The stone coffin aside, the withered skeleton and the storage ring… These were staples of countless legends—unmistakable signs of a fortuitous encounter!
Across the cultivation world, how many cultivators had stumbled upon the remains of a bygone master, reaped unimaginable benefits from their legacy, and soared to prominence?
Now, in this extraordinary place, they had discovered the skeleton of a deceased senior cultivator—with a storage ring still on its finger! Mu Qingfeng and the others couldn't contain their blinding greed.
Without a word, Mu Qingfeng lunged forward. His right hand shot out, summoning an invisible force to snatch the ring from the skeleton's finger.
"Whoosh!!"
The instant he moved, a piercing shriek of metal tore through the air behind him. A surge of killing intent flooded his senses. His face tightened as he twisted aside—just as a violet flying sword grazed his robe. Though it missed him, its tip struck the airborne ring with a sharp ping! The ring ricocheted onto the coffin's lid, then tumbled to the floor.
Mu Qingfeng whirled, eyes blazing at Zhou Lihu. "Zhou! Are you so eager to die?!"
Zhou Lihu smirked, unhurried. "Mu Qingfeng, treasures belong to all who witness them. Did you truly think you'd monopolize this senior's storage ring? Unacceptable."
Mu Qingfeng's voice turned glacial. "What do you propose?"
"Bring out every item inside. Let all see what lies within. Then we divide it fairly."
A mocking curl touched Mu Qingfeng's lip. "Very well. I'll retrieve it for inspection."
"Apologies, but we don't trust you." Zhou Lihu's gaze hardened. "I'll oversee the distribution."
Mu Qingfeng's pupils contracted. "Zhou Lihu! You think three of you can overwhelm me?! Fine! Let me show you the chasm between us!!"
BOOM!
A tsunami of murderous aura erupted from Mu Qingfeng. His hand flicked—a streak of cyan light, faster than sight, shot toward Zhou Lihu's throat!
He'd held back earlier, deeming conflict unnecessary. Even the high-grade spirit stones in the abandoned garden were negotiable. But this? The storage ring of a mysterious, fallen master? He would never share it. Even if it cost him dearly, he resolved to kill—or cripple—every rival here.
The scale of the abandoned medicine garden alone hinted that this hall's original owner likely surpassed the Nascent Soul stage. This skeleton, even if not the master's, couldn't belong to a nobody. Its possessions had to be extraordinary!
"Hmph!! Attack!" Zhou Lihu's eyes narrowed, but no fear showed. His own sword flashed back to defend as a luminous spiritual shield bloomed around him.
"Clang!!"
Zhou Lihu barely intercepted the cyan sword meters away. The impact sent a tremor through his blade—a mournful whine echoed in his mind. His true essence churned violently, nearly spiraling out of control. Though only one minor stage below Mu Qingfeng, the gap in power and sword mastery was stark.
But he wasn't alone. As he blocked, two more swords—one gold, one violet—streaked toward Mu Qingfeng from his allies: his sect brother and the Luo Mie Sect's Zhang.
Facing three, Mu Qingfeng's expression tightened. His fingers danced in a sword seal. His cyan blade arced back with serpentine grace, intercepting both incoming swords mid-flight. Yet Zhou Lihu's weapon gave chase.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG-CLANG!
Four blades became a whirlwind of sparks and shrieks above the stone coffin.
Mu Qingfeng and Zhou Lihu were elite talents of their sects. Their techniques and treasures were comparable. Thus, raw cultivation decided the contest. Though outnumbered, Mu Qingfeng held his ground. His sword moved like three blades at once, weaving a net that trapped his opponents' weapons—a deadlock.
Zhou Lihu risked a glance back at Lin Feng, standing near the entrance. "Fellow Daoist!" he shouted urgently. "Mu Qingfeng seeks to hoard all treasures! Aid us in subduing him! The storage ring's contents will be shared fairly among us all!"
Mu Qingfeng's face darkened further. That Foundation Building ant… His flying sword is weak, but in this stalemate, even a pebble could tip the scales.
But to Mu Qingfeng's grim relief—and Zhou Lihu's fury—Lin Feng made no move to join. Instead, he took another step back, adopting the stance of a spectator.
Lin Feng had zero interest in 'collaborating' with Zhou Lihu, let alone 'sharing' spoils. Like Mu Qingfeng, he craved sole ownership.
Yet charging in recklessly would draw the fury of four Golden Core cultivators. Unwise, even for him. Better to let tigers fight—and claim the prize from the exhausted victor.
Moreover, an unsettling premonition had gnawed at Lin Feng since entering this room. A primal urge whispered: Flee. Now. It kept him cautious, observant.
"Coward!" Zhou Lihu spat, shooting Lin Feng a venomous glare before refocusing on the battle.
"Huh?!"
A shadow darted past Zhou Lihu's periphery! The Luo Mie Sect's Zhang had broken ranks—but not toward Mu Qingfeng, nor the storage ring on the floor. He lunged instead for the skeleton… or more precisely, for the crimson dagger buried in its chest!
Compared to the ring's potential treasures, this dagger seemed lesser. Yet it had slain a formidable cultivator—its rank must be exceptional, possibly spirit-grade. While others fixated on the ring, Zhang had seized the chance to claim it.
Mu Qingfeng's eyes flashed cold. His left hand flicked—a cyan talisman streaked out! It exploded mid-air, morphing into two massive serpents woven from countless wind blades. They hissed toward Zhang from left and right!
Zhang's fingers closed around the dagger's hilt just as the attack struck. His face paled—he tried to activate his defensive treasure…
But in that critical instant, his body shuddered inexplicably. His true essence stuttered. The expected shield of light… failed to manifest.
"BOOM!!!"
The wind serpents swallowed him. Razor-sharp blades exploded outward.
A bloody figure flew through the air like a ragged sack, smashing against the far wall with a sickening crunch before slumping motionless to the floor.
Everyone froze—even Mu Qingfeng seemed stunned that a single talisman had achieved such instant annihilation. But shock swiftly morphed into triumph. With a cold laugh, he intensified his assault on Zhou Lihu and his remaining ally, forcing them instantly onto the defensive.
"Senior Brother Zhang!!"
Shouts erupted from the corridor. The cultivators mining spirit stones had rushed over upon hearing the commotion—just in time to witness Zhang's fate. The Luo Mie Sect disciples charged into the room, faces twisted with horror.
Seeing their sect brothers besieged, Zhou Lihu's allies wasted no time. They drew blades, lunging at the three Verdant Wind Valley Foundation Building cultivators in the hallway. The trio reacted swiftly, meeting the attack head-on. Steel clashed violently outside the chamber.
Lin Feng frowned, pulling Chang Gong Xiaojing further into the shadows near the doorway, avoiding the spreading chaos.
Inside the room, the three Luo Mie Sect disciples rushed past Zhou Lihu toward Zhang's crumpled form. One knelt, reaching to check for signs of life…
And then, the unthinkable happened.
The mangled, motionless Zhang—suddenly moved.
His right hand snapped up. The crimson dagger blazed with an eerie bloody light.
With impossible speed, it plunged into the kneeling disciple's throat!