Bai Yu's eyes lit up at the proposal. Compared to Leng Ning, cooperating with Yun Zhonghe offered far greater advantages. At the very least, once they seized the spiritual liquid, he would not have to face the relentless pursuit and siege of the Immortal Sword Gang.

However, Bai Yu did not rush to agree. If he joined forces with Yun Zhonghe to eliminate Leng Ning, what would happen if Yun Zhonghe went back on his word? He might end up with absolutely nothing while completely offending a formidable adversary like Leng Ning.

The three of them stood in a tense standoff on the peak, and for a moment, silence reigned.

It is cold at the top. High upon the summit, the mountain winds howled, biting and relentless.

Before long, Leng Ning's delicate nose twitched slightly. She cast her gaze toward the spiritual liquid within the stone platform, a flicker of doubt crossing her eyes.

"There is something wrong with this spiritual medicine!" Leng Ning suddenly declared.

Yun Zhonghe and Bai Yu's immediate reaction was that the cold beauty was trying to play a trick.

"What could be wrong with it?" Bai Yu asked, his brow furrowing.

"It has only been a short while, yet the spiritual Qi of this medicine is no longer as rich as before. Furthermore, this is a natural spiritual treasure emerging from the earth. The aura this liquid emits is far too weak to match such a treasure."

Hearing Leng Ning's explanation, Bai Yu and Yun Zhonghe felt their hearts tighten, and their gazes instantly locked onto the stone recess.

Sure enough, as they carefully sensed the spiritual Qi wafting from the depression, they found it lacked a certain intrinsic vitality.

The three quickly gathered around. Yun Zhonghe dipped a finger, touching a single drop of the liquid to his tongue. The moment he tasted its properties, his expression twisted in shock.

"If I am not mistaken, the spiritual liquid has already been swapped!"

Leng Ning and Bai Yu immediately tested the medicinal efficacy for themselves, and a torrent of fury instantly erupted in their chests.

To think they had been confronting each other up here for so long, practically at each other's throats, only to be fighting over a counterfeit!

Recalling the performance of that miserable brat earlier, the three were so enraged that smoke practically rose from their seven orifices. Not only had the boy's acting been flawless, but he had also cursed them out thoroughly before leaving.

"No wonder he dawdled for so long before pretending to collect the liquid. It was nothing but a diversion!" Bai Yu roared.

"Go! Pursue him!"

The three exchanged furious glances and leapt from the peak, hurtling downward together.

Seeing the three powerhouses descend, the crowd at the foot of the mountain felt their hearts burn with envy, wondering what kind of extraordinary treasure the trio had secured.

"That brat who just came down-did you catch him?" Yun Zhonghe demanded, his voice freezing cold.

"No... that boy was too fast. We couldn't keep up." The members of the Immortal Sword Gang lowered their heads in dejection. The brat's speed was simply unnatural; no matter how hard they ran, they could not even touch the hem of his robes.

"Useless trash!" Yun Zhonghe cursed fiercely before snapping, "Which way did he go?"

"Th-that direction!" A cultivator pointed toward the south.

With three sharp cracks of breaking air, Yun Zhonghe, Leng Ning, and Bai Yu blurred into motion, streaking toward the south like arrows.

The remaining cultivators, who had intended to step forward with smooth words of congratulations, looked at each other in utter bewilderment.

Could it be that things had not gone as they imagined? The three experts had not obtained the rare treasure at all; instead, that audacious brat had arrived first and seized the prize!

Meanwhile, in a concealed spot some distance away.

A strange light flashed in Zhang Peng's eyes. "Those three... seem to be hunting for Tang Yan?"

Li Kuanglan nodded slowly. "Yun Zhonghe and the others look incredibly grim. It seems they failed to get their hands on the treasure. But that bastard Tang Yan runs entirely too fast. I doubt they will be able to catch him."

Zhang Peng, whose mind was always swimming with wicked schemes, rolled his eyes as an idea formed. He leaned close to Li Kuanglan and whispered, "Leader, that brat may be fast, but don't forget what we saw the other day. He isn't alone; he has companions. Finding Tang Yan by himself is like looking for a needle in a haystack, but if we capture his teammates... well, if Tang Yan has a shred of loyalty in him, he will be forced to show his face!"

"Hah, you truly are a vicious one!" A ruthless glint flickered in Li Kuanglan's eyes. "I did see that he came with a party, and his teammates should be resting nearby. Come, let us go inform Yun Zhonghe and the others."

"No need to rush!" Zhang Peng caught Li Kuanglan's sleeve, a treacherous smile spreading across his face. "If those three fail to find Tang Yan, they will definitely offer a massive bounty to enlist everyone's help. If we wait until then to present our plan, we will not only earn a massive favor from them, but we might even secure a share of that natural spiritual treasure!"

Li Kuanglan's eyes shone with sudden realization. He threw his head back and laughed heartily. "Brilliant! If we truly gain a benefit from this, the primary merit will be yours! Men of the Raging Wave Gang, hear my command! Expand outward from Water Blue Peak and search thoroughly for Tang Yan's companions. Do not alert them upon discovery; report back immediately!"

"Hehe..."

Once the lackeys had dispersed, Zhang Peng and his co-conspirators snickered amongst themselves, their eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction.

Tang Yan, the moment we lay hands on your companions, you will find yourself hunted by three great experts. No matter how miraculous your movement technique is, you will be unable to escape even with wings!

...

Just as Zhang Peng had calculated, half an hour later, Yun Zhonghe, Leng Ning, and Bai Yu returned to the base of the peak. Their expressions were darker than storm clouds.

Many cultivators had remained behind to watch, and seeing the tight expressions on the trio's faces, everyone instantly deduced that the natural spiritual treasure had not been recovered.

"Everyone!" Yun Zhonghe looked around at the gathered crowd, his voice booming across the valley like thunder. "The brat who descended from the summit earlier-whoever can capture him or provide a definitive clue to his whereabouts will receive ten High Grade Third Rank pills from me!"

"Third Rank pills!"

At those words, the hearts of every cultivator present began to burn with greed.

With the selection tournament drawing to a close, everyone's supply of pills was running dangerously low.

Even high-grade Second Rank pills were considered incredibly precious treasures at this stage. Now, merely offering a clue could net them ten Third Rank pills; such a bounty was nothing short of staggering.

Naturally, the crowd grew even more intensely curious about the nature of the treasure.

What kind of object could it possibly be to make a figure like Yun Zhonghe offer such an exorbitant price?

"If anyone can provide a clue that leads to his capture, I am also willing to give ten Third Rank pills," Leng Ning's cold voice rang out, instantly adding fuel to the fire.

"My conditions match theirs exactly!" Bai Yu refused to be left behind, promptly announcing his own reward.

"If the brat is found, will all three of you honor your rewards?" a voice called out tentatively from the crowd.

"Correct!" The three exchanged brief glances. They knew that keeping the spiritual liquid entirely for themselves was no longer feasible, so they all nodded in agreement.

"Men of the Open Mountain Gang, assemble! Spare no effort to locate that brat!"

"Brothers, move out!"

Under the stimulation of such immense wealth, the passion of the crowd was instantly ignited. The surrounding cultivators surged outward in waves, fanning out to hunt down Tang Yan.

Within a few breaths, the clearing that had been teeming with clamoring bodies fell quiet.

...

In a secluded spot far away.

Inside Tang Yan's body, the efficacy of the Star Spirit Liquid, the primal essence of the Heaven and Earth Creation Flame, and his own dantian were violently permeating and merging into one another. It felt as though his very foundations were being torn apart and remolded, subjecting him to waves of agonizing, marrow-deep pain.

He lost all track of time until a muffled roar resonated within his soul, and his dantian shook violently.

Immediately following the tremor, his dantian began to warp and twist, its color fading bit by bit until it completely dissolved into nothingness.

It had vanished! Tang Yan was struck with sudden terror.

However, he forced himself to calm down standardizing his breathing.

He could clearly feel that the spiritual Qi within his body was surging like a vast, roaring ocean. Compared to his previous capacity, it had expanded several times over.

Attempting to circulate his true Qi, a look of profound astonishment spread across Tang Yan's face.

Though his conventional dantian had ceased to exist, his true Qi could now be drawn directly from the swirling vortex of the Heaven and Earth Creation Flame resting within the chaotic space!

That cluster of deep blue flame, which had originally been slowly revolving, was now spinning at an even more ferocious, exhilarating speed.