"I'm not too sure about that either. Perhaps he had other fortuitous encounters!" Zhao Qiansun said with a helpless shake of his head.
Fu Ruhai said no more, seeing his response. After leaving, he would inquire at the Hall of Blessings. The old ancestor of blessings knew a great deal and might have a good solution. He just didn't know how long they would be trapped within this turtle shell. If his guess was correct, the newcomer had by now absorbed everyone's blessed fruit. No one had expected the newcomer to become so powerful. Unless the Heavenly Emperor himself intervened, it would be impossible for anyone to withstand his full force.
"Did you hear any fighting outside?" Zhao Qiansun asked, standing in a corner of the turtle shell, his ear pressed against it.
Fu Ruhai quickly imitated him, pressing his head against the shell and listening intently. Indeed, some sounds were coming from outside, though they were not very clear. The newcomer had easily defeated Liu Sandao and Zhao Qiansun, and the Asura Path Tribulation had effortlessly sent them into the turtle shell. It was perhaps due to their cultivation not being at its peak that the shell hadn't been directly crushed.
However, none of that was important. What mattered now were the blessed fruits of this group of people. With enough blessed fruits, the Asura Path Tribulation reaching its zenith was only a matter of time.
"Stop! What are you doing!" a gruff voice bellowed.
The newcomer slowly raised his head and saw a nine-foot giant standing before him, about to make a move. Lu Fang reached out and stopped the newcomer. Without waiting for an order, he stepped forward to challenge the intruder.
"Hmph! My lord, a mere petty thief. You needn't trouble yourself. Your subordinate is willing to face him!" At this crucial moment, one had to seize the opportunity. Once the newcomer controlled the Heavenly Court, he would achieve an unprecedented accomplishment. The headless corpse understood this well and, without waiting for the newcomer's command, went to assist in the fight.
"What demons and monsters are you? How dare you cause trouble here! I'll peel your skin off!" The voice was overwhelmingly powerful. The newcomer raised a hand and charged towards the Ten-Faced Rakshasa and the headless corpse.
Golden light erupted in the air, creating a dazzling display of colors. If one had never witnessed a battle between immortals, they could never imagine the scene unfolding at this moment. The newcomer paid no attention to this spectacle; he never cared for such flashy displays. However, the purple-black light emanating from Duoming piqued his interest.
It had been a long time since Duoming had been absorbing, yet the blessed fruit of Shu Dehou was still not depleted. Frankly, this was an unexpected windfall. If Liu Sandao and Zhao Qiansun hadn't interfered, he wouldn't have unleashed his killing spree so early, and he wouldn't have encountered such a fine specimen. Judging by his blessed fruit, he must be a ten-star individual. He had expected a ten-star person to be someone of nobility and luxury; he never imagined it would be an ordinary, shabby old man. Once the blessed fruit was absorbed, and its root extracted and placed in his cultivation disc, his future cultivation would soar!
In the sky above, many immortals and ghosts were fighting, but it was merely the newcomer's soul spirits entangled with the mortal world's guardian deities. It was a minor skirmish, not worth mentioning.
The newcomer leisurely lit his cigar and took a puff. He was deliberately waiting for the absorption of the blessed fruit to end and for the blessed root to appear. At this moment, his gaze inadvertently fell upon a tattered book lying on the ground. He walked over and casually picked it up. The cover bore the inscription: "Manual of Blessings," in four large characters.
The newcomer flipped through it casually, but there was nothing inside. "Hmph! What a useless book! Fu Ruhai and Liu Sandao thought they could defeat me with this broken book? How arrogant!" he sneered, tossing it aside.
"Sizzle! Hiss!" Duoming emitted a loud sound.
The newcomer knew the blessed fruit had been fully absorbed. He quickly adjusted his posture and chanted an incantation towards Duoming. With this chant, Duoming's power intensified. With a series of crackling, tearing sounds, the blessed root of Shu Dehou was uprooted from his body.
"Hahaha, hahaha! Success! Let's go!" the newcomer exclaimed, giving the order. He had initially intended to let Duoming absorb more blessed fruits, but seeing that the largest amount of blessed fruit only consisted of a little over a hundred, and even Duoming seemed dismissive while absorbing it, he lost patience. It was better to return and secure the blessed root early.
"Lord, you go first. We will cover your retreat!" The Ten-Faced Rakshasa, fiercely engaged in battle with the giant, said as they fought.
"Since you are unwilling to leave, I shall depart first. I will return after I've had my fill of fighting!" the newcomer said indifferently.
The guardian deity's combat skills were decent, but he couldn't inflict any damage on the Ten-Faced Rakshasa. Coupled with the headless corpse, the two sides were merely in a stalemate. The newcomer had no interest in such child's play; his priority was to arrange the blessed root.
"Receive!" With this shout, the black sphere on the turtle shell vanished. Fu Ruhai and Zhao Qiansun hastily jumped out. Bai Xiang also chanted an incantation and flew out. However, the scene that greeted them was somewhat chaotic. The sky was alive with intense battles, while the people on the ground lay in disarray, completely unconscious. The most tragic figure was Shu Dehou, who had not only lost consciousness but his body was nearly torn apart. The sight was truly gruesome. If Bai Xiang hadn't witnessed similar scenes before, she would have collapsed in terror.
"Blessings passed down for a thousand generations, virtue spread for ten thousand ages!" As Fu Ruhai's voice resounded, a colossal golden light enveloped the entire Heavenly Realm. Countless small, golden-yellow swords shot towards Lu Fang and the headless corpses.
"Quick, retreat!" Lu Fang shouted, fleeing first. The headless corpse followed closely behind. More soul spirits prepared to retreat but were struck by the small yellow swords and vanished instantly. Zhao Qiansun cast a beam of light onto Shu Dehou's body, allowing him to pass on with dignity.
Some guardian deities recognized Zhao Qiansun, and others recognized Fu Ruhai. They came forward one after another to greet them. Zhao Qiansun handled these social interactions with ease, while Fu Ruhai felt uncomfortable. He excused himself, bid farewell to Zhao Qiansun, and took Bai Xiang to the Hall of Blessings. Zhao Qiansun knew Fu Ruhai was going to rescue Liu Sandao and urged him to hurry. As for the scene here, it was merely a formality.
Due to Shu Dehou's situation, many people's blessed fruits remained intact, though they appeared to be soulless. Zhao Qiansun quickly cast spells to stabilize their minds. Their respective guardian deities also assisted. After about an hour, the mortals gradually regained consciousness.
"Ah, what happened? My whole body aches!"
"Yes, it felt like a dream. I couldn't wake up no matter how hard I tried!"
"Are you alright?"
...
The people chattered amongst themselves, all believing they had merely slept. They were unaware of anything that had transpired.
"Isn't that Old Master Shu?"