Zhao Gongming the Sneak, Severely Wounds Ran Deng!

Watching Zhao Gongming step out of the Grotto-Heaven Paradise, Ran Deng was overjoyed, yet he could scarcely believe it.

Only after confirming it again did he finally determine that the Zhao Gongming before him was truly a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal cultivator!

In the Primordial World, anyone who could discover such a large Grotto-Heaven Paradise was undoubtedly a person of immense blessings and great Fortune.

This had led him to subconsciously assume that this cultivator was at least a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, perhaps even a Quasi-Sage.

He had even prepared to turn and flee the moment anything went wrong.

"Heaven is helping me! Heaven is helping me!"

"A mere Primordial Unity Golden Immortal—today, this large Grotto-Heaven Paradise is destined to be mine!"

Ran Deng suppressed the wild joy in his heart, and the look he gave Zhao Gongming turned cold.

The next moment, the Heaven-Earth Ruler in his hand became a streak of light. It contained terrifying sharpness, yet was concealed to the utmost degree, slashing toward Zhao Gongming in an instant.

"Oh?"

Just as Ran Deng made his move, the instinctive warning of a top-tier innate divine being to avoid misfortune and seek fortune stirred within Zhao Gongming's heart.

Buzz!

Before he could react, endless dazzling white light layered over itself and enveloped him.

Immediately afterward, an ancient little ruler wreathed in Heaven-Earth currents slashed into the dazzling white light, yet it was like a sharp blade striking tough cowhide.

The white light appeared as thin as cicada wings, yet its resilience was terrifying. No matter how astonishing the Heaven-Earth Ruler's power was, it only emitted a strained rasp and could not cut through it in the slightest.

Soon, its power was exhausted, and it transformed into a streak of light that returned to the hand of a sinister-looking middle-aged man.

"Hm?"

This middle-aged man was naturally Ran Deng. When his strike failed, surprise appeared on his face.

One had to know that the Heaven-Earth Ruler in his hand was an Upper-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure. It was incomparably sharp by nature, and he had struck with his full power.

Even a Mid-Grade Innate Defensive Spiritual Treasure likely could not withstand it and would be cleaved apart in an instant. Yet it could not even break through that protective white light.

"Could it be...?!"

A guess surfaced in Ran Deng's heart. As he looked at Zhao Gongming before him, greed appeared on his face.

If even the protective treasure light alone could block his Heaven-Earth Ruler, this fellow likely possessed a Peak-Grade Innate Defensive Spiritual Treasure!

Wealth stirred the heart!

In the Primordial World, defensive spiritual treasures of the same grade were far more valuable than offensive ones!

Even Quasi-Sage experts would go mad over the value of a Peak-Grade Innate Defensive Spiritual Treasure.

If he could obtain this Peak-Grade Innate Defensive Spiritual Treasure, combining offense and defense, his strength would soar. Even against a Quasi-Sage, he might no longer need to fear them.

At that thought, the greed on Ran Deng's face grew thicker, while the killing intent in his gaze toward Zhao Gongming nearly solidified!

"Ran Deng?"

Just as Ran Deng's killing intent surged.

Looking at the sinister middle-aged cultivator who had ambushed him, as well as the distinctive Heaven-Earth Ruler in his hand, Zhao Gongming was taken aback and immediately recognized his identity.

A strange expression appeared on his face despite himself!

In the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, Zhao Gongming's former self had been plotted against by Ran Deng. While pursuing Ran Deng, he encountered Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao of Wuyi Mountain, and the Dinghai Divine Pearls were knocked down.

Although his former self had been cursed to death by Lu Ya using the Nail-Head Seven Arrows Book, Ran Deng was absolutely inseparable from the reason he had fallen and entered the Investiture.

Moreover, Ran Deng had stolen his former self's Dinghai Divine Pearls, combining them with the Heaven-Earth Ruler to evolve the Twenty-Four Heavens Worlds.

One held the Dinghai Divine Pearls, while the other held the Heaven-Earth Ruler. Perhaps they had been fated by nature to share a karmic destiny.

He had simply never expected that, during this Lich Calamity, they would meet so accidentally.

"Fellow Daoist, isn't it too shameless for you to bully the weak with your strength?"

Zhao Gongming pretended not to know Ran Deng's identity, his face showing shock and fury.

Ran Deng truly was rather shameless. A dignified Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal had actually resorted to a sneak attack against a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal.

He truly deserved his title as the second most shameless person in the Primordial World.

As for the most shameless person, that was naturally the Saint of the Western Land. With a single line—fellow Daoist, you are fated with my Western Land—the Human Seed Bag would already be coming down over one's head.

"Hmph. Spiritual treasures and opportunities belong to those with virtue. A mere Primordial Unity Golden Immortal dares to monopolize a large Grotto-Heaven Paradise?"

"Hand over every spiritual treasure on you, and I'll spare your life!"

Ran Deng spoke coldly, seemingly unmoved. In the Primordial World, treasures belonged to the virtuous—but what was virtue? A bigger fist and greater strength, that was virtue!

Today, he was stronger than Zhao Gongming, so naturally his virtue surpassed Zhao Gongming's. The treasures and opportunities on Zhao Gongming were therefore destined to belong to him.

"Isn't Fellow Daoist going too far? If I hand over my treasures and Fellow Daoist kills me afterward, what could I do?"

"Why not have Fellow Daoist swear a Heavenly Dao Oath? Then I will hand over the spiritual treasures. How about it?"

The fury on Zhao Gongming's face deepened, veins bulging. He looked utterly enraged yet helpless.

"Hmph, you don't have... What?"

Naturally, Ran Deng would not swear a Heavenly Dao Oath. Once Zhao Gongming handed over the Top-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, he would casually kill him.

If Zhao Gongming refused to hand over the treasure, then although a peak-grade defensive spiritual treasure was powerful, it was not something a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal could wield. Its consumption of mana would be tremendous.

Once his mana ran dry, Zhao Gongming would naturally be fish on the chopping block, ready for slaughter. It was only because there were many cultivators and living beings in the Eastern Sea that Ran Deng did not wish to create further trouble.

Yet before Ran Deng could finish speaking, an indescribably terrifying sense of danger suddenly rose in his heart. It even made every hair on his body stand on end.

"Shameless!!"

Looking at the harmless-looking Zhao Gongming before him, Ran Deng's face showed both shock and fury. This Primordial Unity Golden Immortal had never intended to flee from the very beginning.

Even he had been deceived by Zhao Gongming's acting.

Yet as the sense of danger intensified, he instinctively brought out a spiritual lamp that bloomed with green radiance.

This was his other companion spiritual treasure, the Spirit Coffin Lamp. It was one of the Four Primordial Spirit Lamps, and likewise a genuine Upper-Grade Innate Defensive Spiritual Treasure!

Whoosh!

Even after the Spirit Coffin Lamp was brought out, the dangerous premonition in Ran Deng's heart did not weaken in the slightest.

Only then did he see that, at some unknown moment, an ancient little ruler had silently appeared behind him. The terrifying killing intent it emitted made Ran Deng's eyes widen abruptly. An unbelievable guess instinctively surfaced in his heart, but before he could be shocked, the ancient purple ruler had already slashed viciously onto the Spirit Coffin Lamp.

Crack!

A crisp shattering sound rang out as though directly against Ran Deng's heart. Then, before his ghost-stricken eyes—

The Spirit Coffin Lamp, an Upper-Grade Innate Defensive Spiritual Treasure, buzzed and let out a mournful cry.

With a single strike, a crack had already been carved into it, as though it would be cut apart and shattered the very next moment!

"What?"