Before the big man, there was nothing but two beast eggs, their shells covered in swirling black cloud patterns. No pop-ups

Zong Shou quickly recalled in his mind, and after a moment, he pulled the illustrated guide for Yin Xuan Turtle eggs from his dusty memory.

Then, a faint smile touched his lips; there were slight differences, but nothing major. Even if they weren't the exact species, they belonged to the same kin and genus.

It was just a pity that this rank was probably only Tier Five.

Zong Shou didn't really care. Two Yin Xuan Turtle eggs would allow Chu Xue to complete the collection for another Five Spirits Beast. And for himself, he could finally find a true guardian beast for self-defense.

Hatching as Tier Five already meant the Black Tortoise bloodline was quite potent.

Without much hesitation, Zong Shou walked up to the big man.

"How many spirit stones will it take for you to sell these two Yin Xuan Turtle eggs?"

The big man looked up. He was tall and powerfully built, yet his features were refined. After glancing at Zong Shou, he shook his head. "I'm not selling these eggs, only trading. I want beast eggs of equal value, specialized in flight and escape—"

Zong Shou frowned slightly. Trading only meant he only had one option. It could indeed fly, but trading for it would result in a slight loss for him.

After a brief calculation, Zong Shou still took out an egg of the Fire Phoenix and asked, "Would this suffice? I wonder what you could offer to balance the difference in value?"

"A Phoenix egg, Tier Six? Could it be a Crimson Fire Golden Phoenix?"

When the fiery golden egg entered his sight, the big man's pupils constricted, and his breathing grew abruptly heavy.

After a moment of internal struggle, he finally let out a helpless sigh, "I cannot cover the difference, and my little sister has not yet condensed the Fire True Talisman either!"

Zong Shou was momentarily stunned, then turned and walked away without a word.

What this man sought was a guardian beast suitable for his close kin. Although his Tier Six Phoenix egg was an ultimate spirit pet, to this man, it was more of a burden than a blessing.

There was simply no possibility of a successful trade between them. Zong Shou naturally couldn't be bothered to waste more breath on the man.

While the Dark Yin Turtle was decent, it was hardly a top-tier defensive spirit beast.

There was nothing else in this market that could genuinely pique his interest.

Wandering around and examining every stall, Zong Shou left the small Spirit Sea with a touch of regret, following a spirit river back toward the Azure Heaven Realm.

Yet, only half an hour after setting out, the surrounding spiritual energy suddenly shook violently.

In an instant, before Zong Shou could even react, he felt himself being pulled into a small, unfamiliar space. Although the spirit river and surging spiritual energy were still around him, they no longer seemed connected to him.

"To create a self-contained space even within this spatial rift—that's quite impressive—"

Zong Shou narrowed his eyes and looked ahead. The space before him, which had been empty, now contained three figures.

One figure stood ahead, clad in a flowing purple-gold python robe, appearing to be about eighteen years old, with rather handsome features and an arrogant expression.

The other two seemed to be disciples of the Azure Dao as well, but likely only outer disciples. They followed behind the purple-robed youth with deferential expressions, like servants.

Zong Shou felt no surprise. In the Azure Dao's three sects and six halls, every true inheritor Spirit Master's guardian could gain the status of one or two outer disciples, allowing them to accompany their masters to the Azure Heaven Realm to cultivate for several years.

These three likely fit that description.

What intrigued him was their purpose in lying in ambush here.

Before he could inquire, the elder of the two outer disciples spoke up, "Hand over that Phoenix egg you possess. Our young master desires it."

"The Phoenix egg?"

Zong Shou instantly understood; they must have witnessed the scene during the trade.

After some thought, Zong Shou produced the Fire Phoenix egg and smiled faintly, "I indeed possess this item and am willing to trade it to a fellow disciple. But I wonder what you plan to exchange for it?"

The two outer guardian disciples froze, and even the purple-robed youth frowned, visibly displeased. However, as if disdainful of speaking to Zong Shou, he remained silent.

Finally, the first speaker sneered, as if hearing the most amusing joke, "Junior Brother, do you know the stature of our Young Master? He is the direct grandson of a Sixth Generation Inheritor Elder of the Profound Sun Sect. If our Young Master is satisfied, merely securing a word from his venerable elder for you would bring boundless benefit! Today, no matter what you exchange, Junior Brother, it won't be as valuable as the regard of our Young Master."

Zong Shou looked somewhat taken aback. "Then do you three know that if the Crimson Fire Golden Phoenix egg were handed over to the Sect, it could yield at least two hundred thousand merits? Can your Young Master's favor possibly procure me two Tenth-Grade Sect Secret Arts?"

The man seemed to have anticipated Zong Shou's words, his gaze turning cold. "That is, assuming you can even hand it over! Does Your Excellency not realize that, now that you are sealed within this space, even your life and death are no longer yours to control, resting entirely within the Young Master's thoughts? I offered you a chance, and you refuse to appreciate it?"

Zong Shou had already foreseen that this situation would not end amicably. But hearing those final words, he couldn't help but sigh—indeed, one should never flaunt wealth. Gentlemen of integrity like Jin Buhui and Xuan Ye were rare in this world.

He held no ill will toward the Sect itself; even the most powerful organizations invariably harbored some dross.

Especially the Azure Dao, which already had a poor reputation. Over its ten-thousand-year history, some unworthy disciples had inevitably infiltrated the ranks. A mixed bag was to be expected.

He had initially intended to reveal his Third-Generation True Disciple token; with that, no matter how powerful these three were or what backing they possessed, they should have swiftly retreated.

However, a thought suddenly flickered in his mind. This spatial treasure that could contain a space was quite exceptional. A cursory glance suggested the space spanned nearly five hundred zhang, large enough to hold several people, and the spiritual energy within was quite robust.

With this thought, a playful smile emerged on Zong Shou's face. "Do the three of you truly dare to rob me? This is the Azure Heaven Realm, every inch monitored by the consciousness of the Sect's powerhouses. Are you not afraid of being expelled from the Sect?"

This time, the elder gray-clothed man didn't speak first. The purple-robed youth merely flicked his sleeve, signaling his subordinates to remain silent, then coldly fixed his gaze on Zong Shou, an unmistakable sharp glint within it.

"Within my Spirit Gourd Ring, even an Immortal Realm expert might fail to probe their spirit sense inside. Naturally, nothing done in here can be known by outsiders. That Crimson Fire Golden Phoenix egg, I must have it. Whether you are willing to part with it is decided by a single word from you?"

Hearing the mention that even an Immortal Realm expert could not probe inside, Zong Shou was startled again. He knew this spatial treasure was extraordinary, but he hadn't expected it to be this high-grade—likely an artifact above Tier Three!

His heart, however, felt a surge of delight. He nodded. "If that is the case, then that means even if I, Tan Qiu, were to steal something from you in here, no one would know, correct?"

The purple-robed youth was momentarily stunned by this. He had long noticed that the person before him was perhaps overly composed. Since falling into his Spirit Gourd Ring, the man hadn't shown a shred of panic, and he couldn't discern what confidence Zong Shou possessed.

That last sentence made the youth's heart skip a beat, an instinctive sense of unease rising within him.

The two beside him remained completely oblivious, seemingly finding the suggestion absurd and laughing coldly.

But in the next instant, a flash of purple electric light erupted around Zong Shou, and his entire figure vanished from the spot. Following the path of the current, in less than a blink, he appeared before the three.

The two gray-clothed servants’ hearts suddenly leaped, rising in shock and astonishment. Almost instinctively, they roared and brandished two enormous shields, placing them in front of the purple-robed youth.

The youth's expression tightened; he stepped back several paces and slapped several talismans onto the bodies of his two subordinates. The gray-clothed servants suddenly swelled, their muscles bulging, and a layer of silvery light manifested across their bodies, especially over the massive iron shields.

Without making any overt gestures or uttering spiritual incantations, the youth formed a hand seal, and a lightning pattern on his brow suddenly illuminated.

Then, a mass of dark clouds gathered overhead, countless streaks of electric light churning and coalescing within. It seemed ready to strike down at any moment.

Zong Shou watched with a flicker of surprise. Truly, the Azure Dao was teeming with geniuses. Within the Heaven Realm, there were no weaklings!

However, he was determined to claim this Spirit Gourd Ring today!

Furious Thunder, Thousand Blades!

The purple lightning surged. Zong Shou's sword thrust out an uncountable number of times in an instant, transforming into a thousand streaks of purple sword light that crashed against the two giant shields.

In a mere breath, hundreds of continuous 'clanging' metallic collisions sounded, front to back, almost merging into one, assaulting the mind.

Then, in the next blink, the two giant shields shattered completely. The two gray-clothed servants spat blood, retreated several steps consecutively, and then collapsed onto the ground.

Their bodies flickered with residual current, their muscles paralyzed, and the vital energy within them nearly depleted.

But their delay had allowed several massive bolts of electricity from the dark cloud mass above to strike down.

The purple-robed youth visibly let out a sigh of relief. Utilizing his unique innate talent to cast this Tier Eight Dao technique, even several Tier Seven powerhouses within the sect might not withstand it unscathed, let alone this opponent.

Zong Shou didn't even blink. His sword light split, slashing left and right, absorbing all the incoming lightning strikes onto the blade in his hand.

Furthermore, instead of being struck down, he consumed the electricity, converting all the current to his own use, and then unleashed a single sword strike, wrapped in a massive ball of lightning, surging toward the youth.

The purple-robed youth’s face instantly turned utterly pale. He felt that before this colossal sword light, all his techniques were useless. He couldn't block it, nor could he stop it. This person clearly meant to take his life—he was truly going to die!

Then, in an instant, he felt an immense crushing force severing the protective Dao arts and vital aura surrounding him.

A searing pain erupted in his abdomen, and he was sent flying backward.

(To be continued)RQ