Chapter 278 - 115: Obtaining a Great Treasure

Chapter 278: Chapter 115: Obtaining a Great Treasure

Zhao Zhuo, the one who found the item, clutched the collar so tightly his knuckles turned white. He was clearly in turmoil, unable to let it go.

A priceless treasure capable of enslaving a Great Demon was right in front of them. Who wouldn’t be tempted?

To possess this item was to possess an unconditionally loyal demon servant!

The once-harmonious team was instantly thrown into a tense and hostile standoff, all because of this unexpected treasure.

A volatile tension filled the air.

It looked like they were on the verge of infighting over how to divide the spoils.

Zhou Tiankuo’s heart burned with desire as well, but as the team’s leader and the legal claimant to the tomb, he knew he had to keep the situation under control.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his excitement, and spoke in a clear, loud voice.

"Everyone! Calm down! Hear me out!"

His eyes swept over the group as he began to speak more quickly.

"Don’t be in such a hurry to fight over it! We’ve been speculating that this ancient tomb is the sacred ground of some Great Power from the Demon Race, right?"

"But now, this ’Beast Taming Ring’—an item designed specifically to counter the Demon Race—has appeared! Isn’t that a contradiction?"

"Tell me, what member of the Demon Race would like, or even permit, an item designed to restrain and enslave them on their own turf? Let alone wear it around their own neck?"

Zhou Tiankuo’s words were like a splash of cold water to the face.

They instantly snapped everyone out of their greed-fueled stupor.

’That’s right!’

’How could the Demon Race tolerate the existence of an item made specifically to counter them?’

’Let alone wear it willingly!’

’It just doesn’t add up!’

"Mr. Zhou, are you saying... our previous assessment was completely wrong?" Liu Mei was the first to react, a flicker of understanding in her eyes.

"It’s not a sacred ground of the Demon Race!" Zhao Zhuo slapped his thigh, his voice cracking with excitement. "This is... this must be the headquarters of a Pre-Qin era Qi Cultivator Sect that specialized in the art of beast taming! The ruins of a Beast Taming Sect!"

"That’s it! A Beast Taming Sect!" Lei Gang roared, the realization dawning on him. "No wonder this tomb is packed to the gills with zombies made from Demon Beasts! They were all enslaved demon servants! It all makes perfect sense now!"

"That must be it!"

A sharp glint flashed in Du Qi’s eyes.

"It must be that before the great cataclysm on Blue Star, the Qi Cultivators of this Beast Taming Sect left this world en masse through a Star Gate. But the powerful Demon Beasts they had enslaved and raised were abandoned here! As long ages passed, eroded by this place’s yin and deathly energies, these Demon Beasts lost their masters’ control. Unable to leave, they eventually died and turned into mindless zombies!"

"That’s the only explanation for why a powerful Monkey Demon zombie would be wearing a Beast Taming Ring, an item made specifically to counter the Demon Race!"

The truth was out!

The mystery that had plagued them was finally solved!

A confident smile spread across Zhou Tiankuo’s face. His voice boomed, filled with powerful conviction.

"So, there’s no need for us to fight over it at all!"

"Since this is the site of a Qi Cultivator’s Beast Taming Sect, then there must be more than one Beast Taming Ring on the Demon Beast zombies here!"

He glanced around at the group and continued his analysis.

"Based on our encounters so far, we haven’t found any Beast Taming Rings on the ordinary Demon Beast zombies. Only elite Demon Beast zombies, like that Monkey Demon from before—ones with extraordinary strength that has reached the peak of the Fourth Grade—are likely to be wearing such a precious Dharma Artifact!"

Zhou Tiankuo waved his hand decisively, laying out their next course of action.

"Therefore, our next objective is crystal clear. We’ll avoid the useless, ordinary zombies to conserve our energy! We will focus our strength on hunting down lone elite zombies with exceptionally powerful auras! We will kill them and take their Beast Taming Rings!"

His gaze burned as it passed over each person, his voice filled with motivation.

"I, Zhou Tiankuo, promise you this: from now on, all loot will be distributed based on contribution! If we work together, it’s not just a pipe dream for every single one of us to walk away with a Beast Taming Ring!"

"Think about it, everyone. Even if we don’t find any longevity substances on this expedition, leaving with a few Beast Taming Rings would be a haul so priceless it would make countless major powers green with envy! Their value is far, far greater than that of ordinary longevity substances!"

"A Beast Taming Ring for each of us?"

"Gods! That’s... that’s almost unthinkable!"

"Mr. Zhou is absolutely right! These Beast Taming Rings are a hundred times rarer than longevity substances! I’ve been raiding tombs for years, and I’ve never even heard of a place that produces these things! We’ve truly hit the jackpot this time!"

Zhou Tiankuo’s words were like a potent stimulant, instantly igniting everyone’s passion!

All the previous squabbling, suspicion, and discontent vanished in an instant, erased by the promise of enormous, shared profits!

In its place was an unprecedented sense of unity and soaring morale.

Everyone’s eyes shone with a terrifying light, as if they could see countless powerful demon servants beckoning to them, as if they could see their own futures as titans who could command the wind and rain in the Martial World!

Internally, Zhou Tiankuo was ecstatic, his joy erupting like a volcano.

’This ancient tomb is the private property of the Zhou family!’

’We found a good amount of longevity substances on the first two levels.’

’But that’s nothing compared to the Beast Taming Rings on this third level. It’s the difference between heaven and earth!’

’And what’s more, these things might be farmable!’

’A find of this magnitude is probably unique on the entire Blue Star!’

’The rise of the Zhou family is imminent!’

He forcibly suppressed his turbulent emotions and quickly calmed himself. He took the bronze collar that Zhao Zhuo handed back and carefully sealed it away in a specially-made Jade Box.

Then, his expression grew stern. He gave a command in a deep voice laced with unquestionable authority.

"The stench of blood here is too strong; it will easily attract other powerful zombies. Liu Mei’s injuries also need immediate attention! We’ve all expended a lot of energy and must rest as soon as possible. Find a hidden spot immediately! We’ll treat our wounds and recover our strength. Once everyone’s Qi and Blood is restored, it’ll be time for us to put our skills to the test and hunt for Beast Taming Rings!"

"Yes, Mr. Zhou!"

"Quick! Find a safe spot!"

"Give me a hand! I can still take it!"

With their morale soaring, the group was already impatient to get started.

They supported one another, pushing through the pain and exhaustion. Fueled by a startling will to survive and a passion for treasure, their movements were incredibly swift.

Their figures soon vanished into the depths of the dim, blood-soaked valley.

「...」

After reaching a safe area.

Zhou Tiankuo took out some Pills for restoring Qi and Blood and distributed them to the group.

Everyone took the Pills and sat cross-legged in meditation, absorbing the Medicinal Power to recover quickly.

Lin Yi also accepted a Pill and swallowed it.

He had never taken a recovery Pill before. In the past, whenever his Qi and Blood ran low, he had always relied on his Mosquito Avatar to replenish it by feeding on the Qi and Blood of Demon Beasts.

Unfortunately, here in the ancient tomb, the zombies’ blood was lifeless. Sucking it would be useless, so he had no choice but to rely on the Pill to recover.

Before long, everyone had recovered.

Zhou Tiankuo looked at Liu Mei and asked, "Liu Mei, how are your injuries?"

Liu Mei nodded. "I took a few Healing Elixirs. They’re mostly healed!"

"Good!" Zhou Tiankuo nodded emphatically. "Then let’s set out now and continue the hunt!"

Everyone’s eyes burned with fighting spirit.

The six-person team set off once more.

With the Beast Taming Rings as their motivation, the group was full of drive.

This time, they were smarter.

They no longer wasted time on ordinary zombies, giving them a wide berth. Instead, they focused solely on finding the Demon Beast zombies that wore Beast Taming Rings.

In life, these zombies must have been powerful demon servants, either carefully nurtured or captured by the Beast Taming Sect. Only those whose strength had reached at least the peak of the Fourth Grade were worthy of being granted a precious Beast Taming Ring by their masters as a symbol of their status and power.

The battles that followed.

Although these Demon Beast zombies were formidable...

...the team’s carefully planned ambushes and coordinated attacks made the process surprisingly smooth.

Each successful hunt yielded another one of the ancient bronze collars.

The joy of their success and their burgeoning confidence snowballed, making everyone’s heart pound wildly.

"Haha! Another one! I’m one step closer to getting my own!"

Lei Gang wiped a splash of foul blood from his face and grinned madly as he stared at the new Beast Taming Ring in his hand.

"Careful. Don’t get carried away. This place is seriously weird."

Though Du Qi was just as ecstatic and envious, he remained vigilant, his sharp eyes scanning the churning, dark-red filth around them.

As the team’s scout, he was constantly on the lookout for potential dangers.

Just as Lin Yi was following the team...

...preparing to move on to the next target...

...his heart suddenly leaped!

A hint of a smile touched his lips.

His Mosquito Avatar had finally sent good news!

’Found it?’

He immediately pulled up the Mosquito Avatar’s Tracking map.

At the edge of the map...

...two exceptionally large points of energy had appeared.

They stood out starkly among all the other densely packed dots.