The red-faced Daoist's voice boomed like thunder, shaking the pool until its waters churned. Waves of scorching heat crashed toward Dao Xuan, carrying a savage, tyrannical aura that seemed determined to crush him to dust.
Dao Xuan's blood and qi stirred slightly from the mana-infused sound waves, halting his movements as anger rose in his heart.
He steadied himself. His golden eyes opened and closed as his divine sense flashed out like lightning, instantly sweeping over the imposing red-faced Daoist on the cliff opposite him.
Late True Immortal!
His mana surged powerfully, and flames soared around him. His realm was indeed a full tier above Dao Xuan's Early True Immortal cultivation.
But!
Dao Xuan sneered inwardly, utterly fearless.
"Ha!"
A blatant, mocking curve formed at the corner of his lips. His voice was clear, yet rang with the resonance of metal and stone, piercing through the other party's violent sound waves.
"Guarding this place for ten thousand years? What a boast!"
Dao Xuan raised a hand and pointed from afar at the Nine-Orifice Transparent Jade Heart Tree shimmering with rosy light, then at the deep pool beneath his feet, and finally at himself as he proclaimed loudly:
"This Daoist took human form upon this island. When I was absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, tempering my bones and bloodline, you rogue cultivator who crawled out from who knows what backwater probably could not even tell which way the East Sea winds blew!
And you dare spout nonsense here and call yourself an ancestor?"
He paused, his gaze like blades as it swept across the red-faced Daoist's twisted crimson face. Then he scoffed.
"A mere Late True Immortal who has not even touched the threshold of Golden Immortal, and you dare put on airs before me?
The primordial world is vast indeed. Every stray cat and dog dares to jump out and claim to be some exalted ancestor!
With all that fire in you, your brain must have been burnt half senseless. 'Crimson Flame Old Ghost' suits you better!"
"You—!" When had the red-faced Daoist—no, Crimson Flame Ancestor—ever suffered such humiliation to his face?
Especially from a "junior" who was only an Early True Immortal!
He was so enraged that the Three Corpse Gods leaped in fury and smoke poured from his seven apertures. His crimson face nearly dripped blood as the flames around him exploded outward by several yards, illuminating half the cliff in blazing red!
"Junior, you seek death!" Crimson Flame Ancestor roared furiously. His sound waves condensed into tangible rings of fiery sound that exploded with a bang!
"Today, I will teach you that the difference in realms is a heavenly chasm!
I'll burn your primordial spirit, refine your true soul, and take this spiritual root and spiritual treasure for myself!"
Before his words had even faded, he suddenly reached out with one hand!
"Whoosh—!"
The void itself seemed to ignite as a huge palm formed entirely of crimson flames appeared out of thin air!
The palm was as large as a house, its five fingers spread wide. Flames raged upon it, containing terrifying heat capable of burning mountains and boiling seas, along with mana fluctuations that imprisoned space itself as it viciously grabbed down at Dao Xuan's head!
Before the giant flaming palm arrived, its scorching heat had already baked the reefs beneath Dao Xuan's feet red-hot. The pool water hissed as vast clouds of white mist rose from it!
"A heavenly chasm?" Faced with this fearsome attack, Dao Xuan showed no fear. Instead, blazing battle intent ignited in his eyes!
"Today, I'll open your eyes, you frog at the bottom of a well, and show you what it means to hold a spiritual treasure and possess the world!"
His thoughts raced as he instantly understood that the other party's killing intent had hardened. There was no room for compromise.
Retreat?
That would only encourage him to press his advantage, kill Dao Xuan, and seize his treasures!
Only battle remained!
"Mysterious Gold Law-Breaking Halberd, come!" Dao Xuan shouted sharply, his right hand closing around empty air.
"Buzz—!"
The Mysterious Gold Law-Breaking Halberd, which had been floating at his side and exhaling dark golden sharpness, let out a joyous yet chilling hum!
The foot-long halberd instantly transformed into a dark golden streak that tore through the sky and landed in Dao Xuan's hand!
The halberd shaft was icy cold in his grasp. Twenty-seven Innate Restrictions shimmered across it as an unmatched sharp intent, capable of severing all things and shattering every law, soared into the heavens.
In an instant, it tore open a gap in the scorching pressure brought by Crimson Flame Ancestor's giant flaming palm!
"Break!"
Dao Xuan's mana surged wildly. Without any flourish, he thrust the halberd forward!
There was no earth-shaking display, only an extremely condensed dark golden line that moved faster than lightning!
Sssht—!
Like a hot knife through butter!
The seemingly invincible flaming palm, capable of burning away everything, was pierced straight through by that dark golden line!
Wherever the dark golden line passed, the violent fire-element power forming the palm encountered its natural nemesis and instantly collapsed and dispersed!
The mana fluctuations imprisoning space were like fragile glass, easily pierced and torn apart!
"What?!"
Crimson Flame Ancestor's pupils contracted sharply, and the viciousness on his face was instantly replaced by shock!
His Sky-Burning Blazing Hand divine ability was something even ordinary Late True Immortals would not dare receive head-on, yet that spiritual treasure had broken it so effortlessly?!
The dark golden line continued onward, stabbing directly toward Crimson Flame Ancestor's face!
Crimson Flame Ancestor shrieked. The Great Red Eight Trigrams Blazing Robe on his body suddenly lit up with dazzling red light, while the flame patterns on it writhed wildly and instantly formed layer upon layer of fiery barriers before him!
Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!
The dark golden line broke through seven fiery barriers in succession. Yet limited by Dao Xuan's mana realm, it finally lost its momentum and dissipated before the eighth barrier.
Even so, that sharp aura capable of shattering all laws caused a layer of cold sweat to form on Crimson Flame Ancestor's forehead.
"What a treasure! What a treasure!"
After the shock passed, Crimson Flame Ancestor's eyes erupted with a greedy radiance ten, even a hundred times stronger than before. He stared fixedly at the Mysterious Gold Law-Breaking Halberd in Dao Xuan's hand, nearly drooling.
"A Mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure! Unmatched in offense! Divine law-breaking might! This treasure is meant to be mine!
Junior, your realm is too low. You are unworthy of wielding such a precious treasure!
Hand it over at once, and I may take you as my servant and spare your life!"
He roared wildly, slamming his hands together!
"Blazing flames burn the heavens, divine fire cloak the body! Condense!"
Rumble!
Fire-element power between heaven and earth gathered madly. The flames around Crimson Flame Ancestor surged, instantly forming a gigantic flaming dome dozens of yards across.
It completely enveloped both him and the cliff on which he stood!
On the dome's surface, crimson flames solidified almost into substance. Countless tiny flame runes flowed and danced, radiating a terrifying aura that could burn all things to ash and isolate everything within and without!
"Let's see how you break my Crimson Flame Divine Fire Cover!" Crimson Flame Ancestor stood at the center of the fiery dome, grinning viciously as he formed seals with both hands and shoved them outward!
"Fire Crows Burn the World! Go!"
Caw! Caw! Caw!
Piercing, ear-splitting cries rang through the heavens!
From the walls of the massive flaming dome shot hundreds upon thousands of crimson fire crows, each entirely condensed from pure blazing flames!
These fire crows were lifelike, with wingspans of several feet. Flames spewed from their beaks, savage light glinted in their eyes, and they carried heat capable of melting gold and iron, along with force capable of piercing stone and metal.
Like meteors in a rain of fire, they shot toward Dao Xuan in a sky-filling barrage!
Each fire crow contained terrifying power sufficient to heavily injure an Early True Immortal!
"Fancy tricks!" Dao Xuan snorted coldly in the face of the fire crows filling the sky. Rather than retreat, he advanced!
He stepped through an enigmatic footwork technique, his body weaving ghostlike through the rain of flames. The Mysterious Gold Law-Breaking Halberd in his hand transformed into a curtain of dark golden light!
"Break! Break! Break!"
Halberd shadows flew as every swing struck precisely upon the core rune of a fire crow!
Sssht! Sssht! Sssht!
Wherever the dark golden edge reached, those savage and violent fire crows became like punctured balloons, instantly scattering into their most primitive fire-element qi before they could even explode!
The Mysterious Gold Law-Breaking Halberd's divine law-breaking might naturally countered such "arts" formed from mana and divine abilities!
Dao Xuan moved with his halberd, advancing upstream through the rain of fire. He forcibly carved a path through the bombardment of countless fire crows and charged straight toward the massive Crimson Flame Divine Fire Cover!
"Impossible!"
Crimson Flame Ancestor's eyes nearly split apart. The law-breaking ability of that spiritual treasure was simply unimaginable!
He hurriedly activated his mana. The flame runes on the dome's walls flashed madly as the walls instantly thickened several times over and flames surged upward.
The temperature soared again, trying to keep Dao Xuan outside—or even burn him directly to ash!
"Open for me—!"
Dao Xuan had already rushed before the fiery dome. Feeling the terrifying heat that could burn away all things, a fierce glint flashed through his eyes.
He poured all his mana into the Mysterious Gold Law-Breaking Halberd without holding anything back!
Buzz!
The Mysterious Gold Law-Breaking Halberd let out an unprecedentedly impassioned hum!
The twenty-seven Innate Restrictions blazed brilliantly, and the entire short halberd seemed to come alive, transforming into a dark golden bolt of lightning that tore apart heaven and earth!
"Mysterious gold breaks laws, all laws are empty! Slash!"
Dao Xuan gripped the halberd with both hands. Man and halberd became one as he viciously chopped at the incomparably thick wall of the Crimson Flame Divine Fire Cover!
There was no earth-shaking explosion.
Only a grating, teeth-aching sound, like cloth being violently torn apart!
Riiip—!
The Crimson Flame Divine Fire Cover, capable of withstanding the full-force blow of an early Golden Immortal, faced the Mysterious Gold Law-Breaking Halberd strike empowered by all of Dao Xuan's mana and pushed to its absolute limit.
It was torn open like paper, leaving a massive gash in its wall!
Violent fire-element power found an outlet and crazily spewed from the breach!
"Pfft!"
His divine ability forcibly broken, Crimson Flame Ancestor was struck as if by a heavy hammer. He spat out a mouthful of crimson essence blood, and his aura instantly withered. His eyes filled with incredulous terror.
"No!!!"
How could Dao Xuan give him a chance to recover? The instant he broke through the Divine Fire Cover, his body flashed like lightning and shot through the breach!
The dark golden edge pointed straight at Crimson Flame Ancestor's brow!
Fast! Fast to the absolute extreme!
Crimson Flame Ancestor felt a deathly chill that froze his primordial spirit envelop him in an instant. Terrified out of his wits, he desperately tried to activate his protective treasure and use an escape technique, but everything was too late!
"Die!"
Dao Xuan's cold voice rang beside his ear.
Pfft!
A soft sound, like a ripe fruit being punctured.
The indestructible tip of the Mysterious Gold Law-Breaking Halberd pierced through the protective flaming light around Crimson Flame Ancestor without resistance and stabbed precisely into the ancestral aperture between his brows!
Dark golden law-breaking power erupted in an instant, flooding in like hundreds of millions of fine needles and pulverizing Crimson Flame Ancestor's primordial spirit and true soul with unstoppable force!
The terror, greed, and unwillingness on Crimson Flame Ancestor's face froze at once. His gaze rapidly dimmed, while the violent flames around him lost their source and abruptly went out.
Rumble!
His burly body swayed before falling stiffly backward, crashing heavily onto the scorched cliff and kicking up a cloud of dust.
A dot of dark gold marked his brow. No life remained.
Late True Immortal Crimson Flame Ancestor had perished, body and soul extinguished!
Dao Xuan stood with halberd in hand, breathing slightly heavily. Fine beads of sweat had formed at his temples as well.
That full-power strike to break the Divine Fire Cover had nearly drained more than half his mana.
His cold gaze swept over Crimson Flame Ancestor's corpse.
"Hmph. You barked fiercely, but died fast."
He stepped forward and began looting the corpse without the slightest courtesy.
His divine sense entered Crimson Flame Ancestor's storage treasure—a crimson leather pouch hanging from his waist.
The space inside was not large, and its contents were pitifully few.
Several fire-attributed spiritual materials of decent quality, but nowhere near top-grade.
Two bottles of ordinary pills for restoring mana and healing injuries.
Several dozen low-grade spirit stones containing impure spiritual qi.
And a palm-sized red copper shield with somewhat charred edges. Its spiritual light was dim, and it was merely a Low-grade Acquired Spiritual Treasure.
Judging from its damage, it probably could not even withstand a single strike from the Mysterious Gold Law-Breaking Halberd.
"Tch!"
Dao Xuan curled his lips in disdain. He put away the spirit stones, pills, and barely usable spiritual materials, but could not even be bothered to look at the broken shield again.
"Poor bastard!
You dare imitate others and kill for treasure with only this much to your name?
You're the primordial world's version of a broke thug, aren't you?
What a waste of the title 'Ancestor'!"
He spat, and the small thrill of killing a powerful enemy vanished completely, leaving only deep contempt for Crimson Flame Ancestor's "poverty."
However, just as he put away those pitiful spoils and prepared to collect the Nine-Orifice Transparent Jade Heart Tree, his heart suddenly jolted!
A powerful warning surged up without any sign!
His divine sense instinctively spread across the distant sea!
Several powerful auras were tearing through the air toward this isolated island at astonishing speed from different directions!
One of them carried dense Demonic Aura, tyrannical and wild, faintly bearing the pressure of a Golden Immortal!
Another was surrounded by cold immortal light and moved incredibly fast, at least at the peak of the True Immortal realm!
There were several others that were weaker, but none were easy opponents!
"Not good! The battle just now was too loud. It drew nearby cultivators or members of the Demon Clan!"
Dao Xuan's expression changed as he instantly judged the situation.
A Late True Immortal like Crimson Flame Ancestor had already cost him a great deal. If several more arrived—especially if there were Golden Immortal-level existences among them—his current cultivation and the Mysterious Gold Law-Breaking Halberd would definitely not be enough!
The Chaos Bead absolutely could not be exposed either!
"I can't stay here any longer!"
Dao Xuan made a decisive decision. He could no longer spare time to carefully excavate the spirit root's root system, nor could he concern himself with the postnatal spiritual materials on the island that had yet to be looted.
With a flash, he arrived beside the Nine-Orifice Transparent Jade Heart Tree, its radiant glow flowing around it.
His thoughts reached deep into his Sea of Consciousness!
"Chaos Bead, collect!"
Buzz!
A faint gray radiance, nearly imperceptible yet carrying the supreme Dao rhythm of chaos, silently shot from Dao Xuan's brow, instantly enveloping the spirit root and the spiritual soil within a radius of several feet beneath it!
The radiance flashed and vanished!
Together with that precious Innate Spirit Root, only a shallow pit remained where it had stood.
Dao Xuan did not pause for even an instant. He did not even dare raise an overly conspicuous escape light.
He stomped his foot, his figure turning into a faint golden streak that was barely visible, almost blending into the backdrop of sea and sky as it skimmed over the surging ocean.
He shot away at top speed in the direction completely opposite the source of those several auras!
He drove the Heavenly Water Evasion Art to its limit, borrowing the vast water-element power of the Eastern Sea as his speed surged!
Within a few breaths, his figure vanished at the boundary between the boundless sea and sky.
All that remained above the lone island were the lingering aftershocks of battle, as well as Crimson Flame Ancestor's charred corpse on the cliff, gradually turning cold.
Less than the time it took to drink half a cup of tea after Dao Xuan departed—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several escape lights of different colors and utterly different auras descended onto the lone island almost simultaneously, crashing down upon the site of that brief but fierce battle!
The first to land was a crimson blood light carrying boundless Demonic Aura, overwhelmingly tyrannical!
When the blood light dispersed, it revealed a figure twelve feet tall, as burly as a mountain.
He wore a savage Blood-Red Qilin Dragon Helmet, with a coiling qilin dragon upon it and a faint bloody glow flickering around it.
He was clad in Mysterious Iron Black Gold Chain Armor, its heavy plates flowing with dark light and radiating a savage, primordial ferocity.
Around his waist was a Beast Head Gold-Swallowing Belt, its buckle fashioned into the roaring head of an unknown vicious beast.
On his feet were Earth-Splitting Mountain-Treading Boots, with faint blood patterns visible beneath their soles.
As for his appearance—
His face was indigo blue, fierce and terrifying!
His crimson hair blazed like fire, each strand standing straight up!
Beneath his chin, his dragon-like beard bristled outward, red as blood! Below two broom-like yellow eyebrows, a pair of huge bell-like eyes shone with savage light; whenever they opened and closed, it seemed as though a Sea of Blood churned within them!
His broad mouth revealed protruding fangs, and his breath was heavy as that of a primordial beast!
He was clearly a powerful Demon General at the Early Golden Immortal stage!
His gaze flashed like lightning as it swept across the devastated island, finally settling on Crimson Flame Ancestor's corpse atop the cliff. His nostrils flared as he sniffed the lingering traces of mana in the air, then he let out a muffled roar, "Hmph! A fire-element cultivator? Late True Immortal? Useless trash! You couldn't even take down a junior at the Early True Immortal stage, and you even lost your life! The aura of that spirit root... has vanished? Someone got there first?!"
Immediately afterward, a cool moon-white immortal light descended, transforming into a middle-aged Daoist clad in a Water-Cloud Patterned Robe and a Fish Tail Golden Crown. His face was as refined as jade, and his eyes were like cold stars.
His aura was ethereal, and he had already reached the peak of the True Immortal realm.
His gaze swept over the battlefield. His brows furrowed slightly as he calculated with his fingers, then shook his head after a moment. "What speed, what exquisite evasive art. The aura was completely concealed by the seawater. He cannot be caught. That spirit root... contained a pure Dao rhythm. What a pity."
After that, three more escape lights descended: two overseas rogue cultivators at the Mid True Immortal stage, and a Demon Immortal with a mixed, impure aura.
As they looked at Crimson Flame Ancestor's corpse and the remnants of the battle, sensing the sharp force of the law-breaking power that had yet to fully disperse along with the violent fire-element energy, expressions of shock and greed appeared on all their faces.
"Old Crimson Flame actually died?"
"The one who killed him seemed to be of a low realm, but his magic treasure was terrifyingly powerful!"
"The spirit root must have been taken by that person!"
"Chase! We might still catch up!"
The Golden Immortal Demon General snorted, his voice like muffled thunder. "Chase? Chase where? The sea is boundless. The other party came prepared and wiped away every trace of his aura! A bunch of trash—you came all this way for nothing!"
His vicious gaze swept across those present before finally falling on Crimson Flame Ancestor's corpse. He reached out with one huge hand and grabbed through the air.
Pop!
Crimson Flame Ancestor's corpse, along with that pitiful little storage pouch, was instantly crushed by an immense force into a cloud of flying ash, leaving not even a scrap behind.
"Bad luck!"
The Demon General spat, turning into a crimson blood light that shot into the sky and vanished beyond the horizon in an instant.
The others looked at one another. Knowing the spirit root was beyond their reach, and wary of both the mysterious treasure thief's methods and the Golden Immortal Demon General's savage might, they could only leave in frustration, each swiftly raising an escape light and departing.
Silence returned to the lone island.
Only the sea wind wailed as it swept across the scorched reefs and broken ancient trees.
As though recounting the brief yet fierce battle for treasure that had just taken place.
And the perilous scene of how the True Immortal cultivator named Dao Xuan had defeated the strong while weak, snatched food from a tiger's jaws, and then drifted away under the watchful eyes of powerful enemies.
Before you continue