Movie: Get Alpha Dog at the start

Chapter 1402 The Void Heaven Cauldron!

"Purple-Gold Sky-Splitting Blade!"

Qin Hao let out a low shout, his hands flashing through hand seals, his spiritual power surging wildly, purple and golden light intertwining and converging before him. This was a divine ability he had cultivated using the inner cores of five level-seven metal-attribute demon beasts after returning to Tianxing City from his last demon hunt. It had been nurtured within him for nearly twenty years and had never been used before.

Where the light converged, a colossal blade, several meters tall, slowly took shape. The blade was entirely purplish-gold, its surface flowing with fine metallic runes, radiating a sharp aura that seemed to tear through the air. The surrounding space appeared to be distorted by the blade's oppressive power, even dimming the light. The mere aura emanating from it caused the temperature within the hall to plummet, the air seemingly solidifying.

The Nascent Soul cultivators, including Tian Wuzi, who were watching from the sidelines, suddenly changed their expressions, their previous relaxed attitude of watching the spectacle completely gone. Tian Wuzi, who was usually calm and composed, couldn't help but grip his whisk tightly, his knuckles turning white; the Nascent Soul cultivators beside him also subconsciously took a half step back, their eyes filled with fear—the power emanating from this giant blade was enough to kill any of the early Nascent Soul cultivators present.

"No wonder he dared to fight the Old Ancestor Jiyin head-on, so he had such a killing move." Tian Wuzi muttered to himself, his eyes filled with solemnity as he looked at Qin Hao: "This old demon Jiyin has really kicked a hornet's nest this time."

A deep sense of apprehension flashed in Wan Tianming's eyes. He was confident that he could withstand the attack if he used his trump card, but Qin Hao was far too young—only a hundred years after forming his Nascent Soul, he already possessed such strength. Given time, breaking through to the mid or even late Nascent Soul stage was not impossible. At this moment, he secretly made up his mind: unless absolutely necessary, he must not become enemies with Qin Hao; once enemies were formed, he must use swift and decisive means to kill him, and he must not allow Qin Hao to continue to grow, otherwise he would surely become a future threat.

"Haha! Good lad! You've got some skills!" The bearded man rubbed his fists together excitedly, his two fists, which were like golden hammers, collided with each other, making loud "bang" sounds. He exuded a strong fighting spirit: "After you finish fighting with that old ghost Ji Yin, I must spar with you and see if your giant blade is stronger or my fists are harder!"

The Extreme Yin Ancestor, who was present, felt something entirely different. He had already been locked onto by the Purple-Gold Sky-Splitting Blade, and a chilling killing intent enveloped him like a tide, making the hairs on his body stand on end—this was the first time in his hundreds of years of cultivation that he had so clearly felt the aura of death.

"Boy, you're still too green to kill me!" A ruthless glint flashed in the eyes of the Extreme Yin Ancestor. He knew he couldn't back down now. He suddenly threw his black cloak into the air. The cloak grew longer in the wind and instantly transformed into a dark sphere about ten feet in diameter, enveloping his entire body.

This cloak, named "Soul-Devouring Black Cloak," is an ancient defensive treasure and one of his most prized defensive measures.

But that wasn't all. As the Yin Ancestor tossed out his cloak, he patted his storage bag, and several magical treasures flew out like meteors, blocking the dark sphere—there was a shield radiating an earthy yellow light, a bronze bell engraved with runes, and a necklace strung with black beads. These were all defensive magical treasures he had collected over the years, and now, to save his life, he had unleashed them all.

Almost simultaneously, Qin Hao's hand seals suddenly changed, and he shouted, "Go!"

The purplish-gold giant blade, accompanied by a whistling sound as it tore through the air, slashed fiercely down towards the head of the Extreme Yin Ancestor. The blade was incredibly fast; almost the instant Qin Hao finished speaking, it had already arrived in front of the Extreme Yin Ancestor's magical artifact.

"puff--"

There was no loud collision as expected, nor any violent aftershocks from the clash of spiritual energy. The purplish-gold giant blade sliced ​​the bronze bell summoned by the Yin Ancestor in two as easily as cutting a steamed bun. The black bead was also shattered by the residual force of the giant blade, and the earthen-yellow shield was utterly vulnerable, instantly turning into ashes.

It wasn't until the giant blade struck the last tortoise-shell-shaped shield that a dull thud finally resounded.

This tortoise-shell shield was obtained by the Extreme Yin Ancestor from the ruins of an ancient cultivator, and its defensive strength far surpasses that of ordinary magic treasures. The Extreme Yin Ancestor was greatly alarmed and dared not hold back in the slightest, desperately pouring his magic power into the shield. The runes on the shield's surface flickered wildly, and its earthy-yellow light surged, barely managing to withstand the attack of the purplish-gold giant blade.

"Ping!"

With a crisp cracking sound, the purplish-gold giant blade finally exhausted its power and dissipated into the air. But before the Extreme Yin Ancestor could even breathe a sigh of relief, dense cracks appeared on the surface of the tortoise shell shield, and then with a "crack," it shattered completely, scattering fragments in all directions.

"Pfft!" The impact of the shattered shield caused the Yin Ancestor to spit out a mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning deathly pale, and the spiritual energy within his body became disordered.

However, Qin Hao gave him no chance to catch his breath. The Myriad Talismans Treasure Record above his head flipped rapidly again, and with the rustling of the pages, two golden talismans flew out and hovered in mid-air. The talismans were engraved with complex halberd-shaped runes and emitted a metallic aura of the same origin as the Purple-Gold Sky-Splitting Blade—they were the high-grade talisman "Golden Halberd Talisman".

"Golden Spear Talisman?! It's a high-level talisman!"

"Oh my god! He still has more! And he got two at once!"

"Where...where did this guy get so many high-level talismans? This is simply...this is practically throwing spirit stones at people!"

"Could it be... that he is a master talisman maker?!"

The Nascent Soul cultivators in the main hall gasped in shock. The value of a high-level talisman lay not in how many spirit stones it could fetch, but in its practical combat value—the power of a single high-level talisman was equivalent to a full-force attack from an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Qin Hao's simultaneous throwing of two talismans was tantamount to gaining two additional Nascent Soul cultivators as allies.

A deep regret flashed in the eyes of the Yin Ancestor. He wished he could slap himself twice—if he had known Qin Hao was so troublesome, he would never have provoked the Miaoyin Sect in the first place. Unfortunately, there's no going back. He could only grit his teeth, quickly form hand seals, and pat the spirit beast pouch at his waist.

"come out!"

Three dark figures flew out of the spirit beast pouch and landed on the ground, transforming into three refined corpses clad in black armor. These refined corpses were made from the corpses of Core Formation stage cultivators, making them impervious to blades and spears and possessing immense strength. The Extreme Yin Ancestor controlled the refined corpses, lunging towards the two golden talismans in mid-air, attempting to use the refined corpses to block the talisman attacks.

But he knew very well that a mere Core Formation stage corpse cultivator could not possibly withstand a high-level talisman equivalent to a Nascent Soul cultivator's attack. He did this simply to buy himself some breathing room so he could unleash his final trump card.

Sure enough, as soon as the refined corpses approached the Golden Halberd Talisman, both talismans simultaneously erupted with dazzling golden light, transforming into two giant golden halberds, each over ten feet long. With a sharp whooshing sound, they crashed down upon the refined corpses. With three loud "bangs," the three refined corpses were instantly crushed into dust by the giant halberds, while the golden halberds, carrying their remaining power, continued to smash towards the Extreme Yin Ancestor.

Just as the golden halberd was about to strike the Yin Ancestor, he took out a dark crystal ball from his robes. The crystal ball was about the size of a fist, its surface covered with fine cracks, emanating a faint, sinister aura. Without hesitation, the Yin Ancestor spat out a mouthful of blood essence, which landed on the crystal ball and was instantly absorbed. The crystal ball erupted with a dense cloud of black mist, lunging towards the golden halberd as if it were alive.

The moment the black mist touched the golden halberd, it began to frantically erode its golden light. The once dazzling golden halberd dimmed at a visible speed, like white paper soaked in ink, being swallowed up bit by bit by the black mist.

"Another ancient treasure!"

"Hiss... This old demon has quite a few hidden treasures! This black mist can even corrupt and erode spiritual power!"

"It seems that the Old Demon of Extreme Yin has also been driven to a dead end, and has even taken out such a treasured ancient artifact!"

Tian Wuzi and the other cultivators began to discuss among themselves, their eyes filled with astonishment. It was no wonder that the Extreme Yin Ancestor had been able to roam the Chaotic Star Sea for hundreds of years; his collection of ancient treasures alone was enough to leave ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators far behind.

A hint of relief flashed in the eyes of the Yin Ancestor. Fortunately, he had been lucky back then and found this "Soul-Devouring Crystal" in an ancient ruin; otherwise, he would surely be dead today. He was about to say something sarcastic to Qin Hao when a strong sense of foreboding suddenly welled up in his heart.

He subconsciously looked up and saw the Myriad Talisman Record above Qin Hao's head flipping again, and two more golden talismans floated out—still the Golden Spear Talisman!

"How many high-level talismans does he have?!" Tian Wuzi exclaimed in shock, dropping his whisk to the ground.

"What a spendthrift! Four high-level talismans used up like that! Even a major sect can't afford such a waste!" A Nascent Soul cultivator said with heartache, as if those talismans were his own.

"That old demon Ji Yin must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to run into such a jinx. It looks like he's determined to kill him here today!"

The Yin Ancestor panicked completely. The fierce look on his face vanished, replaced by deep fear. He knew he had used up all his trump cards and had no means to withstand Qin Hao's attack. He hurriedly pleaded with Qin Hao, "Fellow Daoist Zhang! Please hear me out! There is no deep-seated hatred between us, why must we fight to the death? Why don't we sit down and talk? I will find a way to compensate you for all your losses today—whether it's spirit stones, magic treasures, or cultivation techniques, I can give them to you!"

Qin Hao ignored him, staring at him coldly, his hands already forming a magic seal, clearly preparing to launch the next attack.

Seeing this, the Yin Ancestor became extremely anxious. He turned to Wan Tianming beside him, his tone filled with urgent temptation: "Fellow Daoist Wan! I know you are plotting against the Void Heaven Cauldron in the inner hall! I have two Fire Line Pythons in my spirit beast pouch, which will surely help you successfully take the Void Heaven Cauldron! As long as you help me out of this predicament today, I am willing to give you the Fire Line Pythons!"

Wan Tianming and Tian Wuzi exchanged a glance, a flicker of interest in their eyes. The Void Heaven Cauldron was an ancient treasure, and with the help of the Fire Python, their chances of obtaining it would undoubtedly increase significantly. However, they quickly suppressed the thought.

"Are you kidding me! If Qin Hao hadn't revealed such terrifying strength and talisman reserves, he might have considered mediating. But now, the Extreme Yin Ancestor is clearly at his limit, barely able to protect himself. To offend a talisman master with limitless future potential for the sake of two Fire Pythons and a half-dead Extreme Yin? This deal seems like a complete loss! What if he intervenes, and the other party goes berserk, releasing another dozen or twenty high-level talismans from the Myriad Talisman Treasure Record…?" Wan Tianming shuddered, not daring to think any further.

Wan Tianming slowly shook his head, his tone calm: "Fellow Daoist Jiyin, this matter is a private feud between you and Fellow Daoist Zhang, and it is inconvenient for us to interfere. You should pray for your own good fortune."

Tian Wuzi nodded in agreement and took two steps back, clearly indicating that he did not want to get involved.

"You..." The Yin Ancestor trembled with rage, but could no longer utter a word. He knew he was completely trapped in a desperate situation.

"You Yin Demon, prepare to die!"

Qin Hao's voice rang out like ice. As his words fell, the two golden talismans in mid-air simultaneously erupted, transforming into giant golden halberds that slammed towards the Extreme Yin Ancestor. At the same time, he manipulated the Gilded Armor-Splitting Blade, simultaneously casting the Thousand Machine Armor-Splitting Technique for enhancement.

The cracked patterns on the surface of the golden blade flickered wildly, transforming into a dazzling golden light that slashed towards the back of the Extreme Yin Ancestor like lightning.

"Boom!"

The golden halberd slammed heavily into the Soul-Devouring Black Shield of the Extreme Yin Ancestor. The black mist on the surface of the shield surged violently, emitting a sizzling sound of erosion, but ultimately it could not withstand the power of the golden halberd and shattered with a "crack". The Extreme Yin Ancestor could only desperately urge the last of his mana to condense a black shield, trying to withstand the final attack.

However, all of this was in vain. The black shield only lasted for a single breath before being struck simultaneously by the golden giant halberd and the gilded armor-piercing blade, shattering instantly. The gilded armor-piercing blade, carrying a sharp edge, slashed towards the neck of the Extreme Yin Ancestor.

"Pfft!"

Blood splattered as the head of the Extreme Yin Ancestor separated from his body, falling to the ground and rolling several times before coming to a stop. But at that moment, a sudden change occurred—a pale black figure emerged from the Extreme Yin Ancestor's head. The figure was about the size of a palm, and it was none other than the Extreme Yin Ancestor's nascent soul!

The Nascent Soul cultivator clutched a miniature storage bag tightly in his hands, clearly the life savings of the Extreme Yin Ancestor. He glared at Qin Hao with a vicious expression, his voice filled with venomous roar: "Boy! I'll remember this grudge! One day, I will definitely tear your soul apart and repay you tenfold, a hundredfold!"

After saying that, he was about to use the Nascent Soul Teleportation Technique—the last resort for Nascent Soul cultivators to save their lives, allowing them to teleport hundreds of miles in an instant, which ordinary spells and magic treasures simply cannot intercept.

Qin Hao's lips curled into a cold smile, his tone icy: "We'll see if you have another day to talk about that!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he tossed a bronze mirror from his sleeve—the very same Condensing Light Mirror he had obtained from the Treasure Pavilion. He channeled his spiritual energy into the mirror, and a pale blue beam of light instantly erupted from its surface, striking precisely at the Nascent Soul of the Extreme Yin Ancestor.

Upon seeing this, the Yin Ancestor was greatly alarmed and subconsciously tried to teleport. However, he found that the moment his nascent soul was enveloped by the beam of light, his primordial spirit seemed to be frozen and he could not move. His already blurred nascent soul staggered and almost fell from the sky.

This ancient bronze mirror can actually counter the teleportation of a Nascent Soul cultivator!

Before he could react, a golden light flashed—the gilded armor-splitting blade had already caught up with his nascent soul. With a soft "poof," the nascent soul of the Extreme Yin Ancestor was shattered into fragments by the golden blade, turning into specks of spiritual light that dissipated into the air.

"Do not--!"

A piercing scream echoed through the hall, only to vanish without a trace. The Demonic Ancestor, the Supreme Yin Ancestor, who had roamed the Chaotic Star Sea for hundreds of years, had fallen.

This happened so fast that the Nascent Soul cultivators in the hall fell into a deathly silence. The look in their eyes as they looked at Qin Hao had completely changed from shock to fear.

It's important to understand that the Nascent Soul teleportation technique falls under the category of spatial magic, and ordinary spells and magical artifacts pose no threat to it. This is why most Nascent Soul cultivators tend to stop short of killing each other in battle—even if they destroy the opponent's physical body, it's difficult to obliterate their Nascent Soul. Afterwards, the opponent can simply find a suitable body to rebuild their cultivation, and instead, they will have gained another mortal enemy.

However, the ancient bronze mirror in Qin Hao's hand could actually break through the Nascent Soul's teleportation and even immobilize it! This meant that Qin Hao possessed the ability to kill all the early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators present—once locked onto by his ancient bronze mirror, even a Nascent Soul could not escape! Such an ability was simply a nightmare for all Nascent Soul cultivators.

A hint of greed flashed in the eyes of Wan Tianming and Man Huzi as they looked at the Ningguang Treasure Mirror—who wouldn't want such an ancient treasure? But they quickly suppressed their greed.

Their lifespans are already limited; there's no need to offend a Nascent Soul stage talisman master with such immense potential for the sake of an ancient treasure. More importantly, Qin Hao is a rogue cultivator, unbound by any sect. If he escapes, they will inevitably face endless retaliation.

Ignoring the gazes of the crowd, Qin Hao raised his hand and summoned the storage bag and spirit beast bag of the Extreme Yin Ancestor. He took out the Frost Pearl, sealed the Extreme Yin Ancestor's Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire with cold energy, and carefully put it into a specially made jade box.

"Haha! Fellow Daoist Zhang has slain the Extreme Yin Ancestor today, removing a great scourge from the Chaotic Star Sea. He will surely become famous throughout the world soon!" Wan Tianming was the first to react, a hearty smile spreading across his face. He quickly stepped forward and cupped his hands in congratulations to Qin Hao. The Extreme Yin Ancestor was a demonic cultivator, and Qin Hao's slaying of him was a good thing for the righteous path. Naturally, he wanted to take this opportunity to win Qin Hao over.

Qin Hao took out a few Rejuvenation Pills from his storage bag, popped them into his mouth, and chewed them slowly. Although the battle just now seemed easy, it had consumed a lot of his magical power, which he needed to recover as soon as possible. He nodded slightly to Wan Tianming, his tone indifferent: "Sect Leader Wan, you flatter me. It was just settling a personal grudge."

"Kid, stop dawdling!" The bearded man impatiently stepped forward, his gaze falling on the spirit beast pouch in Qin Hao's hand, his eyes full of anticipation: "Quickly check the spirit beast pouch of the Extreme Yin Old Demon, see if those two Fire Line Pythons are still alive! We still need them to retrieve the Void Heaven Cauldron!"

Upon hearing this, Wan Tianming's face darkened, and he coldly snorted: "The Extreme Yin Demon has already been killed by Fellow Daoist Zhang, so his belongings naturally belong to Fellow Daoist Zhang. This spirit beast bag is Fellow Daoist Zhang's spoils of war. What does it have to do with your demonic path?"

Barbarian Beard was instantly enraged, his fighting spirit erupting once more. He clenched his golden fists and glared at Wan Tianming: "Wan Tianming, you hypocrite! Don't think I don't know what you're up to! You just want Fellow Daoist Zhang to join forces with your righteous path to seize the cauldron, don't you? Let me tell you, with me, Barbarian Beard, here, you won't succeed!"

Wan Tianming no longer concealed his ambition; a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and his spiritual power began to gather secretly within him, clearly preparing for battle at any moment. Seeing this, Tian Wuzi and the other Nascent Soul cultivators retreated hastily, fearing they would be drawn into the fight between the two.

Qin Hao's heart skipped a beat. His main objective was the Azure Ice Flame within the Void Heaven Cauldron, and there was no need to let Wan Tianming and the Barbarian Beard fight here, wasting time retrieving the cauldron. He quickly said, "Fellow Daoists, please hold your hands! The Void Heaven Cauldron is still deep within the inner hall. If we hinder each other here, neither of us will benefit. Why don't we enter the inner hall first, retrieve the Void Heaven Cauldron, and then fight for it based on our own abilities? What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, the bearded man's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands and laughed, "Fellow Daoist Zhang is absolutely right! Wan Tianming, you'd better think this through—my Heaven-Supporting Demon Art is the number one defensive technique in the Chaotic Star Sea. Even if I can't defeat you, I can still withstand your magic weapon. If I'm determined to destroy the cauldron and specifically kill the spirit beasts you use to pull it, you won't be able to defend against it at all!"

Wan Tianming and Tian Wuzi exchanged a glance. The barbarian was telling the truth—the defense of the Heaven-Supporting Demon Art was too powerful. If the barbarian was truly determined to destroy it, they really wouldn't be able to stop him. Rather than fighting here, they should take the cauldron first and then make other plans.

"Alright!" After weighing the pros and cons, Wan Tianming finally nodded: "Let's do as Fellow Daoist Zhang says! We'll take the cauldron first, then seize it! Anyone who tries to sabotage us during the process will be an enemy of all of us!"

So, the group temporarily set aside their grudges and headed towards the core area of ​​the inner hall. The passageways of the inner hall were filled with puppet guards left behind by ancient cultivators. Most of these puppets were at the Core Formation stage, wielding long swords; their movements were stiff, yet they possessed immense strength and were impervious to blades and spears, making them extremely difficult to deal with.

However, with Barbarian Beard present, these puppets posed no threat whatsoever. He walked at the head of the group, maximizing his Heaven-Supporting Demonic Art, creating a golden protective shield around him. The puppets' longswords struck the shield with resounding clangs, but left not a single mark. Barbarian Beard, on the other hand, easily smashed the puppets to pieces with a single punch each.

Qin Hao followed behind the group, keeping an eye on the puppet fragments on the ground as he walked. These puppets were made from ancient materials. The others looked down on these "junk," but Qin Hao put some intact puppet parts into his storage bag, which was a pleasant surprise.

About half an hour later, the group finally arrived at the central area of ​​the inner hall. This was a huge circular hall, with a stone platform ten zhang high standing in the center. On the top of the platform, a huge bronze cauldron floated. The cauldron was made entirely of an unknown material, with intricate runes engraved on its surface. A pale blue ice flame surrounded the cauldron. The temperature of the ice flame was extremely low. Even a Nascent Soul cultivator would not escape the destruction of their physical body if they were to get even a drop of it on them.

"The Void Heaven Cauldron!" A glint of greed flashed in Wan Tianming's eyes, and he couldn't help but take two steps forward.

Barbarian Beard rubbed his hands excitedly and urged, "Stop dawdling! Quickly release the spirit beast that's retrieving the cauldron! The sooner we get the cauldron down, the sooner we can settle the score!"

Without further hesitation, Wan Tianming took out a spirit beast pouch from his storage bag and tossed it aside. The pouch opened, and three golden spirit beasts, resembling silkworm cocoons, crawled out—these were the Golden Silkworms used to pull the cauldron. The Golden Silkworms were level six spirit beasts; their silk threads were incredibly strong, capable of withstanding the weight of the Void Heaven Cauldron, and most importantly, able to withstand the low temperatures of the Azure Ice Flame. Tian Wuzi also took out three Golden Silkworms, joining Wan Tianming's three, making a total of six Golden Silkworms, neatly lying beneath the stone platform.

Qin Hao then took out the spirit beast pouch he had obtained from the Extreme Yin Ancestor and opened it. Two red figures flew out of the pouch and landed on the ground, transforming into two giant pythons, each about ten feet long and entirely fiery red—the Fireline Pythons. The Fireline Pythons' scales resembled burning flames, and they occasionally spat out wisps of red flames from their mouths, radiating a scorching aura.

"Good! The Fireline Pythons are still alive!" the bearded man exclaimed excitedly. "Quickly, make them spit silk and pull down the Void Cauldron!"

Wan Tianming and Tian Wuzi controlled the Golden Silkworm, while Man Huzi controlled the Fire Python. The Golden Silkworm and the Fire Python simultaneously opened their mouths, spitting out strands of golden and red silk. The silk, as if alive, coiled around the handles of the Void Heaven Cauldron, then slowly tightened.

Pulled by the silk threads, the Void Cauldron slowly moved downwards from the stone platform. Azure flames surrounded the cauldron, and as it moved, the flames flickered, the low temperature causing the surrounding air to condense into tiny ice particles.

Time passed second by second, and after about fifteen minutes, the Void Heaven Cauldron had been pulled to a position only one-third of the way from the top of the stone platform.

Just then, a sudden change occurred—a ball of five-colored light suddenly flew out from the mouth of the Void Heaven Cauldron, circled in the air once, and flew towards the direction of the barbarian bearded man.

"The Heaven-Mending Pill!" The bearded man's eyes lit up instantly. He laughed loudly and, no longer caring about controlling the Fire Python, pounced towards the five-colored light like an arrow: "Haha! The Heaven-Mending Pill is mine!"

Seeing this, a hint of anxiety flashed in Wan Tianming's eyes, and he sneered, "Dream on!"

His body blazed with golden light, and his hands rapidly formed hand seals. Streams of golden sword light flew from his hands, raining down on the barbarian bearded man, attempting to stop him from seizing the Heaven-Mending Pill.

Seeing this, the bearded man showed no fear. His golden protective shield surged, forcefully blocking the golden sword light's attack. While defending, he continued flying towards the Heaven-Mending Pill, and the two instantly became locked in combat.

Tian Wuzi and other Nascent Soul cultivators also joined the battle. In an instant, magical treasures flew wildly in the hall, various spells collided with each other, and golden sword light, red flames, and black lightning intertwined, bursting out with deafening roars.

Qin Hao also joined the battle, but he merely manipulated the gilded armor-cracking blade and made a few symbolic attacks, pretending to be exhausted after a great battle with the Yin Ancestor, having used up all his trump cards.

After all, he had already taken the Heaven-Mending Pill, so there was really no need for him to risk his life against mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators like Wan Tianming and Man Huzi for this Heaven-Mending Pill.

Just as the battle reached its most intense moment, a sharp "crack" was suddenly heard—the silk threads spun by two golden silkworms snapped first. Immediately afterward, the other two golden silkworms, unable to withstand the weight of the Void Cauldron, also died from exhaustion, their bodies limply lying on the ground. The remaining two golden silkworms and two fire-line pythons continued to persevere, but the silk threads they spun also began to crack, finally snapping with a "bang."

The Void Cauldron, freed from the pull of the silk threads, floated atop the stone platform once more, the azure ice flames still swirling around it, as if nothing had happened.

"Alas! All our efforts have been in vain!" Wan Tianming stopped his attack, looked at the Void Cauldron that had floated up again, and couldn't help but sigh, his eyes full of regret.

However, he quickly turned his attention back to the Heaven-Mending Pill that was floating in the air—the Void Cauldron couldn't be removed for the time being, but the Heaven-Mending Pill was right in front of him, and he couldn't miss it.

The competition intensified, with Wan Tianming even resorting to his trump card, "Heavenly Net True Thunder." He formed hand seals, dark clouds gathered above his head, and bolts of purple lightning struck down from the clouds, carrying an aura of annihilation, towards the barbarian and the other cultivators vying for the Heaven-Mending Pill.

"Wan Tianming! You've gone mad! You actually used the Heavenly Net True Thunder! Do you want to perish together with us?" Qingyi Jushi was shocked and hurriedly manipulated his magic weapon to resist the lightning.

The other cultivators also retreated, not daring to approach the Heaven-Mending Pill again—the power of the Heavenly Net True Lightning was too terrifying; once hit, even a Nascent Soul cultivator would be seriously injured.

Wan Tianming seized the opportunity, his figure flashed, and he grabbed the Heaven-Mending Pill.

"This Heaven-Mending Pill is mine!" With that, he transformed into a golden light and fled towards the passage outside the main hall.

"Don't even think about leaving!" the bearded man roared, giving chase. Tian Wuzi and the other cultivators were not to be outdone, and they all used their escape lights to give chase.

Seeing this, Qin Hao also pretended to be unwilling and followed the crowd, but he still did not put in any effort and always kept a certain distance.

Just as the group reached a bend in the passage, Qin Hao's divine sense suddenly detected a familiar aura. He subtly slowed his pace and turned to look at a shadowy spot on the side of the passage—Han Li was hiding there, watching the departing group with envy in his eyes, but dared not approach.

Taking advantage of the others' inattention, Qin Hao transmitted his voice to Han Li: "Junior brother, stay here and don't follow them. While you're at it, search the walls of the passage for any hidden doors or treasures; you might make an unexpected discovery."

Upon hearing Qin Hao's telepathic message, Han Li was initially taken aback, then nodded to himself. Although the Heaven-Mending Pill was incredibly tempting, the terrifying methods displayed by the Nascent Soul cultivators earlier were like a bucket of cold water being poured over him—with his Core Formation stage cultivation, even if he managed to snatch the Heaven-Mending Pill, he wouldn't be able to keep it; instead, it would only bring him death.

Watching Qin Hao and his group of Nascent Soul cultivators disappear in an instant, Han Li couldn't help but feel a surge of longing: "One day, I too will achieve the Great Dao of Nascent Soul!" (End of Chapter)