Regardless of what Song Lin thought in his heart, Jian Chou felt not the slightest psychological burden.

Seeing this renowned Young Sect Master of the Shanyin Sect turn tail and run, she found it rather amusing: “I’ve long heard that cultivators from the three Demonic Paths of the southeastern wilderness are all warlike types. How is it that when it comes to Young Sect Master Song, you’ve become a fleeing rat?”

This damned stinking woman!

Upon hearing this, Song Lin’s handsome yet sinister face immediately flashed with gloom.

The corners of his phoenix eyes were like sharp blades, touched with frost-cold intent, becoming even more furious. But he couldn’t say a word, afraid of being distracted by Jian Chou, only increasing his escape speed to the maximum.

“Whoosh!”

Wind howled in his ears.

Song Lin was, after all, a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, and his air-riding speed was much faster. Even with Jian Chou’s wind assistance, she couldn’t catch up to him for the moment.

“Eh.”

Jian Chou couldn’t help but be somewhat surprised.

She had never encountered Demonic Path cultivators before, nor did she know exactly how they cultivated, but Song Lin’s speed far exceeded ordinary people.

Originally, when the two were fighting and chasing, their speeds were actually comparable, with Jian Chou even slightly faster.

At this moment, not only was the distance between them not closing, it seemed to be widening slightly…

Interesting.

Jian Chou’s gaze immediately brightened, and her eyes looking at Song Lin’s fleeing back became even more interested.

“Since ancient times, righteous and evil have been incompatible. Friend Song Lin, why not stop for a battle?”

Battle?

Battle my ass!

Song Lin made a hand seal, increasing his speed further, but his heart burned with evil fire: This woman behind him was simply cursed! Clearly only at the early Golden Core stage, yet her speed was terrifyingly fast!

But before he came, he had no idea of their cultivation levels, whether Jian Chou or that damned Xie Buchen.

Tricked by Yong Zhou again!

No other thought could arise in his mind.

Several months ago, Song Lin had learned that a group of Yingxiong Tomb cultivators was leaving the southeastern wilderness, apparently on orders from Young Sect Master Yong Zhou.

With the grand contest for Tongguan Post in the southeastern wilderness approaching soon, how could Yong Zhou, a strong contender for “Grand Marshal of Tongguan Post,” sit still?

Upon receiving this news, Song Lin immediately guessed: Yong Zhou was about to make a move.

So he dispatched several high-level Shanyin Sect cultivators to ambush the Yingxiong Tomb people midway.

Unexpectedly, he really obtained a secret piece of information: several cultivators from the Central Domain led by Kunwu and Yashan were going to explore the Hidden Realm of Qingfeng Nunnery, and within that Hidden Realm was the long-lost “Nine Curves River Map” of the southeastern wilderness!

How could Song Lin sit still after this?

After getting the news, he immediately began planning intensively, continuing to hunt down Yingxiong Tomb cultivators on one hand while leading people to infiltrate the Central Domain on the other, finding some materials about the Qingfeng Nunnery Hidden Realm, though incomplete.

To ensure absolute success, Song Lin took the risky approach of impersonating Xiao Jin who had withdrawn midway, mixing in with the group, attempting to gather further information about the Qingfeng Nunnery Hidden Realm during this process.

Who would have thought that from the moment he entered the Hidden Realm, it would be filled with deadly traps at every step!

The information intercepted from Yingxiong Tomb had firstly not mentioned that Kunwu’s world-shocking talent Xie Buchen was among the group, and secondly had glossed over Jian Chou’s abilities with just a casual mention.

The southeastern wilderness was originally isolated from the Central Domain with poor communication, not to mention geniuses like Xie Buchen and Jian Chou who had just emerged. Without fighting them, who could know how strong they really were?

Song Lin naturally assumed these two were only slightly stronger than ordinary cultivators, but when it came to actual combat, he was dumbfounded: he couldn’t even handle a severely injured Xie Buchen, and having just risked entering, he encountered this killing-god-like woman from Yashan!

Connecting everything together, how could Song Lin not realize that this was a trap set by Yong Zhou from beginning to end?

If Yong Zhou truly intended to compete for the items in the Qingfeng Nunnery Hidden Realm, where were the Yingxiong Tomb cultivators at this moment?

He never planned to compete for the “Nine Curves River Map” in the Hidden Realm from the start, but deliberately leaked the information to him, making him fight to the death with the outstanding figures of the Central Domain’s new generation!

Watching tigers fight from the mountain.

What a brilliant strategy of borrowing a knife to kill!

While avoiding attacks from Jian Chou behind him, Song Lin couldn’t help but recall the Young Sect Master of Yingxiong Tomb he had met.

Gentle township, heroes’ tomb.

White clothes like snow, Guanyin hanging high, he held three incense sticks in his hands, offering them to the high gods and Buddhas. Though in a place of slaughter, his mouth was full of benevolence and virtue!

Yong Zhou?

Just thinking of this name, Song Lin felt his mouth full of bloody taste, filled with hatred!

Listening to Jian Chou’s taunts from behind—”What skill is there in just fleeing without fighting?” and “Are there no real men among you Demonic Path cultivators?”—was enough to make one’s blood boil with rage!

Song Lin naturally wasn’t afraid of battle, but he knew Xie Buchen had also entered this array.

Although Jian Chou had a grudge against Xie Buchen, when facing a battle between righteous and evil, who knew what would develop?

The Shanyin Sect’s manpower had already lost more than half to these two. Song Lin didn’t dare take more risks. For now, the only plan was to flee, avoid these two people, and then have a chance to explore the Hidden Realm’s secrets.

“Whoosh!”

Song Lin’s entire body transformed into a beam of light. When there was nowhere to avoid, he directly turned sideways and immediately entered another door.

Jian Chou followed behind, frowning as she glanced to the left.

If she remembered correctly, chasing Song Lin had already taken her in a big circle through the maze, passing through door after door, and this door…

Was exactly the node going east from the Dui position that the little bookworm had mentioned earlier, the location to find that falcon…

Chase the person?

Or find the falcon?

Jian Chou’s figure, racing at full speed, stopped without warning, actually coming to a complete halt in mid-air, with wind swirling beneath her feet as if merged with her.

Xiao Diao, crouched on her shoulder, looked at her in confusion, reached out to point at Song Lin who had already disappeared ahead, and called out “Awoo” twice.

The bone jade followed suit, also opening its mouth and pointing ahead while stammering: “Chase, chase, run, ran away…”

This little stutterer…

Jian Chou couldn’t help but shake her head, patting these two little ones. She looked up at the direction Song Lin had disappeared, thought for a moment, raised an eyebrow, and showed a meaningful smile.

Then she actually turned around, abandoning Song Lin without hesitation and heading east!

Xiao Diao was stunned.

The bone jade blinked and was also a bit confused.

Jian Chou remained calm and collected, not feeling she had done anything wrong.

Only Song Lin, who had run very far away and no longer knew where he was, finally sensed something wrong behind him.

He stopped and turned around, only to find that somehow, there was nothing behind him!

“…”

Song Lin’s mind echoed with Jian Chou’s earlier cold, murderous words—

People in this world have many ways to die. I wonder which kind Young Sect Master Song prefers?

I am a disciple of Yashan, a famous great sect, naturally I should eliminate demons and defend the Way for the Nineteen Continents!

Damn it!

You threatened to dismember me, and the next moment you’re nowhere to be seen!

So all those harsh words earlier were just playing around!

Just leaving like that…

His face contorted, his eye corner twitching again and again. He almost had the urge to cough up blood!

Even though he prided himself on having mingled in the Demonic Path for many years, having seen all kinds of fickle old monsters, considering himself quite experienced, at that moment, he truly couldn’t hold back and cursed: “Your grandfather!”

Even a pursuit could be stood up!

In the vast Ten Thousand Beasts Maze Array, the three people who had entered were now in three different locations.

Jian Chou went to find the falcon location mentioned by the little bookworm, Song Lin didn’t know where he had ended up and was currently lost, while Xie Buchen, who had squeezed into the array at the critical moment, stood in the courtyard where Jian Chou had been earlier.

Rustle rustle…

This was the sound of grass blades rubbing as he passed through the wild grass in the courtyard.

Blood dripped from the corner of his azure robe, staining the green grass blades various shades of purple.

Xie Buchen looked around in a circle, his brow carrying a touch of cold indifference like May snow on Tianshan Mountain, his eyes completely calm, but his mind was filled with clashing clues.

Entering the Hidden Realm, that Young Sect Master of Shanyin Sect had impersonated Xiao Jin to infiltrate, after which he and Jian Chou had been killing each other all the way, yet neither could defeat the other.

Originally, with the Human Emperor Sword in hand, he had the advantage, but unexpectedly her strength was shocking, even thirty percent stronger than he had originally estimated, especially with her new mastery of the Deer-Cutting Blade…

To eliminate her would be difficult.

Where did that “thirty percent” strength come from?

When fighting her, all his attention was on the battle. Only now, having gained a moment of quiet, did he have time to reflect, and suddenly realized what he had overlooked—

The One-Person Platform.

The pinnacle that every new-generation cultivator in the Central Domain dreamed of reaching.

No one knew what she had gained up there, and he had never heard anything from the elders afterward.

Apart from this, Xie Buchen couldn’t think of any other fortuitous encounters.

All the way, they had been at loggerheads, every blade and sword drawing blood…

She was never without backing, nor was she the reckless type.

This point, he had indeed overlooked greatly, which was why he had been at a disadvantage everywhere after entering the Hidden Realm.

Former wife, current enemy.

At this thought, Xie Buchen felt a sense of confusion.

His gaze moved across the cave openings in the four walls of the courtyard. He saw the withered bones inside, and also saw that dying old cricket.

And also…

A little bookworm hiding at the cave entrance, poking its head out cautiously.

The moment Xie Buchen’s gaze fell on it, the little bookworm was startled and quickly jumped toward the cave, shrinking back into the book crack, asking warily: “Are you also here seeking the secrets of the River Map?”

This person was different from the female cultivator who had left earlier. He was surrounded by an aura that made one’s heart tremble. The little bookworm, who had always been bold and fearless, now felt somewhat apprehensive and didn’t dare approach him.

Xie Buchen was slightly stunned, moved his steps closer, and looked up at the patterns carved around the cave entrance.

A hermit stood leaning against a withered pine, his finger resting on an ancient book, as if tired and not reading.

A little bookworm, seizing the opportunity, actually emerged from the book, looking at the contents with fascination, even bobbing its head as if imitating scholars reciting.

Only then did the hermit notice the movement, shifting his gaze to observe the bookworm.

Unexpectedly, the little bookworm touched its belly and actually took a bite at a character on the page. The hermit was immediately stunned…

The later carvings became blurred.

However, Xie Buchen had already understood the origin of this bookworm.

The appearance of so many books in this Hidden Realm gave him an indescribable sense of familiarity, and a smile so faint it was almost invisible appeared at the corner of his lips.

The little bookworm had just asked if he was “also here seeking the secrets of the River Map”…

Xie Buchen looked at the bookworm shrinking in the book crack, then glanced at the pitted book pages full of small holes gnawed by the bookworm, and asked: “It seems that before me, someone has already passed through this place?”