Shhh shhh shhh,
The sound of space being torn apart echoed continuously. Beams of god light shot toward the shattered stone mountain like a meteor shower streaking across the sky.
Just moments ago, the Treasure Bowl had briefly appeared. Although it had vanished, its dazzling brilliance had shaken the heavens and attracted all nearby sentient weapons toward it.
"Fortune, fortune!" the fat Daoist laughed so hard he couldn't close his mouth. He threw Ye Fan aside and, despite his bulky frame, shot into the sky with agile grace, racing directly into the rain of god light.
At the same time, divine rainbows streaked through the air as all the nearby cultivators rushed toward the light shower formed by the sentient weapons.
"Ahhhh…"
But it wasn't a feast, it was a massacre. The sentient weapons flew with terrifying speed and aggression. Over a dozen people were instantly pierced through, their bodies left behind in a trail of blood and death.
The fat Daoist screamed as he tumbled back, bouncing and scrambling for cover. A golden short sword was stuck in his rear end, but he clung tightly to a blood-red shield.
Despite his wincing and grimacing, he had no actual injuries. When he pulled out the golden short sword, there was no blood, it was as if nothing had happened. He muttered, "Sentient weapons don't stop on their own. If you can't catch them mid-flight, you're out of luck."
In comparison, he was lucky. Most of those who charged in were instantly impaled, many dying on the spot.
Whoosh! The fat Daoist chased after the light again. Other cultivators followed, riding divine rainbows in a desperate scramble to snatch the treasures.
At that moment, more beams of god light shot down from the sky, some landing directly on nearby peaks. Several even fell around Ye Fan. But once he saw what they really were, his excitement faded, they were mostly rubble from the shattered Demon Emperor's tomb.
Several cultivators rushed over, combing the mountains and occasionally glancing at Ye Fan.
Clang!
Another object fell from the sky, slamming into the ground. Ye Fan had just picked it up when a group of cultivators surrounded him. He felt frustrated, there was no way he was getting lucky today. Even if he somehow got hold of a hundred sentient weapons, he wouldn't be able to keep any of them.
"If anyone wants this, take it," he said, tossing the object to the ground.
"Who wants a piece of green iron?!"
"I thought it might be treasure, turns out it's just a chunk of scrap copper."
Though the cultivators scoffed, they still inspected the piece carefully. Once they confirmed it was junk, they tossed it back to Ye Fan.
"Better keep it yourself."
"Whose kid is this, running around like this? Courting death already?"
Disappointed, they left to search other peaks.
Ye Fan picked up the palm-sized copper shard again. It felt heavy, like it was part of some larger, broken vessel.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Another dozen cultivators descended, thoroughly scouring the area before requesting the scrap from Ye Fan. They examined it with divine sense before tossing it back and flying away.
In total, more than a dozen groups appeared on the peak, all of them checking the copper in Ye Fan's hands. None found anything, and all left empty-handed. Ye Fan was speechless. These people were practically digging three feet into the ground. Even his piece of scrap copper had been scrutinized to the extreme. Trying to get a sentient weapon today was harder than reaching the heavens.
Eventually, the fat Daoist returned, his face beaming and mouth wide with laughter, it was clear he'd had a good haul.
"Hey kid, what are you hiding now? Don't run, let Daoist Grandpa take a look. Maybe some demon has attached itself to you again. I'll help you exorcise it."
"No way. I'm not giving up this treasure," Ye Fan said, pretending the scrap copper was something valuable and stuffing it into his robe.
The fat Daoist's eyes lit up. "So it's time for me to exorcise a demon for you for the fourth time! We really are fated."
"Save it! If you want this treasure, you'll have to trade for it," Ye Fan said, extending a hand. While he thought the fat Daoist was shameless and annoying, he didn't see him as evil or dangerous. He wasn't too afraid.
"We've met again and again, true destiny indeed. Very well, I'll give you a legendary treasure in exchange," said the fat Daoist as he rummaged in his robes.
"Who's destined with you?! I hope I never see you again in this life." Ye Fan grew more irritated when he saw the so-called "treasure." It was a dull, chipped jade pendant that looked more like a piece of broken stone than any kind of treasure.
Ye Fan was about to toss it aside, but the fat Daoist stopped him and stuffed it back into his robe. "Keep it. This might save your life one day." Then he quickly took the scrap copper.
"Amitabha!, Treasure my ass! This is the treasure you were talking about? It's just a rusty hunk of copper!" The fat Daoist shot Ye Fan a side glance but didn't treat the piece casually. He flipped it over, studied it carefully, and even examined it with divine sense for a full fifteen minutes.
Clang!
At last, the fat Daoist tossed it to the ground, his face filled with disappointment. "Looks like I was overthinking it. You keep it."
Ye Fan rolled his eyes. He had never seen someone so greedy. The guy had studied a piece of junk metal like it was a sacred relic.
"Even a pearl can be buried in dust. If no one recognizes it, I'll just keep it myself." Ye Fan casually picked it up. After all the cultivators had examined it and tossed it back, he didn't believe it was anything special. He was only using it to mess with the fat Daoist.
He had no interest in staying in these ruins any longer and prepared to leave.
The fat Daoist didn't stop him. He wandered around the mountain, muttering, "Where's the Eastern Wilderness supreme treasure…"
Before long, Ye Fan had left the area. There were no more cultivators in sight. He began channeling the secret techniques recorded in the Dao Scripture, speeding away from the ruins.
From his golden Bitter Sea, threads of golden light surged out and spread throughout his body, nourishing his organs, flesh, and bones. He felt invigorated and ran faster and faster.
"Huh?!"
Ye Fan suddenly gasped. Looking down, he saw the scrap copper was changing. Layers of rust flaked off, revealing a simple yet majestic appearance.
At a glance, it still looked ordinary, just a shard from some broken vessel. But upon closer inspection, it radiated a mysterious, indescribable aura. There was a profound sense of antiquity and grandeur.
Ye Fan continued channeling the Dao Scripture, golden threads flowing from his fingertips toward the copper plate. Yet no matter how much god energy he infused from his Bitter Sea, the green copper didn't respond, it remained still and silent.
"This thing… might not be ordinary…"
Ye Fan tucked the green copper back into his robe and resumed his run. His golden Bitter Sea kept flowing out golden threads, giving him endless vitality and speed.
Hiss!
Suddenly, Ye Fan froze. He felt a chill below his navel, and it was as if something had entered his Bitter Sea. Alarmed, he stopped and checked his robe, the green copper was gone. His heart sank as a realization hit him. He immediately looked inward.
"What the…" The green copper had entered his Bitter Sea. It sat quietly within, unmoving, like an eternal, immovable rock.
The golden Bitter Sea, no bigger than a soybean, glowed like a bright moon in the darkness. Inside, besides the tiny page of golden scripture, there was now a piece of ancient green copper. It occupied the very center, pushing the golden scripture to the side.
Although the golden page shimmered with godly brilliance like the stars, it couldn't budge the green copper. It had been forced to the edge of the Bitter Sea.
"What is this green copper…" Ye Fan was stunned. He carefully examined his Bitter Sea and saw that the copper now bore mysterious dao runes across its surface.