Wang Hong quietly used Space to steal the Jade Box and, without a hint of expression, observed as various Demonic Beasts fought tooth and nail over the Storage Bag.
After watching for a short while, he realized that no one seemed to have noticed him. He decided to turn and leave, as staying here served little purpose and could expose him to other uncertain factors.
However, as he turned and took only a few steps away, he encountered a Demon Dragon that had arrived with him.
"Leaving so soon with such a treasure, Fellow Daoist?" the Demon Dragon inquired.
Slightly shaken, Wang Hong replied, "Ah, Fellow Daoist, I understand my own limitations. The current situation has me quite unnerved."
"Wouldn't you like to take another look? There might still be a chance," the Demon Dragon suggested.
"No, I won't. It's too dangerous here, and such treasures belong to the deserving. I am not worthy. Even if someone were to offer it to me for free, I wouldn't dare accept it," Wang Hong responded.
While Wang Hong was speaking, a Storage Bag happened to fly towards him from the sky, frightening him into a hasty escape.
Seeing Wang Hong fleeing in panic, the Demon Dragon muttered in frustration before turning to retrieve the Storage Bag.
As for those who had already been knocked to the ground, they remained prostrate and even played dead.
At this moment, a fourth-tier Demonic Beast appeared on the scene, and with a casual gesture, it captured the Storage Bag that had been the subject of the earlier scramble.
After securing the Storage Bag, the Demonic Beast didn't rush to open it; it exuded an air of confidence that everything was under its control.
"You need not feel aggrieved. I intervened to quell the situation, fearing that the casualties would be too great if you continued fighting . At the same time, I want you all to understand that in this world, the strong are revered, and treasures go to the deserving."
The fourth-tier Demonic Beast spoke eloquently, but an undeniable smugness seeped through its tone.
Having said these words, it finally took the time to open the Storage Bag in its hand, searching for the Fusang Divine Wood.
Even a fifth-tier Demonic Beast would be tempted by such a divine wood, let alone a fourth-tier one.
However, as it probed the Storage Bag with its Divine Sense, the triumphant expression on its face slowly froze. Inside, there were many items, but the coveted divine wood was nowhere to be found. It meticulously scanned every item inside the bag but came up empty-handed.
"All Demons present, do not move and take out your Storage Bags for inspection!" Its face, which was once filled with triumph, now displayed frustration.
The Demonic Beasts were taken aback. They hadn't expected this elder to, after securing the divine wood, be unsatisfied and attempt to rob them of their belongings.
At the periphery, a Demonic Beast suppressed its aura, slowly inching away, seemingly attempting to escape.
Just then, a massive claw formed from condensed demonic energy descended upon it, leaving the Demonic Beast defenseless and crushed into a lump of mud.
Then, it focused its Spiritual Energy and extracted two Storage Bags from the pile of flesh and gore.
The two Storage Bags flew into its clawed hand, and it once again probed them with its Divine Sense, but still, the coveted treasures were nowhere to be found.
In a fit of anger, it shouted, "All Demons, stay where you are, and I will inspect each one of you."
Wang Hong, who had moved far away, suddenly sensed a tremendous aura and pressure coming from the battlefield behind him. His heart pounded as he realized that he had indeed alerted the fourth-tier Demonic Beast. He quickened his pace, heading farther away.
Even when he had distanced himself significantly, he still felt the presence of that powerful aura, causing him to increase his speed further.
However, just as he had put some distance between himself and the battlefield, he could no longer sense that formidable presence.
Not long after, that powerful aura reappeared, and he could sense that it was rapidly approaching in his direction.
He couldn't be sure whether the entity had discovered some clue leading directly to him or was merely passing by coincidentally.
But he couldn't afford to take chances. Betting right wouldn't bring any benefit, but betting wrong could cost him his life.
Escape was not an option. His speed was no match for a fourth-tier Demonic Beast.
Fighting was even more impossible. He had just reached the Golden Core stage, and a fourth-tier Demonic Beast could easily crush him with a single foot.
After pondering for a moment, he remembered a method he had never had a chance to try before, but now he had no choice but to attempt it.
He found a place with thick foliage, peeled back the leaves, lay down, and covered his body with the surrounding foliage.
He didn't use the Cloak that could hide his presence, as it was only a low-tier Spiritual Weapon and might complicate matters.
After lying amidst the leaves, he remembered something else. He gathered all the items on his person that emitted a Spiritual Qi fluctuation and stored them in his Space, including the Storage Bag and his clothing. These he removed and stowed away.
Satisfied that he hadn't overlooked anything, he calmed his mind and began to execute a peculiar secret technique.
Once the technique was in motion, his aura gradually faded until it completely vanished.
His breathing and heartbeat slowed down, eventually ceasing altogether.
At this moment, Wang Hong, lying under the leaves, resembled lifeless driftwood. If one were to scan with Divine Sense, his presence would be impossible to detect.
This was a secret technique he had obtained from the Ma Brothers, and it was recorded on a single piece of paper, somewhat incomplete.
In the past, when the Ma Brothers had followed cultivators from the Lin Family to attack them, after the Lin Family cultivators failed, the Ma Brothers had used this technique to conceal themselves among a pile of corpses.
The Ma Brothers hadn't expected Wang Hong to have the habit of burning the corpses after each kill. They nearly got incinerated before revealing their true forms.
He had tested the technique before and found that when it was in operation, it was undetectable by a Golden Core Cultivator's Divine Sense. Only physical eyesight could reveal his presence.
However, he hadn't had the opportunity to test it against a Nascent Soul cultivator, and now, in this desperate situation, he had no choice but to risk it.
Soon, the powerful presence from a distance had arrived nearby. Its formidable Divine Sense meticulously scanned the area it passed through.
One stream of Divine Sense brushed over Wang Hong's body, seemingly without detecting anything amiss.
Then the formidable aura moved on ahead.
After it had departed, Wang Hong remained in his original state, unmoving.
About an hour later, the powerful presence returned from the front, and along its path, it carefully scanned everything with Divine Sense.
[Read at /shanefreak, and heartfelt thankyou for your support!]