Chapter 698 699: A Scramble for Treasure

No one spoke. Although the Seven-Colored Xuan Lingzhi was precious, it wasn't enough to make these top-tier Martial Emperors lose their composure. Moreover, the Seven-Colored Xuan Lingzhi was only truly effective for Tier Seven Martial Kings; for Tier Eight Martial Emperors like them, its uses were limited.

But the preceding scene served as a wake-up call for everyone.

Long Yuan immediately smiled and said, "Since the Patriarch of the Helian family has spoken, let's establish some rules. Any Spirit Medicine found in this hazy land will belong to whoever finds it first. If it's a treasure that requires a group effort to obtain, then we will distribute it based on each person's contribution. Does anyone have any objections?"

The crowd exchanged glances, and no one voiced any objections.

And so, the matter was quickly settled.

Ye Xuan felt a surge of excitement, but he knew full well that in terms of Profound Sense, he was no match for these powerhouses. He immediately released his Seventh Grade Soul Sense.

Under his Soul Sense, the surrounding scenery appeared clearly in his mind.

When it came to exploration, Soul Sense was absolutely superior to Profound Sense.

Relying on his Soul Sense alone, Ye Xuan's exploratory capabilities were already on par with the patriarchs of the major powers.

Furthermore, as an Alchemist and a Soul Refiner, Ye Xuan's ability to sense rare treasures was far beyond that of an ordinary Martial Artist.

SWISH SWISH SWISH!

The group set out once more. This time, however, they subtly distanced themselves from one another, and the looks they exchanged grew intense.

WHOOSH!

After only about fifteen minutes, a Martial Emperor from Lingkong Cave found another Tier Seven Spirit Medicine.

Ye Xuan glanced over, unmoved.

He had actually spotted that Tier Seven Spirit Medicine earlier but chose not to act.

There were too many powerhouses present. If he stood out too much, he would undoubtedly attract unwanted attention. Therefore, Ye Xuan's plan was to prioritize quality over quantity.

An ordinary Tier Seven Spirit Medicine wasn't enough to make him move.

He just needed to get his hands on a few top-tier treasures, and their value would far surpass a multitude of lesser finds.

After all, he was on his own and still had to rely on the Xiao family. In terms of sheer numbers, he was bound to fall short compared to the experts from other factions.

In the time that followed, the major powers all found some Spirit Medicines, to varying degrees.

But so far, they had all been Tier Seven.

Ye Xuan hadn't made a move yet, but he felt a touch of resignation.

'Actually, these Tier Seven materials are all rare treasures in their own right. It would be far better for me to get them than to let them fall into someone else's hands.'

Just as Ye Xuan was feeling this pang of regret...

SQUEAK!

The Little Purple Mink appeared on his shoulder once more. Its small, purple, Gemstone-like eyes darted about shiftily, as if it had sniffed out something good.

'How could I have forgotten about this little guy!'

Ye Xuan's eyes lit up. 'This little guy is incredibly sharp; he's the most sensitive to treasures like these.'

WHOOSH!

Sure enough, the moment the Little Purple Mink appeared, it shot off, transforming into a streak of purple lightning that vanished into a thicket.

A moment later, the streak of purple lightning returned. In the Little Purple Mink's mouth was a small, cyan fruit. The fruit was only the size of a thumb, but its surface was covered in dark golden patterns, and it emanated a spiritually charged aura.

"The Golden Moon Cyan Fruit!"

"This fruit is a peak Tier Eight Spirit Medicine! It not only balances the body's yin and yang and helps consolidate and advance one's cultivation, but it can also cleanse the Profound Sea, increase its capacity, and elevate a Martial Artist's spiritual realm. Most frighteningly, it contains a trace of spatial power that can deepen a Martial Artist's comprehension of space."

"That Little Purple Mink is freakishly good! To find a treasure like that so quickly."

The members of the major powers stared at the approaching Little Purple Mink, their eyes blazing with greed.

"This little beast thinks it can snatch treasures? Hand it over!"

A savage glint flashed in Yu Chi Bugong's eyes. His figure flickered, and he shot a lightning-fast grab toward the Little Purple Mink.

BOOM!

Terrifying Profound energy erupted from his palm, forming a vortex that sought to devour everything and pull the Little Purple Mink in. In an instant, the astonishing Profound energy morphed into a dense web of blades.

"Yu Chi Bugong, what are you doing?"

Seeing this, Ye Xuan was enraged. Yu Chi Bugong was ostensibly trying to snatch the Golden Moon Cyan Fruit, but he was actually making a lethal move. If the Little Purple Mink were sucked into that vortex, it would be shredded by the countless Profound blades.

"Sword of Judgment."

The longsword at Ye Xuan's waist flew from its scabbard, striking down like a bolt of lightning.

"Hmph."

Yu Chi Bugong snorted. 'A mere Tier Seven Martial King thinks he can stop me?' he sneered inwardly. A glint appeared in his eyes as a plan formed. The corner of his mouth curled into a cold smile as he intensified the Profound energy in his right palm.

BOOM! CRACK!

The purple lightning bolt collided with Yu Chi Bugong's Profound vortex, creating shocking ripples. POP! The rocks and trees within a ten-meter radius were pulverized. At the same time, a terrifying undercurrent of force rode the shockwave, instantly reaching Ye Xuan and making his hair stand on end and his scalp tingle.

'This Yu Chi Bugong is actually trying to kill me.'

Ye Xuan seethed with silent rage. How could he not see it? Yu Chi Bugong's original target had been the Little Purple Mink, but the moment Ye Xuan intervened, the man had immediately switched targets. He was using the aftershocks of their clash as a cover to launch a sneak attack.

"Vast Light Grand Thousand Mirror."

At the critical moment, an ancient bronze mirror appeared in Ye Xuan's hand. Driven by his powerful Soul Power, the mirror suddenly projected a hazy shield of light that collided with the undercurrent of force from Yu Chi Bugong's attack.

With a BOOM, the hazy shield of light from the Vast Light Grand Thousand Mirror shattered, and the hidden force from Yu Chi Bugong's attack dissipated along with it.

PTUI!

Behind the Vast Light Grand Thousand Mirror, Ye Xuan's body trembled. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his expression turning wan.

SQUEAK!

The Little Purple Mink cried out in alarm and landed on Ye Xuan's shoulder, its Gemstone-like purple eyes fixed on Yu Chi Bugong, filled with fury.

The entire process happened in just an instant. By the time everyone came back to their senses, the battle was already over.

'Hm? That kid actually blocked my Void Strike?'

Yu Chi Bugong frowned, feeling a flicker of surprise. His sneak attack had seemed casual, but he had actually used fifty percent of his power, intending to kill Ye Xuan in one blow. He never expected Ye Xuan to block it, let alone escape without severe injury. It was completely beyond his expectations.

'A treasure. What kind of treasure is that? To have such an effect...'

Ultimately, he attributed it to the Vast Light Grand Thousand Mirror in Ye Xuan's hand. He stared at it intently, his face filled with fervent desire.

The members of the other factions were also stunned by the exchange, their gazes converging on the Vast Light Grand Thousand Mirror in Ye Xuan's hands.

"That kid is clearly only at the Tier Seven Second Layer, yet he blocked a strike from Yu Chi Bugong, a Tier Eight Third Layer Martial Emperor?"

"Yu Chi Bugong's attack looked simple, but he clearly used his True Power. Forget a Tier Seven Second Layer Martial King, even a Tier Eight First Layer Martial Emperor would have been killed instantly, and this kid is fine?"

"What kind of treasure is that bronze mirror?"

Everyone was astonished, especially the Patriarchs and Sect Masters of the major powers. They had clearly seen the power behind Yu Chi Bugong's attack, and their eyes burned with desire.

A treasure that could allow a Tier Seven Second Layer Martial King to block a strike from a Tier Eight Third Layer Martial Emperor was more than enough to tempt them.

"Young Master Ye, are you alright?" Xiao Wuji rushed to Ye Xuan's side and asked with concern, while roaring angrily at Yu Chi Bugong, "Yu Chi Bugong, what are you doing?"

Killing intent filled his eyes; he was clearly furious with Yu Chi Bugong's actions.

"Brother Xiao, you should be asking this kid why he suddenly attacked me just now. If I hadn't reacted quickly, I'm afraid I would have been hacked to death by his sword," Yu Chi Bugong said in a cold, sinister tone, his expression showing no panic.

Such a vicious and shameless counter-accusation.

Everyone was left speechless. A Tier Eight Third Layer Martial Emperor, killed by a single sword strike from a Tier Seven Second Layer Martial King? Even as a joke, that was pushing it.

Ye Xuan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His gaze was dark as he said coldly, "Patriarch Yuchi, I, Xuan Ye, have met many shameless people, but you are by far the most shameless one I've ever encountered. The esteemed patriarch of a major power, repeatedly launching sneak attacks on a junior like me. Yu Chi Bugong, I truly look down on you."

"What did you say?" Ye Xuan's words were like a sharp blade stabbing into Yu Chi Bugong's heart, making him fly into a rage as his killing intent flared.

Ye Xuan said coldly, "Am I wrong? You say I attacked you, but no one here is blind. Everyone saw that you attacked my Spirit Pet first, forcing me to retaliate. Everyone, Patriarch Long Yuan, the rule we just established was that whoever finds a treasure first, it belongs to them. Yu Chi Bugong has openly defied the rule you all set. Are you all going to do nothing? If that's the case, then this so-called joint exploration is nothing but a joke."

Everyone's expressions froze, rendered speechless by Ye Xuan's question. The rule set just now was indeed 'finder's keepers', and Yu Chi Bugong had indeed violated it.

"Patriarch Yuchi," Long Yuan said with a frown, "your actions just now were indeed out of line."

"Out of line?" Yu Chi Bugong sneered coldly. "The rule was that it belongs to whoever finds it. Did that include Spirit Pets? I don't recall hearing that part."

"My Spirit Pet found it. Does that not count as me finding it?!" Ye Xuan said coldly.

"If the rule wasn't set, who's to say?" Yu Chi Bugong scoffed.

Everyone was once again speechless. Logically, a Spirit Pet finding something was naturally equivalent to the Martial Artist finding it. This was a rule followed everywhere on the Celestial Profound Continent. But Yu Chi Bugong wasn't wrong either; they hadn't actually specified that detail in the rules earlier.

For the dignified Clan Leader of a major family to act like such a scoundrel left everyone flabbergasted.

Long Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking. "Alright. Since you're unharmed, Master Xuan Ye, let's let this matter drop. From now on, any Spirit Medicine found by a Spirit Pet will be considered found by its master. If anyone makes a move over this again, don't blame me, Long Yuan, for getting nasty."