To oppose the ancient beings of the myriad worlds, the pressure is immense.

If he couldn’t protect Wu Junyan’s life, Chen Qingyuan wouldn’t have any regrets. Once he grew stronger, he would make those ancient beings pay a heavy price.

The group drank a few pots of fine wine while searching for resources and inquiring about Song Ningyan and Zhangsun Qian.

To ensure safety, Chen Qingyuan and his companions stayed together.

Occasionally, unsettling fluctuations of laws would come from afar, clearly targeting Wu Junyan. However, with Chen Qingyuan and the others around, those lurking predators didn’t dare show themselves or make a move.

Though traveling together was safer, the resources they found had to be split four ways, which wasn’t much.

Estimating the time, there should be only about thirty years left until the Hundred Veins Banquet ended.

In the precious time remaining, Chen Qingyuan wanted to gather more Fortune Green Lotuses, but it wouldn’t be easy.

Currently, he had eleven Fortune Green Lotuses, six top-grade spirit veins, and countless high-quality and medium-quality spirit stones, filling over a dozen Xumi Rings.

The Fortune Green Lotuses couldn’t be refined for now. It was said that as the banquet neared its end, they would naturally merge into one’s body, becoming part of it, enhancing fortune, and accompanying one for life.

“Wait, I have an idea.”

Chen Qingyuan suddenly stopped, his eyes gleaming.

“What idea?”

Wu Junyan and the others turned to look at him, feeling uneasy.

Whenever Chen Qingyuan had that look, it was never a good sign.

“Those guys want the Emperor’s weapon fragment inside Old Wu. Why should we always be on the defensive?”

Chen Qingyuan looked serious, thinking about how exhausting it was to stay vigilant every day.

“What are you plotting now?”

Zhangsun Fengye, well aware of Chen Qingyuan’s nature, asked.

“We can take the initiative!”

Chen Qingyuan’s eyes sparkled.

“Oh?” Zhangsun Fengye smelled the scent of profit and became interested. “Old Chen, what do you mean by taking the initiative?”

“You’ll see soon enough.” Chen Qingyuan glanced to the left, where there were obvious fluctuations, indicating someone was lying in ambush: “Did you notice the disturbance over there?”

“Yes.”

Wu Junyan and the others, being top-tier peers, easily noticed.

“Let’s walk right into their trap.”

Chen Qingyuan grinned.

“Are you thinking…” Zhangsun Fengye seemed to understand Chen Qingyuan’s intention, his expression turning sly as he said, “I like it.”

The Buddha’s child seemed to understand too, chanting “Amitabha” and praying for the cultivators lying in ambush.

Only Wu Junyan looked puzzled, not understanding the situation.

Wu Junyan had been trapped in the illusion of the Emperor’s weapon fragment for years, so it was understandable that he didn’t know Chen Qingyuan’s methods of making money.

But Wu Junyan would soon understand.

Half an hour later, Chen Qingyuan and his group headed to the void on the left.

After some whispered discussions, they cautiously stepped into the ambush set by others.

Once all four were within the ambush range, those hiding finally revealed themselves, their faces showing uncontrollable excitement, as if everything was under control and fortune was within reach.

“Whoosh whoosh whoosh—”

Over twenty people appeared, dressed in the same attire, clearly from the same faction.

They were the Heaven’s Prides of the Donglai Valley Sect from the Imperial Province.

The leader was named Liu Xian, the second true disciple of Donglai Valley, only below the Holy Son.

“What do you want?”

Chen Qingyuan pretended to be nervous, questioning them.

A killing formation trapped Chen Qingyuan and his group, resembling a hemispherical barrier with formation patterns flowing through the space, looking indestructible.

“I heard Wu Dao Friend obtained the recognition of an Emperor’s weapon fragment. Could you let us have a look?”

Liu Xian stood outside the formation, a transparent sphere floating before him, used to control the formation’s changes.

“Is this a robbery?”

Chen Qingyuan frowned, asking again.

“How could you say that? Just borrowing for a look.”

Liu Xian looked at Chen Qingyuan with extreme caution. Without the help of this killing formation, he wouldn’t dare provoke Chen Qingyuan.

“And will you return it?”

Chen Qingyuan continued to ask.

“That… depends.”

Liu Xian replied shamelessly.

Everyone was smart; some things didn’t need to be said too bluntly.

“If we don’t lend it, what will you do?”

Chen Qingyuan’s lips curled slightly, his aura subtly changing.

“We know it’s hard to deal with you, but we can trap you for a while. Then, more ill-intentioned people will come, and your situation will be dire.”

Liu Xian threatened.

“Trap us, with just you?”

At this point, Chen Qingyuan stopped pretending, sneering.

Seeing Chen Qingyuan and his group’s calm demeanor, the Heaven’s Prides of Donglai Valley felt uneasy.

Suddenly, a sword aura came from not far away.

Zheng—

Liu Xian and the others turned, their faces showing fear: “Not good!”

Before stepping into the trap, Chen Qingyuan had secretly left the Yulan Sword outside, with a prohibition added to it. With a single thought, the Yulan Sword could unleash immense power.

The sword’s might was so great that Liu Xian and the others had to retreat, not daring to confront it head-on.

Boom—

The Yulan Sword’s target wasn’t Liu Xian and the others, but the formation’s core.

With Chen Qingyuan’s ability, finding the core wasn’t difficult.

In just a few breaths, the killing formation was broken, and the crystal ball Liu Xian controlled shattered, meaning the formation’s foundation was destroyed, beyond repair.

“Run!”

Liu Xian and the others weren’t foolish; they knew they had been tricked and turned to flee.

Hunters often appear as prey.

“Now you want to run? Too late.”

Chen Qingyuan and his group struck, subduing the Donglai Valley group with lightning speed.

Then, Chen Qingyuan began to loot Liu Xian and the others’ resources.

“You tried to rob us, now we’re robbing you. Fair enough!”

As he made the Donglai Valley group line up to be looted, Chen Qingyuan lectured them.

I could have just robbed you outright, but I gave you the chance to make the first move. Not for fun, but to have a legitimate reason to plunder you.

Even if things got out of hand, I would have a justified reason.

That was Chen Qingyuan’s intention: rob them in a way that left them with no grounds for complaint, no excuse to seek revenge.

After all, they made the first move. As for being robbed, that was due to their lack of strength.

“Brother, leave us something!”

The Donglai Valley group, faces full of bitterness, begged Chen Qingyuan humbly, now left with nothing but their clothes.