Cutting Up Crane Mountain

One second, two seconds, three seconds passed.

The grand spatial explosion he had imagined never occurred.

In an instant, he realized something. He stared coldly at the Seven-Leaf Spatial Orchid and snarled,

"Little Ye, if you don't want me to beat the crap out of you, you'd better give me a reasonable explanation."

"Hey, kid, are you really going to steal it in broad daylight?"

The Seven-Leaf Spatial Orchid asked uneasily, then reminded him again, "If you really blow up their mountain and steal their sect's treasure,

they'll probably notice in the next second. Then you'll be facing the pursuit of the entire sect."

"Pfft."

Duan Yu sneered. "I have so many enemies already. One more or one less doesn't matter."

"But there are only so many Dragon Bone Fragments. If I don't steal them now, I won't have another chance later."

Seven-Leaf Spatial Orchid: "..."

What Duan Yu said was true. Over the past three years, he had robbed an unknown number of sects, independent cultivators, and Soul Masters.

The alias Jia Hao had long since been placed on the hit list by countless Soul Masters, with a bounty of ten thousand gold soul coins.

To be honest, Duan Yu had been utterly disdainful when he saw that bounty.

A mere ten thousand gold soul coins to buy his head? That was practically an insult to him. No wonder no one had claimed his head yet.

Still, the Seven-Leaf Spatial Orchid had a point. The Dragon Bone Fragments should have been hidden within the nine great mountains.

In the original story, when Yu Yuanzhen faced Spirit Hall's surprise attack, he had remotely blown up the mountain peaks, causing the Dragon Bone Fragments to return to his side.

In other words, the moment Duan Yu dared to destroy a mountain and make a move on a Dragon Bone Fragment, Yu Yuanzhen would notice immediately.

However, just because he could not obtain the Dragon Bone Fragment on True Dragon Mountain with Yu Yuanzhen guarding it did not mean he had no chance with the remaining eight peaks.

At worst, if he truly could not think of another way, he would blow up one first. That was still better than getting none at all.

He had just seen that the person leading everyone at Crane Mountain was merely a Soul Saint.

If it was only a Soul Saint, then he could not stop Duan Yu at all.

With that in mind, Duan Yu quietly slipped to the back of the group and followed the main force to an inconspicuous-looking mountain peak: Crane Mountain.

Judging by its name alone, it was probably a division of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect specifically responsible for gathering intelligence.

With the Seven-Leaf Spatial Orchid's warning in mind, Duan Yu ultimately did not blow up the mountain so soon.

Instead, he wandered around with the group for a while to observe the situation and see whether Little Ye might have a chance to steal it out silently later.

After wandering around for a while and finding nothing unusual, Duan Yu quietly activated his spatial power and slipped away while the others were still paying respects to their ancestors.

Inside a hall not far from Crane Mountain.

Silver light suddenly flashed within the hall, and a white figure took a single step out, arriving there.

Looking closely, who else could it have been but Duan Yu?

Duan Yu did not rush to blow up the mountain. Under the Seven-Leaf Spatial Orchid's detection, he quietly made his way into the building closest to Crane Mountain.

The moment he arrived, Duan Yu sensed that something was different about this place. There was actually a trace of dragon soul aura here.

No, rather than saying it had appeared here, it would be more accurate to say it had leaked from Crane Peak and been transported here.

Sure enough.

The Dragon Bone Fragment really was inside Crane Mountain.

"Little Ye, the Dragon Bone Fragment is inside that mountain. Can you use spatial power to take it out?"

The Seven-Leaf Spatial Orchid froze for a moment. Its seven leaves swayed at once, and threads of spatial power quietly seeped inward.

A quarter of an hour later, the Seven-Leaf Spatial Orchid's silver glow faded. It shook its leaves and said, "No. That Dragon Bone Fragment has already fused with the mountain."

"To obtain that fragment, you'll have to blow up the mountain. Otherwise, it's absolutely impossible."

"Blow up the mountain..."

Duan Yu looked at the distant peak, a chill flashing through his eyes.

Since that was the case, Yu Yuanzhen, don't blame me. Who told this mountain not to know what was good for it and refuse to spit out the dragon bone on its own?

Night.

The night was still and silent.

After all the sect disciples had gone to sleep, a figure silently arrived at Crane Mountain.

As one of the nine mountains, even during routine patrols, aside from Crane Mountain's peak master, no disciples or elders could appear here freely without the sect master's orders.

This was because the residences of every generation's peak masters were located on the mountain peaks. Guards patrolled outside, while the peak masters personally stood watch within.

Ordinary people would truly have no choice but to return empty-handed in such circumstances.

But for someone like Duan Yu, who specialized in the laws of space, all he needed to do was blow up the mountain and run.

Other than Yu Yuanzhen, no one could stop him. Even if Yu Yuanzhen came, Duan Yu was confident that he could slip away with the Seven-Leaf Spatial Orchid.

Within Crane Mountain.

Duan Yu walked up the flights of stone steps, his aura completely concealed by spatial power. Even Crane Mountain's peak master detected nothing unusual.

"Dragon aura."

On the stone steps, Duan Yu saw the faint golden dragon aura hovering above Crane Mountain's summit, and a trace of shock flashed through his eyes.

After so many years of nourishment from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, this Dragon Bone Fragment had actually produced dragon aura.

This Dragon Bone Fragment was destined for him. It should belong to him.

If Yu Yuanzhen, a mere Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, could control the Dragon Bone Fragment and create the Nine True Dragon Crowns, then Duan Yu could naturally control it as well—perhaps even do better.

Only, right now...

With a grave expression, Duan Yu asked the Seven-Leaf Spatial Orchid, "Little Ye, do you have a way to isolate Crane Mountain?"

"Isolate space?"

The Seven-Leaf Spatial Orchid paused, then nodded once it understood. "I can isolate it from everyone else, but Crane Mountain's Soul Saint is currently on the mountain. He's too close, so I'm afraid I can't isolate the entire place."

"Then what about isolating just a small part of Crane Mountain?"

The Seven-Leaf Spatial Orchid hesitated before nodding. "That's possible, but you'll need to judge the distance properly. Once you're done, run immediately."

"Don't worry. I'm a veteran at this."

Duan Yu answered as he looked at the locations of the stone blocks around him that leaked dragon aura, not daring to delay for long.

He brought two fingers of his left hand together. Dozens of streaks of silver light split apart, and spatial power, sharp as blades, began carving into Crane Mountain beneath his feet.

With every piece cut away, before the Dragon Bone Fragment could even be exposed, traces of dragon aura from within Crane Mountain were sliced away as well.

The loss of dragon aura could be either serious or insignificant. As long as it leaked slowly and in small amounts, no one would notice.

But if the dragon aura were gradually absorbed by someone, Duan Yu was certain Yu Yuanzhen would notice eventually.

Therefore, every time Duan Yu cut away a piece of mountain rock with spatial power, he mixed spatial power with every element in the air to replace the dragon aura.

As long as the amount remained equal, it would create a balance.

Over the past three years, he had stolen who knew how many treasures. What kind of oddity had he not encountered?

A sect like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect was a huge cake. He had to eat it piece by piece if he wanted to get more.

He had the air of someone who would not stop until he had cut the whole thing apart.