Relic Heist, Perfect Backstab

Outside Tianji City, Falling Star Valley.

The entrance to the ancient Immortal King's ruin was located right here.

A massive spatial rift exuded an ancient and desolate aura, surrounded by a joint defensive grand array set up by various sects.

The five individuals who had obtained entry qualifications stood before the rift.

Chu Yuan of the Lingxiao Pavilion, Jian Wuhen of the Heavenly Sword Sect, and Su Wan'er of the Hundred Flowers Valley.

Along with two others from first-tier sects, entering as support personnel: an array master and a spirit seeker.

A five-person squad.

This was the standard configuration for entering an Immortal King's ruin. The ruin was heavily trapped; going at it alone would make it impossible to move even a single step.

"Brother Chu, you hid your strength quite deeply during this grand competition."

Jian Wuhen, hugging an ancient sword, looked at Shen Fei with fighting spirit still lingering in his eyes.

"Just a stroke of luck," Shen Fei smiled faintly. His smile was gentle and utterly flawless.

"Once we enter the ruin, I hope everyone will look out for each other," Su Wan'er said softly, gently waving her round fan.

The five exchanged a few pleasantries, maintaining a harmonious facade.

But everyone knew perfectly well in their hearts that once they reached the Inheritance Hall, this fragile alliance would instantly crumble.

"The time has come, enter the array!"

The Soul Formation stage elder in charge of guarding the area gave the order.

The five transformed into streaks of light and dashed into the spatial rift.

...

Inside the ruin.

The sky was a dim yellow, devoid of sun, moon, or stars.

A heavy, oppressive aura permeated the air—the residual power of the Immortal King's laws.

"Everyone be careful, the space here is extremely unstable."

The spirit seeker, holding a compass, walked at the very front to scout the way.

Over the next three days.

The five-person squad pushed forward arduously through the ruin.

They encountered the remnants of violent ancient arrays and puppet guards that had slumbered for millennia.

Every time they encountered danger.

Shen Fei was always the first to strike.

He used the Lingxiao Sword Art to precisely sever the puppets' power cores, and deployed perfectly timed spiritual shields to block lethal array backlashes for Su Wan'er.

He didn't claim credit, nor was he greedy for wealth.

Whenever they came across ordinary spirit herbs or magical treasures, he always took the initiative to yield them to the other four.

"Brother Chu is truly righteous!"

"Brother Chu's broad-mindedness truly puts us to shame."

After three days.

Jian Wuhen had lowered his guard, and a hint of strange brilliance appeared in Su Wan'er's eyes when she looked at Shen Fei.

Within this squad, Shen Fei had successfully established absolute trust.

He became the most reliable teammate.

The most solid backup.

No one suspected him.

Because he performed too perfectly—as perfect as a true paragon of the righteous path.

On the fourth day.

They finally passed through countless obstacles and arrived at the core of the ruin.

The Immortal King's Inheritance Hall.

A magnificent palace made entirely of white jade stood quietly in the void.

The doors of the great hall were half-open.

Through the gap in the doors, they could clearly see five Immortal Weapon-grade magical treasures floating in the center of the hall, radiating terrifying pressure.

As well as three shimmering inheritance jade slips resting on the altar table.

"We're here!"

The spirit seeker trembled all over with excitement.

Jian Wuhen and Su Wan'er's breathing also grew heavy.

Immortal Weapons!

Top-tier inheritances!

Obtaining just one of them would be enough to cause a qualitative leap in their strength, perhaps even altering the fate of their sects!

The five walked up to the doors of the great hall.

"Everyone."

Shen Fei suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned around, and looked at the other four.

"The treasures inside are just enough for the five of us to share."

Shen Fei's tone was sincere and earnest.

"I propose we distribute them based on how much effort each contributed and our respective strengths. As for who gets the strongest magical treasure, we can decide together through a unified vote. How about it?"

This proposal was extremely fair.

At this critical juncture, no one wanted to break out into a fight over an uneven split of the spoils.

"I agree," Jian Wuhen was the first to nod.

"Brother Chu's proposal is excellent," Su Wan'er also expressed her agreement.

The other two support personnel naturally had no objections.

"Alright."

Shen Fei smiled and stepped aside.

"Please, go ahead."

Jian Wuhen and the others didn't overthink it. With their eyes full of the treasures inside, they eagerly stepped over the threshold of the great hall.

Shen Fei walked at the very back.

One of his feet stopped outside the threshold.

His gaze swept over the hidden ancient sealing runes on the doorframe, which had long been somewhat blurred by the erosion of time.

Over these three days, he hadn't just been playing the good teammate.

He had also been using his system to silently analyze the logic of all the arrays in this ruin.

When Jian Wuhen and the other three completely entered the hall and were about to walk toward the treasures in the center...

The corners of Shen Fei's mouth slowly twitched upwards.

It was a villainous smile, cold to the extreme.

He raised his hand.

A trace of imperceptible Heavenly Demon spiritual power gathered at his fingertip.

Then.

He lightly tapped the most central sealing node on the doorframe.

"Buzz—!"

There was no earth-shattering explosion.

Only a muffled sound of spatial vibration.

The half-open white jade doors of the great hall slammed shut with a bang!

"What's going on?!"

Inside the hall, Jian Wuhen and the others turned pale with fright and abruptly looked back.

But all they saw were tightly shut doors.

Immediately after.

The lockdown of the Immortal King's laws inside the great hall was completely activated!

A layer of golden light instantly enveloped the entire hall.

"Brother Chu! Brother Chu, are you out there?!"

Jian Wuhen pounded forcefully on the doors, shouting loudly.

There was no response.

"The door is sealed shut! The space is locked down too! Voice transmission talismans can't be sent out!"

The array master checked the surroundings, sweating profusely and looking deathly pale.

"This... this is a death trap!"

Panic set in inside the hall.

Meanwhile, outside the hall.

Shen Fei stood quietly on the steps.

He listened to the cries of alarm coming from inside, his eyes calm.

He didn't kill them with his own hands.

Because he didn't need to.

Once the lockdown mechanism of the Immortal King's Inheritance Hall was triggered, the defensive puppets and killing arrays inside would automatically activate.

Those four righteous path prodigies, raised in greenhouses, were now trapped in an enclosed space with no way to retreat and no way to call for help, facing Immortal King-level killing arrays.

Their survival rate was zero.

Shen Fei turned around.

He walked over to a side door on the flank of the great hall.

This was the only hidden passage unaffected by the seal, analyzed and found by his system.

He pushed open the side door and walked in.

Inside the great hall, the killing arrays had already activated.

Jian Wuhen, Su Wan'er, and the others were desperately resisting the awakened Immortal King puppets. Screams and the sound of shattering magical artifacts rang out endlessly.

Shen Fei was like a ghost.

He silently skirted along the hidden passage at the edge of the hall, making his way to the center.

He paid no mind to the people fighting for their lives.

He walked straight up to the altar table.

With a wave of his hand.

He swept all five Immortal Weapon-grade magical treasures and the three inheritance jade slips into his system inventory.

His movements were as smooth as flowing water, without the slightest hesitation.

After finishing all this.

Shen Fei glanced at the other end of the hall, where Jian Wuhen and the others, covered in blood, had been forced into a desperate corner by the puppets.

"Have fun taking your time, everyone."

Shen Fei muttered silently in his heart.

He turned around and left the Inheritance Hall through the hidden passage.

...

An hour later.

At the entrance of the ruin.

The elders of the various sects were waiting anxiously.

The spatial rift rippled.

A figure stumbled out from within.

"It's Chu Yuan!"

The elder of the Lingxiao Pavilion was overjoyed and hastily went to meet him.

Shen Fei currently looked extremely disheveled and battered.

His moon-white brocade robe was torn to shreds, bearing several deep wounds where the bone was visible, and his face was as pale as paper.

He gasped heavily for air, as if he had just survived a life-and-death battle.

Yuan'er! Why are you alone? Where are the others?!

The Pavilion Master of the Lingxiao Pavilion supported Shen Fei and asked anxiously.

Elders from other sects also gathered around, staring fixedly at Shen Fei.

Shen Fei raised his head.

His eyes were filled with deep exhaustion, pain, and a perfectly measured trace of regret.

In the Inheritance Hall... we encountered a supreme killing array left behind by the Immortal King.

Shen Fei's voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of a tremble.

Brother Jian, Fairy Su, and the others... to cover my escape, they were trapped in the core of the array.

I fought desperately to carve out a bloody path, but... I still couldn't save them.

Shen Fei lowered his head, his hands clenched into tight fists. His nails dug into his flesh, seeping blood.

He looked utterly heartbroken and consumed by guilt.

A dead silence fell over the crowd.

The elders of the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Hundred Flowers Valley looked as if they had been struck by lightning, their faces instantly turning deadly pale.

Wuhen...

Wan'er...

No one doubted Shen Fei.

Because everyone knew the dangers of the ruins. Furthermore, Shen Fei's incredibly realistic severe injuries, combined with the perfect persona he had built over the past three days, made everyone subconsciously believe his words.

Martial Nephew Chu, you need not blame yourself.

A Supreme Elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect let out a long sigh and patted Shen Fei's shoulder.

Life and death are determined by fate. The fact that you made it out alive is already a great fortune.

Shen Fei looked up, his eyes slightly red.

Thank you for your understanding, Senior.

In his heart, he let out a cold laugh.

The act was over.

The treasures were in his hands.

His competitors were all dead.

This was the way a villain plundered.

Clean.

Efficient.

Gaining both fame and fortune.

Supported by the elders of the Lingxiao Pavilion, Shen Fei walked toward the resting area.

His hand, hidden within his wide sleeves, gently stroked the incomplete stone stele rubbing he had taken from the ruins, which detailed the concept of Dao and Demonic Origins Being One.

The ultimate evolution of the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art.

The theoretical foundation was finally complete.