"There are indeed many good things here …" Zhang Xuan muttered.
It had only been four hours since Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi arrived at the Firmament, but the number of treasures he had collected was already more than what he had earned in the Firmament over the past month.
He had been selling Beauty Pills and Breakthrough Pills nonstop, and over the past month, his wealth had reached an astounding level. To be able to catch up in just four hours … it could be seen how many treasures there were in the Firmament.
However, it was also thanks to his powerful soul that he was able to 'see' further with just a thought, allowing him to cover a wider area. If it had been any other Conferred God King, they would not have been able to achieve even a tenth of the same effect.
Countless rocks were flying in the sky, and most of them were filled with valuable medicinal herbs. Every single one of them was worth a fortune, and there were also all kinds of ores and metals.
If he were to stack all of these together, he would be able to forge even God King tier pills and swords.
"These things aren't of much use to me …"
After searching for a while, Zhang Xuan shook his head.
These medicinal herbs were indeed valuable, but pinnacle God Essence Pills were no longer of much use to him. Unless he could find something that surpassed them, it would be pointless for him to raise his cultivation.
"There's a continent ahead …"
After flying for a while longer, Luo Qiqi said.
Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over, and there was indeed a continent ahead of him.
It was tens of thousands of li in diameter, and he could not see the end of it.
The spiritual energy was abundant, and the vegetation was lush.
"It's possible that the sky of the Firmament shattered, and the continent was swept in as well," Zhang Xuan speculated.
The hole in the sky of the Firmament was simply too huge, which was why the spiritual energy had receded so quickly.
It was not surprising that the continent had been swept in as well.
Landing on the ground, Zhang Xuan scanned the area with his consciousness, and he found that there were all kinds of treasures on the ground. Ores, which were rare in the Firmament, could be found everywhere, and even the rivers were formed from spiritual energy.
"There's someone over there …"
Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up.
The other God Kings and Conferred God Kings who had just arrived had also noticed the land. There were roughly a dozen of them who had landed on the land, and they were currently gathered together, seemingly discussing something.
"Two friends, why don't you come over for a chat?"
The other party's voice sounded. Clearly, the other party had noticed them as well.
"Zhang Shi …" Luo Qiqi turned to look at him.
"Let's head over," Zhang Xuan replied with a nod.
Everyone was here to search for treasures, so there was no need to avoid it.
There were eleven God Kings on the other side, and the strongest of them was a Conferred God King of the Sky of Cloud Dragon.
"I am a subordinate of the Cloud Dragon Monarch, Conferred God King Ao Feng!" Conferred God King Ao Feng clasped his fist.
Zhang Xuan returned the greeting.
"We're all here for the money, so it'll be hard for us to deal with any danger individually. However, if we work together, we won't have to worry about that," Ao Feng said.
Everyone nodded.
It was indeed very dangerous for a God Monarch to be here alone. Putting aside everything else, there were all sorts of space-time cracks and traps. It was impossible to guard against them, and the slightest carelessness could lead to death.
Not to mention, there were also God Kings and Conferred God Kings hunting in the shadows. If they did not work together, it would be hard to say whether they would be able to bring the treasures back with them.
In every Spiritual Energy Tide, countless God Kings and Conferred God Kings would die. In fact, more than half of them would die.
"As you all know, if a God King can't earn the recognition of a God Monarch and clear the Conferred God King examination, no matter how long they cultivate, they will only be stuck at the same realm, unable to advance any further. Their lifespan is only around ten thousand years, and once their time is up, they'll dissipate into nothingness! "
Ao Feng said.
The eleven Godly Kings below him all had sorrowful expressions as they felt the same way.
The strength of a Conferred God King was not something that could be achieved through regular cultivation. It was for this reason that many God Kings were envious of them.
"I believe that all of you have obtained quite a few treasures in the Flooding Sea. It should be enough for you to push your cultivation to God King realm pinnacle, but so what? It's not like your lifespan will increase! "
Ao Feng said as he looked at the crowd. "Unless … you are able to earn the recognition of a God Monarch!"
"We also know that a God Monarch's recognition is sufficient for us to clear the examination and even become a Conferred God King … but how do we earn the recognition of a God Monarch?"
One of the God Kings asked.
Who wouldn't want to earn the recognition of a God Monarch?
However, the God Monarch was a lofty existence that one could not even meet, let alone earn the recognition of a God Monarch!
There was once a God King who tried to earn the recognition of a God Monarch, so he intentionally made a move to attract the attention of others. However, not only did he not earn the recognition of a God Monarch, he ended up being slapped to death instead.
Ever since then, all cultivators had come to realize that in order to earn the recognition of a God Monarch, one had to possess sufficient strength and have someone to introduce them to one another.
"It might sound complicated, but it's actually quite simple!" Ao Feng chuckled softly. "Actually, the reason why I came here is because of the God Monarch's instructions. He wishes to obtain a certain treasure, and if you can help me obtain it and offer it to him, I'm sure that he'll be overjoyed. With that, becoming his direct disciple and Conferred God King will be a walk in the park! "
"A treasure that the God Monarch needs?"
"Doesn't the God Monarch have no desires? Does he have something that he needs? "
"Are you serious? As long as we can find the treasure, the God Monarch will accept us as his direct disciple and even confer us the title of God King?"
The crowd was taken aback by those words.
What they feared the most was that the God Monarch had no desires.
As long as they had the desire, it would not be a problem.
If they could do it, it would be possible for them to become a God Monarch.
"May I know what treasure the God Monarch is looking for?" someone asked.
If it was too difficult to obtain, even if they had to give up their life for it, they might as well forget about it.
The reason why they wanted to become a God Monarch was to prolong their lifespan and gain a higher standing. If they were to lose their life because of it, it would be a waste of time.
"The item that the God Monarch is looking for is on this continent. It's a portion of Condensed Earth Essence. The spiritual energy within the Condensed Earth Essence is simply too concentrated, such that even someone of my strength is unable to use it.
"However, there are some phantasmagoric spirits guarding this continent, so I'm unable to enter it alone. I'll need your help to obtain it!"
"Phantasmagoric spirits?"
"It's a unique lifeform that is born when the spiritual energy within the continent is too concentrated. They don't have a physical body, and their strength is on par with God Kings. I tried to enter it earlier, but I was stopped outside. If we work together, we should be able to breach their defenses! "
Ao Feng said.
If he could obtain the Condensed Earth Essence alone, there was no way he would share it with anyone else.
However, even as a Conferred God Monarch, there was nothing he could do here.
"Condensed Earth Essence?" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.
He had read about it in the books in Kong Shi's residence, and its effects far surpassed those of pinnacle God Essence Pills. If he could obtain it, he might just be able to push for a breakthrough to Conferred God King realm pinnacle.
"How many phantasmagoric spirits are there? If it's too dangerous, we can forget about it. We just want to live the rest of our lives in peace! "
A God King amidst the crowd asked.
"Live the rest of our lives in peace? How many years do you think the Firmament will be able to maintain its current state? Spiritual energy is fading, and resources are running out! Putting aside advancing to higher realms, just maintaining your current state will take a heavy toll on all of you. And how long can your savings last? "
Ao Feng harrumphed coldly. "If you can't maintain your cultivation anymore, what will your enemies, who fear your position and strength, do? What will the powers backing you up do? Even if I don't say it out loud, you should be able to figure it out! "
"This …"
The crowd was unable to refute Ao Feng's words.
Cultivation was no different from rowing a boat against the current.
If one wanted to maintain their current state, they would need to accumulate countless resources. It was just like how an athlete had to train nonstop in order to maintain their peak performance.
Given the declining spiritual energy and the lack of resources, even God Kings were finding it harder and harder to maintain their current state. Not to mention, every single God King had a powerful clan backing them. If something were to happen to them, everything they had built up would fall apart.
"The Firmament is no longer a place where we can live peacefully. You can either advance further or die. It's as simple as that. Not even Conferred God Kings are exempt from this! "
Ao Feng continued. "To tell you the truth, a battle broke out on the moon two days ago, and the Heaven Subjugation Monarch … has already fallen!"
"What did you say?"
"The Heaven Subjugation Monarch has fallen?"
"How did he die? Could it be … a duel between God Monarch Lingxi and God Monarch Lingxi? "
"Even a God Monarch can die?"
A huge uproar broke out among the crowd.
The battle between Kong Shi and Lozosy had taken place on the moon. Other than the God Monarchs and the Conferred God Kings who were close to the God Monarchs, no one else in the Firmament knew about it.
The Heaven Subjugation Monarch's appearance had given countless ordinary cultivators hope. They felt that as long as they worked hard, they would be able to become a God Monarch as well.
It was for this reason that he was the idol of countless gods. Even if they did not say it out loud, they would still revere him.
They had thought that their idol would be able to defeat God Monarch Lingxi easily, but who could have known that he would actually die?
If even a God Monarch could die, it was even more likely that they, as ordinary God Kings, would die as well.
The eleven God Kings were rendered speechless. The atmosphere was a little stifling.
"That's why we need to become stronger. Only then will we be able to protect ourselves and our families. We can't continue living peacefully like we did in the past!"
Seeing that everyone had been convinced, Ao Feng continued. "The phantasmagoric spirits do pose some danger, but as long as we work together, there's a ninety percent chance that we'll be able to obtain the treasure. A ninety percent chance that we'll be able to change our lives. I'm sure all of you understand what we should be doing, right? "
"We need to consider …"
"How about this?" Seeing that they were still a little hesitant, Ao Feng continued. "As long as you are willing to work with me, regardless of whether you manage to obtain the Condensed Earth Essence or not, I'll repay you with a pinnacle God Essence Pill and a favor from you. Of course, after you obtain the treasure, you can forget about the reward from the God Monarchs. "
"This …"
The eleven God Kings were stunned for a moment before their eyes lit up in agitation.
Most of the eleven God Kings were unaffiliated cultivators. Even though some of them came from the other skies, they did not have the backing of their clans, so the resources they could obtain were limited.
Even if there was only one peerless Divine Essence Pill, it was considered an astronomical price to them.
Not to mention, there was also the favor of a Conferred God King.
The value of such a favor far exceeded that of a pinnacle God Essence Pill.
On top of that, there was a chance that they could earn the Goodwill of a God Monarch!
No matter how they looked at it, they would not be making a loss.
"Alright, I agree!"
"Me too!"
…
Opportunity and danger coexisted side by side.
Those who were willing to take the risk to enter this place were prepared to die. On top of that, there were no God Kings who feared death. In just a short minute, the eleven God Kings had already made up their minds.
"What about the two of you?"
Ao Feng heaved a sigh of relief. He turned to Zhang Xuan and Zhang Xuan and asked.
"I agree as well."
Zhang Xuan nodded.
Since the Condensed Earth Essence was useful to him, it would be best to find it first.
"Very well, we'll be allies from now on. If anyone tries to back out at the last moment, they'll be judged accordingly. In fact, we can even kill them on the spot, "Ao Feng said.
The greatest taboo of an alliance was for someone to back out at the last moment. If that happened, it would put everyone in danger.
"Alright!" The crowd nodded in agreement.
"Let's go!"
After discussing the matter, Ao Feng took the lead and led the way. The crowd followed closely behind him.
Not too long later, they arrived at a mountain stream. The spiritual energy here was even denser, and all kinds of lush greenery covered the sky.
"Those are the phantasmagoric spirits!"
Ao Feng pointed.
The crowd turned their gazes over, and they soon saw some illusory silhouettes moving around amidst the white mist.
"Those are the Vegetation Spirits, born from the dense spiritual energy!"
Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization.
He had been wondering what the phantasmagoric spirits were, but it turned out that the spiritual energy here was so dense that some of the ancient trees and grasses had developed sentience of their own.
This was similar to the Pill King from back then.
While these phantasmagoric spirits seemed to possess the strength of a God King, their fighting prowess was actually very weak. It was just that their numbers made it difficult for one to defend against them.
On top of that, as long as the spiritual energy here remained, they could be said to be indestructible, making them extremely difficult to deal with.
"Our goal is to obtain the Condensed Earth Essence, not to engage in a life-and-death battle with them. So, our goal is to enter the mountain stream, find what we need, and leave as soon as possible!"
Seeing that the crowd had understood what phantasmagoric spirits were, Ao Feng began to lay out a plan. "Later on, we'll attack from all directions to lure the phantasmagoric spirits away. After that, I'll find an opportunity to blend in with them, and once we obtain the Condensed Earth Essence, we'll leave right away!"
"That's a good idea, but what if you escape after obtaining the Condensed Earth Essence without telling us? What if we end up being trapped by them?"
One of the God Kings asked.
It was not that they did not trust the other party, but they had only just met one another, so they did not dare to entrust their lives to one another.
"That's right. If you leave after obtaining the Condensed Earth Essence, we'll be trapped in there. Putting aside the fact that we won't get anything out of it, we might even lose our lives. We can't let that happen!"
Another God King said.
"What do you all think we should do then?"
Seeing the doubtful looks on everyone's faces, Ao Feng frowned.
"We'll advance together, and we'll retreat together!" the God King who had spoken earlier said.
"That's right. We'll advance together, and we'll retreat together!"
"It's indeed safe to advance and retreat together, but have you ever considered the possibility that we might lose our lives if we were to be surrounded by these phantasmagoric spirits?"
Ao Feng said.
(I'll be heading to Chengdu for training, so I'll just combine the two chapters into one.)
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
