128: Ancient, Liantian Palace

After uttering those harsh words, the burly man immediately rushed towards the spirit cleansing pearl that was emitting a golden light.

He reached out to put the treasure into his bag, but was interrupted by a sudden attack.

"Just because you say it's yours, it's yours?"

"Since when did Refining Heaven Hall have such a grand presence?"

"Besides, Man Gu, you're merely at the peak of Spirit Refinement, not even Spirit Forming. Are you worthy of the spirit cleansing pearl?"

The voice was extremely cold, almost emotionless, comparable to Xu Xi's icy, mechanical system voice.

After that, Xu Xi saw who the newcomer was: the Raging Waves Sect, also one of the top sects in the Central Plains.

And the one who made the move was Xiao Canghai, the top figure beneath the Raging Waves Sect's three Saint Sons.

"Merely the peak of Spirit Forming. If I want to break through, I can do it anytime. Do you really think I'm eager to step into that realm in one go?"

Although Man Gu was angry at being interrupted by Xiao Canghai's attack, he didn't erupt on the spot.

And Man Gu showed no unusual expression regarding Xiao Canghai's humiliating and disdainful taunts.

In his opinion, stepping into Spirit Forming was an extremely easy matter.

The barriers that obstructed cultivators were, in his view, easily breakable. It was simply to accumulate more foundation in the Spirit Refinement realm and solidify his base.

Otherwise, why would Man Gu bother with such a thankless task?

Although he was currently at the peak of Spirit Refinement, killing cultivators at the peak of Spirit Forming was not out of reach.

Man Gu had done such things in the Central Plains before, and this was why he was hailed as the number one genius beneath the three Saints of Refining Heaven Hall.

"If you want to get the spirit cleansing pearl, you can go ahead and make a move. I'm taking the item first, hahahaha!"

After being delayed for a moment, Man Gu no longer wasted words with Xiao Canghai.

Currently, Xiao Canghai was the only opponent he found a bit troublesome.

And if he were to be held back by Xiao Canghai and others also arrived, this treasure might become a hot potato.

He immediately reached out and put the spirit cleansing pearl into his storage bag. This time, Man Gu ignored Xiao Canghai's attack.

The most famous cultivation method of the Refining Heaven Hall was the Body Tempering method, and Man Gu, who had cultivated the Body Tempering method to one of the highest levels, was naturally no exception.

Xiao Canghai's attack struck his body, causing excruciating pain, but Man Gu considered it well worth it in exchange for the spirit cleansing pearl.

With the treasure in hand, he immediately fled, leaving only a retreating figure for everyone to watch.

Xiao Canghai saw this and did not give up. Instead, he continued to pursue, vowing not to stop until his goal was achieved.

"I wonder why Xiao Canghai is fighting so fiercely for a spirit cleansing pearl."

"Treasures that can ignite one's strength and cause a desperate burst of power are not common, but the Profound Origin Continent is vast, and such items are not few. Is it worth fighting to the death for such an item?"

The two top geniuses fled into the distance, and only then did the other onlookers begin to discuss.

The spirit cleansing pearl was a treasure that originated from Yunqi Platform.

Its effect was as they described, but the side effects were also significant. After the treasure's effect wore off, one would be utterly exhausted and require a long time to recover.

Some pills could even achieve that level, but they were extremely expensive.

The spirit cleansing pearl could be reused, while pills were one-time items.

These onlookers, of course, did not know why Man Gu and Xiao Canghai, who were genius disciples of top sects in the Central Plains, would fight over such a seemingly good but somewhat redundant treasure.

"The spirit cleansing pearl?"

"Is that the treasure rumored to allow one to comprehend the mysteries of the Entering Profundity?"

"I didn't expect it to be discovered today. In the past, Yunqi Platform was dug three feet deep, and no such treasure ever appeared."

Watching Xiao Canghai and Man Gu leave, Xu Xi naturally understood the purpose of the spirit cleansing pearl.

However, the version circulating among the common folk was already cliché and outdated, so Xu Xi naturally wouldn't believe that Xiao Canghai and Man Gu were fighting over such a treasure.

The key was that there was also a rumor circulating among the high-level sect members.

That is... the spirit cleansing pearl contained the profound mystery of the Entering Profundity. Those who obtained it could use the spirit cleansing pearl to instantly enter the Entering Profundity.

And this was also why Yunqi Platform was initially annihilated by the various demonic sects.

Entering Profundity experts were already considered the backbone of a major war; one more could influence the outcome of the battle, so Yunqi Platform's demise was not unjust.

An innocent man is not guilty, but possessing a treasure makes him so—that's the principle.

Even though Yunqi Platform's Sect Leader was already a nine-realm Dao Entering expert at that time, he still died on the spot when facing the ten-realm Dao Harmonizing demonic Sect Leader.

Yunqi Platform, from top to bottom, was massacred, leaving no survivors.

Of course, in that battle, Yunqi Platform, relying on a large number of Entering Profundity experts, also dealt a heavy blow to the demonic sect. Aside from the demonic Sect Leader, the other demonic scoundrels either died or were injured.

And this became an important reason why cultivators from other states were able to defeat the demonic sect and drive them out of the Profound Origin Continent.

"I want that thing too. I can't use it, but I imagine others need it."

Watching the treasure being snatched away by Man Gu, a hint of fervor flashed in Xu Xi's heart.

The rumors were not groundless. Although Xu Xi had entered the Entering Profundity, he still had a group of people under him eagerly awaiting nourishment.

If the women around him could obtain the spirit cleansing pearl, their chances of breaking through to the Entering Profundity would increase.

With a thought, Xu Xi grabbed Roufu and rushed off.

At the same time, he took out a communication token from his storage bag and informed the others of this matter, letting them know Xu Xi's movements.

Afterward, he began to pursue along the previous trail. Xu Xi, being in the Entering Profundity, ran very fast.

Coupled with the Light Goose Steps, a unique skill given by the system, he left everyone in the dust.

Even though Man Gu and Xiao Canghai had run for quite a while, Xu Xi, a latecomer, still caught up and blocked their path.

It must be said that the things given by the system were indeed excellent; the unique skill actually ignored the limitation of cultivation method quality between cultivators, and could be used at any realm.

The Drunken Sleep Sword appeared in his hand. It was still the commonly used Cán Xīn Sword Qi. Xu Xi did not display his self-comprehended ultimate move.

After all, the things given by the system were deeply imprinted in his mind, so using them wouldn't cause much pressure. They were quick moves but could play a significant role.

Moreover, sword qi could only be unleashed at the Entering Profundity. Although Cán Xīn Sword Qi was somewhat different from true sword qi, and one could distinguish the difference with careful observation, this allowed Xu Xi to better disguise the fact that he was now an Entering Profundity expert.

"Sword qi!?"

"Entering Profundity!?"

Sure enough, another opponent was deceived. Although Man Gu was knowledgeable, came from a top sect in the Central Plains, and had extraordinary insight,

he was still shocked by a single sword qi from Xu Xi, this half-way interceptor. He let out a cry of surprise, then immediately activated his body-tempering cultivation method, his muscles bulging, and his aura suddenly surging forth.

On Man Gu's body, a layer of unknown protective qi enveloped him completely, leaving no part exposed. Man Gu actually blocked Xu Xi's sword qi, which could directly strike cultivators at the peak of Spirit Refinement, purely with his physical body.