Ninth In the World

Ji Hongsen chuckled and told the rest of the cultivators, “Everyone should offer something up since Daoist Di put so much effort in analyzing the array patterns. A couple of the Primordial Dao fruits is nothing much. I believe that everyone has something they have no use for, right?”

“Ha ha… That is right. I have two Profound Linear Wolfberry Fruits here.” Ma Jujia was the first to agree with Ji Hongsen before taking out the two Primordial Dao fruits that were virtually useless to second-step Dao Validation cultivators.

Di Jiu naturally was aware of Ji Hongsen’s ulterior motive. This suggestion had not been made out of goodwill to help him obtain Dao fruits. Rather, Di Jiu would most likely be surrounded and attacked to death if he accepted the Dao fruits but did not successfully break open the array. Besides, everyone here was a Primordial Chaos Sacred Emperor, which meant that they certainly owned some trashy Primordial Dao fruits. Some of these Primordial Dao fruits were inferior to even Dao Modeling Dao fruits.

Even if Di Jiu accepted the Dao fruits and successfully opened the array pattern, it would still not be good for him. He would become everyone’s target once he entered the array pattern.

Despite knowing Ji Hongsen’s motive, he accepted all the trashy Primordial Dao fruits offered to him by the masses without hesitation.

He needed the Dao fruits so that he could break through and become a Primordial Dao Alchemy Saint. The quantity and not the quality was what mattered to him. As for his worry that he would provoke people by accepting these Dao fruits, he felt that it was a meaningless concern since he was already here.

Even Dark Red Sacred Dao City Lord Dao Chuanxun, who’d wanted to befriend Di Jiu, shook his head speechlessly upon seeing Di Jiu’s actions. He could not comprehend why Di Jiu would do such a thing. It would be understandable if these Dao fruits were useful. However, the Primordial Dao fruits Di Jiu accepted were all completely useless and there were only a couple of dozens of them in total.

It was not worth it, nor was it a wise move, to offend the experts present over these Dao fruits.

No one was thinking that Di Jiu would use these Primordial Dao fruits to become a Primordial Dao Alchemy Saint. Assuming that one Dao fruit could be refined into one cauldron of Primordial Dao Dao pills, 18 such cauldrons could not allow one to break through and become a Primordial Dao Alchemy Saint.

The reason there were so few Primordial Dao Alchemy Saints was mainly because one needed a large amount of Primordial Dao fruits in order to become a Primordial Dao Alchemy Saint. No matter how strong the perception of the Dao Transformation Alchemy Saint was, one should at least need a couple hundred Primordial Dao fruits.

These Primordial Dao fruits should also be valuable. Large amounts of supplementary divine spirit herbs were required as well.

Di Jiu did not know what the others were thinking. He had already taken out another handful of array flags and scattered them around. He was familiar with the array pattern, so it was quite a simple task to open the entrance of the array pattern.

In under half an hour, the eight-trigram array pattern suddenly split apart and a pitch-black array door appeared before everyone.

A majestic aura was exuded from the array door, which could not be permeated by Spiritual Force. Everyone then sensed some kind of Chaos Qi that could cleanse one’s Principal Spiritual Force and they took a deep breath subconsciously.

It had really opened? Everyone stared at the array door in excitement. No one had stepped through the array door yet, but everyone knew that they were one step closer to the Chaos Green Lotus.

Ji Hongsen was extremely excited as well, as he’d originally planned to use force. He hadn’t expected that Di Jiu would open this ancient eight-trigram array pattern in such a short time.

This deepened his wariness around Di Jiu, as he was certain that Di Jiu possessed a significant secret since the latter had been able to open this ancient array pattern entrance.

Ji Hongsen laughed as he stepped out of the crowd and mentioned nothing about Di Jiu’s contribution. Instead, he said, “Everyone, the Chaos Green Lotus is most definitely inside. Let us head in together.”

Upon saying that, Ji Hongsen was the first person to enter, as though he was unwilling to waste his breath on the cultivators who did not want to enter. The rest of the cultivators hastily entered as well after Ji Hongsen. Some cultivators who originally had not wanted to come rushed inside without hesitation.

No one would want to take their time and lose out when faced with a Chaos aura that could cleanse one’s Principal Spirit. Any cultivator who cultivated the Primordial Chaos Realm killed many people and encountered countless life-and-death situations. They had not wanted to come previously because they had not known if there was really a treasure. Now that they had confirmed that there was a heaven-defying priceless treasure here, there was no way they would back out.

This was a rare opportunity. Only people who were brave enough to take risks could succeed in their future cultivation path.

Di Jiu thought he would once again be the last person to enter. However, he discovered that one person remained outside while everyone else had entered.

Narrow-eyed, sleepy-looking Gou Zibi looked at Di Jiu and said, “I seem to have underestimated you. You are very formidable. Your status has increased in my eyes.”

Di Jiu replied nonchalantly, “Unfortunately, you are nothing to me.”

Gou Zibi was a very sly person, but Di Jiu was not afraid of him. He had killed more than one mid-stage Primordial Chaos cultivator after all. Gou Zibi, who was only at the early-stage Primordial Chaos Realm, was not a concern.

After saying that, Di Jiu was about to step through the array door.

“Hold up.” Gou Zibi called out to Di Jiu before adding, ‘Daoist Di, there is indeed a Chaos Green Lotus if my theory is correct. Something like the Chaos Green Lotus will definitely not be easily obtained by anyone. Why don’t we let go of any past misgivings and join forces?”

Di Jiu laughed mockingly. “What makes you think that you are qualified to work with me? Come at me directly if you covet my possessions. Otherwise, don’t waste my time!”

Gou Zibi stared at Di Jiu for a long while before shaking his head. “I don’t understand how you managed to live to this day.”

Gou Zibi could not be bothered to continue chatting with Di Jiu. Thus, he lifted his leg and stepped through the array door.

Di Jiu cursed loudly. “Those old fogies!”

Even as he cursed, he still had to take out array flags and set up an array. The people who had entered before him clearly knew that Di Jiu would stay behind to seal the area.

There was, in fact, nothing else Di Jiu could do. If he did not do that, the experts coming here would increase, thus decreasing his chances of obtaining any good loot.

Di Jiu stepped through the array door only after he had sealed the eight-trigram array pattern.

He felt a dizzy spell the moment he stepped through the array door and was shocked when he landed back on the ground.

An extremely beautiful green-leafed lotus floated less than 1,000 feet in front of him. It was nine feet tall, and its 12 lotus petals exuded dense Chaos Qi. Spiritual Force could not be used to scan the lotus. However, simply looking at it with naked eyes had a soothing effect on someone, as though the Heaven Earth Law became even more distinct.

Good stuff. This was not the Chaos Green Lotus, but it was still considered a top-notch priceless treasure.

There was a white lake that was shrouded in mist below the lotus. Spiritual Force could not permeate it.

The borders of the white lake were framed by a natural Defense Array formed from the merged flames. The level of this natural Defense Array was very high, and in Di Jiu’s opinion, it should be at least a level-nine Divine Array.

Such an array was something Di Jiu could not break open, even though he was currently a level-seven Divine Array Emperor.

The only way to open the Defense Array would be by force. This explained why Ji Hongsen would want to invite so many experts along. The 10 people present might not be able to break open this Defense Array, and even if it was possible, he did not know how long it would take.

“Daoist Di, could you open this Defense Array?” Fan Yuan from the Demon Clan grinned and looked at Di Jiu. His tone was soft and gentle.

Di Jiu replied coolly, “If I could, then no one would dare to single me out.”

Fan Yuan ignored Di Jiu’s minor mockery. He believed that Di Jiu would not be able to accomplish such a feat. Perhaps, no one in this universe could break open this Defense Array by relying on Array Dao skills.

Natural Defense Arrays like this were different from the eight-trigram array pattern they had encountered before. Any array pattern could be opened with sufficient comprehension, or it would be even harder to break it open by force than natural Defense Arrays.

Di Jiu really could not open this Defense Array. However, he had vaguely sensed that the flame that constituted this Defense Array was extremely beneficial to his Dao fire. He had to find a spot to let his Dao fire absorb the flame while everyone else was attacking the Defense Array. He would decide depending on the situation.

“In that case, let us attack together. I predict that it will take us more than a month to open a Defense Array of this level. We have a total of 10 people here, so we will split into two groups…”

Di Jiu interrupted Ji Hongsen before the latter could finish his speech. “Insular Lord Ji, I expended too much energy earlier. In addition, my cultivation level is the lowest here. Therefore, I will not take part in the attack.”

As he spoke, Di Jiu took out a crystal ball and repeatedly tossed it in the air.

Ji Hongsen’s face sank, as he knew very well what was recorded inside the crystal ball in Di Jiu’s hands: his promise to Di Jiu that he would not need to take part in attacking any Defense Arrays that appeared thereafter.