The old man's sudden appearance startled the group, their eyes fixed on his hair and robe swaying as if in a breeze. His gaze lingered on Li Tian, creating a sense of unease before he spoke.
"Hehe, little fellows, I truly thought you were about to fight. Who would have guessed you'd postpone it? But worry not, a battle awaits once I reveal the last treasures of this manor. Hehehe..."
The unexpected mischievous tone in the old man's voice caught them off guard. It was a stark contrast to his sage-like appearance, and the feeling he emanated was akin to staring into the face of death itself. The intensity of his killing intent was palpable, leaving them to wonder how many lives he had taken to accumulate such power.
"First, let me introduce myself. My Daoist name is Extermination, and I was the creator and former owner of this manor," the old man announced.
His words furrowed their brows, and the realization did not escape the old man's notice.
"Yes, you heard correctly. 'Former' owner," he continued. "This manor was once my place of seclusion, and it is where my remains can be found."
He then presented two treasures that floated in the air before them and vanished. The atmosphere in the room shifted as everyone's eyes fixed on the treasures. The imminent battle they had temporarily set aside could no longer be delayed. Tension filled the air, growing palpable like a knife's edge.
"I have no interest in the saber, but I will claim this manor for my family," Mu Bingyun's ethereal voice resounded, causing the others' faces to twitch. However, they remained silent.
Li Tian realized that Mu Bingyun's clan must be incredibly powerful to evoke fear even in the descendants of ancient cultivation families. He, on the other hand, held no interest in the manor and did not wish to offend a formidable clan for something he did not truly desire. Besides, he found himself drawn to Mu Bingyun and saw an opportunity to gain some favor. As everyone backed away from the key, Li Tian locked eyes with Mu Bingyun.
"What do you want in exchange for letting me have the key?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
"Ah, you catch on quickly. You will owe me a favor, which I will call upon when the time is right. Agreed?" Li Tian replied confidently.
The others stared at Li Tian as if he were crazy, playing with fire. However, Mu Bingyun simply nodded, sensing his danger but unwilling to clash with him over a single favor. The risk was not worth it when she could obtain her treasure through this agreement.
Without hesitation, Li Tian swiftly grabbed the saber, stowed it away, and turned to face the remaining three cultivators. At that moment, Lin An, who had stood among them, abruptly turned and headed for one of the tunnels.
"Brother Lin, what does this mean? Why aren't you joining us in suppressing that brat and seizing the saber? Don't you want it?" Li Mei questioned.
"I do not... My heart belongs only to the sword," came Lin An's firm reply.
Zhang Wei added, "What about the treasures in his possession? Don't come demanding a share once we take them."
"I won't," Lin An replied before disappearing into the tunnel.
Li Tian, watching the interactions unfold, saw them as fools. They were unaware that while they planned to rob him, he had already decided to do the same to them. He had made up his mind when Li Mei had proposed her idea earlier.
Facing off against the two remaining cultivators, Li Tian didn't even take them seriously. He was confident he could defeat them. Their auras surged, and they engaged in a fierce melee battle. Flesh collided, the air crackled, and the temperature rose to terrifying degrees. Zhang Wei summoned winds to conceal himself, while Li Mei commanded fiery birds that danced around her.
Observing their techniques, Li Tian knew that defeating them in his normal state would take time. Activating his dragonification, his hands transformed into claws, and scales covered his arms and legs. He wasted no time and launched a direct attack.
His speed became astonishing, momentarily vanishing from Zhang Wei's sight. Suddenly, a claw struck him from the side. With the combination of his dragon claw technique and powerful natural claws capable of matching spirit rank weapons, Li Tian easily broke through Zhang Wei's wind armor, inflicting a severe wound that only became apparent to Zhang Wei when he saw the blood flowing from his body. In pain, Zhang Wei collapsed to the ground.
Meanwhile, Li Tian swiftly approached Li Mei. He delivered a kick that felt like a hammer blow when she blocked, and a bone-cracking sound followed as her arm snapped. She too fell to the ground. Li Tian seized the opportunity to take her spatial ring, and though she no longer wished to fight, her eyes burned with hatred, signaling that she would seek revenge in the future.
With his opponents defeated, Li Tian retrieved the treasures they had possessed and turned his attention to Mu Bingyun, who had been observing the battle. She regarded him with a mix of admiration and caution.
"I must say, you are quite formidable," Mu Bingyun remarked. "You have both strength and cunning. I look forward to witnessing your growth."
Li Tian smiled, appreciating the recognition from Mu Bingyun.
"Likewise," he replied. "I believe we will cross paths again."
With that, Li Tian left the underground chamber, leaving Mu Bingyun to claim the manor as she desired. As he made his way back to the surface, he pondered the favor he had secured from Mu Bingyun.