"Star Core Origin Essence. It really is this thing." Granny Hua's eyes flared with a scorching heat as she watched the display of power, but her reason forced the feeling down almost instantly. That object was a scalding hot potato right now, a treasure that promised only destruction for anyone caught holding it. Whoever touched it would die a miserable death. Even if the two of them joined forces, they wouldn't dare stretch out a hand with so many Nascent Soul old monsters and ferocious beasts watching from all sides.
"We…" Xue Shouren had just started to speak when a violent remnant wave of sword qi suddenly swept toward the cliff where they were hiding. The power of the strike had already been weakened by the distance, but it was still enough to heavily injure a Golden Core cultivator and deliver a serious, bone-shaking impact to their Nascent Soul level protective light.
"Bad!" Granny Hua's expression changed sharply, her instincts screaming as the danger neared. Her mid stage Nascent Soul protective radiance flared open in a burst of pink light as she grabbed Xue Shouren by the arm and yanked him back. Both of them retreated at full speed, their forms blurring against the gray backdrop of the valley.
Boom!
The cliff they had been hiding on was struck by the stray sword qi and instantly collapsed by half. Broken rocks flew everywhere in a chaotic spray, while thick dust and acrid smoke billowed up into the air.
It was too close. They wouldn't be injured by such a strike, but getting hit by the aftershocks was more than enough to expose their location to the monsters fighting nearby. Cold sweat broke out on both of them as they immediately fled toward the direction farthest from the battlefield, seeking cover. Even this fringe area wasn't safe anymore. The aftermath of a Nascent Soul battle could reach this far with ease.
"Report to the Young Sect Master immediately," Granny Hua said urgently, her breath coming in short, rapid bursts. "The battlefield is completely out of control. This isn't something we can interfere with. We have to retreat at once." There was only one thought in her mind now. She had to carry out the Young Sect Master's orders and withdraw safely.
Xue Shouren was still shaken by the close call and nodded repeatedly. Facing a meat grinder like this, even a mid stage Nascent Soul cultivator might not come out unscathed. "Let's go. Go back and report our findings."
However, just as they turned around and their figures lifted into the air to depart, another sudden change erupted behind them.
Boom!
An explosion far more violent than any before roared out from the center of the battlefield. A blinding, white-hot light instantly illuminated half the sky, drowning out the dimness of the rift. A terrifying shockwave mixed with raging spiritual energy turbulence spread outward like a tsunami, leveling everything in its path. It was obvious that some Nascent Soul old monster had used a forbidden trump card, or perhaps even detonated a high-grade magic treasure to break the stalemate.
How sharp was a Nascent Soul cultivator's spiritual perception. Almost the instant the explosive energy began to spread across the valley, Granny Hua and Xue Shouren sensed a fatal danger approaching. Their faces changed drastically as they shouted at the same time, spiritual light exploding around their bodies to form layers of protection.
Granny Hua formed seals at lightning speed, her fingers a blur of motion. A blue light curtain instantly unfolded from her hands, enveloping both her and her companion in a protective shell. Runes flowed across its surface like water, radiating a tough and flexible aura that defied the external pressure. "Heavenly Fragrance Body Guarding Barrier!"
This was one of her strongest defensive divine abilities. Xue Shouren let out a low roar as blood qi surged wildly around him, condensing into a thick, blood-colored shield in front of him. At the same moment, instead of merely retreating, he advanced a half-step and threw a massive punch into the air. "Blood Fiend Breaker!"
Bang. Boom!
The violent shockwave mixed with sharp fragments of spiritual energy smashed fiercely into their combined defenses. The Heavenly Fragrance Body Guarding Barrier shook violently under the strain. Cracks spread across the blue light curtain like a spiderweb. Granny Hua let out a muffled grunt as a trace of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, her internal organs rattled by the impact.
Xue Shouren's Blood Fiend punch collided head on with the shockwave, producing an ear-shattering roar that echoed in his chest. He staggered back three steps, his boots carving deep furrows in the earth. The blood shield dimmed several degrees, and his face turned slightly pale from the sudden exertion.
They had managed to block the aftermath that could wipe out Golden Core cultivators, but both of them still suffered internal shock. Their qi and blood churned violently within their meridians. This was only the residual wave spreading out from the core of the distant battle. The intensity at the center was easy to imagine. Even a mid stage Nascent Soul cultivation isn't something that could rest easy in a chaotic melee of this scale.
"What terrifying power. The center is at least late stage Nascent Soul fighting at full strength," Granny Hua said with lingering fear. Her tone was extremely heavy as any trace of luck died completely in her heart. "We absolutely can't stay here."
Her admiration for Yu Xiaotang's foresight reached a new height in this moment. If the Young Sect Master hadn't issued strict orders, and if they had really given in to greed and approached earlier, they would probably already be trapped in a dead end.
Xue Shouren also looked horrified and nodded his agreement. Even if he had still harbored a sliver of unwillingness and greed before, it vanished completely now.
"Let's go."
Just as the two of them turned to leave the area, a faint fluctuation suddenly came from behind them, catching their attention. Maybe the power of that earth-shaking explosion had been too great, or maybe the Star Core Origin Essence had already been damaged during the previous fierce battle. A tiny point of weak yet incomparably pure starlight was actually flung out by the explosive aftermath.
Its speed was extremely fast, like a falling meteor. It traced an inconspicuous arc through the sky and didn't draw the attention of those Nascent Soul old monsters at the core who were killing each other with red eyes. Instead, it fell toward a fog-shrouded mountain hollow about seven or eight li behind and to the side of their current position.
It wasn't obvious, but at such close range, and with both of them having just stabilized their minds after the violent energy impact, their senses were exceptionally sharp and caught it instantly. "Hm?" Granny Hua and her companion whipped their heads around almost at the same time, locking onto that falling glimmer of light.
In both of their eyes, disbelief, shock, and a new greed exploded at once. "It's a fragment of Star Core Origin Essence. At least the size of a finger joint," Xue Shouren said, his voice trembling with a barely restrained excitement. They didn't dare dream of the complete Star Core Origin Essence, but this fragment that had been blasted out by chance was right in front of them.
And it seemed like no one else had noticed its flight.
"This…" Granny Hua's breathing hitched, her eyes flashing violently with desire. The complete Star Core Origin Essence was a scalding hot potato, but this fragment was still a priceless treasure. It was especially attractive to cultivators of special techniques. Even if they couldn't use it themselves, trading it away would still bring resources valuable enough for Nascent Soul cultivators to advance.
And looking at its falling direction and speed, it didn't seem to have drawn the attention of the battlefield's center at all. Greed ignited instantly in both of their hearts like wildfire. It mixed with their lingering fear and shock, making their heartbeats race against their ribs.
What should they do? Should they follow the Young Sect Master's orders and withdraw immediately? Or should they take a gamble and seize this heaven-defying opportunity right in front of them? Their gazes met in the air. Each saw the struggle and desire burning in the other's eyes.
Time seemed to freeze for an instant as the world roared around them. "Let's go. Wealth comes from danger. How could we let an opportunity like this slip by," Xue Shouren transmitted, a fierce light flashing in his eyes. "Granny Hua. This chance is one in a thousand years. The fragment fell in a remote spot, more than ten li from the battlefield center. As long as we're fast, grab it and leave, we might not be discovered by the others."
Granny Hua's expression wavered. The Young Sect Master's strict orders still echoed in her ears, but that fragment of Star Core Origin Essence in front of her was just too tempting to ignore. And the butcher wasn't wrong. If they handled it properly and acted fast, there might really be a chance to succeed.
She clenched her teeth. Determination flashed through her eyes. "Fine. But we have to be fast. Grab it and retreat immediately. Absolutely no lingering in this place. If anything feels wrong, we abandon it at once."
"Understood." He licked his lips, his eyes filled with bloodthirst and excitement. They reached an agreement instantly. Without any more hesitation, their figures turned into two nearly imperceptible afterimages and shot toward the mountain hollow where the Star Core Origin Essence fragment was falling. Their speed was pushed to the absolute limit as they raced across the terrain.
The Young Sect Master's orders, the various dangers involved, and the weight of their duty were temporarily thrown to the back of their minds in the face of overwhelming profit. Right now, there was only that faint point of starlight in their eyes.