When people do bad things, they never seem to get tired.

The sun blazed fiercely.

In the scorching desert, waves of hot wind constantly surged, twisting the air like the heat above an oven. But deep within the desert, a handsome young man kept his head down, tirelessly bent over like an old farmer planting rice seedlings in the fields, continuously placing something.

“Hoo—finally done!”

Setting down the last stone, Ye Shu straightened his back, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and grinned.

Before him stood a massive formation.

Though it had been difficult, he had managed it.

Because he had no money and had prepared hastily without formation stones, he could only use the most ordinary sand and gravel as a guide, forcefully setting up a low-tier golden light formation.

Now, he could claim mastery over all the lesser arts—alchemy, artifact forging, talisman drawing, and formation setting—none of which eluded him.

That was the advantage of having once stood high.

When you stand at the foot of a mountain, you cannot see the peaks and ravines clearly. But when you reach the summit and survey the surroundings, everything that once blocked your view becomes fully visible.

“Heh heh, you like exploring ruins?”

“You like snatching opportunities?”

A sinister smile curled at the corner of Ye Shu’s mouth.

From a long, long time ago, he had foreseen that this day would come—that his rivals would always move faster than him. He wouldn’t be some fool, staring at an empty ruin and muttering, “Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!”

Blaming fate or sitting around waiting for death was never his style.

“Joy shared is joy doubled.”

“Such a good thing—how could I not share it?”

“Ah ha ha ha ha!”

Just thinking about what he was about to do, Ye Shu couldn’t help but plant his hands on his hips and burst into laughter.

When people do bad things, they are always happiest.

“Come on, then!”

“Everyone in this ruin! Hear my voice! I summon you here!”

Raising his hands high, Ye Shu shouted aloud.

“I invite you to come!”

BOOM!!!

The formation instantly erupted in dazzling light, shooting straight into the sky and connecting heaven and earth. Even from the farthest corner of the ruin, the pillar of light shooting upward could be seen, like a bright lantern lit in the dead of night.

The pillar soared into the clouds and scattered into a rain of light.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ruin.

A group led by Yan Lie and other hidden clan members was advancing through a dense forest when they suddenly saw the pillar of light and the rain of light in the distant sky. Everyone stopped in their tracks.

“What’s that?”

“Such intense spiritual energy fluctuations... it looks like a rare treasure has emerged.”

Yan Lie narrowed his eyes and made a swift decision.

“Let’s go take a look.”

“There’s nothing in this ruin that can stop us.” With a flick of his sleeve, he soared into the air, and the others followed, speeding toward the site of the inheritance.

Before long, they arrived at the desert.

Seeing the towering Nine Nether Immortal Palace before him, Yan Lie frowned.

“Wait... there’s a trace of the Mo Clan’s presence.”

As the young master of a hidden clan, he was well-versed in the auras of other major families. He distinctly sensed multiple lingering traces of the Mo Clan’s soul cultivation arts around the palace.

“They’ve been inside for a while.”

Upon hearing this, the clan disciples behind him grew restless.

“Brother Yan, should we still go in?”

“Of course we go in,” Yan Lie sneered, his eyes narrowing. “Fine moves, Mo Yu. Fine moves, Young Master of the Mo Clan. No wonder you refused to cooperate with us—you already knew there was an imperial-grade inheritance here and wanted it all for yourself.”

“Since you struck first, don’t blame us for striking back.”

“Ha ha ha ha!”

The young masters of the hidden clans exchanged glances and burst into hearty laughter.

Meanwhile, deep within the ruin.

Leading his men as they explored a secret chamber, Mo Yu suddenly frowned and murmured, “Why do I have this bad feeling, like something is about to happen?”

“It shouldn’t be possible.”

“The Nine Nether Immortal Palace is extremely hidden—even the male lead could only enter by chance.”

“It must be my imagination.”

Taking a deep breath, he shook his head and continued deeper into the ruin.

Meanwhile, at the top of the ruin.

Hidden in a dark spot, Ye Shu waited. After a full hour passed with no one else coming to the desert, he stood up from the sand, brushed off the grains clinging to him, and slowly walked to the gates of the Nine Nether Immortal Palace.

“Those who were meant to come are probably all here now...”

“And those who weren’t won’t come either.”

He stretched his body energetically, cracking his joints, then clapped his hands with sparkling eyes.

“Now, let’s get down to some real work!”

By the time the bright moon hung high in the sky, Ye Shu finally stopped his work and wiped the sweat from his brow.

“Whoo—that was one satisfying battle.”

Beneath his feet lay an intricate weave of formation patterns, dense and complex, covering half the desert around the Nine Nether Immortal Palace like a giant spider web, trapping the palace within.

The patterns nested within one another, layer upon layer.

They were like an old sow wearing a bra—overlapping and numerous. There were murderous killing formations, entangling trap formations, and illusion formations that tugged at human desires—and even more surprises hiding within!

“Heh heh heh... heh heh heh heh...”

Looking at his masterpiece, even the morally upright Ye Shu couldn’t help letting out a villain’s laugh.

No matter who ended up victorious,

if they wanted to leave the Immortal Palace, they would inevitably trigger the ring of linked formations outside. Touching one would set off the whole chain.

Each layer of the grand formation was tightly interlinked.

By then, whether it was the Mo Clan or other hidden clans who claimed the treasure, they’d all have to drink a bitter cup.

“I guess I’ll never forget you all.”

Standing on a distant sand dune, looking at the trap he had painstakingly set, Ye Shu shook his head.

Whoever invented formations,

they sure were useful!

He couldn’t help but wonder what expressions those people would make when they stepped into his trap after leaving. Whatever the case, it was sure to be interesting.

“Such a brilliant scene should definitely be recorded, so billions of people can enjoy it in the future!” Ye Shu cackled as he placed recording stones in the best spots.

After placing them all, he admired his handiwork for a while before turning and walking away.

Business done, he vanished without a trace, leaving no fame behind!

Brother Ye didn’t do this for any other reason.

Pure fun.

“Hmph hmph!”

Floating midair, a smile crept onto his face. “With the hidden clan big shots gone, I’m invincible now!”

“Heheheh! Heheheh heh!”