In a hushed tone, Zhuge Yuanhong whispered, "In this chaotic age, is it not better to die with immense renown than to perish forgotten?" Should a person live for millennia as a timid turtle, or blaze forth with the most dazzling light, becoming a short-lived meteor?

Yan Motian, standing beside him, gazed into the distance. "Qingshan is truly a hero of this turbulent era. Seventeen years old and already at the Xiantian realm, slaying numerous law enforcement elders of Qinghu Island, and even killing the Xiantian Golden Core master from the Snow Eagle Sect with a single move. To manipulate the masters of so many sects in the palm of his hand—even in death, his legend will surely endure across the Nine Provinces for a thousand years..."

"If only Qingshan could escape this tribulation..." Zhuge Yuanhong shook his head slightly, then turned and walked toward the Black Armored Army.

"We will encamp for the night and return to Jiangning at dawn," Zhuge Yuanhong's voice carried as Yan Motian followed closely.

In the deep night, Teng Qingshan strode forward, the Reincarnation Spear grasped in his hand.

Behind him followed the Xiantian powerhouses from the various great sects, along with the vast, surging ranks of the Silver Jiao Army soldiers.

"Teng Qingshan, how much further?" Ying Haojiang, wearing a golden mask, asked in a low voice.

"Don't rush."

Teng Qingshan smiled lightly. "What, worried I’m leading you all in circles?" When one has reached Teng Qingshan's current predicament, those Xiantian powerhouses dare not push too far. If Teng Qingshan chose death over handing over the two tripods, killing him would benefit them nothing.

"Ying Haojiang, we should just follow Teng Qingshan slowly," the long-browed old monk smiled gently.

Teng Qingshan continued to lead the way. After about half an hour,

"Do you see it? That Twin-Headed Mountain ahead?" Teng Qingshan pointed forward. The Xiantian powerhouses from the Ying Clan, Moni Temple, Qinghu Island, and other major sects all peered out from afar.

"The two tripods are there?" The Xiantian experts grew anxious.

"Impossible for them to be on the mountain," Elder Wan of the Snow Eagle Sect scoffed. "Teng Qingshan, if you hid the two tripods on the mountain, my Snow Eagle would have certainly spotted you."

"I never said they were on the mountain."

Teng Qingshan snorted coldly. "If you don't want the two Northern Sea Spirits, then get far away and stop bothering me."

"You..." Elder Wan’s eyes widened in anger.

"Elder Wan, excessive anger harms the body," Ying Haojiang sneered.

Elder Wan took a deep breath, forcing down his rage.

"Without me leading you, you'd never find them, and if you search haphazardly across the mountain, those two tripods might overturn, and all the Northern Sea Spirits would drain away." As Teng Qingshan spoke, his mind drifted back to a memory from his time in the hunter squad at Teng Family Village, hearing a voice in his ear—"Qingshan, climb that Twin-Headed Mountain ahead, and you will see the Bihan Pond."

That time, they needed to forge 182 Bihan Blades.

Thus, Teng Qingshan had gone with his clansmen to collect the water from the Bihan Pond, which was located halfway up the Twin-Headed Mountain.

"Life or death rests on this attempt," Teng Qingshan thought silently.

This was a venture of nine deaths for every one life.

The only slim chance of survival lay with the Purple Light Flood Dragon in the Bihan Pond!

He led them in a wide circle around the base of the Twin-Headed Mountain.

"Stay ten zhang away from me," Teng Qingshan surveyed the group behind him. "The moment I retrieve the two tripods... no one is allowed to disturb me. If I accidentally knock them over, it will be disastrous."

"Fine, ten zhang away."

The group of Xiantian powerhouses obeyed meekly. Ten zhang was nothing; for a Xiantian Golden Core master, it was an instant dash. Especially the long-browed old monk who practiced the Shijia Heart Sutra; with his 'Divine Foot Teleportation' (Shentong), his speed was terrifying. Teng Qingshan had no chance of escape.

Teng Qingshan walked along the mountain base, squatting down in the thick, overgrown weeds to begin digging.

"Rustle~~" A large amount of sand, stones, and dirt were excavated.

The Xiantian powerhouses craned their necks, trying desperately to see what was in the pit.

"Remember, ten zhang," Teng Qingshan shot a glare over his shoulder.

Inside this sandy pit was a stone slab, and beneath the slab lay the two tripods! Teng Qingshan had buried the tripods here as a contingency plan. If he were captured and could not escape, he could lead them here to claim the tripods... and in doing so, secure a sliver of hope via the Bihan Pond's Flood Dragon.

"Clang!" He threw aside the soil-covering stone slab, then carefully grasped the two tripods, lifting them out of the deep pit.

"The two tripods!"

"Yes, those are the ones."

The Xiantian masters from the Ying Clan, Moni Temple, Qinghu Island, Sun-Shooting Divine Mountain, and other factions grew instantly excited upon seeing the two tripods in Teng Qingshan's hands. Although the Ying Clan and Moni Temple already possessed two each, and the Sun-Shooting Divine Mountain expert held one, they were still covetous of the pair Teng Qingshan held.

"Hoo!"

The instant he brought the two tripods out, Teng Qingshan leaped up, soaring over twenty zhang high.

"He's escaping!"

"Chase!" Dozens of Xiantian powerhouses instantly shot after him, the long-browed old monk the fastest. Teng Qingshan merely used the cliff face for leverage twice before reaching the mountainside halfway up. The moment Teng Qingshan landed on the mountainside, the old monk arrived simultaneously.

"Stop!" Teng Qingshan roared, placing both tripods onto the surface of the Bihan Pond with both hands.

"Teng Qingshan, you cannot escape," the long-browed old monk said, wary of pushing too hard, fearing Teng Qingshan might smash the tripods into the cold pond, thus mixing the Northern Sea Spirits into the water and completely ruining them.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The masters arrived one by one on the mountainside, all fixing their gaze on Teng Qingshan.

"I have no place to run from this mountainside," Teng Qingshan crouched beside the Bihan Pond, where chilling mist permeated the air. "You all see, if I apply force and smash these two tripods in, the pond water will instantly fill them, washing away the Northern Sea Spirits inside."

The Xiantian powerhouses present grew somewhat enraged.

Teng Qingshan’s gaze suddenly turned icy as he swept across the four from Qinghu Island. "I, Teng Qingshan, always repay a grudge! Since I must die, I will drag a few down with me. Qinghu Island has four Xiantian masters here now. Whoever kills Gu Yong, I will give them one tripod. Kill the other three, and I'll give them the second. If you kill all four of them, I will hand over these two tripods freely!"

Whoosh!

Gu Yong and the other three from Qinghu Island instantly shifted aside, gathering together with caution.

"Teng Qingshan," Gu Yong seethed, glaring at him, "you caused the death of eight enforcement elders from my Qinghu Island, murdered my son Shiyou, ruined my plans, resulting in Qinghu Island obtaining no tripods, and now you demand revenge? By what right? I ask you, by what right? How have I, Gu Yong, offended you? You push people too far!!!"

"Hahahaha..."

Teng Qingshan laughed in his fury, fixing his eyes on Gu Yong. "Gu Yong, you’ve committed so many wicked deeds you've forgotten! Your Qinghu Island army was stationed here in the Dayan Mountains. At the foot of Dayan Mountain, you rounded up 180 hunters from all the villages, forcing them to help you find the subterranean entrance. Once the task was done, you ordered them all executed. Am I correct?"

Gu Yong and the other three froze.

"Among those hunters were my father! And my paternal uncle!" Teng Qingshan stared at Gu Yong.

The other Xiantian powerhouses suddenly realized the truth.

"It's a pity your Qinghu Island soldiers were incompetent. My uncle died, but it allowed my father a fluke chance to escape. However, my father is now paralyzed... Hmph, hmph, perhaps these hunters meant nothing in your eyes." Teng Qingshan swept his gaze over the others. "I will count to ten. If you don't act by then, I will destroy these two tripods!"

"One!" Teng Qingshan said coldly.

"Two!"

The various Xiantian powerhouses exchanged glances. Killing the Island Master of Qinghu Island was no small matter. Qinghu Island was one of the Eight Great Sects, possessing formidable armies. Their Grand Elder, the 'Blind Sword Saint,' was not to be trifled with. But some present hesitated... should they strike?

"Three!" Teng Qingshan uttered another count.

Plop!

Teng Qingshan, with the Reincarnation Spear strapped to his back and holding the two tripods, actually leaped directly into the Bihan Pond.

"Not good!" The expressions of the Xiantian powerhouses changed drastically.

"He didn't use his Xiantian True Essence to protect the tripods," someone shouted.

"He only counted to three! That treacherous bastard."

Plop! Plop! Plop!

"Kill him!" Instantly, many enraged Xiantian powerhouses dove in.

"I will kill this brat with my own hands." Gu Yong also jumped in. With the Northern Sea Spirits ruined, Qinghu Island was fated to gain nothing this time, having also lost many men, and his son was dead; Gu Yong would never be reconciled without killing Teng Qingshan.

"The Northern Sea Spirits have been destroyed."

"He didn't even use his Xiantian True Essence to shield the tripods..." The Xiantian masters remaining on the mountainside were furious. They had expended so much effort, following Teng Qingshan step by step to this point—what for? Wasn't it for those two tripods? But who would have thought Teng Qingshan would destroy the Northern Sea Spirits.

That small amount of Northern Sea Spirit, mixed into this massive volume of pond water, the water perhaps even connecting to the subterranean water source. These Xiantian powerhouses lacked the ability to 'purify' it.

"Splash!" "Splash!" Many of the Xiantian experts who had jumped into the water immediately surfaced.

"What's wrong?" The other Xiantian masters looked at them.

"It's too cold down there," one expert from the Ying Clan said. "This cold pond is very deep. Teng Qingshan shot straight to the bottom in one breath. The deeper you go, the colder it gets. Even with the protective shield of Xiantian True Essence in the depths, waves of coldness permeated the body, making hands and feet sluggish."

These Xiantian experts generally had only average physical conditioning. Although the Xiantian True Essence shield offered defense, even one percent of the chill penetrating through would cause their bodies to grow numb.

"However, Teng Qingshan was struck by an arrow from Venerable Wang of the Sun-Shooting Divine Mountain, and Venerable Wang has already pursued him into the cold pond," someone else reported.

Among those who jumped in first were two Xiantian Golden Core masters: Venerable Wang of the Sun-Shooting Divine Mountain, and Gu Yong.

But underwater, with Teng Qingshan’s 'Fish Transformation' technique, only the long-range attacker Venerable Wang posed a real threat.

...

Deep within the pool, in the underwater passage.

Teng Qingshan had transformed into a fish, darting swiftly. There was a gash on his waist, and the shaft of the Reincarnation Spear in his hand had fractured again, shedding a large chunk. Teng Qingshan's 'Primal One Qi' spear defense was extremely fast; with the Reincarnation Spear... he had indeed managed to block that arrow.

"I was nearly finished. Wang Kehou... I have no great feud with you, but you are persistent," Teng Qingshan fled desperately. "Where is the Purple Light Flood Dragon? Where is it? I encountered it at the bottom of the pool last time; I’ve swum over a li since entering, but I haven't seen it yet?" Teng Qingshan's eyes searched meticulously.

Suddenly, Teng Qingshan spotted the familiar purplish-red Purple Light Flood Dragon far ahead. It was twelve zhang long, its winding body as thick as a water vat, and its terrifying dragon head bore small, silver horns a foot long. This was indeed the Purple Light Flood Dragon he had encountered when exploring the Bihan Pond previously.

"Whoosh~~" Teng Qingshan violently flicked his fish tail and quietly and swiftly swam past the Purple Light Flood Dragon.

But as soon as he passed this Purple Light Flood Dragon, Teng Qingshan’s expression changed.

"What is this..." Teng Qingshan stared at the massive, winding body, a body as thick as a giant water vat, its length... at first glance, it was over twenty zhang long (about sixty meters). Densely packed black-purple scales covered every inch of its body. On its forehead, it grew two forked dragon horns, and several crystal-white whiskers hung from its face. One could clearly see dragon claws beneath its enormous bulk.

"Two forked horns? Whiskers? Claws? This is..." Teng Qingshan’s face went ashen. He dared not disturb this terrifying demonic beast and immediately swam away quietly.

This formidable Flood Dragon beast, resting quietly, slightly opened an eye, glanced at the swimming Teng Qingshan, and paid him no mind. As a fearsome demonic beast that had cultivated for untold years, it possessed its own pride; if humans did not provoke it, it would not bother attacking them out of boredom.

Suddenly!

"Roar~~" In another direction, the twelve-zhang-long Purple Light Flood Dragon roared in fury.

Teng Qingshan, who had already fled far away, heard the roar and looked back. "Hmph, in this absolute darkness, Gu Yong and Wang Kehou cannot see. They can only rely on the Xiantian True Essence shield. By the time they discover the Purple Light Flood Dragon, they'll probably be right in front of it." Although Teng Qingshan was unsure of the temperament of the dragon with claws, he knew the temper of the twelve-zhang Purple Light Flood Dragon.

Last time, even when he hadn't provoked it, the Purple Light Flood Dragon had attacked him.

It was easy to imagine the predicament Gu Yong and Wang Kehou were in.

"Roar~~"

"Roar~~" The roars quickly faded into the depths of the dark waterway.

"The Purple Light Flood Dragon must have chased them out. After all, the Purple Light Flood Dragon is not a Void Realm entity. It cannot compare to that old River Turtle. Gu Yong and Wang Kehou are both formidable Xiantian Golden Core masters. It’s not certain the Purple Light Flood Dragon can kill both of them," Teng Qingshan thought, his eyes lighting up. "If the Purple Light Flood Dragon is injured, will that... unknown Flood Dragon with claws and whiskers venture out?"

...

At the foot of Twin-Headed Mountain.

"Boom!" With a sudden explosion, a large hole was blasted open in the cliff face, sending debris flying, while the rushing, cold pond water surged out. Two figures shot out of the opening: Gu Yong and Wang Kehou.

"Roar~~"

The Purple Light Flood Dragon followed immediately, bursting out of the opening.

The Silver Jiao Army soldiers waiting calmly at the base of the mountain turned pale with fright. The Xiantian powerhouses on the mountainside were all greatly shocked. "Island Master!" The forces of Qinghu Island rushed down. "Senior Brother!" The forces of the Sun-Shooting Divine Mountain leaped down. The other major Xiantian experts also jumped down.

"Sss, sss~~~" The Purple Light Flood Dragon violently spat out a cloud of black mist.

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

Instantly, three Xiantian experts were struck. Their bodies disintegrated into powder in a flash. One was from the Ying Clan, and two were from Moni Temple.

"A Purple Light Flood Dragon! Everyone, join forces and kill this vicious beast!" the long-browed old monk roared angrily. "Out of the water, this Purple Light Flood Dragon is much slower."

The Purple Light Flood Dragon was entirely precious; having failed to secure the two tripods, the enraged Xiantian experts surged toward it. Dozens of Xiantian powerhouses were not easily provoked!

The first wave of attack severely wounded the Purple Light Flood Dragon.

"Roar~~" The Purple Light Flood Dragon let out a piercing cry, writhing and twisting wildly on the ground at the mountain's base, its entire body covered in blood.

Suddenly—

"Wooooah~~" A roar seemingly transmitted from ancient times echoed, surging up from the depths of the earth.