Chapter 968 - Each by Their Own Means

The Thunder Saint Pearl suddenly shot into the sky, catching everyone off guard and plunging the battlefield into chaos. Luan Tianzhi and Liang Yi stopped fighting with the divinekin and charged toward the pearl.

The twelve fiends weren't willing to give up on the Thunder Saint Pearl either and chased after it.

The surrounding cultivators also saw this opportunity and chased the Thunder Saint Pearl.

The Thunder Saint Pearl darted and twisted through the air with shocking agility, slipping free whenever someone closed in. None of them had expected the Thunder Saint Pearl's spirituality to be this powerful. Sensing the danger thickening around it, the Thunder Saint Pearl veered toward the sparsely populated region.

It would be safe as long as it could escape this sea region.

"Get lost!"

Many cultivators had joined the fight for the Thunder Saint Pearl, obstructing the path of the three Earth Profound Realm experts, but they were all sent flying by the three.

The Earth Profound Realm laws tore through the cultivators, hurling them into the endless abyss of lightning.

Jiao An lurked in the shadows in his Heavenly Saint Armor and sprang out, reaching for the Thunder Saint Pearl.

Just as Jiao An lunged for the pearl, a fiend's palm slammed down from above, blocking his path.

"Shit!" Jiao An cried out in fear.

It was too late to retreat. Luan Tianzhi could only watch in helpless horror as the massive palm descended, shattering the Heavenly Saint Armor with a single blow and sending him hurtling through the air.

The divinekin's overwhelming combat strength intimidated everyone present.

Within minutes, dozens of cultivators fell one after another, crushed under the divinekin's relentless slaughter. They didn't die in the fight for the Thunder Saint Pearl, but they were swatted to death for simply trying to obstruct the twelve fiends' path.

However, no one sympathized with them. Their fate had been sealed when they chose to enter the sea region.

The Thunder Saint Pearl continued to leap through the air like a fish swimming across the sea of lightning. At times, it would soar thirty feet in the air before making a sudden descent.

The Thunder Saint Pearl's erratic trajectory left everyone scrambling in vain, trailing helplessly behind it.

Unable to keep up with the Thunder Saint Pearl's speed, the twelve fiends scattered across the sea region. That was the same for the three Earth Profound Realm cultivators. After a relentless pursuit, the Thunder Saint Pearl finally slipped from their grasp.

As the Thunder Saint Pearl evaded the twelve fiends' pursuit, new figures flashed into view, all reaching for it. They all exhibited astonishing speed, each possessing strength no less than that of the Earth Profound Realm.

Numerous experts were present, waiting for this moment to seize the Thunder Saint Pearl after it escaped.

Liu Wuxie was no exception. He wouldn't give up on this opportunity, as the Thunder Saint Pearl was the key to reaching the Spirit Profound Realm. He employed the Soaring Dragon and shot to the sky as he approached the pearl.

"Someone at the True Profound Realm dares to join the fray?!" roared a cultivator, unleashing a sword aura toward Liu Wuxie.

The cultivator had struck to kill, furious that Liu Wuxie had surpassed him in speed.

"Get lost!" Liu Wuxie snarled.

He was running out of time. He had to seize the Thunder Saint Pearl before the twelve fiends regrouped.

The three Earth Profound Realm experts had also spread out in three directions, simultaneously heading toward the Thunder Saint Pearl.

"Anyone who dares touch the Thunder Saint Pearl will face the consequences!" Luan Tianzhi was on the verge of fury, unleashing laws at the Earth Profound Realm.

With a roar, Liu Wuxie knocked the incoming sword aura away and continued to approach the Thunder Saint Pearl.

Several figures raced in from every direction, converging on the Thunder Saint Pearl.

The moment anyone got close to the pearl, they would face collective suppression from everyone; Liu Wuxie was no exception.

Even after Liu Wuxie deflected the first sword aura, more sword auras came at him. But he didn't stop and continued to close in on the pearl. Those at the pinnacle of the Spirit Profound Realm couldn't hinder his footsteps.

"He's Liu Wuxie! Abandon the Thunder Saint Pearl and focus on killing him!"

As the twelve fiends recognized Liu Wuxie's aura, they quickly converged to surround him.

Since Liu Wuxie dared to act, he naturally had a way to escape as Ruan Ying and Jiang Nan were hidden nearby. It wasn't difficult for them to create an opening for him when the time came.

"Liu Wuxie is here?! He's truly audacious!"

Many people, including Liao Changhong, recognized Liu Wuxie.

"Didn't he obtain the four seasonal and dragon clan treasures? He still wants to fight for the Thunder Saint Pearl?!"

Hearing Liu Wuxie's name made many people grit their teeth in hatred.

The news of Liu Wuxie obtaining the four seasonal treasures had spread, and even the matter of the dragon clan's treasures had circulated in small circles.

Liu Wuxie's speed was fast, but some others who lay in wait proved even faster.

At this moment, three figures appeared before the Thunder Saint Pearl, and Liu Wuxie recognized one of them.

He exclaimed, "Qiao Bian!"

Before Liu Wuxie could react, Qiao Bian conjured a vortex that enveloped the Thunder Saint Pearl.

Qiao Bian had also noticed Liu Wuxie. They shared the same goal, and their friendship wouldn't stop them from competing for the pearl. After all, such a treasure was too valuable.

The Thunder Saint Pearl was also Qiao Bian's key to reaching the Earth Profound Realm.

"Both of you, get lost!" The third sword aura appeared, attacking Qiao Bian and Liu Wuxie simultaneously. It was another expert at the Quasi-Earth Profound Realm.

"Rong Feiyu!" someone exclaimed.

"He's a prodigy of the Nine Profound Sect. Wasn't he already at the Earth Profound Realm? Why is he only at the Quasi-Earth Profound Realm?"

Many people were baffled by how Rong Feiyu had entered this world when he had already reached the Earth Profound Realm a year ago.

"Rong Feiyu cultivates a powerful technique. Whenever he makes a breakthrough, his cultivation regresses after half a year. The next time he makes a breakthrough, he will advance two levels simultaneously. His cultivation technique is mysterious."

Many were familiar with Rong Feiyu and couldn't believe such a bizarre cultivation technique existed.

This was a profound cultivation technique, and he would retain his combat strength even after his cultivation regressed. This meant Rong Feiyu's combat strength was at the Earth Profound Realm despite his cultivation regressing to the Quasi-Earth Profound Realm.

Liu Wuxie and Qiao Bian didn't retreat. They both had the strength to defeat cultivators at the Earth Profound Realm and wouldn't give up so easily.

The vortex created by Qiao Bian had successfully stopped the Thunder Saint Pearl from escaping. But the sudden surge of sword aura shattered it, allowing the pearl to break free and continue to flee.

"Brother Liu, I hadn't expected to see you here. We'll rely on our ability to see who can seize it," Qiao Bian said, and he chased after the Thunder Saint Pearl.

"Very well," Liu Wuxie repelled Rong Feiyu's sword aura and chased after the pearl.

Rong Feiyu seethed with rage, unwilling to accept that his strike had failed to kill the two insignificant ants.

Rong Feiyu flashed forward in pursuit, his aura surging with killing intent.

The chase for the Thunder Saint Pearl had escalated into fierce competition. The three cultivators closed in rapidly, the very space around them beginning to distort and solidify as they neared the pearl.

Both Liu Wuxie and Qiao Bian had comprehended spatial art. They used it to slow the pearl down significantly.

Other cultivators had also rushed over.

"Liu Wuxie, die!" Liao Changhong roared.

His sword aura charged out, blanketing the sky like a colossal mountain.

"An insignificant ant like you dares to show yourself before me?" Liu Wuxie sneered and slashed down with the Heretic Blade.

Liu Wuxie had long since seen through Liao Changhong's character, recognizing his willingness to use any means necessary to achieve his goals.

The crowd watched in stunned disbelief as he stopped Liao Changhong's attack.

"Brother Liu, it seems the situation isn't looking too good for you," Qiao Bian joked amid the rising tension.

Too many people wanted Liu Wuxie dead—whether the twelve fiends or the other cultivators—they all glared at Liu Wuxie furiously.

"This is merely the result of jealousy," Liu Wuxie shrugged.

Though they paused in a tense standoff, none gave up on the Thunder Saint Pearl as they continued manipulating the surrounding space.

Over fifty cultivators had surrounded the Thunder Saint Pearl in less than half a breath, each unleashing their attacks.

The Thunder Saint Pearl continued to struggle desperately, sometimes inching closer to Liu Wuxie, sometimes Rong Feiyu, sometimes Qiao Bian, and at other times, elsewhere. It would drift toward the weaker cultivator by instinct.

Liu Wuxie's brows furrowed tightly as the twelve fiends closed in. It would be challenging to escape if he couldn't seize the Thunder Saint Pearl.

Unless he could reach the Spirit Profound Realm, it would be impossible for him to face the twelve fiends. It was his limit to even face one of the fiends, not to mention that the three Earth Profound Realm cultivators had entered their field of vision.

Once again, a giant vortex appeared before Qiao Bian, and the pearl was about to fall into it.

Liu Wuxie had long suspected that Qiao Bian was hiding great secrets within his body. This person wasn't inferior to him in terms of fortune and talent. He, too, must have gained tremendous harvests during this expedition.

However, he hadn't chosen to make a breakthrough to the Earth Profound Realm due to the constraints imposed by the laws of this world.

If Liu Wuxie couldn't seize the Thunder Saint Pearl, he would have to face the twelve fiends, three Earth Profound Realm cultivators, Liao Changhong, and many more. Some ordinary cultivators coveted the four seasonal treasures they suspected he still possessed.

"Qiao Bian, don't even dream about seizing the Thunder Saint Pearl!" Rong Feiyu shouted and unleashed his attack.

"How dare you!?" The surrounding Dragon Emperor Academy disciples clamored as they stepped forward, aiming to obstruct Rong Feiyu.

However, they were one step too late as Rong Feiyu's sword aura struck the vortex, shattering it piece by piece.

This allowed the Thunder Saint Pearl to break free from the vortex's suction force and escape again.

"Brother Qiao, forgive me," Liu Wuxie said, and a terrifying black hole appeared above the Thunder Saint Pearl.

In that critical moment, he had summoned the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron.