This surprised Lu Xuan quite a bit, because it meant he could take it away relatively easily.
However, just as Lu Xuan was making various attempts, the entire Heavenly Treasure Vault suddenly shook violently. Lu Xuan couldn't see what was happening inside, but he could roughly guess what was going on.
Suddenly, a large expanse of orange-yellow color slowly appeared in the sky, covering an area of several tens of feet in diameter, and enveloped them, even blocking out the sunlight.
Then, a clear, phoenix-like cry seemed to echo from the sky.
It was a gigantic bird with a wingspan of hundreds of feet. It was none other than the Nine Heavens Mystic Bird, the Yellow Bird, from the world of Jade Dynasty. Seeing the Heavenly Treasure Vault open, the Yellow Bird was clearly furious. However, seemingly bound by some constraint, it dared not directly attack the Heavenly Emperor's Treasure Vault. It could only vent its anger on its surroundings.
This creature is an ancient divine beast. Its power is so immense that even Lu Xuan cannot directly confront it. It actually shook this colossal tree that reaches the heavens and the earth.
Sensing the arrival of the yellow bird, Lu Xuan knew it was time to bring this treasure hunt to a close. After all, that thing was different from the Black Water Serpent. The yellow bird could fly, which made it more than ten times more dangerous. Lu Xuan had absolutely no desire to confront it head-on.
Therefore, Lu Xuan swiftly collected all his gains and then quickly withdrew from the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury.
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Chapter 440 Swamp Fishmen
The yellow bird spotted Lu Xuan almost instantly. It didn't see the spiritual herb it was guarding in Lu Xuan's hand. However, the herb's aura had already vanished, so it naturally rushed towards Lu Xuan. At this, the surrounding cultivators who were preparing to attack could only retreat.
The sheer size of the yellow bird alone instilled a sense of powerlessness in those around it. Moreover, it seemed to possess some kind of innate ability to control the wind. Before its body even landed, the gale-force winds had already rendered the surrounding crowd unable to stand. The cultivators could only fly further away to witness Lu Xuan's fate.
Having once fought the Blackwater Serpent, Lu Xuan knew the power of these ancient divine beasts. For one thing, these creatures possessed extremely strong resistance to magic. Unless he used Thunder Prison or the True Fire of the Sun, it would be virtually impossible to determine a winner. However, Lu Xuan really didn't want to risk his life to kill these rare ancient behemoths. After all, in this world, they might be unique. Moreover, they often carried some special Heavenly Dao mission, so it was best not to kill them indiscriminately.
Surrounded by dozens of cultivators, Lu Xuan used the Shrinking Earth to an Inch technique, instantly disappearing from sight. At the same time, he also transmitted his voice to his disciples.
"You all retreat first. We'll meet up on the outskirts." Hongyu had accompanied him on this trip. Therefore, Lu Xuan wasn't worried about their safety, and even worried about those cultivators who wanted to reap the benefits. Hongyu's personality wasn't like his; she wouldn't engage in verbal sparring before taking action. If she was displeased, she would simply draw her sword and strike. Over the past few hundred years, her cultivation had progressed at a speed no less than Lu Xuan's. If the Golden Cicada were unsheathed, those weaklings wouldn't be enough for her to cut down.
Lu Xuan didn't immediately stray too far, but instead kept a distance, dangling the yellow bird. That guy doesn't seem to be very bright. The fourth bird followed behind.
Along the way, countless poisonous insects and wild beasts were startled and scattered in panic. The entire forest was swept up by the gale. Towering trees, too large for one person to encircle, were directly torn away by the wind. Lu Xuan on the ground was also somewhat disheveled, dodging left and right. It wasn't that he didn't want to fly. Rather, the yellow bird possessed a certain suppressive force on flight. It was probably its wind-controlling power that created a kind of domain-like effect. If he were to be accidentally swept into it, Lu Xuan would have to fight it to the death.
Seeing that they were close enough, Lu Xuan decided to end the chase. He didn't have time to play this game with the yellow bird; he needed to hurry back to study the true effects of these treasures.
Thinking this, Lu Xuan used several flashes to escape the Yellow Bird's attack range. Then, he used Earth Escape and Wood Escape alternately, and within a few breaths, he was completely out of the Yellow Bird's pursuit range. These ancient divine beasts possessed explosive attack and defense capabilities. However, as beasts, their use of supernatural powers was still too crude.
After a series of long escapes, Lu Xuan emerged from underground. He then discovered a somewhat embarrassing problem: he had lost his way. This wasn't due to a lack of skill, but rather because all the spiritual energy in this forest was subject to some kind of special constraint.
This means that the information obtained here through spiritual power is different from that outside. Lu Xuan flew all the way here and didn't realize the consequences of this difference. Well, he never expected that he would be here without any problems, but now he can't go back...
However, for Lu Xuan, it was a minor matter. He only needed to fly to find a way out and leave this place quickly.
But then he heard some strange noises.
Some very chaotic shouts, seemingly in some unfamiliar language.
Lu Xuan took to the air and flew silently over. Then he saw a scene that greatly surprised him. He saw a tribe of fishmen.
On his way here, Lu Xuan had noticed a strange mermaid in the Death Swamp. It could use water magic and possessed a certain level of intelligence. He had initially assumed it was a native creature of the Death Swamp. But now, something seemed amiss.
There were simply too many merfolk before them. A rough count suggested at least three thousand. These three thousand or more were intelligent merfolk capable of using water magic and possessed extraordinary ferocity in combat. Let alone small sects, even medium-sized sects would be completely overwhelmed if this level of power were unleashed.
The key point is that these fish-men wield uniform forked weapons, faintly glowing with spiritual energy. However, they wear tattered furs. Given their intelligence and civilization, they are far from reaching this level. This gave Lu Xuan a strange idea. Had someone cultivated such an army?
The merfolk appeared to be performing some kind of priestly ritual. They carried several humans and placed them on a high platform resembling an altar. Then, an elderly merfolk stepped forward, wielding a large cleaver, seemingly preparing to dismember the human. Although this sacrifice was quite different from the heart-ripping and blood-draining ritual Lu Xuan had imagined, he couldn't possibly stand by and watch such a thing happen.
On the altar, several rogue cultivators stared in horror at the merfolk's raised swords. They were all poisoned by a strange toxin, rendering them unable to gather their spiritual power. They could only watch helplessly as the swords fell, closing their eyes and awaiting death.
But after waiting and waiting, he felt no pain. So, he slightly opened his eyes and saw a human face looking at him. Looking around, he saw the two unfortunate souls who had been captured at the same time were also beside him. It seemed he was saved.
The rogue cultivator struggled to sit up. Then he finally saw Lu Xuan's appearance clearly.
"Sect Master Lu!!" The three were shocked at the same time. After all, the person in front of them was the strongest cultivator in the world. However, they were then reassured. With Lu Xuan by their side, they had nothing to fear from those fishmen.
"Greetings, Sect Leader Lu. Thank you for saving my life. I am deeply grateful for your kindness and will serve you faithfully to repay this debt of gratitude."
The three were clever, and Lu Xuan, as the number one expert in the cultivation world, joined the Hidden Immortal Sect, which offered the best treatment in the cultivation world. Countless rogue cultivators wanted to join.
However, since the Hidden Immortal Sect accepted a group of disciples ten years ago, there has been no news of them accepting any more. This has made those rogue cultivators who were hesitant back then deeply regretful. Now that they have this opportunity, how could they let it slip by?
Lu Xuan was also stunned by the three people's amazing actions. Then he waved and helped them up.
"Let's leave that aside for now. I'm asking you, what happened? How did you get captured by these things?"
"Reporting to Sect Master Lu, the three of us are all rogue cultivators with average cultivation levels. We came here simply to broaden our horizons. After the major sects entered, we followed suit. However, our cultivation levels were too low, and we soon fell behind. Thus, we got lost in the swamp. Somehow, we ended up here. Our cultivation levels are too low, and there are too many fishmen..."
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Chapter 441 A Thick Fog
"So, you were arrested around here?"
"That's right, this looks like their nest!"
“This is no ordinary nest. I encountered these things when I went into the swamp. They are ferocious and violent, and although they are not unintelligent, they do behave like wild beasts. But these are no ordinary wild beasts.”
The three rogue cultivators listened to Lu Xuan's words for a while, carefully pondering their meaning. Then, they were suddenly shocked.
"Does Sect Leader Lu mean that someone is behind this?"
"Hmph, these fish-men are a type of swamp mermaid from the Hundred Thousand Mountains of Southern Xinjiang. They've never set foot in the north. That's because the Fenxiang Valley guards the only path between the north and south. The Fenxiang Valley's status as one of the three major righteous sects is undoubtedly related to this. After all, their actions have protected the peace of the north. But it seems that what they've done is far from enough?"
Lu Xuan's tone was somewhat cold when he spoke. The three rogue cultivators sensed that something was amiss. However, they dared not speculate wildly. After all, neither this person before them nor the Incense Burning Valley were people they could afford to offend.
Lu Xuan thought for a moment, then suddenly took to the air and flew off in another direction. The three people on the ground quickly gave chase.