"Let’s go take a look!"

Meng Changtu took a step forward.

But Tang Youliang shot Chen Che a surprised glance.

「A moment later.」

The three of them stopped before a massive, ox-shaped boulder. There was blood on the stone, but it had long since congealed, leaving only mottled specks, as if it had been splattered there by accident.

"The traces were left about three days ago. It looks like the blood of a common beast. The timing matches. It should be them, no doubt..."

Tang Youliang wiped it with his hand, rubbed the substance between his fingers, and turned to look at Meng Changtu.

"It seems this is the place."

"We finally found it!"

Meng Changtu sighed in relief.

The threat of the Golden Core Remnant Soul was truly immense. As long as it wasn’t eradicated, he couldn’t rest easy.

He cupped his fists and said:

"Once this matter is concluded, I will be sure to reward you handsomely."

"You and I have known each other for decades. Why speak of thanks? It’s merely a small effort."

Tang Youliang stopped, waving it off. "Let’s find them first!"

"Well said!"

With that, Meng Changtu took the lead, relying on his Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer cultivation.

Tang Youliang followed close behind, while Chen Che intentionally lagged behind.

The mountain path was steep, uneven, and tangled with gnarled tree roots.

But for Foundation Establishment Cultivators, it wasn’t a difficult trek.

Looking toward the summit, they saw a sea of dense forest. The only break in the canopy was at the very top, which looked like the gaping maw of a Fierce Beast, ready to devour anyone who approached. The volcano seemed to have been dormant for many years; it wasn’t hot at all. In fact, walking through the woods felt refreshingly cool.

With their target seemingly close, Tang Youliang became more talkative.

But Chen Che frowned. He didn’t feel the presence of the Divine Sense Mark on the mountain.

"Hm?"

As they walked, Chen Che’s brow furrowed. He immediately sank his Divine Sense to communicate with the Pure Jun Sword on his back, but his expression remained unchanged. At the same time, he spoke in a leisurely tone:

"Uncle Tang, have you ever heard of a certain type of person in this world?"

"What type of person? Do tell, my good nephew."

Chen Che had rarely spoken on their way here, and when he did, it was always with the deference of a junior. This sudden, serious tone couldn’t help but surprise Tang Youliang.

"This type of person has a wide circle of friends and vast connections. Whenever a friend is in trouble, he’s always the first to help, running about to solve their problems without asking for anything in return. Anyone who meets him would have to say he’s the most dependable man in the world!"

Chen Che continued speaking as if to himself, walking at the rear.

"Haha!"

Tang Youliang let out a loud laugh. He shot a sidelong glance at Chen Che, then chuckled to Meng Changtu, "Isn’t this junior of yours describing me perfectly?"

Meng Changtu also smiled and nodded slightly.

However, Chen Che’s tone suddenly shifted as he continued:

"In reality, this person has sinister intentions. He befriends people with ulterior motives from the very beginning. The so-called ’friends’ he speaks of are nothing more than fattened sheep in a pen, ready to be slaughtered when they become useful!"

Halfway through his sentence, Chen Che suddenly attacked.

"SHIIING!"

A blade of light screamed through the air.

A fierce wind erupted as a Sword Rainbow shot out with a whistle.

The Sword Qi swept through the air, kicking up a vast, white wave of energy. A deep gash appeared in the ground, stretching for dozens of zhang from Chen Che’s feet all the way to Tang Youliang!

"BOOM!"

There was a tremendous bang.

Tang Youliang leaped into the air, the silver threads of the Duster in his hand scattering.

As expected of a Fourth Level Cultivator, Tang Youliang actually managed to block the sword strike at the critical moment with the Duster in his hand. However, the impact still sent him staggering back several steps, each footfall leaving a deep print in the ground. Seething with hatred, Tang Youliang roared:

"You little bastard! How dare you attack me? Changtu, is this how you discipline your junior?"

At that moment, Meng Changtu, who had been heading up the mountain, also stopped. While Chen Che’s sudden attack had certainly startled him, the words he had spoken were what truly caught his attention.

It was true. In recent years, several Cultivators from their small circle had indeed disappeared or their whereabouts had become unknown.

However, Foundation Establishment Cultivators had lifespans far greater than Qi Refining Cultivators. Furthermore, in their pursuit of Core Formation, they would either venture out to find resources or enter seclusion for years at a time. It wasn’t uncommon for them to only reappear after several years.

"Fellow Daoist Tang, you and Fellow Daoist Yi were close. Why has he been missing these past few years?"

Meng Changtu asked in a low voice.

"How should I know?"

Tang Youliang was shocked and furious. "I was in seclusion during those years! After Fellow Daoist Yi disappeared, I even spent half a year searching for him..."

He stopped retreating. "Meng Changtu, after forty years of friendship, you suspect me?"

’My father-in-law isn’t stupid.’

Chen Che narrowed his eyes.

’Cultivators, just like mortals, let their guard down around people they know well. If it’s a friend of several years, or even decades—especially one who has often helped them—they won’t just be unguarded, they’ll be exceptionally trusting.’

’But they never realize that this is precisely the type of person who preys on their long-time friends.’

"And what about Fellow Daoist Qu?"

Meng Changtu asked again.

"I was in seclusion!"

The moment Tang Youliang opened his mouth, Meng Changtu’s expression darkened. Without a word, he took two steps to block the path up the mountain. He glanced at Chen Che, who also remained silent and shifted two steps to his left, cutting off the path down the mountain.

At the same time, both of them locked onto Tang Youliang with their Divine Sense.

Seeing them act this way, the look of grief, indignation, and injustice on Tang Youliang’s face quietly vanished.

"Heh heh, looks like I misjudged."

He wasn’t angry. He swept his gaze over Chen Che and sneered:

"If I had known, I would have left you at the foot of the mountain. I’ve been scheming for half my life and have never failed. To think I’d stumble because of you. Little brother, how did you figure it out?"

"I’ve seen it happen before."

Chen Che said casually.

’It happened in my previous life, back on Blue Star.’

’An aunt of mine, who was worldly and extremely shrewd after years of traveling, was set up by a friend she had known for over twenty years and was cheated out of her entire fortune. Only later did she find out that everything about the person was fake, even their name.’

’A check at the courthouse revealed the person was embroiled in lawsuits, with no fewer than a hundred victims.’

’It’s a situation where those involved are blind, but an outsider can see the truth.’

"No wonder!"

Tang Youliang came to a sudden realization, but he didn’t get angry. He glanced at Meng Changtu, whose killing intent was now blatant, and said in an understated tone:

"I needed to do something that required about thirty thousand Spirit Stones. Among all the people I know, only you have that kind of wealth. But you’re a regional power, and every time you travel, you’re accompanied by several Major Cultivators. I admit I can’t beat you."

"My original plan was to rob and kill a few more people, but then you came to me on your own initiative. So, I decided to just go all in."

’So he’s been a target for a long time.’

Chen Che’s eyebrow twitched as understanding dawned on him.

’This has nothing to do with Sun Hao. It’s just that our mission of Finding People gave him the opportunity to strike.’

"And you think you can beat me now?"

Meng Changtu’s gaze sharpened, his killing intent completely unconcealed.

He had trusted the man. Regarding this matter, aside from not mentioning the remnant soul, he had told him practically everything.

"Since I dared to lure you here, I naturally came fully prepared."

Tang Youliang grinned, his pupils contracting. He waved his Duster and stomped his foot hard.

"Array, activate!"

In that instant, the volcano trembled as if an earth dragon had turned over.

A red glow erupted from the summit, like a giant red bowl slamming down to cover the mountaintop. Seeing that things had gone south, Meng Changtu raised his hand and blasted out a saber light. But it was too late. The saber light crashed against the Array and shattered on impact.

"A Tier Two High Grade Flame Sealing Array? You’re using this to trap me?"

Trapped within the Grand Array, Meng Changtu glanced around, his eyes flashing as he sneered, "It will only take me three incense sticks’ time to break this array. When I do, I’ll make sure you die without a burial place! Che’er, you retreat first! Once I shatter this array and slay this scoundrel, I’ll rendezvous with you!"

"Run? Where can you run? Meng Changtu, do you think this array is all I have?"

Tang Youliang sneered, glanced at Chen Che, and called out, "Waiters, come on out! A big order’s just come in!"

As soon as his voice fell.

Five figures materialized out of thin air.

The five figures included men and women, a monk and a Daoist, but all of them trod upon the void as if they were Immortals. The aura they exuded was as vast as a boundless ocean; every single one was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator whose strength and cultivation were no less than Tang Youliang’s.

In an instant, the five Foundation Establishment Cultivators had sealed off the entire volcano.