Chapter 240

Chapter 240: Kill and Seize Treasures

"The master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion is truly an extraordinary man of this world. He could actually divine the details about the Ancient City of a Thousand Stars with such precision. This trip of ours will surely bring back a full haul."

Qiu Qianli and his six companions checked the information on the jade slip one by one and were awestruck as if he were part of Heaven and Man.

"It’s truly unexpected that the Ancient City of a Thousand Stars is actually within the Mysterious Realm," the middle-aged Daoist nun lamented. "A million years have passed, yet this relic remained undiscovered."

"Now the Mysterious Realm is leaderless, and the Taihao Heavenly Sect is invading it. We must conceal our traces on this journey and not let the Dao King discover us," one old man cautioned cautiously.

"No need to worry."

Qiu Qianli chuckled. "Though the Dao King attained immortality, he was severely wounded by the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion. He must be hiding and recuperating in some secret place. By the time he recovers, we’ll have long taken the treasures from the Ancient City of a Thousand Stars."

"Hahaha… well spoken."

"Hahahaha…"

"The Ancient City of a Thousand Stars? Though this sovereign hasn’t heard of it, if it can appear on the Secret Realm Ranking, it must be an extraordinary place."

Arrogant laughter echoed through the void as rows of formation flags suddenly manifested. Banners rippled, divine patterns layered upon each other, and a divine bird bathed in sacred flames soared into the clouds.

The divine bird had one leg, wings sharp as blades. It opened its mouth and spat out a torrent of divine fire, raining down like falling meteors. The fire melted the void and turned the earth into a raging sea of magma.

"Bi Fang?"

Qiu Qianli’s eyes turned icy. "The ancient Bi Fang divine clan?"

This divine bird was indeed Bi Fang, meaning the attacker must be part of the recently unsealed ancient Bi Fang divine clan.

"You have some knowledge."

Six figures slowly appeared. At their head was a red-haired youth with double pupils, his mana vast and mighty. It was he who controlled the formation flags, trapping Qiu Qianli and the other six.

The middle-aged Daoist nun’s face darkened. "Fellow Daoist from the Bi Fang divine clan, we harbor no grudges against your clan. Why set up this formation to block our path?"

"Hahaha…"

The red-haired youth sneered arrogantly and stated coldly, "Who in this world doesn’t know the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion divines all secrets of heaven?"

"The Secret Realm Ranking was just released, and you seven immediately visited Heaven’s Secret Pavilion—naturally for the Secret Realm. This sovereign need only wait like a crouching tiger to obtain the Secret Realm’s information. Why not do it?"

"Keekeekee…" A male Emperor Venerable of the Bi Fang divine clan grinned savagely. "A bunch of human ants—what virtue or ability do they have to deserve the treasures of a Secret Realm?"

"We divine clans embody the will of heaven in our birth; we are the masters of this world."

"Hand it over, and you’ll die a quick death!"

The seven human Emperor Venerables looked utterly grim. Though the Bi Fang divine clan had only six Emperor Venerables, their weakest was at the late-stage Emperor Venerable Realm, with three at the peak of Emperor Venerable Realm.

Moreover, the Bi Fang divine clan had already set up their great formation—there was no escape.

Qiu Qianli glared at the red-haired youth, seething with rage. "The Bi Fang divine clan dares ambush us without fearing retribution from the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?"

"Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?" Disdain flickered across the red-haired youth’s face as he replied lightly, "Though the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion is renowned in this world, his authority extends nowhere beyond the pavilion itself."

"And what great power does a single Heaven’s Secret Pavilion truly possess?"

"Speaking of heritage, our Bi Fang divine clan’s lineage spans tens of millions of years. We may not be any weaker."

"Waste no more time with them. Quick resolution to avoid complications," A woman among them declared, murderous intent blazing. As her palm unfurled, a Thousand Machine Umbrella spun slowly. Sacred flames of Bi Fang ignited as feathers unfolded like wings, engulfing the sky.

BOOM!

The Thousand Machinery Umbrella swept forward, the pure Yang Great Dao merging with the formation, the power of the magical treasure surging violently. Plumes materialized endlessly, sharp as blades and swords, charging towards the seven Emperor Venerables.

With a thought from the red-haired youth’s Divine Sense, a battle spear shot out. Wind and thunder quaked, earth, water, fire, and wind surged forth, as if seeking to reshape a corner of the heavens and earth.

"Comrades, fight desperately!" urged Qiu Qianli, commanding a divine sword towards the woman of the Bi Fang divine clan.

The middle-aged Daoist nun swept her horsetail whisk. Its hairs transformed into white dragons, slashing towards the Bi Fang divine bird soaring in the sky above.

That Bi Fang was the formation’s anchor. Destroy the anchor, and the formation would collapse immediately.

BOOM!

High above, the Bi Fang divine bird’s eyes flashed with golden light. Divine fire erupted like a tsunami, instantly incinerating the middle-aged Daoist nun’s whisk before swallowing her whole.

One Emperor Venerable, utterly powerless before the formation.

The discrepancy in power was simply too vast.

"Junior Sister!" A human Emperor Venerable roared, eyes nearly splitting with rage. "You beasts! I will fight you to the death!"

RUMBLE!

Domains of the Great Dao erupted. The combined domains of the six Emperor Venerables overlapped, six layers of void stacking like six vast universes. The Great Dao intertwined, magical power surged like a deluge.

CRACK!

The Bi Fang divine bird swooped down. Its divine talon ripped outward, effortlessly tearing apart one domain of the Great Dao.

The red-haired youth, gripping the battle spear, plunged into the domain. A cyan stone mirror hovered above his head, trembling slightly. Rays of cyan light radiated, petrifying the void and the domain itself wherever they shone.

This Treasured Mirror was bizarrely potent. Whatever its light touched, turned to stone.

"Senior Brother!" Qiu Qianli cried out to an Emperor Venerable whose body was struck by the light, slowly turning to stone along with his Primordial Spirit and Great Dao.

An utterly unstoppable divine technique.

THUD!

The red-haired youth swung his spear. The petrified Emperor Venerable shattered to dust with a thud, body perished and soul scattered.

He channeled his magical power, sweeping up a jade slip.

This jade slip contained the information about the Ancient City of a Thousand Stars.

That Emperor Venerable had died too swiftly, leaving no time to destroy it.

"The jade slip is acquired. Leave none alive," the red-haired youth murmured with a thin smile, the killing intent thick and heavy.

"Junior Brother Qiu, at this point, only our deaths can buy a path out." The eldest Emperor Venerable looked at Qiu Qianli. "If you escape… go to Heaven’s Secret Pavilion."

"Indeed," added another human Emperor Venerable. "Our downfall came because we had information from Heaven’s Secret Pavilion. Where there is a first, follows the second. The master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion will not stand idly by."

"Junior Brother Qiu… avenge us."

"Senior Brothers…" Qiu Qianli was consumed by regret. Had it not been for his own greed, his companions wouldn’t have suffered this fate.

"Your strength is the weakest; keep that useful body of yours."

The oldest elder activated his magic power, reversed the profound skill, and a Dao fruit rose from his Purple Palace, cracks spreading densely as dense as a spiderweb.

Self-destruction.

Only through self-destruction could they break open this formation and barter for a sliver of life.

"Hm?"

The red-haired youth noticed this scene, his expression turning grave. The self-destruction of five Emperor Venerable level experts would unleash a force he could never withstand; at least someone of Su Miao Zhen’s rank could easily suppress it.

"Do they want to drag us down with them through self-destruction?"

"Naive."

"Retreat one million li."

At the red-haired youth’s command, he led the Emperor Venerables of the Bi Fang divine clan out of the formation, while the Bi Fang divine bird formed by the formation’s power dove downward.

A clear and ethereal bird cry echoed across the land. Bi Fang spread her wings, transforming a patch of heaven and earth into a fiery domain.

The pure Yang flame burned more and more fiercely.

"Avenge us."

One human Emperor Venerable let out a long cry; his Dao fruit exploded violently. The power of the Great Dao erupted like a volcano; the yin and yang Great Dao twisted and coiled like dragons; countless ripples spread out.

Boom!

Another Emperor Venerable self-destructed.

Then came the next one.

At last, the one who was the oldest and the strongest bore a resolute face; his Dao fruit self-destructed, and his entire cultivation returned to heaven and earth.

Rumble!

The entire formation vanished instantly. The Bi Fang divine bird turned to nothingness; the force’s shockwave swept through a million li in all directions, scorching the land to ashes and turning the void to chaos.

Swish!

Qiu Qianli’s body was tattered and broken; he had only one arm and one leg left, with half his head missing. Although he concealed himself early, he couldn’t evade all the force because he was in the core area of the self-destruction.

However, he finally survived.

Qiu Qianli sped all the way toward Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

A few breaths later, the red-haired youth and others arrived. He opened his hand, and numerous formation flags fell into his palm.

"Those old things are so considerate; they spared us extra trouble."

"Hall Master’s Elder, one got away."

The woman keenly sensed Qiu Qianli’s aura and said, "Should we pull him back?"

"A stray dog, hardly anything to fear?"

The red-haired youth dismissed it with contempt.

"Underling fears he’ll go to Heaven’s Secret Pavilion to lodge a complaint."

The woman hesitated for several breaths and couldn’t hold it back any longer.

Slap!

The red-haired youth swung a slap her way; the woman’s cheek instantly swelled red and puffy. He glared at her coldly and said, "Is it possible that I must go personally to Heaven’s Secret Pavilion to seek punishment?"

"Have you stayed too long in Godfall Ridge and forgotten the might our clan once rode across the world?"

"To just a Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, if we give face, we call him Master."

"If not, he amounts to nothing at all."

The woman covered half her face with her hand and respectfully said, "Yes."