"Hahaha! What incredible luck!"
Just then, a burst of laughter suddenly came from outside the hall. "We only heard that Spirit Void Grotto-Heaven had found some promising cultivation prospects and intended to take a few of them. Who would have thought there would be treasures too?"
"With treasures around, everyone who sees them gets a share!"
Streams of light streaked through the air as more than a dozen figures descended one after another. They strode into the hall laughing, utterly unconcerned by the livid expressions of Spirit Void Grotto-Heaven's people.
"Eh? They truly possess exceptional spiritual aptitude. Fine prospects indeed!"
An old man whose robes bore cauldron patterns swept his gaze over Zhou Yi and the others, and his eyes immediately lit up.
"Not bad! Not bad!"
The others who had entered also looked at Zhou Yi and the rest, nodding in praise.
"Very well. Now all Six Great Sects of Yan are present."
The old man in the cauldron-patterned robes glanced around the hall and addressed everyone. "You of Spirit Void Grotto-Heaven need not dream of keeping these fine talents all to yourselves. As for the treasures, naturally everyone gets a share."
"Exactly! If Spirit Void wants to keep everything for itself, it must first ask whether our Golden Dawn agrees."
"Purple Sun Grotto-Heaven shares that opinion."
The others voiced their agreement as well.
"Damn it!"
The people of Spirit Void Grotto-Heaven wore extremely unpleasant expressions. Yet under the combined pressure of the other five sects, they knew monopolizing everything was no longer possible. Naturally, they had to fight for the greatest possible benefit.
"It is not impossible for you to have a share. However..."
The leading old man of Spirit Void Grotto-Heaven spoke loudly. "We brought these people back, after all. We must choose first."
"Why should you?"
"Is Spirit Void Grotto-Heaven so impressive just because you submitted to a sacred land? If you want a fight, then let us fight!"
The moment they heard the old man's words, the others immediately objected.
"Hold on!"
The old man in cauldron-patterned robes spoke up. "Do not rush. Set aside the matter of dividing the people for now. Bring out the treasure first and let us see it!"
"Right! They nearly fooled us!"
"Exactly! Bring out the treasure first!"
Prompted by the cauldron-patterned old man, everyone's attention immediately shifted to the treasure.
"Immortal Masters, the treasure you seek is in his hands."
Liu Yunzhi desperately wanted Zhou Yi to suffer. Seeing the situation, he hurriedly pointed Zhou Yi out.
In Liu Yunzhi's view, if Zhou Yi voluntarily handed the treasure over to a sect, he might even receive special cultivation from that sect. That was naturally the last thing Liu Yunzhi wanted to see.
Now that the Six Great Sects were fighting over it, no matter which sect Zhou Yi gave the treasure to, he would offend the other five. He was bound to meet a bad end. Liu Yunzhi's objective would be achieved.
"The treasure is in your hands?"
The people from the other Five Great Sects all turned to Zhou Yi, their gazes fixed tightly upon him.
"Damn it! It has come back to me again."
Zhou Yi's face turned pale. Although he had the Supreme Heavenly Book, although he had already been reborn, he was still fundamentally just an ordinary mortal. He was far too inferior to these cultivators who could fly through the heavens and burrow through the earth. He had no power to resist at all!
The Energy Points he had gained from the damaged Buddhist Artifacts on Mars had already been completely used up when he exchanged them for one-time-use skills to deal with the Divine Crocodile attack. At this moment, Zhou Yi did not even have the chance to exchange for a one-time-use skill to escape.
What should I do?
Zhou Yi's heart pounded wildly, and he was at a complete loss.
"Kid, what treasure is it? Hand it over at once!"
The old man in cauldron-patterned robes roared at Zhou Yi. His beard and hair bristled, and murderous intent surged from him.
"Hmph, do you intend to conceal it? Even if you would rather die than submit, we have methods to search your soul and seize your spirit!"
An old woman with a sinister expression extended a withered finger toward Zhou Yi and sneered.
"Stop wasting words on him! Just kill him. Once we seize his soul, we can find the treasure no matter where he hid it."
An old man with a bronzed face drew a long saber covered in jagged teeth with a clang and pointed it at Zhou Yi.
Thick black smoke coiled around the saber. Within the smoke, agonized faces appeared again and again, wailing in pain. Waves of shrill screams rang out like ghosts crying and wolves howling, sinister and terrifying beyond measure.
"Ah..."
Li Xiaoman and the others had never seen anything so horrifying. They immediately screamed in fright, their faces drained of color as they staggered backward.
"Searching souls and seizing spirits? Are those all souls?"
Seeing the faces appearing on the saber, Zhou Yi shuddered all over. No matter how scheming or strong-willed he was, faced with such unimaginable and terrifying methods, he still trembled in fear.
"Kid, will you hand it over or not?"
The black-smoke-covered saber slowly rose. Endless killing intent shone from the old man's eyes, and his savage, violent aura shook the heart.
"I will count to three. After three counts, if you still refuse to hand over the treasure, this old man will take your life and extract your soul."
The old man waved the saber in his hand. Faces screaming miserably flashed continuously across it. Pointing at the faces in the black smoke, he said with a cold smile, "When that time comes, your soul will be just like theirs, suffering day and night, better off dead than alive!"
"Kid, have you thought it through?"
"Three..."
"Two..."
What should I do? What should I do?
Zhou Yi was drenched in sweat, his face deathly pale.
"Your Majesty, have you forgotten the Dao Ancestor again?"
In his mind, the Heavenly Book Spirit manifested and reminded Zhou Yi.
"The Dao Ancestor? Had he not already left? Damn it, how could I forget? The Dao Ancestor possesses vast divine powers. With a single thought, he can roam heaven and earth. No matter how far away he is, can he not arrive in an instant? Hahaha, I am saved!"
Zhou Yi found a lifeline. He immediately fell to his knees and prayed in his heart, Patriarch above, your disciple Zhou Yi bows to you with utmost sincerity. This disciple is trapped in a desperate situation. Please save me, Patriarch!
"Hm? He knelt?"
The bronzed-faced old man was about to count "one" when he suddenly saw Zhou Yi kneel and repeatedly kowtow. He immediately stopped.
"Kid, since you have yielded, this old man is not a cruel and ruthless man either. Hand over the treasure, and sparing your life will not be difficult!"
The bronzed-faced old man looked down at Zhou Yi and said with a cold smile.
"Spare my life? Soon enough, we will see whose life is being spared."
Zhou Yi sneered inwardly. Still kneeling, he straightened his upper body, raised both hands above his head, then prostrated himself fully on the ground and cried out, "Patriarch, save me!"
Yet Li Yu was in a difficult position as well.
He witnessed the scene and was furious, but... he was too far away.
Even flying on a beam of light, it would take him more than an hour to reach Zhou Yi. By the time Li Yu got there, Zhou Yi would not even have a few bones left.
"Damn it! I finally found a host and spent so much effort on him. He has not even produced any returns, and I have not even recouped my investment, yet he is about to be slaughtered? This is utterly outrageous!"
Cold light flashed from Li Yu's eyes as fury surged within him. "You pieces of trash, how dare you touch my man?"