Could it be that I am the cruel villain?-Chapter 791 - 453: Trap

"There are anomalies, right below this cliff!"

One of them, with sharp eyes, immediately pointed to an inconspicuous cave about a few dozen feet deep below the cliff.

At the edge of the cave, there were obvious footprints and residual spiritual energy and Blood Evil Qi lingering, refusing to disperse. Previously, they hadn't noticed this clue because Cen Yueyue's silver crown concealed their presence effortlessly.

But after they left, the violent aura left from refining the Blood Ganoderma spread out noticeably, so much so that several oddly-shaped demon beasts began to hover around, prompting Divine Thunder Valley to emit a sharp call that resonated throughout the sky.

Lei Chuyu was still strolling.

As he entered the old capital spanning seven hundred miles, he appeared calm and composed, exuding the demeanor of a dignified and elegant noble young master. Yet, just as he bent down to pick up the brilliant and foul-scented spirit grass on the ground, his body suddenly tensed!

Then, it relaxed again.

Clearly, he wasn't as calm as he seemed.

From afar came the sound of a thousand birds, a signal after the crisscross of thunderlight, the agreed communication signal of the Divine Thunder Valley disciples. His silhouette turned into starlight, and the others also sent signals, with several bolts of thunderlight converging to illuminate the dark forest directly.

Lei Chuyu walked at the forefront. In terms of skill and technique, he was undoubtedly a notch above the other four. Within just a few breaths, all five gathered swiftly, following the direction pointed by the disciple.

"So dense with Blood Evil Qi, what exactly happened here?"

Furrowing his brows.

Most disciples from reputable sects in the Central Plains are quite wary of Blood Evil Qi, often taking the initiative to eradicate it when encountered. The moment he smelled it, he seemed to recall something and immediately reached into his bosom.

"It's exactly the same; someone has refined this Blood Ganoderma here... Yes, that's it. This is the battle challenge left by Jiang Feng; he stopped here."

He made a judgment within a few moments and, disregarding the other disciples' dissuasion, Lei Chuyu leaped directly into the cave upon seeing it!

"Senior Brother Lei! Wait! Beware of ambush..."

Before he even finished speaking, he went straight inside. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The others exchanged glances but hurriedly followed. After all, when away from home, everything was dictated by Lei Chuyu, let alone him being the strongest among them.

This elegant young master merely stood at the cave entrance, the few footprints and broken branches particularly conspicuous. He stood motionless, carefully sensing the lingering spiritual energy in the air. In this Sealed Land, not to mention spiritual energy, even the flow of time gave a sticky illusion.

The exterior here was isolated from the outside world, with spiritual senses and the Sea of Consciousness restricted and extremely uncomfortable, much like being confined in a dark environment; what would ordinarily be an hour felt infinitely prolonged in perception, making each day pass like a year in this Sealed Land.

The spiritual energy had lingered without dispersing for a long time. After standing still for a moment, he slowly spoke.

"Four people."

"Two with full and dense aura, one like raging fire, the other like Sunflower Water. These two are likely at the peak of Core Formation, a step away from Nascent Soul, not to be underestimated."

"However, the one cultivating Water seems to have some problems, with chaotic spiritual energy, the residual aura fluctuating between strong and weak. Perhaps they're injured and recovering here."

"There's one still in Foundation Establishment, with shallow cultivation. The residual spiritual energy is somewhat peculiar, suggesting a breakthrough, but ultimately hasn't condensed a Golden Core, not worth consideration."

"The last person should be Jiang Feng."

Confident and certain, Lei Chuyu had absolute confidence in his skills and judgment. The other four wisely remained silent, concentrating on listening.

"The spiritual energy is frenzied yet pure, the Sword Qi is both awe-inspiring and unrestrained, quite rare. Earlier, didn't he leave me a piece of Blood Ganoderma? It seems he acquired some fortuitous opportunity in this mountain and chose to refine it here. The one in my hand should be a branch of that Lingzhi."

"Heh, bold indeed, daring to conduct such matters under our noses, just a few dozen miles apart. Is it bravery or recklessness?"

"The cultivation level should be middle-grade Core Formation. This intel isn't wrong. Why did it suddenly become four people, Jin An? Didn't you report only two previously?"

"This..." The man chuckled wryly. "Perhaps he befriended others along the way unexpectedly, but who would have thought this kid could be so lucky to find another cultivator at the peak of Core Formation."

"That's still a testament to his skill."

With one hand behind his back, he leisurely walked deeper into the cave while casually waving the other, releasing a blue electric orb that rotated in the cave, emitting light to illuminate the entire cave.

Following the cave forward for over ten feet, they reached the end, only to find... Blood Ganoderma before them.

Yes, still that Lingzhi.

"Oh, Senior Brother Lei, this is quite the find."

"Who would have expected such fortune in this cavern? Could Jiang Feng perhaps be refining this item?"

"Most likely. But Jiang Feng's only middle-grade Core Formation. With his ability, refining it would likely take some time."

"Indeed. He likely realized he couldn't refine it, choosing to abandon it in pain and flee. Since that's the case, Senior Brother Lei, why not take it? Even if it's useless to you, it can be exchanged with other immortal friends as a treasure..."

The four offered their congratulations one after another, unaware that the Blood Ganoderma before them was also not the main body, remaining a branch.

Meanwhile, Lei Chuyu, merely bent down and, with one hand, lifted the Lingzhi from the soil in which it was buried underfoot.

No roots.

His brows furrowed more and more tightly, an unease rising from within. This was instinct from years of cultivation. His junior brothers couldn't see it, but he sensed something was amiss. He vaguely guessed it was a trap, but the issue lay with them having checked the surroundings without finding any trace of these individuals, making an ambush impossible.

What exactly was wrong? How could Jiang Feng discard such precious Blood Ganoderma like trash, even if he had excess? The issue was nobody would dislike possessing too many treasures... Wait.

Lei Chuyu finally realized something.

He looked at his four junior brothers; their bodies were more or less stained with Blood Evil Qi, and he directly asked, "Did you pick up those broken pieces of Blood Ganoderma on the way?!"

The group, bewildered and exchanging looks, thought perhaps Lei Chuyu needed it for his cultivation, so they awkwardly took out the palm-sized pieces of Blood Ganoderma from their bosoms.

"Here, please take a look, Senior Brother."

"I have two here. Although not large, they're fine immortal herbs. They should be quite good for refining elixirs for nourishing and coagulating blood."

"I also picked one up..."

Each of the four took out their spoils, their internal anxiety reaching a peak at this moment, that spine-chilling feeling making his eyelids twitch uncontrollably. The colossal being loomed ever closer, nearly brushing against him, as he almost shouted out a few words.

"Run!"

Roar——

Thunder descended upon the world, intertwined with wind and rain. Under the terrifying pressure of Kui Ying's immense figure spanning dozens of feet, the entire cave almost instantly collapsed...