For Nascent Soul stage cultivators, the allure of an immortal treasure was boundless. Once the first immortal treasure appeared, the struggle within the grand hall intensified, a clear case of more monks than porridge.
Cang Lan Mingyue battled a blade-shaped phantasm of immortal treasure level for over a thousand rounds, finally exhausting its energy and subduing it beneath him.
However, when the blade phantasm’s radiance faded, he was stunned.
The divine weapon that had previously erupted with the might of an immortal treasure was merely a high-grade heavenly treasure, not even an ultimate-grade heavenly treasure.
While a high-grade heavenly treasure might be considered quite rare for an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator, it was nothing to a powerful expert like Cang Lan Mingyue. With his background and strength, obtaining an ultimate-grade heavenly treasure would be effortless.
After toiling for most of the day, it felt like a complete waste of effort. Nevertheless, Cang Lan Mingyue was no ordinary person; his temperament was excellent. He could only shake his head with a sigh and continue searching for his next target.
...
Luo Xiaoxiao had been locked in a fierce battle with a mass of black shadowy energy. This black shadowy energy, initially weak, had absorbed a considerable amount of dark energy through Luo Xiaoxiao's relentless attacks. Now, it was pushing her back. Luo Xiaoxiao was forced onto the defensive, her slender form appearing somewhat disheveled under the shadow's assault.
Zhang Fan also noticed the mass of black shadow. It was exceptionally unique compared to the other phantasms. Seeing Luo Xiaoxiao at a disadvantage, Zhang Fan did not intervene. He sensed something amiss; perhaps this was Luo Xiaoxiao's fortune.
Gradually, the energy within many of the phantasms was depleted, revealing their true forms. Some cultivators erupted in joyous celebration, while others could only sigh in disappointment.
Cang Lan Mingyue had broken through three phantasms consecutively but had failed to acquire an immortal treasure. On the other hand, Cang Lan Qiuyue had been fortunate enough to obtain one. So far, only two human cultivators had obtained immortal treasures, which was quite good compared to historical data.
After all, the Great Luo Realm opened only once every ten thousand years, and most of the time, no immortal treasures appeared.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a thunderous roar captured everyone's attention. They turned to see the mass of black shadowy energy that had been locked in combat with Luo Xiaoxiao suddenly explode. Luo Xiaoxiao, being too close, was sent flying backward, a trace of blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She had sustained no minor injuries.
As the black shadow dissipated, a simple bronze token of ancient texture hovered in the air.
Upon closer inspection, a character "Luo" was carved in the center of the token. A potent, malevolent aura emanated from it, assailing the minds of the onlookers.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Sounds of rushing wind filled the air as several cultivators rapidly darted towards the token, eager to seize it.
"This token possesses natural Dao rhythm; it is no ordinary item. I must obtain it."
A man in a black robe was the fastest. He covered hundreds of meters in the blink of an eye. Just as he reached out to grab the token, he felt a fatal threat, his hair standing on end.
He turned just in time to see a dazzling sword light descend. He was instantly cleaved in two, his Nascent Soul unable to escape.
The other cultivators vying for the token jolted awake and retreated rapidly. Seeing that Zhang Fan in the distance had not made another move, they slowly breathed a sigh of relief. After regaining their composure, they realized cold sweat had already beaded on their foreheads.
"Go, retrieve that token and examine it," Zhang Fan said to Luo Xiaoxiao.
Luo Xiaoxiao nodded and swiftly landed beside the ancient token. She reached out and grasped it. At that moment, the myriad of swirling phantasms in the air seemed to respond to a summons, transforming into streaks of light that all surged into the token in Luo Xiaoxiao's hand.
"This?"
Witnessing this scene, the crowd seemed to understand something. Their gazes towards the token turned intensely fiery. However, with Zhang Fan present, no matter how covetous they felt, they dared not act.
Had they not just seen an eighth-tribulation realm cultivator sliced in half by a single sword strike?
"How is it?" Zhang Fan asked Luo Xiaoxiao, his gaze questioning.
"It doesn't seem to have anything special. It's just a token. I injected my magic power into it, but I didn't discover any peculiar functions. It's rather strange, though. All those streaks of light flowed into this token, but I can't feel anything within it," Luo Xiaoxiao said, shaking her small head, looking utterly bewildered.
Zhang Fan had his suspicions, but they were merely speculations, so he did not elaborate.
"The first level is over. Should we proceed to the second level?"
As soon as Zhang Fan finished speaking, array patterns appeared on the ground. As the patterns intertwined and spread, they formed a teleportation array beneath their feet. Blinding light flashed, and in the next second, everyone was teleported to the second level.
"The first level is for magical treasures."
"The second level is for inheritances."
"No matter how good magical treasures are, they are merely external forces. Therefore, the truly precious things are in the second level."
"If one can comprehend the Dao laws and inheritances of a Soul Transformation stage expert, perhaps they can break through to the Soul Transformation stage with its aid."
The second level of the Great Luo Palace was no longer shrouded in black mist. The canopy was visible above, and the surroundings were vast and desolate. Standing within the grand hall felt like being in ancient times, where the passage of time could be clearly perceived.
Within the expansive hall, thirty-seven stone statues stood, varying in height. Some were as tall as normal human cultivators, less than ten feet high, while others, like ancient giant spirit race members, towered nearly a hundred feet tall.
Thirty-six stone statues were arranged in two rows, standing like guardians, watching over the single statue at the very end.
"Time is limited. Everyone, go and see which statue suits you and meditate upon it with your heart," Zhang Fan instructed the crowd.
Although no one had been to the second level of the Great Luo Palace before, through the explorations of numerous predecessors, the rules governing it were well understood.
The second level of the Great Luo Palace contained thirty-seven stone statues, each holding the Dao law inheritance left by a Soul Transformation True Immortal. For Nascent Soul cultivators, this was the most precious opportunity in the Great Luo Realm.
Furthermore, the Dao laws inherited from each statue were clearly recorded, encompassing sword Dao, blade Dao, array Dao, fiery Dao, icy Dao, and so on. However, obtaining these inheritances was not easy. One needed to condense their own Dao laws to resonate with the statue, thereby having a chance to acquire the inheritance. This was by no means a simple feat.
Before entering the Great Luo Palace, Zhang Fan had informed Lin Haotian and the others of this information. Therefore, upon arriving at the second level, they were not lost and headed directly towards the statues they had already chosen in their hearts.
There were quite a few sword cultivators present, with seven of them simultaneously approaching the sword Dao statue. Besides Liu Mu, Wu Chen Jian Xian, and Cang Lan Qiuyue, there were four other human cultivators who were also sword cultivators. Sword cultivators accounted for nearly one-fifth of the human cultivators present.
However, to everyone's surprise, Zhang Fan did not choose the sword Dao statue. Instead, he walked towards the end.
"What is he trying to do?" Cang Lan Qiuyue furrowed her delicate brows and muttered softly, expressing her confusion.
"What an arrogant fellow," Liu Mu could only shake her head at the sight. He disdained even the Dao law inheritance left by a Soul Transformation cultivator. Did he already have the confidence to break through to the Soul Transformation stage?
...