Everyone was a little confused about what Jun Yuangui meant, and Rong Jiaojiao was also completely bewildered.

The three seniors exchanged communication talismans, and their forces were divided into two teams.

Rong Jiaojiao then realized that one team was entirely from the National Xuanmen Group, the other was from the Xuanji Sect, and there were also a few people who were on good terms with the Xuanji Sect disciples and had come out for training.

Rong Jiaojiao held the jade pendant in her hand. Mo Bai leaned closer, raised an eyebrow, and said, "What, are you touched? How about I give you an even better one?"

"Come on," Rong Jiaojiao rolled her eyes at him, "Let's get ready to go."

The three teams quickly split up and began their operations.

The team consisting of Mo Zhizhou, Mo Bai, Qing Xuanzi, Rong Jiaojiao, Zi Ling, and Xiao Jin proceeded along the correct path indicated on the map.

The humidity was even heavier in the depths of the rainforest. What should have been a place filled with the fragrance of grass and trees had a faint smell of blood in the air.

“Something’s not right,” Mo Zhizhou suddenly stopped after walking for more than half an hour. “The spiritual energy fluctuations here are abnormal.”

Mo Zhizhou raised his hand to signal everyone to stop. He closed his eyes and sensed for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "Everyone, be careful, there might be an ambush."

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding trees suddenly twisted and deformed, and dozens of blood-red whips shot out from the ground, lashing at the crowd.

Those blood-red whips were like living things, instantly wrapping around everyone's ankles!

"It's the Spirit-Binding Blood Vine!" Mo Bai shouted sharply, his long sword flashing with cold light as it swept across, severing several of the attacking blood vines.

Qing Xuanzi quickly formed a hand seal, and a golden light barrier unfolded, protecting everyone within it.

However, the blood vines regenerated rapidly after being cut, even splitting into more branches that frantically coiled towards them.

Rong Jiaojiao's eyes narrowed, she made a hand seal with her fingertips, and shouted in a low voice: "Zi Ling, burn!"

"Squeak!" Zi Ling leaped out of Lin Xiaoman's arms, her body suddenly expanding in mid-air, transforming into a giant purple thunder sable, spewing out scorching lightning and fire.

The blood vines twisted and burned in the flames, emitting a piercing hiss.

Not to be outdone, Xiao Jin's body swelled up, its golden scales shimmering in the sunlight. It swung its tail violently, cracking the ground and uprooting several blood vines!

They quickly eradicated the vines.

Mo Zhizhou frowned and said, "These blood vines only attack unconsciously, as if they were placed here by someone and then no longer under their control."

Qing Xuanzi speculated, "Perhaps the person who controlled them is already dead."

Mo Bai gripped the blood-red blade. "Regardless, the presence of these blood vines proves we're heading in the right direction."

Mo Zhizhou nodded, "Let's continue!"

The group continued onward, but the atmosphere was noticeably more wary than before. The light in the rainforest grew dimmer, with the dense canopy almost completely blocking out the sunlight, leaving only scattered patches of light on the ground.

Rong Jiaojiao walked in the middle of the group, and Zi Ling shrunk back into her little ferret form, perched on her shoulder, her golden eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

Little Gold wandered around the perimeter of the group, occasionally sweeping away vines blocking its path with its tail.

Vines would occasionally emerge to attack them, but they still couldn't find the entrance to the underground blood pool, and even the Moon Spirit couldn't sense the aura of the mineral vein.

Similarly, Rong Jiaojiao did not sense any danger warning.

The three groups gathered and separated, and almost a month passed. They had explored almost the entire area within a hundred miles on foot, but still could not find the entrance.

Even Tianquan, an elder of the Xuanji Sect, couldn't calculate the location.

The group returned to the vicinity of the Black Swamp. After discussion, they unanimously agreed that the Ancient Blood Pool was very likely located in this area, so they decided to use the most primitive method—digging a tunnel underground to search for the mineral vein.

"Since the formation can't detect the entrance, let's just dig it up."

Tianquan said in a deep voice, making a hand seal, and cast an earth-based spell, which immediately cracked open in the ground.

Zhao Yuntian nodded and said to everyone, "Everyone, take turns using the Earth Escape Technique to explore as far down as possible."

Mo Bai glanced at Rong Jiaojiao and raised an eyebrow, saying, "How about we have a competition to see who finds the entrance first?"

Rong Jiaojiao snorted lightly: "Let's have a competition. The loser will have to keep watch tonight."

Jun Yuangui frowned and said coldly, "Boring."

Qing Xuanzi shook his head helplessly, but did not stop him. He only warned, "Be careful, there may be Blood Fiend Sect traps underground."

The group dispersed and each used their own methods to investigate the underground situation.

Rong Jiaojiao made a hand seal with her fingertips, and a wisp of spiritual power seeped into the ground, subtly sensing the flow of spiritual energy underground.

A day later, Rong Jiaojiao discovered something unusual deep underground, several miles away from the swamp.

"Huh?" She suddenly noticed something strange. "Master, the spatial fluctuations deep underground are a bit odd, as if they are being blocked by something."

Upon hearing this, Qing Xuanzi immediately walked over, placed his palm on the ground, closed his eyes to sense for a moment, and then opened his eyes: "There is a restriction! Moreover... it was deliberately concealed!"

He sent out a message to inform everyone.

Mo Bai and Mo Zhizhou were the closest to each other, so they were the first to arrive.

Soon everyone gathered around.

After examining the area, Mo Zhizhou said in a deep voice, "It seems that the Blood Fiend Sect did indeed tamper with this place; they used an array to conceal the true entrance."

"Can it be broken?" Lin Xiaoman asked softly.

Zhao Yuntian said, "Everyone, make way, I'll give it a try."

He quickly formed hand seals, and a golden light burst forth from his fingertips, striking the ground.

"Boom—" The ground trembled, the soil churned, and a hidden array rune emerged, then shattered inch by inch.

"It's open!" Rong Jiaojiao's eyes lit up.

As the formation shattered, the ground slowly collapsed, revealing a deep, dark cave entrance. A chilling wind, mixed with the stench of blood, wafted out of the cave.

"It really is here," Tianquan said coldly.

The group exchanged glances, and Zhao Yuntian spoke first: "I'll go down and scout ahead."

"Be careful, senior," Rong Jiaojiao reminded her.

Zhao Yuntian nodded and leaped into the cave.

A moment later, his voice came from below: "Safe, you can come down now!"

The group entered one by one. The cave was pitch black, with only a few scattered crimson lights shining through from the depths.

As you walk along the narrow passage, the stench of blood grows stronger.

The group quickened their pace, and soon, the view opened up before them—

A huge underground space appeared before them, with a dark red, dried-up pool of blood in the center.

As everyone was observing their surroundings, the space around the blood pool suddenly distorted, and pitch-black demonic mist surged out, instantly condensing into dozens of ferocious demonic spirits. Their scarlet eyes flashed in the darkness, staring intently at the group.

"It's a demon spirit!" Rong Jiaojiao's pupils shrank, and she immediately threw out a Soul-Burning Talisman.

The eerie blue soul fire burned fiercely, instantly engulfing any newly formed demonic spirits it passed through.

"Squeak—!" Zi Ling instantly transformed into a giant beast, spewing out lightning and fire, burning the first few demon spirits to ashes.