"Good heavens!"
"This is a free-for-all."
From atop a treetop, Li Yun took in the entire scene, unable to suppress his deep emotions.
They had initially formed their own separate camps, but the arrival of San Xiao and Nanjixianweng had directly turned things into Chan and Jie Sects disciples joining forces against outsiders.
Although there were quite a few True Immortal Realm cultivators among the Rogue Cultivators, they were clearly unable to withstand the combined assault of the orthodox Xuanmen cultivators from the Chan and Jie Sects and had begun retreating.
More than that, Li Yun faintly sensed that this might be an opportunity.
After all, the Chan and Jie Sects disciples were currently focused on dealing with those Rogue Cultivators. No one was guarding the now-mature Gourd Vine and its gourds.
"Interesting!"
"Since a Fortuitous Encounter has delivered itself to my door, I naturally can't miss it!"
"Transform for me!"
Having made up his mind, Li Yun activated the Transformation Art of the Seventy-Two Transformations with a thought.
The next second, Li Yun transformed into a sparrow. After concealing all his aura, he spread his wings and shot toward the mountaintop.
Before long, Li Yun arrived within the mountaintop area.
Spells continued to clash. The Rogue Cultivators' defeat was already inevitable, while the Chan and Jie Sects disciples had begun drawing clear lines between themselves, evidently preparing for the conflict to come.
Yet after only a few glances, Li Yun withdrew his gaze and looked instead toward the Gourd Vine.
At that very instant, Li Yun sensed that something was wrong.
The three gourds were normal enough, but the Gourd Vine was not. Though it appeared rooted in the soil, he could vaguely make out special Divine Patterns around its roots.
The Divine Patterns were tiny, yet they radiated terrifying power. They did not belong to the Gourd Vine itself and seemed to be residual traces left behind by someone else.
"Could this Gourd Vine have been planted here by someone?"
"If so, how could the barrier have shattered? Such powerful Divine Patterns were left behind by a cultivator at least at the level of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal, perhaps even higher."
Li Yun's emotions churned at that moment.
He had intended to reap the benefits after the others fought, but now that he had noticed something unusual about the Gourd Vine, he truly hesitated over whether to get involved.
Just then, Li Yun suddenly felt a chill run through his entire body. He vaguely sensed two incomparably powerful and unfathomable streams of divine sense sweep over him.
Though they vanished in an instant, Li Yun still caught them. The vastness of those two auras was comparable to that of his master, Laozi.
"Could this be..."
His pupils contracted as Li Yun abruptly looked toward the main range of Kunlun Mountain in the distance.
If his senses had not deceived him, those two streams of divine sense had to belong to Yuanshi Tianzun and Sect Master Tongtian.
Combined with the Divine Patterns on the Gourd Vine, the answer was self-evident.
The Gourd Vine had been created by Sect Master Tongtian and Yuanshi Tianzun. They had deliberately allowed the Chan Teachings and Jie Teachings disciples to discover this place, even drawing in some Rogue Cultivators.
Their purpose was likely the conflict between the Chan and Jie Sects disciples. Though they had previously agreed to hold the Three Teachings Exchange Conference, Yuanshi Tianzun and Sect Master Tongtian clearly had no intention of letting the matter rest. Or perhaps they had deliberately planned for the disciples of the Two Sects to fight, thereby improving their strength.
If that was the case, then the three gourds before them were the true fuse.
Whichever side, the Chan Teachings disciples or the Jie Teachings disciples, obtained more gourds would claim victory, and perhaps...
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"Interesting!"
"So this was a trial arranged by Saints?"
"This truly is unexpected. But if obtaining two of the three gourds means victory, why not leave one behind for a final showdown?"
With that thought, Li Yun made his decision.
Though it was a Saint's Trial, there was nothing wrong with taking something as long as he did not disrupt the outcome of the trial.
With that in mind, Li Yun no longer hesitated. With a thought, he transformed again through the Seventy-Two Transformations, directly taking the form of an eagle.
Having done so, Li Yun did not pause. He beat his wings and activated an escape technique from the Seventy-Two Transformations, diving down. Before the Chan Teachings disciples, Jie Teachings disciples, and Rogue Cultivators had decided a victor, he had already reached the three gourds borne by the Gourd Vine.
Sweeping his gaze across them, Li Yun directly snatched up the golden and black gourds, then spread his wings, soared into the sky, and sped away.
"Beast, how dare you!"
"Beast, court death!"
At this, all the Chan and Jie Sects disciples and Rogue Cultivators on the mountaintop saw red.
None of them had expected someone to reap the benefits at the end, and that it would even be an eagle without the slightest aura.
"No, that eagle is definitely no ordinary creature!"
Almost instantly, the Rogue Cultivators stopped hesitating. With a flash, they widened the distance between themselves and the Chan and Jie Sects disciples, then rode clouds in pursuit of Li Yun.
"This..."
"Senior Brother Nanjixianweng, what should we do?"
Within the Chan Teachings camp, the disciples looked at one another, then instinctively turned to Immortal Weng of the South Pole and waited for him to decide.
After all, only one gourd remained on the mountaintop, while the other two had been taken. If they gave chase, they would have to abandon the final gourd. But if they did not, they would have no chance of recovering the other two.
"Stay calm!"
Immortal Weng of the South Pole narrowed his eyes. Though fury burned within him, he could also sense that the eagle was extraordinary.
Giving chase now would likely result in greater losses than gains, perhaps even causing the Chan Teachings disciples to suffer injuries. The best choice was to remain here. Moreover, he vaguely sensed that this matter might have been deliberately arranged by his master, so they had to secure this last gourd.
"Big Brother, what should we do?"
On the other side, San Xiao also stared at the scene in astonishment before turning their gazes toward Zhao Gongming.
After all, whether to stay or leave was indeed a problem. They also vaguely understood that these three gourds concerned the victory or defeat between them and the Chan Teachings disciples.
"You three go after him!"
Taking a deep breath, Zhao Gongming looked toward San Xiao. "The three of you go together. Leave this place to me. I'll lead the rest of our junior brothers and sisters to defeat Nanjixianweng and the other Chan Teachings disciples and claim the final gourd."
"You three may pursue him, but be careful. That eagle is definitely not simple. I even suspect that he may be a cultivator. Take back the gourds if you get the chance, but if there is no opportunity, do not act rashly. Your safety comes first in all things."
"Alright!"
Hearing this, San Xiao exchanged glances and did not refuse.
Immediately afterward, the three sisters stopped hesitating and turned to pursue him on their clouds.
At the same time, Zhao Gongming and Nanjixianweng locked eyes. Battle intent erupted between them as they shouted in unison, "Fight!"
"Kill!"
The next second, the Chan Teachings disciples led by Immortal Weng of the South Pole and the Jie Teachings disciples led by Zhao Gongming clashed in battle. Zhao Gongming and Nanjixianweng's own battlefield gradually moved toward the last Red-Skinned Gourd.
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