Chapter 398

Chapter 398: Cooperation?

At that moment, Zheng Cai looked at Ji Yang with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Although he had secretly observed Ji Yang before, and realized that Ji Yang relied on his strong body-refining techniques, he did not pay much attention to him.

Now, it seemed he had underestimated this person; he hadn’t anticipated that Ji Yang could dig the mine so deep and even enter the Red Fire Ant nest. It appeared that this young man had some secrets of his own.

However, Zheng Cai still didn’t take him too seriously.

Just as Zheng Cai prepared to speak, he noticed the queen ant’s unusual behavior—she didn’t retreat upon his arrival.

This made Zheng Cai’s gaze sharpen, and soon, he spotted what the queen ant was protecting beneath her.

Upon seeing the Mine Spirit, Zheng Cai first fell into contemplation, but then his eyes brightened, clearly recognizing what this small patch of green grass was.

After his surprise, Zheng Cai’s expression returned to normal, as if he hadn’t seen anything and turned to Ji Yang with a smile.

“Fellow Daoist, it is fate that brings us together. This beast is rather tricky, and I believe it would be difficult for you alone to subdue it. Why don’t we join forces to deal with this creature? We can split the spoils equally afterward. What do you think?”

Zheng Cai maintained a friendly smile, appearing exceptionally kind.

After discovering the unusual happenings in the mine, he quickly tracked down the lair of the Red Fire Ants using his primordial spirit energy as a Void Refinement stage cultivator. Then, he followed the tunnel that Ji Yang had dug to reach this place.

He hadn’t expected to make such a fruitful discovery—he must be lucky.

After all this time cultivating, it was finally his chance to seize an opportunity!

As for the talk of cooperation, that was purely to distract Ji Yang.

Aside from Ji Yang, there was no one else in this area, and he wouldn’t share any news regarding the Mine Spirit.

Hearing Zheng Cai’s words, Ji Yang merely smiled lightly.

Ji Yang had seen the change in Zheng Cai’s expression earlier and understood his thoughts perfectly.

A Void Refinement stage cultivator was certainly not someone he couldn’t fight, not to mention this man wasn’t even at the late Void Refinement stage.

However, Ji Yang couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret as his originally smooth plan encountered obstacles; good things often face challenges.

Instead of rejecting Zheng Cai immediately, Ji Yang nodded and said, “Alright! This beast has a tough armor, so I would appreciate your assistance.”

“Of course, of course.”

Seeing Ji Yang agree, Zheng Cai’s smile appeared even friendlier.

Meanwhile, the queen ant standing between them was extremely angry.

She had spirit intelligence and understood what the two were discussing. However, to see them boldly plan to eliminate her right in front of her and divide her spoils was unbearable.

With a shrill screech, the queen ant lunged at Zheng Cai, swinging her mandibles.

She realized that this man was the biggest threat; as for Ji Yang, he merely ran fast and posed a lesser danger.

If she could deal with Zheng Cai, her safety would greatly increase.

Seeing the queen ant attack him first, Zheng Cai coldly shouted, “Hmph, beast, have you gone blind!”

As he spoke, Zheng Cai shifted his body and quickly dodged the queen ant’s assault. He would not underestimate this ferocious beast at the same level as him.

Just as Zheng Cai prepared to use his techniques, he remembered Ji Yang beside him. With a quick thought, he decided not to rush into an offense but instead engaged in a tactical interplay with the queen ant.

He proposed the matter of cooperation not only to distract Ji Yang but also to test Ji Yang’s capabilities.

As a Golden Core stage cultivator entering the secret realm, this man was surely a prominent disciple of the He Dao Sect.

Such disciples may seem less threatening than a Void Refinement stage cultivator, but one could never be sure if they held powerful means to injure a Void Refinement stage cultivator or even turn the tide against them.

Similar incidents had occurred in the secret realm before.

He needed to probe Ji Yang’s strength and confirm that he posed no significant threat before reaping the benefits.

Zheng Cai, as a disciple of Qianji Gate, emphasized caution above all else.

He believed that anything a puppet could do should not be done by himself.

And anything that could be controlled from the shadows should not reveal his identity.

This time he took a risk by personally venturing into this place, which was somewhat reckless.

His reasoning was that he did not expect any immediate threat here, but given the current change in circumstances, he still needed to exercise some caution.

While entangled with the queen ant, Zheng Cai called out towards Ji Yang,

“Fellow Daoist, this beast is quite tricky; I would appreciate your helping hand.”

After saying this, Zheng Cai fell back into a fierce battle with the queen ant, the two exchanging blows and even finding themselves at a slight disadvantage.

Zheng Cai’s actions made Ji Yang’s expression darken.

Not only did the man fail to summon any of his magical treasures, but his attacks also consisted only of ordinary spell attacks, which could not even breach the queen ant’s defenses.

Moreover, as a disciple of Qianji Gate, not even deploying a puppet was telling; his intentions were clear.

With a Void Refinement stage cultivator being so cautious around a Golden Core stage cultivator, it left Ji Yang somewhat speechless. Who was really being careful here?

As if sensing his oversight, Zheng Cai hurriedly added,

“Fellow Daoist, the space here is narrow; my puppets are large and have trouble moving in battle, significantly reducing their effectiveness.”

Ji Yang did not believe these words at all.

He did not want to waste any more time; his aim was the Mine Spirit.

If Zheng Cai did not obstruct him, he would not have to fight.

At that moment, the queen ant lifted her massive body, revealing the Mine Spirit beneath her.

Ji Yang’s eyes lit up with opportunity.

Taking advantage of the gap in Zheng Cai’s and the queen ant’s battle, Ji Yang unleashed the Art of Ascension, greatly increasing his speed as he dove towards the Mine Spirit.

He intended to snatch the Mine Spirit away!

Although Ji Yang moved swiftly, his actions did not escape the notice of the battling pair.

Their reactions were completely different.

The queen ant was extremely furious, wanting to respond and stop Ji Yang.

However, Zheng Cai, who should have been anxious, instead tried his best to hold back the queen ant, not allowing her the chance to interrupt.

A sly smile of scheming success flickered on Zheng Cai’s face.

Just as Ji Yang was about to reach the Mine Spirit, Zheng Cai decisively withdrew, stepping aside to watch the unfolding drama, completely unconcerned about Ji Yang succeeding.

With Zheng Cai no longer restraining her, the queen ant disregarded him and swiftly charged towards Ji Yang below.

Ji Yang found Zheng Cai’s withdrawal unsurprising; he had anticipated this kind of behavior.

If Zheng Cai had truly helped him subdue the queen ant, that would have been strange.

At this moment, Ji Yang stood beneath the massive body of the queen ant, but this actually made it difficult for her to use her mandibles to counterattack.