The person before him had fierce eyes and a savage expression, his lips slightly parted as if he were scolding someone.
His right eye was tightly shut, while his left eye socket was completely empty.
That eye had been gouged out by someone, leaving only a dark, pitch-black hole.
He had an incredibly imposing build, with shoulders as broad as an iron tower. Even though he had been dead for countless years, his standing figure still exuded a mountain-like pressure.
Though the luxurious golden robe was covered in dust, it could not hide the intricate embroidery, hinting at his once-illustrious status.
A remnant surviving a thousand autumns, a body unyielding to decay through a hundred generations...
This was an expert of the Xiantian Divine Ability Rank! Even a Xiantian expert... died in this Blessed Land!
Shen Xiuhan's heart raced, a shiver of dread washing over him.
He stood silently for a moment to suppress his racing thoughts before lowering his gaze to the left hand of the golden-robed corpse.
It was a large-boned hand.
In its palm, the fingers tightly gripped an iron feather fan, refusing to let go even in death.
The iron fan was made of dozens of overlapping iron feathers, glinting with a cold, eerie light that overlapped with the pale gold glow of the system.
“The spiritual artifact of the fifth peak master of Divine General Peak, Gao Qiguang... the Yangming Xun Wind Fan!”
Shen Xiuhan exhaled slowly. Without further hesitation, he reached out to grab the iron fan.
To his surprise, before his fingers could even touch it, the seemingly lifeless iron fan suddenly shuddered. It transformed into a streak of gray light, slipping through the fingers of the golden-robed corpse and nimbly darning behind its back, hiding itself completely!
“Huh?”
Shen Xiuhan was taken aback and instinctively reached out to grab it again.
Swoosh!
The iron fan was as agile as a startled fish, instantly darting to the other shoulder of the golden-robed corpse.
Immediately after, it actually pointed its fan handle toward Shen Xiuhan from behind the corpse and gave it a gentle wiggle.
The way it behaved... was exactly like a mischievous child making a funny face and then turning around to slap their buttocks twice.
It was absolute mockery!
Shen Xiuhan was stunned for a moment, then burst into a frustrated laugh.
“What a cheeky fan, daring to tease me! Let's see you dodge this time!”
As soon as the words left his mouth,
Shen Xiuhan focused his mind, and a sudden golden light flared deep within his left pupil.
The Muxu Eye!
In an instant, the flowing light and shadows in his field of vision slowed down.
The iron fan's trajectory as it darted and dodged unfolded before him like silk being unraveled thread by thread. Every turn and every burst of speed became clearly discernible, exposing all of its flaws!
Shen Xiuhan sneered, preparing to reach out and seize it.
But the iron fan suddenly shattered violently and froze in place, completely motionless!
In the next moment, like a lost child suddenly spotting their father in a vast crowd, it let out a silent cheer of joy and swished toward Shen Xiuhan!
“What are you doing—whoa!”
Shen Xiuhan was startled and instinctively tried to dodge.
However, the iron fan merely flew around his body three times in rapid succession. Its gray light swirled, and its iron feathers rustled softly, stirring up a clear, bell-like breeze.
Then, it slipped into Shen Xiuhan's palm of its own accord, settling down quietly.
The fan trembled slightly. Though it did not speak a word, Shen Xiuhan could clearly sense the emotion it was conveying.
It was joy!
The joy of a long-awaited reunion, of finally finding a home!
Shen Xiuhan's heart stirred. After pondering for a couple of breaths, realization dawned on him.
Is it because of the Muxu Eye?
The Divine General Muxu Upper Radiance Scripture is the legacy divine ability of Divine General Peak. Since this spiritual artifact possesses a spirit, it must have recognized the cultivation technique I practice and acknowledged me as its master on its own.
As Shen Xiuhan pondered, he raised his eyes to look around.
Apart from this corpse and the fan, the grand hall was completely empty.
Even the expected tables, prayer mats, and incense burners were nowhere to be seen, as if they had been looted clean long ago.
Shen Xiuhan withdrew his gaze and calculated the time.
The crowd below the mountain had probably made it past the mountainside by now. If he didn't leave soon, he would run straight into them.
He turned and walked toward the hall doors.
Just as he took two steps, Shen Xiuhan paused and turned back to look at the corpse.
The man still stood there, his right eye tightly shut, his left eye socket empty, his expression as savage as before.
Shen Xiuhan remained silent for a brief moment before waving his sleeve, storing the corpse into his storage bag.
He considered himself half a successor of the Diaohai Blessed Land.
Since he had obtained the legacy of Divine General Peak and taken this senior's spiritual artifact, collecting his remains and giving him a proper burial was only fitting as a show of respect from a junior.
Having done this, Shen Xiuhan delayed no further. With a flash of his figure, he swept out of the hall doors.
The moment he stepped outside, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the stone stairs in the distance, approaching rapidly.
They're fast!
Shen Xiuhan raised an eyebrow slightly, feeling a bit surprised.
According to his earlier estimates, the crowd below should have reached the mountainside at most.
Yet judging by the noise, they were already nearing the summit.
This meant... from the moment they entered the mountain, they had a clear objective and headed straight for this place.
They hadn't stopped at any of the caves or pavilions along the way.
“Brother, look!”
Wang Xuanmin stepped onto the final stone stair, his gaze immediately crossing the plaza in front of the hall and locking onto the white flower swaying in the wind.
“That's...”
Wang Xuanliang squinted, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes. Then, his pupils contracted, and he blurted out,
“The Wanling Flower?!”
“Yes!”
Wang Xuanmin's breathing suddenly grew heavy.
He instinctively took a step forward, a sharp light glinting in his eyes.
“It's the life-preserving divine flower once exclusive to the imperial palace of the former Dayang Dynasty, the Wanling Flower! Rumor has it that consuming just a single petal can forcefully sustain a person's life for forty-nine hours, no matter how severe the injury, as long as a single breath remains! And here... there is an entire plant!”
An entire Wanling Flower plant meant it could be cultivated!
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the near-overflowing ecstasy in each other's eyes.
As long as they secured this entire Wanling Flower plant and took it out to carefully cultivate it in a place with a spiritual vein, their Wang family would have a continuous harvest of this flower!
Life-saving items had always been priceless and extremely rare.
With the Wanling Flower in hand, they would have the ultimate bargaining chip when exchanging techniques, spiritual materials, or favors with other major powers in the future.
“This is a clan-stabilizing treasure!”
Wang Xuanliang took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the agitation in his heart, and said in a low voice,
“We must take—”
Swoosh!
Before he could finish his sentence, a gray shadow suddenly swept out from the side, fast as a specter, darting straight down the mountain!
“Who's there!”
Both Wang Xuanliang and Wang Xuanmin were Huajin Rank experts, and their reactions were incredibly swift.
As their true qi surged, they both drew their weapons at the same time.
Right at that moment,
Whoosh!
A bag of lime powder was thrown right at their faces, creating a blinding white cloud that covered them completely.
“Despicable coward!”
Wang Xuanliang roared in anger!
His shout carried the power of sound waves, exploding like a clap of thunder and instantly blowing away the scattering lime powder.
As the white mist cleared, the two finally caught a clear glimpse of the person's face.
He was of medium build, wearing dusty gray robes, with composed features and a slightly dark complexion.
Wang Xuanmin stared at that face. The light in his eyes flickered rapidly as if he had suddenly realized something. His expression changed drastically, and he said,
“Brother! The sudden opening of the grand array was likely this person's doing! The treasures in the hall... have probably all been taken by him!”
“What?!”
Wang Xuanliang was deeply shaken. He shifted his stance instantly, his figure shooting forward like an arrow released from a bow!
“I'll give chase! Second Brother, you secure the Wanling Flower!”
Pushing his movement technique to the absolute limit, he leaped onto the mountain path in a few bounds.
Looking up, the gray shadow was already over a hundred zhang away, hurtling down the mountain without looking back at an unbelievably fast speed.
“Thief! Where do you think you're going!”
Wang Xuanliang bellowed, channeling more force into his feet as he prepared to give chase with everything he had.
Right at this moment, yet another figure darted out from the pavilions below.
The person lightly tapped his toes, bypassing the pursuing Wang Xuanliang and landing on the summit platform in a few leaps.
This person had a tall, slender build, a long saber hanging at his waist, and an aura as sharp as a sword drawn from its sheath!
He was none other than the candidate for the leadership of the Raging Sea Sect—
Pei Heng!
The moment he reached the summit, his gaze locked firmly onto the white flower swaying in the wind, and he exclaimed in delight,
“It really is the Wanling Flower!”
Before his voice could fade,
Clang!
The clear chime of a saber tore through the air!
A white blade-glow flared on the saber's body, slashing toward Wang Xuanmin like a streak of white silk across the sky!
“Get the hell out of here! This treasure belongs to our Raging Sea Sect!”
Boom!
Atop the summit, the sounds of clashing weapons and angry roars instantly erupted!
Waves of energy surged, and flashes of blades and swords intertwined into a chaotic blur.
Having only chased a short distance, Wang Xuanliang halted his steps, freezing in his tracks.
He looked back at the two men fighting fiercely on the summit, then turned to look at the gray figure that was about to disappear at the edge of his vision.
Wang Xuanliang's teeth ground together with a grating sound. His face twisted into a savage scowl as he hissed,
“Run! Just run!”
Tightening his grip on his saber hilt, he squeezed the words through his teeth,
“I've already memorized your face!”
“Just you wait!”
“I will turn this entire Blessed Land upside down to drag you out of your mouse hole!”
Roaring in impotent fury like an enraged, cornered beast, he spun around and charged back toward the summit.
“Pei! You're fucking asking for death!”
Rate on N.U.
