Chapter 697

The one who had acted was Wang Wang Tiangu, his robes fluttering gently.

"Why the haste, Yun Brother? I merely wish to confirm: does Yun Daoist intend to claim only the item in the box, thereby forfeiting the right to choose any other treasure?" Wang Wang Tiangu spoke without expression.

"Of course I must first examine the contents of the box. If it's useless, am I expected to choose it anyway?" The old man with the Yun surname regained his composure, but glared coldly at Wang Wang Tiangu.

"If I recall correctly, we agreed to let the two of you choose two treasures first, then divide the rest equally. But do you truly believe there will be enough left after these three jade boxes are taken?" Wang Wang Tiangu showed no fear; instead, he glanced at the three lonely jade boxes on the bed and spoke calmly.

"Then what is your plan? Say it outright. Are you trying to renege?" The Lord Nanlong Marquis stepped forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with the old man, his gaze sweeping over the three Ghost Spirit Sect members, his expression dark.

"I have no intention of breaking my word. But the treasures on this second level are few indeed. Since these jade boxes cannot be penetrated by spiritual sense, it's clear the items inside are almost certainly the most valuable in this tower. Perhaps even the incomprehensible cultivation method of Master Cangkun Cangkun Shiren and secrets regarding the Fallen Demon Valley lie within. In such a situation, do you not think it excessive to insist on inspecting each box's contents before deciding?" Wang Wang Tiangu smiled faintly, his demeanor composed.

"Excessive! I only know you all personally promised us priority in choosing treasures. If there isn't enough left, that's none of our concern!" The Yun elder's face hardened, his tone icy.

"That's not how it should be put. The treasures on this level are still yours to choose first. But there's no need to open and examine each box. If you're uneasy, you may choose other items instead—like the cold jade bed before you, a rare treasure indeed, especially valuable to cultivators of yin-cold cultivation methods." The old woman unexpectedly spoke up in support.

Upon hearing this, the Lord Nanlong Marquis's expression darkened further. He stepped forward abruptly, unleashing a surge of aura that forced Wang Wang Tiangu and the old woman to stagger back half a step, their faces pale.

After reaching the Nascent Soul realm, the gap between mid-stage and early-stage cultivation was no small matter.

"Who else agrees with Wang Daoist? Step forward now. I suspect Wang Brother dared to speak up not merely because of Tai Madam's support." The Lord Nanlong Marquis narrowed his eyes, emitting blade-like glares as he scanned the others.

"Lord Nanlong Daoist, no need to anger yourself. Wang Brother's words aren't without merit. You can't leave us even a drop of the dregs." The dark-faced cultivator, after a moment of silence, suddenly spoke calmly.

The You cultivator subtly furrowed his brows, hesitated, then quietly stepped behind Wang Wang Tiangu, as if he had forgotten his past grievances with him.

Instantly, the cultivators in the pavilion split into two groups, facing off—except for Han Li.

Seeing this, the Lord Nanlong Marquis and the Yun elder's expressions changed drastically.

"So you've already formed an alliance. I wonder when you made this arrangement. You had no opportunity during the journey."

"Forming an alliance? That's too strong a term. I merely met briefly with these Daoists before departure, to discuss mutual defense strategies and contingency plans for unexpected situations. This scenario is precisely one we anticipated—hence our need to contest with Lord Nanlong Daoist." Wang Wang Tiangu spoke slowly, as if nothing were amiss.

The Lord Nanlong Marquis fell silent, his face icy, then turned his gaze to Han Li.

"Han Daoist, do you share this view?" he asked gravely.

With two Nascent Soul mid-stage cultivators facing four Nascent Soul early-stage and two Core Formation late-stage cultivators, the balance was even—and Han Li, who had remained silent, now held decisive weight.

Han Li said nothing immediately. He merely tilted his head slightly, glanced calmly at Wang Wang Tiangu and the others, absorbing every expression on their faces.

Wang Wang Tiangu's expression remained unchanged; he even smiled pleasantly at Han Li, showing not a trace of worry.

Behind him, Wang Chan and Yan Yan Ru Yan wore expressions of confusion—they clearly had no knowledge of Wang Wang Tiangu's alliance. But then Wang Chan's eyes lit up with excitement, while Yan Yan Ru Yan looked bewildered.

Tai Madam and the You cultivator showed no alarm, but their gazes toward Han Li were cold and emotionless.

Han Li's heart lurched. A sense of unease stirred—he grew sharply alert.

He casually took a few steps, putting some distance between himself and both factions, then let out a light laugh.

"I have no opinion. Whatever decision Wang Daoist and Lord Nanlong Brother reach, I won't oppose."

Hearing this, the Lord Nanlong Marquis wasn't surprised. Han Li's neutrality had been obvious from the start.

His question had merely been confirmation.

He nodded slightly at Han Li, his expression softening, then turned his gaze away and fixed it on Wang Wang Tiangu with a cold sneer, as if about to speak.

But at that moment, the white-robed elder suddenly stepped forward and spoke icily:

"Lord Nanlong Brother, why waste words with them? Do they truly believe their alliance can force us to yield? Pure fantasy!" With that, he opened his mouth, and a flash of white light surged forth—as if about to launch a magic treasure.

"Yun Brother, wait—I must speak with…" "Ah, you!"

The Lord Nanlong Marquis frowned, intending to stop the Yun elder's rash move—after all, a real fight would be risky for them.

But unexpectedly, the elder whirled around, and a silver wheel shot from his hand, striking the Lord Nanlong Marquis at point-blank range with lightning speed.

A dull thud echoed.

In the Lord Nanlong Marquis's stunned expression, the silver wheel sliced through his protective golden aura and slammed into his chest, knocking him back several steps, his torso visibly caved inward.

A mouthful of blood spurted out, and golden light flickered.

The Lord Nanlong Marquis snapped back to awareness and immediately flung his sleeve—golden light shot from his palm as a small golden sword pierced toward the Yun elder.

But the elder's body blurred, and he was already beside Wang Wang Tiangu and the others. He raised his hand, recalled the silver wheel, and blocked the golden sword, then stared coldly at the Lord Nanlong Marquis's chest.

Beneath the tattered robes, a piece of armor glowing with blue light was visible—deeply indented, yet uncut.

"Qingxi Armor! You've been wearing it directly against your skin." The Yun elder's eyes flickered, his face expressionless as he murmured.

"Good. Very good. I never thought you'd been bought over too." A flush of crimson spread across the Lord Nanlong Marquis's cheeks. He clutched his chest, eyes blazing as he spoke each word slowly: "You!"

Though the golden sword still blazed brightly before him, everyone could see he had suffered severe internal injuries.

"Be careful, all of you. Do not let this man escape. With his cultivation, our troubles will be immense if he does." The Yun elder ignored the Lord Nanlong Marquis entirely, speaking calmly to Wang Wang Tiangu and the others—as if they had become strangers.

"Don't worry. With so many of us here, and him seriously wounded, he's trapped—no escape possible." The You cultivator sneered, then released a white misty flying dagger.

At that moment, Wang Wang Tiangu turned his head and spoke warmly to Han Li:

"Han Daoist, if you're willing to join us against this man now, his treasures can be yours as well." His tone was utterly sincere, as if he bore no grudge against Han Li or Wang Chan from the past.

"Join forces?" Han Li, shaken by the sudden turn of events, exhaled slowly. But his gaze shifted to the staircase entrance.

At the very moment the elder had ambushed the Lord Nanlong Marquis, the old woman had silently taken position there—otherwise, he would have fled immediately.

The walls of the jade pavilion shimmered with white light—clearly sealed with powerful restrictions, impossible to break through.

He didn't believe a word of Wang Wang Tiangu's offer to join forces.

Once the Lord Nanlong Marquis was dealt with, this Ghost Spirit Sect elder would have no qualms about eliminating him too. Otherwise, they would have included him from the start when they planned their alliance.

He suspected he'd been marked as the Lord Nanlong Marquis's sacrificial pawn since the journey began.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Han Li's expression remained unchanged. He opened his mouth to buy time with vague words—but the Lord Nanlong Marquis laughed coldly and spoke first:

"Han Daoist, you don't seriously believe such a shallow trick, do you? Though I don't know how Wang Daoist managed to sway so many—even my friend of over a hundred years—I tell you this: join forces with me, and we still have a chance. If we're picked off one by one, we'll be utterly annihilated!"

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