Chapter 1524: Golden Eye Appears, Ending Changed

The situation on the Spirit Platform changed entirely too fast. At first, Ye Jinghu still held a slight advantage, but in this brief moment, the tides had drastically shifted.

Above the plaza, everyone began to worry for Ye Jinghu. Mansion Master Luo even intended to announce the end of the Golden Core Grand Competition and declare Liu Yuansheng the victor. However, after seeing that Ye Jingcheng’s expression in the distance hadn’t changed in the slightest, he forced himself to suppress the thought.

Of course, at this moment, Mansion Master Luo wasn’t the only one with this thought; the majority of the Cultivators present shared his sentiment. Zilan even wanted to disregard the obstruction of the nearby Cultivators, step forward, and announce the end of the competition. Even though she knew this might offend the Celestial Sand Sect and the Liu family, she couldn’t just watch Ye Jinghu be drained into a dried husk.

Besides, the Ye family of the Celestial Sand Sect had already obtained Wangqing Prefecture and Xiaoshan Prefecture. In their eyes, the Celestial Sand Sect had already gained quite a lot and had no need to obsess over Tianshu Mansion. They were, after all, just a power that had recently advanced to become a Nascent Soul Power.

At this moment, only three people remained completely composed, entirely unaffected by the situation.

One was State Governor Liu, one was True Monarch Liu Yuan, and the last was Ye Jingcheng.

Ye Jingcheng even nodded and offered his critique, “This Liu Yuansheng indeed has some ability. He deliberately provoked Jinghu to make him underestimate his opponent. In reality, working in tandem with his Spirit Disc, he scattered Spirit Flower Seeds all around. The moment the Thunder Light erupted, it was already impossible for Jinghu to avoid it.

“Everyone assumed these Spirit Flowers were the Divine Technique of his Spiritual Eye, but in fact, it was nothing more than a contingency he prepared in advance,” Ye Jingcheng’s voice echoed in the ears of everyone who had come from the Ye family, including Zhu Wenjing.

He had no need to remind the others. But for the members of the Celestial Sand Sect and the Ye family, Ye Jingcheng believed they couldn’t just come here for a vacation; they still needed to gain something from the experience. Otherwise, a single use of the Teleportation Array would cost a hefty sum of Spirit Stones.

Upon hearing Ye Jingcheng’s words, the others suddenly saw the light. While inwardly cursing the insidious nature of the Liu family Cultivator, they each began to ponder how they would respond if they were the ones on the field.

Seeing this, Ye Jingcheng nodded in gratification. The prosperity of the Ye family couldn’t rely solely on him. It also required geniuses like Ye Jinghu and Ye Yunxi, and more importantly, it relied on every single member of the clan. Even if a single drop of water was Heavy Water, its power remained limited. But the vast seawater, even if it was just water of the Mortal World, could still topple mountains and submerge islands.

On the platform, Liu Yuansheng didn’t think he could win easily. Since Ye Yunxi could obtain a Demon King at the Late Stage of Tier Four, in his eyes, Ye Jinghu definitely had a trump card hidden away. Thus, he merely channeled power into his eyes, intensifying his Flower Welcoming Eye Illusion Skill while causing those Spirit Flowers to grow faster. At the same time, the Celestial Wood Sword in his hand flew out, aiming straight for the center of Ye Jinghu’s brow.

Right at this moment, Ye Jinghu, who should have been deeply immersed in the illusion, abruptly retreated.

Thunder Light surged wildly around his entire body, reducing all the Spirit Flowers to ashes in the blink of an eye. Even though Spirit Flowers continued to sprout on him, they couldn’t withstand the continuous bombardment of Thunder from his body. If it had been anyone else, they truly might have been controlled and killed by the opponent’s Divine Technique, or sucked dry by the Spirit Flowers. Unfortunately for Liu Yuansheng, Thunder Attribute Cultivators feared such bizarre methods the least.

At the same time, a massive swarm of Hidden Wings fluttered in the void at an unknown point, and Detonators began to spread and converge. In the next moment, countless Thunder Rhinoceros Insects emerged, transforming into a Thunder Attribute Battle Array. The Battle Array had clearly been brewing for a while. A Thunder Pool surged outward, blasting toward Liu Yuansheng, though it was skillfully dodged by the latter.

“What a pity!” Ye Jinghu muttered. He also possessed a Soul Defense Treasure. Furthermore, since he Cultivated the Celestial Soul Technique, his Divine Soul was inherently robust and capable of division. In terms of Spiritual Eyes, he also possessed a foundational Star Illusion Eye.

The Ye family had a full seven Star Pear Wood Fruit Trees. Although the other fruit trees weren’t as powerful as Ye Jingcheng’s, the six trees still bore quite a few Star Illusion Fruits. These Spirit Fruits had precisely entered the mouths of Core Cultivators like them. Their resistance to Illusion Realms was similarly very strong. The reason he fell for the attack was simply that he wanted the opponent to let down his guard. At the same time, he wanted to prove to Ye Jingcheng that he had the ability to defeat the opponent without relying on a Spirit Beast. But now he knew that without deploying the Spirit Beast Ye Jingcheng had given him, it would be extremely difficult to win.

“I admit that you are formidable, but that’s as far as it goes,” Liu Yuansheng said. Witnessing the terrifying power of the Thunder Pool, he couldn’t help but feel a lingering trace of fear. Also, because he was struggling to take down the opponent and risked losing Tianshu Mansion, he knew he couldn’t hold back anymore.

Subsequently, he took out the Three Spirits Celestial Wood Puppet. This Celestial Wood Puppet was a Spirit Puppet transformed from a Wood Demon. Because it had three lifebound roots, it could split from one into three, making it incredibly powerful. It could easily fend off ordinary Golden Core Peak Cultivators.

However, just as he took out the Three Spirits Celestial Wood Puppet, Ye Jinghu also pressed his hand against his Spirit Beast Bag. On the surface, the Golden Core Grand Competition was a contest between the chosen geniuses of two families, but how could it not also be a clash of their underlying foundations?

As Ye Jinghu released a Golden-eyed White Giant Ape, a ferocious aura instantly permeated the entire Spirit Platform. Even the foul, bloody wind alone left Liu Yuansheng feeling somewhat terrified. Moreover, unlike the Thunder Tiger, Thunder Roc, or Thunder Rhinoceros Insects, this Golden-eyed White Giant Ape could actually ignore his Flower Welcoming Eye. Furthermore, the Spirit Flower Seeds on its body could not be catalyzed, suppressed by some inexplicable power.

The Three Spirits Celestial Wood Puppet transformed into a Wood Giant, rumbling forward as it unleashed countless terrifying tentacles. Each of these tentacles possessed a toughness comparable to a Tier Four Magical Treasure. Moreover, the Three Spirits Celestial Wood Puppet had already split into three, and the three had multiplied into a thousand vines. None of these vine shadows were illusory. Once deployed, they whipped up a horrifying frenzy of vines tearing through the air.

But the Golden-eyed Giant Ape showed no fear. It pulled out a massive Golden Photovoltaic Demon-Subduing Rod. After being reinforced with Golden Light, every smash it delivered sent Golden Light suffusing outwards, reducing everything to dust that dissipated into the air. The enormous shadow of the rod engulfed the entire void. Under the rod’s might, the three arrogant Celestial Wood Puppets were entirely smashed into ruins.

Liu Yuansheng was still executing various Secret Techniques, but against the Golden-eyed Vermilion Bird, those Secret Techniques were practically useless. He could only watch helplessly as his opponent sent the main body of the Three Spirits Celestial Wood Puppet flying with a crushing blow, leaving it without even the possibility of launching itself back into the fight.

Seeing that the Vermilion Bird was about to smash down on him, Liu Yuansheng still couldn’t comprehend why his Lifebound Divine Techniques had failed one after another.

Finally, True Monarch Liu Yuan spoke from afar. “We concede!”

State Governor Liu waved his hand, and a streak of Sword Qi materialized between the Vermilion Bird and Liu Yuansheng.

The Vermilion Bird’s eyes went wide, its fangs bared. Gripping the Demon-Subduing Rod, it was so enraged it wanted to smash State Governor Liu as well. It was only when Ye Jingcheng sent a thought that the Vermilion Bird obediently retreated, landing in front of Ye Jinghu before vanishing into the Spirit Beast Bag. However, it had already left an unforgettable impression on everyone present.

“What kind of White Ape is that?”

“Secret Techniques are ineffective against it, and it wields such monstrous strength.”

Everyone was utterly astounded. Even True Monarch Liu Yuan had no choice but to accept defeat. She touched her Storage Bag. The Liu family still had two people left, and she still had her own trump cards, but after some thought, she abandoned the idea. She had no confidence that her trump cards could defeat the Vermilion Bird, and she had even less confidence that the Ye family didn’t have other trump cards hidden away. It all came back to the same point: the Spirit Beast she had investigated belonging to the Ye family had yet to appear.

“Master Lei Hu of the Celestial Sand Sect is the victor!” As these words rang out, the crowd finally woke from their stupor.

The name “Master Lei Hu” continuously echoed in their minds. Of course, very soon, only the name “Celestial Sand Sect” filled their eyes, because the Celestial Sand Sect might just become the very first Nascent Soul Power to command three major Mansions. This outcome naturally left them shocked.

But the one suffering the most was none other than the Liuyun Sect. With the Celestial Sand Sect displaying such divine might, the Liuyun Sect remained the weakest Sect of them all. Just a moment ago, they had reached an agreement with the Jiang family. The Jiang family would let them win, but they could only claim half a Mansion. This meant that out of the Mansion’s fifty percent profit share, they would only take twenty-five percent. Furthermore, they still needed to give the Jiang family a stalk of Tier Five Spirit Medicine. Otherwise, they might not even get that twenty-five percent. They would become the first Nascent Soul Power forced to occupy only a single Mansion.

Meanwhile, the Liu family truly lived up to its reputation as the strongest family; their remaining two competitors each secured a Mansion. The Jiang family was also forced to settle for only the Red Maple Mansion.

Only then did the crowd realize that the Liu family and the Ye family each held three Mansions. The Profound Puppet Sect, the Liuyun Sect, and the Jiang family held two each.

But what made everyone drop their jaws in shock was that a Cultivator from the Profound Puppet Sect challenged Ye Yunxi again. This time, Ye Yunxi didn’t bring out the Roc Fish. After a bitter struggle using her Silver Moon Flood Dragon, she was ultimately defeated. As a result, the Profound Puppet Sect secured three Mansions, and the Ye family was once again reduced to two Mansions.

The shifts in the situation were a true rollercoaster, but in the end, the grand gathering came to a quiet close.

Ye Jinghu and Ye Yunxi both retreated to Ye Jingcheng’s side. Inside Ye Jingcheng’s mind, the Transmission from True Monarch Xuan Kui rang out.

“I truly admire the magnanimity of Daoist Qianchen. Although the Mansion is nominally controlled by my Profound Puppet Sect, your Celestial Sand Sect will take thirty percent of the profits, and my Profound Puppet Sect will take twenty percent. In addition, Ye Yunxi from your noble Sect will be the one to select treasures from the treasury.

“However, it might only be possible for Cultivators from our Sect to enter the Secret Realm of the Righteous Sect, but we will split the harvest fifty-fifty with your noble Sect,” True Monarch Xuan Kui conveyed in his message. He hadn’t expected the Ye family’s strength to be so formidable. He knew very well that if Ye Yunxi hadn’t gone easy on them, his Profound Puppet Sect wouldn’t have been able to win. Since the quotas were obtained by the Profound Puppet Sect, they could still manipulate things within the Southern Wilderness Province, but they had no control over the Secret Realm.

“Then I must thank Daoist Xuan Kui,” Ye Jingcheng nodded.

In truth, the Ye family had already acted in a highly conspicuous manner today, but they had no other choice. Only by doing so could they break free from the Ye family’s financial predicament. As for possessing three Mansions, Ye Jingcheng had indeed considered it, but he knew that not only would it be far too high-profile, but the Profound Puppet Sect also wasn’t necessarily devoid of means to win.

The Spirit Puppets of the Profound Puppet Sect were much more powerful than the Celestial Wood Puppets of the Liu family. The reason the Profound Puppet Sect didn’t dare oppose the Liu family and instead chose to cooperate with the Ye family was because Liu Yuansheng’s Flower Welcoming Eye had a highly suppressive effect on Puppet Cultivators. But that didn’t mean he lacked the strength to fight the Ye family.

Therefore, the current outcome was the best possible one for the Ye family. They didn’t have to shoulder any risks, yet they pocketed a full thirty percent of the profits. With the newly arrived Mansion Master Lu present, the future profits of Xiaoshan Prefecture would definitely not be low. Otherwise, the Xiaoshan Prefecture the man had spent a hefty price to acquire would lose all its value.