Atop the other eight mountain peaks, cultivators of various clans continued to fight for opportunities, but the area around Lin Xun became unusually quiet.

Indeed, who would have imagined that a fierce bloody conflict between Lin Xun and the successors of Spirit Treasure Holy Island would break out before they entered the ancient hall to see the opportunities hidden inside?

It was too unexpected.

But to Lin Xun, it was planned!

Fortunately, the operation failed. Gong Yangyu died, but Su Xingfeng, Wen Xiang and Yun Che escaped.

However, Lin Xun didn’t feel the slightest relaxed when he saw Xiao Ran step out of the ancient hall alone.

He suddenly realized that although Xiao Ran hadn’t participated in the battle, he might still have known about it.

He had never underestimated Xiao Ran. On the contrary, among the Spirit Treasure Holy Land successors, he found Xiao Ran the most difficult to see through!

“Before this, you single-handedly swept the heroes of all other clans. Now, you have defeated Junior Brother Gongyang Yu and the others alone. I have to admit that you are a rare talent.”

Xiao Ran strolled calmly with his hands behind his back, studying Lin Xun. His voice contained a hint of admiration.

His calmness suggested that he didn’t care that Su Xingfeng and the others had been utterly defeated.

Lin Xun scrunched his brows. “You must already know about this, isn’t that right?”

Xiao Ran nodded. “Strictly speaking, I should have taken part in the operation, but I didn’t get involved in the end.”

“Why?” asked Lin Xun.

Xiao Ran smiled. “It’s very simple. You must be able to guess that there is only one opportunity in this hall, so I didn’t want to miss it. I also didn’t want to compete and fight with my senior and junior brothers. So, I thought of a plan to make you all stay outside.”

His smile was warm and his voice was calm, but Lin Xun felt a shiver down his spine.

He finally realized that the assassination operation against him was Xiao Ran’s scheme to kill two birds with one stone!

It was a plot to assassinate him and prevent Su Xingfeng and the others from entering the hall to compete with Xiao Ran for the opportunity!

Did Su Xingfeng and the others know that Xiao Ran had tricked them?

“How ruthless! How scheming! You adopted such a manipulative strategy just for an opportunity! When you grow up, you will no doubt become a fierce person of your generation!” Toady exclaimed from afar.

Xiao Ran smiled. “I just don’t want to fight with my brothers and sisters of the same sect, so I used a little trick.”

“What did you do to Miss Zhao?” Lin Xun’s dark eyes flashed coldly.

“Don’t worry, since I don’t have the heart to see disciples of the same sect fight each other, I obviously wouldn’t hurt Junior Sister Zhao. She is just resting in the hall at the moment.” Xiao Ran’s words and tone were too calm and casual as though he was speaking about some trivial matters.

He answered every question that Lin Xun asked. His calm and elegant demeanor alone was out of the ordinary.

“Toady, go and take a look.” Lin Xun made an eye signal and Toady immediately rushed into the hall.

“Does that mean you have already obtained the opportunity in the hall?” Lin Xun fixed his gaze on Xiao Ran

He hadn’t relaxed his body at all from the beginning to the end. He couldn’t help from feeling fearful because the opponent was too hard to read.

“That’s correct.” Xiao Ran nodded.

“So, did you show up now to have a showdown with me?” Lin Xun tightened his grip around Broken Blade.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Ran shook his head and stared at Lin Xun for a long moment before he sighed softly, “To be honest with you, I’m not confident that I could kill you right now. You are very strong, and you also have a dangerous aura around you. It’s very unusual.”

He spoke slowly and chose his words carefully, seemingly guarded. “In the competition for the Great Dao, one will not be lonely if they have a worthy opponent. You are very interesting. You are one of the most unique opponents I have seen on my cultivation path. When the battle of the great age comes, I will have a showdown with you.”

Lin Xun’s frown deepened. “Why not now?”

Xiao Ran smiled ruminatively. “It’s not the right time yet. When the battle of the great age comes, you will understand that sometimes a cultivator can walk further along the path of the great dao if they have a worthy opponent.”

Lin Xun narrowed his eyes. “Are you treating me as a sharpening stone?”

Xiao Ran smiled. “You can say that.”

“Then—what if I don’t agree and insist on fighting with you today?”

“You won’t have a chance,” Xiao Ran answered indifferently.

Clang!

Broken Blade suddenly flashed in the air, and a slash of waterfall-like starry brilliance swept across the space, terrifyingly bright and blazing.

The strike was too sudden. Other cultivators would probably not have the time to react.

However, Xiao Ran seemed to have predicted it. He stood motionless with a calm smile, looking as aloof and ethereal as the clouds floating in the sky.

Pu!

His body was slashed into two, but there was not a shred of blood. Instead, it turned into a rain of light and vanished without a trace like a popped bubble.

“I forgot to tell you that I taught Junior Brother Gong Yangyu the Myriad Apparition Art. It’s a pity that he couldn’t comprehend its profound mystery and was killed by you…”

A hundred feet away, Xiao Ran’s figure re-emerged with his hands behind his back. “I will take my leave now.” He turned his head and smiled at Lin Xun.

When his voice faded, his figure had already drifted down the mountain. It seemed slow, but he had vanished in the blink of an eye.

Narrowing his eyes, Lin Xun eventually suppressed the murderous intent in his heart and did not give chase.

He still felt a little uneasy in the depths of his heart. Not only did Xiao Ran possess unfathomable strength, but he was also shrewd, unique and outstanding. He was unquestionably the most terrifying opponent that Lin Xun had faced ever since he started his cultivation path!

“You want to use me as a sharpening stone? Let’s see whether you have the ability first…” Lin Xun retracted his gaze and walked into the ancient hall, trying to not think too much about the situation.

……

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The ancient hall was extremely quiet, and the walls were inscribed with various ancient patterns. In the center stood only a simple and unadorned stone cauldron and nothing else.

Lin Xun immediately noticed Zhao Jingxuan sitting cross-legged and Toady looking around.

“Did Xiao Ran hurt you?” asked Lin Xun.

“No.” Zhao Jingxuan shook her head, her expression complex.

Then, she told everything that had happened just now.

It turned out that after she entered the hall with Xiao Ran, she immediately discovered a Dao scripture book hidden in the stone cauldron in the center of the hall.

That was no doubt the opportunity hidden in the great hall!

However, just when Zhao Jingxuan was about to take action, she suffered an attack from Xiao Ran and lost consciousness.

Fortunately, Xiao Ran didn’t hurt her and simply took away the Dao scripture.

As Zhao Jingxuan talked about the incident, a bitter smile tugged on the corners of her lips. “All our hard work only benefited someone else.”

Lin Xun comforted, “But we are all still alive.”

“Damn it, Xiao Ran is despicable! Not only did he try to kill you, Lin Xun, but he also plotted against his senior and junior brothers and took away all the opportunities!” Toady cursed in fury.

“I never thought that Senior Brother Xiao Ran would do that either…” Zhao Jingxuan sighed.

She ran her eyes across the empty and quiet hall, and her face clouded with disappointment. She was also bitter that the opportunity had been taken away.

“A dao scripture book…”

Lin Xun was speechless for a while. Although he didn’t know about the origin of the Dao scripture, he knew it had to be remarkable since it was hidden in the hall!

Not far away, Toady was exerting all his strength to transport the ancient stone cauldron, as if he wanted to take it away with him.

But the stone cauldron wouldn’t budge an inch no matter how hard he tried.

That didn’t frustrate or annoy Toady in the slightest, but instead made his eyes light up. “This thing seems to be a treasure too!”

His spirits immediately lifted. He took a deep breath, and his entire body started to glow. He again attempted to transport the stone cauldron, but it was as steady as Mount Tai despite its inconspicuous and ordinary appearance.

“Damn it. Can I not bring it with me?” Toady said through gritted teeth.

“Let me try.”

Lin Xun stepped forward and circulated all his power, but the result was the same. He couldn’t shake the stone cauldron in the slightest.

“It is indeed very unusual.” Lin Xun’s black eyes gleamed with interest.

Without any hesitation, he summoned the Nameless Pagoda.

Buzz!

The pagoda glowed a magnificent and sacred golden hue. All sorts of mysterious visions such as the sun, moon, mountains, rivers, stars and ancient auspicious creatures emerged on the eight sides of the pagoda.

It was as though a projection of the ancient world was cast on the body of the pagoda, adding a majestic charm to it.

Lin Xun was about to store away the ancient stone cauldron with a ray of wonder gold dao light when he noticed a change in the Nameless Pagoda!

The incomplete ‘less’ character on the top of the pagoda was tinged with spirituality and divine charm, and every stroke seemed to be accumulating Dao energy. It exuded an indescribable, oppressive aura!

“Could it have undergone some mysterious changes after taking in that mysterious Dao verse?”

A thought struck Lin Xun’s mind. He suddenly thought of the mysterious verse.

Treading the starry path,

Strolling up Kunlun.

Grabbing the sun and moon with a sleeve,

Holding the heavens in the palm.

I come from the world of mortals,

Gently tapping on the gate of longevity.

Using a wondrous way to see one’s true nature,

To bestow Dao onto the fated person.

The verse held deep profound meanings, and each word contained mysterious powers.

Previously, when the verse appeared in the thirty-three great halls, it absorbed all the ancient inscriptions on the walls of the hall!

That was enough to prove its mysterious powers. Unfortunately, it hadn’t appeared ever since it entered the Nameless Pagoda as if it had disappeared.

However, when Lin Xun brought the Nameless Pagoda out, he never expected it to have undergone a mysterious change.

To add to the matter, another unbelievable event was occuring, and it was happening before he could figure out the reason for the mysterious change!

The simple and unadorned stone cauldron was suddenly rumbling and shaking!