The following gambling match was crucial, as it would determine the ultimate victor of this treasure hunt. After half an hour of careful selection, Teng Ling'er chose a piece of jade.
The jade was as large as a washbasin and gleamed with dazzling radiance.
All eyes were now fixed on this piece of jade, the atmosphere in the hall taut to the extreme!
Their gazes intently followed Teng Ling'er in the center. She sliced open the jade, and a spark of innate spiritual light suddenly appeared. Extremely dense and pure spiritual energy flowed out, a mysterious aura emanating from within the jade.
The spiritual energy then transformed into the shapes of a snake and a tortoise, resembling Xuanwu.
"Is this the divine beast Xuanwu?" Wu Tao's expression changed drastically upon seeing this, and he exclaimed in a low voice, causing a stir among the crowd.
The Four Divine Beasts of Dragon, Tiger, Phoenix, and Xuanwu, also known as the Four Spirits of Heaven, were top-tier divine beasts. They were equally renowned. Once such beings manifested, few spiritual or immortal objects could compare!
"If this is truly an egg of Xuanwu, I fear I am destined to lose this time!"
Within the azure egg, faint blood vessels seemed to be beating rhythmically.
Wisps of extremely pure spiritual energy entwined around it, as if nurturing some form of life.
"As one of the Four Spirits of Heaven, the supreme divine beast Xuanwu, it is of utmost nobility. It's a pity it's a dead egg; otherwise, its value would be immeasurable. However, even a dead egg is priceless."
With this appraisal, the outcome of the treasure hunt was largely decided. Teng Ling'er's hint of regret vanished, and as she looked at the envious and astonished gazes of the crowd, her face grew even more smug. She turned to Wu Tao and said, "It's your turn!"
Everyone shook their heads, clearly not optimistic about Wu Tao.
The appearance of the Xuanwu egg today was already astounding, comparable to the final treasures at an auction.
Furthermore, if it were a dead egg, its value would far exceed them!
Such a rare and precious item was seldom found in the entirety of Tongguan City.
Its appearance in a stall like this was already a miracle. No one held out hope for a second item of even greater value!
Even Wu Tao felt a pang of unease. He communicated with You Meng in his heart, "If I really lose, you'll have to run back by yourself!"
Under immense pressure, Wu Tao hardened his resolve and chose an item he himself was unsure about.
As it turned out, something did emerge, but when everyone saw that it was merely a broken fragment, they all sighed in unison, saying, "It's just a piece of something broken!"
"No matter what it is, it can't compare to the Xuanwu egg, especially since it's incomplete. Even a complete item would struggle to compare to the Xuanwu egg. It seems he's definitely lost!"
At this point, only an old human cultivator in the late stage of Core Formation frowned and hesitated, saying, "Although this is merely a fragment,..."
His words piqued everyone's curiosity. They all strained their ears, as if a turning point was imminent.
"This somewhat resembles a legendary spiritual treasure. If it's a fragment of a spiritual treasure, then the wager becomes uncertain!"
Just then, the fragment suddenly vibrated, as if finally awakened, emitting a chilling aura.
An astonishing spectacle unfolded above the entire trading hall.
The fragment levitated, revealing a true scene from the chaotic era.
Two demon gods, wielding spiritual treasures, engaged in a fierce battle, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
Within chaos, three thousand powerful beings were born, divinely endowed.
The Three Thousand Demon Gods, each wielding a unique spiritual treasure, roamed the chaotic world.
The spiritual treasures contained the power of laws and possessed incredible might.
Each spiritual treasure had its own operating principles, which was the Dao.
And Dao, was supreme.
This fragment exuded an aura of all things perishing, heavens and earth withering, and the twilight of the gods. It felt as if its appearance would bring decay to everything, a doomsday's arrival.
The elder in the late stage of Core Formation, previously, stared with wide eyes at the fragment suspended in mid-air and trembled, saying, "Yes, it is truly a fragment of a spiritual treasure!"
The crowd erupted in a thunderous roar...
The news of the spiritual treasure fragment's appearance, within the time it took for an incense stick to burn, had already spread throughout Tongguan City via countless flying transmission talismans!
After a long while, the treasure hunt finally concluded. The spiritual treasure fragment also fell silent and landed in Wu Tao's hand.
Facing the covetous gazes surrounding him, he appeared outwardly calm, but the pressure in his heart was immense.
Individually, he feared none of them, but there were simply too many of them. If each one struck him once.
Moreover, they were all minor figures!
There were even several Nascent Soul stage cultivators hidden among them. His own strength was like that of an ant. If not for the fact that none of them dared to make the first move,
He would likely have been reduced to dust in an instant, along with the entire trading hall!
Under such circumstances... it wouldn't matter who stepped forward!
Wu Tao's back was drenched in cold sweat. He felt like a general on the battlefield, surrounded and ambushed from all sides, on the verge of death at any moment.
Sensing the murderous intent emanating from all around, the four earth spirit masters protecting him quickly stopped Teng Ling'er from speaking and voluntarily conceded.
It was no joke. This spiritual treasure fragment, while unknown to most, was a perilous item. Now, it was a harbinger of doom. Whoever possessed it would bring misfortune upon themselves.
Among the onlookers, hidden talents abounded. The four of them had noticed individuals whose strength surpassed their own.
A catastrophic battle could erupt here at any moment. All it took was a single spark for the trading hall to be reduced to ruins!
Who dared to take such a thing?
If this were in the Spirit Clan, it would be different. Under the might of the Spirit King, who would dare to act? But this was the Human Clan.
At this moment, a long laugh echoed from the horizon.
The heavens and the earth suddenly erupted with a terrifying aura that shook the mountains and the earth. Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, a figure descended from the sky, carrying a vast and fearsome spiritual pressure!
In almost the blink of an eye, Wu Tao's posture straightened.
The arrival was none other than Wu Tao's father-in-law and his protector, Lü Liang.
Wherever Lü Liang passed, surging crowds roared. With every step he took, his heroic fighting spirit intensified, vast and awe-inspiring, making him appear like a war god!
He boomed with laughter, "Fellow Daoists, are you intending to destroy this trading hall? The appearance of this spiritual treasure fragment is indeed a fortune, but this item belongs to my son-in-law. You are all reputable individuals; surely you won't disregard your reputation and attempt to snatch my son-in-law's possession!"
Only then did Wu Tao, as if seeing a savior, rush forward and bow, saying, "My father-in-law's arrival fills me with shame!"
With such a high-ranking and influential figure, a cultivator in the middle stage of Nascent Soul and a deputy city lord, stepping in to preside, the volatile atmosphere of killing intent within the trading hall was naturally suppressed and prevented from erupting.
Lü Liang smiled, appearing like an ordinary middle-aged man. His aura was serene, not at all imposing compared to before.
...
After resolving the situation here, Lü Liang tilted his head, frowned, and transmitted a few words to Wu Tao.
Wu Tao, with a bitter expression, agreed.
It turned out that Lü Liang had advised Wu Tao not to pursue petty gains and to let Teng Ling'er, a direct descendant of the Spirit King, off the hook to avoid creating animosity.
The young girl was competitive. Although Wu Tao had willingly backed down and given up on claiming the bet, Teng Ling'er, unappreciative, pouted and turned to leave, her laughter like a string of silver bells.
Recalling Lü Liang's words, Wu Tao reluctantly chased after her.
Looking back, Teng Ling'er saw Wu Tao pursuing her. She initially intended to speed up and shake him off, but then she considered that he hadn't done anything to her in the end. Furthermore, in front of outsiders, she couldn't afford to be impolite. Thus, she allowed Wu Tao to catch up.
Teng Ling'er's childish temper was merely a display of pique. Since Wu Tao was now speaking to her in a conciliatory manner, she wouldn't continue to sulk. Having no one to talk to was quite boring.
Seeing that Teng Ling'er was no longer sulking, Wu Tao offered more words of comfort until Teng Ling'er was beaming with smiles, at which point he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, after venturing out of the Spirit Clan, Teng Ling'er had only enjoyed herself for a short period before being defeated by the harsh reality.
As a direct descendant of the Spirit King, she disdained ordinary people. From the very day she began cultivating, she had been a pampered prodigy.
Born into the Teng family, one of the twelve great royal families of the Spirit Clan, and the strongest family at that.
From childhood, she was cherished by the Teng family and the entire Spirit Clan. The elixirs she consumed were always the best, and her progress in breaking through realms shattered the Teng family's known cultivation records.
Even when she was a Great Spirit Master, equivalent to the Foundation Establishment stage, she was the center of attention. Subsequently, she became a shining star among Immortals, and even after breaking through to Earth Spirit Master, she was considered the most promising.
Teng Ling'er followed the unique Seed Method of the Spirit Clan, condensing a seed and planting it in her Dantian.
Then, using all precious resources, she cultivated this seed, allowing it to take root and sprout, continuously growing stronger.
Once the seed could engrave a law, she could attain the realm of Heaven Spirit Master, equivalent to the Nascent Soul stage in the Human Clan's cultivation methods.
Subsequently, using this as a foundation, she would transform the seed in her Dantian into a great tree, ultimately achieving the title of Spirit King.
Seeing the joy on Teng Ling'er's face, Wu Tao knew he had spoken correctly. If he had said the wrong thing, this Teng Ling'er, a direct descendant of the Spirit King, might have left.
"Little sister, where do you intend to go on your visit to the Human Clan this time?" Wu Tao asked tentatively.
Upon hearing this, Teng Ling'er's small face immediately fell. She glanced around before finally saying, "I don't know where to go. I'm just here to wander around aimlessly."
Wu Tao was momentarily stunned. She came to the Human Clan to wander aimlessly? Were people with such backgrounds so arrogant?
Although various thoughts flashed through his mind, Wu Tao revealed none of them on his surface.