Lin Xiao Tian once again requested an expedition team from the Lin family's old matriarch, stipulating that the team must be equipped with firearms.
The old matriarch did not hesitate. Not only that, but she also contacted a professional mercenary company to assign additional bodyguards to Lin Xiao Tian.
After thanking the old matriarch, Lin Xiao Tian boarded a helicopter and returned to the Kunlun Valley.
This time, Lin Xiao Tian arrived during the day. The Yang family had also sent someone over, a collateral descendant named Yang Kai, who was to accompany Lin Xiao Tian inside.
Upon meeting, Yang Kai's expression was grim.
After returning to the Yang family, Yang Lin had reported the situation inside the valley to the higher-ups. Upon learning that there were terrifying monsters like apostles within, Yang Kai was beside himself.
However, since Yang Lin had been there once before, the family would not let him go again. His luck had run out, and he was chosen.
"My name is Yang Kai. Are we going in now? Do we need to make any preparations?" Yang Kai asked nervously.
Lin Xiao Tian shook his head, "No preparations are needed."
"It's so dangerous inside; going unprepared is very risky!" Yang Kai said earnestly.
"We are not going in."
"What?" Yang Kai suspected he had misheard.
Lin Xiao Tian had no choice but to repeat himself.
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai's entire face lit up like a blooming chrysanthemum.
"That's great! That's very good!" Yang Kai was almost incoherent.
Lin Xiao Tian ignored him and instructed the mercenary team behind him to get ready. He then walked four or five meters into the forest.
A purple shard appeared in Lin Xiao Tian's hand.
Lin Xiao Tian stood there without a word, his senses fully engaged.
Outside, Yang Kai watched Lin Xiao Tian with a puzzled expression.
What was he doing?
Why was he striking a pose in the forest for no reason?
The surrounding mercenaries were also confused, but their orders were to obey Lin Xiao Tian's commands implicitly, no matter how nonsensical they seemed.
Time ticked by.
Everyone waited in place for a full hour.
Yang Kai outside grew impatient and urged Lin Xiao Tian to leave if there was nothing else.
If they left now, the draw would restart, and he wouldn't have to accompany Lin Xiao Tian. What if next time Lin Xiao Tian decided to enter Kunlun Valley, he wouldn't be the one sent to apologize.
But as he thought this, something unexpected suddenly appeared before his eyes.
A monster with a human face and a sheep's body materialized in their view.
Yang Kai, who had been drinking tea moments before, spat it out in shock.
The mercenaries around them also tensed up. They had detected no trace of the monster's arrival.
Lin Xiao Tian, however, remained calm. He told everyone to hold steady and then called out to the apostle in front of him:
"You've finally arrived!"
"Human, what do you mean?" the apostle asked, its eyes filled with coldness as it looked at Lin Xiao Tian.
Lin Xiao Tian toyed with the shard in his hand and said in a casual tone, "I'm here to make a deal with you."
"What deal?"
"I need demon cores, specifically the demon cores of demon beasts at the Core Formation stage."
Upon hearing Lin Xiao Tian's words, the apostle's expression darkened. "Are you saying you want me to give you demon cores from the Core Formation stage?"
Lin Xiao Tian nodded.
The apostle's face grew even more somber. "Human boy, do you think that's possible?"
"I think it is," Lin Xiao Tian replied, squeezing the purple shard in his hand.
The apostle's face immediately contorted in anger.
"It's the same as before; you have no choice!" Lin Xiao Tian said coldly.
"Obtaining demon cores from the Core Formation stage is not an easy task," the apostle gritted out.
Hearing the apostle's words, Lin Xiao Tian's heart leaped with joy.
The apostle hadn't outright refused, only saying it was difficult. This meant there was still hope.
It seemed the level of that Gluttonous Beast was likely at the Core Formation stage, or even higher!
"That's your problem. If I don't get it, you won't get this thing either!" Lin Xiao Tian said, applying a little more pressure to the purple shard.
Seeing this, the apostle became anxious. "Fine! I agree! But you must give me time!"
"One year! That's my limit," Lin Xiao Tian stated.
"Agreed, one year."
Lin Xiao Tian appeared calm, but inside, he was smiling.
"Oh, and during this period, I need at least one demon core every day. Qi Refining stage ones are acceptable, starting from today," Lin Xiao Tian added another demand.
Looking at the unbelievably arrogant Lin Xiao Tian before him, the apostle suppressed its rage and finally nodded.
"Then go. Daytime is short."
Without any conflict, the apostle quickly disappeared from sight.
Lin Xiao Tian instructed his team to remain vigilant while he retreated to the outer camp.
He was well aware that these monsters were bound by the restrictions of the Kunlun Valley and could not leave the forest. This area was absolutely safe.
Yang Kai stared blankly for a long time after the monster vanished before finally coming to his senses.
"What… what was that thing?" he asked Lin Xiao Tian.
"Nothing," Lin Xiao Tian replied, shrugging.
He felt no obligation to inform the Yang family about such matters.
Around noon, the apostle returned with demon cores.
Lin Xiao Tian had the apostle throw them out, then dismissed it like a subordinate.
With the demon cores in hand, Lin Xiao Tian prepared to leave. However, Yang Kai stopped him.
"Wait, what is that thing in your hand?"
"Nothing," Lin Xiao Tian replied with the same dismissive tone as before.
Yang Kai was no fool and knew Lin Xiao Tian was playing him. He blocked Lin Xiao Tian's path again. "This belongs to our Yang family."
Lin Xiao Tian chuckled.
"This is yours?"
"Did you contribute anything just now?"
"These people were hired by the Lin family. That monster spoke with me. What did you do?"
Yang Kai's face turned red at Lin Xiao Tian's words. He knew he was in the wrong but refused to let Lin Xiao Tian leave.
"No, this is our Yang family's territory. Anything obtained here should belong to the Yang family."
Yang Kai's repeated obstruction, even with Lin Xiao Tian's good temper, began to fray his patience.
Demon cores were useless to ordinary people; they would only be wasted in their hands, serving at best as mere decorations. However, for Lin Xiao Tian, they were treasures that could enhance his cultivation.
"Move aside!" Lin Xiao Tian glared at him.
Yang Kai sneered, "No way!"
Lin Xiao Tian kicked him directly aside.
Yang Kai rolled several times on the ground before regaining his balance. By the time he recovered, Lin Xiao Tian was already gone.
"Lin Xiao Tian, you just wait!"
Not long after, the Yang family came knocking, demanding that Lin Xiao Tian hand over the demon cores.
However, upon learning of Lin Xiao Tian's situation in the valley, the old matriarch flatly refused the Yang family.
While each family was responsible for a specific forbidden area, as long as consent was given, anything obtained within that forbidden area belonged to whoever acquired it. There was never a reason to hand it over.
Previously, when Yang Xin and Yang Lin collected herbs in Black Mountain, the Lin family had not demanded any of the herbs. The same logic applied here to Lin Xiao Tian.
But the Yang family did not see it that way. They simply believed Lin Xiao Tian had obtained something extraordinary.
"Lin Xiao Tian, if you don't hand that over, you're banned from Kunlun Valley from now on."
Lin Xiao Tian was also incensed. "Then I guarantee that your Yang family will never obtain anything from Kunlun Valley again. Kunlun Valley will forever be merely a display for the Yang family."