"Zhou Nan, you shouldnât speak nonsense!" Elder Gui said urgently, "No one knew it was Lord Trench Patrol Guest behind the gray mist just now, and you didnât inform us in advance either!"
"Oh, even if you didnât know it was Lord Trench Patrol Guest coming, you heard my notification just now, didnât you?
Why didnât any of you accept the orders given by the lord?" The alluring man Zhou Nan said coldly.
"Why did you have to notify us at the critical moment of our hunting spiritual creatures?" Lin Xuan was also furious, his face flushed red with anger.
"First of all, I didnât know what you were doing." Zhou Nan sneered, "Moreover, is hunting spiritual creatures more important than receiving the lordâs orders?"
âHunting spiritual creatures is definitely more important than receiving any ridiculous edict.â This was the thought in everyoneâs mind in Lin Xuanâs team.
But with the Trench Patrol Guest present, it was naturally not something they could express aloud.
Lin Xuan and the others felt extremely stifled, as Zhou Nan stood on a high ground to judge them, leaving them with no chance to refute.
As for Ding Shiniang, her entire demeanor became exceptionally cold.
She was covered in blood, staring intently at the ground, not daring to let others see the resentment in her eyes.
As the saying goes, one thought can lead to heaven, another to hell.
Just now, the Fourth Layer of the Spirit Platform was within her reach.
Just by consuming all the spiritual materials collected by the team, she could step into a new realm in one go, getting one step closer to the Golden Core path.
Now, however, she was severely injured and estimated it would take at least a decade or two to heal, not to mention the spiritual materials were seized by the Trench Patrol Guest, causing a considerable loss.
Lifeâs ups and downs came too quickly, and even her century-long cultivation journey felt a bit hard to accept.
Thinking of this, Ding Shiniangâs heart surged with a piercing intent to kill, but she forcibly suppressed it, knowing their current team couldnât contend with the Trench Patrol Guest.
"I wonder what instructions the lord has?" Elder Gui hunched over, wearing a flattering smile.
However, inside, he was extremely cautious, his Spiritual Essence poised and ready, prepared for any sudden attack from the Trench Patrol Guest.
The other members of Lin Xuanâs team also looked solemn and tense, having made the worst preparations like Elder Gui.
If the Trench Patrol Guest decided to attack, they wouldnât stand idly by, and it would inevitably lead to a bitter battle or even a life-and-death struggle.
The power of the Fifth Layer of the Spirit Platform far surpassed the Third and Fourth Layers and couldnât be dealt with by sheer numbers.
The atmosphere on the scene suddenly became extremely tense and suffocating.
âHeâ wearing a copper mask, slowly scanned the surroundings, a trace of ridicule flashing in his eyes.
At this moment, sounds of movement came from afar as another team happened to pass by, drawn by the commotion.
âHeâ then spoke: "A few days ago, Luo Feng left the Abyss. His teamâs strength isnât enough to properly handle the area they were originally guarding.
If a high-tier demon escapes, that would be a major problem.
Itâs just right that your team has advanced in strength, so you can switch areas with them."
"What?"
Upon hearing the Trench Patrol Guestâs order, apart from the two newcomers Lou Yi and He Shu Li, the rest of Lin Xuanâs team were all shocked.
Luo Feng was a renowned expert in the Shisu District, with cultivation at the peak of the Fourth Layer of the Spirit Platform, only a step away from becoming a Trench Patrol Guest.
And his team, with a dozen or so strong members, was one of the most powerful teams.
The area they were responsible for guarding included three major demon caves, each as large as the one in Lin Xuanâs teamâs area.
If they accepted to swap guard areas, then Lin Xuanâs team wouldnât have to do anything else and just focus on cleaning up demons every day.
But like this, where would they find the time to hunt spiritual creatures and how would they improve their cultivation?
"What, you are unwilling?" âHeâ saw their expressions, spoke coldly, his eyes revealing a sharp and unmasked intensity.
"Willing, we are willing!" Elder Gui was startled by this, immediately agreeing.
He knew that if they defied the Trench Patrol Guest now, theyâd have nowhere to appeal even if they were killed.
The Trench Patrol Guest was an official position set by the Immortal Dao Alliance, naturally having the legitimate authority to arrange and mobilize cultivators under his command to guard areas.
"Very good." âHeâ was satisfied with Elder Guiâs response, nodded, and turned to leave.
Zhou Nan also snorted coldly, leaving with âHeâ.
However, before leaving, he sent a message to Lou Yi: "Fellow Daoist Liu, remember what I mentioned last time?
Whenever youâve made up your mind, you can come find me."
The matter Zhou Nan referred to was naturally about wanting to leverage Lou Yiâs strength to seize Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.
Of course, Lou Yi understood this was just a superficial explanation.
If he agreed, there would surely be a bigger plot waiting for him.
Thinking of this, Lou Yiâs heart was filled with murderous intent, coupled with much guilt.
Feeling he had burdened his teammates, he felt very uneasy.
At this moment, Ding Shiniang suddenly lifted her head, revealing an extremely pale face and her beautiful peach blossom eyes filled with hatred:
"That scoundrel âHeâ, using the authority of a Trench Patrol Guest to hinder my advancement and set us up.
If this revenge isnât exacted, I, Ding Shiniang, will swear not to be human!"
Then, she looked at Lou Yi: "Liu Shu, donât think itâs just you dragging us down, and donât harbor any thoughts of leaving.
Even if you left now, âHeâ wouldnât spare us!"
Lou Yi chuckled upon hearing this: "Donât worry, Shiniang, I wonât leave until Iâve taken that bastard down."
"Thatâs right, in times of difficulty, we bear it together!" said the yellow-faced man Qin Dong with a serious expression, "Once Shiniangâs cultivation recovers and breaks through to the Fourth Layer of the Spirit Platform, and our cultivation advances further, will we still fear this âHeâ?"