"Bai, Bai Zihe?"
Upon hearing this voice, all the cultivators looked up.
The sight nearly made them unable to hold back, so enraged they could have spat out a mouthful of old blood on the spot.
They saw...
The once majestic and imposing statue of the Dune Emperor had, at some unknown time, vanished. And Bai Zihe was standing there.
It was as if...
They had just knelt and paid homage not to the Dune Emperor, but to Bai Zihe!
In other words, this whole maneuver had led them to offer their faces directly at Bai Zihe's feet, for him to trample upon at his will!
And...
Each of them had done so with the utmost piety and humility!
"Bai Zihe, you court death!"
"Bai Zihe, this old man will kill you!"
"Bai Zihe brat, how dare you play such a trick on us! Watch as this old man skins you alive on the spot, or else my name is Li Mingli spelled backward!"
"Me too!"
At this moment, everyone exploded.
Although...
Cultivators, in their pursuit of enlightenment and immortality, had long since come to terms with everything, yet, more often than not, face was more important than life itself!
Bai Zihe's move had undoubtedly slapped them all in the face.
Therefore, the cultivators, each in a fit of rage, immediately launched their attacks, unleashing their ultimate moves towards Bai Zihe!
"Heaven-Shattering Sword Qi!"
"Three Points Return to Origin Technique!"
"Nine Revolutions of the Divine Dragon!"
"Oblivion River Slash!"
"..."
On the surface, everyone was furious.
In reality.
They had already harbored a strong desire to kill Bai Zihe when they were outside, coveting his Xuanyuan Sword and also desiring the materials from the Dune Giant Dragon.
Now, they had undoubtedly found their excuse.
At such close proximity, the bursts of attacks were instantaneous.
Innumerable potent techniques and endless killing intent had already enveloped Bai Zihe, like a surging tide about to submerge a small boat.
All it would take was a moment, and Bai Zihe would face certain death!
"Whoosh..."
Just then, a streak of sword qi appeared out of thin air before Bai Zihe.
"Bang!"
"Crash!"
"Rumble!"
"..."
The next moment, all the incoming attacks were effortlessly shattered by this single sword qi, vanishing into thin air without causing Bai Zihe even the slightest harm.
Not even...
A single hair on his head was ruffled.
"Huh?"
"Impossible!"
"How has Bai Zihe become so strong?"
"No, it's not Bai Zihe, it's that powerful being who was just inside!"
"This... such powerful sword intent..."
Everyone was stunned, their eyes narrowed as they looked at Bai Zihe with extreme caution.
Those cultivators who had entered earlier now detected something from this aura. This was not Bai Zihe's aura, but that of the person imprisoned inside!
As these individuals spoke, everyone's expression changed drastically.
From their descriptions, this powerful being was likely an immortal, or perhaps even a true celestial.
If he were to emerge from within...
Wouldn't he be able to easily annihilate everyone present?
"I have a sword that can break ten thousand armies!"
Just as everyone was filled with uncertainty and shock, a person appeared beside Bai Zihe.
This person, like Bai Zihe, was clad in snow-white robes, possessing peerless elegance, and an aura so refreshing and handsome that it made one feel as if bathed in a spring breeze, exuding an unspeakably cheerful feeling.
Upon seeing him...
Those cultivators who had escaped after entering earlier changed their expressions, their voices becoming incredibly hoarse.
"It, it's him!"
"That incredibly powerful sword cultivator!"
"You, you, how did you get out!"
"Bai Zihe actually managed to rescue you..."
The eyes of the other cultivators twitched fiercely.
This person...
Just standing there, doing nothing, made everyone's hearts pound with apprehension.
Because, cultivators who had reached the Tribulation Stage possessed extremely powerful divine senses, capable of perceiving numerous subtle details.
Yet, this sword cultivator before them, while standing there, gave them no discernible aura whatsoever, which was an exceedingly terrifying matter.
Either, this person truly possessed no strength, hence they couldn't sense him.
Or, his strength far surpassed their imagination, rendering them incapable of probing him.
This was clearly the latter scenario!
In fact...
While Long Bai’s strength was formidable, it was also partly due to him being in an ethereal soul state at the moment, lacking a physical body to contain it.
"Crack, crackle!"
Just as everyone was in utter astonishment, having forgotten everything else, a void suddenly appeared at the spot where Bai Zihe stood, the former location of the Dune Emperor's statue.
The next second, Bai Zihe fell into it.
And the sword cultivator, Long Bai, followed him in.
"Huh?"
"What is going on?"
"Never mind, let's go in too!"
"Bai Zihe must have discovered something, following him is definitely the right move!"
"Let's go, treasures are important!"
Many people followed them into this passage.
Upon entering.
It was extremely dark inside.
Bai Zihe and Long Bai were at the front.
Apart from the luminescent pearls illuminating the way at intervals, there was virtually nothing else to see.
"Senior Long, is this the shortcut to the Dune Emperor's treasury?"
"Yes!"
Bai Zihe had saved Long Bai, and as a reward, Long Bai agreed to personally lead him to the location of the Dune Emperor's treasury.
In other words, the core area of Dune City.
Long Bai had been imprisoned here for an unknown number of years, and with his celestial realm strength, he could naturally perceive everything within with ease.
Locating treasures was even simpler.
The two flew rapidly and soon emerged from the passage.
"We've arrived."
Long Bai pointed ahead to a simple bronze gate: "This is the core of the Dune Emperor's treasury. Inside, there is the sixth-grade Regenerating Lotus that I need."
"Good."
Bai Zihe didn't hesitate and accelerated his pace.
"Whoosh..."
As they drew nearer, Long Bai unleashed a sword qi directly at it.
The bronze gate instantly shattered into pieces, blown to smithereens, leaving not a single trace behind.
"Buzz..."
Simultaneously, a treasury so bright it was blinding appeared before Bai Zihe.
It was a vast hall, approximately a hundred zhang in area, filled with countless treasures. Just the flowing auras alone made Bai Zihe's heart pound with apprehension.
And the radiant glow emanating from the treasures was enough to make one's eyes burn with envy.
"Swish!"
Immediately, the two stepped inside.
Upon entering, Bai Zihe was able to perceive the immense power of these treasures even more clearly and up close.
There were swords emanating a chilling aura.
There were sabers that made one's mind tremble just by their presence.
There were ancient and desolate secret manuals, exuding a profound sense of mystery.
There were pills surrounded by celestial clouds, continuously generating effervescence.
All sorts of treasures existed here, anything that could be found in the cultivation world, and a small portion of them were things Bai Zihe had never seen or heard of, yet they emanated exceptionally powerful energies.
One of them...
A bead emitting a pale yellow light made Bai Zihe feel an inexplicable palpitation. It was none other than the legendary Earth Spirit Pearl.
Without a doubt, Bai Zihe knew.
This item was the crucial treasure for him to awaken his Earth Sacred Body!
"Swish..."
Bai Zihe could no longer restrain himself. He maximized his divine sense, scanning for any traps or curses within.
After probing for a while.
Bai Zihe found no issues and could no longer hold back, reaching out towards the item.
Just in case.
He used his true essence to retrieve it.
"Don't!"
Just then, Long Bai suddenly shouted: "Don't move!"