Chapter 1362: Treasure Hunter

"What a pity!" Zhang Xuan's face was filled with regret as he watched the lightning flee in fear.

The Heaven's Path True Qi, when transformed into lightning attribute, could indeed absorb lightning, causing his cultivation to soar. His clone, seeing how happily he absorbed, also began to absorb... The result was the scene witnessed by everyone: the heavenly lightning tribulation, frightened by the absorption, turned and fled. A lightning tribulation, a lightning tribulation that fled... Thinking about it was quite amusing. Although this thing might not possess intelligence, given its ability to grow stronger based on a person's cultivation, it must also have an instinct for self-preservation. Seeing him and his clone absorb more and more aggressively, it naturally felt fear.

"My Heaven's Path Witchcraft Soul has only reached the late stage of Out-of-Body realm, not yet its peak; the Heaven's Path Golden Body is also incomplete, and my physical body is, at most, comparable to a half-step high-tier Saint artifact..." Sweeping his divine consciousness, Zhang Xuan shook his head. He had originally thought that such a massive lightning tribulation would be enough to bring both his physical body and soul to their peak. He never expected it to run so fast that he couldn't even catch up.

"Despite this, my combat power has increased significantly. Even without using the Three Spirit Void Swords, I can now fight a peak-level Domain Realm expert of Saint 6-dan! I wouldn't even fear a half-step Void-Entering Realm expert!" After the brief moment of pity, he gained a clear understanding of his strength, and his heart was filled with excitement.

On this outing, his True Qi cultivation had broken through to the peak of Saint 5-dan Out-of-Body realm, his Witchcraft Soul had reached the late stage of Out-of-Body realm, and his physical body was now comparable to a half-step high-tier Saint artifact... With all three combined, his combat power had soared several times over.

Previously, without using the Three Spirit Void Swords, he couldn't even pass the First Alley; now, he could crush that puppet with a single finger, leaving it with no ability to resist. He could even stand still and let it attack him continuously without suffering the slightest injury.

Of course, if he used the Spirit Void Sword and the Three Spirit Void Swords, he could even fight a mid-stage Saint 7-dan expert! Facing Luo Xuanqing again, even if he still couldn't defeat him, it wouldn't be like before, where he had no ability to resist whatsoever.

"I'll rest now. Next time there's such a good opportunity like a lightning tribulation, let me know, and I'll come again..." His clone's voice echoed in his mind. Knowing he couldn't catch the lightning tribulation, and to prevent others from discovering it, Zhang Xuan recalled his clone back into the Myriad Ant Nest.

"Mm!" Zhang Xuan nodded and acknowledged.

This time, during the tribulation, he had absorbed countless bolts of lightning. While his main body's strength had surged, his clone seemed to have gained even greater benefits. Since the clone itself was refined from the Nine Heavens Lotus Embryo, it was impervious to lightning. Having absorbed so much lightning, every movement it made would now contain immense lightning power, making its combat strength even more formidable! Although they hadn't fought, he knew that, at this moment, he was still no match for it...

Others might think he had great talent, but in reality, he was just an ordinary person who couldn't defeat his disciples, couldn't defeat his subordinates, couldn't defeat his girlfriend... and couldn't even defeat his clone... The thought of this filled him with immense heartache. He felt that all his years of cultivation had been in vain.

"You... are you alright?" Returning to Luo Xuanqing and the others, he saw them looking at him as if he were a monster.

"I'm fine!" Zhang Xuan nodded, a look of indignation on his face: "If that idiot hadn't run so fast, I would have taught it a lesson!" Everyone was speechless.

"Let me introduce you to these friends!" Knowing that continuing the conversation would only make him more stifled, Luo Xuanqing pointed at the people beside him: "You already know Bi Hongyin; she's a super genius from the headquarters of the Demonic Tune Guild! This tall, stout brother is Yuan Xiao, a genius from the Saint Yuan Clan! And finally, this is Yun Lianhai, a genius from the Saint Yun Clan!"

"Zhang Xuan greets everyone!" Zhang Xuan clasped his fist, filled with shock. Indeed, one's friends reflected one's own status. The Saint Yuan Clan, the headquarters of the Demonic Tune Guild... Although he hadn't heard of the Saint Yun Clan before, being in their company meant their status was certainly not low.

"Teacher Zhang Xuan is someone I met yesterday when I was taking the formation master examination. After what just happened, I presume you all approve of him now!" After the introductions, "Naturally..." Everyone nodded in unison. Not only did he shatter Bi Hongyin's formation plate on the spot, but he also chased away the lightning tribulation... Although they didn't know what secret art he used, this ability alone commanded respect, and no one dared to show any contempt.

"Bro... Brother Luo, why exactly did you ask me to come here?" Seeing that everyone approved, Zhang Xuan looked over with a puzzled expression. He had been in the middle of registering for the Elite Class when the other party brought him here, and after all that had happened, he still didn't know what they were supposed to do.

"Some time ago, I discovered a treasure ground where... a Void-Breaching Gourd grows!" With a wave of his hand, Luo Xuanqing sealed off the surrounding space, preventing outsiders from prying, and lowered his voice.

"Void-Breaching Gourd?" Zhang Xuan frowned. This was something he had never heard of, despite his vast knowledge.

"The Void-Breaching Gourd is a treasure born of heaven and earth, formed by absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, using an earth vein as its vine. It blooms once every ten thousand years and bears fruit once every ten thousand years... A single earth vein can, at most, produce one... it's incredibly precious! If refined and integrated into one's body, it can increase the chances of breaking through to Saint 8-dan by at least fifty percent!"

"Fifty percent?" Zhang Xuan's eyes widened. When cultivating to Saint 5-dan and above, while treasures still had some use, their effect was no longer significant. More importantly, breakthroughs relied on one's spiritual comprehension of the heavens and earth and understanding of space... Ordinary items that offered one or two tenths of an increase were enough to tempt countless people. Fifty percent was simply incredible!

"Yes, but that place is too dangerous for me to succeed alone. That's why I brought them along. As long as we get it, I'll give you sufficient compensation..." Luo Xuanqing's eyes flickered. The Void-Breaching Gourd, essential for breaking through to Saint 8-dan, had to be obtained, and he wouldn't hold back.

Only then did Zhang Xuan understand. He had initially thought they were meeting for some kind of trial, but now it seemed that wasn't the case. Instead, Luo Xuanqing had invited them to help him acquire this treasure!

"That place has a very powerful formation?" His strength was too far below theirs; under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have had a chance. Being invited clearly indicated his exceptional understanding of formations.

"Yes, there's a peak-level Grade-8 formation, laid down by someone unknown. I've been there twice and haven't succeeded!" Luo Xuanqing nodded.

"The Luo Clan is a top clan on the continent; they should have many formation masters, right? Wouldn't it be simple to find a few people to help break the formation?" Zhang Xuan asked curiously. Given the Luo Clan's status and power, let alone a peak-level Grade-8 formation, they could surely find someone to break even a Grade-9 one. Why ask him?

"It's not that simple... The place I'm going to has special sealing restrictions. Once someone's age exceeds forty, or their cultivation surpasses Saint 8-dan, they cannot enter! If one tries to force their way in, the place might collapse, and we wouldn't get anything!" He let out a bitter laugh.

"There's such a restriction?" Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly remembered something: "Could it be... this is an artificial relic? Not naturally formed?" When the other party first mentioned it, he thought it was naturally formed, but with formations and restrictions, it clearly wasn't.

"Of course not! While Void-Breaching Gourds can naturally form, once they bloom, their aura leaks, and they're discovered by others. They wouldn't even have a chance to mature!" Luo Xuanqing nodded.

"That's true..." Zhang Xuan nodded. Treasures born of heaven and earth were incredibly precious. Without the protection of formations or similar safeguards, how could it possibly be their turn to find them?

"So, that's the situation. I'm inviting you to come along. Whether we succeed or not, you will be rewarded with a supreme-grade spirit stone and a half-step high-tier Saint artifact!"

"A supreme-grade spirit stone?" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

Not to mention that the other party was his elder brother-in-law and they had a familial relationship, even based solely on the supreme-grade spirit stone, he would definitely agree! What he lacked most right now was precisely that. Obtaining one meant he wouldn't have to worry about insufficient spiritual energy anymore. His strength would soar, making breakthroughs to Saint 6-dan and Saint 7-dan effortless!

"Indeed! However, I don't have it on me right now. I've already applied for it within the clan. We should be able to get it once we return with the Void-Breaching Gourd!" Luo Xuanqing continued.

"Alright, I accept!" Without much hesitation, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. The supreme-grade spirit stone was an offer he couldn't refuse. Also, experiencing a treasure hunt together could quickly strengthen their bond. As long as he got along with this elder brother-in-law, getting him to take him to see Ruoxi would be a piece of cake. Of course, based on his last experience, this guy was a sis-con. Until their relationship was solid, he absolutely couldn't mention Luo Ruoxi, or being brutally beaten wouldn't be worth it. Besides, he had already been brought here, and such confidential matters had been revealed... He had to go, whether he wanted to or not! Otherwise, if the information leaked, even if he didn't say it, he would still be held responsible.

"That's good then! Your strength is weaker, but don't worry, just follow me closely. When we encounter a difficult formation to break, you can make your move..." Seeing his agreement, Luo Xuanqing breathed a sigh of relief. Although he was quite imposing in the Saint Son Hall, he didn't have many friends. He knew a few who were very skilled in formations, but he dared not reveal anything about the Void-Breaching Gourd to them. After all, this item was far too attractive to Saint 7-dan experts. If he ended up doing all the work for someone else's benefit, it would be troublesome. This Zhang Xuan was strong in formations but not in overall strength, making him easier to control. That's why he thought of him first.

"Mm!" Zhang Xuan nodded. If he used all his means, he wouldn't be inferior to the others, but... it was better to remain low-key if possible. Otherwise, if he revealed all his trump cards, while it might seem impressive, others would become wary, which would make things very dangerous for him. Furthermore, his most formidable trump cards were generally not presentable... The Vicious, his clone...

"Since we're together, let me introduce you to the detailed abilities of these three so we can cooperate better!" Luo Xuanqing continued: "Bi Hongyin specializes in demonic tunes and formations, as you just witnessed, so no need to elaborate; Yuan Xiao's defense is unrivaled, practically a human shield! As for... Yun Lianhai, although his strength isn't as great as ours three, he's from the Saint Yun Clan. The Saint Yun Clan... excels at treasure hunting and is known by outsiders as 'Treasure Seekers'!"

"Treasure Seeker?" Zhang Xuan was stunned: "There's such a profession?"