Chapter 265: Live One

Upon hearing Gong Yue say this, the old monk and Yuan Tong both instinctively glanced at each other in panic.

"Youngster, you're still young, with countless possibilities ahead."

"Unlike this old monk, whose lifespan is nearly spent—without this Life-Extending Pill, death is certain."

"Out of pity for this old man, could you yield this request to me?" The old monk pleaded earnestly to Yuan Tong.

"This Vanshen Sheli grants me the chance to lay the foundation for a Golden Core at Foundation Establishment—how could I possibly give it up? Do you have any other Golden Core opportunity to offer me?" Yuan Tong stared at the old monk, fell silent for a moment, then replied coldly.

He still remembered vividly how his arm had been torn off and his senior brother Yuan Ming had been killed by the third-rank artifact—how could he show any kindness to this old monk?

"Golden Core opportunity? I have none—but if you agree, I'll give you this third-rank artifact." The old monk hesitated, then gritted his teeth and pulled a silver short ruler crackling with faint lightning from his sleeve.

It was none other than the Thunder Ruler that had severely wounded Zhu Wuyan!

"Third-rank artifact."

Wang Yu stared at the silver ruler and widened his eyes again.

This third-rank artifact didn't blind like the Moon-Refining Mirror, but its engraved inscriptions were densely layered, one atop another—he couldn't even begin to count them.

"Even if this third-rank artifact is valuable, what use is it to me, a Qi Condensation cultivator? Even if I advance later, I lack Thunder Affinity—I couldn't unleash even a fraction of its power." Yuan Tong shook his head repeatedly.

Hearing this, the old monk immediately pulled out several small vials from his robe and said without hesitation:

"These vials contain second-rank pills I've crafted over the past century using spiritual herbs from the secret realm—they can save a Foundation Establishment cultivator years of arduous cultivation. Add this Thunder Ruler, and these are all I have to offer for this request."

"Just some second-rank pills? Once I reach Foundation Establishment, my sect's elder ancestor will surely grant me more—how can they compare to the Vanshen Sheli?" Yuan Tong glanced at the vials once, then shook his head expressionlessly.

The old monk's face darkened again; he glared fiercely at Yuan Tong and fell silent.

Yuan Tong also remained silent, clearly having no further leverage to sway him.

At that moment, Gong Yue spoke:

"Since you haven't decided which request to make, I'll step away for a while to attend to other matters."

"I'll give you one incense stick's time. When I return, whoever sees me first and makes their request first—I'll fulfill it."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tong's expression turned startled, while the old monk's face lit up with sudden joy.

Gong Yue's words sounded ordinary, but their implication was unmistakable.

What did he mean by "step away for a while," and "whoever sees me first"?

If only one of them remained, then naturally, only that one could make the request to Gong Yue.

"Elder, this is unfair!" Yuan Tong shouted at Gong Yue.

"Unfair? When did I ever promise fairness? I'm merely carrying out Jialan's orders."

"But according to Jialan, no force above third-rank is permitted in this realm—it would risk collapse. So I'm taking this Thunder Ruler for now; I'll return it when you leave the realm." Gong Yue spoke calmly, then raised his hand and gestured toward the silver ruler in the old monk's grasp—his palm glowed brilliantly with silver light, faintly revealing layers upon layers of silver spiritual runes.

The old monk felt a searing heat in his fingers—the silver ruler flew straight from his grip, snatched away by an immense force, and landed firmly in Gong Yue's hand.

His expression changed; he opened his mouth to speak, but when his gaze met Gong Yue's enigmatic stare, he seemed to realize something and immediately fell silent.

Nearby, Yuan Tong's face grew even more grim upon hearing Gong Yue's reply; his eyes involuntarily flicked toward Wang Yu.

Seeing Gong Yue prepare to leave, Wang Yu could no longer hold back and asked urgently:

"Elder, may I also leave this place?"

"No. You must wait until I return." Gong Yue replied without hesitation.

"Elder, why?" Wang Yu was stunned.

"Though you're not a reincarnation, my slumber lasted too long—if you hadn't brought me out from my resting place, I might not have awakened in time. Also, I previously borrowed your body to teleport directly here—so I owe you this favor."

"Therefore, when I return, I'll give you a small benefit. Just a small one."

"But on the other hand, you've offended me."

"A mere Qi Condensation brat—you dared to drag my dwelling from underground without my permission. That's a grave act of disrespect. So I must also give you a small punishment."

"That is… survive until I return." As Gong Yue spoke the final words, his voice vanished—but Wang Yu still heard his icy tone echoing in his ears.

Wang Yu's face turned pale.

Clearly, the two reincarnations were about to fight—him, an outsider, staying here meant he'd inevitably be drawn into it.

"Before that, to prevent you from fleeing, remain on this level. I hope to complete Jialan's orders smoothly when I return."

"Remember: I can fulfill only one request. If both of you still make different requests when I return, I'll treat it as you both forfeiting." After speaking these few words, Gong Yue flipped his hand—silver light blazed, and the Moon-Refining Mirror reappeared.

The silver mirror trembled slightly, then a white beam shot straight upward, vanishing into the tower's peak.

The next instant, the stone tower began to shake violently.

White light curtains surged forth from the floor, ceiling, and walls alike, coalescing within moments into a thick, milky-white barrier that completely enclosed this level of the tower.

Seeing this, Wang Yu's expression grew even more grim.

"By the way, I'm taking Jialan's Vanshen away for separate disposal."

Gong Yue walked over to the short-haired Vanshen nearby, his body blazing with silver light that enveloped both himself and the Vanshen, then transformed into a silver orb that shot upward and vanished into the tower's peak.

In an instant, only the old monk, Yuan Tong, and Wang Yu remained on this level.

The old monk's eyes, cold and sinister, swept back and forth between Yuan Tong and Wang Yu—he made no move.

Nearby, Yuan Tong immediately turned to Wang Yu and said decisively:

Wang Dao you, no more words.

"This fiend is ruthless and cunning—he's already slaughtered countless disciples from the four sects; he won't spare either of us."

"If you join me to kill him, I only want the Vanshen Sheli in Gong's possession—all else is yours."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yu's face showed hesitation.

Though the old monk no longer had the Thunder Ruler and his power was diminished, he was clearly at Foundation Establishment—even if he was now merely a puppet body, not a true Foundation Establishment master, his strength was still far from negligible.

At that moment, the old monk let out a low chuckle:

"Hehe, two mere Qi Condensation brats talking about teamwork? Even if I bound one hand and one foot, killing you both would be as easy as breathing."

"Kid, don't hesitate—just like he said, even if you don't team up with him, I won't let anyone who knows my secrets leave this tower alive."