The Gu Diao’s Final Cry and the Treasure Hall’s Challenge

Upon receiving the black jade longsword, Chi Qiu immediately found herself captivated by it. The sword possessed a remarkable sentience that Su Hanxing, being unskilled in swordsmanship, had failed to notice when he previously wielded it against his foes.

Now, with Chi Qiu wielding the sword, she felt a profound clarity within its ‘sword heart,’ as if every slash and thrust perfectly aligned with the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. Not only did her speed increase significantly, but the sword’s destructive power doubled. Even the Flying Haze Sword Qi she unleashed with it became remarkably more formidable.

Meanwhile, the cultivators had besieged the Gu Diao for a grueling seven or eight hours, finally managing to exhaust its demonic energy. This feat was only accomplished after the Gate of Wonders and its three prominent families had already assaulted it for three days prior.

The instant its demonic energy was depleted, the Gu Diao, risking its very life, desperately charged the golden light wall once more. With a resounding thump, it ultimately failed to breach the barrier. A moment later, the Gu Diao let out a mournful shriek, then plummeted from the sky, its life extinguished.

The Gu Diao’s final shriek before death was utterly tragic and soul-stirring. Renowned for its ability to bewitch minds, the creature, in its complete despair, had unleashed all its demonic energy into that desperate cry. Consequently, over a dozen cultivators suffered severe mental damage, bleeding from all seven orifices before collapsing dead. Fortunately, Chi Qiu and Su Hanxing were relatively distant from the creature, and both possessed extraordinary souls, leaving them completely unaffected by the tragic wail.

For the first time, Chi Qiu truly grasped the immense chasm between the Dharma Manifestation Realm and the God Concealing stage. This was merely a great demon of the Dharma Manifestation Realm; if a cultivator of that same realm were to summon their Dharma Manifestation, all the cultivators present combined would struggle to achieve victory.

Is the Dharma Manifestation Realm truly that powerful? Chi Qiu murmured, her voice barely a whisper.

“This Gu Diao is an ancient, ferocious beast, its power far exceeding that of an ordinary Dharma Manifestation Realm great demon,” Su Hanxing explained, seeing Chi Qiu’s astonishment. “Moreover, cultivators proficient in long-range attacks are inherently rare, which is why it took us so long to finally slay it.”

Chi Qiu nodded, then shifted her gaze, fixing it on the treasure hall hundreds of li distant. She knew, with certainty, that the true trial was still to unfold. Many cultivators were merely biding their time, concealing their true strength. They were like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, ready to bare their fangs only when the time came to seize a rare opportunity.

With the Gu Diao finally slain, Tan Xiao, the Gate of Wonders’ lead disciple, stepped forward. He gazed at the creature’s enormous corpse, a subtle wave of relief washing over him. Had the Gate of Wonders and its three great families faced the Gu Diao alone, its desperate final struggle might have claimed countless lives from their own ranks. As it was, the Gate of Wonders had suffered minimal, almost negligible losses. Once they entered the treasure hall, they would once again emerge as the most dominant force.

With a gentle wave of Tan Xiao’s hand, the massive Gu Diao corpse vanished instantly, clearly having been stowed away into his spatial treasure.

Witnessing this, the assembled cultivators immediately erupted into murmurs of discussion. The corpse of a Dharma Manifestation Realm great demon was an exceptionally valuable treasure, particularly one belonging to an ancient, ferocious beast like the Gu Diao. Its numerous wing feathers alone commanded an exorbitant price, let alone its other body parts.

Gong Lingfeng stood nearby, watching Tan Xiao stow away the Gu Diao’s corpse with a faint smile, making no other move to intervene. As even Gong Lingfeng made no move, the other cultivators could only concede.

His spatial treasure, the space within it is truly immense. The Gu Diao’s wings alone were a thousand zhang long, yet they fit inside! Unlike the other cultivators, Chi Qiu’s attention wasn’t on the Gu Diao’s corpse itself. She had little understanding of a demon’s corpse value, only knowing they were difficult to consume and rarely tasted good.

Instead, it was Tan Xiao’s remarkably spacious spatial treasure that sparked a flicker of envy within her. Her own spatial treasure had merely been an incidental gift from the Daqi Imperial Family, part of the rewards for a martial arts competition. Its grade barely qualified as a low-grade magic tool, its internal space meager and now nearly overflowing with Chi Qiu’s possessions.

Su Hanxing was quite surprised by Chi Qiu’s lament. Yet, upon remembering she hailed from a background of rogue cultivators, the notion of her acquiring a spacious spatial treasure seemed akin to a fantastical tale. His surprise quickly subsided.

“If you wish for one, Little Chi, I would be glad to gift you a spatial treasure,” Su Hanxing offered, eager to win back Chi Qiu’s forgiveness as he swiftly stepped forward with a display of courtesy.

“No need. Why are you clinging to me again? Stay away,” Chi Qiu retorted, casting a cold, sidelong glance at Su Hanxing. She took a deliberate step forward, widening the distance between them.

She truly couldn’t fathom why Su Hanxing was so persistently close to her, especially when they had been adversaries just over half a year ago. Was it simply because she had saved his life, and he sought to repay her kindness? Or perhaps he felt guilt over incinerating her former body?

Surely, it couldn’t be that he harbored ‘Dragon Yang’ preferences and had taken a liking to her.

No, that’s not right. I am a woman now, so ‘Dragon Yang’ preferences wouldn’t apply. Could it be… something else entirely?

A sudden jolt of realization struck Chi Qiu. She reached out, idly twirling a strand of her dark hair, her heart pounding like waves crashing against a shore. She yearned to directly question Su Hanxing, yet the fear of misinterpreting his intentions and inviting further embarrassment held her back.

As the lead disciple of the Tianyan Sect, Su Hanxing surely received no shortage of romantic advances from women. So why… this persistent attention towards her?

Perhaps it would be best to observe him a little longer…

Chi Qiu didn’t truly believe Su Hanxing would harbor romantic feelings for her, yet she found herself utterly unable to explain his constant presence by her side. Even an ordinary friend, or a lifelong confidant, wouldn’t exhibit such persistent closeness.

After stowing away the Gu Diao’s corpse, Tan Xiao led the Gate of Wonders and its three prominent families into the treasure hall. This arrangement had been agreed upon by all other factions beforehand: after the guardian great demon was defeated, the Gate of Wonders and their allies would be granted the first entry.

Less than a breath after the Gate of Wonders and their contingent entered the treasure hall, Gong Lingfeng, at the head of over a dozen cultivators from the Gong family, likewise surged inside. Witnessing this, the remaining cultivators could no longer restrain themselves. Immediately, they unleashed their unique abilities, employing various movement techniques to surge into the treasure hall.

Chi Qiu and Su Hanxing naturally merged into this surging throng. Chi Qiu deliberately created a slight distance between herself and Su Hanxing, intending to subtly test whether he truly cared about being close to her. No sooner had Chi Qiu widened the gap between them than Su Hanxing, with a serious expression, moved closer.

“Be careful,” Su Hanxing advised, seeing the confusion on Chi Qiu’s face. “The situation is quite chaotic now. It’s better if we stay close to watch out for one another.”

Chi Qiu nodded, acknowledging the wisdom in his words. She voluntarily moved a little closer to Su Hanxing, deciding to postpone her ‘test’ until a safer moment. The two quickly passed through the grand entrance and into the main hall. Chi Qiu and Su Hanxing remained exceptionally vigilant; upon entering, they immediately sought out a less crowded corner and discreetly moved into it. From there, they began to quietly observe the hall’s surroundings.

The grand hall was utterly empty, devoid of the mountains of treasures everyone had anticipated.

Soon, every cultivator had entered the grand hall. Chi Qiu swept her gaze around, noting that there was no place to conceal oneself within. Even the Gate of Wonders and his group, who had entered first, were clearly visible to her.

Suspended sparsely in the center of the grand hall were dozens of luminous orbs. Some contained jade slips and ancient scrolls, others held formidable weapons and exquisite armor, while a few encased rare fruits and immortal ganoderma. As she surveyed them, it became clear that not a single item within the light clusters was duplicated.

These luminous orbs shared a common feature: each was encircled by a chain, suspending it high above. The chains’ upper ends connected to a massive golden formation, spanning a hundred zhang.

Chi Qiu silently counted the floating orbs; fifty-three in total. With over ninety cultivators present, this clear imbalance—’many monks, little gruel’—would inevitably ignite fierce conflict.

“Look at those luminous orbs,” Chi Qiu whispered, leaning closer and tilting her head towards Su Hanxing. Their proximity was already intimate, and with her lean, it appeared as though she was nestled almost within his embrace.

From afar, Gong Lingfeng, who had been discreetly watching Chi Qiu, witnessed this intimate moment. His eyes narrowed imperceptibly, a flicker of displeasure crossing his features.

Su Hanxing narrowed his eyes in clear enjoyment. Then, he pointed towards a luminous orb in the main hall’s southeast corner, where an exquisitely crafted great bow was gently bobbing.

“I’m precisely in need of a great bow like this,” Su Hanxing remarked. “Ever since I mastered the divine archery ability ‘Star Piercer,’ I have yet to acquire a bow capable of fully channeling its immense power. This particular bow, it seemed, had arrived at the perfect moment.”

“Do you have any treasures you desire?” Su Hanxing reciprocated, lowering his head slightly to whisper close to Chi Qiu’s ear.

Chi Qiu felt a warm current of air brush against her earlobe, sending a tingling sensation spreading throughout her body. She instinctively turned her head away slightly, attempting to evade him, but her ears had already flushed a vivid red.

“Don’t… don’t get so close,” Chi Qiu began, her voice a soft, alluring murmur unlike anything she had ever heard from herself. “Let me see…” The seductive quality of her own words startled her into an immediate silence.

“That set of armor looks quite good, and it’s very close to the great bow you desire,” Chi Qiu stated, regaining her composure. “I want that one.”

Su Hanxing looked up, his gaze falling upon a set of formidable black armor, faintly shimmering within the luminous orb and emanating an astonishing aura of power.

“Good,” he affirmed. “Let’s move closer and prepare to make our move.”