Chapter 969 - Seizing the Thunder Saint Pearl

There was no other choice. Liu Wuxie was willing to take the risk, even if it meant exposing the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron. Death would be inevitable if he couldn't break into the Spirit Profound Realm soon.

Rather than wait for death, he decided to gamble everything for a chance to survive.

Earlier, he had held back when Qiao Bian had taken control of the Thunder Saint Pearl. They had agreed to seize the pearl, relying solely on their abilities. But now that the pearl had escaped the vortex, there was no reason for Liu Wuxie to let such an opportunity slip past him.

Liu Wuxie unleashed a terrifying devouring force from the cauldron, swallowing up all the surrounding laws and the Thunder Saint Pearl.

"Brother Qiao, I need the Thunder Saint Pearl. I'll make it up to you later," Liu Wuxie said sincerely.

"I told you that we would rely on our abilities to obtain it," Qiao Bian replied.

He wasn't frustrated.

If Liu Wuxie hadn't grabbed the pearl, Qiao Bian himself would've taken it, and Rong Feiyu couldn't have stopped him.

Qiao Bian had made it clear that they would rely on their abilities to seize it. Whoever managed to nab it would keep it.

Liu Wuxie would've done the same if the positions were reversed. He wouldn't have intervened if Qiao Bian had snatched it back.

That was the rule, and that was loyalty. Yet, not many could follow such rules.

"How dare you take the Thunder Saint Pearl! Die!" Rong Feiyu roared.

He didn't care about Liu Wuxie's relationship with Qiao Bian, but Liu Wuxie had become his enemy after seizing the Thunder Saint Pearl.

A suffocating outburst of power swept toward Liu Wuxie. His target was the Thunder Saint Pearl still in the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron.

"You're the one courting death!" Liu Wuxie sheathed the Heretic Blade and performed the Great Five Elemental Palm, slamming it down toward Rong Feiyu. His attack shattered Rong Feiyu's sword aura, forcing him backward.

People were shocked. "What a terrifying dao technique!"

Liao Changhong's face turned dark. After integrating the power of the four seasons, Liu Wuxie's Great Five Elemental Palm had become more refined.

"Seal!" Liu Wuxie recalled the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron into his body, sealing the Thunder Saint Pearl away without leaving a trace.

In the next moment, waves of cultivators surged forward, encircling Liu Wuxie like a tightening noose. The twelve fiends moved into a battle formation, cutting off every possible escape. They weren't going to let him slip away.

Anyone obtaining the Thunder Saint Pearl was bound to become everyone's target. Aside from Qiao Bian, everyone probably wanted to tear Liu Wuxie into pieces.

News had already spread about Liu Wuxie's acquisition of the Dragon Clan's four seasonal treasures and countless other relics. Now, with the Thunder Saint Pearl in his possession, their resentment had reached a boiling point.

"Run!" Liu Wuxie exclaimed. He didn't hesitate to flee into the distance.

His priority was finding a safe place to refine the Thunder Saint Pearl and forge the Divine Thunder Physique. If successful, his combat strength would multiply hundreds, even thousands of times over.

"Liu Wuxie, don't think you can leave this place alive today," roared one of the twelve fiends.

The twelve fiends struck with their palms, forcing Liu Wuxie back with overwhelming power.

The surrounding disciples quickly retreated, unwilling to get involved. They had seen what the divinekin were capable of. They could wait for Liu Wuxie to be killed by the twelve fiends before snatching the pearl, as it would be foolish to attack now.

"You all know who I am and still dare to come at me? Aren't you afraid I'll refine all of you?" Liu Wuxie's gaze burned with murderous intent. He had no sympathy for the divine race.

"With those little tricks of yours? I can easily crush you with one hand," said the fiend who had killed the Scarlet Dragon Cult disciple.

When he struck with his palm, a powerful shockwave swept out in all directions, instinctively forcing those nearby to retreat. It drained their true essence as though they were being devoured.

Liu Wuxie cleaved with the Heretic Blade. "Break!"

The Golden Flame Strike shot out, engulfing this entire region in a sea of fire.

"How is Liu Wuxie's combat strength so terrifying?"

Those who weren't familiar with him were shocked.

Rong Feiyu's attacks were ineffective against him. He had even repelled Liao Changhong's sneak attack.

"So what if he has terrifying combat strength? He'll still die facing the twelve of them."

While they admired Liu Wuxie for his combat strength, they didn't think he would stand a chance against the twelve fiends.

Luan Tianzhi and Mu Yuanyi were nearby, waiting for the right opportunity.

The twelve fiends were too powerful, like twelve towering mountains that sealed off Liu Wuxie's path of retreat.

Liu Wuxie split apart the descending divine energy, which became nourishment for the ancestral tree. The clash generated a powerful shockwave.

Liu Wuxie didn't linger. After dissolving the incoming attack, he found a gap and shot toward the outer perimeter. He knew he would be safe if he could escape the twelve fiends.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

The twelve fiends had anticipated Liu Wuxie's move. If they allowed Liu Wuxie to reach the Spirit Profound Realm, no one could stop him except for Ye'lo.

If that happened, the Ye'lo Tribe would be thoroughly humiliated, and they wouldn't be able to raise their heads before the other tribes if they allowed the host of the ancestral tree to flee.

Liu Wuxie yelled, "Now!"

Ruan Ying and Jiang Nan, hidden in the shadows, struck at once.

They were assassins, masters of ambush and concealment. Upon receiving Liu Wuxie's signal, they struck; the swords in their hands manifested into two vipers and shot toward the targeted divinekin.

The divinekin was at risk of being skewered to death if he failed to dodge. No one had expected Liu Wuxie to have such formidable helpers hiding in the shadows.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Such were the skills of assassins trained by the Black Plume Pavilion. Their combined attack had never failed them before, or at least it had not before they met Liu Wuxie.

Moreover, their encounter with Liu Wuxie wasn't entirely a failure. The latter had suffered severe injuries under their strike and had only survived by relying on the Demonic Purgatory Chains.

"You damned humans!" The fiend roared in fury and turned away from Liu Wuxie to strike at Ruan Ying and Jiang Nan.

Taking the opportunity, Liu Wuxie slipped past the divinekin and fled into the distance.

He didn't worry about Ruan Ying and Jiang Nan; he was confident in their ability to escape.

"Don't let him escape!" cried the human cultivators as they charged over, trying to obstruct Liu Wuxie.

If they allowed Liu Wuxie to escape, it would be nearly impossible for them to catch him again.

Meanwhile, Liang Yi, Luan Tianzhi, and Mu Yuanyi had also been waiting for an opportunity to get Liu Wuxie. The moment Liu Wuxie appeared, they unleashed their attacks.

"Hand the Thunder Saint Pearl over!" yelled one of the trio.

They attacked from three different angles, targeting Liu Wuxie's vitals. They were determined to stop him from leaving.

Liu Wuxie raised his hands and took the Great Dragon Aspect Art's stance. He could only resort to the Annihilation Fist.

Golden dragons coiled in the air as Liu Wuxie summoned the Heavenly Dragon Seal, ready to crush everything in its path.

At the critical moment, Qiao Bian unleashed a powerful sword aura targeting Mu Yuanyi. He was the weakest among the three. It was also unbelievable that a dignified expert at the Earth Profound Realm was caught off guard.

If Mu Yuanyi didn't retrieve his attack, he would have to face the sword aura head-on. This strike was also powerful enough to threaten his life.

"Damn it! Who dares ambush me!" Mu Yuanyi roared.

He ultimately defended himself, pulling his sword back and countering the attack from behind.

This gave Liu Wuxie an opening. He immediately executed Soaring Dragon and burst through the opening, escaping quickly. This time, no one could stop him.

"Thank you, Brother Qiao! I owe you one!" Liu Wuxie's voice sounded beside Qiao Bian's ears.

Qiao Bian's actions left many people baffled. They couldn't understand why Qiao Bian had helped Liu Wuxie even after he had seized the Thunder Saint Pearl from him.

Even the Dragon Emperor Academy's disciples were baffled about why their senior brother had helped Liu Wuxie.

Mu Yuanyi deflected Qiao Bian's attack, gritting his teeth in frustration, but he didn't get to strike again. The Dragon Emperor Academy's disciples surrounded Qiao Bian, and those who stood the closest to him were elite among the elites.

He didn't act because he wasn't confident enough to deal with those elite disciples, and all he could do was glare at Qiao Bian.

"Senior Brother Qiao, why did you help Liu Wuxie?" asked a fellow disciple.

They didn't think much about losing the Thunder Saint Pearl. Based on their talent, it was only a matter of time for them to reach the Earth Profound Realm, not to mention they had already benefited greatly from this trip to the sacred ground.

"You won't understand," Qiao Bian said. He shook his head and offered no further explanation.

Qiao Bian knew that Liu Wuxie could've survived even if he hadn't intervened. After all, Liu Wuxie had saved the entire True Martial Continent by repairing the profound talisman and earned the entire continent's blessing.

Moreover, Qiao Bian also had his reasons. He had figured out the identity of the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy's chosen one. He wasn't certain before, but he was certain now after seeing Liu Wuxie again, a fellow chosen one like him.

The only difference between them was that Liu Wuxie's fortune was more heaven-defying than his.

Meanwhile, no one had expected that the Thunder Saint Pearl would fall into the hands of someone at the True Profound Realm, much less that he would escape with it amidst so many powerful cultivators.

To top it all, assassins hiding in the shadows had created an opening for Liu Wuxie, and the Dragon Emperor Academy's assistance at the critical moment had helped him slip through the encirclement.

As for Ruan Ying and Jiang Nan, they didn't linger around and fled after fending off the divinekin.

Liu Wuxie had specifically instructed them not to engage, as they weren't a match for the twelve fiends. Just stalling one of them had pushed them to their limits.

"Liu Wuxie, I'll tear you into pieces!" Mu Yuanyi howled, slamming his palm on the ground.

"Liu Wuxie, I'll find you even if you flee to the ends of the world. As long as you're in this world, I'll find you and grind you into ashes!" Luan Tianzhi snarled.

They knew Liu Wuxie would eventually show up at the exit, where they could capture and execute him.

The twelve fiends also exchanged a look, each wearing a grim expression.