The core area of the Tian Shou Land.
"What is this?"
As the sky began to change, strange runes started to materialize in the air. Within these runes, everyone present felt an ancient and sacred aura.
Within this vast core area, the aura was most concentrated from five directions. Following the sources of these energies, everyone was surprised to discover that within the centers of these ancient-seeming runes, something seemed to be hidden.
"This... could it be some kind of formation?"
At the easternmost cluster of ancient runes in the core area, a middle-aged man with a face like a sharp blade and an aura of supreme dominance spoke in a deep voice.
"Wushuang Wushen, have you discerned something?"
Not far to the left of the middle-aged man, a lean elder asked.
Wushuang Wushen?
Yes!
This middle-aged man was none other than the current Island Master of Wushuang Island—Fu Tianxing!
Furthermore, gathered around him were almost all the supreme Martial God powerhouses in the core zone.
At this moment, all their gazes were focused on Fu Tianxing.
However, Fu Tianxing did not answer their questions. Instead, he met one of the gazes directed at him and smiled, "Sister Luo Xia, you shouldn't be unfamiliar with those runes, should you?"
Hmm?
Hearing this, everyone's gazes shifted, and then once again converged on another graceful figure.
Where their eyes fell, stood a woman whose true age was indistinguishable, but whose appearance was like that of someone in her early thirties. Her skin was delicate and moist, and her eyes, like clear mirrors, held a myriad of tenderness.
Her name was... Luo Xia, the current Pavilion Master of the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion.
Also known among the ancient martial artists as the... Feng Luan Wushen.
"Brother Tianxing! Don't wrongly accuse me! Those are ancient runes, how could I possibly recognize them?" Luo Xia's beautiful eyes sparkled, rippling with an invisible wave of water that made one involuntarily feel a sense of pity.
"Hmph! Still trying to act like a young girl with coquettish poses at your age, truly... your heart is still youthful!"
Just as most of the opposite sex were immersed in that rippling wave of water, a somewhat jarring voice suddenly jolted everyone awake.
Looking towards the source of the voice, most people instinctively twitched their eyelids, daring not to meet his gaze.
"Valley Master You Li! Don't you know your tone is rather foul? It sounds quite disgusting!" Hearing the sarcasm in You Li's voice, Fu Tianxing narrowed his eyes, emitting two cold glints.
Others might fear him as the Valley Master of the Dead Spirit Valley, but Fu Tianxing was not intimidated.
"Fu Tianxing! What! Are you trying to stick up for your mistress?" You Li beckoned to Fu Tianxing and taunted, "Come! I'm ready for you anytime!"
Mistress!
Hearing this word, even the usually gentle Luo Xia's face was tinged with frost, and the true qi within her slowly began to surge.
"Alright! I've long wanted to..."
"Enough! Everyone calm down!"
Just as Fu Tianxing was about to make a move, a voice devoid of any emotion suddenly broke the stiff atmosphere.
Hearing this voice, the tense situation that had been on the verge of exploding calmed down.
It seemed that the speaker commanded a certain degree of apprehension from both Fu Tianxing and You Li.
"Don't you all forget, our objective is the Enlightenment Bodhi Tree! Now is not the time for infighting!"
As the clear and cold voice echoed again, a woman with jade feet lightly treading the void, clad in a blood-red dress, slowly appeared before everyone.
If one only looked at her seductive attire and delicate figure, along with the glimpses of fair, jade-like skin exposed to the air, it could be said that she would arouse the sensitive nerves of the opposite sex from every angle, causing their eyes to instinctively become hot and infatuated.
However, if one were to see her profound eyes, like millennia-old ice, their heat and infatuation would instantly melt away, and they might even feel a chill run down their spines.
Making one shudder.
The Mistress of Mount Wangyou... it was her!
The Ruthless Martial God... it was her!
The blood-stained red robe... also referred to her.
And all these titles shared a common name, that was—Hua Yi San.
"Pavilion Master Luo Xia, if you can truly decipher the meaning within those ancient runes, I would be indebted to your assistance!" Hua Yi San said calmly. "Of course! We won't let you work for free! If there is more than one item contained within those runes, you will have priority selection!"
"As for the rest! It will be every man for himself!" Hua Yi San then looked at the crowd and asked, "Does anyone have any objections?"
After her words, everyone fell into a brief period of contemplation.
A moment later.
"I agree!"
Fu Tianxing was the first to nod in agreement.
"I agree too!"
"I have no objections!"
"..."
Finally, all eyes turned to You Li. Among everyone present, he was the only one who had not voiced his opinion.
"You don't need to look at me like that. I just have one question for you..." Facing their somewhat cold gazes, You Li, though slightly displeased, endured it and said in a deep voice, "What if the Enlightenment Bodhi Tree happens to be inside? What then?"
"This..."
Hearing this, most people had overlooked this possibility.
After all, wasn't the Enlightenment Bodhi Tree the very reason they had gathered here?
"If there is indeed an Enlightenment Bodhi Tree inside, I will choose something else!"
At this moment, Luo Xia resolved their lingering concerns.
"Since that's the case! Then I have no objections either!"
With the matter having reached this point, Fu Tianxing would naturally not insist on his own way.
"Good!"
Hua Yi San nodded slightly and said, "Pavilion Master Luo Xia, I trouble you!"
Then, under everyone's gaze, Luo Xia walked step by step towards the cluster of runes.
However, when she was still nearly a hundred meters away from the center of the runes, she abruptly stopped, not daring to proceed further.
Upon closer inspection, one would notice that Luo Xia's complexion had turned somewhat pale, and her breathing was slightly rapid.
From her current position, she could only vaguely discern the outlines of the runes, but not see them in their entirety.
"What is it?"
Hua Yi San's beautiful eyes flickered, noticing a subtle clue.
"I cannot advance any further!"
Luo Xia adjusted her breathing and said in a deep voice, "The closer I get to the center of the runes, the greater the repulsive force of the ancient aura it emits on me! If I proceed further, my body will not be able to withstand it!"
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, You Li cast a deep glance at Luo Xia, his eyes slightly somber, but he ultimately said nothing.
Because he sensed that what Luo Xia said was not entirely the truth.
Not only him, but the vast majority of them realized this.
After all, most of them were Martial God powerhouses, and they were extremely sensitive to the strength of energy flows.
Luo Xia's statement that the ancient aura would repel her was true.
But her claim that she could not advance further with her strength was debatable.
However, the reason no one pointed this out was that Luo Xia's action was understandable.
If she were to sustain internal injuries in order to decipher the runes, no one would do that!