Chapter 383

Chapter 383: The Return

Long Yunshuang stared at the other party and said coolly, "Since there is nothing, let us leave."

With the spiritual artifact taken away, she had no interest in other things.

In truth, even with that spiritual artifact, she only felt a little regret, not deep pain.

For someone of her level, accessing spiritual artifacts was not very difficult.

Had it not been to find something to do and boost her fighting strength, she would not have chosen to come here.

But on this trip, her greatest gain was exposing the behind the scenes schemer, and she realized he no longer cared for their so-called brother-sister bond.

That was good. Earlier, she had debated whether to strike against him, but now she could finally cast aside her hesitation.

It was just a pity that the surviving assassin escaped, or she could have dug up more information.

With that thought, Long Yunshuang’s eyes revealed a trace of icy coldness.

After speaking, she leaned on the stone wall to rise and strode outward, utterly unconcerned if any other treasures remained in the Great Tomb.

This rather surprised Zhou Luo.

He also followed silently and left the outside alongside her.

Shortly after they departed, a silhouette suddenly appeared right where they had been standing earlier.

It was a middle-aged man with a grim, dark face.

At this moment, his complexion was deathly pale, his aura feeble, and blood flowed from his chest, indicating he had sustained grave injuries.

This was none other than the assassin who had narrowly escaped.

After his escape, he chose not to flee but instead hid stealthily, hoping for another chance.

Unfortunately, he still underestimated the other side’s abilities, leading to this mission’s failure.

But he was unwilling to give up, so he waited until they all left before resolving to enter the Great Tomb for a look.

Previously, he had been lurking in the shadows of the Great Tomb and witnessed Zhou Luo activating the formation.

Thus, he knew the entrance to the Great Tomb as well.

Now, he merely hoped to find remaining treasures in the Golden Core master’s grave, ensuring this trip was not in vain.

He then entered the formation array and approached the massive tombstone.

He pulled out a formation disk and started breaking the formation using Zhou Luo’s method, swiftly reopening a passage.

Following the passage, he entered the Great Tomb and easily saw the black coffin.

He forced open the coffin, revealing the skeleton within and the exquisite wooden box.

He thought nothing of it and immediately snatched the wooden box.

Gazing at the hovering box, the killer wore an expression of greed and slowly opened it.

Boom—

Instantly, a boundless, merciless sword intent burst out, wielding a terrifying power that stormed toward him.

Caught off guard, the assassin was engulfed by the sword intent, unable to activate his protective golden glow. He was instantly slain by the sword energy, beheaded and bleeding out in a pool.

On the way out, Zhou Luo maintained a distance neither too close nor too far from Long Yunshuang. Neither spoke a word.

After exiting the cave entrance, the battle outside raged on with unwavering intensity.

Some cultivators even lurked in the shadows, watching silently, hoping to lie in wait like a cat by a mouse hole, eager to seize any scraps that might fall their way.

Spotting the two emerging, these onlookers instinctively tightened their grip on their magical artifacts.

But when Zhou Luo released a wisp of the unique pressure exclusive to the Foundation Establishment realm, those cultivators froze as if struck by lightning, paralyzed and trembling uncontrollably in fear.

Exchanging a glance, Zhou Luo and Long Yunshuang summoned their flying shuttle.

Leaping aboard in unison, they soared away from the place.

Hidden in the darkness, Foundation Establishment cultivators observed all this silently.

Seeing the pair depart effortlessly, they ultimately suppressed any impulse to act.

On the return journey, Long Yunshuang watched the scenery recede behind them and murmured, "You must have struck some sort of deal with those Immortal Sect disciples, didn’t you?"

Knowing him as she did, she was certain he wasn’t one to walk away empty-handed.

Zhou Luo offered no concealment, stating truthfully, "Merely secured some benefits. After all, someone like me can’t compare to others."

Long Yunshuang’s brow arched slightly in surprise at his unexpected honesty—a subtle shift that further altered her perception of him internally.

"Regardless, you have my gratitude this time. Upon returning to the Immortal City, I shall ensure a generous gift is sent to you," Long Yunshuang spoke, her back still turned to him, her voice utterly devoid of emotion, calm as undisturbed water.

"No need for such formalities. We are partners, after all," Zhou Luo replied, his gaze fixed on her beautiful figure, his tone steady and unhurried.

However, she offered no further response, retreating into her initial aloofness, as distant as ever.

For both of them, this journey to the ruins was but one experience in their long lives. No matter how perilous or thrilling, looking back, it would seem insignificant.

The notion found in tales—that shared peril might spark deeper feelings—was practically nonexistent.

Even the effects of the Heartfelt Gu Zhou Luo had given her only shifted her perspective slightly.

Cultivators prized serenity and detachment. Those shackled by heavy emotions found their cultivation advancing excruciatingly slowly.

Thus, the more powerful a cultivator became, the colder their emotions grew.

What Zhou Luo hadn’t anticipated, though, was her silence on the matter of Qi Chuan’s disappearance.

After their departure, the remaining Qi Refinement cultivators also realized the expedition was truly over. Some left, others clung stubbornly to hope.

They still dreamed of finding treasure within the ruins or seizing it from their fellow cultivators.

Three days after Zhou Luo and Long Yunshuang left, a figure descended upon the region with thunderous force.

Immense, soul-shaking pressure swept across the land, vast energy enveloping the entire mountain peak.

The cultivators still lingering on the mountain felt their souls tremble violently. Their bodies shook uncontrollably. Beneath the crushing pressure rolling towards them, they could only kneel, utterly prostrated.

Looking up was impossible. They couldn’t even lift an eyelid.

Terror gripped them. Who was this overwhelming presence? They could only pray silently that the newcomer would not hold them culpable.

After touching down, the figure transformed into a streak of light, shooting into one of the cave entrances.

Standing at the mouth of the cave, he frowned, stepped forward, and disappeared inside in a flash.

Unlike Zhou Luo’s party, which had painstakingly explored its depths step by step, this newcomer reached the place where Qi Chuan had perished in the blink of an eye.

Surveying the utterly silent, empty space, the old man’s eyes flickered with a fluorescent light as he meticulously scanned his surroundings.

After a moment, his expression turned extremely serious.

"My Chuan’er’s strength wasn’t such that he could be slaughtered so easily. Moreover, he possessed many methods to safeguard himself. Even against a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, he should have escaped," he muttered, a dazed look clouding his eyes.

"Yet, why did he meet his end here? Unable even to flee."

"Could the one who killed him have been… at the Golden Elixir stage or above?"

His face remained deeply serious, lost in troubled contemplation.