Chapter 39

In a secluded grand hall, amidst the ruins, Ye Zhong casually leaned against a stone pillar, flipping through the map of the hall in his hand.

In front of him, Xiang Qiyu and the other two girls stood, hesitating for a moment before Xiang Qiyu softly said, "Senior Brother Ye... I am Xiang Qiyu."

"This one is You Siling," Xiang Qiyu pointed to a girl with a face as delicate as a little girl's but with a figure that was extremely curvaceous.

"This one is Qu Xuan, and the matter at hand was actually discovered by her," Xiang Qiyu pointed to another girl with a calm expression and a tranquil demeanor, like a delicate orchid in a secluded valley.

Ye Zhong's gaze swept over, and when it fell on You Siling, his expression didn't change much. However, when it landed on Qu Xuan, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

The girl's face was exquisitely refined, not the type that would shock one at first sight, but her tranquil beauty was like a delicate orchid in a secluded valley, refreshing and captivating, making one involuntarily immerse in her charm.

Looking at these three girls, each with different styles but equally charming, Ye Zhong couldn't help but sigh. For these three to enter the Innate Saint Hall and not encounter any major issues so far, it could only be said that they were quite lucky.

"Tell me more about it," after sighing, Ye Zhong said in a deep voice. The words "high-grade spirit artifact" were something even he couldn't ignore.

"The matter is this: when we came to the Southern Border on a sect mission, we unexpectedly obtained an ancient letter from a declining family. It mentioned that a member of that family was to go to a certain place in the Innate Saint Hall to receive a high-grade spirit artifact," Xiang Qiyu said softly.

"A high-grade spirit artifact?" Ye Zhong's expression was strange. "It's not the Spirit Artifact Hall, right? If it were there, it would probably be very crowded now. If I take you three along, it would be like walking into a death trap."

"Of course not the Spirit Artifact Hall. Otherwise, why would we go through all this trouble? We do have some self-awareness," You Siling frowned at Ye Zhong.

"Actually, that place is likely a cultivation area in the Innate Saint Hall, and it might not even be very noticeable," Xiang Qiyu also took out a map of the hall, her slender fingers slowly tracing it before stopping at a corner, "It's right here. If our luck is good, we should be able to obtain a high-grade spirit artifact here!"

"Listening Pavilion?"

Ye Zhong's gaze fell on the map, and his eyes brightened. The location was quite secluded and deep within the Innate Saint Hall. Most of the powerful figures had already headed to places like the Spirit Technique Hall and the Spirit Artifact Hall. The possibility of finding something valuable here was indeed quite high.

"However, with only one high-grade spirit artifact, it might not be enough for all of us," after staring at the place for a moment, Ye Zhong said with a half-smile.

"Hmph, if it comes to that, you can have the high-grade spirit artifact. But..." Xiang Qiyu's face wrinkled slightly, and after a moment of hesitation, she said, "But if there are other things, they belong to us."

"Also, you have to ensure our safety!"

"Also, we will go to the deepest part of the Innate Saint Hall to see if we can obtain any inheritance!" You Siling added a condition from the side.

"One high-grade spirit artifact for three tails?" Hearing this, Ye Zhong smiled bitterly, but after a moment of contemplation, he nodded. No matter what, if he could obtain a high-grade spirit artifact in the Innate Saint Hall, his strength would significantly increase, and this was an opportunity he couldn't miss.

Moreover, these three girls, in Ye Zhong's view, were not as simple as they seemed. Otherwise, they wouldn't have remained unharmed for so long in the Innate Saint Hall. As long as they maintained a friendly cooperative relationship, even if they had secrets, he would pretend not to know.

With this thought, Ye Zhong slowly nodded.

"Hmph, when we asked you to join our team before, you refused. Now you regret it, don't you?" Xiang Qiyu huffed, then she hugged Qu Xuan from behind and said with a smile, "It's our Qu Xuan who is smart. She knew that as long as we had this information, the senior brothers and sisters of the Star Constellation Sect would definitely cooperate with us."

Hearing this, Ye Zhong smiled, but his gaze shifted to Qu Xuan. This girl had a delicate and mysterious aura. Was it her idea for the three of them to enter the Innate Saint Hall?

...

After that, the four of them set off at the fastest speed. With a clear goal and three tails in tow, Ye Zhong chose a route away from the various ancient grand halls, quickly heading towards the Listening Pavilion.

Along the way, they occasionally encountered some unobservant individuals. However, since the true powerhouses had already delved deep into the Innate Saint Hall, Ye Zhong managed to deal with quite a few people. He didn't kill them, just took their maps. Although Ye Zhong didn't know the exact purpose of these maps, having fewer people with them meant fewer competitors.

After about half a day in the Innate Saint Hall, a dark green bamboo forest appeared in front of them. In a corner of the bamboo forest, a solitary pavilion could be faintly seen, which was likely the Listening Pavilion.

"Finally, we're here!" Xiang Qiyu's face was filled with relief as she looked at the Listening Pavilion and was about to enter.

However, just as she was about to move, Ye Zhong suddenly changed his expression, grabbed Xiang Qiyu, and frowned, "It seems we're too late. Someone has already beaten us to it."

"What!? Someone is faster than us!?" Xiang Qiyu was taken aback, her face showing disbelief.

Ye Zhong nodded, his gaze falling on some marks on the ground, and said calmly, "The people who went in should be a group of about a dozen. From the looks of it, they just entered, and we arrived right after them. Their steps were not hesitant at all, indicating they knew about this place beforehand. They are likely after the high-grade spirit artifact."

At this, Ye Zhong frowned slightly. If these people knew about the high-grade spirit artifact, they would be well-prepared. Entering without knowing their strength and formation could be very dangerous.

After a moment of hesitation, Ye Zhong looked at the bamboo forest and said slowly, "You three stay outside. I'll go in alone."

"Alone?"

Hearing this, Xiang Qiyu and the other two girls changed their expressions. Although they didn't know the current situation inside, they could foresee that it wouldn't be simple.

"No, if there are too many people inside, we can still restrain them. Letting you go in alone, we're not comfortable with that," Qu Xuan, who had been quiet, now showed a hint of anxiety and said with some urgency.

Hearing this, Ye Zhong couldn't help but look at her. However, he didn't rush to enter. After a moment of contemplation, he said calmly, "Miss Qu Xuan, I don't know what you're hiding from me... but the situation now is completely different from what you told me before. Whatever your intentions or goals are, being open and honest might be a better choice."

Hearing this, Xiang Qiyu and You Siling were taken aback, their gazes falling on Qu Xuan, clearly not understanding Ye Zhong's meaning.

"Ye Zhong, you're not thinking of using some excuse to get us to leave so you can go in and take the benefits for yourself, are you!" After a moment of shock, Xiang Qiyu turned and glared at Ye Zhong.

Hearing this, Ye Zhong smiled, not bothering to explain, and turned to leave in another direction. He was indeed interested in the high-grade spirit artifact, but he had no interest in being used as a pawn and bearing a bad reputation. He had already been quite considerate towards them.

"Hey! Ye Zhong! Ye Zhong!" Seeing that Ye Zhong didn't even bother to explain and was leaving, Xiang Qiyu's heart raced, knowing she had likely misunderstood him. Moreover, she was well aware that if Ye Zhong left, they wouldn't stand a chance against others for the things in the Listening Pavilion.

"Don't go!" Xiang Qiyu rushed forward, grabbing Ye Zhong's sleeve, then turned to glare at Qu Xuan and said anxiously, "Qu Xuan, no matter what you're planning, we won't blame you, but please don't hide it from us now, okay?"

"Th-this..." Qu Xuan's face showed hesitation, then she bit her lip and said softly, "Alright, I'll tell you. Besides the high-grade spirit artifact, there's something else in there!"

Hearing this, Ye Zhong pondered for a moment before slowly turning around. His expression was calm as he looked at Qu Xuan and said, "I'm very interested in the high-grade spirit artifact, but I'm not determined to get it. Moreover, I don't like being used as a pawn."