Deep within Buzhou Mountain, an innate grand formation suddenly manifested within a valley, releasing strands of innate treasure light.
Following the resonance, Cihang rapidly approached the valley.
As Cihang drew closer to the spiritual treasure, the treasure light within the formation grew ever more dazzling.
The previously unremarkable valley immediately drew the attention of every cultivator nearby, and they all raced toward it.
Some cultivators who had been closer had already entered the valley.
Looking at the innate grand formation, although they knew it was not yet time for the spiritual treasure to emerge, they still began attacking the formation.
They understood that the innate treasure light had already leaked out. If they waited any longer, it would only attract more and more cultivators.
By then, their hopes of seizing the treasure would be exceedingly slim.
But this was, after all, an innate grand formation. How could cultivators no stronger than Taiyi possibly break it?
Instead, they triggered even more intense treasure light, its spiritual radiance shooting straight into the heavens.
Like a beacon, that treasure light drew crowds of cultivators together to fight over it.
Cihang's connection to the spiritual treasure grew increasingly clear, and he also saw the treasure light soaring into the sky.
This is bad!
Cihang could not help but feel his heart sink.
Then he saw streams of escape light rise all around him, all speeding toward the treasure light.
Cihang had originally thought he would obtain a spiritual treasure without trouble. He had not expected such a turn of events.
With the treasure light exposed, countless complications were bound to arise.
Even so, Cihang had no intention of giving up and continued racing toward the treasure light.
At the same time, he secretly heightened his guard against the cultivators traveling alongside him to seize the treasure.
At this moment, they were not fellow Daoists, but rivals and enemies.
Everyone knew that Buzhou Mountain was rich in spiritual treasures.
Yet innate spiritual treasures were all protected by formations. Without sufficient fortune or the right timing, one might gain nothing even after hundreds of millions of years.
In the end, only a small number could truly gain anything from Buzhou Mountain.
Even so, it could not stop those cultivators from flocking to it.
There were several circumstances under which spiritual treasures emerged.
The first was like Cihang's earlier experience: the Gourd Vine sensed where its own vitality lay and took the initiative to draw Cihang over.
Because the Gourd Vine's origin was nearly extinguished, it produced no phenomenon and did not alert any other cultivators.
Another circumstance was when a spiritual treasure encountered its fated master and emerged on its own to acknowledge them.
Such a treasure's emergence would not cause much commotion, and once it appeared, it would immediately acknowledge its master.
Then there was the case where the time had ripened and the spiritual treasure emerged on its own.
Such a treasure would inevitably bloom with countless rays of treasure light, drawing powerful figures into a struggle for it.
Every time a spiritual treasure emerged, countless cultivators were destined to perish because of it.
Only the final victor would possess all the opportunities and blessings.
Just like this time.
This treasure should not have emerged at this time. It had been affected by the aura of the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil, showing signs of an early emergence.
As the master of the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil, Cihang had formed a trace of connection with this spiritual treasure, though it was still far from the level of a fated master.
Naturally, he could not conceal the treasure's radiance.
As Cihang sped onward, a sudden chill ran through his body, and the Jade Divine Seal instantly flew out of his hand.
Bang!
The next instant, the divine seal smashed through a patch of space, bursting into silver-violet light.
"Who is it?"
Cihang stopped and turned around, his gaze cold as he stared into the space before him.
What answered Cihang was a sky full of flying needle spiritual treasures.
"Wood Spirit Divine Thunder, descend!"
Cihang shouted coldly, and thunderclouds instantly gathered as bolts of divine lightning fell.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Under the lightning, the endless flying needles rapidly dissolved, leaving behind a sickly sweet stench.
The lightning grew even fiercer and, in an instant, annihilated the flying needles filling the sky.
"Poisoned spirit needles? Since you refuse to show yourself, I'll beat you out into the open!"
With a thought from Cihang, the thunderclouds instantly swelled. At the same time, the Jade Divine Seal flew out and smashed down toward the space ahead.
A silver-haired young man with a sinister aura materialized out of thin air and struck the Jade Divine Seal with his palm.
Bang!
The giant palm shattered, while the Jade Divine Seal flew back into Cihang's hand.
"Hmph, you actually destroyed my Hidden Spirit Needles!"
The sinister young man roared in fury. Countless phantom spirit serpents formed in the surrounding space and charged straight at Cihang.
"Golden Immortal Peak! Who are you, and why did you ambush me without cause?"
Cihang shouted coldly as well. The Wood Spirit Divine Thunder instantly wiped out the myriad spirit serpents and continued crashing down toward the young man.
"Do I need a reason to kill you? A mid-stage Golden Immortal like you—what right do you have to compete for the treasure?"
The silver-haired young man's voice was icy. Divine light bloomed around him, transforming into countless silver scales that protected him like armor.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The Wood Spirit Divine Thunder crashed down upon the scales, exploding into streams of light.
Cihang also activated the Jade Divine Seal once more, sending it crashing down upon the scale armor.
"Not bad techniques, but your cultivation is lacking! You cannot break my Silver Scale Holy Armor."
The young man pointed a finger, and half of the scales suddenly split off, transforming into blades that shot straight toward Cihang.
"World-Purifying Divine Light!"
Holy light rose from Cihang's body and swept toward the scale spiritual treasure.
"Puff! Puff! Puff!"
The moment they encountered the Holy Light of Purification, those scales reacted as though they had met their natural bane.
The aura upon them was rapidly dissolved and purified.
"You have repeatedly dared to damage my spiritual treasures. You deserve to die!"
The young man instantly flew into a rage, then waved his hand and unleashed a thick fog that gave off a strange, sickly sweet smell as it spread toward Cihang.
Cihang's face was filled with disdain. The Holy Light of Purification instantly purified the poison fog the young man relied upon.
The Holy Light of Purification was Cihang's innate divine ability, and it was especially effective against such sinister poisonous things.
"No, that's impossible!"
Seeing his spiritual treasure poison fog repeatedly restrained, the young man lost his previous arrogance.
The young man's poison fog was indeed extraordinary, but he had encountered Cihang.
Cihang had no interest in continuing a stalemate with him.
"Five Elements Creation Divine Thunder, descend!"
Cihang changed his hand seals, and the Wood Spirit Divine Thunder instantly evolved into the Five Elements Creation Divine Thunder.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Endless five-colored divine lightning crashed down, and the silver scales shattered in response.
The young man's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly spat out a natal spirit pearl to reinforce the Silver Scale Holy Armor's defenses.
Yet it was still useless. The scale armor continued to break apart, and even the spirit pearl's radiance began to dim.
"No! How can you possess such a lightning divine ability?"
The young man was utterly panicked. He had only intended to clear away obstacles in his path to the treasure.
Everything had gone smoothly before this. He had never expected a mid-stage Golden Immortal like Cihang to possess such combat strength.
"Someone destined to perish has no need to know!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Cihang guided the spell with his hand seals, and the Five Elements Creation Divine Thunder surged in power, instantly obliterating the young cultivator.
When the lightning faded, only the corpse of a hundred-zhang silver giant python remained where he had stood.
"How much longer do you intend to hide? Are you waiting for another chance to strike?"
Cihang shouted once again.
"Fellow Daoist Cihang, you misunderstand. I bear no ill will!"
A youth dressed in a crimson dragon robe emerged from the shadows.
"Ao Qin? It was actually you?"
Cihang had not expected the one who emerged to be an old acquaintance.
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