Inside Li's Treasure Pavilion, the atmosphere was tense and solemn, and everyone's breathing became cautious, fearing to disturb this solemn and mysterious moment.
Xue'er, Xiao Jin, Xiao Wa, Liu Yalan, and the other shop assistants all stared intently at the direction of the secret chamber, their bodies and faces illuminated by countless spiritual lights, filled with shock.
They deeply felt a power completely different from the array force blocked by the concealing formation outside the Treasure Firm.
The powerful artifact might fluctuations generated when a Seven-Tier Cave Heaven Spirit Treasure advanced were like an irresistible torrent, clearly transmitted to them.
It was a terrifying Spiritual Pressure, so powerful it made one's heart palpitate, as if an invisible force was squeezing their Souls. The wondrous Five-Colored spiritual light and the great power that distorted space left them even more dumbfounded and shaken.
Inside the secret chamber, the Spiritual Pressure fluctuations released by that high-tier Spirit Treasure produced an indescribable charm, emitting a Spiritual Pressure like a giant mountain, making them breathless, as if it would completely destroy the entire Treasure Firm… Through the thick secret chamber, Five-Colored spiritual light leaked out, dancing in the air like dazzling ribbons, outlining a mysterious and magnificent picture…
This magnificent and wondrous scene made them feel as if they were in a dream world. Although they were outside the secret chamber, the terrifying Spiritual Pressure leaking from within still brought them a huge impact. They deeply felt their own insignificance and powerlessness, as if in the face of this vast and wondrous fluctuation, they were as tiny as dust, unable to even think of resisting it.
In the face of this artifact might fluctuation, their heartbeats accelerated wildly, their Souls were so awed they couldn't move, and the entire Treasure Firm's space, under the influence of this vast and wondrous fluctuation, seemed to be infused with vitality, becoming vibrant. It was also as if they were in another space, where the boundaries of time and space became blurred, and they lost all sense of direction.
In the face of this powerful force, everyone felt an unprecedented sense of insignificance and powerlessness. Even through dozens of inches of thick green steel rock, they could still clearly feel the strong impact of this artifact might fluctuation. What kind of thrilling scene would it be if they were to face this power directly inside the secret chamber?
Everyone couldn't help but wonder, and at the same time, they felt more worried about Li Mu in the secret chamber.
Inside the secret chamber, Li Mu was fully concentrating on forming hand seals, trying to stabilize the artifact might fluctuations released during the Painting World Treasure Mansion Spirit's advancement.
Each artifact might fluctuation was as fierce as a storm. Li Mu stood firm at the array position, fully channeling his True Essence, condensing array force, and suppressing the powerful fluctuations emanating from the Painting World Treasure Mansion Spirit.
Within the array, the Painting World Treasure Mansion's manifested Spirit, a Five-Colored Little Snake, writhed in the Void Realm. Each struggle seemed to endure immense pain. Its body flickered with Five-Colored light, as if undergoing a transformation.
However, the pain of this transformation made it unable to control itself. Each struggle and each tremor made the surrounding space tremble.
This Painting World Treasure Mansion was originally a Seven-Tier Cave Heaven Spirit Treasure, possessing powerful spatial attributes and being mysterious and unfathomable. Since it was acquired by Li Mu, it began a new journey.
Li Mu even abandoned his Lifebound Treasure, the Five Elements Spirit Mountain, and refined it into the Painting World Treasure Mansion, giving it not only the Foundation of Five Elements True Essence but also new vitality.
The power of Five Elements is the basis for the evolution of all things in heaven and earth. After the Painting World Treasure Mansion refined the Five Elements Spirit Mountain, its deficiencies in the Dao of Artifact Refining were made whole.
From then on, the Painting World Treasure Mansion possessed the Foundation and potential to advance another tier. After devouring high-tier heaven and earth spiritual items such as the Dragon-shaped Spiritual Vein and earth vein spirit marrow, it finally completed the accumulation for advancing to an Eight-Tier Cave Heaven Spirit Treasure.
At this moment, the Painting World Treasure Mansion Spirit seemed to be undergoing a Bloodline transformation, a process of a spiritual snake transforming into a Dragon.
This was a complete metamorphosis, full of pain and unimaginable difficulty. The Five-Colored Little Snake continuously writhed in the air, each writhe carrying a powerful force, as if to tear apart the entire space… Its body flickered with Five-Colored light, as Five-Colored scales peeled off one by one, and new scales formed.
The Five-Colored Little Snake was undergoing a baptism from the inside out. Every inch of its skin, every cell, was experiencing the pain of transformation… The process of transformation was extremely painful and extremely long for the Spirit.
Time flew by, one hour, two hours…
In the blink of an eye, night fell, and darkness enveloped the earth. The Five-Colored spiritual light in the secret chamber gradually receded, and the powerful artifact might fluctuations also ceased.
When Li Mu emerged from the secret chamber, even with his Five Elements Dao Body, he appeared exceptionally fatigued, his entire body pale, his hands and feet trembling, clearly having endured an unimaginable expenditure of spiritual energy.
“Lord Li, are you alright?!” Xue’er’s voice trembled slightly as she hurried forward to support Li Mu, fearing he might collapse.
Xue'er's eyes were filled with worry and concern for Li Mu. In her eyes, Li Mu's safety was more important than anything else.
“I’m fine! It’s finally over.” Li Mu gently shook his head, trying his best to force out a happy smile to comfort Xue’er.
However, Li Mu’s voice revealed deep exhaustion. This exhaustion was not only physical but more so from the emptiness after a large consumption of spiritual essence, as well as immense mental and Spiritual Pressure.
To suppress the fluctuations from the Painting World Treasure Mansion's advancement, Li Mu had almost exhausted all his strength and energy. Now, he felt like an orange squeezed dry of its moisture, feeling tired and powerless both inside and out.
Xue’er looked at Li Mu’s tired face and forced smile, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart. She quickly asked, “Lord Li, do you need to take a Spirit Pill? I have some here!”
“No need, I’ve already taken one. I just need to rest a bit!” Li Mu smiled and replied.
“Master, that was the Five-Colored Snake’s commotion, right! Is it alright! Did it succeed!” Xiao Jin glanced at Shopkeeper Liu, then leaned closer to Li Mu and whispered.
Only they knew the secret of the Painting World Treasure Mansion. Xiao Jin's inquiry was very cautious.
Li Mu didn't respond, only smiled and nodded at it.
Seeing this, Xue’er, Xiao Jin, and Xiao Wa all breathed a sigh of relief, feeling happy for Li Mu.
“Building Master, there are many high-tier Cultivators waiting outside the Treasure Firm at this moment, including several Elders from Wanxing Sect and Shenhai Sect, over a dozen Soul Transformation Island Masters, and many well-known Loose Cultivators. They were all drawn by your Spirit Treasure and are gathered outside the building, unwilling to leave… This situation is quite tricky right now.” Liu Yalan took a deep breath, stepped forward, and cupped her hands to Li Mu, seeking his instructions.
Today, this sudden incident shocked all the shop assistants in Li's Treasure Pavilion. They were surprised by the high-tier Spirit Treasure their Building Master possessed, but what frightened them even more and made their hearts pound was that many high-tier Cultivators were surrounding the Treasure Firm, their oppressive Aura making them unwilling to leave for a long time.
This terrifying scene was a first for them. The shop assistants were all filled with nervousness and unease, looking at Li Mu anxiously, unsure how the Building Master would resolve this frightening problem.
Li Mu pondered for a moment, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
Li Mu understood the purpose of these high-tier Cultivators gathering here. This problem was indeed difficult to solve. The only way now was to reveal his true identity. He hoped that the identity of a Six-Tier Grandmaster Refiner could deter their greed.
“Master, quickly summon Big Brother Qing Yue, Ginseng King, and the others! Aren’t they just some insignificant trash! Let us go out and drive them away!”
At this moment, Xiao Jin’s eyes shone with golden light, burning with rage, and all its fur stood on end, as if it could devour people, as it spoke.
“That’s right! Let these arrogant fellows see how powerful we are!” Xiao Wa also chimed in indignantly, his voice filled with disdain for the enemies and a desire for battle.
“Alright! Alright! All you know is fighting and killing. Let me rest a bit more. I have my own way of dealing with this matter!” Li Mu replied with a smile, his tone carrying a hint of ease and casualness, as if the high-tier Cultivators gathered outside were not a big problem for him.
“It’s getting late. Xue’er, have someone prepare the spiritual meal!” Li Mu looked up at the sky, feeling it was time for a meal, and instructed Xue’er.
Xue’er was pleasantly surprised to find that Li Mu wasn't boasting. She keenly sensed his current emotions: calm, confident, and completely unconcerned about the high-tier Cultivators outside.
“Okay, I’ll go arrange it right away!” Xue’er happily agreed, immediately feeling relieved, and got up to walk towards the inner hall.
“I made you all worry. Let’s eat first. After we’re full, I’ll go deal with them. This matter is easy to solve, you don’t need to worry. Since they are willing to wait, let them wait. We’ll just eat our meal!” Li Mu looked at the worried shop assistants and comforted them with a smile.
Li Mu displayed a calm and composed smile, full of strong confidence, and the shop assistants immediately felt much more at ease, heading towards the inner hall one after another.
“Shopkeeper Liu, everyone worked hard today. Please make a note to reward each person a thousand Spirit Stones as comfort. Remember, keep today’s events strictly confidential!” After seeing the shop assistants off, Li Mu looked at Liu Yalan and said with a smile.
Liu Yalan nodded, making a note of Li Mu's instructions.
Soon after, Xue’er brought several shop assistants to serve the dishes one by one: roasted spiritual chicken, steamed spiritual fish… Each exquisite spiritual meal exuded an overflowing aroma that made one's mouth water.
Under the warm lamplight, looking at the table full of delicious spiritual meals, Li Mu curved his lips into a slight smile and warmly invited everyone to sit down and enjoy the lavish meal.
The shop assistants took their seats one after another, smiles on everyone's faces. They enjoyed the delicious food while chatting about recent interesting anecdotes, and the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant. It was as if the previous crisis had never happened, and as if there were no high-tier Cultivators waiting outside the Treasure Firm.
Outside Li's Treasure Pavilion, the night deepened like heavy ink. The biting wind howled, and the bone-chilling cold swept through every corner, yet it could not shake the determination of those high-tier Cultivators who stood guard. They waited silently outside the Treasure Firm, their eyes fixed on the Treasure Firm's main entrance, waiting for Li's Treasure Pavilion to open its protective formation.
However,
“Damn it! If Li’s Treasure Pavilion doesn’t open its protective formation, aren’t we going to wait here like idiots?” A Soul Transformation Cultivator with silver hair looked at Li’s Treasure Pavilion’s formation and complained impatiently, his face filled with anxiety.
“What is the background of this Li’s Treasure Pavilion’s owner? How dare he humiliate us high-tier Cultivators like this?” Another Soul Transformation Cultivator said indignantly, clearly very displeased with Li Mu’s actions.
“I don’t know! However, it seems Wanbao Pavilion and Four Seasons Trading Company both tried to act against Li’s Treasure Pavilion before, but in the end, it came to nothing, and they were forced to cooperate!” A more well-informed Nascent Soul cultivator revealed.
“Is that true? Don’t any of you know who the power behind this Treasure Firm is?” A Soul Transformation Elder from Star Sea Sect asked curiously, clearly very interested in Li’s Treasure Pavilion’s background.
…
For a time, everyone was discussing, various conjectures and speculations intertwined under the night. However, no matter how they guessed, Li's Treasure Pavilion remained tightly shut, its formation continuously operating, as if demonstrating its unshakeable resolve.
After eating and drinking to their fill, Li Mu seemed to sense something. He had everyone go to the inner hall to rest, while he, accompanied by Xiao Jin and Xiao Wa, went to the main hall of the Treasure Firm, preparing to close the formation and greet the Cultivators outside.
Li Mu stood in the center of the main hall, took a deep breath, formed hand seals, and gradually closed the dozen or so protective formations that were operating.
In an instant, Li’s Treasure Pavilion’s protective formations began to change. The powerful array force emanating around the Treasure Firm receded rapidly like a tide, and the formation’s light gradually dimmed until it completely disappeared.
“It opened! Finally couldn’t hold it in anymore?”
“Haha! The formation is finally closed! What exactly is that Spirit Treasure? Hurry up and show it to this Daoist!”
…
The Cultivators who had been waiting outside the Treasure Firm for a long time excitedly shouted. They had waited so long and finally got a response. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the main entrance of Li's Treasure Pavilion.
However, just then, a Seven-Tier Azure Dragon appeared above Wanxing Island, flying through the air and speeding towards Li's Treasure Pavilion, finally descending directly from the sky with an extremely fierce Aura.
Noticing this, the Cultivators who were about to enter Li's Treasure Pavilion were all greatly alarmed and quickly retreated.
Behind the Seven-Tier Azure Dragon was a string of Nascent Soul patrols. They followed closely, relentlessly pursuing, but they could only send out a warning to Wanxing Island, their speed far from comparable to the Seven-Tier Azure Dragon.
Just then, the gate of Li’s Treasure Pavilion opened, and a young Nascent Soul cultivator emerged. He was dressed in a green robe, with a delicate face and elegant demeanor, a smile on his face, as he slowly walked out of the Treasure Firm’s gate. Behind him were two burly figures, one on his left and one on his right, surrounding and protecting him.
With a “boom,” the Seven-Tier Azure Dragon landed on the ground, transforming into a handsome young man. His eyes were sharp, and he arrogantly swept his gaze around.
Also landing were three other figures: an old man transformed from a Seven-Tier plant-type Spiritual Root, a red-clothed woman transformed from a Six-Tier Fire Phoenix, and a young man transformed from a Six-Tier Ape. After landing, they all stood behind the young Nascent Soul cultivator.
“Everyone, welcome to my humble establishment. I had an urgent matter just now and was unable to entertain you Seniors, please forgive me!” Li Mu said with a smile, looking at the twenty-odd Soul Transformation Cultivators and three Void Refining Cultivators present, cupping his hands in apology.
Seeing this scene, the expectant and joyful Soul Transformation Cultivators and Void Refining Cultivators exchanged glances, collectively falling silent. (End of Chapter)
