Chapter 667

Chapter 667: The Mysterious Turtle Shell

"Old man!" Mao Mao suddenly exclaimed, "Cheer up! Though your treasures are gone, you’re still alive! You’re luckier than those cultivators you murdered for their possessions!"

"See that?" Fang Lie declared righteously. "Listen to Mao Mao’s wisdom! Don’t play the victim after benefiting from others’ misfortune!"

"What benefit? I lost everything!" Li Fanghe shouted, tears of frustration welling in his eyes.

"Ha!" Fang Lie and the two women burst into merciless laughter, their faces devoid of pity.

The ruthless old man had slaughtered two to three hundred cultivators over the years during robberies. How could anyone sympathize with such cruelty? Fang Lie showed remarkable restraint by sparing his life – expecting to keep stolen treasures was pure delusion!

The real prize lay in Li Fanghe’s collection of forged treasures. As a master refiner, he carried over three hundred finished Sixth-Rank or higher treasures. Among these, three Eighth-Rank items stood out: one Peak Eighth-Rank, one Eighth-Rank High-Grade, and one eighth-rank middle-grade.

Fang Lie first examined the Peak Eighth-Rank treasure – a palm-sized green stone radiating mountainous weight and oppressive force. Three golden characters in ancient script glowed upon its surface: Abbot Stone.

The trio gasped in recognition. Each major sect boasted signature treasures: the Mo Sect’s warships, the Ghost Realm Sect’s Netherworld Ghost Fire artifacts, the Ten-Thousand Gu Sect’s poison insect banners. Among the Overseas Three Immortal Mountains, Abbot Mountain’s claim to fame were these very stones.

This wasn’t ordinary rock, but condensed essence from a primordial ancient stone. Legend held that Abbot Mountain itself rested upon a massive Ninth-Rank High-Grade primordial stone. Every ten millennia, it shed a green fragment. Through Abbot Mountain’s unique Dao magic refining rituals, these became devastating Abbot Stones.

When activated, the stone transformed into a towering peak capable of crushing even Thunder Tribulation Immortals. Its innate binding magic prevented escape once targets were locked. Among same-rank treasures, its destructive power doubled others’ might.

Yet its staggering magic consumption hindered quick deployment. Despite this, the cultivation world acknowledged it as one of history’s most formidable weapons, particularly against immobile targets.

Remarkably durable, Abbot Stones resisted destruction even by Ninth-Rank treasures. Of Abbot Mountain’s thirty to fifty stones, a third reached Eighth-Rank or higher, three attaining Ninth-Rank status. Through millennia of warfare, none were ever destroyed or lost – stolen stones immediately returned when summoned by the primordial stone.

This dashed Fang Lie’s hopes of keeping it. Still, he couldn’t resist examining the legendary artifact.

"Study it well," he told Mo Lanyun, "Before it disappears."

"Merely holding it satisfies me," she replied, passing it along after brief inspection. "The Benevolence Token might discern its secrets."

Mao Mao likewise admired it briefly before returning it. "Let the Benevolence Token examine it. Our eyes see only stone."

Nodding, Fang Lie sent the artifact into the Cycle of Fire. The impatient old bird within had long coveted such treasures, having only witnessed their use from afar.

He had long wanted an opportunity to study it, but the awaited conflict between Mo Sect and Abbot Mountain never came. Unable to openly seize it, he’d been forced to wait helplessly.

Fortunately, Fang Lie proved resourceful by obtaining a Peak Eighth-Rank Abbot Stone – Abbot Mountain only possessed three to five such stones. The old bird became ecstatic, immediately abandoning Fang Lie to focus entirely on his research.

Ignoring the bird, Fang Lie retrieved the second Eighth-Rank High-Grade treasure – a cyan jade dragon-headed staff carved from a single piece of immortal spirit emerald. Its vivid spirit manifested most clearly in the dragon eyes that blazed with Divine Light, appearing to glare furiously at Fang Lie.

"This staff’s magnificent!" Fang Lie exclaimed, grinning broadly. "Immortal spirit emerald’s practically extinct Ninth-Rank High-Grade material. Finding even a speck counts as heavenly favor, yet this entire staff’s carved from one piece – no wonder its spirit’s so potent!"

"Undoubtedly the world’s largest immortal spirit emerald!" Mo Lanyun added. "Mo Sect’s collected for centuries, yet our Warehouses hold less than two taels combined! While treasures made from it lack strong combat power, their true value lies in converting immortal energy. Even Semi-Immortals could double cultivation efficiency using this! Others would go mad with envy!"

"Unacceptable!" Li Fanghe interjected desperately. "This is Abbot Mountain’s sect treasure! Taking it means war!"

"War over one trinket?" Fang Lie scoffed. "You slaughtered hundreds of our guests and stole countless treasures. This broken toy barely begins to compensate. My claim’s completely justified!"

Li Fanghe trembled speechlessly with rage.

Mo Lanyun smirked mischievously. "Senior Li, shouldn’t you worry about explaining this loss to Abbot Mountain? Since you wanted private settlement, you’ll need creative storytelling. Otherwise, we’ll simply tell the truth when they come asking."

"Outrageous!" Li Fanghe’s face turned livid. Being forced to cover for thieves who robbed him bordered on absurdity.

As Fang Lie and Mao Mao roared with laughter, the furious Li Fanghe retrieved the third Eighth-Rank treasure – a foot-long white jade tortoiseshell. Though polished smooth, it radiated ancient mystique that felt incongruously aged.

"Anyone recognize this?" Fang Lie asked.

Mo Lanyun shook her head. "All sects publicly list Eighth-Rank treasures. This one’s unknown."

"Perhaps newly ranked?" Mao Mao suggested.

"Impossible." Fang Lie examined the eighth-rank middle-grade artifact. "This required millennia to reach mid-grade." Turning to Li Fanghe, he demanded, "Explain this."

"Merely an ancestral cultivation aid for specific divine skills." Li Fanghe forced a smile. "Useless to you. Return it and I’ll arrange compensation."

Though the Old Fox acted convincingly, Fang Lie detected deception. "I’ll keep this curious item," he declared.

Li Fanghe’s face darkened, trapped between risking exposure by protesting or silently surrendering the treasure.

Sensing significance, Fang Lie mentally contacted the old bird through his consciousness sea. "Bird Bro, identify this."

"Fool! I’m busy with the Abbot Stone!" came the irritated reply.

"This can’t wait. Li Fanghe’s acting suspicious about it."

The old bird grumbled but extended his divine sense. Suddenly he exclaimed, "Damn! This treasure’s from Abbot Mountain? Hahaha! Marvelous! Give it here now!"