klisemfg Chapter 215 Exploring treasures in dangerous places
Chapter 215 Exploring treasures in dangerous places
Zhuang Yu gripped the slightly trembling magic weapon in his hand, its flickering light guiding his way like stars.
His eyes were resolute, like a lone wolf eyeing its prey, radiating an undeniable determination.
The eerie mist around them, like menacing ghosts, churned and whispered like wailing under the strange shadows of the trees, adding to the sense of unease and unrest.
He could smell a faint scent of blood in the air, the traces left by countless adventurers who had perished here.
The soil beneath his feet was soft and damp, and every step felt like walking on the edge of death, but none of this could stop him from moving forward.
The unusual movement of the magical artifact indicates that there must be even more precious treasures ahead, and he will never give up easily.
Following the light, Zhuang Yu passed through gloomy forests and finally arrived at a wide valley.
However, the scene before him made him frown.
Several forces had already gathered in the valley, each like a lurking viper, watching each other warily.
One of them was none other than the Black Fiend Ancestor, with whom he had previously clashed.
The Black Fiend Ancestor, draped in a black cloak, stared intently at Zhuang Yu with a sinister gaze like that of a venomous snake, a ferocious smile playing on his lips.
Standing beside him were two pale-faced men, his henchmen Ghost Three and Ghost Four. Ghost Three carried a huge iron hammer and looked fierce, while Ghost Four kept whispering something in Black Fiend Ancestor's ear, appearing sinister and cunning.
Besides the Black Fiend Ancestor and his group, there were several cultivators dressed in gorgeous clothes. They exuded a powerful aura and were clearly also late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators.
A man dressed as a merchant, with a fat head and big ears, had a greedy glint in his eyes as he stared intently at the treasure in the center of the valley.
The crowd eyed each other warily, a palpable tension filling the air, as if a single spark could ignite a massive, earth-shattering battle.
Black Fiend Ancestor licked his chapped lips, his gaze sweeping over Zhuang Yu like a venomous snake.
"Kid, looks like you have quite a few treasures on you!" His voice was hoarse, harsh like sandpaper, and full of greed and murderous intent.
"However, no matter how many treasures you have, you still need to be alive to enjoy them!"
Zhuang Yu sneered and ignored the provocation of the Black Fiend Ancestor.
He knew that the most important thing at this moment was to stay calm; whoever lost their composure first would be put on the defensive.
He gripped the magical artifact tightly in his hand, feeling its slight tremor, as if it contained immense power, like a volcano about to erupt.
Just then, a cultivator dressed in a blue robe could no longer contain himself. He roared, and his spiritual power surged, instantly enveloping the entire valley with a powerful aura.
With a flick of his wrist, a massive spell, like a dragon emerging from the sea, crashed down towards Zhuang Yu.
"court death!"
Zhuang Yu sneered. Facing this sudden attack, his expression remained unchanged. He flipped his wrist, and the magic weapon in his hand shone brightly. A golden light screen instantly unfolded in front of him, as indestructible as a copper wall and iron barrier.
The dragon-like spell struck the light barrier with a deafening roar, and the violent energy spread out like ripples, uprooting trees in the valley, sending sand and stones flying, and blotting out the sun.
However, the golden light barrier remained motionless, firmly protecting Zhuang Yu.
The attack was so easily neutralized that the green-robed cultivator's expression changed drastically. "How is this possible?!" he exclaimed in shock. This was his full-force attack, yet it couldn't even break through the opponent's defense?
Zhuang Yu's lips curled up slightly, revealing a mocking smile.
"Is that all you've got? You dare to be so insolent in front of me?"
Seeing this, the Black Fiend Ancestor's face darkened. He snorted coldly and gave Ghost Three and Ghost Four a wink.
"Go!" Gui San roared, swinging his giant hammer like a small mountain as he smashed it down on Zhuang Yu.
Gui Si then flashed into view, appearing behind Zhuang Yu like a ghost, his dagger gleaming coldly as he aimed straight for Zhuang Yu's back.
At the same time, the other henchmen also made their moves, unleashing a barrage of spells and magical artifacts at Zhuang Yu.
Despite being surrounded and attacked by the crowd, Zhuang Yu remained unfazed.
With a thought, the magic weapon in his hand shone brightly once more, and several golden beams shot out with lightning speed, accurately striking the thugs.
Wherever the beam of light passed, the thugs fell to the ground like kites with broken strings, letting out screams of agony.
Upon seeing this, Ghost Three and Ghost Four's expressions changed drastically. They hadn't expected Zhuang Yu's strength to be so terrifying, defeating all their subordinates in just a few moves.
"This... how is this possible?" Gui San stared wide-eyed, looking at everything that was happening in front of him in disbelief.
Zhuang Yu sneered, his icy gaze sweeping over the crowd.
"Now, who else wants to try?" He slowly raised the magic weapon in his hand, its light becoming even more dazzling, and its powerful pressure enveloped the entire valley, like a god descending, making people dare not look directly at it.
"This kid..." Old Ancestor Black Fiend looked at the magic weapon in Zhuang Yu's hand, a greedy glint in his eyes, "He really has quite a few treasures on him!" He licked his lips, "However, these treasures will soon be mine!"
As soon as Zhuang Yu finished speaking, the valley fell silent. All eyes were on him, filled with surprise, doubt, and disbelief.
They originally thought that this young man would fight to the death for the treasure like other cultivators, but they never expected that he would take the initiative to share it.
This unexpected move eased the tense atmosphere somewhat.
The fat, burly merchant was the first to react. The greedy glint in his eyes diminished slightly, replaced by a hint of probing. "Fellow Daoist, is this true? Are you really willing to share these materials with us?" His tone was full of uncertainty, as if he feared this was a trap set by Zhuang Yu.
Zhuang Yu's lips curled slightly into a confident smile. His gaze swept over everyone present, and his tone was calm yet firm. "Of course it's true. I, Zhuang Yu, always keep my word. Since we're all here for the treasure, why fight to the death and end up hurting each other? Wouldn't it be better if we cooperated and each got what we needed?"
Upon hearing Zhuang Yu's words, some cultivators began to whisper among themselves, and their gazes towards Zhuang Yu held a newfound reverence.
After all, it takes a lot of people to maintain such composure and courage in front of others.
Black Fiend Ancestor had a gloomy face. He licked his dry, cracked lips and stared intently at Zhuang Yu with eyes as sharp as a venomous snake, secretly plotting in his mind.
He didn't completely believe Zhuang Yu's words, but in his opinion, the kid was just being mysterious, trying to lull him into a false sense of security before making his move.
He sneered inwardly, waiting to give this kid a "surprise" when it came time to divide the spoils.
“Since this fellow Daoist is so generous, we naturally have no objections,” said an elderly man with white hair and beard slowly, his gaze gentle and his tone tinged with appreciation.
The other cultivators also expressed their agreement, and the tense atmosphere gradually eased.
Seeing this, Zhuang Yu nodded in satisfaction.
He knew that these monks were not genuinely cooperating with him, but at least on the surface they had agreed.
All he wanted was an opportunity, an opportunity to maximize his profits.
“In that case, let’s begin the distribution.” Zhuang Yu pointed to a stone platform in the center of the valley, on which various materials radiating spiritual energy were placed. “The materials here will be distributed according to need, first come, first served.”
Everyone stepped forward to select the materials they needed, but the Black Fiend Ancestor stood still and did not act immediately.
His gaze swept over the materials laid out on the stone platform, and a sinister smile crept across his lips.
He knew that the best thing was always at the end, and he would wait until everyone had made their choices before making his move to snatch it.
Just as everyone had finished making their selections, the Black Fiend Ancestor made his move!
He flashed and instantly appeared in front of the stone platform, his huge hand grabbing at the material in the very center that was radiating a dazzling light.
However, just as his hand was about to touch the material, a golden light suddenly shot out from Zhuang Yu's magic weapon and heavily struck the Black Fiend Ancestor.
With a loud bang, the Black Fiend Ancestor was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the stone wall of the valley with a shrill scream.
He coughed up blood, his face ashen. "You...you actually..."
Zhuang Yu sneered, the magic weapon in his hand flashing with light. "I told you long ago, don't try to test my patience. It seems you still haven't learned your lesson." His voice was icy, sending a chill down the spines of everyone present.
"Let's go!" Old Ancestor Black Fiend clutched his chest, struggled to his feet, glared fiercely at Zhuang Yu, and then led Ghost Three and Ghost Four, fleeing the valley in a sorry state.
Zhuang Yu watched the departing figure of the Black Fiend Ancestor, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips.
He slowly put away the magical artifact in his hand, his gaze turning back to the materials on the stone platform, finally settling on the piece of material that radiated a dazzling light, and muttered to himself, "It seems that some things are destined to belong to me."
Zhuang Yu's gaze finally fell on the material that was radiating a dazzling light.
It lay quietly on the stone platform, like a sleeping star, radiating a heart-stirring energy fluctuation.
This is the key material for refining the Heavenly Tribulation Defense Treasure—the Heavenly Star Stone!
Its entire body is crystal clear, and its interior seems to contain a vast starry sky, emitting a faint starlight that captivates the viewer.
He slowly walked forward, reached out, and gently took the Celestial Stone in his hand.
A warm, gentle energy instantly flowed through his body, making him feel incredibly comfortable.
He could sense that this celestial stone contained extremely powerful energy, enough to withstand the power of the heavenly tribulation.
"With it, I can forge a magical treasure powerful enough to withstand the heavenly tribulation!" Zhuang Yu was secretly delighted. He gripped the Heavenly Star Stone tightly, as if he had grasped his own destiny.
The other experts looked at the Heavenly Star Stone in Zhuang Yu's hand. They had already witnessed Zhuang Yu's strength, and with that mysterious magic weapon, they were no match for him at all.
"Let's go!" one of the cultivators growled unwillingly, then turned and left.
The others followed suit, knowing that they had utterly failed in this battle for the treasure.
Zhuang Yu watched their departing figures, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
He carefully put away the celestial stone and turned to leave the valley.
Back in his cave, Zhuang Yu couldn't wait to begin refining.
He carefully placed the celestial stone and other materials on the refining platform, then activated the spiritual power within his body to begin refining them.
As time passed, the materials on the refining platform gradually fused together, emitting a dazzling light.
Zhuang Yu's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, and his face had turned somewhat pale, but his eyes were filled with excitement.
However, at this moment, a sudden change occurred!
The magical artifact, which had been emitting a stable light, suddenly began to tremble violently, and the light became flickering, as if it were about to collapse at any moment.
"What's going on?" Zhuang Yu's expression changed drastically. He immediately stopped refining the magic weapon and carefully examined its condition.
"Could it be..." He looked at the unstable magical artifact and muttered to himself, "The energy of the Celestial Star Stone is too powerful, and my magical artifact cannot withstand it?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the magic weapon trembled even more violently, and its light became even more unstable, as if it would explode at any moment.
"Oh no!" Zhuang Yu was startled and quickly took a few steps back.
"boom!"
With a loud bang, the magical artifact shattered, scattering fragments everywhere.
"Cough cough..." Zhuang Yu was thrown away by the shockwave of the explosion and crashed heavily to the ground. He coughed a few times, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
He struggled to his feet, and looking at the shattered magic weapon, his face turned extremely ugly.
"How could this happen..." he muttered to himself, "Is my plan going to fail?"
He looked at the last small fragment of the Celestial Star Stone in his hand, his heart filled with resentment.
"No, I can't give up!" A determined glint flashed in his eyes. "I must find a solution!"
He took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and began to think carefully...
"It seems that the refining process is more complicated than I imagined..."