Chapter 433: The Calm Before the Storm — Heading to Thunder Abyss Mountain!
Since the visit from the two commanders of the Blood Dragon Hall, Thunder Abyss Mountain had once again returned to peace—at least on the surface.
However, beneath that calm, tension ran deep.
Everyone knew now that Thunder Abyss Mountain had clashed with the Blood Dragon Hall—a force of overwhelming might. To many, it was a reckless move.
And yet, no matter how rumors swirled in the outside world, Thunder Abyss Mountain remained quiet.
Strangely, the humiliated Blood Dragon Hall had taken no action either, further deepening the mystery for many observers.
"They say the Sky Dragon Beast Marshal is still in seclusion… No wonder he only sent a spirit avatar that day," Xiao Yan said within a hall of Thunder Abyss Mountain, after receiving an intelligence report. He turned toward Lin Fan as he spoke.
As for Lin Dong, he had once again entered training to refine his spiritual strength.
Lin Fan nodded slightly, then glanced at the worried faces of Chen Tong and the others. With a faint smile, he said:
"Carry on as usual. The Sky Dragon Marshal may be troublesome, but I can handle him. After the Divine Treasure Vault is dealt with, I'll settle the score personally."
The experts of Thunder Abyss Mountain looked at Lin Fan's composed and handsome face. It was clear he held no fear of the Sky Dragon Marshal—and that gave them confidence.
After all, they had witnessed it with their own eyes: Lin Fan's spiritual attack that day had instantly killed a Full Completion Death Profound Realm commander of the Blood Dragon Hall.
"Haha, since Lord Lin Fan says so, there's nothing for us to worry about," Chen Tong said with a laugh. "Lord Lin Fan's abilities are far beyond our guessing."
The others nodded in agreement. They had already seen his terrifying strength for themselves.
Once they finished reporting, the crowd bowed and withdrew.
"Big Brother, what should we do about the Divine Treasure Vault? The Sky Dragon Marshal must be preparing for it too. Are we still going?" Xiao Yan asked once they were alone.
"Of course," Lin Fan replied with a casual smile. "A little Beast Marshal won't scare me."
"He's just at the Reincarnation Stage. I killed one back in the Chaotic Demon Sea. If he dares act up, I'll kill another. No big deal."
Xiao Yan was taken aback. "Big Brother, you can already kill Reincarnation Stage experts?"
Lin Fan chuckled. "That's right. I needed external help before, but now I think I could kill an average Reincarnation expert on my own."
"Amazing!" Xiao Yan said in awe. His own progress had been impressive, yet compared to Lin Fan, the gap still felt huge.
Lin Fan patted him on the shoulder. "You've done really well too."
Ding! You patted Xiao Yan and received one Death Spirit Fruit! Note: This fruit is born from concentrated death energy and is imbued with the power of death!
The long-absent system voice rang out in Lin Fan's mind.
A Death Spirit Fruit—not bad.
He had consumed one before in the Chaotic Demon Sea, using it to break from Minor Completion to Major Completion. He wondered what effect this one might have now.
"I'll continue training. Handle Thunder Abyss matters for now, and do what you can to strengthen yourself. Power is the only thing that truly matters."
Snapping out of his thoughts, Lin Fan looked at Xiao Yan and instructed calmly.
"Understood, Big Brother. Don't worry," Xiao Yan nodded heavily.
…
Another month passed quietly.
But across the Beast Domain, tension was rising.
News and rumors flew in all directions, and no matter what they said, the central focus remained unchanged:
The Ancient Divine Treasure Vault.
Those six words made countless cultivators' eyes flash with greed.
Everyone who'd lived in the Beast Domain for a while knew how chaotic things became when the Vault opened every three years.
Almost all conflict would halt as every faction turned its eyes toward the vault.
Divine Treasures. Just two simple words—but they were synonymous with power.
Even the weakest of divine treasures were on par with Heaven-tier spiritual artifacts. And if someone was lucky enough to find one of the famed divine items from the ancient treasure rankings… even saints would covet them.
It was said the Vault could only be opened with a Divine Talisman—but within it was an abundance of treasures.
Although few could actually claim a divine item, many powerful spiritual artifacts would spill out from the vault during its activation.
These lesser treasures weren't restricted, and anyone could compete for them.
Obtaining just one of these was enough to make the entire trip worthwhile.
That's why the Divine Treasure Vault's opening had become the grandest event in the Beast Domain every three years.
And now, that day was near.
…
Thunder Abyss Mountain.
In front of a massive hall, a black-clad army stood in solemn formation.
Killing intent filled the air like a thick fog.
At the front stood the six generals of Thunder Abyss, clad in full armor, radiating power.
"Marshal Yan, all preparations are complete. We await your order!" Chen Tong called out toward the towering figure atop the stone platform.
Xiao Yan stood firm, his presence as overwhelming as a mountain. His tiger eyes swept across the fierce Tiger Devouring Army, satisfaction in his gaze. Then he nodded and spoke in a low, powerful voice:
"Mo Hou, Ji Ya—stay and guard Thunder Abyss Mountain. The rest, follow me to the Divine Treasure Range!"
"Yes, sir!"
A thunderous response echoed across the valley.
"When shall we depart, Marshal?" Chen Tong asked after a pause.
"When my brothers finish their seclusion," Xiao Yan replied, glancing toward the mountain's inner sanctum.
Right on cue, the space around him twisted—
And a handsome green-robed figure appeared in the sky.
"Big Brother!" Xiao Yan called out joyfully, flying up to meet him.
"Lord Lin Fan!"
Behind him, Chen Tong and the others all bowed respectfully.
Some time later, Lin Dong finally emerged as well.
After a few casual words between the three brothers—
"Let's go," Lin Fan said with a wave, turning into a streak of rainbow light.
"Move out!" Xiao Yan bellowed, flying after him with Lin Dong beside him.
Behind them, Chen Tong and the Tiger Devouring Army took to the skies.
Dozens of streaks of light roared into the air with a piercing whistle.
The march to the Divine Treasure Vault had begun.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Franklin1