Chapter 417: Where

The Thunder Emperor Clan's Thunder Crystal warship was the first to reach a treasure point on the first layer of the Heaven-Offering Hall.

On the warship, Lei Qianjue stood with his arms crossed, his violet hair wildly fluttering without wind; his eyes, which held the sea of thunder, coldy scanned the ancient ruins before him, and a determined smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Heaven-Offering Hall… the Giant Dao Fruit is mine!"

Behind him, nine Thunder Clan Sky‑elite, also clad in purple battle armor, showed uplifted spirits and high battle fervor.

"Young master, according to the clan's ancient records, the first layer of the Heaven-Offering Hall contains thirty‑six treasure points sealed with ancient prohibitions. Behind each seal lies a priceless relic left by an ancient Immortal King. Among them, the Nine‑Dragon Divine Fire Shield in the east is a top‑grade Immortal King weapon that integrates offense and defense, perfect for your use!" a Sky‑elite stepped forward and reported respectfully.

"Hmm."

Lei Qianjue nodded, a flash of fiery heat passing through his eyes,

"Then let's first retrieve that Divine Fire Shield and give Hun Yuan Xue that scoundrel a surprise!"

He waved his hand, and the warship transformed into a streak of violet thunder light, racing eastward.

Soon, they halted before a basin encircled by nine massive mountain ranges.

In the basin's center, atop an ancient altar, a light shield formed from crimson divine fire hovered silently, within which nine fire dragons spiraled, emitting a terrifying heat capable of burning mountains and boiling seas.

"Form the array!"

Lei Qianjue gave the order.

The ten Thunder Clan Sky‑elite instantly spread out, each taking a position, forming a mysterious Thunder Law Great Array.

"All thunder returns to the sect, break!"

Lei Qianjue stood at the array's core, fingers forming a seal, drawing forth the divine thunder of the nine heavens.

Boom—

A massive violet‑black thunder dragon, thicker than a mountain, descended from the sky with destructive might, striking the seal of the Nine‑Dragon Divine Fire Shield.

Crack!

With a crisp sound, the seal—strong enough to repel an Immortal King's attack—was split open by that blow.

"Again!"

Lei Qianjue's eyes flashed with brilliance, summoning divine thunder once more.

After nine thunder dragons surged, the once‑impervious seal finally shattered amid a mournful wail.

A wave of scorching heat surged outward.

"Hahaha! Got it!"

Lei Qianjue laughed skyward, his figure flickering as he rushed toward the altar to take the top‑grade Immortal King weapon.

Yet the next moment, his laughter abruptly ceased.

His body froze mid‑air.

His thunder‑sea eyes widened to a round glare, his face full of disbelief.

The altar above was empty.

Not only the Nine‑Dragon Divine Fire Shield, even the altar forged from millennial fire jade had vanished.

At the spot, only a huge bottomless earth pit remained.

The pit's rim still bore fresh root‑like imprints, as if something had been uprooted.

"How… how could this be?!"

A Thunder Clan Sky‑elite let out a scream, rubbing his eyes, thinking he was hallucinating.

Lei Qianjue's form slowly, slowly descended before the massive earth pit.

He reached out, pinching a handful of soil from the pit's edge.

Within the soil lingered a faint trace of the fire‑type law aura belonging to the Nine‑Dragon Divine Fire Shield.

It was real.

Here, a top‑grade Immortal King weapon had truly existed.

But it was gone.

Someone had already seized it before they arrived!

"Ah—!!!"

A roar of extreme fury erupted from Lei Qianjue's mouth.

The terrifying thunder light, centered on him, spread wildly, flattening mountains within hundreds of miles into plain.

"Who! Who exactly!?"

He raged like a mad demon, his divine thoughts sweeping every inch of land, trying to locate the damned thief.

Yet he found nothing.

The culprit left no trace, as if never having been there.

"Could it be… a supreme being proficient in the Way of Spatial Dao?"

"Impossible! An Immortal King‑level being cannot even enter! Even a half‑step Immortal King could not silently break the seal and move the altar away in such a short time!"

The Thunder Clan Sky‑elite argued endlessly, unable to fathom the cause.

Meanwhile, as Lei Qianjue raged like thunder, similar scenes unfolded across the various corners of the Heaven-Offering Hall.

In the west, the divine maiden Feng Lingyun of the Wind‑after‑the‑Storm lineage, with her clan, broke a seal imprisoning the Fixed‑Wind Pearl, only to find another massive earth pit.

In the north, the Western Heaven Buddha Jin Tuo Zi, at the ruins of an ancient Lanruo Temple, discovered the scripture vault that housed the Bodhi relics, only to find the entire vault and its foundation vanished.

In the south, the young master Mo Wuxin of the Ten Thousand Demon Cave was so enraged he nearly went mad on the spot.

He had coveted a forging site for a Ten Thousand Soul Banner; not only the banner disappeared, but also the countless shadow souls accumulated over epochs were wiped clean, leaving not even a root hair.

For a moment, all the Sky‑elite forces that arrived first were plunged into deep shock and anger.

They simultaneously considered a possibility—that an unknown supreme master versed in spatial laws had infiltrated the site beforehand and looted every treasure!

And amid this bizarre atmosphere, the Hun Clan's Celestial Boat finally arrived, albeit tardily.

"Huh? Why does this place feel like it's been licked by a dog?"

Just off the boat, Hun Yuan Xue looked at the barren land before her, her slender brows slightly furrowed, a hint of disdain appearing on her face.

Behind her, Gu Yuan lowered his head, looking like an unsophisticated native, yet a faint satisfied smile flickered deep in his eyes.

"Miss, it seems we… arrived late," a Heavenly Pride of the Hun clan said, his expression odd.

Soon, they collided head‑on with the furious party led by Lei Qianjue.

"Hun Yuan Xue!"

When Lei Qianjue saw her, it was as if he had sighted his father's murderer; bloodshot veins filled his eyes, and terrifying thunderlight crackled around him.

"It's you! It must be you who did it!"

"What despicable method did you use to infiltrate this place early and steal the Nine‑Dragon Divine Fire Veil!"

Hun Yuan Xue was taken aback by his senseless accusation, then let out a scoffing laugh:

"Lei Qianjue, were you struck dumb by lightning? I just arrived—where would I go to steal your broken veil?"

"You still dare to argue!"

Lei Qianjue roared, "Besides your Hun clan, who else has the skill to silently break the ancient seal!"

Just as the two drew swords, about to strike,

Gu Yuan, who had been trailing behind Hun Yuan Xue, suddenly spoke timidly and softly.

"Miss… I recall the blue lotus of the Wind‑Back lineage; it seems it arrived before us…"

His voice was low, yet it nearly blew everyone away.

"Wind Spirit Rhythm?!"

Lei Qianjue and Hun Yuan Xue were both stunned.

Indeed!

The Wind‑Back lineage excels most in space and speed!

If anyone could infiltrate unnoticed, their suspicion would be the greatest!

"Fine! What a Wind Spirit Rhythm!"

Hun Yuan Xue's phoenix eyes chilled, her face instantly covered with murderous aura,

"You act like a white lotus in public, yet behind the scenes you dare to use such underhanded tricks! You've taken it out on me!"

She was already irritable over the newly appointed Immortal King affair, and now her fury burned even hotter.

"Go! Find her and get a clear answer!"

Hun Yuan Xue waved her hand, no longer caring about the treasure hunt, and led the group, storming toward the direction where Wind Spirit Rhythm was.

Seeing this, Lei Qianjue immediately followed.

Although he didn't fully trust Hun Yuan Xue, the suspicion toward Wind Spirit Rhythm was indeed greater.

Thus began the opening act of an internal feud drama among the Heavenly Prides, personally orchestrated by Gu Yuan.

The mastermind, standing behind Hun Yuan Xue, watched the two beautiful figures ahead about to clash in flames, with only one thought in mind.

"Fight, the more lively the better."

"Ideally both suffer losses, so I can reap the profit."