Chapter 745 746: Offering the Mineral Vein

Seeing that Ye Xuan seemed to know the newly arrived Qiu Yuan and his group, the expressions of the many Martial Kings present flickered.

But after hearing the conversation between Ye Xuan and Qiu Yuan and realizing the newcomers were enemies, not friends, they breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Gentlemen, this boy just plundered a mineral vein that belonged to us. We're in the middle of dealing with him, so please, don't interfere."

Wei Zifu immediately stepped out from the crowd, cupping his hands toward Qiu Gong and the others.

'So the kid really did steal their mineral vein.' Qiu Gong was taken aback.

'A Martial King like Ye Xuan dares to rob so many other Martial Kings? Is this kid tired of living?'

Seeing Qiu Gong remain silent, Wei Zifu frowned. "Do you insist on interfering in our business?"

The dozen or so Martial Kings present all unleashed a surging killing intent.

"Heh, you misunderstand. We naturally won't interfere in your business with this young man."

Qiu Gong said with a smile after a moment's thought.

"Good."

Wei Zifu nodded, then turned to Ye Xuan. "Kid, we've changed our minds. Hand over the mineral vein you just found, and we'll spare your life."

They were wary of Ye Xuan's potential background. If Qiu Gong hadn't been there, they would have simply killed him on the spot. After all, no one would have known who did it.

But now that Qiu Gong had arrived and even seemed to know Ye Xuan, Wei Zifu and his men felt a sliver of apprehension. As long as they got the treasure, killing Ye Xuan was no longer that important.

"Father, judging by the Heaven and Earth Profound Qi here, the vein that kid just unearthed must be extraordinary. Are we really not going to get involved?"

Nearby, Qiu Yuan whispered in Qiu Gong's ear, his eyes glinting.

Qiu Gong glanced at him, his gaze cold. "Get involved? We'd need the strength to back it up. The Old Ancestor has gone to the abyss, leaving only the six of us from Lingkong Cave. But there are thirteen Martial Kings in this valley, three of whom are at the Third Layer. If we dare interfere, they certainly won't back down. Who even knows what that kid dug up? Making enemies of so many experts over a single mineral vein would be foolish."

"You're wise, Father. Then let's just watch the kid die," Qiu Yuan said with a smirk.

Ye Xuan looked at Wei Zifu's group surrounding him and the members of Lingkong Cave watching the spectacle from the side. He scoffed internally.

With a flick of his eyes, he suddenly strode forward and cupped his hands toward Qiu Yuan from a distance. "I have often heard that the Young Cavern Lord is handsome, mighty, and a man of integrity. Now I find myself in peril. I implore you, Young Cavern Lord, to lend me your aid for the sake of our fortuitous meeting. I would be eternally grateful."

Qiu Yuan froze. He never expected Ye Xuan to actually ask him for help.

"If the Young Cavern Lord is willing to save me from this dire situation, I will give you the Supreme Grade Profound Stones I just found." Ye Xuan's face was a mask of grief and indignation as he continued angrily, "I clearly found these Supreme Grade Profound Stones, but these bullies are using their high cultivation to steal them! Even if my, Xuan Ye's, cultivation is low, I will never bow to them just to save my own life!"

"What? Supreme Grade Profound Stones?"

Qiu Yuan had been about to mock Ye Xuan, but at the mention of Supreme Grade Profound Stones, his eyes instantly lit up and his expression became one of extreme excitement.

He wasn't the only one; Qiu Gong, standing to the side, was also visibly stirred.

"That's right."

Without another word, Ye Xuan took the vein of Upper Grade Profound Stone out of his Storage Ring. The moment the man-sized mineral vein appeared, an astonishing wave of Heaven and Earth Profound Qi surged out like an ocean, overwhelming the senses.

"This is... The exterior is Upper Grade Profound Stone, but the core... is Supreme Grade Profound Stone."

Qiu Gong's gaze froze, his face revealing an expression of intense excitement.

A head-sized piece of Supreme Grade Profound Stone... Never mind a Third Layer Martial King like him, even a Nine Heavens Martial Emperor would be tempted by it.

At that moment, Qiu Gong's mouth went dry.

"You're courting death, kid!"

Seeing Ye Xuan's actions, Wei Zifu and his men could no longer hold back. BOOM! A Second Layer Martial King drew his battle saber. A sharp blade qi, like a pillar of moonlight, swept toward Ye Xuan. Simultaneously, a giant Profound hand materialized in midair and snatched at the ore in front of him.

A look of terror crossed Ye Xuan's face as he hastily commanded Erhei to block the attack. SLICE! Erhei was struck by the blade's light, its body sent flying backward to slam heavily into Ye Xuan. The impact forced a grunt from Ye Xuan's lips. His face paled, and he staggered back a few steps, clearly shaken.

WHOOSH!

At the same time, the giant hand seized the Profound Stone mineral vein and instantly lifted it into the air.

"Hold on!"

A cold shout suddenly rang out. A giant Profound iron fist appeared with it, slamming squarely into the hand that had seized the mineral vein and blasting it to pieces. Amidst the violent blast of energy, the man-sized Profound Stone vein came crashing down.

The one who had struck was none other than Qiu Gong of Lingkong Cave.

Wei Zifu's face darkened. "You just said you wouldn't interfere in our affairs," he said coldly. "Why did you attack? Are you going back on your word?"

A flash of greed crossed Qiu Gong's eyes. "You are mistaken," he said lightly. "I promised not to interfere because I thought this boy had plundered your vein. However, I've just realized the situation may not be as you described. I merely wish to get to the bottom of it. If the boy truly did steal your vein, I'll have nothing more to say. But if certain people are trying to use their power to bully the weak, then I, Qiu, will not stand by and allow it."

"My father is right," Qiu Yuan added loudly. "Everyone, if this mineral vein is yours, we'll have nothing to say. But if it belongs to my new friend, I will not permit you to steal it by force."

Ye Xuan quickly chimed in, "Young Cavern Lord Qiu Yuan, I unearthed this mineral vein by myself. It has nothing to do with these people! When they saw what I'd found, greed took over and they tried to steal it. If you and the Cavern Lord hadn't arrived in time, I'm afraid they would have already killed me. To repay you for saving my life, I am willing to give this mineral vein to you. I only ask that you ensure my safety."

"So that's how it is." Qiu Yuan immediately declared with an air of righteousness, "Rest assured, as long as you truly unearthed this vein, we will not stand idly by. With us here, I'd like to see who dares to kill you."

"Yes, yes," Ye Xuan said, nodding respectfully. "Thank you for your help, Young Cavern Lord."

Wei Zifu's eyes turned cold. "So, you all insist on making an enemy of us?"

Qiu Yuan replied coldly, "This isn't about being enemies. We simply wish to see justice done."

"Justice?" Wei Zifu sneered. "And you actually believe this kid's nonsense? We clearly found this valley first. He came in later and dug up this vein while we were busy dividing up the others. How is that not robbery? Go on, ask him who was in this valley first."

Ye Xuan immediately spoke up. "I admit, you were already in the valley when I arrived. But you were elsewhere, dividing up other veins. You had no idea this one even existed. I am the one who unearthed this vein, all by myself."

"As long as you admit we were here first, that's all that matters." Wei Zifu shot a cold glance at Qiu Gong. "You all heard him."

Qiu Gong nodded. "I heard him. But what does that prove? You merely arrived in the valley first; you didn't discover this particular mineral vein. That means the discoverer is still my young friend here."

"Exactly," Qiu Yuan added. "A mineral vein belongs to whoever finds it first, not whoever arrives in the area first. By your logic, would the first person to enter this entire mystic realm be entitled to every treasure found by all the Martial Artists who came after him? After all, he was here first. Don't you find your own logic laughable?"

"Fine. It seems you have no intention of being reasonable."

So furious he began to laugh, Wei Zifu didn't waste another word. He threw a punch. "Then let's see who's really in charge!"

BOOM!

Amidst a deafening roar, a massive Profound river appeared in the sky. Wei Zifu attacked with his full power from the very start. The force of his punch was like a great falling star, bearing down directly on Qiu Gong.

At the same moment Wei Zifu struck, the other two Third Layer Martial Kings beside him also attacked. Two torrents of energy, vast as oceans and filled with extreme killing intent, swept toward Qiu Gong.

Once these three made their move, they held nothing back, each unleashing a terrifying Domain Realm barrier. Instantly, various powerful spatial forces filled the air. The very space of the valley seemed to be sliced into countless pieces, each one radiating with endless killing intent.

"Done with talking, are we? Ready to fight?"

Qiu Gong sneered. He was already prepared. The instant the three attacked, he deployed a bowl-shaped treasure. The mouth of the bowl faced down, releasing streams of a hazy aura that formed a shield of light around him.

CRACK-BOOM!

But it was no use. The trio's goal was to kill their strongest opponent, Qiu Gong, in the very first exchange. Their combined power was unparalleled.

With a shattering crack, the shield of light around Qiu Gong's body broke. It was completely pulverized under the trio's assault. A powerful force slammed into Qiu Gong's body, sending him flying.

As his robes tore, a glowing suit of Profound Armor was revealed underneath, its surface shimmering with a complex, arcane luster. It was this very armor that had blocked the majority of the attack, allowing him to escape serious injury despite the combined assault of three Third Layer Martial Kings.