Chapter 73: The duck that was almost in our hands just flew away!

The deafening roar of the beast still echoed through the valley, making people's eardrums buzz.

The ground shook violently again, and rocks fell from the valley floor.

Before everyone could recover from their shock, the thick, seven-colored mist deep in the valley suddenly parted to both sides, and a purple-gold figure, as fast as lightning and accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder, rushed straight into the scene!

Its target was clear: the jade box containing the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Lotus in Fang Li's hand!

"Not good!" Xie Chenyu pointed his fan swiftly, and several defensive runes lit up instantly.

Ji Qianqiu roared and punched the figure.

Shen Yunzhou's eyes sharpened, and his icy sword energy condensed once more.

But that purple-gold figure was too fast! Moreover, it seemed to completely ignore all attacks and defenses, like a real lightning bolt, piercing through Xie Chen's rune barrier in an almost illusory way, cleverly avoiding Ji Qianqiu's fist wind, and even ignoring the stagnation brought by Shen Yunzhou's sword energy!

Whoosh!

Everyone felt a blur before their eyes, followed by a slightly tingling sensation.

Fang Li felt a sudden lightness in her hand, and when she looked down, the jade box she had been holding tightly had disappeared!

The purple-gold figure struck successfully and, without pausing, shot back instantly, landing on a towering rock not far away, revealing its true form.

A leopard-shaped monster with a sleek and exceptionally agile physique.

Its entire body was covered in purplish-gold fur, with streaks of silver electricity crackling across its surface. Its pair of beastly eyes were a dazzling gold, and it was currently holding the jade box in its mouth, letting out a low, threatening growl as it warily scanned all the humans below.

"The Purple-Gold Thunder Leopard!" a knowledgeable disciple exclaimed. "It excels in speed, can control lightning, and its innate supernatural power possesses a certain ability to break through magic! No wonder..."

No wonder it was able to penetrate the defenses so easily and steal the jade box!

"This guardian beast has no sportsmanship! It ambushed me! It stole my treasure! Good heavens!" Fang Li was so angry that she stomped her feet inwardly. The duck that was almost in her hand just flew away!

[Host, calm down! Fortune favors the bold! The situation is even more chaotic now, so there might still be an opportunity!] Although the system was also in pain, it quickly analyzed the situation.

In an instant, everyone's gaze shifted from each other to the purple-gold thunder leopard... and the jade box it was carrying.

Greed and hostility spread once again, but this time the target was different.

Just then, the sound of something cutting through the air rang out one after another!

"Haha! What a lively scene! Where is the treasure? Let Shi Poshan take a look!" A loud, boisterous laugh rang out, and a group of disciples dressed in khaki outfits, their muscles bulging, rushed in. The leader was exceptionally tall and imposing; he was a disciple of Shi Potian from the Fan Tian Sect.

As soon as they arrived, their eyes were fixed intently on the jade box in Lei Bao's mouth, rubbing their hands together, making no attempt to hide their intention to seize it.

Almost simultaneously, the mist on the other side parted slightly, and several female disciples dressed in elegant long dresses and carrying various musical instruments appeared silently.

The woman at the head of the group glanced lightly at the crowd and Lei Bao, then stood quietly to the side, as if she were just passing by and observing.

The tense atmosphere became even more delicate with the arrival of these two groups.

"Junior Sister Fang!" A gentle voice rang out, tinged with urgency.

Chu Yunfan arrived quickly with several Qingxu Sect disciples and immediately protected the Tianyan Sect members. He looked at Fang Li with concern and asked, "Are you alright? We rushed over as soon as we heard the roars of beasts and the sounds of fighting."

"Senior Brother Chu." Fang Li breathed a sigh of relief; having another friend is always a source of strength.

At this moment, the small valley and the spirit pool are a gathering of heroes and a diverse mix of people.

The Tianyan Sect and Qingxu Sect have temporarily formed an alliance. Xie Chen's eyes quickly swept across the entire scene, his jade fan in his hand tightened slightly, and his mind was rapidly calculating various possibilities.

Ji Qianqiu, panting heavily, glared fiercely at the thunder leopard, then warily scanned Fan Tianzong's men, his fighting spirit boiling.

Shen Yunzhou remained expressionless, but his sword aura grew increasingly refined, and his icy gaze was primarily fixed on Fan Tianzong and the thunder leopard.

The disciples of the Hehuan Sect, Wanbao Immortal Sect, and Bailu Academy, having caught their breath, exchanged glances and were eager to make their move again, clearly not intending to give up.

The newly arrived disciple of Fantian Sect, Shi Poshan, grinned, cracked his neck, and stared at Lei Bao, looking ready to rush up and snatch it at any moment.

The disciples of the Tianyin Sect remained silent, seemingly detached from the situation, yet they added an invisible pressure to the scene.

Sensing the growing presence of powerful humans below, the Purple-Gold Thunder Leopard grew increasingly agitated. Clutching the jade box in its mouth, it let out a low growl, its body crackling with electricity, exuding a menacing aura.

With multiple parties locked in a standoff, the atmosphere was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring, and the slightest disturbance could ignite a massive melee.

"Tongzi, what do we do? It feels like whoever makes the first move will be targeted by all the fire..." Fang Li's palms were sweating.

[Wait! Or... find a sucker to make the first move!]

Outside the secret realm, the elders before the water mirror displayed various expressions.

Fang Zhengyan frowned, worried about whether his disciple could succeed in the melee.

Hua Qianmei covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes filled with a chaotic yet excited light.

Shi Potian shouted in a booming voice, "Poshan! Grab it for me! Don't embarrass yourself!"

Mu Changchun's brows furrowed with worry.

Yun Miaomiao's gaze kept drifting towards Ye Wuyang's flying boat, seemingly without her noticing.

Meanwhile, Ye Wuyang, aboard the flying boat, indifferently swept his gaze over the figures of each disciple in the water mirror, finally lingering for a moment on the purple-gold thunder leopard.

In the secret realm.

"Grab it!" Shi Poshan was the first to lose his temper. He roared and his body was covered with earthy yellow spiritual power. He actually withstood several bolts of lightning and charged towards the thunder leopard on the rock!

The lightning crackled as it struck him, but he only swayed slightly, his speed undiminished!

"Stop them!"

"The baby is ours!"

The disciples of Wanbao Immortal Sect were the most cunning. They once again pulled out a large number of talismans and disposable magic weapons, and indiscriminately bombarded the area in front of Lei Bao! Fireballs and ice spikes flew wildly, trying to force Lei Bao back and also to stop others from getting close.

"Despicable!" A disciple from Bailu Academy dodged the exploding lightning orb and cursed angrily. He then unrolled his book and shouted, "Bind your feet!"

An invisible force attempted to bind Lei Bao's limbs. Lei Bao only paused for a moment, its body crackling with electricity, before easily breaking free. This only enraged it further, and a thick bolt of lightning struck directly at the academy disciple!

The Hehuan Sect disciples moved swiftly, their eyes sparkling, their laughter emanating a captivating charm that spread throughout the arena, causing those near Lei Bao to sway their minds and lose their footing. It even nearly led several Fantian Sect disciples into a fight among themselves.

The scene instantly descended into complete chaos!

Thunder roared, talismans flew wildly, and shouts, laughter, and furious roars mingled together.

"Form the array!" Xie Chenyu pointed his jade fan repeatedly, and a simple protective array light enveloped the Tianyan Sect and Qingxu Sect members, barely creating a small safe zone amidst the chaos.

His eyes were sharp, and he would occasionally flick his finger to shoot out a disruptive rune, either deflecting the talismans thrown by the Myriad Treasures Immortal Sect or quietly disrupting the charm field set up by the Joyful Union Sect.

Shen Yunzhou's sword was already drawn, its icy sword energy crisscrossing, mainly slashing at the thick lightning bolts that were striking the crowd, each strike precisely freezing or shattering them.

Ji Qianqiu stood guard on the flank, roaring as he punched away any disciples from other sects who tried to break through Xie Chen's formation.

Chu Yunfan held a jade pendant that emitted a soft green light. The calming light enveloped everyone, effectively resisting the alluring interference of the Hehuan Sect.

He kept a close eye on the battle, and if anyone was accidentally grazed by the electric arc or hit by a dirty trick, he would immediately cast a healing spell or detoxification spell on them.

Fang Li hid in the formation, her fingertips flickering with chaotic spiritual energy.

"Damn! It's even more crowded than a train station during the Spring Festival travel rush! There's a gap to the left of Senior Brother Ji! That guy from the Wanbao Immortal Sect to the right of Senior Brother Xie is trying to throw something at people again! Senior Brother Chu, healed me just now, my hand went numb from the electric shock! Senior Brother Shen... hey, don't poke my butt with your sword energy and ice shards!" She frantically dodged various stray bullets, internally complaining wildly, while constantly throwing out talismans.

Her talismans sometimes transformed into raging flames, forcing back the approaching disciples of the Hehuan Sect; sometimes they turned into thick earthen walls, blocking the flying magical artifacts; and sometimes they became swirling streams of water, slightly slowing down Lei Bao's movements.

While the effects of simulating various attributes with chaotic spiritual power are not as good as those of specialization, its value lies in its unpredictability, making it difficult to defend against.

Even more surprisingly, when she occasionally tried to attack directly with chaotic spiritual energy, she could easily penetrate the lightning armor on Lei Bao's body. Although the power was not enough to kill, it clearly made Lei Bao more agitated and wary as he looked at her.

This subtle phenomenon was immediately noticed by several sharp-eyed people in the room, and their gazes toward Fang Li suddenly became more surprised and inquisitive.

Just then, the leading woman among the Tianyin Sect disciples who had been standing quietly by the sidelines suddenly brought a jade-green flute to her lips.

A sharp, piercing sound wave suddenly rang out!

The sound waves had little effect on the others, but when they reached Lei Bao's ears, they caused it to let out a painful and irritable roar. Its movements faltered, and the mouth holding the jade box loosened slightly as it shook its head!

[Host! Now! The Heavenly Sound Sect has controlled it for a moment! That leopard has an old wound on its left forepaw! See how dark it is? Use a sharp metal talisman to hit there! Snatch the lotus seed from its mouth! Hurry!] The system screamed desperately in her mind.

Fang Li's eyes narrowed, and almost the instant the Tongzi finished speaking, the chaotic spiritual power transformed into a sharp metal aura with great penetrating power. A pale golden talisman took shape and shot towards the old wound on Lei Bao's left forepaw that was not easily noticeable!

At the same time, the people who heard her inner "instructions" also subtly adjusted their movements.

Ji Qianqiu suddenly took a step to the left and punched back a Fan Tianzong disciple who was trying to take the opportunity to attack Fang Li.

Xie Chen swept his jade fan, and a gentle breeze just happened to deflect the ice spikes that were shooting towards Fang Li's path.

Shen Yunzhou's sword energy shifted, severing a thick bolt of lightning that was about to strike Fang Li's head in half.

Chu Yunfan's healing green light was always ready to be applied.

puff!

The golden talisman struck the old wound precisely! Lei Bao let out a painful roar, his left paw went limp, his body lost its balance, and the jade box he was holding fell completely downwards!

Fang Li exerted all her strength, pushing her movement technique to its limit, and rushed towards the falling jade box like an arrow released from a bow!

Her hand almost touched the shimmering box!

Outside the secret realm, the elders before the water mirror wore tense expressions. Master Qingxuan was so anxious he was practically jumping up and down.

Ling Xiaozi's gaze followed Shen Yunzhou intently.

Hua Qianmei revealed a cold smile, as if she were watching a good show.

Jin Buhuan's eyes burned with passion.

Shi Potian roared to encourage his disciples.

Mu Changchun clasped his hands together and prayed silently.

Yun Miaomiao's gaze kept drifting towards Ye Wuyang's direction, seemingly without him noticing.

At this critical moment.

A pink ribbon, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, silently crawled out from the shadows of the chaotic battle, and swiftly wrapped around Fang Li's ankle at an extremely tricky angle!

Then, Hua Nongying's sweet laughter rang out, tinged with a hint of smugness:

"Little sister, this wondrous creature is truly destined for me!"