Water Calamity Baleful Force, Demon-Subduing Heavenly Dipper!

Watching the towering inn overturn the great tomb and collapse into ruins, Zhang Yuan, who had left a step ahead, still felt a lingering chill of fear.

Fortunately, he had left early. Otherwise, that blow alone would have crippled him, if not killed him.

Zhang Yuan raised his head and gazed at the fortuitous opportunities from the tomb scattered across the sky, glittering with all manner of colors. His eyes stirred slightly.

The innkeeper had seized the chance to flee, and Cui Wenshan and the other Foundation-Building Heavenly Beings who had arrived all went after him.

At this moment, Jianning City had no Foundation-Building Heavenly Beings left!

It was the perfect chance to snatch some fortuitous opportunities!

With a slight stir of thought, Zhang Yuan summoned the [Heavenly Vision] panel before making his move.

[Heavenly Vision]

[1. None.]

[2. None.]

[3. None.]

Excellent. Three unknown futures, with no major danger. That proved it was feasible to seize the fortuitous opportunities now!

Zhang Yuan favored caution, but that did not mean he cowered whenever trouble arose. Cultivating the sha ingestion gang devoration path, even with an immortal lifespan, he would have to fight hard sooner or later if he wanted to become a Foundation-Building Heavenly Being.

He had come to understand that much.

In the Azure Sky Dust-Stained Realm, unless one became a Foundation-Building Heavenly Being, it did not matter whether one was an ordinary mortal, an Outer Dao Cultivator, or a Qi Refinement Perfected of the Gang Sha Path. They were all ants without the slightest rights.

Just moments ago, for instance, quite a few Seventh-Turn and Eighth-Turn Qi Refining cultivators with higher cultivation than Zhang Yuan had been effortlessly refined into nourishment for a Golden Core.

Since he had come to this world, staying alive was naturally his first priority. But at the same time, while ensuring his survival, he wanted to become a Foundation-Building Heavenly Being!

With that thought, Zhang Yuan moved.

He unleashed [Golden Chariot], but rather than summon the Golden Carriage, he imbued himself with its divine ability imagoes, turning into a streak of golden light that shot toward the sky.

This was a derivative application of [Golden Chariot], one that empowered his own body.

Although it halved his speed, compared with riding the Golden Carriage, it was perfectly suited to snatching treasures and fortuitous opportunities.

Rumble!

The sudden roar of air being torn apart resounded overhead, instantly drawing everyone's attention. They all looked up at that crimson Wedding Garment.

"The Heavenly Beings only just left. Does this man have a death wish?"

"What incredible speed! What turn of Qi Refining is he at?"

"He's going to snatch the fortuitous opportunities!"

Clad in his bright red robe, Zhang Yuan flew into the air.

His hand swept out. Without caring what any of them actually were, he gathered several brilliantly gleaming treasures into his arms and tucked them into his sleeve.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Zhang Yuan. His gaze shifted slightly, and he noticed a crystalline sphere of water floating nearby, rich with imago.

"This is... [Water Calamity Baleful Force]!"

Zhang Yuan surged toward it.

Compared with other treasures and fortuitous opportunities, heavenly dipper and earthly baleful forces were unquestionably more alluring to him!

"[Water Calamity Baleful Force]!"

"To think there was a [Water Calamity Baleful Force] in the tomb! This truly is my fortuitous opportunity!"

"I have cultivated for seventy years, and all I lack to reach Ninth-Turn Qi Refining is a [Water Calamity Baleful Force]. I cannot possibly hand it over!"

As the [Water Calamity Baleful Force] manifested, every Qi Refinement Perfected present sensed it. Temptation shone in all their eyes as they prepared to unleash divine abilities and fight for it.

Even if the [Water Calamity Baleful Force] did not suit them, obtaining it would allow them to trade with someone else for an earthly baleful force that did.

Yet just then—

An incomparably dazzling golden light shot skyward from the center of the great tomb.

It was a divine statue forged entirely of gold, holding a demon-subduing pestle. Its eyes glared wide, its bearing imposing. Its imago was so intensely concentrated that it seemed capable of cowing every sinister spirit and evil fiend.

Faced with this sudden change—

Every cultivator present was struck speechless. Their pupils contracted sharply, and shock shook their hearts.

"Is... is this the legendary heavenly dipper?"

"With an imago like that, it must be [Demon-Subduing Heavenly Dipper]!"

"The heavenly dipper forces are monopolized by the great aristocratic clans. To think one would emerge here!"

At the sight of the [Demon-Subduing Heavenly Dipper], the Qi Refinement Perfected who had been interested in the [Water Calamity Baleful Force] immediately went red-eyed and changed targets, rushing toward the [Demon-Subduing Heavenly Dipper].

Most of them were rogue cultivators. Ordinarily, obtaining even one earthly baleful force demanded every ounce of their effort. As for the thirty-six heavenly dipper forces, they had never even seen one.

Now that an unclaimed heavenly dipper force was within reach, even a Qi Refinement Perfected with the most disciplined temperament could not help going mad, unable to suppress the greed in their heart.

Zhang Yuan naturally noticed the [Demon-Subduing Heavenly Dipper] too. But after only a moment's hesitation, he withdrew his gaze and continued toward the [Water Calamity Baleful Force].

Precious as a heavenly dipper force was, what good was grabbing it if he didn't live to keep it?

The moment the [Demon-Subduing Heavenly Dipper] appeared, even the few Ninth-Turn Qi Refining cultivators hidden in Jianning City, who no longer needed heavenly dipper and earthly baleful forces, revealed themselves to fight for it.

A person had to know his own limits.

Although his three divine abilities made him something of a pseudo-Ninth-Turn cultivator, a vast gulf still separated him from a true Ninth-Turn Perfected Being.

A heavenly dipper force was beyond his reach for now.

Rather than fight to the death with so many high-level Qi Refinement Perfected, he was far better off securing the [Water Calamity Baleful Force] first.

His eyes clear and free of greed, Zhang Yuan reached out and seized the water bead formed by the [Water Calamity Baleful Force]. Without lingering for even a second, he shot toward the outskirts of the city.

With the emergence of the [Demon-Subduing Heavenly Dipper], a great battle inevitably erupted inside Jianning City.

But that had little to do with Zhang Yuan, who was already outside the city.

"Five outer dao fortuitous opportunities and one [Water Calamity Baleful Force]. This trip was worth it." Delight shone in Zhang Yuan's eyes.

He would sell the useless outer dao fortuitous opportunities and refine the [Water Calamity Baleful Force] himself to break through to Seventh-Turn Qi Refining.

However, this place was still not safe enough to take stock of his gains. He needed to get farther from Jianning City first.

Just as Zhang Yuan was about to take flight—

A sinister voice rang out.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait."

Three figures descended from the sky: an old man in a black robe, a burly middle-aged man, and a lavishly dressed young man holding a longsword, his gaze so haughty he looked at others down his nose.

"Heh heh, this kid really runs fast. The old man's divine ability almost couldn't keep up." The burly middle-aged man laughed as he spoke to the other two.

The black-robed old man gave a sinister chuckle without committing himself.

He possessed a Wind-Riding Divine Ability he took great pride in. In terms of Sky Traversal speed, he had never encountered a match among rogue cultivators or even the Qi Refinement Perfected of aristocratic clans. Yet compared with this man's golden light, he was actually somewhat slower. It truly... made him jealous.

The lavishly dressed young man ignored both the burly man and the black-robed elder. His attire alone made it clear that he was not well acquainted with either of them.

"Why have the three of you stopped me?" Zhang Yuan asked calmly.

In truth, he had already guessed their purpose.

He had seized several outer dao fortuitous opportunities and a [Water Calamity Baleful Force]. Even if his gains could not compare with the [Demon-Subduing Heavenly Dipper], someone was bound to covet them.

These three had pursued him all this way. They were certainly here to steal his haul!

The burly middle-aged man gave a savage grin and was about to speak.

"To have reached Sixth-Turn Qi Refinement at such a young age, fellow Daoist... might I ask which faction you come from?" The black-robed old man spoke first.

A Sixth-Turn Qi Refinement cultivator of this age was very likely a scion of an aristocratic clan.

Even stealing another person's haul required care. If his status was too high, they would have to weigh things carefully before deciding whether to rob him.

"I change neither my name nor my surname. I am Li Huixi of the Eastern Bian Li Clan! If you dare touch a single hair on my head, when our clan's Golden Core ancestor arrives, he will annihilate you in body and spirit!"

Zhang Yuan flicked the sleeve of his Wedding Garment, his words ringing with conviction.