Chapter 991: Fighting For The Remaining Items (I)

There were very few people who knew that the Noble Dharma had hidden the body from when he had been a ninth-realm existence beneath the roots of the Tree of Longevity. Other than Chu Liang, no one had noticed it. After the Noble Dharma was killed, most cultivators started fighting for something else entirely.

Since the Noble Dharma disappeared, the two legendary artifacts, the East Sea Chrono Wheel and the Celestial Cosmic Ring, that he had been using and had left hovering in the sky went out of control and crashed to the ground.

When it came to snatching up treasures, no one moved faster than Di Nufeng.

While the others were still watching to see if the Noble Dharma was truly dead, Di Nufeng had already looked up, pointed at the Celestial Cosmic Ring still floating in the sky, and shouted, "Yan Zi, go, go, go! Whoever moves fast will get it! Slow pokes get nothing!"

Judging by her attitude, it didn’t matter if the Noble Dharma was dead or alive. She would have snatched it regardless. If the Noble Dharma were still alive, she would just try to kill him and seize it forcefully.

She reacted so quickly that one could only say pillaging and plundering were etched into her very bones.

The Mount Shu Sect’s Vessel of God rumbled to life, drawing the attention of the other immortal sect experts. It reminded them of the presence of those two legendary artifacts. In the blink of an eye, countless gazes turned toward the Celestial Cosmic Ring. More than one sect had already set their sights on it.

But before the others could even get close, the Mount Shu Sect’s Vessel of God had already zoomed past them. Di Nufeng leaped down and grabbed the Celestial Cosmic Ring in one swift motion. Then, she infused it with her spiritual energy, shrinking it until it fit neatly in her hand. With the legendary artifact secured, she swept a sharp, warning glance at everyone around her.

"I got it first! Who wants to fight me for it? Come on, step up!" Di Nufeng shouted as her hair flew in the wind and a pair of Divine Fire wings flared behind her. Her eyes gleamed with menace as she gave a cold warning. "But don’t say I didn’t warn you. Take one more step and you’re crossing me. Crossing the Mount Shu Sect means you’re gambling with your life, your sect’s future, your wife, your kids... Now! I’m counting down from three. If you want it, step forward. If not, scram. Three!"

She didn’t even need to finish counting. The moment the cultivators from the immortal sects heard her, they froze in their tracks and quickly backed away.

If anyone else had gotten their hands on the Celestial Cosmic Ring, the crowd might have rushed in, fought over it, and decided who it belonged to later. But now that Di Nufeng had it, it was like a meat bun clamped between a dog’s jaws, and the dog had already peed on it.

Who would dare try to take it now?

All the cultivators present came from righteous immortal sects, and they all understood the principle that a treasure should go to the worthy. Even if they failed to seize it, they could still retreat with their pride intact. But Di Nufeng was different. She was the kind of person who really would do whatever it took.

As she said, who didn’t have elders and juniors in their sect? Who didn’t have a wife, children, or family?

Sure, a legendary artifact was priceless, but was it really worth provoking a lunatic who might burn down your home on a whim for the slim chance of winning it? This wasn’t an exaggeration. She had, after all, burned down Mount Shu’s own sect gate more times than anyone could count.

Why else would the people of Mount Shu have invented "Feng-grade" architecture in the first place? They had no choice but to accept Di Nufeng for who she was.

The Celestial Cosmic Ring truly was best suited for the Mount Shu Sect. As an enchanted artifact that governed the Great Dao of the World, it resonated deeply with Venerable Wen Yuan’s Dao of Primordial Chaos. Back when they had made a clone of this ring using the Precious Phantom Spirit Embryo during the fight at Mount Shu, Venerable Wen Yuan had wielded it with overwhelming power.

However, he wasn’t the only one who resonated with the artifact. There was another Eminent One present who couldn’t bear to let it go.

It was none other than Qu Hu, the abbot of the Monastery Tower, the Dao Master of the Great Dao of Distancelessness, and the National Master of the Yu Dynasty.

He cultivated the Great Dao of Distancelessness, which was a Great Dao that branched off from the Great Dao of the World. And so, his cultivation power was highly compatible with the Celestial Cosmic Ring. If he could obtain the artifact, the Monastery Tower would finally have a legendary treasure to anchor its strength. He was confident that within a few decades, the sect could rise into the ranks of the Divine Nine. If he could get this ring, it would be a tremendous leap forward.

But now, that hope of a tremendous leap forward for his sect was clenched tightly in Di Nufeng’s fist. Qu Hu didn’t step forward to challenge her, but unlike everyone else who had backed away, he couldn’t bring himself to leave.

With the space around him suddenly becoming empty, he stood out.

Di Nufeng immediately spotted him and shot him a glare. "Bald donkey! What do you want?!"

"Ah..." Only then did Qu Hu realize that everyone who had stepped forward earlier had already backed off. Caught off guard, he stammered, unable to form a proper response.

The National Master was an honest man. When it came to snatching treasures, he truly had no experience. Honestly, he wasn't shameless enough, and he didn't have the audacity to seize the treasure.

"If I recall, the Monastery Tower traces its lineage back to that old bastard Dharma. Don’t tell me you’re here for revenge?" Di Nufeng snapped, her voice sharp and fearless. "Fine by me. If you’ve got a grudge, bring it on. That bastard Dharma was killed by my disciple, so come at me!"

Qu Hu hurriedly waved his hands and stammered, "No, no, no... Absolutely not..."

"Then why aren’t you gone yet?" Di Nufeng barked.

Qu Hu turned beet red from the scolding. He spun around and activated his Great Dao of Distancelessness, vanishing in a single step.

He had no one to blame but himself. If only he had reacted sooner. If he had thought to seize the treasure first, even if the Mount Shu Sect had moved before him, they could not have been faster than the Great Dao of Distancelessness. He could have taken the Celestial Cosmic Ring and disappeared. That would have done the trick, wouldn’t it?

The regret gnawed at him.

And then there was the matter of strength. Di Nufeng might have only just entered the eighth realm, but her aura was terrifying. Even an experienced master of Heavenly Origin did not dare challenge her. In addition, the Great Dao of Distancelessness was not suited for direct combat. How could someone like Qu Hu ever dare talk back to her?

For an honest man like him, all those unsaid words could only turn into one long sigh.

"唉!"

"

Haaaaaaaaaaa!

"

...

Although Di Nufeng’s decision to go after the Celestial Cosmic Ring might have seemed like a split-second reaction, it was anything but reckless. Beneath the surface, her choice was layered with careful thought.

The East Sea Chrono Wheel ranked higher than the Celestial Cosmic Ring, which naturally drew the attention of the top experts from the immortal sects. In that kind of situation, going after the second-best treasure actually gave her a better chance of success.

Besides, the Celestial Cosmic Ring happened to be the most compatible with the Mount Shu Sect. In a real combat, the power it could unleash far surpassed that of the East Sea Chrono Wheel.

Sure enough, the scramble for the East Sea Chrono Wheel turned out just as fierce as she’d predicted.

The first to react to the chance to seize a legendary artifact was the one wearing the Xuanhuang Battle Armor. He was positioned closest to the Mount Shu Sect’s Vessel of God. Although Lu Jiuwai was from the Great Astral Sect, he was smart.

As soon as Lu Jiuwai saw the Vessel of God move, he instantly grasped the situation and dashed toward the East Sea Chrono Wheel on the opposite side.

He didn’t care whether the Great Astral Sect had anyone who had comprehended the Great Dao of Time. As long as he could secure the artifact first, someone would figure out how to use it.

But because he was wearing the Xuanhuang Battle Armor, he couldn’t move fast enough. He lagged behind the Vessel of God by a distance spanning half his height, and by then, the others had already caught on. The ones closest to the East Sea Chrono Wheel, still suspended in mid-air, were two sword cultivators: the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner and Sword Saint Li Ba.

The Imperial Supervisory Commissioner wielded the Seven-Star Sword, a legendary weapon that exuded an imposing might. Though it wasn’t truly his to keep, the unclaimed East Sea Chrono Wheel was right in front of him. With one powerful swing, he forced back Lu Jiuwai, who was wearing the Xuanhuang Battle Armor, and flew toward the treasure.

From the other side, Sword Saint Li Ba moved at the same moment. His blazing sword qi swept toward the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner, forcing him to lift his blade and block the strike.

Boom!

After the clash, Sword Saint Li Ba became the Eminent One closest to the East Sea Chrono Wheel. However, the battle was far from over.

The General’s Supreme Constellation Disc had already moved into position beneath the falling East Sea Chrono Wheel. In the next instant, countless beams of starlight shot toward Sword Saint Li Ba.

While the barrage wasn’t enough to be considered a killing move, Sword Saint Li Ba still had to follow the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner’s earlier example. He quickly raised his sword to block.

A series of explosions rang out as the East Sea Chrono Wheel dropped lower, about to land directly on the General’s Supreme Constellation Disc.

But just then, a shadowy figure streaked through the sky and snatched the East Sea Chrono Wheel as it passed.