakes, their weakness lies in their seventh inch; as long as you strike its seventh inch, you can achieve victory!"
Yan Shouyi glanced at the hundred-meter-long snake demon, feeling a bit bewildered. "Where is this thing's seventh inch?"
"I'll mark it for you."
Ma Jinxuan took out a flying knife with a yellow ribbon tied to its end.
She aimed briefly and then threw the knife. It flew with incredible speed, instantly piercing the snake demon's body.
The yellow ribbon fluttered on the snake demon's massive form, highly visible. However, the demon, with its enormous size, paid no mind to anything attached to it.
"That's where the tomb-guarding snake demon's weakness lies!" Ma Jinxuan declared.
"I see."
Yan Shouyi twisted his neck, beginning to warm up his muscles.
The Ma siblings and Yang Li, though skilled, could not withstand Yan Shouyi for more than ten rounds in a real fight.
This was because Yan Shouyi was a Sky Fiend Corpse Puppet and had received the true teachings of Lu Ban!
With numerous skills at his disposal, his strength was actually terrifying, placing him at an elder-level existence among renowned sects!
Now was the time for him to showcase his prowess!
"Little girl, do you want to join?" Yan Shouyi turned to ask.
Lin Zhitong chuckled softly, took a hair tie from her pocket, and tied her long hair back. Then she said, "I've waited a long time for this moment."
With Lian He's assistance, Lin Zhitong's body was not weak, and she was fully capable of continuing the fight.
Long Feicheng also drew his Cai Wei Sword and said dramatically, "I'm so looking forward to it! Our Rongcheng Iron Triangle is about to reappear in the martial world! Brother Yan, Sister-in-law, you two attack head-on, and I'll do my usual thing, acting freely on the side, because – I'm the trump card!"
In Long Feicheng's world, he might not play any substantial role, but showing off was something he had to do, and he had to do it to the fullest!