In the dark night, Xu Mu followed Qian Qian, the two of them heading to scout the terrain at the spring eye of the Earth Spirit Spring.
"This is already Wei Daolin's territory, and the spring eye is just ahead, but it's definitely heavily guarded. We shouldn't go any further," Qian Qian said to Xu Mu, pointing towards the front of the woods.
"We've come this far, why not go," Xu Mu said, releasing his Shadow ability.
*Hummm.*
The shadow appeared, emitting the sound of insect wings beating, and then like a ghost, it drifted eerily towards the front, detecting all traps nearby.
"There are traps, follow me."
Xu Mu said, carefully beginning to walk, dodging one trap after another.
"Wei Daolin has spared no expense. The talismans and artifacts buried in the dark, as well as the traps for capturing demonic beasts, are all expensive items. He's just scattering them out in handfuls," Qian Qian exclaimed, stepping in Xu Mu's footprints and looking at the traps beside them.
These items alone were worth dozens of times his own wealth.
"Don't just look, if we have time later, we can steal all these things," Xu Mu said with a smile.
"Not quite yet," Qian Qian shrugged. Xu Mu smiled slightly and was about to say something when, instantly, his gaze changed dramatically.
"Hide quickly, I see Wen Boye!" Qian Qian exclaimed in surprise and immediately hid in the bushes.
Xu Mu's expression turned serious. He used his Shadow ability to observe the situation around the spring eye and discovered that Wen Boye, whom he had injured by stepping on him from the sky, was now being supported and standing in front of a young man by the spring eye.
That young man sat in a bamboo chair, wearing a long gown and holding a fan, with a face like fine jade. On either side of him stood five ferocious-looking ability users.
Clearly, he was one of the three Ghost Kings under Ye Gong, the leader of the forces at the Earth Spirit Spring eye, Wei Daolin.
"Wen Boye and Wei Daolin seem to be discussing something, probably about an alliance."
"Not an alliance, but a one-sided request for help," Qian Qian said seriously to Xu Mu. "Wen Boye's forces are far inferior to Wei Daolin's; there's no comparison between the two."
"Alright, it doesn't make much difference," Xu Mu shrugged and then focused on using his Shadow ability to eavesdrop on their conversation.
...
"Alas, that's roughly how it is. Those three people are incredibly strong. I don't know where that bitch Xu Jingchu found them. You must uphold justice for me!" Wen Boye said with a mournful expression.
He had only recently woken up from his coma. After sending his subordinates to find Mo Han and Ling Shu, he rested briefly before coming to find Wei Daolin. He explained everything that had happened, but the latter didn't seem to care much.
"No matter how strong they are, they are still just lower-tier forces. Didn't you already find Ling Shu? Why are you still trying to rope me in? Aren't you overreacting a bit?" Wei Daolin glanced at Wen Boye and said indifferently. He didn't think a mere lower-tier force was worth him intervening.
"Sir, it's truly not me being alarmist. If Ling Shu had a hundred percent chance of resolving it, I wouldn't have come to you!" Wen Boye swallowed, recalling the scene of Xu Mu and the other two descending from the sky and instantly crushing him to the ground, then speaking in terror, "The strength of those three people is not on the same level as ordinary ability users."
"He could kill me in one move, and Ling Shu would definitely not be his match. If you let this slide, he will eventually threaten your position!" Wen Boye said, trembling as he knelt on the ground.
Wei Daolin frowned at this, remaining silent. He wasn't arrogant and understood the principle of "there's always someone better." However, he found it hard to imagine that three people capable of threatening his rule could emerge from the lower tiers of the Earth Spirit Spring.
"I still don't believe your story. However, for the sake of the third brother, I can lend you some men, but you'll need to pay a corresponding price." Wei Daolin looked at Wen Boye and extended two fingers, "One person, two thousand points."
"This..." Wen Boye was stunned. Two thousand points per person, their entire team combined couldn't afford five people!
"Don't worry, they are absolutely worth the price. These are the top powerhouses in my alliance. Two thousand is already a bargain," Wei Daolin said. From his retinue, four people slowly walked out. They were all fierce and menacing, their auras several times stronger than Wen Boye's.
"So, they are your Four Ghost Generals. I am indeed getting a good deal," Wen Boye said, his face suddenly lighting up with joy, and he willingly handed over eight thousand points. Everyone knew that the Four Ghost Generals were Wei Daolin's strongest guards, inseparable from him, skilled in formation tactics, and incredibly powerful.
"With the help of these four, I can not only deal with Xu Jingchu but also sweep through all the middle and lower-tier forces and stand alone at the top. Then, I'll have as many points as I want!" Wen Boye thought, a grin spreading across his face.
Meanwhile, Xu Mu had finished listening to the entire conversation between the two. He glanced at the Four Ghost Generals again and noticed that their auras were all at the level of Qian Qian and Qi Lan.
"Wei Daolin doesn't intend to act personally, so we've already won," Qian Qian said, also letting out a silent sigh of relief after hearing Xu Mu's summary. Merely the Four Ghost Generals and Ling Shu posed no threat to them; even Xu Mu wouldn't need to act, Wan Yan Zhenyao's team could easily deal with them!
"Since that's the case, I won't disturb you any longer," Wen Boye cupped his hands in salute to Wei Daolin and then left with the Four Ghost Generals.
"You can all leave too. I'm going to sleep here," Wei Daolin waved his hand, and the men behind him also departed one by one.
Thus, only three people remained.
Wei Daolin, Xu Mu, and Qian Qian.
"He's leaving, we should go back too," Qian Qian whispered a reminder.
"I was planning to leave, but how can I pass up such a good opportunity?" Xu Mu said, gazing at Wei Daolin, his eyes narrowed. The Four Ghost Generals had followed Wen Boye, and his subordinates had all retreated, leaving Wei Daolin alone to cultivate. Undoubtedly, this was the best chance to kill him.
"Eliminating or killing him here will save a lot of trouble later."
"Are you crazy? Wei Daolin has over three hundred subordinates. If we get surrounded, we won't be able to escape!"
"If we finish quickly, we won't be surrounded." Xu Mu said, his body slightly hunched, his fists clenched like a predator about to strike, his eyes fixed on Wei Daolin. He didn't intend to use the Goblin Bow, as it consumed too much energy, nor the Demon God's Horn, as it was too easy to expose him. Therefore, he could only rely on his fists.
"In five seconds, I'll rush forward at all costs for close-quarters combat. I need you to cooperate and hold him for three seconds, just don't let him escape easily," Xu Mu said in a low voice, not waiting for Qian Qian's agreement, and began counting down.
"Five, four, three, two..."
"One!"
...