Supreme Emptiness

Upon hearing Ren Guhong agree.

Wu Manyue stomped her feet anxiously, "Brother Ren, you can't let him go!"

"Otherwise, you'll regret it!"

If only she'd known things would evolve to include Jiang Fan.

She might as well not have hidden the key.

And just opened the area with Ren Guhong directly.

Now great, her plan to monopolize the treasure failed, and she even brought this wolf Jiang Fan in.

Ren Guhong rebuked Wu Manyue, "Junior Sister Wu!"

"A Senior Sister should act as a Senior Sister does."

"If you aren't even willing to share a single benefit with your juniors, how will you ever win hearts?"

He then patted Jiang Fan's shoulder, saying:

"Just ignore her."

"The key was discovered by me; it's my decision who joins."

Jiang Fan cupped his fists gratefully, "Brother Ren, your magnanimity is truly admirable."

Ren Guhong chuckled, "Come, follow me to the Eighth Layer!"

Jiang Fan nodded.

Before leaving, he raised his finger and used spiritual energy to carve words on a large black stone.

Leaving a message for Liu Qingxian and the others about where they were heading.

To avoid them panicking and blindly searching later.

Wu Manyue stomped her feet again and clenched her teeth in secret, "Ren Guhong!"

"You just wait and see—you'll regret this!"

Reluctantly, she followed behind.

Under the lead of the two.

Jiang Fan arrived at the Eighth Layer.

No sooner had he entered than Jiang Fan felt the faint Yin Qi lingering in the air.

Though not as concentrated or harmful as that of Yin Corpses, its smell was still rather unpleasant.

"Junior Brother Jiang, you'll need to be extra cautious here in the Eighth Layer."

"Occasionally, sinister things may appear."

"Did the senior in charge above give you any warnings?"

Ren Guhong fanned the murky air before him, frowning as he spoke.

Jiang Fan's expression turned peculiar, "We male disciples were warned to abstain from lust."

Ren Guhong nodded approvingly, "That's right."

"Remember—you absolutely must abstain from lust."

"Absolutely."

Uh—

Jiang Fan was puzzled.

Why abstain from lust?

At that moment.

Ren Guhong pulled out two talismans, keeping one for himself and handing the other to Jiang Fan.

Jiang Fan took it and was about to ask its purpose.

Ren Guhong wordlessly pressed the talisman to his chest.

Instantly.

He disappeared into thin air.

Soon, his voice came from seemingly nearby.

"This is a Low Grade Dustless Talisman."

"Anyone below Nascent Soul won't be able to detect us."

"There are quite a few disciples active in the Eighth Layer."

"If they discover our trail, they'll surely follow us."

Jiang Fan smiled knowingly.

Invisibility—he was quite familiar.

Without delay, he pressed the talisman to his chest.

Witnessing Ren Guhong's cautiousness, Jiang Fan grasped the seriousness of the disciples from the Outer Realm Divine Sect.

With teammates like this in the exploration ahead, the journey to the hidden chamber would undoubtedly be safer.

Wu Manyue took action as well.

She pulled out a jade hairpin meant for men, intending to wear it on her head for invisibility.

Suddenly.

Her entire body trembled.

As if she sensed Jiang Fan's fiery gaze.

She quickly tucked the hairpin back into her bosom.

Instead, she used a Low Grade Dustless Talisman, pressing it to her chest.

"Senior Sister Wu, you seem to have acquired a new treasure?"

"What you just took out—is it because it can grant invisibility?"

"How effective is it?"

Jiang Fan's voice drifted out from the air ahead of her.

Wu Manyue promptly covered her chest, shouting delicately, "Jiang Fan! I'm warning you!"

"Don't even think about coveting it, or I'll fight you to the death!"

Jiang Fan was speechless, "I was just asking!"

"Are you guarding against me overzealously?"

Wu Manyue laughed angrily:

"Before my pocketful of space magic treasures started mysteriously disappearing."

"I too thought there was no need to guard against you excessively."

"But now, no precaution is enough!"

"Stop rambling; follow our footsteps closely!"

"Lose us, and don't blame us for trickery."

With that said, she fell silent.

Leaving a trail of footprints on the ground.

Ren Guhong's footprints lay beside hers.

But following footprints wasn't foolproof.

What if the road ahead became firm and couldn't retain footprints?

Or if they deliberately took to the sky—where would Jiang Fan find prints then?

"Little Qilin, can you sense any treasures ahead?"

Little Qilin, peeking through the gaps of Jiang Fan's cloak, immediately sensed the treasures on Wu Manyue's person.

Cried out in a small voice, "Wow! So dazzling!"

"She has so many treasures."

"In the darkness, she's practically glowing like the sun."

Holy!

This woman—only two months apart, and where did she pick up so many treasures?

Last time, didn't he clear her out all at once?

"It's a pity she guards against me too tightly."

"Her belongings are tough to borrow now."

Shaking his head.

He decisively continued after her.

With the Little Qilin monitoring Wu Manyue, no matter how frenetically they dashed forward, no matter how they circled routes, Jiang Fan followed them unhurriedly.

On a rocky outcrop.

Ren Guhong glanced at Jiang Fan's footprints not far behind.

He furrowed his brows and sent a covert message to those nearby in an enigmatic tone.

"This kid's got skills, huh?"

"Even now, he hasn't lost track?"

He had deliberately led them across a firm stretch earlier to test Jiang Fan's response.

Partially to assess his skill.

Partially hoping he'd lose trail—giving them an excuse to ditch him.

Unexpectedly, he clung tightly onto their trail without missing a beat.

Wu Manyue's response came quietly and unimpressed, "I told you not to bring him along."

"Now you can't shake him off even if you want to."

Ren Guhong was unfazed, "Never mind—let him follow if he must."

"With his level of skill, he won't be able to snatch much."

Before long.

The group reached the far edges of the Eighth Layer.

There, the terrain was rugged.

Entirely barren.

Under the dim lighting, it appeared jet-black.

From afar, it resembled rows of adjacent grave mounds.

Ren Guhong and Wu Manyue navigated adeptly to an unremarkable hill.

At first glance, the hill was entirely covered in random stones.

No entrances could be discerned.

But when Ren Guhong leapt and knocked off a small stone on the rock face.

A faint red light appeared.

The source of the red light turned out to be a keyhole.

Ren Guhong's voice brimmed with excitement:

"Who would've thought amidst the countless searches of the Eighth Layer, a small hidden chamber still remained?"

Wu Manyue added smugly:

"It's all thanks to me; I learned from an old disciple's notes from two hundred years ago about his discovery here."

"Though limited by his strength, he couldn't delve deeper."

"Even with just some minor exploration, he benefited greatly—ultimately breaking through to the Ninth Layer of Core Formation."

Jiang Fan stroked his chin:

"If that's the case, where did you get the key?"

"From your previous conversation, it seemed like obtaining it was dangerously challenging."

Ren Guhong didn't hide the truth.

His tone turned slightly solemn, "We snatched it from Ye Banxia."

"We set a trap and bound her."

"Only then did we manage to seize the key."

Wu Manyue spoke pridefully:

"That Ye Banxia—she's usually so arrogant, always looking down on everyone relying solely on her prowess."

"Finally, she suffered major humiliation this time, huh?"

"Hmph."

Jiang Fan frowned.

Something was bothering him.

Did Ye Banxia know the key unlocked this secret chamber?

If so, why hadn't she come herself?

If not, why was she carrying the key?

His eyes subtly narrowed.

Jiang Fan discreetly retrieved a Fragrant Corpse Pill.

Taking advantage of the duo's distraction as they prepared the key.

He stealthily dug a small pit near the entrance with his toe.

Then buried the Fragrant Corpse Pill within.

Lastly, he carefully covered it with dirt.

At the same moment.

Click.

As the blood-red key slid into the keyhole.

The stone door opened.

A beam of blood-red light shot forth, radiant amidst the gloomy space.

"Too conspicuous—quick, get inside!"

Ren Guhong's expression shifted, urgently urging the others to enter.

While speaking, he decisively closed the door.

Regardless of whether the others made it inside.

Jiang Fan leapt forward instantaneously, rushing through at high speed.

Wu Manyue activated her space magic treasure, teleporting in.

Boom—

Just as they entered, the door shut with a thunderous sound.

Wu Manyue cursed angrily, "Are you trying to keep all the riches for yourself? You nearly shut us out."

"Enough complaining!"

Jiang Fan's voice echoed.

His gaze grew solemn as he looked ahead, "Are you sure this is a secret chamber?"

"And not a tomb?"

In the crimson glow.

What lay before them were rows upon rows of memorial tablets!