Treasure Wheel

When Li Wangxian said that even holy sons and divine sons could not beat him, the bearded man and his companions did not react with solemn concern.

Instead, they exchanged glances and decided that, unless something was wrong with this kid's head, someone must have thoroughly hoodwinked him into believing he truly had the makings of a Great Emperor and could easily defy the realms to slay immortals.

The gap in strength between different realms was enormous, like ascending a stairway to heaven: one step up made one an "immortal," while one step down made one a "mortal," utterly suppressed by those of the higher realm.

If someone could defeat an immortal as a mortal, that was called defying the realms to slay immortals, also known as a "restriction." Crossing one minor realm meant overcoming one restriction.

Among them, the bearded man was already an expert at the peak of the Four Extremes Fourth Heaven, a full four minor realms above Li Wangxian. If the boy could still defeat him across that gap, they really would have seen a ghost.

"Go easy on him!" the bearded man said with a sigh.

The kid was rather pitiful, but business still had to be done.

"Got it, boss!" the other three answered loudly.

Then they simultaneously unleashed their artifacts, bringing them down upon Li Wangxian.

Billowing silver light became a white ribbon that tore through the air as swiftly as lightning-a silvery flying sword was striking. Endless golden light poured down like an ocean from a gleaming yellow gourd breathing divine radiance, while a jade-green divine bell rang with sacred tones that seized the mind and suppressed the soul.

They were seasoned hands at this, after all. Though they did not expect any surprises, they still attacked with all their strength, leaving no room for accidents.

"Hah!"

In response, Li Wangxian merely kept both hands behind his back and uttered a single Dao shout.

Boundless divine power surged from his mouth, turning into waves of the Dao that linked heaven and earth, flooding the skies in every direction as they swept outward.

He had gained this insight while sparring with his father two days earlier. After all, when traveling away from home, it was best to avoid using the supreme techniques of the Sun Scripture whenever possible.

Yet even among Four Extremes cultivators, this move was terrifying beyond compare. The surging Dao waves visibly resonated with heaven and earth and pulsed in time with the Great Dao, creating a horrifying sight, as though the world itself were being forged anew.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

The three uncommon spiritual treasures shattered in an instant, exploding in the sky, while the unbroken Dao sound swept toward the three attackers.

Their expressions changed. Streams of divine light burst from their Bitter Seas as they unleashed one spiritual treasure after another to protect themselves, but it was useless. Each shattered in the Dao waves. Only when the bearded man, who had not attacked, hurriedly unleashed a rare, mighty artifact-a Treasure Wheel wreathed in Buddhist light-were their lives saved.

Even so, all of them coughed up mouthfuls of blood from the impact, with who knew how many broken bones.

"I misjudged your abilities and didn't control my strength properly. I hit a little too hard!"

His white robes snapping in the wind, the youth with his hands behind his back murmured softly to himself.

The bearded man and his companions' expressions changed drastically, horror filling their faces. It was clear from his words that he had already held back, yet they had still nearly been beaten to death.

And all he had done was utter a single Dao shout!

Was he really only at the Dao Palace realm? Wielding the Great Dao like that, he had to be at least a holy-son-level figure in the Four Extremes Realm!

What the hell? We've kicked an iron plate this time.

Unease gripped them, and they strongly suspected their rotten luck had led them straight into a holy son from some great sect, out tempering himself.

The bearded man sighed again. "Has our evil karma finally come knocking today?"

Li Wangxian offered no comment on their reactions. He simply kept staring at the Treasure Wheel wreathed in Buddhist light in the bearded man's hand.

An unusually powerful artifact! Holy Lord grade or King grade?

He pondered, unable to tell for certain. If it were King grade, it lacked that vast, overwhelming might. But if it were merely a Holy Lord-grade weapon, it should not have given him a sense of danger in the bearded man's hands.

"Uncle, would you rather lose some wealth to avert disaster, or suffer a bloody calamity?" Li Wangxian asked the bearded man, his eyes fixed on the Treasure Wheel.

His meaning was already perfectly clear: he intended to rob the robbers.

The bearded man was in a dreadful mood, a living illustration of a bitter smile tugging at the lips. He had run into his evil karma, and that karma was rather greedy. Worst of all, it had not forgotten to mock him while taking advantage of his plight.

"Actually, we could discuss this." The bearded man yielded, but tried to keep the Treasure Wheel in his hand.

"We were in the wrong this time and offended you, Holy Son. We're willing to offer three thousand jin of Source as an apology."

By now, the bearded man and his companions had already taken Li Wangxian for an outstanding heir, or even a holy son, of some ancient sect or great clan. Because of Thunder City's distinctive Thunder Domain, there was no shortage of holy-son-level figures who came here to temper themselves.

Since they had been unlucky enough to run into one, they could only admit defeat. Revenge was out of the question. Even setting aside whether they could beat him, a victory would only bring an even more terrifying elder down upon them.

The bearded man even suspected that this holy son's protector was nearby, watching everything unfold.

Who could have imagined a holy son would dress so plainly?

His companions desperately wanted to curse, but did not dare. They could only watch helplessly as the bearded man negotiated with him.

"Three thousand jin of Source? You're pretty wealthy. Looks like your 'business' was flourishing, Uncle!" Li Wangxian replied with interest.

We're done for. He has a huge appetite. This won't end easily.

The bearded man and his companions' expressions changed. Clearly, three thousand jin of Source would not satisfy Li Wangxian's appetite.

Sure enough, Li Wangxian soon said mildly, "I think that Treasure Wheel of yours looks quite nice."

The bearded man's heart sank. His opponent had clearly recognized the Treasure Wheel's extraordinary nature and refused to let it go. This was the worst possible outcome, but he still tried to salvage the situation.

"You jest, Holy Son. It's merely a weapon cobbled together by a wandering cultivator from the wilderness, far inferior to the 'saint artifacts' refined by the masters of your holy land. How could it deserve your praise?"

Li Wangxian scoffed. Who in this era could still forge a Saint Weapon? The man was clearly flattering him, trying to crown him with lofty praise so he could keep his Treasure Wheel.

Seeing that he remained unmoved, the bearded man gritted his teeth and raised his offer again.

"If three thousand jin of Source is insufficient, Holy Son, we're willing to offer three thousand-year-old spirit herbs and one cubic measure of purple tribulation thunder gold as well. We ask only for your forgiveness."

"Add that Treasure Wheel of yours, and we'll call it even." Li Wangxian did not have a particularly bad impression of them, but he could not pass up that Treasure Wheel. After all, if it was a King-grade weapon, the Sun Church currently had none. Even Holy Lord-grade weapons were scarce!

A holy son as poor as me must be a rare sight. I don't have any of the equipment or pomp a holy-son-level figure ought to have. Otherwise, how would bandits have set their sights on me?

Li Wangxian grumbled inwardly.

Meanwhile, hearing his words, the bearded man steeled himself. With a loud cry of "Forgive the offense, Holy Son!" he unleashed the Treasure Wheel in his hand.

There was no helping it. This treasure was far too important to them to lose. Even if a protector was watching from the shadows, he still had to take a chance.

I went to print and mail the contract today, so the update is a little late. There should still be a second chapter, though it'll come later.