Chapter Nine: The Treasure Seizure!

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Once Yang Nan released his martial aura, his intention was simply to intimidate. Seeing that the Daoist in blue robes wished to form an alliance, he immediately smiled and said, “So you are fellow cultivators of the Immortal Sword Sect. Since we all belong to the Martial Sect, we are naturally one family. I am Yang Nan. It is a pleasure to meet you all.”

The Immortal Sword Sect naturally practiced the methods of the Martial Sect. Although conflicts existed between the various Daoist traditions of martial cultivation and magical arts, whenever they faced an outside enemy, they still shared a common hatred. Standing together with Resting Origin and the others would allow them to look after one another.

Resting Origin immediately led several Martial Sect cultivators to Yang Nan’s side. The Demon Sect, Martial Sect, Magic Sect, Talisman Sect, and the monsters each formed their own factions, secretly remaining on high alert toward everyone outside their respective camps.

“Fellow Daoist Resting Origin, what treasures could be hidden in the estate of the Origin-Armored Tortoise Sage to draw so many cultivators here to fight over them?” Yang Nan asked with feigned curiosity, smiling toward the solemn-faced Resting Origin beside him.

Resting Origin replied gravely, “This demon sage’s estate contains eighty-one layers of restrictions, and none of them are anything ordinary. Fortunately, there are cultivators from the Formation Sect here; otherwise, breaking into this estate would be nothing but a pipe dream. It is said that thirty-six River Luo Heavenly Mechanism Charts are hidden within. Each chart supposedly conceals an unparalleled cultivation method, profound beyond measure. Then there is that nameless divine stele of unknown origin, along with the many treasures and techniques left behind by the Primordial Sage. Anyone who obtains even one of them will see his strength soar. Tell me, who could remain unmoved?”

River Luo Heavenly Mechanism Charts?

Yang Nan was shaken. Could a demon sage’s estate really contain thirty-six unparalleled cultivation methods? Let alone thirty-six—even one such technique would be enough to drive people to fight until their heads were broken and their blood ran dry...

As Yang Nan pondered, a middle-aged cultivator shouted from the distant gate of the estate, “It’s broken... I finally did it! I, Ni Cai, have successfully broken this formation! The Nine-Origin Tortoise-Shell Formation is truly infinitely wondrous! Today, all of you fellow cultivators have finally witnessed the might of an ancient formation...”

The boundless radiance before the estate scattered with the wind, revealing a magnificent, enormous gate. At once, every cultivator’s breathing grew feverish.

Yang Nan looked up. The cultivator had disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes. He was clearly the grandmaster of the Formation Sect. To break an ancient formation, he had nearly exhausted his mind and strength. No wonder he was shouting in ecstatic delight.

The moment dozens of cultivators heard that the restrictions on the estate had been broken, they all charged toward the exposed gate. Some even began slaughtering one another right there before the entrance.

Yang Nan shook his head. Since this was the estate of a demon sage, how could it contain only a single restriction? These people truly believed that men would die for wealth. Their ignorance was matched only by their recklessness.

“Fellow Daoist Yang, are you not coming in with us?” Resting Origin and several Martial Sect cultivators were greatly surprised to see Yang Nan so composed, showing no intention of entering the estate.

Yang Nan glanced at the chaotic scene before him and smiled faintly. “Fellow Daoist Resting Origin, please go ahead. I will take another look from outside.”

Although Resting Origin found this strange, the treasures within the estate were simply too tempting. He led several Martial Sect cultivators hurriedly inside.

Yang Nan reached into his robes and drew out several sheets of talisman paper. With his fingers held together like scissors, he swiftly cut out several little figures. Then he lightly traced his fingers across the paper figures, drawing several incantations upon them. With a shout, he commanded, “Rise!”

Infused with Yang Nan’s spiritual power, light flowed over the paper figures and their runes shimmered. In an instant, they seemed to come alive.

Yang Nan smiled faintly and pointed toward the estate. “Go.”

The paper figures floated into the air and swiftly ran inside. They were tiny, and each carried a thread of Yang Nan’s divine sense. Once inside, they saw that many cultivators had yet to find any treasures and were already viciously attacking one another. Treasures flashed, spells streaked across the sky, and shrieks rang out without end. The estate was in utter chaos.

Resting Origin and several Martial Sect cultivators were there as well, their flying swords bombarding and stabbing several demon cultivators in a display of extraordinary ferocity.

Before long, cultivators began shrieking as they were slain. The remaining ones, their eyes red with madness, fought even more savagely. One palace after another was opened, and even the tables, chairs, and benches were stripped bare by the looters.

Those who had been hiding above Primordial Sage Island could no longer restrain themselves. One after another, they entered the gate to compete for the treasures and cultivation manuals.

Let them fight to their hearts’ content first.

Yang Nan smiled coldly inwardly and withdrew his spiritual power. He looked toward the dazed Formation Sect cultivator, Ni Cai, who was still standing in place, muttering to himself while holding several tortoise shells, dark jade pieces, and other formation materials.

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This Formation Sect expert had actually managed to break an ancient and marvelous formation. He was truly extraordinary. Curious, Yang Nan walked over and asked, “Fellow Daoist, why are you not going inside?”

Ni Cai turned his head. His disheveled hair made him look utterly haggard. With a sigh, he said, “Those people originally promised that once I helped them break the formation, they would give me one of the thirty-six River Luo Heavenly Mechanism Charts. Now they have rushed inside in such a frenzy. Do they think the Mysterious Fire Hook-Thunder Formation and the Unarmored Maze Formation within are ordinary? If they charge in like this, countless people are bound to die...”

The Mysterious Fire Hook-Thunder Formation?

With a single glance, Yang Nan knew that such a formation was no small matter. Astonished, he asked, “Then why do you not go inside and break it? Why stand here staring blankly?”

A trace of cold laughter rose on Ni Cai’s face. “I am proficient only in formations. My cultivation is far weaker than theirs. Even if they seize the treasures, would they truly share them with me? It is better to let them fight one another to the death.”

Yang Nan chuckled. “If you do not object, come inside with me. I only want the Sea-Calming Divine Iron. All the other treasures may belong to you.”

Ni Cai shook his head as well. “I only wish to find the original formation diagram of the Nine-Origin Tortoise-Shell Formation. Once this formation was established, it contained eighty-one layers of restrictions. If its spiritual power had not greatly weakened over the passage of time, I fear even I would have found it difficult to break through.”

Seeing how obsessed Ni Cai was with formations and how little he cared for worldly treasures, Yang Nan felt a measure of respect for him. He smiled and said, “In that case, we shall simply avoid them. This estate is vast beyond measure. There is no need for us to fight them over the River Luo Heavenly Mechanism Charts.”

In truth, if there really were thirty-six unparalleled cultivation methods, would the demon sage Origin Armor have disintegrated his body and reincarnated? It was impossible.

Yang Nan had never intended to fight for those treasures. He was only at the grandmaster level, while every cultivator here was stronger than he was. If he fought a group of people who had lost all reason to fight over treasures, he would be lucky not to have his soul scattered.

Seeing that Yang Nan’s eyes were clear and free of greed, Ni Cai nodded. “You do not seem like someone blinded by profit. Let us go in together.”

Yang Nan smiled. “I will call another fellow cultivator to join us.”

He raised a hand and beckoned lightly toward the sky. Long Yao immediately descended from the clouds. Seeing that she was a woman, Ni Cai did not find it strange. He took the lead and walked inside.

The estate left behind by the demon sage Origin Armor was actually a palace built within a tortoise shell. It was incomparably vast, containing countless layered towers and halls: the main palace, side halls, secondary halls, alchemy halls, artifact halls, and more. The sight dazzled Yang Nan’s eyes.

Fortunately, Long Yao could sense the location of the Sea-Calming Divine Iron, while Ni Cai, a grandmaster of formations, led the way. After entering through the estate gate, the three avoided the mass of cultivators and proceeded along the outskirts.

The various sects’ cultivators who had entered earlier had long since begun fighting savagely. Divine weapons, magical artifacts, talismans, corpse demons, and blood fiends filled the sky as they battled furiously. Countless cultivators charged about wildly. Whenever a palace was overcome, countless others rushed in and looted it. At this point, there was no distinction between allies. The moment they met, they struck with lethal intent.

Not a single person came over to question Yang Nan and the other two after they entered. As long as the three of them did not approach the treasure halls, who would care what they were doing?

Resting Origin of the Martial Sect had apparently run off to some other hall. Yang Nan looked around, only to see several great halls opened in succession, their treasures and artifacts completely looted.

How could good things be placed right at the entrance?

Yang Nan shook his head and laughed inwardly. Following Ni Cai, he walked straight through several halls until they reached a doorway flickering with azure light. Only then did Ni Cai stop. With a solemn expression, he said, “Fellow Daoist Yang, the formation here is extremely strange. It seems to be a Disordered-Flow Formation.”

Yang Nan was not proficient in formations, so he humbly asked, “What is a Disordered-Flow Formation?”

Ni Cai explained seriously, “A Disordered-Flow Formation is rather like a Maze Formation. Once you enter it, you may be transported to any corner of this estate. You will not know whether you will emerge before a trap or a treasure vault. This formation shares the same foundation as the estate itself. It cannot be broken; one can only follow its flow.”

So it was simply a random teleportation formation. With good luck, they might be sent directly to the inner chambers; with bad luck, they might be trapped within the formation and wander aimlessly.

Yang Nan understood at once and nodded. “Then the three of us will clasp hands and enter together. Even if we are sent to a mechanism or trap, at least we can face it together.”

Seeing his resolute decisiveness, Ni Cai immediately nodded in agreement. The two men clasped hands, while Long Yao, her cheeks faintly flushed, tightly took hold of Yang Nan’s hand as well. Together, they stepped into the Disordered-Flow Formation.

Azure light flashed within the formation, and spiritual energy surged chaotically. Yang Nan felt the heavens and earth spinning as his body drifted and swayed with the wind. In an instant, they emerged from the formation and found themselves inside a vast stone chamber.

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“Hm? It is empty?” Long Yao gazed around the enormous stone chamber and turned back with a bitter smile.

Yang Nan laughed. “It seems our luck is poor. Let us try again.”

Ni Cai nodded. “Fortunately, there is another Disordered-Flow Formation here. Otherwise, we would be trapped inside this stone chamber.”

The three entered the formation once more. After another dizzying whirl, they found themselves no longer in a stone chamber but in a spacious main hall. Numerous offering platforms stood throughout the hall, displaying treasures that shimmered with brilliant light.

Yang Nan and the other two did not even look at the treasures. Instead, they witnessed a shocking scene.

A richly dressed man stood at the front, surrounded by several cultivators. With his hands clasped behind his back, he looked toward Yang Nan and sneered. “You actually dare come and seize what I, Kui Han, desire?”

The man’s face was sinister, and a chilling killing intent flickered in his eyes as he stared at Yang Nan. His thick brows were unusually long, and his appearance was rugged and coarse.

Only then did Yang Nan realize, to his astonishment, that dozens of corpses belonging to cultivators from various sects lay scattered throughout the hall. Each had died differently, but all had their foreheads shattered. Clearly, their core souls had been extracted.

They had actually been transported into the main hall?

Yang Nan, Ni Cai, and Long Yao exchanged glances. For a moment, they were unable to offer any explanation. The side halls had never been important places, and none of them had expected the Disordered-Flow Formation to send them directly into the main hall.

The richly dressed man was clearly a later arrival, but his strength was formidable enough for him to claim the entire main hall by himself.

Now, no one would believe that they had not come to join the struggle for the treasures.

Yang Nan could only smile bitterly inwardly. An unintended action had brought unexpected results. With so many cultivators dead on the ground, it was obvious that this man was no benevolent sort.

“You are... the son of Kui Xing, the Lion Sage?” Long Yao suddenly became extremely solemn when she saw the sinister man.

The Lion Sage Kui Xing was one of the Ten Great Demon Sages Under Heaven, a terrifying expert at the Venerated Sage level. How could Long Yao not feel wary of him?

The richly dressed man carefully examined Long Yao, then suddenly laughed. “So that is who you are. The Princess Long Yao of the Western Sea. Does the princess also intend to seize the thirty-six River Luo Heavenly Mechanism Charts? The Western Sea may be under your rule, but the possessions of Origin Armor do not belong to your dragon clan.”

Long Yao shook her head and said gravely, “Kui Han, I do not care what you wish to seize. I have come only to find the divine iron and return it to the Western Sea to calm the waves. I have no desire for further trouble. These two fellow cultivators are different from the others. Why do we not withdraw from the main hall?”

Kui Han’s face was filled with cold mockery. “If the River Luo Heavenly Mechanism Charts fall into my hands, do you think I would let you leave and spread the news?” The thirty-six River Luo Heavenly Mechanism Charts were unparalleled divine treasures. How could Kui Han allow these few mouths to leave and speak recklessly?

Seeing the killing intent covering the richly dressed man’s face, Yang Nan knew that the matter could not be resolved peacefully. With a turn of his thoughts, he summoned Scarlet Sun and the Golden-Crowned Roc.