“Damn! I’m not seeing things, right? That seems like the treasure mountain.”
Five kilometers away, a large ship was passing by the area. When the cultivators on the deck saw the rising mountain, they all exclaimed in shock.
The Old Fish Devil squinted. Suddenly, he jerked on his fishing pole. The fishing hook, attached to a line the same color as air, spun around and shot out.
Before the first person who spoke could understand what happened, the fishing line silently wrapped around his neck.
The Old Fish Devil revealed a cruel smile. Then, he flicked his wrist. Five kilometers away, that man’s head flew off, and blood spurted out of his neck.
“Quick, run! It’s the Old Fish Devil, one of the great loose cultivators!”
The cultivators on the ship all shouted in horror, their faces filled with terror.
The silver-haired youth’s lips curled up. He moved his hands and threw a palm strike. A huge, nimble Silver Shark leaped out of the water and swallowed up half the ship in one gulp.
The Silver Shark even swallowed up the cultivators who had not managed to flee in time. When the Silver Shark sank into the water, blood poured out, dyeing the sea red.
“Bang!”
The Iron Sword Maniac pulled out his broadsword and chopped down. A pure scarlet sword Qi surged out and crushed the remaining half of the ship into powder. Naturally, the people on that half were crushed into powder as well, all dying without a corpse.
Madame Flower smiled sweetly and blew out a pink gas. It looked like flower pollen as it flew on the wind.
The bodies of the cultivators that came in contact with the gas started rotting. Soon, no sign of life remained, leaving only red skeletons sinking into the sea.
Gao Yangyu pointed at the air. The cultivators who had taken flight felt a vast Law Energy spreading out. Space was restricted. Several corpses turned into dust and scattered with the wind.
Xuanyuan Zhantian did not make a move. He even gave a few cultivators a chance to live, letting them flee into the distance.
The silver-haired youth demanded coldly, “Xuanyuan Zhantian, why did you not attack? If you did, those people would not have been able to flee. Then, the news of the treasure mountain would not spread out.”
Xuanyuan Zhantian looked at the treasure mountain and replied calmly, “There is no need. This sea route is not remote; at least ten ships pass by every day. Even if you kill them all, the news of the treasure mountain appearing will spread very quickly.”
Seeing the atmosphere between the two turning sour, the Old Fish Devil smiled and said, “Never mind, it’s fine. At least we hold the initiative. No one will be faster than us. We will definitely be able to collect all the ten-thousand-year-old Spirit Herbs.”
Although there were many Secret Treasures in the treasure mountain, the only things that could attract these loose cultivators were the ten-thousand-year-old Spirit Herbs.
Of course, if these loose cultivators found out about the Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion, they would not just set their sights on the Spirit Herbs.
A fervent look flashed in Gao Yangyu’s eyes as he took the lead in flying towards the mist-covered treasure mountain. The others quickly followed behind, vanishing into the mist.
---
Mu Qinghan told Xiao Chen the news of the treasure mountain’s early appearance after Xiao Chen had consumed the Heavenly Origin Pill and his Heavenly Sage Laws transformed.
Mu Qinghan looked straight at Xiao Chen and candidly expressed his intent. “Young Master Wen, I do not like to beat about the bush. There are some matters that you probably guessed already. No one would do something for no reason.
“I guess that you already have some speculations about why I saved you. I will tell you the reason now. I, as well as the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion’s Chen Wenjun, know the location of the Fire Li Sect’s Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion. If you are willing, we can travel together and share the treasures.”
After that, Mu Qinghan explained the Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion’s history in detail. Simply put, the Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion was where the Fire Li Sect placed everything valuable.
Not only were there refined Secret Treasures, but there were also spoils of war, Cultivation Techniques, Martial Techniques, natural treasures, and all sorts of other treasures. As long as they reached a certain value, they would be placed in the Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion.
Mu Qinghan observed Xiao Chen’s expression, but he did not find much surprise on it.
Indeed, Xiao Chen was not surprised. After all, two days ago, Mo Chen already mentioned that Mu Qinghan might have saved him because of the treasure mountain.
After thinking for a while, Xiao Chen smiled and said, “For now, I cannot make this decision. You should ask Miss Mo. Currently, I am her bodyguard. I will go wherever she goes.”
A depressed look flashed in Mu Qinghan’s eyes. One more person would mean an extra person to split the treasures with. Consequently, he would obtain even less.
However, the relationship that Xiao Chen claimed to have with Mo Chen did not seem false. If he was not Mo Chen’s bodyguard, why would he kill people in a rage at the City Lord’s Residence?
However, Mo Chen was pretty strong as well. In a one-on-one battle, by relying on the power of her nine flames, she could defeat a Superior Grade Martial Sage.
Mu Qinghan quickly revised his plan. He smiled and said, “In that case, many thanks in advance, Brother Wen. I will go and discuss this with Miss Mo Chen. If Miss Mo Chen agrees, I hope that Brother Wen will not refuse.”
Mu Qinghan had seen Xiao Chen’s strength for himself. Xiao Chen had fought eight Superior Grade Martial Sages alone, killing them effortlessly. This feat was something that several grandmaster-level Martial Sages could not have accomplished with equal ease.
Wait up!
Just as Mu Qinghan was about to turn away, his expression changed. He looked at Xiao Chen and said, “Brother Wen’s strength has recovered?”
Earlier, he had come in a rush and had not discovered it. However, after paying some attention, he realized that Xiao Chen’s cultivation already reached Martial Sage.
Such a scene proved once again that Xiao Chen had not been lying. He had indeed gotten injured, resulting in his cultivation falling.
Now that Xiao Chen’s cultivation was restored to Martial Sage, his strength no doubt improved further. Moreover, Mu Qinghan felt that this was not Xiao Chen’s limit.
As Xiao Chen’s cultivation recovered, he might be able to reach grandmaster-level Martial Sage.
This thought further reinforced Mu Qinghan’s determination to bring Xiao Chen along. Even if Mo Chen was not willing to enter the treasure mountain, he had to think of a way to get Xiao Chen to do so.
“Yes, I can be considered to have made a slight recovery,” Xiao Chen confirmed with a faint smile.
Mu Qinghan smiled and said, “In that case, congratulations, Brother Wen. I will take my leave first.”
After Mu Qinghan said that, he left in a rush. Indeed, time waited for no man. His heart was currently focused entirely on the treasure mountain.
Xiao Chen entered deep thought. He indeed wanted to go to the Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion, since fortuitous encounters were hard to come by. With this great opportunity before him, passing up on it would be such a pity.
However, he had to follow Mo Chen’s plans first. If the trip to the Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion clashed with her obtaining the Book of Heavenly Works, he could only give up on the former.
Mo Chen had given Xiao Chen the Solar True Flame and helped him refine the Heavenly Origin Pill. Furthermore, she would definitely give him the Multiflora Rose Pendant.
For both logical and sentimental reasons, she had to be his priority.
After a while, Mo Chen came to Xiao Chen’s room. Her expression appeared rather calm. “I agreed to Mu Qinghan’s suggestion.”
Xiao Chen raised his head and said, “It seems like you knew this long ago.”
Mo Chen smiled mysteriously. “The Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion existed in the treasure mountain for several thousand years, yet no one had found it. Have you ever wondered why information about it suddenly surfaced and, furthermore, with two opposing merchant associations?”
“You mean to say that someone leaked this on purpose?” Xiao Chen arched an eyebrow. Then, he looked at her and asked, “Could you be the one who leaked the news?”
Smiling gently, she replied, “Naturally, it was me. The Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion has the ancient combat puppets refined by the Fire Li Sect. If no one sweeps away some of the obstacles in front, how can I enter to obtain the Book of Heavenly Works?
“However, I really did not expect this lucky stroke, that the Nine Cauldron Merchant Association would find you. You have unknowingly helped us.”
This matter was not complicated. It was just that before Mo Chen met Xiao Chen, she had laid some preparations of her own in advance. Xiao Chen immediately understood after thinking for a short while.
He smiled and said, “That’s good. I am quite interested in the Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion as well.”
Mo Chen nodded and said, “We do not have any conflict with Mu Qinghan, either. He does not know that the Book of Heavenly Works is among the treasures in there.”
“Someone is coming. Let’s go.” Xiao Chen’s Spiritual Sense was sharp. He immediately stopped speaking about this topic and went out with Mo Chen.
The one who came was the manager. He led Xiao Chen and Mo Chen into the inner yard.
Another team was there, a pretty strong team composed of five Superior Grade Martial Sages, two grandmaster-level Martial Sages, and one great grandmaster-level Martial Sage.
By having this team enter the treasure mountain, they could fool people about their true objective.
As for the other team, it would have very few people, only the manager, Mu Qinghan, Xiao Chen, and Mo Chen.
One team in the open and one team hidden. The team in the open would provide cover and support. The team that would enter the Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion was Mu Qinghan’s. The fewer people, the better. This guaranteed that information would not leak out; that was the main objective.
The Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion would probably do the same. As long as there was any leak in information, chaos and competition would obviously ensue.
When the other team left, Mu Qinghan said, “We will leave by a secret tunnel.”
---
In the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, Chen Wenjun made similar arrangements, doing almost the same thing. After one team left openly, he led the two Cyclic Astral Palace disciples out of Shattered Cloud City through a secret tunnel.
---
In the City Lord’s Residence of Shattered Cloud City, the other seven City Lords all looked at Wang Zhan anxiously.
Wang Zhan, who sat in the center, retrieved a note from a messenger bird’s leg. After he unrolled the note and read it, a sinister smile slowly appeared on his face.
“What’s the situation, Brother Wang? Are there any strange movements on the Nine Cauldron Merchant Association’s or Heavenly Treasure Pavilion’s sides?”
Wang Zhan put away the note, still smiling. “Like before, they sent out their strongest cultivators. However, Wen Ziran was not seen in the group from the Nine Cauldron Merchant Association.”
“That can’t be. Does that mean we were wrong?”
“It’s over. This means that Wen Ziran probably already fled far away and is no longer in the Cloud Sea Domain.”
Wang Zhan slowly said, “I still have not finished. There is no need to be in such a rush. While there were no strange movements in the open, both merchant associations sent out another team in secret. Wen Ziran was seen in the Nine Cauldron Merchant Association’s group.
“As for the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion’s group, there are two elite disciples of the strongest Astral Palace of the Cyclic Astral Palace, the Sun Palace.”
After Wang Zhan said that, the other City Lords all immediately revealed expressions of joy. They had not waited in vain. There was indeed some significant movement.
Wang Zhan said coldly, “If not for me paying special attention to the business of the city for many years, they might have tricked me this time.
“Send out our people as well and just follow them from afar. We will let them fight as the vanguard first. After that, we will personally make a move and take everything, benefiting from all their efforts.”
The treasure mountain appeared only once every hundred years. It could draw all the cultivators—from clans, sects, and loose cultivators—of the Cloud Sea Domain to make a move.