The Space within the Fragmented Jade

Li Yi felt as if he were standing in a void, surrounded by a vast expanse of white. This white was thick and viscous, like a liquid, giving an extremely bizarre sensation. He looked down at his own body and couldn't help but smile weirdly... The old coot said he could guide his consciousness into the Martial Deity's Fragmented Jade, meaning he was in a soul state now? And the place he was in was inside the Fragmented Jade? This feeling... was damn strange! He cursed inwardly and looked around, but the place seemed empty. No sky, no ground, no path... Just this milky white mist that felt like a liquid. Bizarre beyond words.

After a moment, Li Yi shouted loudly, "Is anyone there?" He then chuckled at himself for asking such a question inside the Fragmented Jade. But strangely, as if responding to his shout, the viscous mist around him slowly dissipated, and he saw himself standing atop a mountain. Not on a mountain, but above it, as he could clearly see himself floating in mid-air, with a high mountain emerging from the clouds below.

On the mountain, there seemed to be a "person" floating quietly. This figure had the shape of a person, with flames burning around it like genuine fighting spirit. Yet, it seemed more like an illusion than a real entity. The sight shook Li Yi, but inside he felt a voice shouting: "That's it! I've struck gold!"

He watched the figure for a long time until a violent disturbance in the clouds occurred, as if two powerful fighting spirits collided at the mountain's peak. In the collision, spatial cracks faintly appeared, suggesting an attack powerful enough to damage space itself.

Then, the ethereal figure moved, raising its hand lightly, sending a fighting spirit blade tearing through the air! "Extreme Heaven! Apex of Battle! Essence of Qi! Sky-Rending!" A low whisper echoed through space, and as the voice fell, the blade fiercely struck the spatial cracks...

"Boom—" Startled, Li Yi opened his eyes, realizing he was still sitting cross-legged on the ground, holding the now lusterless Martial Deity's Fragmented Jade. What just happened? Why did his consciousness exit so quickly?

The Serpent Venerable's voice rang out, "What happened? Why did your consciousness return so quickly?"

Li Yi shook his head, "Old Coot, I just saw someone using a fighting technique inside, and then I was pushed out..."

"A fighting technique? Did you see any method or incantation?"

Li Yi bitterly smiled, "No, I didn't..."

"Just a fighting technique, but no incantation?" The Serpent Venerable pondered for a moment, then said, "Normally, after seeing the fighting technique, the incantation should appear. But it didn't, so this piece must be just a fragment of a Martial Deity's Jade. If you can't find the rest, getting the technique seems impossible."

Li Yi felt an indescribable sensation, shaking his head slightly. He put the Fragmented Jade away, replying, "Although I didn't see the full technique, its power might rival that of the Blood Moon Kuan Gang. Let's keep it; maybe we'll find the other pieces someday."

"Up to you, but for now, it's useless if you want to quickly increase your strength."

"Old Coot, don't you have any techniques I could use?"

The Serpent Venerable chuckled, "I have good stuff, but you can't practice it with your current strength. Looks like we'll have to make use of that girl, let her do the heavy lifting."

Li Yi nodded and resumed his meditation, the scene he saw in the Fragmented Jade leaving him with a strange feeling, unable to pinpoint what was odd about it. Given the Fragmented Jade's current state, another look inside seemed unlikely.

Deep into the night, both meditators opened their eyes and looked at each other. Li Yi smiled slightly, "How's your recovery?"

Gong Wushuang shook her head, "My internal injuries aren't severe, but I can't fully expel the chaotic energy. I've managed to suppress it with my fighting spirit, but fully assimilating it won't be quick, even with your pills."

Li Yi nodded and asked, "So, your current strength is...?" Gong Wushuang frowned slightly, "I've probably recovered about fifty to sixty percent. I definitely can't compete with an Emperor, but facing a King should not be too much of a problem..."

"That's good," Li Yi smiled lightly. "As long as you have the strength of a King, we won't be too passive. The day has already passed, and those who had their eyes on us have probably retreated by now. Judging by Hai Xin's attitude today, if I'm not mistaken, the grand drama of treasure hunting is likely to start tonight. If we don't act fast, we might miss out on this big show."

Gong Wushuang slowly nodded, "Then what should we do..."

Li Yi coldly smiled, glancing outside the cave, "Muddying the waters, muddying the waters... How can you catch fish if the water isn't murky..."

Deep in the Naga Mountains, within the Wondrous Woods. Despite the deep night, faint lights could be seen in the forest, and the bright moon illuminated the entire woodland. The merging shadows of trees, along with the occasional beasts, gave the Wondrous Woods a somewhat eerie feel.

A leather-armored mercenary was moving swiftly through the forest. He bore several wounds of varying sizes, and his weapon was nowhere to be found. His panic-stricken appearance suggested numerous ambushes. Yet, his ability to escape despite such circumstances was commendable.

Bizarre tree branches blocked his path like demons, but under his impact, they snapped, leaving clear traces of his passage. Clearly, this man was quite capable. However, his conspicuous trail made it easy for even a three-year-old to track him, let alone the powerful pursuers behind him.

After running a few more miles, the mercenary could hear the whooshing sound of someone rapidly approaching, and an overwhelming presence seemed to envelop him. Unfazed, he abruptly tumbled into the air and diverted direction, his body becoming extremely agile as he weaved through dense branches without touching a single one, showing his mastery of some advanced movement technique.

A cold laugh echoed from afar, followed by a flash of fighting spirit that struck a large tree, causing it to explode. But this seemed to aid the mercenary's escape, as his figure vanished into the forest.

"Damn! This guy is even more slippery than an eel!" The pursuer paused in mid-air, scanning the area before signaling his two companions to flank. In a moment, explosive sounds of fighting spirit echoed from a distance, but they quickly faded, indicating someone had suffered a blow.

The pursuer, who was not an Emperor and could only float in the air for so long due to the strain on his fighting spirit, hesitated before pursuing the direction of the last explosion. Upon arrival, he found a bloodied figure struggling to stand, a significant wound on his chest from a fighting spirit attack.

"Damn, that kid's a Warrior, but his fighting spirit is sharper than ours from Hong Family! Seems he really got something valuable from the Martial Deity's Tomb!" The pursuer shook his head and signaled his companion to continue the chase. "We must catch him before the North Star Sect notices. If we can't get treasures from the Martial Deity's Tomb, Hong Yu will not let this go! Chase him!"

The mercenary, perched on a large tree, watched with a complex expression. He regretted not killing his greedy companion when they first discovered the tomb. That money-minded fool probably lost his life already, attracting so much trouble.

"If I had just stayed in the tomb to cultivate, I wouldn't be in this mess," he thought. "I must find a way to shake off these pests. Once I get back inside, I won't come out until I've made a breakthrough!"