Holding their breath to conceal their presence, Zhang Er Gou and the others slowly approached the two individuals.
The two disciples from the Liu Hai Sect, engrossed in their battle with the demonic beast, were completely unaware of the danger creeping up behind them.
When Zhang Er Gou and his companions were about fifty feet away, they hid themselves and ceased their advance.
This was the safest distance.
If they moved any closer, even if the two Liu Hai Sect disciples failed to notice them, the demonic beast's superior sense of smell and acute perception would undoubtedly detect Zhang Er Gou's presence.
Naturally, Zhang Er Gou and the others did not wish to alert their quarry.
As the two Liu Hai Sect disciples engaged fiercely in combat with the beast, Zhang Er Gou and his group waited patiently.
The demonic beast appeared to possess the strength of the Golden Core mid-stage.
Initially, with its extraordinary defensive capabilities, it was able to fight the two Liu Hai Sect disciples to a stalemate.
However, the two Liu Hai Sect disciples were not to be trifled with either.
They were, after all, cultivators who had long since broken through to the Golden Core mid-stage, and their coordination was seamless.
It was evident that they had worked together many times before.
Thus, gradually, the demonic beast began to falter and found itself at a disadvantage.
"Die, beast!" one of the Liu Hai Sect disciples roared, thrusting his sword fiercely into the beast's chest.
The demonic beast, already heavily wounded and bleeding, was significantly slower in its movements.
As the sword energy pierced its body, the beast let out a series of shrill cries of agony.
Then, with an unwillingness to accept its fate, it collapsed to the ground...
"So exhausting. I never expected this beast to be so difficult to deal with."
The disciple who had killed the beast used his sword to cut open the beast's chest.
He then retrieved an irregularly shaped object, still glistening with blood.
Zhang Er Gou and the others recognized it as the beast's inner core.
"Indeed, this beast was quite tricky. But thankfully, we have defeated it."
"Where do you think Zhang Er Gou and Li Yao have gone? Why haven't we seen any sign of them for so long?"
"That's what I'm wondering too. After Zhang Er Gou had that conversation with that fiery red demonic beast, they left in a hurry. There must be some secret."
"Should we go find our other fellow disciples and inform them of this matter?"
"That's a good idea. If Zhang Er Gou and the others are hiding something from us, we can use our numbers to force them to reveal it."
Zhang Er Gou and his companions were surprised that these two had witnessed their conversation with the fiery red demonic beast.
And even more so that they were hatching such a plan.
The group hiding in concealment exchanged glances, their faces conveying a sense of understanding.
"Go!" Zhang Er Gou whispered.
Then, the group moved swiftly.
The two Liu Hai Sect disciples, having just concluded a fierce battle, had not fully recovered their strength.
The sudden appearance of four figures startled them immensely.
By the time they could react, they were already subdued by Zhang Er Gou and his companions.
Zhang Er Gou and his group also hadn't expected to subdue the two so easily.
It seemed the previous battle had indeed taken a heavy toll on them.
"Li Yao, Zhang Er Gou?"
When the two Liu Hai Sect disciples clearly saw the faces before them, their expressions changed drastically.
They had just been discussing these very individuals, and now they were standing right in front of them.
What was even more infuriating was that these individuals had bound them up.
Clearly, they had ill intentions.
"Li Yao, Zhang Er Gou, what are you doing? Let us go at once!" one of the Liu Hai Sect disciples shouted sternly.
"You want us to let you go just like that? Wouldn't that make us four seem rather insignificant?"
Zhang Er Gou looked at the two, thoroughly bound, with a mocking smile.
"What exactly do you want?" the two struggled desperately.
However, no matter how much they thrashed, the ropes only tightened, rather than loosening.
It was evident that the ropes binding them were specially made.
Wang Teng, Lin Yi Chen, and Li Yao also watched the two with mischievous grins.
"What we want? Don't you already know?"
Zhang Er Gou leaned closer to the two, smiling.
...
Not long after, a roar of fury echoed through the valley.
"Zhang Er Gou, we will never rest until you are dead!"
However, Zhang Er Gou and his companions paid no heed to the shouts. After dividing the treasures they had plundered from the two Liu Hai Sect disciples, Zhang Er Gou and his group headed off in another direction.
Before they left, they had even stripped the clothes off the two Liu Hai Sect disciples...
"Haha..."
Zhang Er Gou and the others burst into laughter, leaving behind the pair's shouts and four retreating figures.
...
Subsequently, not long after Zhang Er Gou and his group had robbed the two Liu Hai Sect disciples, they encountered another lone disciple from the sect.
Without a word, Zhang Er Gou and his companions launched a fierce assault.
After beating the Liu Hai Sect disciple to the brink of death, they stripped him of all his treasures and valuables.
Through these two robberies, Zhang Er Gou and his group discovered that this method was far quicker than painstakingly searching for treasures and medicinal herbs themselves.
After a brief discussion, they decided to postpone their search for other Misty Sect disciples for the time being.
After all, they still had a long time to spend in the secret realm, and finding their companions could wait a little.
Zhang Er Gou and his group began to focus their efforts on seeking out lone Liu Hai Sect disciples, or those who were in groups of two or three.
...
Before long, a mysterious atmosphere pervaded the secret realm.
The lone disciples of the Liu Hai Sect lived in constant fear, as the fellow disciples they encountered were either tied to trees or lying on the ground, barely alive.
And when questioned, they could not ascertain the identity of their attackers.
They only knew that the assailants were four individuals who had worn masks the entire time, making it impossible to discern their true faces.
The two Liu Hai Sect disciples who had known their true identities were in a secluded area, and unfortunately, no one had discovered them.
One had to admit, they were quite pitiable.
...
"Haha, we're rich, we're rich, we're truly rich now."
Inside a cave, Zhang Er Gou, Lin Yi Chen, Wang Teng, and Li Yao sat cross-legged on the ground, their manners forgotten.
They looked at the densely packed storage rings spread before them, each beaming with joy.
Needless to say, these storage rings were all seized from the Liu Hai Sect disciples.
What surprised them even more was that the Liu Hai Sect disciples had stored all the treasures they had acquired in the secret realm within their respective storage rings.
This greatly benefited Zhang Er Gou and his group, as they easily broke the connection between these storage rings and their owners.
After all, the cultivation levels of the Liu Hai Sect disciples who had entered the secret realm were comparable to Zhang Er Gou's.
However, in terms of soul power, they were far inferior to Zhang Er Gou.
...
While Zhang Er Gou and his group were joyfully dividing their spoils, the Liu Hai Sect disciples who had not yet suffered their fate were rapidly gathering.