Chapter 1252: When Confronting Someone, Undermine Them Behind Their Back

As they groped through the mist, they all keenly sensed an eerie, bone-chilling presence nearby that made their hair stand on end.

Zu An had even prepared for battle, but to their surprise, the presence never made a move, allowing them to successfully escape the formation.

"I also sensed danger, but I'm not sure how strong the opponent is," Yu Yanluo said. As the clan leader with Medusa bloodline, she was more perceptive than the other younger generation members present.

"At least a Grandmaster," Zu An stated gravely.

"A Grandmaster?" Yu Yanluo was startled. She had assumed that with their combined strength, navigating this place would be straightforward. She never expected the presence of a Grandmaster.

"A Grandmaster is nothing to be impressed by," Yun Jianyue said coldly. "My injuries have improved somewhat. With Little An's combat power and your Medusa clan's abilities, it's not impossible for us to fight a Grandmaster."

"What about me?" Yan Xuehen's face darkened. The blatant disregard was clearly an insult.

Yun Jianyue gave an arrogant smile. "You can just stand behind us and cheer."

Yan Xuehen was speechless.

This demoness is truly obnoxious!

At that moment, Yun Jianyue spoke again. "Originally, I didn't have high hopes for this so-called treasure, but now it seems there might actually be something here."

Both the strange foggy forest they had just passed through and the powerful presence hidden in the shadows suggested that this place was extraordinary.

Just then, shouts of surprise erupted from another direction. A crowd of people rushed forward, jostling to get ahead. Ahead of them stood a large mountain, emanating rich elemental energy and boundless vitality, even from a distance.

The mountain was adorned with exotic flowers in full bloom, releasing fragrant herbal scents. Many unusual trees bore vibrant, luscious fruits, clearly not ordinary plants.

Even Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue were surprised, recognizing several rare species that were seldom seen even in White Jade Capital or the Holy Sect.

The other demon clansmen, meanwhile, ran towards the mountain as if frantic, scrambling to get ahead.

Boom! A golden fist slammed directly in front of the crowd, kicking up a cloud of dust.

It was Lion Spirit, who had positioned himself in front of them.

The expressions on the faces of the demon experts immediately soured. "Lion Spirit, what is the meaning of this? Do you intend to take everything for yourself?"

Though young, Lion Spirit stood there with his hands behind his back, his face filled with arrogance. "No particular meaning, just that natural treasures belong to the capable."

This instantly provoked widespread anger. "That's a joke! Lion Spirit, do you truly believe you're the Demon Emperor, capable of suppressing everyone by yourself?"

"Of course not," Lion Spirit replied. "It's just that we went through immense hardships to get here. What right do those who didn't contribute earlier have to a share?"

As he spoke, Princess Soren, Prince Silver Shark, Jin Shi, Princess Changning, Qiao Heng, Xiong Da, Xiong Er, Ma Huang, Duan Tiande, and others silently positioned themselves beside him, clearly sharing his sentiment.

They had been the ones fighting on the front lines when crossing the swamp earlier, and many individuals had slipped past during that time, which greatly annoyed them.

Lion Spirit specifically addressed Wu Liang, who was sprawled on the ground. "Fatty, you don't need to worry. You put in a lot of effort earlier, so you'll get a share of what we find later."

This wasn't out of kindness, of course. The place was simply too eerie, and the fatty's earlier display had been astonishing, proving his value. They might need him again later, so it was natural that he wouldn't be driven away now.

Wu Liang chuckled, naturally accepting the offer.

On the other side, Yan Xuehen frowned. "They were just fighting alongside each other, and now that the danger is over, they turn their backs. These demon clan members are truly cold-blooded."

Yun Jianyue, however, was unfazed. "I actually admire their approach. Ice Stone Maiden, you come from a noble background and have lived in comfort for years, treated like a goddess. Naturally, you've only encountered good people. Unfortunately, the cultivation world is inherently cruel; the strong prey on the weak, which is the way of the world."

"There aren't many spiritual herbs here. If everyone gets a share, there won't be much left for anyone. If I weren't injured, I'd probably clear everyone out immediately, not like him, leaving some people to take a piece of the pie."

Yu Yanluo stuck out her tongue. Having been with them for so long, she had only seen Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen bickering like little girls. She had almost forgotten that Yun Jianyue was a notorious demon lord who struck fear into the hearts of many.

Seeing the noble families band together, the expressions of the other rogue cultivators changed. They knew that if these individuals allied, they stood no chance, and their spirits immediately faltered.

Someone couldn't help but say, "If you send us back now, aren't you just sending us to our deaths in that foggy forest?"

Lion Spirit said indifferently, "You can always go around the side. The forest doesn't seem impossibly large to me; as long as you don't enter and trigger the formation, it's not impossible to circle back. Or you can wait here, and when we return, we'll take you out alive, for the sake of being fellow demon clansmen."

The other rogue cultivators scoffed. The situation was against them; if they truly clashed now, they might perish before even seeing the treasure.

One by one, they ceased arguing with Lion Spirit and began to bypass him.

They certainly wouldn't choose to wait there for the noble families to return. Instead, they intended to try their luck elsewhere.

Soon, the crowd dispersed significantly, leaving only about a dozen people.

Besides the noble families, the remaining individuals were their guards or servants.

Lion Spirit's gaze then shifted to Zu An and his companions. Yan Xuehen said coldly, "What, are we not qualified to stay either?"

"Not at all," Lion Spirit replied with a smile. "Thanks to your ingenious calculations, young lady, we were able to break out of the formation. You are certainly qualified to stay, but as for this one..."

Zu An immediately looked amused. "So, after all that, you want to kick *me* out."

Lion Spirit's expression hardened. "So what if I do? From beginning to end, you haven't contributed anything; you're just a freeloader. If you don't leave, who will?"

"What about us?" Yun Jianyue chuckled, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

Lion Spirit replied, "Both young ladies may, of course, stay. This prince can offer you stronger protection."

Qiao Heng, standing nearby, said coldly, "Lion Spirit, that's going too far. You're clearly trying to snatch someone's women."

Having owed Zu An a favor previously, he naturally spoke up for him.

Lion Spirit said proudly, "As the saying goes, a good bird chooses its tree to roost, and women naturally seek out the strong. This man only relies on the protection of women; he has no future. If I want them, I'll take them."

Ma Huang, standing to the side, chuckled lewdly. "You're so young, yet you already have such intentions. Aren't you afraid of straining your back, a little horse pulling a big cart?"

Lion Spirit was only about thirteen or fourteen years old, so his words did seem a bit out of place.

Qiao Heng was about to say more when Duan Tiande, standing nearby, sneered, "What does someone else's business have to do with you? It's precisely because the Elf clan has too many bleeding hearts like you that it's gone downhill."

Princess Soren frowned. "The path ahead is uncertain, and we're already starting to fight amongst ourselves?"

For some reason, she always felt a profound, unfathomable quality about Zu An, so she stepped in to mediate.

Lion Spirit snorted coldly. "Is the Princess planning to give him a portion of her share?"

Why was this guy so popular with women?

Even Princess Soren was speaking up for him.

Rage points from Lion Spirit +110, +110, +110...

Hearing him say that, Princess Soren was displeased but remained silent.

She had to consider her own interests and those of her subordinates. She and Zu An had only met by chance and barely exchanged a few words, so there was naturally no need to get into a conflict with the Lion Clan's young prince over a stranger.

The others watched with cold indifference. Some wanted fewer people to share the treasure, while others wanted to use Lion Spirit to test the strength of this mysterious individual. All were curious to see how Zu An would respond.