The two continued to walk along the mountain path.
Shen Mo pointed to the valley ahead, "We've arrived. This Lion Roar Valley is the core area where the Amethyst Lions reside, and the surrounding areas are their hunting grounds."
"I've heard there are eleven Amethyst Lions in this group, including one Amethyst Lion King that has reached the peak of the third stage. What's your plan, Senior Brother Shen?" Zhao Rou asked eagerly.
Shen Mo smiled, "My plan is in three steps: enter, kill them all, and clean up the battlefield."
Zhao Rou was stunned.
Then, she saw Shen Mo's robes fluttering as he walked into Lion Roar Valley alone.
This was originally Xiao Fan's opportunity.
Xiao Fan, lacking strength, could only run when faced with eleven third-stage demonic beasts, including a peak third-stage Amethyst Lion King.
But Shen Mo was now at the major accomplishment stage of the Foundation Establishment realm.
Moreover, his cultivation technique was of the top Heaven grade, his martial skills were of the middle Profound grade, and he had the assistance of the Eternal Flame.
With such strength, if the Amethyst Lion King exposed its vital points, he could kill it in one move!
As for the ordinary Amethyst Lions, Shen Mo could easily dispatch them with a single strike.
Roar!
A thunderous roar of the Amethyst Lion echoed through the valley.
Before Zhao Rou could react, she heard the dying wails of the lions.
Zhao Rou quickly grabbed her spear and rushed into the valley.
However, Shen Mo's speed in killing the Amethyst Lions far exceeded her expectations.
In less than a quarter of an hour, all eleven Amethyst Lions lay dead on the ground.
The once majestic peak third-stage Amethyst Lion King, which had killed many Qingxuan Sect disciples and rogue cultivators attempting to steal its cubs, now lay in a pool of blood, its once-bright eyes lifeless.
Shen Mo stood there, his gold-trimmed disciple robes spotless and untainted by blood.
Killing this group of Amethyst Lions seemed effortless for him. Zhao Rou gazed at Shen Mo's figure with admiration.
Since childhood, the person she admired most had been her elder brother, Zhao Ting.
But now, this young man had stormed into her heart with an unmatched aura. Compared to him, her elder brother seemed to pale in comparison.
"Perhaps, I truly like him..." Zhao Rou felt her heart flutter.
"You take care of the beasts. There seems to be something over there. I'll go check it out," Shen Mo said casually.
"Alright." Zhao Rou nodded sweetly.
Shen Mo walked straight toward the southeast corner of Lion Roar Valley.
There, the rock wall indeed had a barely noticeable crack.
With a little force, the crack began to loosen. With a strong push, the crack suddenly opened wide.
Shen Mo, already prepared, lightly stepped onto the ground and did not fall.
The noise startled Zhao Rou, who rushed over only to see a deep cave, its depth unclear.
She called out anxiously, "Senior Brother Shen, what's wrong?"
Shen Mo's voice echoed from below, "Don't worry, just checking. There might be some unexpected treasures."
Zhao Rou quickly replied, "Senior Brother Shen, I'll go with you!"
Shen Mo continued, "No need. You guard the Amethyst Lions' bodies and the cubs in their den. They are very valuable; don't let any rogue cultivators get to them."
Zhao Rou immediately understood, "Alright, I'll follow your orders, Senior Brother Shen."
In the dark cave, Shen Mo lit a torch. After searching for a while, he found a simple cave dwelling.
There was only a stone bed and an alchemy furnace. A skeleton sat cross-legged on the stone bed, long dead.
Judging by its appearance, the person had died of natural causes.
Shen Mo bowed respectfully to the skeleton before approaching the alchemy furnace and opening it.
The furnace had been sealed for many years. However, the interior was still slightly warm.
As soon as Shen Mo opened it, he smelled a refreshing fragrance. Looking inside, he found three marble-sized pills.
The pills were entirely multicolored and had intricate patterns.
"These are the Pure Essence Foundation Pills."
Shen Mo's face lit up with joy as he placed them in a small jade bottle and stored them in his bag.
"This alchemy furnace seems valuable too. I'll take it as well."
Before leaving, Shen Mo bowed slightly to the skeleton once more. Taking someone's relics, it was only proper to show respect.
Shen Mo continued searching the cave and soon found an exit leading back to the surface.
However, when he returned to the surface, he saw four rogue cultivators attacking Zhao Rou.
Lion Roar Valley, long dominated by the Amethyst Lions, was quite dangerous and rarely visited by rogue cultivators.
These Qi Refining realm rogue cultivators were not there to hunt Amethyst Lions but to search for herbs near the valley.
Not hearing any lion roars for a long time, they grew suspicious and came to investigate.
Seeing all eleven Amethyst Lions dead and only a lone Qingxuan Sect female disciple present, they became greedy.
They coveted not only the Amethyst Lions' bodies but also Zhao Rou herself.
Zhao Rou was a woman of exceptional beauty, with a slender and agile figure, the kind many rogue cultivators could only dream of having.
At present, Zhao Rou was only at the peak of the Qi Refining realm.
She could handle one or two Qi Refining cultivators, but facing four at once, she quickly found herself at a disadvantage.
"I warn you, there is a Senior Brother of mine in the Foundation Establishment realm here in Lion Roar Valley. If he shows up, you will all be dead!" Zhao Rou shouted angrily.
The leader of the four rogue cultivators laughed heartily, "Little lady, you've been trying to scare us with that, but where is he? Making up stories isn't right."
Another rogue cultivator sneered, "Heh heh, let's move quickly and knock her out. Even if she has a Senior Brother in the Foundation Establishment realm, he won't be able to do anything to us!"
At that moment, Shen Mo strode forward, "I heard someone was looking for me?"
This sudden voice startled the four rogue cultivators. The leader stared at Shen Mo, feeling his aura, and immediately panicked.
Zhao Rou's face lit up with joy. Shen Mo had indeed returned!
She knew he would come! At this moment, her heart felt sweeter than honey.
"Foundation... he really is in the Foundation Establishment realm..." the leader swallowed nervously.
A rogue cultivator beside him growled, "Boss, don't be afraid! There are four of us! Can't we take on one Foundation Establishment cultivator?"
Smack!
The leader slapped him hard, scolding, "You're courting death! Do you have any idea how powerful a Foundation Establishment cultivator is?"
He immediately knelt before Shen Mo, "Big brother! No, my lord! We were blind and offended your Dao partner. Please, be magnanimous and spare us!"
Hearing "Dao partner," Zhao Rou blushed.
She and Shen Mo weren't Dao partners; it was a misunderstanding by the rogue cultivator.
Seeing Shen Mo remain silent, the leader hurriedly added, "My lord, we are actually on the same side as Qingxuan Sect. We are allies!"
Shen Mo's smile was faint, "Oh? How so?"
The rogue cultivator quickly explained, "Our leader works for Deputy Sect Master Liu! He assigned us to find an alchemist's cave in the Qingcang Mountains. We've been searching for three or four years."
"Deputy Sect Master Liu praised our leader, saying he does excellent work."
"So, you see, we really are on the same side!"
Shen Mo's eyes narrowed.
An alchemist's cave? Was it the one he just found?
No, it couldn't be. The cave Liu Yuanfeng was looking for would be far more valuable than the simple cave he discovered.
"Hmm, it seems we are indeed allies." Shen Mo smiled.
The four rogue cultivators breathed a sigh of relief.
"However, I am not on the same side as Liu Yuanfeng." Shen Mo's eyes suddenly turned sharp.
In the next instant, he drew his sword.
Lightning-fast sword strikes!
Blood splattered!
Before the four rogue cultivators could react, they clutched their throats and collapsed, quickly losing their lives.
Zhao Rou witnessed this and felt even more sweetness in her heart.
To her, this was Shen Mo's way of protecting her.
"Still just standing there watching? As a fellow disciple, don't you have any intention to help?" Shen Mo patted her shoulder and then called out loudly to the side.
Zhao Rou was startled. There were more people?
From Shen Mo's tone, it seemed they were Qingxuan Sect disciples?