Five Finger Peak.
This place consisted of five towering peaks rising from the earth, shaped like the fingers of a giant hand. Each “finger” shimmered with a different color of spiritual light.
Black, white, red, yellow, and green restrictions revolved endlessly, forming a five-colored barrier that enveloped a small lake resting in the “palm” formed by the peaks.
The bottom of the lake was paved entirely with white jade stones. At its center lay a patch of jade-colored spiritual soil, from which grew a small tree radiating brilliant five-colored light. Though it was not exactly laden with fruit, several five-colored spirit fruits still hung from its branches, each plump and perfectly round, overflowing with astonishing spiritual qi.
“So it truly is the Five Elements Spirit Fruit?”
A streak of demonic light descended, revealing the figure of Yu Xiang’er.
Her gaze fixed upon the Five Elements spirit tree, and a trace of obsession appeared on her face.
Back then, both the Blue Sea Sect and the Sea-Destroying Alliance had discovered this Five Elements spirit tree together. Although Eldest Senior Brother had inexplicably perished outside Sanyuan Island, she still possessed a copy of the map.
“Mm. Fist-sized, five-colored… they have indeed matured.”
This was a restriction-breaking artifact personally refined by Heiyuan True Personage after the demonic cultivators who originally discovered the place had brought back information regarding the array. It used the principle of breaking array with arrays, making it exceptionally efficient at destroying restrictions.
“Go!”
Several small flags shot into the surrounding area. Yu Xiang’er manipulated the formation plate in her hand, and delight instantly surfaced on her face.
“It worked!”
Crackle!
Streams of black lightning appeared, leaping across the five-colored barrier and forcibly tearing open a crack barely large enough for one person to pass through.
Yu Xiang’er immediately flashed forward, entering the five-colored lake and arriving beside the Five Elements spirit tree. Dark radiance flickered within her eyes.
“No… there are still restrictions around the roots of the spirit tree. It cannot be transplanted. Besides, where in the outside world is there still an environment suitable for growing a Five Elements spirit tree?”
She had long since guessed as much, so she no longer hesitated. With a wave of her delicate hand.
Three streaks of dark light flashed forth, plucking three fully matured Five Elements spirit fruits from the branches. She placed them into jade boxes, sealed them with talismans, and only then carefully stored them inside her storage bag.
As for the remaining immature fruits, even Yu Xiang’er could not bear to harvest them prematurely. They could only be left for future generations.
Yet the instant she stepped out of the five-colored restriction, a sudden change erupted!
Whoosh!
A burst of light appeared, transforming into a massive tripod-shaped spirit artifact that descended from above.
“Hmph. So the Blue Sea Sect brats were lying in wait for your grand-aunt here?”
Yu Xiang’er cursed with a laugh, though she had clearly prepared for this long ago. In her hand appeared a pitch-black talisman treasure.
Rip!
The talisman treasure ignited, transforming into a mass of dark radiance from which emerged a black claw-shaped magic treasure, clawing viciously toward the giant tripod spirit artifact.
Crack! Crack!
The great tripod was ultimately only a spirit artifact. Under the assault of the black claw talisman treasure, countless sparks erupted across its surface, while deep claw marks spread across the body of the great tripod.
Seeing this, Yu Xiang’er could not help but smile faintly.
Her cultivation had improved greatly over the years, and she had even tempered herself in the Eastern Sea cultivation world. In terms of battle experience, there was no way she would lose to a same-realm cultivator from this backwater region.
Unless… the other party was no longer at Foundation Establishment.
Boom!
Even as the thought crossed her mind, her expression abruptly changed as she sensed a violent eruption of Core Formation mana.
The giant tripod spirit artifact suddenly seemed to have swallowed some miraculous tonic. It doubled in size once more, releasing endless torrents of black seawater that instantly engulfed the black claw talisman treasure.
Standing proudly atop the tripod cauldron was an elderly man with white hair and beard. Vast mana surged around him, radiating unmistakable Core Formation fluctuations.
“Tianding… you old fossil whose lifespan is nearly exhausted, how could you possibly have formed a Core?”
Yu Xiang’er’s beautiful face turned pale with shock.
But in the next instant, realization struck her.
“So the Blue Sea Sect was actually willing to go this far? Aren’t they afraid you’ll die inside the secret realm and lose the treasure forever?”
“Heh heh… this old man swallowed two life-extending pills and dragged out his miserable existence until today precisely for this very moment!”
Brilliant light flickered within Tianding’s eyes as the mana of the Blue Sea Technique surged forth like monstrous tidal waves, crashing violently against Yu Xiang’er’s protective spirit artifact.
The Foundation Establishment demonic cultivator immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, like a tiny boat caught amidst a raging storm, liable to capsize at any moment.
Not far away, Fang Qing stood beneath the Heaven-Shrouding Curtain, silently observing everything unfold.
‘Sigh… originally I planned to let Yu Xiang’er handle things herself. Afterward she only needed to hand over two Five Elements spirit fruits to me. But now it seems I’ll have to intervene personally after all. Senior Brother Tianding truly has devoted himself completely to the sect.’
Clearly, Shi Tiexin had not come this time because he had already handed over the Blue Sea Sect’s imitation “Tide-Birth Pearl” to Tianding.
After all these years, Tianding had finally cultivated to the peak of Foundation Establishment, allowing him to barely activate the imitation Tide-Birth Pearl and temporarily wield battle strength comparable to a Core Formation cultivator. Once inside the secret realm, he naturally swept through everything in his path.
‘And at Tianding’s age, even if he possessed a Core Formation Pill, he long passed the age limit for advancing to Core Formation. He truly devoted himself entirely to the sect. Even in old age he still wanted to burn away the last of his life for its sake.’
‘Unfortunately, the one you’re trying to kill is my female slave. And the Core Formation spiritual treasure you’re trying to seize belongs to me.’
Clang!
Fang Qing sighed inwardly as Wolfbreaker was already unleashed.
With one brilliant sword strike, empowered by the Sharp Edge Chapter, the sky seemed filled with drifting stars as sword qi spread like mist.
The swirling haze twisted together while a strange radiance burst forth, like a white rainbow piercing the sun as it descended upon the giant cauldron spirit artifact.
This supreme-grade spirit artifact cauldron had originally been Tianding’s treasured possession. Unfortunately, it had already suffered heavy damage from the Talisman Treasure earlier, and after being forcefully infused with mana by this external-core cultivator, it was already at the brink of collapse. How could it possibly withstand this sword?
Crack!
With a single strike, the giant cauldron spirit artifact split cleanly down the middle, evenly divided into two halves.
“Hmm? Late Foundation Establishment? No… a sword cultivator approaching Foundation Establishment perfection? You are that swordsman who destroyed Sanyuan Island back then? Why are you saving this demoness?”
The moment Tianding saw Fang Qing arrive, his heart tightened as he shouted sharply.
“Since Fellow Daoist already knows I joined Taibai Island, how could you not know that Taibai Island and the Blue Sea Sect are mortal enemies and that we are allied with the Sea-Destroying Alliance?”
Fang Qing gave a faint laugh.
Yu Xiang’er immediately showed good sense and hid behind Fang Qing, adding softly, “Many thanks, Fellow Daoist, for saving me.”
“Hmph. Birds of a feather. Two villains in collusion.”
Tianding’s gaze turned icy. “Excellent. Today I shall deal with both of you together!”
A small azure sword appeared in his hand, radiating dazzling brilliance that made Yu Xiang’er cry out in alarm.
“A dharma treasure?”
‘As expected, Tianding really does possess a dharma treasure. Since the Blue Sea Sect was willing to provide him with an external core, there was no way they would begrudge him a mere dharma treasure.’
Fang Qing’s thoughts stirred as the azure flying sword magic treasure already descended toward him. At the same moment, Wolfbreaker flew out from his hand as well.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Wolfbreaker struck from an incredibly bizarre angle, colliding directly with the streak of azure light and instantly knocking the flying sword dharma treasure away.
Tianding stared at the scene in utter disbelief.
In his eyes, he already possessed Core Formation-level mana and wielded a Core Formation dharma treasure. Its power should have vastly surpassed anything at the Foundation Establishment realm.
So why had this strike been blocked by a Foundation Establishment sword cultivator?
“How is this possible?”
Tianding stood dumbfounded.
‘This is nothing. If it were convenient… I could take out the Tide-Birth Pearl right now and blow your mind on the spot.’
‘Once your female Tide-Birth Pearl encounters my male one, it would immediately stop working.’
Fang Qing laughed inwardly as countless streams of sword light split apart in his hand before abruptly merging back into one, transforming once again into a white rainbow piercing the sun as it slashed toward Tianding.
Green qi surged across Tianding’s face as he controlled the dharma treasure flying sword.
“Even if you were lucky enough to block one strike, can you really be fortunate every single time?”
He knew his own weakness well. Thus he circulated his Core Formation-level mana like an impenetrable wall, crushing forward through sheer force.
‘This Tianding has spent his whole life refining pills, yet his combat instincts are surprisingly sharp.’
‘With his mana and realm, using brute force is indeed wiser than relying on finesse.’
‘Unfortunately… he ran into me.’
Fang Qing chuckled softly. Wolfbreaker suddenly expanded by three feet before falling into his grasp. He swung it downward with a single slash.
Crash!
The surging Core Formation mana, vast as raging storm waves, was split apart by that strike as though it had collided with an eternal reef deep beneath the sea.
Tianding watched helplessly as Fang Qing sent his dharma treasure flying once again. The Core Formation-level Blue Sea Technique mana crashed onto Fang Qing’s body, yet it felt no different from a gentle breeze brushing past him. His eyes widened in disbelief.
“A Body Refinement cultivator? A third-rank Body Refiner?”
“Haha. I not only know how to wield the sword, I also understand a bit about fists and kicks.”
Fang Qing cleaved through the waves and moved his divine sense.
Tianding instantly felt as though a vajra pestle had been rammed directly into his sea of consciousness. His mind spun violently, and dizziness overwhelmed him.
This divine sense attack secret art was unexpectedly effective against an external-core cultivator like him!
By the time he regained his senses, the swordsman had already placed a radiant sword, dazzling like the stars themselves, across his neck.
If Fang Qing had wanted to, taking his head during that moment of dizziness would have been effortless.
“A third-rank divine sense secret art, a third-rank Body Refiner. How could such a monstrous genius exist among Foundation Establishment cultivators?”
He sighed bitterly within his heart.
“Our Blue Sea Sect truly lacks heavenly fortune. Even the sect’s treasure is destined to be lost within this secret realm, perhaps even to enemy hands.”
At that thought, Tianding nearly fell into complete despair.
Yet Fang Qing slowly withdrew the sword and said to Yu Xiang’er, “The Five Elements Spirit Fruits.”
“Yes.”
Yu Xiang’er obediently acted like a maidservant, taking out three jade boxes from her storage bag.
Fang Qing picked up one of the jade boxes and opened it. Inside lay a brilliantly multicolored spirit fruit radiating astonishing spiritual qi.
With a slight flick of his hand, the jade box floated into Tianding’s grasp.
“Hm? This…”
Tian Ding froze instantly. Even the self-destruction secret technique he had secretly been circulating came to a halt.
The other party was not only sparing his life, but even giving him such a precious Core Formation spiritual object?
Why?
“Although I accepted Taibai Island’s orders, I am not a member of the Zhong Family. Moreover, I happen to have a good relationship with Taibai Island’s chief alchemist. I once heard him mention this senior brother of his.”
Fang Qing’s gaze rested on Tian Ding, causing sudden realization to dawn upon him.
“So it was because of Junior Brother Fang’s favor?”
A thought stirred in Tian Ding’s heart as he looked down at the jade box in his hand.
‘Junior Brother Fang must have done this sword cultivator an enormous favor before. Otherwise, why would he go this far?’
“Very well. During this secret realm expedition, let us hope we do not meet again.”
Fang Qing waved his hand casually, watching Tianding depart. At the same time, he smoothly slipped the remaining two Five Elements Spirit Fruits into his own storage bag.
‘This Tianding, his lifespan limit is only a few years away, perhaps even just a few months. Even with a Five Elements Spirit Fruit, he likely cannot form his Core… Still, he truly is a loyal sect disciple.’
‘Oh? I almost forgot. I’m also a sect disciple myself. Unfortunately, I was sent as a sacrifice by the Sea Dragon King Festival.’
That fact made Fang Qing’s feelings toward the Blue Sea Sect extremely complicated.
Now that he had returned one Five Elements Spirit Fruit, most of the karmic debt between them could be considered settled.
Besides, at present only he himself needed to form a Core. One Five Elements Spirit Fruit was enough. Taking an extra one merely served as insurance for unexpected circumstances.
As for the final fruit, leaving it behind for the sect was not unacceptable either.
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