In the vast expanse of space, a magnificent palace, resplendent in gold and jade, stood tall, radiating an overwhelming brilliance that dazzled the eye.
Surrounding the palace was an expansive desolation, devoid of anything but this striking edifice, compelling attention and intrigue.
The palace itself shimmered in a golden hue, as if constructed entirely of gilded bricks, with the very ground beneath it gleaming in the same luster. Its brilliance was blinding, casting a radiant glow all around.
Above the grand entrance of the palace, a plaque glimmered with ethereal light—**The Hall of Treasures!**
In addition, five silhouettes stood at the entrance, all young men. They were divided into two factions, confronting each other with palpable hostility, on the brink of combat.
Among them, three were clad in black, while two donned blue starry robes, clearly disciples of the Baidu Sect and the Divine Star Sect.
"Waves of the Heavenly Pride, it seems fortune has not favored you. I wonder if your brother will arrive in time to save you!" sneered a disciple of the Baidu Sect, his gaze fixed ominously on the two disciples from the Divine Star Sect.
The other two disciples from the Baidu Sect shared his cold smirks, their faces betraying a murderous intent, feeling emboldened by their numerical advantage.
"Yin Xuejian, do not presume that your extra member guarantees victory; I, Waves of the Heavenly Pride, fear you not!" retorted the young man, his complexion pale and resolute. His dark eyes glimmered with defiance as he glared at the three Baidu Sect disciples.
Beside him stood a shorter, muscular man. If Ye Tian were present, he would recognize this individual as Wang Chongshan, whom he had encountered previously.
At this moment, Wang Chongshan wore a grim expression, his heart heavy as he regarded the three Baidu Sect disciples. They were no ordinary foes; two were half-step Martial Sovereigns, while the third was nearly equal to him in strength.
Waves of the Heavenly Pride was also a half-step Martial Sovereign, at best matching one of their opponents, placing them in a perilous predicament.
"Senior Yin, why waste words with them? Let us simply eliminate them and then seize the treasures within the palace," suggested a man with a scarred face, his tone menacing.
"Yan Lie, come forth if you dare! I, Waves of the Heavenly Pride, will show you that your half-step Martial Sovereign status is worthless before me," he declared with a cold laugh, undeterred by the unfavorable circumstances, dismissing the three Baidu Sect disciples entirely.
"Why must I encounter such a fool!" Wang Chongshan thought to himself, exasperated by Waves of the Heavenly Pride's reckless provocation. Surely, antagonizing the Baidu Sect at this moment was tantamount to courting death. Naturally, he feared that, should a confrontation ensue, he, being the weakest, would be the first to suffer. Thus, he silently cursed Waves of the Heavenly Pride's ancestors.
As expected, the three Baidu Sect disciples were incensed by his words.
"Is that so?" Yan Lie's eyes flashed with malice, a powerful aura emanating from him, pressing toward the opposing group.
"If you doubt it, feel free to test me!"
Waves of the Heavenly Pride scoffed dismissively, further igniting the fury of the three Baidu Sect disciples.
Wang Chongshan, truly exasperated by Waves of the Heavenly Pride, stepped forward with a serious tone, "Gentlemen, I must inform you that this small world was left behind by a senior from our Divine Star Sect, known as the Martial Lord of Treasures."
"Martial Lord!"
"It is indeed the Martial Lord's small world!"
Upon hearing this, the eyes of the three Baidu Sect disciples gleamed with avarice as they gazed hungrily at the palace before them.
"Wang Chongshan!" Waves of the Heavenly Pride glared fiercely at him, a murderous glint in his eyes. "Who allowed you to speak?"
"It is too late to discuss this now, Waves of the Heavenly Pride. Hahaha!" Yin Xuejian laughed mockingly, his face a mask of derision.
"Shorty, you are quite perceptive. If you are willing to join our Baidu Sect, we might consider sparing you," Yan Lie sneered at Wang Chongshan.
Wang Chongshan ignored Waves of the Heavenly Pride and coldly addressed Yin Xuejian and his companions, "I reveal this information because I know this senior was adept at crafting weapons, hence the title Martial Lord of Treasures. I surmise that the palace contains battle puppets; even the most basic of these puppets would be at the Martial Sovereign level. If we wish to obtain the treasures, we must cooperate."
"Battle puppets!" Yin Xuejian's expression turned serious at this revelation.
Yan Lie, however, scoffed, "Why should we trust you? Even if battle puppets exist, we could simply eliminate you and seek assistance from other disciples. There is no need to collaborate with you."
"Are you willing to share the treasures with an additional person?" Wang Chongshan retorted with scorn.
The faces of the three Baidu Sect disciples darkened at this.
Disciples of the Baidu Sect were notoriously selfish; the thought of sharing the Martial Lord's treasures with others was utterly inconceivable.
"Moreover, if we have discovered this small world, it is likely others will as well. The longer we delay, the slimmer our chances of monopolizing the treasures," Wang Chongshan stated coldly.
Initially furious, Waves of the Heavenly Pride glared at Wang Chongshan. Yet, his expression shifted as he suggested, "Let us first join forces to deal with the battle puppets inside, and then we can compete for the spoils afterward. What do you say?"
"You finally spoke some sense!" Yan Lie grinned widely.
"What did you say?" Waves of the Heavenly Pride shot him a fierce glare, his killing intent surging, a tempestuous aura crashing forth.
Boom!
A sword light shot into the sky, countering the terrifying pressure emanating from Waves of the Heavenly Pride.
Yin Xuejian regarded him coldly, snorting, "Since we have decided to cooperate temporarily, let us dispense with the idle chatter and deal with the battle puppets first."
"Very well. Once the battle puppets are dealt with, none of you shall leave," Waves of the Heavenly Pride warned, casting a deep glance at Yin Xuejian before striding toward the palace entrance.
"Pah! Arrogant fool! Do not forget that we are in the Xingdu Mountain Range; even your brother cannot save you! Hmph!" Yan Lie scoffed dismissively.
"Enough! Let us proceed inside!" Yin Xuejian commanded.
The group was about to enter the palace when, from the nearby spatial rift, a figure gradually emerged.
"Someone is coming!"
Waves of the Heavenly Pride and the others were startled, quickly turning to look.
"It is one of our Divine Star Sect members!" Wang Chongshan exclaimed with delight, recognizing the blue starry robes of a fellow disciple.
In contrast, the three Baidu Sect disciples' expressions darkened, their eyes fixed intently on the figure emerging from the rift.
The sudden appearance of a Divine Star Sect disciple could very well nullify their advantage, causing them to feel anxious.
Before long, they discerned the newcomer's appearance: a young man carrying a large iron box on his back, wielding a blood-red blade, while also toting a hefty bundle.
Heavens, is he here for a vacation?
Not only were the three disciples of the Baidu Sect taken aback, but even Waves of the Heavenly Pride and Wang Chongshan were momentarily stunned.
Wang Chongshan, in particular, was so astounded by the sight of the newcomer that his jaw nearly dropped.
Unbeknownst to them, the figure approaching was none other than Ye Tian, who, upon discovering the entrance to this small world, rushed in without a second thought.
To him, such remnants of a small world undoubtedly held treasures within.
However, upon seeing Waves of the Heavenly Pride and the others, Ye Tian couldn't help but furrow his brow. "Have they been discovered before me?"
Then, he noticed Wang Chongshan, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Junior Brother Ye Tian, what brings you here? This is the third district!" Wang Chongshan exclaimed, his initial joy quickly replaced by a wry smile.
Ye Tian paused for a moment before responding with a grin, "I was just wandering around and stumbled upon this place. I didn't expect to find you here, Senior Brother Wang!"
"Seventh level of Martial Spirit?"
"Haha, I thought it was someone formidable, but it turns out to be just a seventh-level Martial Spirit brat!"
"Waves of the Heavenly Pride, has your Divine Star Sect run out of members? You've even sent a seventh-level Martial Spirit to his doom in the Xingdu Mountain Range."
The three disciples of the Baidu Sect, initially apprehensive, erupted into laughter upon seeing that Ye Tian was merely a seventh-level Martial Spirit, their faces alight with derision.
"Hm?" Ye Tian furrowed his brow, casting a casual glance at the three Baidu Sect disciples, choosing to disregard them for the moment.
Waves of the Heavenly Pride bore a dark expression as he coldly fixed his gaze on Ye Tian, pointing towards the main hall and commanding, "You, go inside!"
"Waves of the Heavenly Pride, what are you doing?" Wang Chongshan glared fiercely at Waves of the Heavenly Pride, his face contorted with anger.
Everyone was aware that battle puppets resided within; for Ye Tian, a seventh-level Martial Spirit, to enter would surely spell his demise. This was clearly a ploy by Waves of the Heavenly Pride to use Ye Tian as bait.
The three Baidu Sect disciples also caught on, reveling in the unfolding drama.
Yan Lie sneered, "Waves of the Heavenly Pride, it seems your reputation in the Divine Star Sect is rather lackluster, far inferior to that of your brother. What's this about being number one on the Divine Star Rankings? I suspect others merely conceded to your brother's influence."
"Haha!"
Yin Blood Sword and another disciple of the Baidu Sect wore expressions of mockery.
Waves of the Heavenly Pride's face darkened further as he shot Wang Chongshan a cold glance, then pointed at Ye Tian, barking, "Did you hear that? I command you to enter, now!"
At this, Ye Tian raised an eyebrow and retorted coolly, "And who are you?"
"I am Waves of the Heavenly Pride!" he declared, his voice icy enough to chill the air around them. If looks could kill, Ye Tian would have perished a thousand times over.
"Waves of the Heavenly Pride?"
Ye Tian looked at him in astonishment, and upon witnessing Ye Tian's reaction, Waves of the Heavenly Pride assumed that he was impressed by his renown, proudly lifting his chin as if expecting reverence.
However, Ye Tian merely shook his head and replied nonchalantly, "I've never heard of you." With that, he turned to engage Wang Chongshan in conversation.
Waves of the Heavenly Pride was momentarily taken aback!
The three Baidu Sect disciples were equally stunned, but they quickly burst into laughter, their mockery intensifying.
"Haha, this is too funny!"
"Senior Brother, I… haha, I can't breathe from laughing!"
…
Listening to the piercing laughter of the three Baidu Sect disciples, Waves of the Heavenly Pride's expression froze like ice. He glared at Ye Tian and shouted, "You little brat, do you not know who I am?"
"Madman, why should I care who you are?" Ye Tian scoffed dismissively, then turned his attention back to Wang Chongshan, asking, "Senior Brother Wang, since you arrived first, have you discovered any treasures here?"
At that moment, Wang Chongshan was still in a state of shock. Upon hearing Ye Tian's question, he finally snapped back to reality. He glanced at the furious Waves of the Heavenly Pride behind Ye Tian and, with a wry smile, replied, "Junior Brother Ye Tian, Waves of the Heavenly Pride's brother is Waves of the Heavenly Storm, our Divine Star Sect's senior brother."