Chapter 279: Chapter 139: The Strong Flee from the Valley, The Treasure Coveted by Immortals_2
A Tier Four Celestial Demon Bone, as large as a palm!
The one who obtains it could establish a nation within a nation, and even have the opportunity to develop a force stronger than the Great Xia Xiao Family!
If such a supreme treasure truly appeared, it’s uncertain whether it would be a blessing or a curse for the Great Xia Dynasty...
Lin Xuankong, standing to the side, observed the two lip-reading and couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.
A Tier Four Celestial Demon Bone! Even a Demon Path Demon Venerable and a Golden Body Buddha Lord would be tempted. Would Immortals from the Immortal Sect be drawn over, unable to sit still? If I could obtain such a precious treasure, wouldn’t even Immortals envy it! Luckily, I’m using a fake identity... Most importantly, according to Third Princess Xiaoo Ying’Er and Guan Nanfeng, if it truly is a Tier Four Celestial Demon Bone, even the True Qi amount of a Ninth Layer cultivator would be insufficient to approach it... I hope this Celestial Demon Bone is Tier Four. That way, even if I draw the second-to-last lot, I can safely wait for everyone else to fail and easily get it in the end!
For a moment, Lin Xuankong’s eyes filled with anticipation.
While Xiaoo Ying’Er and Guan Nanfeng communicated using True Qi transmission, General Wang Linglan from Prince Yu’s Mansion continued to move forward.
His movement speed was much faster than that of the Fourth Elder of the Thousand Sword Sect. The Flea Body Technique indeed greatly reduced the rate at which True Qi was annihilated!
Lin Xuankong watched the Demon Qi Group with a mixture of joy and worry in his eyes. He saw General Wang Linglan take a full forty-five steps before his movement speed slowed, seemingly because his True Qi was starting to run low.
After another four or five breaths, Wang Linglan finally couldn’t hold on any longer. He shook his head and retreated.
More than forty breaths later, by the time he exited the Demon Qi Group, the True Qi from both his Profound Truth Jade and Restoration Elixirs was completely consumed. Had he retreated a breath or two later, he would have suffered the same miserable fate as the Fourth Elder of the Thousand Sword Sect.
Generals Yu Jiansheng and Wang Linghui quickly walked over to support the staggering Wang Linglan.
Wang Linglan sighed. "The Demon Qi on the path I chose is indeed sparser, but the rate at which True Qi is annihilated is still terrifyingly fast. It’s a pity; I, Linglan, have disappointed you, Brother, and General Yu, having only advanced just over fifty steps."
Yu Jiansheng raised his eyebrows and said, "Why say such things? Refining the Celestial Demon Bone is fraught with danger; a slight misstep means death and the destruction of one’s Dao. You persisted this far and helped General Wang Linghui scout so much of the path, which is already commendable. When it’s General Wang Linghui’s turn—an Early Eighth Layer cultivator, carrying twelve pieces of Profound Truth Jade and thirty Restoration Elixirs—he absolutely has a chance to get close to the Celestial Demon Bone."
Wang Linghui, an Early Eighth Layer cultivator standing to the side, showed a hint of anticipation in his eyes. I’ve also cultivated the Flea Body Technique. While my technique’s realm is the same as Linglan’s, my Martial Arts Cultivation Realm is a full layer higher than his. Combined with the Profound Truth Jade and Restoration Elixirs, perhaps I have a slim chance to get close to this Celestial Demon Bone!
After a brief discussion, the three retreated, allowing other cultivators to take turns entering the Demon Qi Group surrounding the Celestial Demon Bone.
Seeing that the Demon Qi on Wang Linglan’s chosen path seemed sparser, the others unhesitatingly chose the same route. Alas, even with Wang Linglan having luckily found a path with weaker Demon Qi, the next five cultivators still couldn’t advance far.
Even Grand Elder Han Li of the Thousand Sword Sect, an Early Eighth Layer powerhouse carrying eleven pieces of Profound Truth Jade, could only take fifty-two steps before being forced to retreat.
When the eighth cultivator entered, the Demon Qi Group suddenly changed. The path that was originally sparse in Demon Qi became extremely dense due to a shift in the Demon Qi’s flow, drastically increasing the rate at which it annihilated True Qi!
Caught unprepared, a Late Stage Seventh Layer expert from Prince Yu’s Mansion couldn’t bear the consumption after advancing thirty steps and hastily retreated. However, on his way back, he encountered even denser Demon Qi. When he was just fourteen steps from the outer edge, his True Qi was completely annihilated, resulting in instantaneous death, his soul utterly destroyed. Even the twelve pieces of Profound Truth Jade he carried were lost in the Demon Qi Group.
With no other choice, the subsequent cultivators had to select new paths, yet none could again find one with sparse Demon Qi.
Thus, one after another, the cultivators gave up halfway; none were even able to take thirty steps.
When it was the turn of the twelfth and thirteenth contenders, Yang Luochen and Yang Luofeng, Early Eighth Layer powerhouses from Prince Dong’s Mansion, entered the Demon Qi Group. Both wielded the Dust Explosion Technique, a marvelous skill capable of diverting Demon Qi flows to other locations. Alas, even so, they only managed fifty-six and fifty-four steps respectively, still far from reaching a hundred steps.
Witnessing this, Yu Jiansheng and Han Li decisively advised the few Late Stage Seventh Layer cultivators who had intended to try to give up.
Since even Early Eighth Layer cultivators could only manage fifty-odd steps, Late Stage Seventh Layer cultivators definitely had no chance of going farther.
Consequently, the turn to attempt refining the Celestial Demon Bone fell directly to the eighteenth contender, General Wang Linghui.
To the amazement of everyone from Prince Yu’s Mansion, General Wang Linghui—who was highly anticipated by his own mansion and feared by the experts of other Prince Mansions—still failed to reach a hundred steps, even when using the Flea Body Technique and carrying twelve pieces of Profound Truth Jade. He retreated in despair at the seventy-second step.
Moreover, when he was only nine steps from the outer edge, his True Qi was nearly completely annihilated. Yu Jiansheng had to risk rushing into the Demon Qi Group to rescue him.
One expert after another failed and retreated. Despite employing various methods, not a single one managed to take a hundred steps. Even the most promising, General Wang Linghui, only managed seventy-two steps. The terrifying Demon Qi of this Celestial Demon Bone caused all cultivators present to turn pale.
For a time, the expressions of all cultivators in the valley changed, and they began to murmur amongst themselves in low voices.
Yu Jiansheng of Prince Yu’s Mansion looked towards Han Li, Yang Luochen, and the others, his face full of suspicion as he said, "Could this be a Tier Three Celestial Demon Bone? Otherwise, how could scores of elite experts fail to take even eighty steps? Normally, with a Tier Two Celestial Demon Bone, even a Fifth Layer cultivator should be able to manage fifty steps!"
Han Li’s face also showed suspicion. This confident Early Eighth Layer expert had only managed to take fifty-two steps; the setback was truly significant.
Yang Luochen of Prince Dong’s Mansion sighed and said, "It should be a Tier Three Demon Bone. A Tier Three Demon Bone is a supreme treasure; only a Late Stage Ninth Layer Martial Cultivator would have a chance to obtain it and emerge alive! No wonder a Ninth-Layer Perfection Corpse Scorpion Demon King perished here. How could anyone easily walk three hundred steps through this terrifyingly dense Demon Qi!"
Hearing their discussion, many cultivators looked towards the Demon Qi Group again, their faces showing excitement. A Tier Three Celestial Demon Bone... there were only three in the entire Great Xia Dynasty, the same grade as the Celestial Demon Bone held by Emperor Xiao of Great Xia!
However, merely thinking of the dense and terrifying Demon Qi within the Demon Qi Group, the excitement on their faces quickly subsided, replaced by disappointment.
A Tier Three Celestial Demon Bone could only be obtained by a Late Stage Ninth Layer cultivator. Below the Ninth Layer, there was no chance. No matter how eager or excited they were, what was the use?
Standing not far from the Demon Qi Group, Lin Xuankong looked at the many disappointed cultivators in the valley and thought to himself: Those ahead of me, including Little Yu King, have already given up. Only Guan Nanfeng, an Eighth-Layer Perfection cultivator, remains! According to Guan Nanfeng’s own assessment, she shouldn’t have a chance of reaching the Celestial Demon Bone either! Hmm, victory is within my grasp!
At this moment, Guan Nanfeng walked towards the Demon Qi Group. This Eighth-Layer Perfection expert had a hint of joy in her eyes. Hmph, this bunch from the various Prince Mansions has never witnessed the Demon Qi of a Tier Three Celestial Demon Bone; they’re so ignorant! Such dense Demon Qi... this clearly isn’t a Tier Three Celestial Demon Bone. It must be a Tier Four Celestial Demon Bone! Still, it’s good they’ve misunderstood. It saves the news from being exposed!
Amidst her secret joy, she reached the outer edge of the Demon Qi Group and took out thirty pieces of Profound Truth Jade and one Holy Arrival Jade Token from her Ghost Frog Pouch.
Lin Xuankong, who had initially felt victory was within his grasp, froze when he saw Guan Nanfeng take out a full thirty pieces of Profound Truth Jade.