The moment Xiao Yan and Qin Wan'er's group surged into the pillar of light, Xiao Yan instantly sensed intense spatial turbulence rippling around him. By the time his senses stabilized, he found himself standing atop a massive stone platform. Brilliant rays of light flickered continuously across the platform, and with each flare, new figures appeared all around him.
Xiao Yan turned to scan his surroundings, but Qin Wan'er and the others were nowhere to be seen. It appeared that the chaotic spatial waves had separated them, scattering everyone to various areas. Still, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Without others holding him back, he would be free to unleash his full range of methods.
As his thoughts stirred, the others who had appeared on the platform began to quickly assess the situation as well. Several of them immediately gathered into small clusters, eyes wary and alert. Judging from their familiarity, they were likely acquaintances from before. Meanwhile, a few individuals who seemed to hold some prestige had already begun recruiting others to join them. Clearly, everyone understood the importance of grouping up in such an unknown and dangerous environment.
"Young man, it looks like you're alone. Why not join us? Safety in numbers, after all," someone suddenly called out to him just as Xiao Yan was about to leave. He turned and saw that the speaker was a cultivator from the Cold Phoenix Clan, a ninth-grade Sovereign based on his aura. Several others had already gathered around this man, clearly drawn to his strength.
Xiao Yan quickly grasped the situation. Although he had no connection to the man, his outward strength appeared to be at the eighth-grade Sovereign level—no doubt among the top tier of those present. Naturally, this person wanted to pull him in to bolster his team.
"No need. I'm a wandering soul, used to traveling alone. I'm not fond of partnerships. But I appreciate the offer," Xiao Yan replied with a casual clasp of his hands, then turned away without hesitation, picking a random direction and heading off at once.
'As if I'd be dumb enough to be used as cannon fodder,' he scoffed inwardly. Xiao Yan knew the game all too well. He had always been the one manipulating others for his advantage—never the other way around.
The Cold Phoenix cultivator's expression darkened at Xiao Yan's blunt rejection. Beside him, one of his companions spoke up with a sneer. "Brother Bai Ting, that guy's got some nerve. Should we teach him a lesson?"
"No need," Bai Ting said coldly, shooting his subordinate a sharp glance. "Our priority is finding the Kunpeng Clan and snatching that key from Zong Yue. There's no reason to waste energy on some arrogant loner. Besides, he's just an eighth-grade Sovereign. Does he really think he can survive in this ruin all by himself?"
Unaware of their grumbling behind him, Xiao Yan continued moving swiftly. Once away from the others, he unleashed his soul power and began scanning his surroundings. His cultivation might not be the strongest here, but when it came to soul strength, he stood head and shoulders above the rest. According to the Ancestral Stone's estimation, his soul was likely already comparable to a high-level Earth Sovereign.
Within moments, Xiao Yan sensed a strange fluctuation coming from a nearby region and immediately flew toward it. Soon, he arrived at a lush spring surrounded by a serene, vibrant energy. The water was crystal clear, radiating a rich vitality. At the center of the pool, clusters of azure lotuses floated gently on the surface.
"Those are Life Lotuses!" a startled voice cried out from nearby. Others joined in as more people rushed over, recognizing the treasure.
Life Lotuses—said to be formed from the purest life force—had miraculous healing properties, capable of reviving the mortally wounded or even regenerating severed limbs. Each one could fetch millions of Sovereign Spiritual Liquid at auction, and now an entire pool of them had been discovered.
Yet despite their value, these lotuses alone couldn't account for the overwhelming vitality emanating from the pond. Many cultivators peered deeper into the water, suspecting something even greater lay hidden below. However, no one was able to find anything unusual.
Xiao Yan frowned slightly. A blaze of vibrant flame surged within his pupils, enhancing his vision. Instantly, the opaque water faded from view. And there—at the pond's bottom—a single lotus bloomed like an emerald jewel, far more vibrant than the ones above. Nestled within its heart was a white lotus seed covered in mysterious patterns.
"That's... the Nine-Turn Green Lotus?" Xiao Yan's heart trembled with realization. 'No wonder there's a whole pond of Life Lotuses. It's because of this!'
The legendary Nine-Turn Green Lotus—an incomparably rare treasure, a thousand times more valuable than a Life Lotus. It was said to form by absorbing the essence of life itself from heaven and earth. The ordinary Life Lotuses were merely its byproducts, blooming from the overflow of life force during its growth.
The greatest value of a Nine-Turn Green Lotus wasn't just in its miraculous healing—it could drastically boost a cultivator's chances of breaking into the Earth Sovereign realm. To a Sovereign cultivator, it was akin to how the Bodhi Pill had been to peak Dou Venerates in the past. If word got out that such a treasure existed beneath the pond, even allies would likely turn on one another in a frenzy.
Xiao Yan knew very well: if he could obtain the Nine-Turn Green Lotus, not only would it ease his own path toward Earth Sovereign, he might even be able to leverage its power to instantly break into the ninth-grade Sovereign realm.
However, he was also well aware that diving into the pond in front of so many people was out of the question. Even if he managed to retrieve it, the ensuing siege would be troublesome at best, and deadly at worst. Though the surrounding cultivators weren't all stronger than him, dealing with a horde was never wise.
Moreover, treasures of such caliber always had guardians.
And sure enough, beneath the surface, Xiao Yan sensed numerous faint auras. Each was at least seventh-grade Sovereign level. A handful might be manageable—but there were hundreds.
'A whole army of aquatic beasts,' Xiao Yan mused. 'Typical.'
He couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration. The Nine-Turn Green Lotus was tantalizingly close, yet still beyond reach. With this many people around, taking it by force was too risky. He'd need to be clever—wait for the right moment or find some way to distract the crowd.
One thing was certain, though: he wouldn't be leaving without it.
(End of Chapter)
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