"You must be worried, worried that this old fellow is deceiving you, haha. The only reason I set this test was to see if you were cautious. I know my time is short, and I can tell you one thing: nothing comes without effort." The voice of Immortal Emperor Ni Yang carried a detachment that seemed to transcend all worldly concerns.

This kind of tone is often found in the voice of one near death.

"Once you’ve passed this point, just go straight ahead, and you will reach the second destination; just keep going in a straight line... The person who reaches the end will claim the treasure. No need to worry anymore—not a single item among the treasures on Scattered Treasure Rock has been bound with a secret technique."

"Alright, I’m too lazy to set up any voice restrictions now. Saying this much... has tired me out. The rest of the hints, I will leave on the stele. Sigh, I’ve been fighting all my life, and now I’m still thinking about fighting. Is it interesting? Is it not? This is indeed a question, but sadly, I no longer have the time. Luck, sometimes it really is important—indeed important, sigh..."

A sigh weakened and faded away.

The voice of Immortal Emperor Ni Yang began to steadily weaken. Qin Yu felt... that Immortal Emperor Ni Yang had probably set up this voice restriction just before his death.

"Luck?" A thought struck Qin Yu.

Back in the Nine Sword Immortal Mansion, Immortal Emperor Ni Yang had mentioned luck. It seemed that Immortal Emperor Ni Yang might have been unfortunate in his luck, leading to his pitiful end.

At this moment, the crowd on the field was like a ticking time bomb.

The death of five people meant that five Top-Grade Immortal Artifacts were without secret techniques attached. Of course, this was predicated on the words of Immortal Emperor Ni Yang being true. But most people felt in their hearts that what Immortal Emperor Ni Yang had said this time was probably true.

And furthermore—

Someone had already made their move.

A sharp glint flashed in Hua Yan’s eyes, and at the same time, he moved first towards the Top-Grade Immortal Armor—one of the five top-grade artifacts. Among these five Top-Grade Immortal Artifacts, the most precious was undoubtedly the defensive battle armor.

"Hua Yan, this Top-Grade Immortal Armor shall be mine," Zong Jue’s voice rang out as he seized the other four Immortal Artifacts in one fell swoop, claiming all five for himself.

Speed?

Who among those present dared to compare their speed with Zong Jue? Moreover, the Ni Yang Realm was different from the outside world; not only was it difficult to use Spiritual Sense, Demon Recognition, and similar abilities, but even Instantaneous Movement was greatly hindered, as if something was obstructing it, forcing everyone to rely solely on speed.

"Big Brother, Zong Jue hasn’t performed the Blood Recognition on the artifacts. He must also be concerned about potential issues with the armor," Hou Fei communicated through Spiritual Communication.

Qin Yu nodded as he observed the current scene.

Hua Yan’s face was cold as ice on the field.

"Zong Jue, hand over that Top-Grade Immortal Armor, and I might spare your life," Hua Yan declared forcefully. In Ni Yang Realm, the most precious treasure was meant to be handed over to Emperor Yu, with the rest belonging to himself. Therefore, if he obtained the Top-Grade Immortal Armor, it would be his own. For the sake of securing a higher status in the Immortal Realm in the future, he naturally needed the best Immortal Artifacts.

"Feeling bold, aren’t you?" Man Qian chuckled to Ao Feng and the others. "Ao Feng, I bet Hua Yan must have guessed something to dare to compete for that Top-Grade Immortal Armor."

Ao Feng laughed. "No need to guess. Emperor Yu and the others were very aware of Immortal Emperor Ni Yang’s journey to the Mortal World. And just a short time after that, Immortal Emperor Ni Yang died. From what Immortal Emperor Ni Yang just said, it’s clear he knew he was dying. An overlord on the verge of death, how could he still bother to deceive us in the end?"

"So that means, those five Immortal Artifacts are fine without any issues," Man Qian said with a smile.

Hearing Man Qian say this, Zong Jue’s eyebrows slightly relaxed in the distance.

He had obtained the Immortal Artifact but had not performed the Blood Recognition. There were considerations for not doing so. It’s just that he knew nothing about many things concerning Immortal Emperor Ni Yang, so naturally, it was hard for him to judge.

"Man Qian, you are truly clever, and as for the secret technique, I have also heard some rumors about it before. I wasn’t sure just now, but having heard Immortal Emperor Ni Yang mention it, I am convinced that the five Immortal Artifacts had all undergone Blood Recognition before. To perform Blood Recognition again, there would naturally be no danger," Hua Yan said with a smile, then looked at Zong Jue and urged, "Brother Zong Jue, just conduct the Blood Recognition. There is absolutely no danger."

Would anyone do something when their enemy tells them it is safe and urges them to proceed?

At this moment, Zong Jue was exactly in such a situation.

"Does this secret technique only work once? It’s hard to say. My knowledge is too limited to discern, alas, this is indeed a difficult decision," Zong Jue suddenly sighed, while Hua Yan smiled beside him.

"Ah!"

A scream rang out, and at this moment, Zong Jue’s body that was originally standing there gradually vanished like a bubble.

"Clone..." Hei Yu’s lips moved but it was unclear what he said.

Qin Yu looked at Hei Yu quizzically.

"Big Brother, this is exactly like a movement technique from my Inheritance Memory, but I can’t use that move yet due to my insufficient power," Hei Yu sent this message to Qin Yu through the Communication Order.

In the Ni Yang Realm, where Spiritual Communication was impossible and he did not want others to overhear, he could only resort to using the Communication Order.

Qin Yu nodded secretly to himself.

At this time, Zong Jue’s laughter was heard.

"Hua Yan, don’t be angry. It’s just borrowing a little blood from your man. If he’s lucky enough to survive, I’ll even give him this Top-Grade Immortal Artifact," Zong Jue’s laughter was clear, not the slightest bit affected by the roaring waterfall.

Hua Yan’s face turned an ashen hue.

Not be angry? How could he not be angry? Zong Jue did not dare to try it himself and just now, with astonishing speed, had injured True Master Ming Shan. He also obtained True Master Ming Shan’s blood and then dripped it on a Top-Grade Immortal Sword.

"Don’t rush, just wait a little longer, and I will know whether it is safe to perform Blood Recognition. It all depends on whether that ’lucky’ Independent Immortal behind you is going to explode," Zong Jue said with a smile.

But the ’lucky’ Independent Immortal, True Master Ming Shan, was pale as a ghost, and even felt his heartbeat drowning out everything else.

At any moment, his Nascent Soul might just explode...

Based on the rumors Hua Yan once heard from his sect elders and what Immortal Emperor Ni Yang had just mentioned, he deduced that it was very likely that the Immortal Artifacts no longer had the additional effect of the secret technique. Would he give Zong Jue time to figure that out?

"Leave the Battle Armor!"

Hua Yan shouted angrily, his body shooting up into the sky, while a magnificent Sword Qi broke through the air toward Zong Jue. Zong Jue did not bother to defend but instead skillfully shifted his position, instantly splitting himself into two.

"The Clone Technique?" Du Zhongjun exclaimed in surprise, and Ao Feng was also taken aback.

Man Qian, however, smiled lightly and said, "It’s not the Clone Technique, with his level of power he’s not yet capable of employing the Clone Technique. However, this is a unique movement technique of the super Divine Beast, the Golden Winged Great Peng Bird clan. In terms of might, it’s not much inferior to the Clone Technique."

Given Man Qian’s status, he naturally knew quite a lot about the Golden Winged Great Peng Birds.

Without hesitation, Hua Yan’s Sword Qi pierced through one of the two ’Zong Jues’. The one that was hit immediately turned into nothingness, while the other one also turned into an illusion.

"Hua Yan, I’m up here!" Zong Jue’s voice actually came from above, making everyone look up. They saw Zong Jue, whose long robe fluttered with the wind, standing at the very top of the waterfall, smiling down at Hua Yan below.

As a Twelfth Tribulation Independent Demon—a super Divine Beast, the Golden Winged Great Peng Bird—in terms of power, he was nearly on par with a First Level Golden Immortal Sword Immortal.

But in terms of speed, Zong Jue was definitely faster than Hua Yan.

"So you have survived for this long, it seems what Immortal Emperor Ni Yang said was indeed true," Zong Jue said, looking at the four Immortal Artifacts in his hands with a satisfied smile on his face. As for the vanished Top-Grade Immortal Artifact, it had already been ’luckily’ collected inside by True Master Ming Shan.

Four drops of fresh blood almost simultaneously dropped into the four Immortal Artifacts.

"I can’t give him time to refine them!" the only thought in Hua Yan’s mind declared.

When he had first descended to the Lower Realm, he had suppressed both Zong Jue and Fang Tian with force, so deep down Hua Yan felt confident that he was absolutely superior to both Fang Tian and Zong Jue. After Fang Tian obtained a Top-Grade Immortal Artifact weapon and Battle Armor from Ao Feng, Hua Yan lost his certainty towards Fang Tian, but he still had confidence in overcoming Zong Jue.

Furthermore, Hua Yan knew that to truly wield a weapon, just performing Blood Recognition wasn’t enough. The weapon had to be refined with one’s own energy to fully adapt to it, making it as responsive as one’s own limbs.

Therefore, seeing Zong Jue perform the Blood Recognition, Hua Yan did not hesitate to make his move. His entire being surged with astonishing speed towards the sky, directly charging at Zong Jue above the waterfall.

"Hmph, Hua Yan, you are going too far," Zong Jue’s voice rang out in the sky, and simultaneously a streak of black light flashed past in the sky, sending Hua Yan flying back even faster.

"How can this be?" Landing on the ground, Hua Yan staggered back several steps, his face full of shock.

Man Qian, Ao Feng, Du Zhongjun, Fang Tian, and the others were all astonished.

Even if Zong Jue had a Top-Grade Immortal Artifact, he had just performed Blood Recognition, so the power he could exert was only a fraction of its full strength. How could he possibly stand on equal footing with Hua Yan in a head-on clash?

"The weapon Uncle Lan left for him has finally been used," Qin Yu had anticipated this situation much earlier.

Zong Jue had shared this secret with Qin Yu in the past.

"That’s not any of the four Immortal Artifacts, the Immortal Artifact just now wasn’t black," Man Qian said in a deep voice, looking at the weapon in Zong Jue’s hand. Everyone’s attention was now drawn to the weapon in Zong Jue’s hand.

It was exactly the weapon that had sent Hua Yan flying back—an extremely narrow and long saber.

"It seems to be made of similar materials to Feifei’s and Hei Yu’s weapons," Qin Yu observed carefully and came to a conclusion. Whether it was Hou Fei’s Black Stick or Hei Yu’s Cloud Piercing Spear, the texture, color, and patterns were exactly the same as those of the weapon in Zong Jue’s hand.

Qin Yu felt even more certain that this weapon must have been a gift from Uncle Lan.

"Haha... Brother Zong Jue, you and I have been called the two invincible entities by the Loose Cultivators of the Mortal World, yet only now have I discovered... that your strength has actually surpassed mine in the past. I truly did not expect that you would possess such a formidable weapon. This must be a Top-Grade Demon Artifact, right? When did you obtain it?" Fang Tian asked with a smile.

Zong Jue had a hint of a smile on his face at this moment.

Having kept it hidden for so long, in order to fend off Hua Yan’s attack, he finally brought out his treasure.

"A Top-Grade Demon Artifact, you could say that," Zong Jue replied with a light smile.

As for the exact rank of this weapon, even Zong Jue himself was not sure. However, after colliding with Hua Yan’s Immortal Sword, Zong Jue felt that in terms of hardness, his own War Saber seemed to have a slight edge.

Hua Yan slowly sheathed her Immortal Sword on her back and said with a faint smile, "Zong Jue, you really surprised me. This Top-Grade Immortal Artifact Battle Armor is of little significance to me, and with your strength, you are indeed worthy of it."

At this time, the Four Great Ambassadors all raised Zong Jue’s status by a notch in their hearts.

Now, Zong Jue surpassed everyone in terms of speed; as for attack, the black War Saber had already made its statement. Regarding defense... with the Top-Grade Immortal Artifact Battle Armor, Zong Jue’s defenses naturally need not be elaborated on.

If they did not use their trump cards, the Four Great Ambassadors would have no chance of killing Zong Jue. And that trump card... nobody was willing to use it just yet.

"Who would have thought that the gathering at Scattered Treasure Rock would bring the greatest benefit to you, Zong Jue? With that black War Saber, the three Immortal Artifacts for attack must not be of much use to you, right?" Fang Tian said, approaching Zong Jue with a wink.

Fang Tian and Zong Jue had a good relationship with each other; it was normal for them to banter like this.

"Get lost, your Dragon Clan is rich and imposing. Stop coveting my Chaotic Star Sea. Shi Hua, this Top-Grade Immortal Artifact is for you." A green War Saber appeared in Zong Jue’s hand as he performed the Blood Contract.

Shi Hua merely said "thank you", after all, his brother had just died.

"Qin Yu, I see that both your brothers have fine weapons, yet you only have a Middle Grade Immortal Artifact. I will also give you this Immortal Sword." Zong Jue then took out a Top-Grade Immortal Sword and undid the Blood Contract.

Qin Yu did not stand on ceremony; he really did not have a powerful attacking weapon. Although he could use the sword from the Sword Immortal Puppet, Qin Yu did not like using the weapons of the Sword Immortal Puppet.

"Thank you, Senior Zong." Qin Yu took the Top-Grade Immortal Artifact sword and performed the Blood Recognition.

"What’s there to thank for? The credit for entering the Ni Yang Realm is all yours." At this time, Zong Jue suddenly turned his head toward Man Qian, "Brother Man Qian, I say since Brother Qin Yu has led your people into the Ni Yang Realm, you should also ’gratefully’ take some actual action, right?"

The smile on Man Qian’s face froze.

"This..." Man Qian found it difficult.

Seeing Zong Jue’s gift of a Top-Grade Immortal Sword to Qin Yu, giving another Top-Grade Immortal Sword would be superfluous. But Man Qian was also reluctant to give away a Top-Grade Immortal Artifact Battle Armor.

As for anything better, Man Qian did have it, but... he himself was too fond of it to part with it, let alone give it away. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Brother Man Qian, you are an envoy from the Demon World, your status is much higher than mine. Alas, I, Zong Jue, am merely a leader in the Mortal World; compared to you, I am far too poor. This Top-Grade Immortal Artifact was only just obtained, and I really have nothing impressive to offer, so I only gave away a Top-Grade Immortal Sword. I’m sure whatever you give will be extraordinary," Zong Jue said, looking at Man Qian with a smile on his face.

(To be continued. For what happens next, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM. The Chapters are more abundant there, support the author, support genuine reading!)