Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Unusual Treasure

After a short while, everyone took their places and summoned their weapons. Xie Liang revealed a pair of wooden swords, one black and one white, shimmering with spiritual light. Except for Ding Yubin, none had ever seen such a weapon before; at a glance, it was clear these were no ordinary swords. Ye Hua and the others inwardly sighed, "Truly worthy of being the senior disciple of the Paradise Temple!"

As the young girl’s hand flickered with white light, a jade ruyi no more than half a foot long appeared. The sight left everyone startled. The jade ruyi appeared crystal clear, yet emitted not the slightest spiritual aura. Had it not been in the girl’s hand, no one would have believed it to be a magical artifact. Now, no one dared underestimate it; they all knew that, given her status, this jade ruyi must be extraordinary.

The woman glanced over the group and spoke gently, “Let me strike first. Once I do, proceed as we discussed and break the formation at your positions.” With that, she lightly shook the jade ruyi. A soft glow slowly brightened as a misty haze formed before her, swirling and roiling until it shaped itself into a spirit beast—a three-headed, dragon-bodied creature with two wings, only a dozen or so yards in length. Eighteen orbs of golden light, each the size of a basket, encircled its body. Its six fiery eyes, large as sea bowls, shot out dazzling beams for hundreds of feet, radiating a formidable presence as it hovered motionless in midair.

Ye Hua was taken aback, for the spirit beast seemed familiar, as if he had heard of it somewhere, but the memory eluded him. As he pondered, the beast soared forward, its three heads howling in unison. Suddenly, a white flash sparked from the middle head, shooting forth a thin beam. With a piercing shriek, three white rays burst forth. Before the stele, a sudden flash of golden light rose, forming a watery screen that seemed to block the beams.

Ye Hua gasped, “The Celestial Eye! I remember now—this is the legendary North Sea Heavenly Dragon!” The others, knowing the situation was urgent, had no time for amazement and unleashed their own powers. Qingkai struck the ground with his Infinite Staff, sending a wave of stone spikes surging forward. Xie Liang gave a low shout, and the black and white swords in his hands spun, releasing intertwining streams of sword light.

Ye Hua, seeing this from the corner of his eye, murmured, “The Twin Swords of Withering and Flourishing!” Without delay, he slashed forward with his Crimson Crow Dagger, launching a streak of violet-black light that split the air. The maidservant summoned a fire pearl, which burst into crimson flames as it soared ahead.

The stele’s five positions—Dui, Zhen, Li, Gen, and Kan—flared with multicolored light, gold, wood, water, fire, and earth flashing in succession. Around the stele, a watery veil would give way to a stone wall, then suddenly transform into a massive fireball. Following the methods taught by the young girl, the group attacked in sequence, each supporting or countering as needed, mounting a relentless offensive.

But then, the stele erupted with black light, a thick fog enveloping them—thicker than before. All around was a murky haze, visibility lost even at arm’s length. Mistress Meng Yun called out in a melodious voice, “Fellow Daoists, be very careful! This is the Great Five Elements Transformation!” Before she finished, the black mist morphed into a fierce wind, stinging like steel needles, threatening to strip flesh from bone. Everyone felt their senses blocked, their vital energy sluggish, and realized the danger. Each used their own methods to resist the gale: some summoned protective auras, others activated defensive treasures, and some shone with spiritual armor.

After some time, the fierce wind abated, only to be replaced by a raging flood. They found themselves submerged in a boundless ocean, the crushing pressure almost flattening their bodies, the water stabbing at them like a million steel needles—an agony beyond words. Mistress Meng Yun cried out, “Dui in the west, Li in the south, fire and wood nourish each other!” As soon as she spoke, a purple and a green beam shot straight at the water.

The scene shifted again. Relieved to have survived the ordeal of water, they braced themselves, knowing the fire element was next. Sure enough, countless fireballs rained down from the sky, exploding into a sea of flames. Should anyone be caught within, their hair would singe, flesh and skin charred and oozing oil, the stench unbearable and the pain unimaginable. Again, following Mistress Meng Yun’s guidance, they broke the assault. The subsequent earth, wood, and metal phases were even more formidable; though they had countermeasures, everyone had to grit their teeth and endure the suffering.

Fortunately, most were disciples of the Zen sect, their meditative discipline allowing them to anchor their spirit firmly, ignoring the external torments. With each trial, their inner power grew imperceptibly stronger.

Mistress Meng Yun’s voice rang out, “At last, the five elements unite. I wonder what spirit beast’s soul is imprisoned in this array! I ask all fellow Daoists to give it your all!” The other four nodded, inwardly sighing, “This Small Four-Phase Hidden Dragon Array’s five-element illusions are truly formidable, and the final fusion of the elements will be the hardest yet. If only one or two attempted this, there would be no hope of breaking through!”

As these thoughts flashed through their minds, the stele erupted with five-colored radiance. From afar, Qing Shi, Li Yulin, Ouyang Tai, and the other spectators saw the stele become a dazzling pillar of multicolored light. In an instant, it transformed into swirling clouds, which slowly condensed into a gigantic, ferocious bird. It unfurled wings six or seven feet long and soared skyward, circling rapidly above the stele. Its fiery gaze glinted like the sun, casting beams several feet long.

The creature wore a vermilion crest nearly a foot high, its hooked, duck-like beak and legs as thick as a man’s arm. Its steel talons, black and gleaming, were as large as winnowing baskets. With a tiger’s head, fiery eyes, and a jagged, buzzard-like tail, its body was covered in tight, overlapping feathers like scales.

Many recognized it and cried out in alarm, “The Scarlet Kun!” The Scarlet Kun was said to be born of the union between a human and a monstrous bird, possessing innate powers. The feathers on its wings were deadly treasures—when battling, the fire sparks from its wingtips were lethally poisonous. Mortal or immortal, none could survive a direct hit unscathed.

Mistress Meng Yun called, “If we don’t strike now, when will we?” With a command, the North Sea Heavenly Dragon swelled in size, bellowed, and charged straight at the Scarlet Kun. The Scarlet Kun let out a furious screech, its wings beating as a shower of fire sparks rained down like a storm. Its body suddenly grew tenfold, transforming into a golden roc soaring overhead. The North Sea Heavenly Dragon, undaunted, radiated eighteen golden orbs, which shot out in unison.

Ye Hua and the others unleashed the full power of their treasures, rays of light flashing as they attacked the Scarlet Kun. The great bird evaded their combined assault with a swift movement, then, after a moment’s hesitation, opened its beak wide to spew a purple flame, six or seven feet thick. The North Sea Heavenly Dragon’s golden orbs collided with the purple fire and were immediately forced back. Even the enemy’s six or seven streams of sword and treasure light met the same resistance.

At that critical moment, Ye Hua caught sight of the girl below wielding her strange jade ruyi, sending forth a misty green radiance, weaving and flashing in arcs as it attacked. Sensing danger, the Scarlet Kun tried to counter with another burst of purple fire, but the jade ruyi’s glow struck its wings, instantly dispersing the flames and absorbing its protective aura. Seeing this, Ye Hua and the others poured all their strength into one final blow. With a thunderous crash, when their eyes cleared, the Scarlet Kun had vanished.

Turning back to the stele, they saw the five-colored glow surrounding it gradually fading. Joy filled their hearts. They channeled their energy once more, and after a brief moment, some roared, others shouted or grunted, as the light from their artifacts blazed forth in unison, striking the stele. The surrounding glow flickered, then, with several deafening cracks, shattered like foam.

Black light flashed from the stele, revealing the true shape of the array. At each of the five positions, a magical artifact appeared. Qingkai, Xie Liang, and the others wasted no time; they darted forward, seized the treasures, and retreated a dozen yards from the stele, examining what they had obtained.

Everyone looked around in surprise. In Qingkai’s hand was a small stone drum, Xie Liang held a lacquered wooden box, the maidservant had a Buddhist lamp, Ye Hua was closely inspecting a bronze mirror, and the young girl was handling a porcelain bottle.