Shanzhi continued, "Of course, that is not all! The secrets of the Heaven-Opening Axe go far beyond that!"
"When we descended upon the Primordial World with our master and went to war with the Giant Spirit Clan, we did not actually kill many Giant Spirit Clan members! Most of them mysteriously vanished when the battle turned against them! We searched all across the Primordial World to no avail. Later, our master investigated many times as well, but found nothing!"
"Now, after hearing Senior Cang Xu's story, I finally understand!" Shanzhi stared fixedly at Zhang Shuai, as though he wished to see through every secret he possessed. "Those Giant Spirit Clan members who vanished never died, nor did they leave the Primordial World! They were hidden inside the Heaven-Opening Axe."
"The spatial treasure Senior Cang Xu mentioned was an accessory of your Heaven-Opening Axe, wasn't it, Fellow Daoist Zhang?"
Shanzhi demanded sharply, as though he had seized his final lifeline. "Within it sleep many descendants of the Giant Spirit Clan, born in the Primordial World after they opened a new world! So long as their clansmen and the Heaven-Opening Axe are returned to them safely!"
"Would that not earn an enormous favor from the Giant Spirit Clan? Would it not be enough for all the seniors present to successfully obtain the petals and seeds of the Primal Chaos Azure Lotus?"
Shanzhi's words sent every Divine Venerable's mind reeling. Their burning gazes held complicated emotions: desire, excitement, greed, and more.
After all, if... if what Shanzhi said was true... then the bargaining chips Zhang Shuai held were enough to make the Giant Spirit Clan grant them face! No matter how he had obtained them, with hostages in hand, was there any need to fear that the Giant Spirit Clan would refuse?
This