Chapter 143: Competing for the Fire Lotus

Li Xiaobai looked at the foolish big man ahead of him and quickly checked the ranking list.

The Ranking of Mortals.

Rank number 3000: Demon Fist King Wang Mang.

This name was quite domineering, and he was also ranked at number 3000. If Li Xiaobai could take him down, he would instantly climb several thousand places. This was indeed a huge temptation.

At this moment, Wang Mang stood at the edge of a cliff, flipped his wrist, and pulled out a long staff.

It was densely engraved with Vajra Talisman runes and radiated a treasured aura.

"This must be crafted after the staff from the Eastern Sea!"

"The design looks very similar, and judging by the material, it should be made of Xuanmu Fine Iron, which is said to be extracted from the magma and not afraid of high temperatures."

"Gosh, Wang Mang's staff can actually transform!"

"Really, this staff can actually grow against the wind, so impressive!"

"It's almost identical to that one from the Eastern Sea..."

Watching Wang Mang's movements, the cultivators marveled. At this moment, Wang Mang activated his cultivation technique, golden light surged around his body, and the huge staff in his hand instantly grew against the wind, soaring up to the sky.

It plunged straight into the magma below the cliff.

Ouyang Shuanger was witnessing such a divine weapon for the first time and couldn't help but exclaim, "What an incredible staff technique!"

"This staff is engraved with Buddhist Law from Mahayana Buddhism, capable of vanquishing evil. It's an object of utmost firmness and yang; naturally, it wouldn't fear the magma."

Little Monk Liaowang said as well, quickly discerning the origin and construction of the staff.

"It might just barely compare to one of my own feathers," said Ji Wuqing with disdain.

Li Xiaobai's expression was strange. Why did that staff look so familiar?

Didn't the Sea-Calming Divine Needle in his own shop look just like that? As a part of the Rivalling Heaven Set, this Divine Artifact was immensely powerful. It seemed that the Sea-Calming Divine Needle also existed in this world.

Wang Mang's staff must be a replica.

Right now, Wang Mang was stirring wildly in the magma with the staff, causing a fiery red vortex of lava to form, with heaven and earth treasures floating on it, also beginning to rotate.

He gripped the staff with both hands and with a forceful effort, he fished out a fiery red Fire Lotus.

He waved his hand in the air, stabilizing it firmly in mid-air. The Fire Lotus had just come ashore and couldn't be touched directly yet.

"This is a Fire Lotus, which absorbs the essence of fire, it's extremely effective for cultivating fire attribute techniques!"

Ouyang Shuanger recognized the origin of the Fire Lotus at a glance.

Liaowang nodded: "Indeed, it's a rare treasure of heaven and earth."

"Doesn't Master Liaowang feel tempted?" asked Li Xiaobai.

"This humble monk does not deserve the title of Master. Treasures are external possessions, to receive them is a matter of fate, and I don't insist on having them."

Hearing the title of Master, Liaowang appeared quite apprehensive and waved his hands dismissively.

"You seem to really want that Fire Lotus?"

Li Xiaobai turned his head to Ouyang Shuanger. It was an opportunity to make money since he did not need these treasures personally, but as a wealthy client was right beside him, converting it into Spirit Stones would be a tremendous profit.

"Indeed, although I don't practice a fire attribute technique, the herbs from the magma are great for tempering a person's Primordial Spirit. If they could temper me, my chances of successfully condensing a Nascent Soul during the Nascent Soul Stage would greatly increase."

"And the foundation would be much sturdier as well."

"Does Young Master Li have a way to obtain these treasures?"

Ouyang Shuanger asked seriously. If she could get these items, it would be a great gain; herbs from the magma were priceless, usually impossible to find.

"That depends on the price Miss Shuanger is willing to offer. As you know, the magma is extremely dangerous..."

Li Xiaobai rubbed his chin, fingers subtly twiddling as he gave off crazy hints.

Ouyang Shuanger was at a loss for words, "One herb for ten thousand top-grade Spirit Stones, how about it?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, this is a bit tricky, the temptation of this Spiritual Medicine is too great, even if I get my hands on it, I'm afraid I'll be attacked by others, don't you think I should also cover some medical expenses…" Li Xiaobai said earnestly.

"One herb for fifteen thousand top-grade Spirit Stones, I can't offer any more than that."

Ouyang Shuanger said.

"Deal!"

"Master Li must not take any lives," Liaowang reminded from the side.

"Heehee, the esteemed me also wants the Spiritual Medicine!"

"Woof, Lord Ergouzi wants it too!"

A chicken and a dog started making a fuss.

"Do you have any Spirit Stones?"

...

Ahead, the light from the Fire Lotus that Wang Mang was holding in his hand gradually dimmed, and the heat it emitted was not as astonishing as before.

Many cultivators eyed the red lotus in his hand with envy and greed. It was a true treasure; if one could ingest it, their strength would undoubtedly rise by a great margin, and their foundation would become even more stable, making their future path smoother.

"Hahaha, it really is a Fire Lotus, it's mine!"

Wang Mang burst into loud laughter, having retrieved one Fire Lotus was already his limit. Although the imitated Sea-Calming Divine Needle was heat resistant, it couldn't withstand prolonged exposure to magma.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, an unexpected change occurred.

From the diagonal, several streaks of cold light appeared out of nowhere, and numerous Daggers suddenly thrust towards Wang Mang with a whooshing sound, causing the surrounding cultivators to hastily retreat.

"You cheeky brat, you've got guts!"

Seeing someone attempting to ambush him, Wang Mang was both shocked and enraged. A thick iron rod appeared in his hand, scriptures flowing around it, unleashing supreme might, knocking down all the Daggers.

Several shadowy figures clad in black rushed towards Wang Mang as if they were bodies from the past, launching a fierce attack.

"These are the people from the Heaven's Fiends Alliance!"

"The disciples of the powerhouses on the Heavenly Ranking, the number one assassin organization, have come to join the fray here too!"

The identities of a few assassins were exposed, and as Li Xiaobai scanned the Heavenly Ranking, indeed, there were quite a few with 'Heaven's Fiend' as their prefix, with the highest-ranked being the eighteenth: Heaven's Fiend Asura.

However, these members of the assassin organization were all dressed in black and wore masks, obscuring their faces, and even knowing their ranks, one couldn't recognize them.

With these few taking the lead, the rest of the cultivators also began to feel restless, after all, the temptation of the treasure was too great. Many cultivators subtly sealed off the exit, ready to seize the opportunity when both parties were worn down from fighting, to profit as the third party.

The assassins surrounded Wang Mang, their palms turned into a ghastly dark green color, clearly containing lethal poison, and they fiercely imprinted them onto Wang Mang's flesh.

Wisps of green smoke rose up, and black handprints appeared on the parts of his body where the palms touched.

"Ahh!"

Wang Mang went berserk, his flesh bulging in blocks as a golden glow burst from his body surface. The golden rod in his hand transformed into a Golden Dragon, encircling the assassins within.

With a thunderous shout, he threw the assailants off the cliff, submerging them in lava, without a single sound to be heard.

"Who else wants some?"

Wang Mang panted heavily, his eyes bloodshot as he glared ferociously at everyone around.

No cultivators stepped forward, but the path back was blocked by many cult, making it clear that they had no intention of letting Wang Mang leave.

Li Xiaobai's eyes lit up, "Ergouzi, I have a task for you!"