Chapter Two: The Emergence of Heavenly Treasures

In the blink of an eye, two days had passed. Suddenly, three kilometers outside Fireflame Village, a strange phenomenon erupted in the void—a dazzling beam of light shot straight into the heavens, and the ground began to tremble. What on earth was happening? Even Fireflame Village felt the tremors; the houses shook violently.

Everyone in Fireflame Village rushed outside, gazing at the mysterious beam of light in the sky.

“Could it be that the Flame Dao is about to emerge?” Huoyuan, the village chief, muttered to himself as he looked up at the pillar of light piercing the clouds.

He was not mistaken. The Flame Dao was indeed about to appear. Those waiting for it—be they people or beasts—had arrived in this region a month before, and fierce battles had already begun. The avian beast that had appeared days earlier had merely been collateral damage from these skirmishes among powerful contenders; otherwise, the village chief would not have been so fortunate as to find such a rare creature just outside the village.

Fireflame Village was a secluded place, a veritable paradise isolated from the world. Except for occasional hunting trips to secure fresh game, the villagers rarely ventured beyond their borders. Yet this time, the chief and his people felt an unusual urge to go out—not for anything else, but to seize the rare treasures that might emerge. Just like the previous avian beast, whose origins they had only now understood, they hoped to find some good fortune this time as well.

Having made up his mind, the chief gathered several clan elders, leaving a few to guard the village—including a designated successor. His intention was clear: better safe than sorry. Should disaster befall him and the elders, the backup chief would assume leadership, ensuring the village’s survival and honor.

“Let’s go!”

The chief and two clansmen, both at the Spirit Source level, left the village, heading into the depths of the forest. The trio advanced cautiously toward the center, alert and vigilant, dreading the possibility of getting caught up in the conflicts of those far more powerful.

Suddenly, the void rippled—another battle had broken out among the experts. The chief and his companions held their breath and hid themselves.

“Are you certain you wish to oppose me?” Bulo demanded.

No one responded; silence was their reply. But in the next instant, actions spoke louder than words.

Among the experts present, only Bulo had already merged a Dao Essence into his body, and his cultivation was the highest. No one knew exactly why he sought another, but who among them would not covet such power? They had thus conspired to eliminate this threat together.

Dao Essences were coveted by those at the Cave Heaven realm. Here, only Bulo had reached that level, while the others had just broken through. Now, more than ever, they needed a Dao Essence. Yet Bulo, having already acquired one, still sought more—greed that risked birthing monstrosities or short-lived offspring.

Bulo was a man with wings sprouting from his back, formed purely of spiritual energy. He soared through the void, expending great energy, though for him, such consumption was still manageable.

He made his move.

He stood still in the void, gathering more than half his spiritual power to conjure a massive sword of fire spirit, over ten meters long, flames licking its surface. Were it not in the void, the forests and rivers below would have been reduced to ashes.

Without hesitation, he brought the sword down upon Bulo, launching the battle.

But Bulo was unafraid. He met the flaming giant sword head-on with a fist imbued with overwhelming force.

Boom!

When fist and sword collided, neither gained the upper hand—Bulo was unharmed, while his opponent had expended immense energy.

Was this the power gap brought by possessing a Dao Essence? A single punch with such might—what would his true skills unleash? Wouldn’t they be even more astonishing?

With their alliance established, it was now someone else’s turn.

Next, a man standing atop a giant sword hurled two massive fireballs at Bulo.

Bulo calmly dodged the fire sword, then smashed one fireball with his fist, and immediately shattered the second with another. But his foes gave him no respite.

Now, a warrior riding a bird beast unleashed his ultimate art. High in the sky, a giant meteor materialized and plummeted down, exuding a terrifying pressure. Clearly, these three had no intention of making peace with Bulo.

Bulo looked up, his robes billowing with energy. They truly meant to destroy him.

“True Dragon Art—Dragon’s Fist!”

This time, Bulo fought in earnest, unleashing the True Dragon Art—his greatest secret, a supreme technique he had comprehended only a few years before.

This art was unique to the Dragon Maiden who, a decade earlier, had crossed tribulation. Now, seeing it here, one could only conclude that Bulo had a profound connection to her. Otherwise, how could this supreme art reappear in his hands?

The Dragon Dao was the Dragon Maiden’s own path, comprehended during her Inscription Mirror phase. With it, she soared to the heavens, challenging even the heavenly punishments. None knew if she had survived, and all thought her dead—until now, when someone wielding her art appeared. It could only mean one thing:

She was still alive.

The outcome of today’s battle was already clear—Bulo would inevitably seize the Flame Dao.

No wonder the previous attacks had failed to harm him; his Dragon Dao cultivation endowed him with unmatched physical strength. None here could match him—unless, at this moment, a reclusive grandmaster appeared to alter the fate of the Flame Dao.

A deep rumble sounded—the ground cracked. This was the sign: the Flame Dao was about to be born. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of wine, it would emerge from the earth, transforming the area into a sea of fire, incinerating everything for thousands of miles.

Whoosh!

In the next instant, a huge chasm tore open in the ground, and a figure shot up from below, darting into the sky. If not for their cultivation, the onlookers might not have discerned what it was.

The Flame Dao appeared—a flame no larger than a palm, yet its heat was terrifyingly intense. Even those skilled in controlling fire would be burned alive if they came too close.

Greed flickered in everyone’s eyes as they gazed at the Flame Dao. Though they claimed not to challenge Bulo, each harbored secret ambitions.

The true battle was only just beginning.

Three experts at the True Profound realm hovered in the void, quietly awaiting their chance.

Bulo flew through the air, relying on spiritual energy, his mastery of the Dragon Dao allowing him to soar unaided, though at a great cost of energy. His speed was impressive, but still fell short of the Flame Dao ahead. He held something back, suspecting that his pursuers had yet to reveal their true strength—otherwise, how could they dare vie for the Flame Dao?

Soon enough, one of them produced a painting—a Landscape Map, vivid with scenes of birds, beasts, mountains, rivers, and mist, a veritable paradise. The others also revealed their treasures.

One, riding his sword, held a disk with four corners, each marked by a hole, making it look like a flawed artifact. In fact, both his and the winged man’s disks were defective, near-identical save for their patterns, but each possessed unique powers.

But then Bulo abruptly stopped pursuing the Flame Dao and turned on his three pursuers, a sinister smile on his face.

“Forgive me, gentlemen, but I’ll be taking your treasures! Hahahaha!”

“Sleeve of the Cosmos!”

Bulo’s hand swept open, and a powerful gravitational force pulled at the three behind him. This, it seemed, had been his true goal all along.

He hadn’t wanted the Flame Dao, but the treasures of those who sought it. Truly a masterful play.

It made sense—why would one already possessing a Dao Essence covet another? His rivals had failed to consider this, assuming he was acting for friendship or profit. Only now did the True Profound experts realize they had been deceived.

He was, without doubt, cunning to the extreme—his true aim was their precious artifacts.

But the others were no fools; they activated their treasures in response.

Let’s see whose power prevails—the Sleeve of the Cosmos, or their own relics.

“Thousand Mechanisms Landscape Map—Three Guardian Jiao, manifest!” Qin Huai cried.

“Wheel of Reincarnation, manifest!” called Qiao Anyu.

“Divine Ghost Killing Formation Disk, manifest!” shouted Xu Dong.

In the next instant, three guardian beasts burst forth from the Landscape Map—a white tiger with green fangs, a turtle with a peculiar tail but otherwise normal, and a serpent unlike any other, distinguished by a pair of horns.

The Divine Ghost Killing Formation Disk soared over Bulo’s head, growing massive and instantly enclosing all four experts, trapping them together.

The Wheel of Reincarnation alone seemed unchanged, merely spinning rapidly to Bulo’s side, giving him a light touch. Yet, in that instant, everything changed.