Xiao Chen raised his hand and pressed it against his chest; the lingering pain in his internal organs had not completely subsided.
He looked at Lu Zhenhai and said calmly, "Patriarch Lu, the matter of the barrier is not urgent. I need to go into seclusion to heal my injuries first. Once I am fully recovered, I will go with you to explore the mountains."
"If there are any abnormalities in the barrier at that time, please inform me."
Lu Zhenhai nodded hurriedly, his face full of eagerness: "Don't worry, young friend!"
"I'll have someone prepare the best quiet room for you right away, along with the healing elixirs you need. I promise I won't disturb your seclusion!"
He knew Xiao Chen's importance. He would not hesitate to prepare a quiet room, let alone ask Xiao Chen for the Lu family's treasured spiritual medicines.
Soon, the Lu family prepared the quietest room in the back mountain, set up a spirit-gathering array inside, and placed many spiritual herbs for condensing qi and healing injuries.
After entering the quiet room, Xiao Chen took out the healing pills left by his master Lin Zhou. It was a pure white "Spirit Nourishing Pill", which was several times more effective than the spiritual medicines of the Lu family.
The pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth, its gentle medicinal power slowly spreading, not only repairing his damaged internal organs but also subtly neutralizing the world's rejection of him.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
The door to the quiet room slowly opened, and Xiao Chen stepped out, his aura appearing even more refined than before.
His cultivation at the early stage of Nirvana Realm was completely stable, and the sense of rejection within his body had dissipated by more than half. Now he could unleash 90% of his strength.
He stretched and felt refreshed; his previous injuries had completely healed.
As soon as he stepped out of the meditation room, he saw Lu Zhenhai leading Lu Duxian and Lu Yuexi towards him, his face full of joy: "Young friend! You've finally emerged from seclusion!"
"The barrier deep within the Yunlan Mountains is moving; the spiritual energy fluctuations are more pronounced than before. We're waiting for you to come and investigate together!"
Xiao Chen nodded: "Let's go."
The group of four headed deeper into the Yunlan Mountains. The Lu family disciples along the way had already received orders to stand guard on the outer perimeter of the mountains.
The deeper one ventures, the denser the spiritual energy in the air becomes. At the very heart of the mountains, a pale blue, transparent barrier floats in mid-air.
A faint shimmering light emanated from within the barrier, and pure spiritual energy overflowed from the gaps in the barrier, making one feel completely comfortable.
“This is it.” Lu Zhenhai pointed to the barrier, his tone filled with anticipation. “The barrier’s fluctuations have been getting bigger and bigger these past few days. Maybe it will dissipate on its own soon.”
Lu Yuexi curiously reached out and touched the barrier. A gentle yet firm force pushed her hand away. "What an amazing barrier. It looks transparent, but it's so hard."
Just then, a series of chaotic footsteps came from afar, accompanied by He Xiong's arrogant laughter: "Hahaha! Lu Zhenhai, you guys are quick on your feet!"
Everyone turned to look and saw He Xiong leading dozens of He family cultivators in a grand procession, including many elders at the Nirvana Realm.
Zhao Lie was among them, but his empty right sleeve was particularly noticeable, and his eyes were full of resentment as he looked at Xiao Chen.
Lu Zhenhai's face darkened. He stepped forward and glared at He Xiong: "He Xiong! You've come at the perfect time!"
"Your He family lost the competition half a month ago. The Yunlan Mountains are my Lu family's territory. What are you doing here with so many people?!"
He Xiong chuckled, his gaze sweeping over the pale blue barrier, his eyes filled with greed: "Patriarch Lu, you can't say that."
"A treasure has been born behind this barrier, and its spiritual energy has even reached Yong'an City. This is an opportunity that concerns the entire city of Yong'an. How can it only be attributed to your Lu family?"
"Our He family is here to watch the excitement and also to help investigate, so that your Lu family won't be overwhelmed and the treasure falls into the hands of outsiders."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone understood that "watching the show" was a pretense; their real intention was to seize the treasure!
The He family lost the competition and were unwilling to give up the Yunlan Mountains. Now that they saw the barrier was moving, they wanted to take this opportunity to forcibly get a share of the spoils.
Lu Duxian gritted his teeth in anger: "He Xiong! Have you no shame? You admitted defeat half a month ago, and now you're trying to steal it again. You've completely disgraced the He family!"
He Xiong's face darkened, and he was about to retort when another series of steady footsteps approached.
The city lord walked in with several guards, his aura of a half-step Dao Realm cultivator slowly spreading out, making everyone present feel a little breathless.
"City Lord?" Lu Zhenhai and He Xiong were both stunned, not expecting the City Lord to come.
The city lord stroked his beard, a mysterious smile appearing on his face: "I've heard that a treasure has appeared in the Cloud Mist Mountains, so I've come to see for myself."
"It will also protect the cultivators of Yong'an City, so that no one will damage the harmony of Yong'an City by fighting for treasures."
This statement seems fair, but everyone knows that the city lord is also trying to get involved!
He had remained inactive before because he feared danger behind the barrier. Now that the Lu and He families had arrived, he wanted to reap the benefits. If there really was a treasure, with his strength, no one could compete with him.
Lu Zhenhai looked at the He family members, then at the city lord, his expression growing increasingly grim. What was originally an opportunity for the Lu family...
Now, the He family and the city lord's mansion have joined forces, and the battle for this treasure is likely to be even more dangerous than the competition half a month ago!
Xiao Chen stood to the side, his gaze fixed on the pale blue barrier, his brows furrowing slightly. He could sense that the barrier contained not only pure spiritual energy, but also...
There was also a hidden, unfamiliar aura, which was neither like that of a cultivator nor a demon beast, but rather like that of some ancient artifact.
He thought to himself: Behind this barrier, there is probably more than just a simple treasure.
Lu Zhenhai clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, but ultimately he didn't dare utter the words "get rid of them."
With He Xiong, a Nirvana Peak cultivator, leading the He family, and the city lord's strength surpassing theirs, the combined power of the two forces could easily crush the Lu family.
He could only grit his teeth and swallow his anger, coldly saying, "Since the city lord says so, then so be it."
"But let's get this straight: this Yunlan Mountain Range is the Lu family's territory. If there are any treasures, the Lu family should have the first choice!"
"Hahaha! The Lu family gets to choose first?"
He Xiong seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. He rubbed his hands together, his eyes fixed on the pale blue barrier, greed almost overflowing from them.
"Lu Zhenhai, don't you see the situation now! If there really were treasures, would it be your Lu family's turn? Whoever has the ability can take them!"
The He family cultivators behind him also joined in the commotion, their hands on their weapons, looking ready to snatch it at any moment.
Zhao Lie stared intently at Xiao Chen, a sinister smile curling at the corner of his mouth. If things got chaotic later, he could finally get revenge for losing his arm.
The city lord stroked his beard, his gaze sweeping over the three parties present, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority: "Alright, no need to argue. The barrier remains unbroken, and no one knows what's inside."
"When the barrier dissipates and the treasure appears, it will be up to each person to rely on their own abilities. Whoever is quickest will get the treasure. As the city lord, I can ensure fairness."
This sounds fair, but everyone knows that "each to their own" is just a polite way of putting it. With the city lord's strength, if there are really good things, no one can snatch them from him.
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