"What? An Emperor Treasure has taken human form?"
The moment those words left Yang Kai's lips, the entire cavern shook with shock. Every martial artist turned to stare at the spirit of the demonic weapon, their eyes gradually filling with undisguised greed.
Come now — the mere words "Emperor Treasure" were enough to make anyone drool, but an Emperor Treasure that had actually taken on human form? That was something unheard of, something no one had ever laid eyes on. Its value was simply beyond estimation.
*Gulp...*
The sound of swallowing echoed throughout the chamber. Every gaze fixed upon the spirit burned with covetous fire, and countless spiritual senses swept through the underground space, probing the spirit to see whether its condition truly matched Yang Kai's claim.
After a moment, Qi Sihai let out a low shout: "It really is an Emperor Treasure!"
He could discern the phantom of the demonic warhammer within the spirit's body, and he could clearly sense the Emperor intent and Emperor aura concealed inside — power that no Dao Source Realm martial artist could ever hope to comprehend.
"The Emperor Treasure may be real..." Zhou Wuhu's eyes burned with desire, yet deep within them lurked wariness and caution. "But now that it has taken form, I fear it won't be easy to handle. Everyone, be careful you don't end up empty-handed and covered in trouble instead."
His words were like a bucket of cold water thrown over the crowd. The heated excitement began to cool.
Yang Kai glanced at him and laughed aloud: "If you want something good, you naturally have to accept the risk. Since this old sir is so cautious, why not just leave now? What are you still doing here?"
Zhou Wuhu coughed twice, looking rather sheepish. "Just... just watching. That's all."
Yang Kai said, "This spirit may have taken form, but after being suppressed beneath the Eighteen Stars Formation for countless ages, it is far from its former peak. There is no way it can unleash the full might of an Emperor Treasure. If any of you wish to claim the treasure, you are welcome to join me and strike together. The treasure... goes to those with the destiny to possess it!"
With that, he rallied his remaining strength, unfurled the Hundred-Thousand Sword, and sent a downpour of sword light hurtling toward the spirit.
Seeing him make the first move, the others could no longer hold back.
Every one of them knew there was risk in confronting an Emperor Treasure spirit, but faced with temptation of such magnitude, very few could remain calm and unmoved.
In an instant, the martial artists from every faction surged with source power. Secret arts and combat techniques bloomed in unison, filling the underground space with a kaleidoscope of radiant light.
Several members of the Eight Directions Sect looked ready to join in, but seeing Luo Yuan standing motionless with no intention of intervening, they could only wait anxiously in place, watching the situation unfold.
*Boom, boom, boom...*
Blinding light exploded outward. Dozens of attacks from Dao Source Realm experts struck the spirit's position simultaneously, making it impossible to see what lay within. Any spiritual sense sent in was swallowed clean.
"Is it dead?"
"There's no movement at all — has it really been killed?"
Every person craned their neck toward the spirit, their eyes brimming with hope and anticipation, staring wide as they waited for the result to reveal itself.
The radiance gradually faded. The turbulent energies slowly subsided. But the sight that greeted them caused every heart to sink.
The demonic weapon spirit stood exactly where it had been. The glow about its body was slightly dimmer than before, yet it showed not the slightest sign of damage. If anything, the coordinated assault had only stoked its fury. Its crimson eyes blazed with savage, brutal malice as it swept its gaze across the chamber, seeming to brand the face of every person into its memory. Each martial artist it fixed upon felt a sudden chill creep through their body, as though they had heard the summons of death itself.
"Hiss... It took that many attacks and is completely unscathed. Is this spirit invincible?"
"How are we supposed to fight this?"
"Young Master Yang, the situation seems rather different from what you described..."
Yang Kai's mouth twitched. "Did none of you use your full strength?... This spirit appears to have low intelligence, and it's been suppressed for countless ages — it shouldn't be this powerful!"
"Ahem..." The crowd exchanged embarrassed glances.
In truth, no one had gone all out in that first strike. Every one of them had been saving energy, planning to seize the Emperor Treasure the moment the spirit fell. Now that their combined assault had accomplished nothing and Yang Kai had called them out, they all looked rather uncomfortable.
"Watch out — everyone, strike now! It's about to attack!" Yang Kai's expression suddenly shifted, and he bellowed the warning.
The demonic weapon spirit reached out and grasped the empty air. In an instant, a pitch-black warhammer materialized in its hand — identical to the one Yang Kai had glimpsed within its body before. It was clearly the spirit's own bonded weapon, and its surface crawled with intricate runes that writhed as though alive, harboring mysteries beyond comprehension.
An overwhelming wave of lethal danger radiated outward with the warhammer's appearance.
For reasons no one could explain, every person in that instant felt as though they had plunged into an ice cellar, cold seeping into their very bones...
Over on the other side, Luo Yuan's pupils contracted sharply. Sensing the danger, he turned to the Eight Directions Sect members and snapped, "Fall back!"
Even as the words left his mouth, his body flickered, and he appeared directly above the spirit. His hands formed seals, source power surging through his entire frame, and in a low chant he intoned: "Blazing Solar Wheel!"
A small, blazing sun wreathed in fierce red flames materialized between his palms. The temperature in the underground chamber spiked instantly, making skin feel parched and burning.
Every person felt the devastating destructive force contained within this secret art and turned to watch Luo Yuan with sobered expressions.
The small sun in Luo Yuan's hands plummeted downward like a celestial body falling from the heavens, hurtling straight toward the spirit. Before the attack even arrived, the spirit sensed the danger. Black energy churned wildly across its body, and it let out a string of furious, hissing roars.