Compared to the palpable anxiety of the Yun brothers opposite him, Wu Tao appeared confident, at least on the surface.
With a light heart and a calm demeanor, he toyed with the Yun brothers. Wu Tao depleted their talismans with his own, occasionally using spiritual energy to unleash techniques like Golden Sword Art or Needle Strike, ambushing them. Though he couldn't seriously injure them, he managed to enrage them to the point of losing their composure. Wu Tao's contemptuous expression and poetic taunts only fueled their anger. The Yun brothers, being young and proud scions of their family, the most outstanding among their peers, were deeply frustrated at being unable to defeat a single opponent together.
...
Wu Tao's infuriating demeanor was enough to drive someone to their death. Was Wu Tao truly that despicable? Of course not! He was deliberately acting this way. It was common knowledge that a distracted mind during combat would significantly reduce actual fighting ability. When faced with an unfavorable situation, victory was incredibly difficult, requiring not only a sound strategy and flawless execution but also a psychological edge. Thus, Wu Tao feigned a provoking attitude and used verbal jabs to destabilize the Yun brothers, who indeed lost their patience. Wu Tao's sole aim was victory, though he secretly lamented the expenditure of his own precious talismans, each one a costly acquisition.
Capitalizing on the Yun brothers' agitated state, Wu Tao stomped his foot, unleashing a burst of energy that made the very ground tremble. The impact nearly tore through three inches of earth. Using this powerful rebound, Wu Tao shot forward like an arrow, launching a fierce assault on the Yun brothers. With a flicker of movement, he covered thirty meters, his arms like hammers, striking towards their throats. A tempest of spiritual energy preceded his fists, as Wu Tao channeled all his remaining spiritual power into them. He held nothing back, committing to a decisive blow that would determine life or death. At this moment, Wu Tao's spiritual energy and willpower reached their absolute peak.
With a dull thud, the spiritual energy shields of the Yun brothers shattered one by one. The Yun brothers, just beginning to react, fumbled to retrieve something from their storage pouches. In their panic, they stumbled backward, but it was too late. The razor-sharp fists, roaring with the force of a hurricane, struck their vulnerable throats.
...
The cartilage in the Yun brothers' throats shattered first, followed by their entire chests and abdomens collapsing inward under the immense force. Like men struck by a ton of lead, they were flung dozens of meters away, their fates unknown. Zhao Leiyun, engaged in a fierce battle with Chang Pingqian and the Ice Maiden cultivator, widened his eyes and gasped. He swiftly assessed the situation, then without hesitation, flicked his left hand, conjuring a faint lightning blade. Zhao Leiyun hurled the lightning blade at Wu Tao without a second glance. He then, without a sound, poured the last vestiges of his spiritual power into the Thunder Mother Eagle Banner, choosing a desperate gamble for survival over a swifter death through escape.
Wu Tao, completely drained after defeating the Yun brothers, felt a chill run down his spine. He dodly dodged, using his last reserves of strength to leap dozens of meters away before the lightning blade could strike. Having fought the Yun brothers, Wu Tao knew the terrifying power of lightning-attribute techniques. Without any defense, he would have been instantly killed if caught off guard by this blade.
With a "swish," the lightning blade embedded itself into the earth, carving a long, deep trench before vanishing.
...
Wu Tao exhaled, finally releasing the tension in his chest. He quickly consumed several pills to restore his vitality and looked towards the battle ahead. Zhao Leiyun, Chang Pingqian, and the Ice Maiden cultivator were locked in a white-hot struggle. As the restorative pills began to take effect, Wu Tao's spiritual energy slowly returned. Seeing the stalemate, he retrieved the high-grade artifact "Soul-Reaping Bell" from his storage pouch. Wu Tao pointed at the bell suspended in mid-air, which then emitted soul-shattering chimes. The sudden sound startled Zhao Leiyun, causing him to freeze. His eyes glazed over, and his grip on the Thunder Mother Eagle Banner loosened. Chang Pingqian seized this fleeting moment, unleashing his spiritual power, which surged into the "Earth-Pressing Seal" like a breaking dam. Empowered by this massive influx of energy, the Earth-Pressing Seal overwhelmed the lightning eagle. The seal, like a colossal mountain, descended upon Zhao Leiyun. As Zhao Leiyun regained his senses, he saw a vast seal blotting out the sky, bearing down on him.
...
Chang Pingqian's brow furrowed with revulsion as he looked at the pulped remains of Zhao Leiyun crushed by the Earth-Pressing Seal. He then retrieved Zhao Leiyun's storage pouch and used an earth-attribute spell to bury the body, along with the half-foot-deep crater, under the soil.
...
Though Zhao Leiyun and the Yun brothers were dead, Wu Tao still held a spirit stone, rapidly replenishing his depleted spiritual energy. He cautiously guarded against Bing Menglu while gradually approaching Chang Pingqian. Once they stood together, Wu Tao finally relaxed and seized the storage pouches of the Yun brothers. Bing Menglu, meanwhile, stood aside, observing everything with a cold gaze. The Phoenix Ice Snow Flower Pendant in her hand gleamed brilliantly, commanding respect. The two groups faced each other in tense silence, the atmosphere growing increasingly oppressive.
After a long pause, Chang Pingqian smiled and took on the role of mediator. "Alright, you two. Zhao Leiyun, the Yun brothers, and Xue Yan, those four ambitious scoundrels, have been eliminated by our combined efforts. Why must we turn on each other?" He paused, observing the expressions of Bing Menglu and Wu Tao, then continued, "Let's divide the treasures in the great hall into three portions, take one each, and go our separate ways. Wouldn't that be ideal?"
Bing Menglu was silent for a moment. She glanced at Chang Pingqian and Wu Tao before coldly stating, "Very well, let's proceed this way."
...
"We've already inventoried the hall's artifacts, treasures, spiritual materials, refining components, and elixirs, dividing them into seven portions based on their value. It would have been fair for everyone to split these seven portions. However, due to the greed of Zhao Leiyun, the Yun brothers, and Xue Yan, this conflict erupted," Wu Tao said after pondering Bing Menglu's agreement with Chang Pingqian. "Now these treasures are divided into three parts. According to my senior brother's suggestion, it's not a bad idea for the three of us to do so. I agree." Wu Tao then also took Xue Yan's storage pouch and the Gilded Rope from the ground, calmly addressing Chang Pingqian and Bing Menglu.
"Since that is the case, I will request a larger share of the elixirs from these treasures. What do you two think?" Bing Menglu, seeing Wu Tao's agreement, spoke first. Chang Pingqian and Wu Tao found themselves facing the familiar problem of elixir distribution once more, and both began to feel a headache coming on.
...
"In that case, I will take a smaller share of the elixirs, but I will take all the refining materials here. How about that?" Wu Tao hesitated for a moment, about to speak, but then seemed to recall something else and voluntarily proposed reducing his share of elixirs in exchange for all the refining materials.
"Brother Wu, are you serious?" Bing Menglu's face lit up with joy at this statement, but she immediately pressed for confirmation. Chang Pingqian also visibly relaxed upon hearing this. "Absolutely. Compared to elixirs, these rare refining materials are far more important to me," Wu Tao said with a gentle smile.
"Since that is the case, let us three divide these treasures according to the previously agreed terms," Chang Pingqian said unceremoniously.
"Good! Let's divide them as we discussed."
"So be it!"
After equally dividing all the treasures, Chang Pingqian, Bing Menglu, and Wu Tao thoroughly scoured the great hall once more. Finally, each boarded their flying artifacts and departed the island.