Conflict Begins

Wang Ding looked at the three of them and said, "In a moment, I'll lend you the Earth-Piercing Shuttle. I'll use the Earth Escape Talisman to go up and snatch the Mystic Yin Yang-Resolving Flower myself. All you need to do is seize the right chance and kill Ice Prince in one blow. When the time comes, the four of us will immediately ride the Earth-Piercing Shuttle and flee far away. But you'll only have strength for a single strike, so you absolutely must choose your moment."

On the mountaintop platform, Ice Prince's four groups were still locked in a standoff. Suddenly, from among the Rogue Cultivators, a Daoist stepped out and said, "Everyone, let's stop arguing. I have a fine plan here that can settle the matter of this treasure. Why don't we discuss it and see whether it works?"

Ice Prince and Jian Tianxia both knew, in truth, that they could not monopolize the treasure. All their posturing was nothing more than an attempt to claim greater benefits. Now that someone had stepped forward to play peacemaker, they naturally remained silent.

Jian Tianxia did not speak either. The cultivators of the other faction also watched coldly without a word. All three factions quietly looked at the speaker, waiting for him to continue.

"Since everyone has the heart to let this matter rest, then I'll say it. This Mystic Yin Yang-Resolving Flower is a rare treasure of heaven and earth, and it has nine petals. But in truth, for us, each person only needs one petal to break through to the Qi Gathering Stage. The four of our factions can each take two petals. As for the remaining petal, why not auction it? Whoever offers the highest price gets it, and the wealth obtained will be split evenly among the other three sides. What does everyone think?"

After hearing this, Jian Tianxia was the first to state his position. "Good. I agree."

The remaining faction did not answer, tacitly agreeing.

At this moment, however, Ice Prince suddenly said, "Then who will go pick that Mystic Yin Yang-Resolving Flower?"

When the other three factions heard this, they immediately fell silent. If they let someone else pick it, and that person happened to have some secret treasure and escaped, wouldn't that be drawing water with a bamboo basket, all for nothing?

The atmosphere grew tense again. Just then, a figure suddenly emerged through the ground and, in the blink of an eye, pounced onto the little black mountain where the Mystic Yin Yang-Resolving Flower grew. He plucked the Mystic Yin Yang-Resolving Flower directly, then rushed toward Ice Prince's side. In an instant, he was only a few meters from Ice Prince and shouted, "Prince, I've picked the Mystic Yin Yang-Resolving Flower! Hurry and stop them!" As he spoke, he charged into Ice Prince's group. The man's face was shockingly the human-skin mask Wang Ding had brought.

It had happened too suddenly. In but an instant, the Mystic Yin Yang-Resolving Flower had already been picked. Ice Prince had not reacted either. Seeing that the newcomer was wearing the Wongchuan Sect's standard uniform, he subconsciously let the flower picker rush into his ranks. But he immediately realized something was wrong. The other three factions would definitely attack him together. He had just been about to explain, but it was already too late. The other three sides had already reacted and were charging right up to him.

"Ice Prince, how dare you! Put down the Mystic Yin Yang-Resolving Flower at once, or today will be the day you die!" The moment One Sword Sect's Jian Tianxia finished speaking, a Sword Qi that split the heavens and cracked the earth had already shot over, its golden radiance exuding a shrill killing intent.

At this point, Ice Prince could no longer care about anything else. He brought out an Ancient Halberd spiritual artifact and struck at the incoming Sword Qi. The Sword Qi was instantly scattered.

"Everyone, be careful! What he's holding is a spiritual artifact! Join forces and attack—don't let him break us one by one!" It was the Rogue Cultivator who had led them earlier. The moment he saw the Ancient Halberd in Ice Prince's hand, he recognized it as a spiritual artifact and immediately warned everyone around him.

Jian Tianxia, who was charging at the very front, felt his heart tremble at those words and did not dare be careless. He brought out the Green Light Magic Sword in his hand, pouring his Innate True Qi into it as if it cost nothing. The Green Light Magic Sword instantly released a dozen dazzling streams of Sword Qi, shooting toward Ice Prince. His fellow sect members close behind him refused to be outdone and sent out Sword Qi one after another.

The group of Rogue Cultivators who had spoken also seized the opening and brought out their respective Magic Tools, smashing them toward Ice Prince. Seeing so many Magic Tools and so much Sword Qi attacking him, Ice Prince immediately knew crisis had descended. Not daring to hold back, he poured a large amount of true qi into the Ancient Halberd spiritual artifact, activating the unique attack of a spiritual artifact.

A colossal phantom of an Ancient Halberd formed from thirty flying dragons appeared across the sky. With Ice Prince holding the true Ancient Halberd and brandishing it through the air, the Ancient Halberd phantom instantly emitted countless rays of fine light, scattering all the attacks in a single strike. Magic Tools and Sword Qi shot wildly in every direction, and the aftershock formed a wave of air that sent the cultivators of both factions reeling back.

After repelling his enemies with one strike, Ice Prince turned toward those behind him and roared at his fellow disciples, "Quick, take the Mystic Yin Yang-Resolving Flower and—" Before he could finish, a terrifying killing intent had already arrived at his back. Ice Prince instantly felt an extremely icy aura sweeping toward him. With no time to speak, a cold gleam flashed in his eyes, and a Blue Ancient Mirror rose above his head. In a flash, sky-blue radiance rose all around him, enveloping his entire body.

Ice Prince only felt a tremendous force strike him from behind, and his whole body flew out, knocking many of his fellow disciples in front of him away as well. Fortunately, however, he had the protection of that ancient mirror and did not suffer a grievous injury.

Ice Prince now faced the person who had launched the sneak attack. It turned out to be a cultivator from the other faction that had not made a move all this time. The ambusher held a White Bone Wolf-Tooth Mace in his hand, black smoke billowing from it in waves, frightening to behold.

The moment Ice Prince saw it, he said, "The White Bone Sect of the Seven Evil Paths. I never thought it would actually be you."

The ambusher gave a sinister laugh. "That's right, your granddaddy here is Du Langzi of the White Bone Sect. Die!" With that, he swung his mace. The black smoke on the wolf-tooth mace transformed into a huge skull that rushed toward Ice Prince.

Jian Tianxia and the Rogue Cultivator would never give up the chance to beat a dog that had fallen into the water. Although they were slightly surprised that Du Langzi was someone from the White Bone Sect, they were not particularly afraid.

The moment the three of them moved, the fellow disciples close behind them also brought out their Magic Tools and attacked the people of the Wongchuan Sect. Under the assault of countless Magic Tools, a storm of vital energy actually rose across several hundred meters of the mountaintop.

Seeing the Magic Tools rushing straight at them, the members of the Wongchuan Sect instantly turned deathly pale. But for that one slim chance of survival, they madly poured their Innate True Qi into their Magic Tools and blasted them toward the oncoming torrent. Ice Prince could not possibly sit and wait for death either. He immediately spat a mouthful of blood essence onto the Ancient Halberd in his hand and shouted, "Ancient God Halberd Technique, law that suppresses all under heaven!"

In an instant, a battlefield of the void appeared upon the Ancient Halberd. A peerless war general holding a golden halberd and galloping across the battlefield stood proudly in the void like a deity. With one sweep of his golden halberd, all heroes bowed their heads.

The torrent of Magic Tools instantly collided with the battlefield of the void. Boom, boom, boom—explosions resounded through heaven and earth. The shockwave from the blasts cleared a vast swath of sky above the entire mountaintop. Black Death Demon Eagles stunned unconscious by the shockwave fell like raindrops, tumbling down the cliff and smashing into meat paste.

The people on the mountaintop were not much better off. Countless Magic Tools were smashed apart between the two immense forces. Of the four groups, aside from their leaders who were still standing, all the rest had been knocked flat. Those with shallow cultivation were directly shaken to death, while those with deeper cultivation spat blood and could not crawl back up.