Lin Yun had considered sharing the treasure’s information with them and going together.
However, he ultimately decided against it.
The maps Lin Yun had sold were numerous, indicating that many teams would come to compete for the treasure, possibly including other Transcendent Realm cultivators.
There could be dozens, even hundreds, of teams.
Their team wouldn’t stand a chance in the competition and, on the contrary, it would be extremely dangerous.
Having formed a bond of camaraderie with them, Lin Yun didn’t want them to take such a huge risk.
The potential rewards were vastly outweighed by the risks.
So, after careful thought, Lin Yun chose not to tell them about the rare natural treasure.
“Lin Yun, you’ve always been reliable in your words and actions. Since you’ve made this request, I’m sure you have your own plans. Alright, I respect your choice. I hope we can meet again in the future,” Wu Shen said.
“Brother Wu Shen, Brother Jiang Shu, and all my brothers, I’ll take my leave now,” Lin Yun said, clasping his fists to everyone.
“Brother Lin Yun, I’m reluctant to see you go. If there’s a chance, let’s meet again in Yumo City,” Jiang Shu said with reluctance.
“Alright, we’ll meet again if fate allows,” Lin Yun nodded.
After pausing for a few seconds, Lin Yun turned and headed in another direction.
“Brother Lin Yun, you may be strong, but alone in the border, you must be careful!” Wu Shen shouted after Lin Yun’s retreating figure.
Lin Yun responded with a wave of his hand.
Over the past six months, Lin Yun had grown very close to them, but all good things must come to an end.
After leaving the team, Lin Yun quickened his pace, heading straight for the destination marked on the map.
For the next period, Lin Yun’s goal was to travel, not to hunt demons, so he moved quickly, avoiding any areas with activity.
Even so, he occasionally encountered ambushes or sneak attacks from demons.
When facing a large number of demons, Lin Yun chose to flee. With his formidable physical strength, the demons couldn’t kill him, though they might injure him. Even if he was severely injured, Lin Yun could recover quickly.
When facing only one or two demons, Lin Yun chose to fight.
…
Over a month later, Lin Yun was just over a hundred miles from his destination.
As he neared the target, he noticed an increase in the number of teams around him.
These teams were clearly here for the same rare natural treasure.
Although Lin Yun had sold only eighty-seven maps, the number of teams present was likely higher.
Those who bought the maps could share the information with friends, resell it, or the information could leak through other means.
Lin Yun used his Shadowless Jade Pendant to conceal himself, avoiding detection by spiritual senses, and slowly advanced, trying to steer clear of the surrounding teams.
The destination on the map was a small lake in the mountains.
At the lake’s centre was a large rock protruding from the water, adorned with a vibrant, beautiful flower.
It was the Blood Demon Flower!
Around the lake and on the distant hills, at least fifty teams had already set up camp.
These teams had arrived early, waiting for the Blood Demon Flower to fully mature.
As the flower’s maturation time approached, new teams arrived daily.
The man in the brocade robe and the Transcendent Realm elder were currently stationed on the left side of the lake.
They had arrived half a month earlier.
“Damn it, why are there so many teams!” the Transcendent Realm elder cursed, glaring at the teams camped around the lake and on the distant hills.
When they first arrived, there were already seven or eight teams. The elder had used his strength to crush one team and intimidated the others into leaving.
Those teams, fearing his Transcendent Realm power, had no choice but to leave.
But as more teams arrived, even the elder’s Transcendent Realm strength couldn’t control the situation.
Moreover, his earlier forceful actions had offended many teams. Though they didn’t dare act against him due to his strength, grudges had been formed.
Among the teams present, two others also had Transcendent Realm cultivators.
In other words, there were now three Transcendent Realm experts on the scene!
“Damn, this is too bizarre,” the man in the brocade robe complained.
According to their earlier predictions, few teams would know about the Blood Demon Flower, and they should have been able to control the situation.
Now, with so many teams and other Transcendent Realm cultivators, the situation was beyond their control!
“Wait, could it be that guy!” the man in the brocade robe suddenly exclaimed.
He remembered that Lin Yun had stolen his storage ring, which contained the map to this treasure.
“It must be him deliberately leaking the information. There’s no other explanation!” the Transcendent Realm elder said viciously.
They had planned to deal with Lin Yun if he dared to compete for the treasure, but they hadn’t expected the situation to escalate like this.
“That bastard deliberately caused trouble for us by attracting so many teams!” the man in the brocade robe said angrily.
“A mere Initial Saint daring to offend us like this! If I see that little bastard again, I’ll skin him alive and tear out his tendons!” the Transcendent Realm elder said, his eyes venomous and his tone dripping with killing intent.
He desperately wanted to kill Lin Yun, yet he failed to consider that he had tried to rob Lin Yun first.
At that moment, more teams continued to arrive.
“Look, what’s that in the centre of the lake?”
“It’s… it’s the Blood Demon Flower!”
“Haha, it really is the Blood Demon Flower!”
“It seems the map and information that guy sold were genuine!”
The newly arrived teams, upon seeing the Blood Demon Flower in the lake’s centre, were thrilled.
The Blood Demon Flower was an extremely rare and precious natural treasure.
It grew in places of extreme yin and malevolent energy, absorbing such energy to thrive.
In the border mountains, where demons roamed and countless lives were lost each year, the accumulated deaths over millennia, tens of thousands, or even millions of years had made the border a place of extreme yin and malevolent energy.
The unique geography of this location allowed it to gather such energy, and over an immense period, it had given rise to the Blood Demon Flower.
