Translator: CinderTL
As the leaves fell, everyone's gaze refocused on the stone golem, silently watching it climb higher and higher.
Lu Wang beckoned Lu Wanzhe over and whispered in her ear, "Help me get out of here."
"What's wrong? Aren't we going to try for the fruits?" Lu Wanzhe asked, her eyes fixed on the two glowing fruits. Even with her limited knowledge, she could tell they were treasures.
"You think you can handle this? Stop arguing and let's go," Lu Wang said, lightly tapping his sister's head.
Severely injured and having lost seventy to eighty percent of his strength, he knew they couldn't protect the fruits even if they managed to obtain them.
He didn't believe Fang Qingge's words for a second. Whoever gets them keeps them? That's a line for fools. Such precious treasures would inevitably spark a free-for-all.
"Move!"
"Okay."
Lu Wanzhe said no more, helping Lu Wang to his feet and leading the Lu Clan away. Xu Sanyan glanced at them briefly before dismissing them.
By now, the stone golem had reached the summit, only a step away from the two fruits.
Xu Sanyan narrowed his eyes, studying them closely. Only by comparison could he appreciate their true size—each fruit was roughly half the size of the golem's body.
Jingyi turned to the group. "This humble monk will knock down two fruits, but I will only take one."
Fang Qingge remained silent. Qi Liang, Tu Wanshan, and the others nodded in tacit agreement, accepting Jingyi's proposal.
Two fruits: he would take one, leaving the others to compete for the remaining one.
Crack!
The stone golem swung its arm, striking the base of a fruit with tremendous force. The fruit, along with a small section of jade tree branch, plummeted to the ground.
Boom!
The fruit crashed heavily onto the earth, its verdant glow piercing through the swirling dust. Suddenly, the tree branch trembled violently, and the ground shook violently in response.
As if possessed of life, the Ancient Tree seemed to sense the theft of its "child."
Yet it remained powerless to intervene.
The earth gradually stilled. Fang Qingge stared at the widening fissure, now noticeably larger than before.
Xu Sanyan, his eyes fixed on the fruit, suddenly took a step forward. This small movement instantly drew the attention of everyone present, their heads snapping toward him.
Crack!
Boom!
At that moment, the second fruit fell, crashing to the ground.
Boom!!!
The Ancient Tree shook violently again, even more intensely than before. The crowd stared in shock at the widening crack, a sudden sense of dread rising in their hearts.
The secret realm...
It seemed to be on the verge of collapse!
At that moment, the two fruits—one green, one gray—lay quietly on the ground, like two alluring beauties striking seductive poses, captivating all eyes.
Visibly, the gray fruit was slightly larger than the green one.
Tu Wanshan's breathing grew heavy, his teeth clenched tightly, a look of grim determination hardening in his eyes.
No matter what, I must claim one of them!
Xu Sanyan scanned the scene. Seven individuals were capable of contending for the fruits:
Fang Qingge, Jingyi, Qi Liang, Tu Wanshan, Wei Xunzhi, Luo Qingwei, and himself.
Jingyi had already claimed one fruit, leaving the remaining six to fight over the last one.
Luo Qingwei and Wei Xunzhi were the weakest contenders, posing little threat. Fang Qingge, injured and only able to exert forty to fifty percent of his full strength, could also be dismissed.
The most formidable rivals were his fellow sect members, Qi Liang and Tu Wanshan.
"This humble monk will take the green fruit. The remaining gray one is for you all to decide amongst yourselves."
Jingyi stepped forward, the monks of the Heaven's Will Demon Subduing Temple closing ranks around him protectively.
The stone golem descended from the tree, lifted the green fruit, and carried it beyond the branches' reach. Jingyi's usually serene expression flickered with excitement as he cradled the fruit, examining it closely.
The green fruit was smaller than the gray one. Logically, one might assume the gray fruit held greater value.
But this was precisely where Jingyi's cunning lay.
By leaving the seemingly more valuable gray fruit for the others to fight over, he could secure the green one with greater ease.
Jingyi understood the principle that "a bird in hand is worth more than a thousand in the forest." Only what was in his grasp truly belonged to him, so he made his choice decisively.
Xu Sanyan stared intently at the fruit in Jingyi's hand. A vibrant emerald glow shimmered across its surface, swirling slowly in mesmerizing patterns.
Through the luminous green light, faint, uneven markings could be discerned—like miniature mountain ranges compressed countless times and imprinted within the fruit's core.
Judging by its appearance alone, nothing seemed amiss. Yet Jingyi knew this was no ordinary place. He swiftly stored the fruit in his storage pouch.
Bang!
Jingyi stared in disbelief at the shattered pouch, quickly catching the falling fruit along with scattered spirit stones, clothing, and other items.
The fruit had burst through the storage pouch...
This thing couldn't be stored; it had to be carried!
Resigned, Jingyi tucked the fruit under his robes, but the green glow still seeped through the fabric.
He then commanded the stone golem to move the gray fruit beyond the Ancient Tree's defensive range for the others to retrieve, and pocketed the green leaf.
"This humble monk takes his leave now," Jingyi said, hurrying away without anyone stopping him.
At that moment, Tu Wanshan suddenly spoke, "Senior Brother Qi, Senior Brother Xu, we three are fellow disciples of the same sect. Regardless of who claims this treasure, it ultimately belongs to the Holy Sect. Perhaps..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood his meaning. Tu Wanshan now addressed Xu Sanyan as "Senior Brother" instead of "Junior Brother."
In the cultivation world, seniority is determined by cultivation level. Xu Sanyan, with the highest cultivation, naturally became the senior brother.
Qi Liang nodded in agreement. "Junior Brother speaks wisely. This is the proper course."
Xu Sanyan had no objections. The fewer competitors, the better his chances.
Fang Qingge's heart tightened. He glanced at Wei Xunzhi, their eyes meeting in a silent nod, forming a temporary alliance.
Luo Qingwei, having recovered from the grief of losing her brother, collected his corpse and reasserted her authority over the Harmonious Mountain Praying Dao Sect. She silently positioned herself behind Fang Qingge.
The battlefield now stood at three against three.
Yet beyond these six factions, another group remained, unwilling to leave.
Jiang Yan's eyes greedily fixed on the fruit lying on the ground. An elder stepped forward and whispered, "Young Master, let's go. This isn't a battle we can afford to join."
"Yes, let's withdraw," another elder urged, his expression anxious.
Jiang Yan lowered his head slightly, his face torn between hesitation and reluctance.
At that moment, Fang Qingge spoke, "The Jiang Family of Southern Heaven Valley is also a righteous dao clan. If this item falls into our hands, we can discuss its ownership after we leave this place. Perhaps the four factions could jointly control it."
Jiang Yan's brow furrowed at these words, his desire growing stronger.
Seeing his continued hesitation, Fang Qingge pressed further, "Brother Jiang, do you know what this is?"
"Please enlighten me, Brother Fang," Jiang Yan replied, lifting his gaze.
"If my suspicions are correct, this... this is likely an independent secret realm!" Fang Qingge declared with conviction. "As a scion of your clan, you must understand the immense value of such a realm."
"A secret realm?!" Jiang Yan's heart jolted, his eyes snapping to the gray fruit.
The Jiang Family elders also jerked their heads up, their greed now unmistakable.
(End of the Chapter)
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