Chapter 349 Immortal Artifact?

The desert rarely saw rain, and the Ximei region of the Zikun Mountains, bordering the Lihuo Desert, was similarly arid.

However, a few light showers would grace the dry land each summer.

Perhaps due to the recent end of the "Black Despair," this year's rain was heavier than usual.

The world, previously a stark contrast of green and dusty yellow, was suddenly adorned with crystal-clear white, breathing a touch of life into the somewhat lifeless landscape.

The yellow and green now harmoniously blended, a vibrant tableau painted by nature herself.

"A gentle spring rain moistens like cream, grass-green from afar, yet unseen up close."

Standing on the mountainside of the new Qingfeng Mountain, watching the rain that had fallen for two days, Yang Hong's mind was suddenly filled with these lines of poetry.

The new Qingfeng Mountain stood at a height of thirty thousand zhang. Yang Hong had constructed a ring of palace buildings around its circumference, a collection of disconnected structures that encircled eighty-one thousand li.

The palaces were separated by smaller peaks or ravines, interspersed with forests or flower gardens, preventing the uniform palaces from appearing monotonous or repetitive.

Under the gentle rain, the palatial complex truly evoked the imagery of celestial marketplaces.

"Halt! Stop, you little brat!"

"Don't waste time, chase him down and kill that little bastard!"

Just as Yang Hong was standing with his hands behind his back, marveling at his own creation, two sinister voices shattered his poetic musings.

[Who the hell is looking for trouble?]

He muttered in his heart and turned towards the source of the sounds.

From the eastern horizon, three sword lights flew rapidly, one leading two, and in the blink of an eye, they were above Yang Hong's head.

As Yang Hong considered whether to pull these three down for a beating, the leading sword light accelerated directly towards his position.

"You there, help us stop this little bastard! The Yingyue Sect will reward you handsomely!"

The pursuing sword lights, spotting Yang Hong, quickly called for his assistance, albeit with a somewhat arrogant tone.

"Senior, please save me! This junior is willing to offer an immortal artifact as reward!"

The one flying ahead was a gaunt young man, but his words were astonishing.

*Whoosh~*

Without a second thought, Yang Hong raised his hand and sent out a silver sword light. The two cultivators in pursuit had no chance to react before their heads were severed.

*Boom~*

Two balls of crimson fire instantly turned them into ash.

Murder and arson, all in one go; this had become Yang Hong's modus operandi.

Before the fleeing youth could even react, his pursuers had been instantly dispatched by Yang Hong's single strike.

Merely two cultivators at the Fusion Realm, a matter of one move.

Yang Hong felt it was all too easy.

With a flip of his hand, a silver flying sword appeared before the young man, who had already turned his sword light to flee. Held three inches from his head, it was poised to pierce it.

Everything happened in a flash.

Let alone the two unlucky souls who had just died, even Li Dingan hadn't reacted.

Seeing the silver flying sword hovering inches from his face, he immediately slammed on the brakes, cold sweat pouring down his body as he meekly descended before Yang Hong.

"Give me the immortal artifact, and you may leave."

Looking at the gaunt but handsome youth, whose tattered robes couldn't conceal his upright demeanor, Yang Hong lowered his voice and cut straight to the chase.

"Se-Senior, ju-junior~ doesn't~ have~"

"Junior doesn't have it on him."

The previously stuttering Li Dingan, seeing Yang Hong frown, quickly finished his sentence in one breath.

He was genuinely afraid Yang Hong would casually kill him with a sword.

"Oh~ are you playing me? How do you wish to die?"

Upon hearing that the youth didn't have the immortal artifact, Yang Hong's expression immediately darkened, and a faint killing aura began to surge.

"Senior, wait! Senior, please don't be angry, let me explain."

Li Dingan knelt directly on the ground, shouting frantically, almost to the point of kowtowing for mercy.

Yang Hong's killing aura was subtle, but to Li Dingan, it felt like a fatal signal.

Yang Hong merely raised his head slightly and let out an "Hmm~".

"Senior, that immortal artifact is called the [Dao Tian Jian]. It's a treasure brought from the Immortal Realm by my Li family ancestor. Only my Li family bloodline can activate it.

As long as..."

"Enough. A piece of trash I cannot use is not worth your life."

Upon hearing that it could only be used by the Li family bloodline, Yang Hong's interest vanished instantly.

While bloodline-bound immortal artifacts were not common in the cultivation world, they were not rare either. Almost every cultivation family would forge a few powerful bloodline artifacts as their foundation.

Such bloodline artifacts, though powerful, were not particularly valuable.

"Senior~ Senior, spare me! I know a secret family technique that can allow the [Dao Tian Jian] to be used by others!"

Li Dingan began to weep. This senior was even more terrifying and unreasonable than his previous pursuers.

"Dao Tian Jian? What kind of immortal artifact is it, and where is it?"

Yang Hong put away his flying sword and, with a turn of his hand, summoned a cup of water from the house behind him, placing it on the ground before the youth.

Li Dingan stared at the cup of water, swallowed hard, and dared not reach for it.

It was water that exuded spiritual energy, at least grade three spiritual water; the cup itself also emanated fluctuations of magical power, making it at least a grade four magical artifact.

Li Dingan's eyes brightened for a moment, then he involuntarily flinched in terror.

The senior before him looked ordinary, but the items he used were so extraordinary. He was likely a paramount figure in the cultivation world.

[That treasure seems truly irreplaceable now.]

With this thought in mind, Li Dingan quickly began to describe the [Dao Tian Jian].

"Senior, the Dao Tian Jian is a treasure for examining a cultivator's aptitude, bone structure, and destiny. It is the trấn tông supreme treasure of the [Dao Tian Sect] in the Immortal Realm."

"The Dao Tian Sect of the Immortal Realm was once a great sect, but because it was too powerful, it was attacked by demons and monsters allied together, leading to its decline."

"My Li family ancestor was the sect master of the Dao Tian Sect. He endured humiliation for a period of time and finally found an opportunity during the migration of the Taiyuan Continent to the Buddhist Realm to descend to the cultivation world. He then bestowed the [Dao Tian Jian] upon my Li family."

"However, the ancestor was at the end of his strength after years of battle, and coupled with the backlash from descending from the Immortal Realm, he merely gave brief instructions before ascending."

"Somehow, news leaked out. The Yingyue Sect learned that my Li family possessed an immortal artifact and launched a surprise attack that night, killing 782 members of my Li family. Fortunately..."

Hearing Li Dingan start to lament his misfortunes, Yang Hong frowned. He stared into Li Dingan's eyes for a few seconds and said in a deep voice,

"Stop the nonsense and tell me what the Dao Tian Jian does!"

"Ah~ Oh! It was my oversight, Senior."

"This Dao Tian Jian possesses the profound mystery of nature's creation and unravels the secrets of all things' destiny. It can see through a person's bone structure, aptitude, destiny, and even their opportunities.

It is a supreme treasure that can aid in becoming an immortal."

"That's it?"

Yang Hong interrupted again. The Dao Tian Jian, in essence, was just a high-level aptitude-checking platform. No matter how powerful, it was merely an aptitude-checking artifact.

Moreover, he might not even be able to use it.

Thinking of this, the flying sword suspended over Li Dingan's head began to descend.

"Senior, Senior! I have cultivation techniques brought from the Immortal Realm by the Li family ancestor!"

Seeing that Yang Hong was about to kill again, Li Dingan shouted once more, quickly taking out a storage bag from his embrace and raising it with both hands, offering it to Yang Hong.

"Immortal Realm cultivation techniques?"

Hearing this, Yang Hong's eyes indeed lit up. He was very much looking forward to any pleasant surprises these Immortal Realm cultivation techniques might bring.