News of a Heaven-Defying Treasure

After Huo Xing roared at the sky, an elderly man at the ninth stage of the Grotto-Heaven Realm slowly descended from the air. He glanced at the injured Huo Xing, then looked coldly at Yuan Zhexian and Yuan Zifeng.

"I hear hidden lineages have countless precious treasures and cultivation techniques. As an heir of a hidden lineage, you must have plenty of good things on you. Once I kill you, everything you have will be mine," the elder said excitedly.

"Has poverty driven you mad? You want to kill me and steal my treasures?" Yuan Zhexian said, looking at the clown.

"Blame yourselves for being too ostentatious. You didn't know how to keep a low profile, flaunting your status as heirs of a hidden lineage without a Dao protector. I meant to wait until you left the Lin Lineage before making my move, but now it seems I have no choice. I'll gladly accept a walking treasure vault like you," the elder said happily.

Zhao Zixuan stepped forward. "Elder, how can you do this? Aren't you afraid the hidden lineage will come after you? Could you please spare the young master and his companions?"

"Hmph! Zhao Zixuan, you're just an inner disciple. What makes you think you can meddle in my affairs?" the elder said to her haughtily.

"But..." Zhao Zixuan had just begun to speak when the elder cut her off.

"Shut up! Say one more word, and I'll punish you according to the sect rules!"

Huo Xing's face had darkened. Seeing Zhao Zixuan still protecting Yuan Zhexian, he grew angrier the more he thought about it. He immediately cried out in anguish, "Zhao Zixuan, you bitch! All those years I admired you, fawning over you with all my heart, were wasted! You've only met this man once, and you actually..."

"No! It's not like that!" Zhao Zixuan was about to protest, but Huo Xing's next words left her standing there in a daze.

"And you said you were reserved, so I waited for you to offer yourself willingly. I was far too naive! If I'd known you were such a slut, I should have taken you long ago. Dual cultivating with your Mysterious Yin Enchanting Physique can not only increase cultivation, but I hear it's also a first-rate physique in bed. Don't worry. Once they're dead, I'll take good care of you." Huo Xing's face grew more vicious with every word.

His words struck Zhao Zixuan's heart like a bolt from the blue. For a moment, she couldn't recover. She had never imagined Huo Xing was this kind of person, so utterly vile.

Seeing how heartbroken Zhao Zixuan was, Yuan Zhexian gave a wickedly charming smile and stepped forward to comfort her. "Miss Zixuan, such a disgusting man truly isn't worthy of you. It's a good thing you saw his true colors early. If you want to cry, go ahead. My shoulder is yours whenever you need it. You'll feel better afterward." Choking back sobs, Zhao Zixuan looked at the gentle, handsome Yuan Zhexian and said, "Why did you appear so late? If only I'd met you sooner." Then she quietly rested her head on his shoulder and wept, her tears soaking his clothes.

Watching this, Huo Xing nearly burst a lung. He immediately said to the elder, "Elder, what are you waiting for? Kill this adulterous couple!"

The elder said, "Even on the brink of death, you still want to lose yourselves in a lover's embrace. Then I'll grant your wish."

"Too noisy! Yan'er, wipe them out." Yuan Zhexian cradled Zhao Zixuan's head and gently patted her back as he spoke to the air.

"All right, young master." A flash of golden light appeared before the elder and Huo Xing, and Yuan Yan'er emerged in front of them. Her spiritual power surged, and several droplets of water appeared in the void. She then said softly to the pair, "Three Thousand Weak Ice." The droplets instantly condensed into diamond-shaped ice spikes the size of a palm. They were so fast that before either man could react, several spikes pierced straight through them. They fell to the ground, all life gone.

The great elder stood to the side, his eyes wide and his whole body trembling. That was a ninth-stage Grotto-Heaven Realm expert, yet he had been killed instantly in a single move? Just how terrifying was this young girl's cultivation?

Yuan Zhexian then said to the great elder, "Sorry to trouble you, great elder, but please have a servant take Miss Zixuan to rest." Zhao Zixuan had cried herself to sleep on Yuan Zhexian's shoulder. He lifted her into the air with his spiritual power, and a servant then took her back to a room to rest.

Yuan Zhexian stretched and said, "What a headache this has been. Great elder, I'd like to rest a little longer."

"Of course, of course! Make yourself at home, my lord." The great elder had even changed the way he addressed him. He then left with his people.

As soon as they entered the room, Yuan Zhexian said to Yuan Yan'er, "Yan'er, quick, Rootless Water! I need to wash my hands. And throw those clothes of mine away. I don't want them anymore."

Yuan Yan'er was momentarily stunned by Yuan Zhexian's extreme reaction. "Divine son, you were so kind to Miss Zixuan just now. Why are you acting like this?"

"Although that woman is a tool I'm using to control Lin Yan, I'm a clean freak. Besides, if I'm not kind to her, how could I get her to serve me wholeheartedly?" Yuan Zhexian replied.

Only then did Yuan Yan'er and the other three realize that Yuan Zhexian had acted this way because he was plotting something. They also understood what the divine son meant when he said that if he could use his head, he would never use his hands.

At that moment, in a secret chamber in a holy land somewhere in the Heavenly Billows Realm, a middle-aged man in secluded cultivation opened his eyes and saw the soul flame inside the jade stone in his hand go out. He immediately roared in the chamber, "My son... my son! Who? Who dared murder my son? I'll never let them go! I'll cut the one who killed you into a thousand pieces and avenge you!"

A few days later, Yuan Zhexian brought the four to the Lin Lineage's main hall. Looking at its great elder, he said, "Sorry for disturbing you these past few days. We intend to continue our travels through the mortal world today."

The Lin Lineage's great elder asked, "May I ask where you intend to go next, my lord?"

After pretending to ponder for a moment, Yuan Zhexian said, "The Yan Kingdom's royal capital, I think. Miss Zixuan is still resting, so sorry to trouble you, great elder, but please tell her we've left. I won't disturb her; let her rest well."

"Of course, no problem. I wish you a smooth journey through the mortal world, my lord," the Lin Lineage's great elder said, cupping his hands.

Yuan Zhexian then left the Lin Lineage with the four.

High in the void, the five flew through the air. Ji Jingtian asked, "Divine son, we're leaving without having done anything?"

Yuan Zhexian smiled. "That sect elder and core disciple both died at the Lin Lineage. What do you think will happen?"

Ji Jingtian and the other three shook their heads, still puzzled.

"Of course they'll send elders to investigate. When they discover that we killed one of their elders and a core disciple at the Lin Lineage, their deaths are certain to throw the sect into a rage. The Lin Lineage will be caught in the crossfire, and its extermination is inevitable."

"What about Lin Yan and Zhao Zixuan?" Ji Jingtian asked curiously.

"Lin Yan has the strength of the Grotto-Heaven Realm and a great opportunity, so he won't die that easily. But he'll certainly be hunted. Zhao Zixuan, on the other hand, is an inner disciple of that sect to begin with. Presumably, the sect won't make things difficult for her. One will be trying to escape his pursuers, and the other has developed feelings for me. They'll both come looking for me, so we just have to wait for them in the Yan Kingdom's royal capital. The fun is only beginning."

With that, Yuan Zhexian led the four toward the Yan Kingdom's royal capital.

Several days later...

A large group of experts suddenly appeared at the Lin Lineage. More than a dozen were in the Grotto-Heaven Realm, and their leader was a Divine Ability Realm expert. Seeing so many experts, the Lin Lineage's great elder was drenched in sweat as he cautiously asked, "What can we do for you, my lords?"

Their leader said, "Let me ask you: did an elder and a core disciple of the Mystic Rain Sect meet with trouble at your Lin Lineage?"

"This... My lord, that elder and Lord Huo Xing did indeed meet with trouble at our Lin Lineage, but it had nothing to do with us. The people who killed them have already gone to the royal capital," the Lin Lineage's great elder said, his body trembling slightly.

"Hmph. Since they've already left, what use is there in keeping you alive? Two core members of the Mystic Rain Sect died at your Lin Lineage, so your entire lineage can be buried with them."

"Attack."

Under the relentless bombardment of the experts' spells, the Lin Lineage was reduced to ruins and almost exterminated. Only two people from the entire lineage remained alive. One was Lin Yan, who had seen that things were going badly and fled at once, though a group of Grotto-Heaven Realm experts was already pursuing him. The other was Zhao Zixuan, an inner disciple of the Mystic Rain Sect, who had been taken back by the group.

Meanwhile, Yuan Zhexian and his companions arrived at the Yan Kingdom's royal capital. The city was extremely prosperous, with people coming and going and merchants and street vendors everywhere. Yuan Zhexian went to a top-class inn in the city called the Gathering of Fate. It was also the finest, most prestigious inn in the entire Heavenly Billows Realm, with branches in nearly every major city.

As soon as Yuan Zhexian entered, an attendant saw that the five were dressed in splendid brocade robes and had extraordinary bearing. Smiling broadly, he came up to greet them.

"My lords, are you here to dine or to stay? We have the finest food and the finest guest rooms. What grade would you like?"

"What grades?" Yuan Zhexian asked curiously.

The attendant explained, "Well, my lord, we have four grades here: heaven, earth, myriad, and things. Anyone with spirit stones can stay in a things-grade room, for one low-grade spirit stone a day. Myriad-grade rooms are for Blood Moving and Grotto-Heaven Realm experts, at ten low-grade spirit stones a day. Earth-grade rooms are for Divine Ability and Dao Body Realm experts, at one hundred spirit stones a day. Heaven-grade rooms are reserved for holy sons and core members of the great holy lands, or Samsara Realm experts, at one mid-grade spirit stone a day." The attendant grew more animated as he spoke.

"Five heaven-grade rooms," Yuan Ruochu said directly.

The attendant was somewhat surprised. He couldn't help asking, "My lords, what is your status?" Though Yuan Zhexian and his companions were dressed and carried themselves unlike ordinary people, they gave off no presence at all, making them seem ordinary.

Yuan Ruochu said, "Our status is not yours to question. Here are ten high-grade spirit stones. See whether that's enough for the five of us to stay a few days."

"That's against the rules," a diner nearby said, stepping forward.

"Are you an attendant at this inn?" Yuan Zhexian asked.

"No. This lord is also here to dine," the attendant replied.

"Throw him out!" Yuan Zhexian said.

"Yes, young master." Yuan Zifeng pointed a finger at the man, and golden light flashed. The man flew straight out and crashed into the ground at the inn's entrance, leaving a large crater.

Just then, inside heaven-grade room three, a middle-aged man bowed to another person and said, "Holy son, I just sensed the presence of a Dao Body Realm expert, but his strength is definitely no weaker than mine." The middle-aged man was actually at the Samsara Realm.

"Oh? Such a small place as the Yan Kingdom has an expert like that? It seems we should go and make his acquaintance. Perhaps we can win him over to help us, which would improve our chances of obtaining the peerless treasure," the holy son said.

With that, he went to the inn's entrance and showed the attendant a jade token bearing the character for "divine." He then said, "These people are my friends. You have no objection, do you?"

The attendant was astonished at the sight of the jade token. It was the symbol of the Divine Feather Holy Land, and only someone of a holy son's rank could carry one. He immediately bowed and cupped his hands. "Yes, yes, yes. Since they're your friends, Holy Son, there's no problem." He then withdrew.

Looking at the handsome young man before him, Yuan Zhexian smiled. "My friend, may I ask what this is about?"

"I am the holy son of the Divine Feather Holy Land. I can see that you all carry yourselves with extraordinary bearing and presence. You must be dragons and phoenixes among men, so I wished to make your acquaintance. Would you honor me by joining me in my private room?"

Yuan Yan'er was displeased. Her divine son was the most exalted person in the world; he wasn't someone just any stray cat or dog could make the acquaintance of. She was about to speak, but Yuan Zhexian stopped her with a wave and said, "Yan'er, entering the world means experiencing and understanding mortal life. It is also a form of cultivation. Set aside the arrogance of your status and enjoy the many facets of the mortal world. You'll discover something different, and your Dao will also grow."

Hearing Yuan Zhexian say this, Yuan Yan'er and the other three immediately nodded in agreement.

The Divine Feather Holy Son was a sixth-stage Divine Ability Realm expert, so he naturally heard Yuan Zhexian's words. He was deeply shocked.

Entering the world? Could they be heirs of an ancient hidden sect? the Divine Feather Holy Son wondered to himself.

Yuan Zhexian then said to the Divine Feather Holy Son, "Since you've invited us, Holy Son, please lead the way." He went up to the private room with the Divine Feather Holy Son.

Inside the room, the Divine Feather Holy Son spoke first. "Are you all out sightseeing?"

Yuan Zhexian replied, "We are heirs of a hidden lineage. We entered the world this time only to travel through the mortal realm and strengthen our Dao hearts."

They really are heirs of a hidden lineage. The Divine Feather Holy Son now felt his decision had been the right one.

"Do you have a destination in mind?" the Divine Feather Holy Son continued.

"Not for now. We haven't been in the world long and don't know much about it. Does the Divine Feather Holy Son have any recommendations, or has anything unusual happened recently?" Yuan Zhexian said evenly.

"There are simply too many places with beautiful scenery in the Heavenly Billows Realm. I doubt you could see them all in less than ten or twenty years. But something quite unusual has happened recently," the Divine Feather Holy Son continued.

"Oh? What unusual thing?"

"I hear that a mysterious space suddenly appeared in the northwest of the Heavenly Billows Realm a few years ago. Inside, rosy light shone for miles, and the Spiritual Qi was ten times denser than outside. Some mighty figures therefore concluded that it must contain countless peerless treasures. Some experts formed groups and went to explore it, but none came back out after entering, and the soul flames they had left at their sects all went out."

The Divine Feather Holy Son glanced at Yuan Zhexian, then continued, "Afterward, even stronger experts went to explore it, but the result was the same. Then a young man appeared. He was only at the Body Tempering Realm, yet after entering that place, he came back out safely."

"Oh? What's strange about that? Everyone has their own opportunities," Yuan Zhexian said.

"That's where the problem lies. Some people wanted to capture him and force him to lead them inside, but they searched for years without finding him. Only in the past few days did someone discover him. Strangely, in just two or three years, he had risen straight from the Body Tempering Realm to the Grotto-Heaven Realm. He must have obtained some peerless treasure inside. Otherwise, such terrifying advancement would have been impossible. Now experts from nearly every continent are looking for him."

Once the Divine Feather Holy Son finished, Yuan Zhexian knew who the man was. He also understood the rough course of events. A space had suddenly appeared in the Heavenly Billows Realm, and many of its experts had gone to explore it, only to perish. Yet Lin Yan, a man blessed with great opportunities, had treated the danger-filled space like his own back garden and ultimately obtained miraculous soil. He had then relied on that soil to make rapid advances in cultivation.

Yuan Zhexian therefore believed that the space might contain the heaven-defying treasure mentioned by his father and the system mission.