He glanced around at the four so-called "chosen ones," his voice ringing out with exceptional clarity amid the peals of thunder:
"Have you squabbled enough?"
The four of them froze, all turning in unison to look at the young man in the green robe.
Chu Bai flicked his sleeves, his tone as casual as if asking a stranger for directions. "You’ve all been wandering this Secret Realm for quite some time. You must have slain a fair number of Demon Beasts and wicked creatures, and I imagine you’ve gathered dozens of Cyan Nether Pearls by now, haven’t you?"
Lei Zhen sneered. "I do have some pearls. What of it? You’re a dead man walking, and you’re still thinking about my treasures?"
Chu Bai ignored his provocation and simply continued as if to himself, "Deep within the Underground Palace, that former True God is reawakening."
"Stabilizing the Earth Veins for a hundred miles around and preventing this Secret Realm fragment from collapsing requires a massive amount of Divine Dao Fragments as sustenance."
"As it happens, I just tested it out. The pearls produced by those wicked creatures are useful, but compared to the ones you’ve all painstakingly collected, there just aren’t enough of them."
He looked up, his gaze locking onto the four of them, the corner of his mouth curling into a smile as sharp as a blade:
"Therefore, I will not be entering the Underground Palace today. I will stand guard right here at this entrance."
"If you wish to live, or if you wish to see the truth within that Underground Palace, then you will ’lend’ me all the pearls in your possession. Will you hand them over obediently, or... must I take them myself?"
The moment he spoke, the entire area fell into a dead silence that lasted for three full breaths.
Immediately after, Lei Zhen burst into crazed laughter.
"’Lend’? Hahaha! What a ’lend’! In all my twenty years roaming Qingzhou, this is the first time I’ve ever seen a Qi Cultivation Cultivator more arrogant than me! Daring to demand a ’debt’ from four Qi Cultivation Perfection cultivators?"
"Since you’re in such a hurry to die, I’ll be happy to oblige!"
Lei Zhen’s eyes widened in rage as the thunder patterns across his body instantly flared to life.
The Thunder Pearl near his body erupted with a blinding light, and his entire being transformed into a purple-black bolt of lightning, hurtling toward Chu Bai with an aura of destruction.
[Yin Thunder Shatters the Void!]
This strike was not only as fast as lightning, but it also carried a special thunder poison that could penetrate physical defenses.
At the same time, the cold and aloof female cultivator, who had remained still until now, finally made her move. She knew that anyone who could catch Lin Yuanfei’s sword with their bare hands was not to be trifled with, so she went for a killing blow from the very start.
Nine Soul-Stealing Needles shot out in a volley, sealing off all of Chu Bai’s escape routes. Each needle tip was coated in a potent poison, strong enough to kill a Qi Cultivation Great Perfection Exotic Beast.
The tall, burly man also drew the Giant Sword from his back. He took a single step, shaking the ground, and brought it crashing down toward Chu Bai’s head.
Only Xia Xing’s eyes flickered. He took a small step back, his Jade Fan held ready, poised to act.
Facing the combined assault of three top-tier experts of the same cultivation level, a flicker of excitement actually ignited in Chu Bai’s eyes.
[General Star Enters Life, Slaughter at Hand]!
After years of Demon Slaying, his accumulated experience was immeasurable. His proficiency with Magic Techniques was already outstanding, and with this amplification, it became simply outrageous.
"Excellent!"
Chu Bai’s feet moved, and he instantly pushed Fire Step Ascension to its absolute limit, leaving behind an afterimage so clear it almost seemed solid.
Lei Zhen’s Yin Thunder slammed into the afterimage, blasting the stone slabs to dust. But in that same instant, his face turned deathly pale—his senses had completely lost track of Chu Bai’s position!
"Behind you!" the female cultivator cried out in alarm.
Chu Bai’s figure had bizarrely reappeared at Lei Zhen’s side. His left hand shot out like a Spiritual Serpent, his five fingers forming a grasping motion.
[Formless Cloud Hand]!
Lei Zhen felt a strange Power instantly burrow into his shoulder. His rampaging Thunder Spirit Power was suddenly redirected by this strange Power, forcing it to flow back into his meridians.
"Begone!"
Chu Bai’s Spiritual Power surged. His Microscopic-level control allowed him to condense his power to a single point, which then exploded at Lei Zhen’s shoulder blade.
BANG!
The long-famous "Thunder Demon" was sent flying by this single palm strike, half of his body instantly going numb.
At the same moment, Chu Bai pointed with his right hand.
[Spirit Water Needle]!
Hundreds of fine blue threads wove themselves into a net in the air. Not only did it intercept all nine Poison Needles, but it also followed the energetic connection straight toward the cold female cultivator’s face.
The female cultivator was horrified and hastily summoned a Cyan Silk Scarflet Magical Treasure to protect herself.
At this moment, the tall, burly man’s Giant Sword was already cleaving down with the force of an avalanche.
Chu Bai did not dodge.
He took a deep breath, his chest swelling. He pushed the Guiyuan Technique within him to its limit. His Spiritual Power became like mercury, his physical body like steel.
"Open!"
He actually raised his left arm, blocking the door-sized Giant Sword directly!
CLANG—!!!
A tremendous sound rang out, as if two great mountains had collided at the entrance to the Underground Palace. The terrifying shockwave turned into a visible blast of air, sending the surrounding broken walls and ruins flying.
The tall, burly man’s eyes were wide with disbelief. He felt as if he had struck a piece of Meteorite Iron from the heavens. A terrifying rebound force traveled up the hilt of his sword, splitting open the webbing of his hand.
Chu Bai’s feet had sunk deep into the stone slabs. The left sleeve of his green robe had been shredded by the blow, revealing an arm that looked as if it were cast from bronze, completely unharmed!
"Such power..." the burly man’s voice trembled. "What kind of Demon Skill are you cultivating?!"
Chu Bai didn’t answer. Pushing off with his feet again, he used the rebound force to launch himself into the air.
He looked down upon the terrified "chosen ones," his aura completely erupting in that moment, like a War God surveying his domain.
"Lend me your pearls, or lend me your lives?"
With a gesture of his right hand, the Demon Slaying Officer token at his waist burst forth with a dazzling Merit Golden Light, which reflected and resonated with the Divine Fire from the Underground Palace behind him.
"I’ll say this one last time."
His voice was like muffled thunder, exploding deep within each of their Divine Souls:
"Leave the Cyan Nether Pearls and get out. Otherwise, this mountain will be your burial ground today."
At this point, Xia Xing, who had been holding back, finally saw the situation clearly.
He looked at Lei Zhen, unable to get up; the female cultivator, retreating in disarray; and the burly man, blood dripping from the web of his hand. Any shred of wishful thinking in his heart instantly vanished like smoke.
He had never seen such a tyrannical Qi Cultivation Cultivator.
Such a physical body, such a Body Technique, such perfect control over Spiritual Power... This was simply not something an ordinary Qi Cultivation cultivator could achieve.
"Your Excellency... please calm your anger."
Xia Xing was also a decisive man. He instantly snapped his Jade Fan shut, and without even waiting for Chu Bai to strike again, he untied the two cloth bags from his waist and respectfully tossed them forward.
"Here are the sixty Cyan Nether Pearls I have collected. Please consider them an apology for my earlier rashness. As for the opportunities in the Underground Palace... I... no longer want them!"
With that said, he didn’t hesitate for a moment. His figure transformed into a wisp of green smoke as he directly activated an Escape Secret Technique, plunging headfirst into the mist and vanishing without a look back.
With Xia Xing taking the lead, the remaining two exchanged a glance. Although their hearts were filled with unwillingness, in the face of death, the potential opportunities and Merit no longer seemed so important.
The tall, burly man grunted and threw down several cloth bags.
The female cultivator also gritted her teeth and left behind all the pearls she had painstakingly gathered.
Even the gravely injured Lei Zhen could only grit his teeth against the searing pain, tossing his pearls down with a look of pure hatred before departing in disgrace, supported by a companion.
In a matter of moments, silence returned to the entrance of the Underground Palace.
Aside from the ground covered in rubble and cracks, all that remained were a dozen or so cloth bags stacked at Chu Bai’s feet, each emitting a faint cyan glow.
With a wave of his large sleeve, Chu Bai used his Spiritual Power to sweep up all the bags.
’Over a hundred of them... combined with what I had before, this should be enough.’
Chu Bai looked up at the increasingly unstable Underground Palace.
The tremors in the Earth Vein had reached their limit, and the roars of the Lingma Mountain God now carried a hint of bloodthirsty, demonic nature.
He had no time to contemplate his rise in the rankings. With a single leap, he once again shot back into the depths of the Underground Palace.
"Land God! I’ve got the pearls!"
Chu Bai’s voice echoed across the empty altar.
Below the altar, the little old Land God was desperately clutching a few broken stone pillars. When he saw Chu Bai return, cloaked in a murderous aura and carrying a massive quantity of Cyan Nether Pearls, a trace of ecstatic joy finally appeared in his despairing eyes.
"Quick! Offer them to the divine throne! Awaken its Spirituality!"
Chu Bai stepped onto the pinnacle of the altar, standing before the Demonized Mountain God.
Facing the demonic maw that looked capable of devouring everything, he showed no fear and violently tore open the cloth bags.
Over a hundred Cyan Nether Pearls transformed into a dazzling river of stars, erupting in a brilliant display deep within the Underground Palace!

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