Chapter 115: Turbulent Currents Surging

The tall young man was already on his last breath, swallowing blood in his mouth, pointing behind his younger brother, choking out: "Second brother, little—"

Before he could get the words out, he was already dead. The short young man's heart jolted in alarm; he had already sensed the danger, but still subconsciously turned his head to look.

He saw Lu Fan watching him with a sinister smile, holding that earth-element Profound Treasure in his hand, and saying contemptuously: "With this little ability, you still tried to scheme against me. Go join your eldest brother in the underworld!"

The Profound Treasure in his hand swung out with a boom, instantly pressing down onto the short young man. At the same time, profound light blazed forth, and an extremely dense stream of earth-element primal Qi drilled out like a liquid flow. In an instant, from head to toe, it enveloped the short young man, turning him into a clay figure.

"Slap!"

Lu Fan struck the clay figure with one palm. Power surged outward, and the clay figure crumbled inch by inch, transforming into wisps of sand that drifted away on the wind—where was there the slightest trace of the short young man's form left?

It was bizarre and shocking to the extreme, yet Lu Fan was completely unconcerned. He pinched with two fingers, seizing the treasure-seeking item in his hand. Repeating his old trick, the Earth Seal Realm was cast forth once more, but this time it condensed into arrays of talisman formations, sealing this Profound Treasure within.

The surroundings returned to calm. The tall young man's half-corpse lay on the ground, blood still slowly flowing, while faintly imperceptible wisps of purple Qi dispersed outward and merged into the void.

"True Dragon power—this is a good thing, can't let it slip by!"

Lu Fan's gaze concentrated. With a flick of his sleeve, the Art Refining Crystal Furnace spun out, its lid opening on its own. Boundless talisman fire, like spiritual snakes, darted out and swept toward the tall young man's corpse.

In an instant, that half-corpse had already turned to ash. Amid the lively tongues of fire, a wisp of purple Qi faintly drifted about.

Lu Fan beckoned with one hand, seizing that wisp of purple Qi in his palm, then with a sweep, talisman fire rolled outward, scouring the void. Though the short young man had been reduced to sand under the suppression of the earth Profound Treasure, his True Dragon power had not dissipated.

The talisman fire drifted back, and another wisp of purple Qi emerged, caught in Ye Fei's hand and kneaded into a ball.

"Zhang Heng once said that before the Dragon Pagoda, one can compete with others for Dragon Origin power. Relying on Dragon Origin power, one can open the Dragon Pagoda's secret treasury and obtain the true transmission. When the struggle at the Dragon Pagoda takes place, it will likely be extremely chaotic. Given the attention I drew before, I could easily become a target for everyone. It's best to seize some beforehand!"

Lu Fan looked at the purple Qi light in his hand, muttering to himself. He was certainly not afraid of anyone inside the Dragon Pagoda. But a single tree cannot prop up a roof. These outstanding talents of the Dragon Elephant Dynasty's clans had methods that were by no means simple. If they joined forces, they would absolutely be a formidable power—not to be underestimated!

"Mm! That's what I'll do. First, find a secret place, refine this Dragon Origin power, then seek out other opportunities. Along the way, I'll deal with this bunch of arrogant young masters and gather some Dragon Origin power!"

He nodded, tapped his foot lightly, and his figure leapt up, merging into the dense canopy, bounding away and disappearing from sight.

Over a hundred li away, the surrounding primeval forest suddenly dropped down, revealing a small valley about a dozen li in circumference. Mist drifted ethereally within the valley, primal Qi was lush, exotic flowers and rare herbs grew, birds sang and blossoms fragrant—it was a rare secret realm treasure land.

Zhan Xiao fanned himself with a feather fan, his bearing leisurely, pacing at the valley entrance. A faint hesitation lingered in his eyes, as if he simply could not make up his mind.

"Young Master Xiao, you certainly have patience. This treasure land is right before your eyes—why do you delay in entering?"

From a thicket walked out a black-clothed young man, a long sword on his back, his bearing aggressive. His eyes stared fixedly at Zhan Xiao like a venomous snake.

"Heijiu, you've come after all. My good eldest brother still can't rest easy, can he!"

Zhan Xiao shook his head. Seeing this Heijiu, he actually breathed a sigh of relief.

"Haha! Young Master Xiao's talent is extraordinary, and your breadth of mind and bearing are unmatched among the young masters. To leave the Zhan family at such a young age and travel thousands of miles to this remote backwater for training—the elders often praise you for it!"

Heijiu clapped his hands, looking approving, but his gaze was deep and his spirit quite alert.

"Extraordinary talent?" Zhan Xiao laughed with a self-mocking expression and said, "At my age, I've only barely reached Martial Master cultivation. To think it makes the elders remember me so. I truly cannot understand it—several brothers in the clan have far more outstanding talent than I do. Why does that fellow Zhan Yun keep glaring at me like a tiger eyeing its prey, even sending your right-hand man over?"

Though he had now advanced to the Bone Tempering Realm, it had only been a matter of days. For several years before, he had been lingering at the Tendon Transformation Realm—or rather, accumulating and settling, hoping to soar in one bound.

"Hehe, rest assured, Young Master Xiao. Young Master Yun has no intention of moving against you yet. After all, born of the same mother—flesh and blood kinship is something Young Master Yun values greatly."

Heijiu let out a strange laugh, then continued, "However, that Mica Heavenly Sound Fruit in this treasure land cannot be given to you. Young Master Yun has already cultivated the Zhan family's Nine Heavens Cloud Firmament Art to the minor accomplishment stage and needs this exotic fruit to condense his sword intent. He specifically ordered me to come and collect it!"

Before he even finished speaking, Zhan Xiao's brows immediately furrowed, cold hostility surging, his face full of enmity as he said, "Hmph! Once the Mica Heavenly Sound Fruit is picked, the primal Qi within it will immediately dissipate. It cannot be preserved at all. If he truly needs it, why doesn't he come collect it himself?"

He was truly furious. In the past, he had been suppressed by his own elder brother within the family. Now, having left the clan for several years, lying low here, he had been waiting for this very moment. He never expected the other party still would not let him go, seeking to ruin his years of careful planning.

Who could endure such a thing?

Heijiu gave a cold laugh and shouted, "Even if only a withered leaf remains, what Young Master Yun wants, I, Heijiu, must obtain. Young Master Xiao, forgive the offense!"

His figure suddenly leapt up into the air. With one hand he drew the long sword from his back, thrust it upright, and like an ordinary martial practitioner, came slashing down.

This move appeared crude, but its power was mighty to the extreme—clearly the cultivation of the late Bone Tempering Realm. Sword Qi surged, and thousands of sword shadows condensed into a single stream, transforming into a world-shocking sword strike.

Xiao was terrified in his heart. Without a second thought, he violently pushed off with both legs, retreating at high speed and plunging into the valley. Mist swirled, and his figure disappeared from sight.

The sword Qi, having lost its target, burst apart. "Swish, swish, swish!" Sword shadows crisscrossed, shredding the ethereal mist across a dozen-odd zhang of void. Currents surged and swept horizontally, like turbulent whirlpools.

Heijiu smiled darkly, not caring in the least that Zhan Xiao had fled, and murmured, "He's finally gone in. The surroundings of the Mica Heavenly Sound Fruit have been sealed with a restriction laid down by a senior of the Zhan family—none but the direct line of the Ling family may enter. Let him do the work for me, and pluck this exotic fruit on my, Heijiu's, behalf!"

As his words fell, his figure slowly faded, concealing himself once more. This valley seemed to have returned to calm again.

Within the primeval forest, there were countless spiritual herbs and rare treasures—some hidden in unknown treasure lands, others scattered among the decaying leaves of the deep woods.

A soft rustling sound arose. A white-clothed young woman walked slowly through the dense forest, her steps light, treading on the soft fallen leaves beneath her feet as if she were dancing.

At this moment, Wang Wu's expression was gentle, her usual coldness gone, a faint trace of a smile between her brows, but her gaze was somewhat unfocused—clearly her mind was immersed, thinking of something else.

Just then, two figures abruptly emerged before her. The man had sword-like brows and bright eyes, elegant in bearing; the woman had a graceful figure, also a rare beauty—they were precisely Wang Yicai and his sister.

"Yo! If it isn't little sister Wu'er! Why are you all alone—where's that kid surnamed Lu!"

Wang Ruolan stared at Wang Wu with a hostile gaze, her words dripping with sarcasm and ill intent.

Wang Wu's gaze concentrated slightly, waking from the wondrous spiritual state she had just been in. A coldness immediately appeared between her brows—she was exceedingly angered!

"What business do you two have with me?" She seemed slightly wary, suppressing her anger as she demanded.

"Little sister Wu'er, what kind of expression is that? Your brother and sister come to find you, and this is the attitude you show? If the clan elders found out, if the clan head found out, they would surely reprimand you!"

Wang Yicai spread his hands, seeming quite bold—he was actually threatening Wang Wu.

"Hmph! Wang Yicai, mind yourself! A mere boy from a branch family—if you dare be insolent again, don't blame me for disregarding clan rules!"

Wang Wu held her head high, her snow-white neck exposed, an indescribable noble aura emanating from her. It made Wang Ruolan feel ashamed of her own inferiority, consumed with jealousy. Wang Yicai, meanwhile, wore a face of greed and longing, with a faint hint of lechery in his eyes.

"Hmph! Stop putting on airs as the main family's eldest miss. The family head has only you as a direct daughter. The Wang family's estate must have someone to inherit it, and my brother is the most suitable candidate. Once we return this time, I'll have the Grand Elder propose a marriage to the family head. When that time comes, I'd like to see if you still have any arrogance left to speak of!"

Wang Ruolan had seen through her own brother's thoughts. She let out a coy laugh and spoke with considerable smugness.

It would have been better if she hadn't spoken, but once she did, Wang Wu flew into a furious rage, casting aside all restraint. With a flip of her slender hand, she pinched a seal incantation and flung it forth.

"Hmph! Courting death!"

That seal incantation was but a single one, its imposing manner not particularly fierce, yet it was wondrous and unfathomable. The moment it left her hand, though there were clearly still several zhang of void between them, it seemed to teleport, instantly appearing before Wang Ruolan.

Wang Ruolan had long been prepared. She furrowed her elegant brows, flipped her fair hand, and from somewhere drew out a narrow-bladed slender sword, blocking in response.

A crackling burst of sounds rang out as the slender sword struck the seal talisman dozens of times in succession, power surging, but it only barely managed to block the talisman's piercing momentum. Light flickered and wavered, with no other effect.

Wang Yicai was stunned, his face full of disbelief, and he exclaimed, "This is impossible! The clan elders long ago concluded that your innate endowment was insufficient and your spiritual power lacking. Let alone the talisman Dao—even on the martial path, once you stepped into the Qi Refining Realm, your soul power would immediately fall behind and you could not advance another inch."

The martial Dao and the talisman Dao reach the same goal by different paths. Once one reaches the Qi Refining Realm level, a martial practitioner also needs to involve cultivation of the soul aspect. Comprehending techniques, practicing martial skills—none of it can be separated from a formidable spiritual power.

In Wang Yicai's understanding, Wang Wu's martial Dao talent is very strong, but limited by his innate endowment, the Refining Qi realm is his limit. That is why he is so reckless—a small off‑branch scion daring to covet the Wang Clan's prized daughter.

Wang Wu wore a cold, murderous expression and paid no heed, then with a swift flick of his hand he pointed at the seal from a distance.

Mysterious light flashed, its aura surging.

The seal trembled slightly, and as the light warped, another identical seal suddenly split off, matching the original in size and aura.

"What is this…"

Wang Ruolan was stunned, her face showing disbelief. The slender sword she held lowered slightly in a blocking stance. The newly formed seal instantly slipped into the gap, pressing tightly in front of her.

In an instant, the seal erupted, wind blades spiraling out, condensing into fine threads that coiled around Wang Ruolan's body, binding her tightly in the blink of an eye.

Wang Ruolan was both shocked and angry, yet her limbs could not move at all, and even the flow of true Qi within her halted in an instant.

Wang Yicai could no longer wait, disregarding everything else, he leapt forward and lunged at Wang Wu.

"Wang Wu, release my sister at once, or today I will execute you on the spot!"

Wang Wu stared at Wang Yicai with a cold glare, his face full of contempt, saying not a word, he swung the original seal technique toward him; after several rapid thrusts it split into two, then into four. Four genuine seals interlaced, and in the blink of an eye they arrived in front of Wang Yicai.

Wang Yicai was no fool; having witnessed his sister's plight, and now with four seals unleashed, he still had no confidence to finish her off.