Chapter 547: Treasure in the Pool

BOOM— Just as many members of the Ghost Race were secretly gloating, a deafening blast suddenly erupted from the center of the pool. A torrent of Immortal Light shot into the air, instantly illuminating the entire pool!

“Look, it’s Li Qiye!” As the Immortal Light lit up the pool, a figure appeared in its center. Li Qiye was standing right in the middle of the pool!

“He’s reached the deepest part of the pool!” Everyone’s expression changed dramatically upon seeing Li Qiye in the center. It was widely speculated that the Water Realm’s greatest opportunity lay there!

Every expert from the Ghost Race looked as if they had swallowed a fly. This was especially true for the Ghost Race cultivators who had been gloating just moments ago; their expressions were now frozen stiff.

They had been so smug just a moment before. Now, Li Qiye’s appearance was a harsh slap in the face.

“He got a treasure!” Amidst the Immortal Light, Li Qiye had already retrieved something from the water. It was a stone, one that looked like a long chest, and it was the source of the endless Immortal Light. The stone would sometimes erupt with light like a raging fire, then with light like Profound Ice, and then again with light like Qingmu… With each cycle of transformation, there was no doubt—it was an Immortal Stone!

Seeing Li Qiye pull an Immortal Stone from the water filled everyone with envy and jealousy. The Ghost Race, in particular, was seething with envy. They had stood guard here for so long without getting so much as a single hair, yet Li Qiye had just fished out an Immortal Stone.

“Is that the great opportunity of the Water Realm?” Many were unwilling to accept this, staring at the Immortal Stone in Li Qiye’s hand and muttering resentfully.

At this moment, the eyes of the Old Undyings hiding in the shadows turned cold as they stared at the Immortal Stone in Li Qiye’s hand. This was especially true for the Old Undyings from the Emperor Immortal Gates; a cold glint flickered in their eyes.

They might have tolerated it if it were any other treasure, but if this Immortal Stone could extend one’s lifespan, they would likely try to snatch it, no matter what Li Qiye’s background was!

Seeing Li Qiye in the Immortal Light, the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady, who had just been breathing a sigh of relief, had her expression change drastically. She summoned a disciple and commanded, “Go get the Bronze Emperor. Tell him to do something for me. The Ten Thousand Bones Throne will absolutely not treat his Bronze Beetle Race unfairly!”

Long Zun Tian, who was standing nearby, gently shook his head at the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady’s actions. He had already guessed what she was planning. To a peerless prodigy like him, such methods were disagreeable. He believed that for powerful experts to resort to such schemes was beneath their station.

Although Long Zun Tian disapproved of her methods, he didn’t stop her.

Seeing Li Qiye obtain an Immortal Stone, the Ghost Race members present were filled with jealousy and hatred. Some were driven mad by their animosity. This was no longer about a simple Immortal Stone; Li Qiye had viciously slapped them across the face, leaving the Ghost Race utterly humiliated. How could they not despise him for it?

Upon seeing Li Qiye retrieve the Immortal Stone, Tian Lunhui sighed softly. He stopped trying to advance and retreated from the pool. Even though he could have gone deeper, the contest was already decided.

At this point, there was no meaning in continuing. ‘So what if I take a hundred steps? Or even more than a hundred?’ None of it would allow him to surpass Li Qiye; it would just be a change in his own numbers.

Even if he could reach the center of the pool like Li Qiye, arriving at its deepest point, it wouldn’t mean much. Li Qiye had already reached it first, and his speed was something Tian Lunhui could not surpass.

What Tian Lunhui dreaded most wasn’t Li Qiye’s speed but his ability to dominate the entire situation within the pool. Tian Lunhui was confident enough in his own Great Dao. He believed that under its framework, he could navigate the “one step, one world” nature of the pool and travel a great distance.

But in Li Qiye’s hands, everything was different. It wasn’t the pool’s changes guiding Li Qiye; the situation was reversed. Li Qiye was guiding the pool’s changes. It was no longer “one step, one world,” but rather “one step creates a world.”

This meant that nothing in the pool could obstruct Li Qiye’s path. He could come and go as he pleased.

This realization weighed heavily on Tian Lunhui’s heart. He became extremely cautious and serious. Without a doubt, from this moment on, Li Qiye had become his number one rival.

Tian Lunhui now viewed Li Qiye as a rival for the Emperor’s Throne, his primary opponent. Tian Lunhui had absolute confidence in his own Great Dao. In his view, as long as he continued on his path, he would surely gain the acknowledgment of the Celestial Mandate. His Great Dao would become the Celestial Dao, and his Secret Techniques would become Heavenly Destiny Secret Skills!

However, seeing Li Qiye’s Great Dao today left Tian Lunhui breathless. ‘If my Great Dao can one day become the Celestial Dao, then Li Qiye’s Great Dao is above the Celestial Dao.’ This terrifying thought horrified him. ‘Li Qiye is simply too frightening. If I want to become an Immortal Emperor, Li Qiye will be my greatest obstacle!’

Seeing Tian Lunhui retreat from the pool, all the Ghost Race cultivators present fell silent. No one dared to blame Tian Lunhui; in fact, no one was qualified to criticize him, not even the Great Sect Ancestors. Even if a Great Sect Ancestor had participated personally, they might not have achieved what Tian Lunhui had.

It wasn’t that Tian Lunhui wasn’t strong enough, but that his enemy was simply too monstrous, too freakish.

A sense of powerlessness washed over the Ghost Race. They had been humiliated by Li Qiye time and time again. They had counterattacked repeatedly, only to end in failure every time. First was the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady, a conflict that ended with tens of thousands of Ghost Race members being slaughtered. Then came Saint Child Ji Que and the Ghost Insect Demon Child, and now Tian Lunhui. All of them had ended in crushing defeat.

Now that even a peerless genius like Tian Lunhui had been utterly defeated by Li Qiye, the Ghost Race wanted to cry but had no tears. They wanted to fight back but had no means. With Tian Lunhui defeated, there was no one in the younger generation more qualified than him. Even Emperor’s Throne probably wasn’t much stronger.

As for the older generation, if it came to talent and comprehension, one couldn’t even find one or two Great Sect Ancestors who were more heaven-defying or monstrously gifted than Tian Lunhui.

‘Perhaps a Great Sect Ancestor could personally act to suppress and kill Li Qiye!’ One Ghost Race expert, unable to swallow this humiliation, had a sinister thought.

In the eyes of many Ghost Race cultivators, although Li Qiye was heaven-defying, a Great Sage would surely be able to suppress and slay him.

The problem, however, was finding a Great Sect Ancestor willing to act. Without a direct conflict of interest, most Great Sect Ancestors were unwilling to poke a hornet’s nest like the Qianli River. As for those who could afford to provoke the Qianli River, like the ancestors of the Ju Que Holy Land, they weren’t foolish enough to be the first to jump out and make an enemy of a junior.

“If it were a contest of martial strength, Lord Tian Lunhui could definitely slay Li Qiye,” one Ghost Race expert mused. ‘Although Li Qiye can comprehend the pool’s mysteries, it doesn’t mean his Dao Practice is stronger than Lord Tian Lunhui’s. Lord Tian Lunhui is like the reincarnation of an Immortal Emperor, comprehending the Supreme Divine Techniques of two Immortal Emperors. He wields the Dual Emperors Skill; that’s something Li Qiye absolutely cannot compare to.’

“If Tian Lunhui were to act, he could certainly slay that Li junior from the Human Race,” a Ghost Race Sect Leader schemed. ‘From what I can see, his Dao Practice is at the Saint Venerable level at most. He’s absolutely no match for a Saint Emperor!’

Of course, Tian Lunhui was not someone they could easily persuade. If he didn’t want to act, it would be useless even if they talked themselves blue in the face.

In short, the Ghost Race could not swallow this insult. They were dying to kill Li Qiye. Every extra day he lived was another day they couldn’t wash away this disgrace!

Not long after Tian Lunhui retreated, Li Qiye also returned from the pool. Seeing him return safely, Lan Yunzhu couldn’t help but sigh in relief. She hurried to greet him, happy for his success. “Did you get the great opportunity?” she asked.

“Not necessarily. Just reaching the center of the pool doesn’t guarantee you’ll get the great opportunity. It depends on luck,” Li Qiye said with a smile, lowering his voice. “However, I did make a discovery.”

“What discovery?” Lan Yunzhu asked, her curiosity piqued.

However, before Li Qiye could answer, Tian Lunhui had already approached. Still shrouded in his mysterious aura, he said to Li Qiye, “Fellow Daoist Li, I am thoroughly convinced of my loss this time. Your Great Dao is truly peerless, leaping beyond the scope of all other Great Daos…”

Despite his defeat, Tian Lunhui was still graceful. His eyes were profound as he looked at Li Qiye.

“Since that’s the case, our agreement should now take effect.” Li Qiye, unwilling to discuss his own Great Dao, interrupted Tian Lunhui and spoke slowly.

Tian Lunhui took a deep breath and nodded solemnly. “Fellow Daoist Li can rest assured on this point. I can represent my Ten Thousand Ancient Country in withdrawing from this conflict. My Ten Thousand Ancient Country will not lay a finger on any treasure here.”

Tian Lunhui was, after all, Tian Lunhui. As the successor of the Ten Thousand Ancient Country, his words carried weight.

Speaking of which, Tian Lunhui looked at the various Great Teaching Territories of the Ghost Race present and said slowly, “Since there was an agreement, and in this round my skills proved inferior and I lost to Fellow Daoist Li, I also hope that the allies of my Ten Thousand Ancient Country will withdraw from this conflict as per our pact. Of course, if you are unwilling to withdraw, I will not force you. I will respect the wishes of each sect and country.”

Tian Lunhui’s words made many of the big shots from the Ghost Race’s Great Teaching Territories exchange uncertain glances. The leaders from Xishuicang, in particular, hesitated. The Ten Thousand Ancient Country was a colossal behemoth in Xishuicang, and many Great Teaching Territories there depended on its favor.

“We are willing to follow Your Excellency, to advance and retreat together,” a Great Teaching Territory finally declared.

“Our Sanmu Country is also willing to follow Your Excellency.”

“Our Bamboo Corpse Sect is also willing to follow Your Excellency in withdrawing from this conflict. We will obey your command and not lay a finger on any treasure here.”