Chapter 463: 462. Chapter 457: Monk Qianlou

462. Chapter 457: Monk Qianlou

Ding Huan instinctively scanned the outside with his divine sense, puzzled that Ji Changsi was standing at his door.

"Master Ji?" Ding Huan quickly opened the door.

Ji Changsi wore a broad smile: "Brother Six, I was worried you'd miss the Talisman Duel. I came to call you. Since you're just coming out, let's go together."

"Then thank you, Master Ji," Ding Huan guessed roughly—he suspected Ji Changsi feared he wouldn't fight at full strength.

What a joke—this Soul-Eating Realm Ring was extremely important to him; if he obtained it, he might have a chance to return to Earth, even seek revenge on Changyi Continent.

Under the Master's personal escort, Ding Huan first arrived at the Talisman Duel arena.

Indeed, after all five competition zones emerged, they formed a fan shape.

Ji Changsi watched Ding Huan enter the competition ground before finally exhaling in relief.

The number Ding Huan drew this time was not friendly: 21850, on the Twentieth Arena.

Over twenty thousand—clearly he wouldn't compete for the next two days.

After collecting his number token, Ding Huan returned to the Combat Arena; his third round of combat was about to begin.

Only half an hour passed when Ding Huan's combat token flickered.

The token displayed a score of twenty; his opponent this round was No. 1209.

"After you, fellow cultivator," Ding Huan said upon landing on the arena—he'd finally met someone polite.

He was a bearded youth who didn't attack as Ding Huan arrived; instead, he bowed and said "please."

Ding Huan had no time for pleasantries—he was juggling three arenas back-to-back; every second on the arena counted.

He extended his Starry Domain and pulled out a lower-grade immortal weapon—a long knife.

Last time he used a long sword; this time he simply grabbed a knife and didn't bother switching.

Since he'd drawn the knife, Ding Huan slashed out a single, simple cut.

The cultivator clearly underestimated Ding Huan—he didn't even summon his treasure, just punched straight at Ding Huan's knife while his Immortal Domain surged wildly outward.

In his eyes, a cultivator like Ding Huan had no chance to resist under his domain.

He specialized in crushing opponents of the same realm—almost never failed.

The slashing knife would be locked down by his domain.

Boom!

The bearded youth stared in horror—his surging domain couldn't even shake Ding Huan's; his immortal yuan and dao rhythm collapsed instantly, let alone crush.

A deathly aura seeped into his soul; his limbs turned icy—he'd been overconfident.

Locked by Ding Huan's overwhelming domain, he shut his eyes.

Yet he only felt a faint chill at his third eye—he snapped them open to see Ding Huan's knife halted right before his brow, not slashing down.

"Want another chance?" Ding Huan smiled.

The bearded youth shook his head frantically: "I'm no match for you—I lose."

Even if he hadn't been careless, under Ding Huan's overwhelming domain, he was still no match.

He was certain: Ding Huan was stronger than Zuo Liang, one of Jiukunxian Sect's twin prodigies. If he said this aloud, everyone would think he was mad.

He was merely grateful he'd been courteous earlier—if not, the other might have killed him.

The arena announced "No. 3211 wins"; Ding Huan stepped off but didn't leave.

Both the second round of Array Art and the first round of Talisman Art still had time; he couldn't be bothered to run back and forth anymore.

Now he could forge fourth-grade immortal talismans—he should earn some points.

……

"It must be here," said a monk with a massive string of prayer beads across his chest, halting outside the Thirty-Three Ruins.

He'd searched for five full days before arriving here.

That faint dao aura was barely perceptible; if he'd come hours later, it would vanish entirely, undetectable.

The monk acted as if he'd been here before—upon reaching the Thirty-Three Ruins, he headed straight for the Servant Peak.

At the Servant Peak, he closed his eyes and snuffed the air furiously.

After a while, he scooped up a handful of soil and licked it, then frowned.

After pondering for a long while, he summoned a monk's staff and slammed it down hard.

The dao vein here had been drained by Ding Huan; the natural seal lost its vitality. The monk struck twice—and the ground split open.

The monk leaped excitedly into the pit, scooping up soil and sniffing it intently.

"Truly surpasses the rules of this realm—excellent, excellent…"

The monk muttered to himself, scooping and licking and sniffing soil again and again, like a madman.

Only after a full incense burn did he calm down.

The object had been taken—the person left no more than a few days ago. If he chased now, he'd still make it.

The monk spent half a day scrutinizing the perimeter of the Servant Peak; if he had hair, he'd have pulled it out.

In that half-day, he found zero spatial ripples from any flying treasure.

With his cultivation and sensitivity to spatial laws, even ten days later, any trace of a flying treasure passing through here would be detectable.

Not just flying treasures—even footsteps would leave spatial ripples he could sense.

The monk rushed back outside the Thirty-Three Ruins and meticulously scanned the surrounding space again—still no spatial ripples from flying treasures.

That's impossible—whether leaving on foot or by flying treasure, spatial ripples must remain.

Even using a teleportation talisman leaves a ripple; it can't vanish in days.

Could the other's treasure also surpass the rules of this realm? Only a treasure beyond this realm's laws could leave no trace in such a low-rule space.

The more he thought, the more certain he became—his face even flushed red.

It must be a treasure that transcends the spatial rules of this realm; otherwise, how could one have taken away the artifact imbued with the supreme Dao energy within the Thirty-Three Paths?

If the other party truly escaped using such a flying treasure, he could only stare helplessly, for he certainly couldn't catch them.

But in the Monk's opinion, any cultivator who reached the Thirty-Three Paths would surely not have high cultivation.

Since their cultivation isn't high, they wouldn't dare continuously control such a top-tier flying treasure while traveling, for fear of being discovered.

That leaves only one option: to leave via a teleportation array.

To take a teleportation array, the nearest one is Bai Zhu Xiancheng…

Bai Zhu Xiancheng?

Isn't there a Xian Sect ranking tournament these days? Could the other party have gone straight to Ban Ting Xiancheng?

"Even if you run to hell and meet me, Monk Qianlou, you'll hand over the item." A ruthless gleam flashed in the Monk's eyes; he decided to head to Ban Ting Xiancheng to search.

Ding Huan could only say the guy had gotten lucky—by accident, he'd guessed right.

If he hadn't entered the Xian Sect ranking tournament, he would've already used the iron pot to flee to the Chaos Zone or somewhere else; he never would've gone to Bai Zhu Xiancheng to take a teleportation array.

…

Ding Huan, standing outside Arena No. 2 watching others duel, his gaze flickered slightly; his spiritual sense landed on the surveillance array pattern on his finger ring.

When he left the Thirty-Three Paths, he had set up a cluster of surveillance array patterns.

But these array patterns were scattered, and each was positioned far from the Dao Vein's location and the bamboo hut's location.

Such void array patterns—let alone Monk Qianlou, who didn't understand void array patterns—even a master of void array patterns would find them difficult to locate.

Ding Huan set up these surveillance array patterns precisely because he feared someone might discover the Dao Vein.

Several days had passed; he thought the Dao Vein matter had safely passed.

Unexpectedly, today a fat Monk showed up—this guy had a dog's nose; after finding nothing in the Thirty-Three Paths, he was heading straight for Ban Ting Xiancheng.

If this guy thought for a moment, he'd realize that the one who won first place in Array Dao must be a prime target.

After all, the Dao Vein was sealed by a natural restriction; only those with superior Array Dao skill could break it open.

Thinking of this, Ding Huan immediately swept his spiritual sense outward, and soon he saw Ji Changsi.

Ji Changsi was in excellent spirits: Ding Huan had advanced past the third round of the dueling arena, Yan Sha had passed the second round of dueling, and two from the Artifact Dao had passed the first round.

If things continued like this, Dafanxian Sect would surely achieve a very high score—perhaps not a Seven-Star Xian Sect, but a Six-Star Xian Sect was within reach.

"Sect Leader." Ding Huan arrived beside Ji Changsi.

If Ding Huan hadn't called out, Ji Changsi would've remained lost in fantasies of Six-Star and Seven-Star Xian Sects.

"Old Six, what are you doing here?" Seeing Ding Huan, Ji Changsi was overjoyed—even rose from his seat.

For a sect leader to be so cautious and courteous before an outer disciple—Ding Huan was likely the first.

"Master, could I speak with you privately?" Ding Huan whispered.

"Of course, let's go." Ji Changsi now valued Ding Huan most highly—how could he refuse?

"Master, may I ask if you have a permit or array tablet to enter the Immortal Court?" Ding Huan asked.

Ji Changsi didn't understand Ding Huan's meaning, but immediately nodded:

"Yes. Are you going to the Immortal Court? If you win first place in the dueling arena, you'll receive an array tablet granting you immediate access to the Immortal Court."

Ding Huan said: "I need it now—my friend is going to the Immortal Court, and I must stay here to continue competing."

Ji Changsi looked troubled.

Ding Huan remained silent; if Ji Changsi wouldn't help with this, he'd leave first.

The Soul-Eating Realm Ring and the Immortal Dao Vein were indeed important, but escaping was more important.

He himself didn't mind, but Rong Rong Xiyu was too weak—staying by his side was a burden; he had to send Rong Rong Xiyu away first.

Once Rong Rong Xiyu was gone, even if the fat Monk arrived, he'd have ways to deal with him.

After a long while, Ji Changsi said: "I'm the leader of a Five-Star Xian Sect; each year I get one chance to enter the Immortal Court, and I may bring three people."

"But now, during the critical moment of the Xian Sect ranking tournament, I can't leave."

Ding Huan stared blankly at Ji Changsi: "Master, shouldn't it be me who can't leave? Since the Xian Sect ranking tournament began, you've been a spectator—I'm the one doing the work."

(Comrade, good night—please vote for monthly tickets!)