The Array was broken.

The five ambushing Tribulation Cultivators were all dead. All five were at the Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer. It was one thing that they couldn’t win, but it was astounding that Chen Che had killed four of them.

Now, with Meng Changtu free, Tang Youliang was filled with endless regret.

’If I had known it would turn out like this, I should have left Chen Che at the foot of the mountain...’

’No.’

’If I had known, I never should have set this trap for Meng Changtu in the first place.’

He wanted to flee, but Chen Che sidestepped and blocked his path of retreat.

Looking back, he saw Meng Changtu slowly raise his head, his stunned eyes staring over. In that instant, Tang Youliang felt himself locked in place by two Qi Mechanisms. The father-in-law and son-in-law, just as they had at the beginning, had him trapped, blocking his escape from both the front and the back.

"Brother Meng, I was wrong! I was possessed, tempted by True Master Chilong’s Cave Mansion..."

Tang Youliang coughed up a large mouthful of blood. Blood was seeping from all seven of his orifices, and his blood-soaked body looked as withered as a dead tree.

When the Array broke, he suffered a backlash that even damaged his Divine Soul.

Even if he managed to recover from his injuries, his strength would plummet.

"I trusted you so much..."

Meng Changtu clenched his fists. The killing intent in his eyes didn’t lessen; it intensified. "For over forty years, you’ve been deceiving me?"

As he spoke, Meng Changtu gripped the black Heavy Saber on his back and took a step forward, and then another.

His long hair fluttered, and his robes snapped in the wind like a Battle Banner. With each step, he resembled a tiger descending a mountain. How could Meng Changtu not be furious, having been kept in the dark for over forty years by someone he trusted? At the same time, he hated his own foolishness!

"Brother Meng, I truly had no choice! True Master Chilong’s Cave Mansion was right there. You know as well as I do that it might contain a True Master’s Treasure. How could I not be moved?!"

Seeing Chen Che also closing in from behind, Tang Youliang knew there was nowhere left to run. He gritted his teeth and made a decision.

"Brother Meng!"

"I’ll trade the location of True Master Chilong’s Cave Mansion for my life!"

Chen Che ignored him and continued to advance.

But Meng Changtu stopped. Looking extremely interested, he called out.

"Che’er, wait a moment!"

Chen Che frowned.

’Fair enough.’

He could understand Meng Changtu’s thinking. With a True Master’s Cave Mansion so close, no one could remain indifferent. It might not only hold the lifetime Treasure of a Golden Core Cultivator, but also contain the secrets to Core Formation.

The only reason he himself could ignore it was because he already occupied one of True Master Chixia’s Cave Mansions.

"Five years ago, when I helped ambush Fellow Daoist Yi of the Loose Cultivator Alliance, I obtained a manuscript from him. That manuscript recorded the places True Master Chilong frequented during his life. I spent a great deal of effort to finally pinpoint the Cave Mansion’s location."

Tang Youliang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and spoke slowly.

"I’ve already destroyed the manuscript. Now, I’m the only one who knows where this Cave Mansion is."

"Kill me..."

"...and True Master Chilong’s Cave Mansion will be lost to the world forever, its location unknown. Now, I’m offering its location to buy my life. For the two of you, that shouldn’t be a losing bargain, right?"

"Tell us, and I’ll give you my word you can leave!"

Meng Changtu was clearly tempted.

"Heh heh, I don’t believe you."

Tang Youliang shook his head and sneered, glancing at Chen Che. "Both of you must swear an oath on your Divine Souls that after I’ve spoken, you won’t attack me and will let me leave unharmed."

"Do you have a choice?"

Chen Che tightened his grip on his Pure Jun Sword. "If you don’t talk, you die right now!"

"Wait!"

Meng Changtu pondered for a moment, then took out two Crystal Stones and tossed one to the other man. "You should recognize this. It’s a Soul Seal Stone. Swear an oath while holding it, and you cannot speak falsehoods. If you break it, your path of cultivation will be damaged..."

He said this last part to Chen Che.

Then, after a slight pause, he continued.

"If Fellow Daoist Tang reveals the location of True Master Chilong’s Cave Mansion, I, Meng Changtu, swear that I will ensure he does not die today, nor will I allow anyone to attack him. If I violate this oath, may my Divine Soul be utterly destroyed!"

After he spoke, the Divine Soul outside his body trembled, a transparent figure that seemed to be pulled by the Crystal Stone.

Chen Che loosened his grip on his sword, his frown deepening.

’This father-in-law of mine really couldn’t resist the temptation of a Golden Core Cave Mansion after all.’

However, Tang Youliang had a point. Trading a life for a True Master’s Cave Mansion was indeed not a bad deal.

"The location?"

Meng Changtu asked after the oath was made.

"Only sparing me for today? Fine..."

Tang Youliang raised an eyebrow. He’d already lost today. Even if Meng Changtu didn’t kill him, he wouldn’t dare show his face again.

Gripping the Soul Seal Stone, he swore:

"I, Tang Youliang, swear that True Master Chilong’s Cave Mansion is in the very volcano beneath your feet. If this is false, may my Divine Soul be utterly destroyed!"

After he spoke, his Divine Soul also trembled as it was drawn by the stone.

"It’s in this mountain?"

Chen Che’s eyebrows shot up as he looked at the volcano beneath them.

’As expected of a Tribulation Cultivator who dared to plot against the head of a clan. To be able to pull a trick like this to secure a path to survival at a moment of life and death is impressive.’

"That’s right!"

With the oath sworn, Tang Youliang was no longer as terrified as before. He shot a vicious glare at Chen Che.

The plan had been seamless, exploiting Meng Changtu’s desperation to find Sun Hao to lure him into a trap. Who could have expected that the addition of just one person would cause the entire scheme to collapse, nearly costing him his own life in the process?

"Gentlemen, I hope we never meet again!"

He cupped his hands in a farewell gesture.

Tang Youliang flicked his Duster and prepared to leave. Meng Changtu had only promised he wouldn’t die today. The day would be over in a few hours, so he had to leave quickly.

PFFT!

The words had barely left his mouth.

A Black Blade pierced straight through his back and out his chest. Tang Youliang tried to take another step, but found he couldn’t. He stood frozen in place.

The owner of this blade was none other than Meng Changtu!

"You?!"

Blood gushed from Tang Youliang’s mouth. "Aren’t you afraid of your Divine Soul being destroyed?"

"This is a Soul-Attracting Stone!"

Meng Changtu raised his hand and crushed the Crystal Stone, which turned to dust and scattered in the wind.

"You tricked me once to try and take my life. I tricked you once to take yours. I’d say that makes us even!"

With that, Meng Changtu withdrew his right hand and glanced at Chen Che. "Did you learn something?"

"Yes, yes!"

Chen Che nodded.

’So my father-in-law isn’t a complete fool. In the end, he was just too trusting. Otherwise, he never would have been caught in this trap.’

After a brief glance at Tang Youliang’s fallen body, the two began to collect the scattered spoils of war. A moment later, they had gathered six Storage Rings, plus the Magical Artifacts and Weapons on the ground. Including the damaged ones, there were over a hundred items in total.

In addition, there were nearly fifty thousand Spirit Stones.

Just looking at the wealth these men carried, one could tell they must have robbed and killed countless Cultivators over the years, likely choosing each target carefully before striking.

"You take eighty percent, I’ll take twenty."

After destroying the bodies and all traces of the fight, the two exchanged a look. Chen Che had expected Meng Changtu to ask about his strength, but he surprisingly avoided the topic, waving his hand and deciding the distribution directly.

"Let’s rest for a bit, then we’ll go explore True Master Chilong’s Cave Mansion. We’ll split whatever we find there fifty-fifty."

Chen Che didn’t refuse. He took out a Celestial Spirit Pill and flicked it to him.

Meng Changtu swallowed it in one gulp, and his expression finally turned somber.

"Over forty years!"

"Since ancient times, it’s been said that the Great Dao is heartless and you can only trust yourself. But it’s also said that Dharma, Companions, Wealth, and Land are all indispensable. The difficulty of the immortal path lies not just with heaven and earth or the rules of Daoist Techniques, but also in the fickleness of the human heart!"

Chen Che remained silent.

He knew that his father-in-law’s Dao heart had been shaken by Tang Youliang’s betrayal.

However, amidst the unpredictability of human hearts, true affection could also be found.

Take Lu Qinglian and Jia Chaoyuan, for example. They were close and had also known each other for over forty years. Because Lu Qinglian was by his side, Jia Chaoyuan was even willing to entrust his True Disciple to him.

"Jia Chaoyuan? I’ve met him. He was a stubborn fellow. He disappeared later on. I never expected he’d had his arms cut off."

Meng Changtu let out a long sigh after hearing Chen Che talk about the two.

They chatted for a while. Once he had mostly recovered, he stood up and headed up the mountain.

Chen Che followed.

After all, no one could be sure if only those six knew about True Master Chilong’s Cave Mansion. It was better to secure it sooner rather than later.

Not to mention, with the suspected remnant Divine Soul of True Master Chilong still in the world, the two of them dared not delay.

The entire volcano had been shattered by their battle. What was once lush and green was now exposed, barren rock. Arriving at the crater’s edge, they leaned over and looked down to see a placid surface at the bottom, like an endless abyss. The father-in-law and son-in-law exchanged a glance, then leaped off the cliff.

The bottom of the volcano was filled with strange, grotesque stalactites and stalagmites. They were bizarre in shape, yet strikingly realistic and lifelike.

The only thing that met their eyes was a giant pool.

"If I’m not mistaken, this is it!"

Meng Changtu stopped and pointed at the pool.

There were many tracks around, likely left by Tang Youliang and his group.

"Everyone says True Master Chilong’s Red Flame Flood Dragon loved lava, and he himself seemed to be a master of Fire Element Techniques. I never thought he’d choose a place like this for his Cave Mansion."

Chen Che surveyed the surroundings, looking thoughtful. "He was certainly cautious, doing the exact opposite of what one would expect..."

"I’ll go down first."

Meng Changtu said, forming the hand seal for the Water Avoidance Technique before jumping directly into the water.

Seeing him enter the water so unguardedly, Chen Che thought for a moment, but still gripped his Pure Jun Sword as he followed him in. The pool was bottomless. Besides a number of fish, there were also some Flood Dragon Pythons swimming about, each exuding Demon Qi. They had clearly become Demon Beasts.

When the two Foundation Establishment Cultivators entered the water, the creatures were instantly startled and scattered in all directions.

A moment later, an underwater entrance appeared. At the entrance stood a large bronze gate covered in inscribed runes, but it had already been forced open by an external force. They passed through the gate and followed a stone staircase upwards, walking for a short while before finally emerging from the water.

"Tang Youliang really had some skill to be able to find a place like this," Chen Che said faintly.

"Tribulation Cultivators like him will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. For Cave Mansions like this, unless you stumble upon them by sheer luck, the only way to find them is to piece together clues relentlessly."

There were multiple layers of defenses within the Cave Mansion, but all had been forcefully broken through, so the two of them felt somewhat at ease for the time being.

As Meng Changtu advanced, he casually broke a few remnant Arrays along the way. "Tang Youliang made it sound easy, but who knows how many Cultivators he had to rob and kill to piece together the location of this Cave Mansion."

A moment later, the tunnel ended, but before them was a thick white fog.

However, the area was covered in signs of a battle.

"It seems this is where they were stopped," Meng Changtu mused thoughtfully.

Chen Che thought for a moment. He seemed to recall a Feather Fan in Tang Youliang’s Storage Ring.

With a flip of his hand, the Feather Fan appeared. He injected his True Essence into it, and the fan immediately grew to several dozen feet in size. With a powerful wave, the fog dissipated on the spot, revealing a lush and vibrant valley.

It was currently the fifth month, and the valley was brimming with life, filled with exotic flowers and strange fruits.

At the valley’s entrance stood twelve uneven, giant black rock pillars, each dozens of feet tall. Three of them had already collapsed. The remaining nine were covered in complex patterns. Most astonishingly, coiled upon these pillars were nine large snakes of various shapes, some sleeping, some resting, and some standing guard.

Chen Che swept his Divine Sense over them and found that the great snakes had no aura at all, as if they were inanimate objects.

Seeing these nine rock pillars, Meng Changtu, who stood beside him, couldn’t help but frown.

"Is this... a Puppet Array?"