You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

The air was thick with the pungent stench of blood and acrid burning, and traces of magical burning or explosions could be seen in some places. The surviving cultivators had vanished without a trace; it was unknown whether they had ventured deeper into the core area or hidden in more secluded locations.

The entire camp was deathly silent, except for the morning breeze that carried a few pieces of blood-stained cloth and ashes.

Looking at this scene of carnage, Liu Piaopiao frowned and whispered.

"So many people died... There must have been another great battle last night. What a pity, if only these people could have entered our blessed land alive..."

Chen Yang glanced at the corpses, his eyes calm, and replied.

"Your idea is good. Rather than letting them die here and turn into bones, we should lend them a hand at a crucial moment and give them a chance to live and start over."

This is indeed a more efficient and discreet method of 'recruiting'.

Liu Piaopiao was taken aback for a moment, then realized what was happening.

"You mean... we rescued them while the monsters were attacking, and then took them directly into the blessed land?"

"Exactly."

Chen Yang nodded.

"Risks and opportunities coexist. The Trial Grounds are inherently dangerous, with monsters attacking the camp every night, resulting in heavy casualties."

If we can secretly open a 'path to survival'—that is, the entrance to our blessed land—when the monsters are attacking most fiercely and everyone is in despair, we can 'guide' some of the people who are being chased by monsters and are on the verge of death into it.

For them, it was a chance to escape from a desperate situation.

For us, it was a successful recruitment.

To the outside world, these people were simply 'missing' or 'killed by monsters,' and would not arouse any suspicion.

Liu Piaopiao's eyes lit up, but then she looked worried.

"This method sounds good, but... it's too difficult to implement!"

First, how to precisely control who to guide and who not to guide? Second, the timing and location of opening the entrance must be extremely precise, allowing people to escape while preventing too many people from discovering it at the same time, otherwise it will be easily exposed.

Third, and most importantly, what if... what if some monsters also rush in? Although you say your world can control them, if there are too many, or if particularly powerful mutants get in and cause damage or even multiply, wouldn't our blessed land be in trouble?

Chen Yang had clearly thought about these issues, he said slowly.

Your concerns are valid.

Regarding the selection of participants, we cannot conduct a precise screening; we can only set a general 'threshold'—for example, only those who, while being chased by monsters, manage to escape to a certain range near the entrance we have set.

This is a kind of selection process in itself; those who can escape there must at least have decent speed, reaction time, and will to survive.

As for control and timing, this requires close coordination and acting according to circumstances. We can choose to act in the latter part of the attack, when the crowd is scattered, fighting independently, and panic reaches its peak. The entrance can be made smaller, more concealed, and even disguised.

He paused, then continued.

"As for the issue of monsters following us in... we do need to be careful. We can open the entrance at a relatively high or tricky location to increase the difficulty for monsters to enter."

At the same time, I will make emergency preparations inside the entrance. If any monsters accidentally enter, I will immediately use the authority of the Realm Lord and the power of Li Rou to instantly annihilate them near the entrance and never allow them to penetrate deeper into this realm.

As long as we cooperate well and seize the right opportunity, the risks are manageable.

After listening to Chen Yang's logical analysis, Liu Piaopiao's concerns lessened considerably, but she still felt that the plan was quite bold and full of uncertainties.

She bit her lip and looked at Chen Yang.

“Your idea is good, but... I still feel unsure about putting it into practice.”

Moreover, how could so many people simply 'disappear' without a scratch? Wouldn't that arouse suspicion? Last night at the immortal abode ruins, although the people disappeared, at least there was a ruin to cover it up; people would guess that some kind of restriction had been triggered. But if it were in an open area, a group of people vanishing into thin air…”

Chen Yang smiled slightly.

"Who said they have to be completely unharmed? We'll only save a portion, and the rest... we'll just let them be killed or scattered by the monsters as they normally are."

In this way, survivors and those who come after will only think that a brutal massacre occurred here; some escaped, some died, and some went missing. This is common in any large-scale demonic calamity or war in the lower realm, and no one will investigate further. What we need to do is keep the proportion of 'guides' within a reasonable and inconspicuous range.”

After thinking about it carefully, Liu Piaopiao realized that it was indeed true.

In large-scale battles, it's common for people to go missing or remain missing, their fate unknown.

If they act discreetly and quickly enough, this plan... seems quite feasible!
She took a deep breath, a resolute glint in her eyes.

"Fine! I'll risk my life to accompany you!"
Let's give it a try! But where exactly should we implement it? How do we find our targets?

Seeing that Liu Piaopiao had been persuaded, Chen Yang felt reassured and said...

"There's no need to go out of your way to find any immortal abodes or ruins to set traps anymore. That's inefficient and leaves a trail. We'll just take advantage of the monsters' nightly raids. Tonight, we'll find a place that's crowded, relatively 'safe,' but still has a 'way out' of escape."

Liu Piaopiao immediately understood Chen Yang's thinking.

"You mean, we go scout out the location beforehand, pick a spot, and then... wait for them to come to us?"

"Yes."

Chen Yang nodded.

"Moreover, we should choose places that appear easy to defend and difficult to attack, or places with an escape route. This will make it easier to attract a large number of trial participants to gather overnight, making them prime targets for monster attacks. We will blend in among them and wait for the right opportunity."

The two hit it off immediately and set off without delay, heading deeper into the core area.

They need to find a suitable "hunting ground" before dark.

They traversed mountains and valleys, avoiding areas where there were still sporadic battles or eerie atmospheres, and also saw many other trial participants who were in a hurry and extremely vigilant.

Finally, as the sun began to set, they arrived at an area with a rather unique terrain.

This is a depression surrounded by mountains on three sides, with its exit facing east, connecting to a relatively wide valley. The interior of the depression is flat and open, large enough to accommodate thousands of people for camping. The steep cliffs behind it are difficult to climb, forming a natural barrier.

More importantly, at the northwest corner of the depression, at the bottom of the cliff, there is an inconspicuous crack, half-hidden by vines, which seems to lead into the interior of the mountain, like a possible escape route.

On the southeast side of the depression, the terrain is slightly higher, with a rocky slope offering a relatively good view overlooking most of the depression.

"This place is nice."

Chen Yang observed for a moment and nodded.

"Surrounded by mountains on three sides, it is easy to defend and difficult to attack. The exit is wide and convenient for advancing and retreating. The mountain crevice can also give people a little 'hope', which easily attracts people to come here to spend the night in groups."

Moreover, this rocky slope is in a very good location; it's relatively isolated yet offers a good view of the overall area, making our movements convenient.

Liu Piaopiao also looked at the surroundings carefully and expressed her agreement.

"It is indeed more 'ideal' than the hillside we stayed on last night."

The place is big enough that more people might come.

"That crevice in the mountain...can we make use of it?" Chen Yang walked to the crevice, parted the vines and looked inside. It was dark and deep inside, and he didn't know where it led.

He stepped back and shook his head.

“We won’t use it. Our real ‘entrance’ can’t be in a place with obvious markings, where it’s easy for people to remember and explore. We’ll open it there….”

He pointed to a dark corner in the rocky slope near the base of the cliff, where several huge rocks intersect, creating a shadowy blind spot.

“The view is obstructed there, it’s quite secluded, and it’s a bit far from the ‘escape crevice,’ so it’s not easy for people to make that connection.”

Chen Yang explained.

"We'll stay on that rocky slope tonight."

If someone comes and sees the high terrain and the large rocks providing cover, they will likely camp nearby, but they won't go too close to that blind spot.

Liu Piaopiao nodded.

"Shall we wait here now? It's only a few hours until dark, and people should start coming to find a place to spend the night."

Chen Yang replied.

"We have to wait, but we need to make some preparations."

He looked around, his gaze settling on the vicinity of the "escape crevice".

“Piaopiao, you’re worried that if no one comes here, the monsters might not focus their attacks, or the attacks might not be strong enough to achieve our goal of ‘rescuing people,’ right?”

Liu Piaopiao nodded.

"That's a concern. What if the monsters go off to attack somewhere else tonight, or just come here as a small group to cause trouble? Wouldn't we have waited for nothing?"

"So, we need to add a little 'attractiveness'."

A slight smile appeared on Chen Yang's lips as he took out several relatively intact red and white monster corpses that he had casually collected the previous night from his storage artifact.

Even after a night had passed, the corpses still emitted a strong stench and lingering malevolent aura.

What are you going to do?

Liu Piaopiao was puzzled.

“Leave them here, especially near that crevice in the mountain and the edge of the depression.”

Chen Yang spoke as he worked.

"When the trial participants see a large number of monster corpses here, they may think that a fierce battle once took place here, so it may be relatively 'safe'. On the other hand, the residual monster aura may also attract monsters that roam at night to 'return to the old place' or be stimulated by the aura of their own kind dying, increasing the possibility and intensity of attacks on this place."

It's like... a decoy.

Liu Piaopiao's eyes lit up as she listened.

"Wonderful!"
This way, you can both attract people and 'summon' monsters—it's killing two birds with one stone!
Brother Chen, you're really quick-witted!

Chen Yang smiled and began to act.

He carefully scattered several monster corpses near the mountain crevice, the entrance to the depression, and some conspicuous locations, deliberately creating the illusion that a fierce battle had taken place here and both sides had suffered heavy losses.

After doing all this, the two cleaned up the traces they had left behind, and then quickly retreated to the chosen shadowy corner of the rocky slope. They each found a rock to lean against, concealed their breathing, and waited quietly.

Time passed slowly, and the afterglow of the setting sun dyed the mountains golden. Sure enough, not long after, Liu Piaopiao suddenly nudged Chen Yang's arm gently and whispered.

"Brother Chen, look ahead, someone's coming!"

Chen Yang looked in the direction she indicated and saw seven or eight figures appearing indistinctly at the entrance on the east side of the depression. They cautiously explored their surroundings and soon discovered the monster corpses on the ground, letting out low gasps. After discussing it for a while, they chose a relatively clean open space in the center of the depression to set up a simple guard post and rest area.

"It seems we chose a good location."

Chen Yang said softly.

Liu Piaopiao was somewhat expectant.

"That depends on how many people can come."

As if to confirm her words, in the next hour or two, many more trial teams or lone travelers discovered this depression.

Seeing the advantageous terrain and the traces of battles fought by "predecessors," many people chose to settle here.

Soon, dozens of people gathered in the depression, and the number continued to increase. People spontaneously formed small groups, maintaining a wary distance from each other, but being in the same place also created a faint sense of security due to the sheer number of people.

Just as Chen Yang and Liu Piaopiao were silently observing and estimating the number of people, three figures suddenly broke away from the crowd below and walked straight towards the rocky slope where they were.

Chen Yang and Liu Piaopiao exchanged a glance, slightly alert, but did not make a move.

The three men quickly approached, the leader being a young man with a slightly weathered face and a steady gaze.

He stopped a short distance in front of Chen Yang, clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, and spoke with great sincerity.

"Fellow Daoist, thank you for saving us last night. Otherwise, my two fellow disciples and I would probably have perished in the demon's jaws."

Chen Yang was taken aback upon hearing this and carefully examined the three people—two men and one woman. One of the young men had a calm demeanor, while the other was somewhat unruly. The young woman had delicate features and her face still showed gratitude and lingering fear.

He quickly recalled that when he killed the first red monster last night, he had casually saved these three people!
The situation was chaotic at the time, and he didn't pay much attention. He never expected that they would not only survive but also meet here.

"Is it you?"

Chen Yang suddenly realized, and then waved his hand.

"Don't mention it, it was nothing. You survived because of your own abilities."

He didn't want to get too involved with these people he had "unexpectedly saved," lest it affect his plans for the night.

Another slightly unruly young man quickly stepped forward and said something.

"Fellow Daoist is too modest! That red demon last night was so ferocious that we were no match for it at all!"

If you hadn't shown up in time, we would have been dead long ago!
We will forever remember this life-saving grace!

The girl nodded vigorously, her gaze towards Chen Yang filled with gratitude.

Chen Yang didn't want to talk about this anymore and changed the subject.

"Are you also staying here overnight? There are quite a few people here, it's good to look out for each other."

The composed young man nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke again, his tone filled with anticipation.

"Fellow Daoist, I see your strength is formidable. Last night, you slayed demons as easily as cutting melons and vegetables... I wonder if my two fellow disciples and I could... join you tonight? Although our strength is not as great as yours, we are all at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage and have some knowledge of combined attack techniques. We certainly won't hold you back, and perhaps we can even provide some assistance." (End of Chapter)