Zhou Yan decided to act in separate groups with Jin Ye. Zhou Yan led a group of people eastward, while An Tian and Liu Li were to lead Jin Ye and the others westward. This way, they could collect all the treasures in this forest.
Under Zhou Yan's powerful mental strength, everything from the trees, underground, and within the jungle was collected.
These items were diverse, including equipment, blueprints, elixirs, martial arts techniques, and cultivation methods... Unfortunately, there were no special buildings, which was what he was looking for.
Zhou Yan knew that special buildings were extremely rare and wondered if the academy had even made them available.
Although they were looking for different things, Zhou Yan was still very satisfied.
Sometimes, a lot of materials would appear. Although the quantity wasn't large, for Zhou Yan, he greatly enjoyed the process of searching for treasures.
Zhou Yan also discovered that not every treasure was guarded by a monster; some items were unguarded.
Those outside watched Zhou Yan continuously collecting various rewards and were filled with envy.
Zhou Yan's gains were substantial. As for the others, even if they found treasures, they would need a long time to defeat the monsters guarding them.
However, these monsters were too simple for Zhou Yan, posing no pressure, which was why he could continuously obtain so many treasures.
"Lord, a cave has been discovered ahead," a soldier reported.
"A cave? Let's go in and take a look." Generally, such places would surely hide treasures, and Zhou Yan wouldn't miss them.
So, Zhou Yan, leading the soldiers, released a floating illuminating orb, casting light throughout the entire cave.
"Roar!"
A monster emerged from the heart of the darkness and lunged at Zhou Yan. Fortunately, Wu Song intercepted it, and a fierce battle ensued between them.
"It has some strength, to be able to fight Wu Song for so long." Zhou Yan checked the monster's attributes.
[Monster: Black Demon Beast]
[Quality: Dark Gold]
[Race: Demonic Beast]
[Level: 70]
[Special: Black Claw, Dark Attribute, Fangs, Berserk, Demonic Transformation]
[Description: Prefers to live in dark places and is active at night.]
A Level 70 Dark Gold boss, no wonder it could fight Wu Song for so long. However, facing a group assault, the Black Demon Beast began to retreat, overwhelmed. It unleashed a series of attacks.
The Black Demon Beast launched waves of dark energy from its mouth towards the group.
"Witness my Fierce Tiger Descends the Mountain!" Wu Song transformed into a fierce tiger, tore through the energy, and then pounced on the Black Demon Beast, pinning it down firmly.
Finally, the soldiers unleashed a volley of arrows, directly slaying the Black Demon Beast.
The Black Demon Beast struggled for a while before being killed. It also dropped a golden treasure chest, which the soldiers promptly collected.
"Be careful, this cave is deep, and there should be more monsters inside," Zhou Yan said.
"Yes."
They moved forward slowly. Under his powerful mental perception, Zhou Yan sensed many life fluctuations within. Soon, numerous lights appeared in the darkness.
These were the eyes of the monsters, shining brightly in the darkness like luminous pearls.
The monsters emitted a growling sound, a precursor to an attack and a display of their strength.
"Prepare!"
Zhou Yan shouted. The soldiers drew their bows, aiming at the monsters. At Zhou Yan's command, countless arrows rained down upon them.
"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!!!"
The monsters' vitality was tenacious. The arrows embedded in their bodies did not immediately kill them. Coupled with their large numbers, after the front monsters were shot down, the Black Demon Beasts behind charged at the soldiers.
"Leave it to me." Yan Chixia unleashed a series of Taoist spells, launching powerful attacks that repelled the charging monsters.
Zhang Wuji also used powerful skills. Since arriving at the territory, he had not only learned more advanced cultivation methods but also acquired more skills. Combined with his promotion to a top-tier profession, he could unleash even greater power.
Fist-sized spiritual energy emerged from Zhang Wuji's hands, blasting the charging Black Demon Beasts away, preventing them from breaking through.
Wu Song also stood at the forefront, kicking and punching the Black Demon Beasts away.
The Black Demon Beasts tried to approach the soldiers, but they couldn't break through. The size of the cave entrance restricted their movement, leaving them to be shot down.
The soldiers advanced step by step. The fallen Black Demon Beasts were naturally collected by the soldiers.
Zhou Yan projected his powerful mental energy and sensed stronger monsters within, as well as the fluctuations of treasures.
However, the number of monsters was considerable. They kept trying to charge out, but the combined strength of Wu Song, Yan Chixia, and Zhang Wuji was immense. Each time they broke through, they were repelled and then shot down by the soldiers behind with arrows.
Each slain Black Demon Beast was riddled with arrows, bleeding to death. These Black Demon Beasts were quite strong, and the treasure chests they dropped were of excellent quality.
Before long, Zhou Yan heard a thunderous roar from deep within the cave. Upon hearing this sound, all the Black Demon Beasts retreated inwards.
"I suspect there's another big one inside," Yan Chixia said.
"Do you even need to suspect? It's obvious," Wu Song replied.
"Heh, alright, we'll know once we go in and see," Zhang Wuji said.
"Gather the spoils. Once everything is cleaned up, we'll go in. Wu Song, Yan Chixia, Zhang Wuji, you three will still lead the way," Zhou Yan began to arrange.
"Yes!"
Everyone quickly began to pack up. A while later, the surroundings were cleared. Wu Song, Yan Chixia, and Zhang Wuji cautiously moved forward, ready to act at any moment.
As the illuminating orb shone into a vast palace, everyone found it to be enormous, with a great number of monsters crowded together, baring their teeth at the soldiers.
At the very back, they saw an extremely massive Black Demon Beast. Looking at its quality, it was an 80-level Diamond-grade Black Demon Beast.
"This monster has good strength, Level 80 Diamond quality," Yan Chixia remarked.
"Based on the previous situations, the stronger the monster, the better the treasure it guards. Look, behind that monster is a treasure chest," Zhang Wuji pointed to a chest behind the monster.
"Once we defeat these monsters, we'll know what's inside," Wu Song circulated his cultivation technique, his entire being like a fierce tiger.