Chapter 948: Conflict Erupts

"Fellow Daoist Sun, you have the highest cultivation among us, so naturally this key should be temporarily kept by you." Chen Yang clasped his hands slightly and said with a smile.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, you know more about this blood-colored key than I do. Originally, you should have been the one to obtain and keep it. But there is clearly an additional layer of restrictive spell formation around the key. Do you recognize it, Fellow Daoist Chen?" Sun Tu looked somewhat troubled and asked.

"Spell formations have never been my forte, so I'll have to trouble Fellow Daoist Sun." Chen Yang said modestly.

"In that case, I will have to reluctantly take on the task..." Sun Tu chuckled and said.

As he spoke, he was about to leap toward the top of the bronze strange tree when suddenly a change occurred!

With a loud "boom," the two thick doors of the temple suddenly burst open, flying straight toward the group.

Han Li and the others immediately dodged, moving to both sides.

The temple doors crashed into the bronze strange tree and then shattered into pieces.

"Since you two fellow Daoists are so modest, why not let me take the key on your behalf?" At this moment, a familiar voice came from the temple entrance.

Han Li frowned and looked over, seeing Fu Jian, Qin Yuan, and several others standing at the entrance.

Among them, Fu Jian and Qin Yuan stood at the front, and a sinister-looking man with an eagle-like nose stood shoulder to shoulder with them—none other than the Xuan City elder Shao Ying.

Behind the three, there was also a tall man wrapped in white bandages and a short, stout middle-aged man. Han Li was not unfamiliar with the former—it was Duan Tong—and although he did not know the latter well, he knew he was also an elder of Xuanzhi City.

As for the one who had just spoken, it was Qin Yuan.

"When did you come in? My 'Heavenly Star Eye' didn't detect you!" Sun Tu's expression changed, and he frowned deeply.

"Hehe, setting up a mere 'Heavenly Star Eye' at the altar entrance and thinking it would be foolproof—are you underestimating us too much, City Lord Sun?" Fu Jian chuckled.

Sun Tu's face turned ugly upon hearing this, and he fell silent.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, Fellow Daoist Fu, there is a principle of first come, first served. If you had arrived earlier, it wouldn't have mattered; we could have shared this key. But you happened to arrive just after we finished dealing with the puppets—isn't that a bit inappropriate?" Chen Yang glanced at Qin Yuan and the others, frowned, and asked.

"Cough cough... Fellow Daoist Chen, oh Fellow Daoist Chen, how can a smart person say such foolish things? Cough cough... What do you mean by 'shared possession'? We have no intention of sharing this key with you, so isn't arriving just now perfect?" Qin Yuan said with a smile while covering his mouth and coughing.

"Our Qingyang City and Baiyan City joining forces may not necessarily fear you. If you want to snatch it, feel free to try." Chen Yang's expression turned cold as he spoke.

Sun Tu's gaze turned cold, and he stepped forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Chen Yang.

"Cough cough... You have the advantage in numbers, but I wonder about your combat strength?" Qin Yuan sneered and said.

"Shi Kong, aren't you coming over? Are you betraying the city lord?" Shao Ying's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, fixed on Shi Chuankong, and he asked coldly.

Shi Chuankong's mouth twitched, revealing a hint of sarcastic smile, but his body remained motionless.

Seeing this, Chen Yang cast a sidelong glance at Han Li and felt slightly relieved.

"Fellow Daoist Sun, our Tongyu City and your Baiyan City have some old ties. I, Fu, advise you here: Chen Yang is ambitious and has great schemes. He has long been in collusion with the Puppet City. Choosing to ally with him is nothing but seeking your own death." Fu Jian suddenly spoke up and said loudly.

Chen Yang's eyes flickered upon hearing this, and his expression turned slightly unnatural.

Sun Tu, on the other hand, remained expressionless, whether he had known all along or simply did not believe it.

"Fellow Daoist Li, when the fight starts, City Lord Sun and I can hold off Qin Yuan and Fu Jian. Xuan Yuan Xing can hold off the elder from Zhixuan City, and Fang Chan can suppress Duan Tong without issue. The only troublesome one is Shao Ying. Do you have the confidence to hold him off for a while, so that Fellow Daoist Shi can seize the key?" At this moment, Chen Yang's voice suddenly sounded in Han Li's mind.

"Sorry, Fellow Daoist Chen, we don't plan to get involved this time." Han Li did not transmit his voice but spoke directly.

After saying this, he took Shi Chuankong and stepped back a few paces, distancing themselves from both sides.

This sudden change caught not only Chen Yang off guard but also Qin Yuan and the others, who looked at Han Li and his companion with confusion and wariness.

"Fellow Daoist Li, you..." Chen Yang choked, momentarily unable to speak.

Han Li had always been wary of Chen Yang and never truly regarded him as an ally. Since he knew Chen Yang had colluded with the Puppet City, he had to doubt his true intentions.

Thus, he was naturally unwilling to join forces with him anymore. Sitting on the sidelines and watching the tigers fight was the best option.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Li is indeed a man of the hour who knows how to adapt. As long as you don't interfere in this matter, cough cough... our Zhixuan City will let bygones be bygones, and we will even offer a reward as thanks." Qin Yuan's face lit up with joy as he said with a smile.

"No need to say more. Let's move!" Shao Ying suddenly shouted.

Fu Jian, Qin Yuan, and the others immediately launched their attack, their acupoints glowing brightly as they charged toward the bronze tree.

Chen Yang had originally intended to advise Han Li a few more words, but now he had no choice but to first meet Fu Jian's punch that was aimed at him.

Sun Tu's expression changed repeatedly, and he could only sigh before engaging in a fierce battle with Qin Yuan.

The elder under Qin Yuan grinned and charged toward the seemingly weakest Xuan Yuan Xing.

Duan Tong frowned deeply, glanced toward Han Li, then withdrew his gaze, stepped forward, and leaped above Fang Chan, raising his enormous right arm to smash down on him.

Fang Chan grinned, showing no fear at all, stepped back, and also clenched his fist to punch upward.

Suddenly, Duan Tong raised his hand and tore off the bandage on his right arm. The white cloth loosened and fell off, revealing a pitch-black giant arm covered in rows of tiny scales and horns.

White lights dotted the giant arm, densely packed with nearly a hundred acupoints. As the fist pressed down, the void made a "puffing" sound, as if it were being squeezed and torn apart inch by inch.

Seeing this, Fang Chan not only showed no fear but instead stepped forward, a mad smile spreading across his face. He let out a roar from his wide-open mouth and simultaneously threw a punch upward.

Invisible sound waves surged from his mouth, accelerated by the force of his punch, and rushed toward Duan Tong, colliding violently with his enormous fist.

"Boom..."

...

Rumbling sounds erupted throughout the temple as the two sides clashed, fighting fiercely from the very start.

Shao Ying, who had no opponent to fight, did not rush to seize the key but stood nearby, seemingly wary of Han Li and Shi Chuan Kong, suspecting that they were deliberately putting on an act with Chen Yang.

However, after waiting for a long time and seeing that Han Li and the other truly showed no intention of acting, he hesitated for a moment and then fixed his gaze on the blood-red key atop the bronze tree.

Then, with a light tap of his toe, he leaped toward the bronze tree.

But before he could fly high into the air, a white light shot toward him from the side at great speed, nearly hitting his temple. It was a white flying knife that grazed past him and embedded itself in the dome above.

Although Shao Ying barely dodged it, his body dropped downward, landing on one of the lowest branches of the bronze tree.

He glared hatefully at Chen Yang, who had just now attacked him with a flying dagger.

But at this moment, seizing the key was the most important matter, so Shao Ying did not rush to fight him. With a leap, he attempted to reach the top of the bronze tree.

However, as he jumped, his legs seemed to be cast into the bronze tree, as if fused with it, unable to pull free.

Fellow Daoist Li, we have cooperated all along. Have I, Chen, ever harmed you? Why do you refuse to help now?” Chen Yang said gravely, transmitting his voice to Han Li while fighting Fu Jian.

It's not that I'm unwilling to help, but Fellow Daoist Chen, you are deeply involved with the Puppet City. I know nothing of the inside story. To protect myself, I must be cautious…” Han Li replied.

Fellow Daoist Li, I cannot explain this to you in a short while. Could you first help seize the key? Afterwards, I will tell you everything.” Chen Yang said urgently via voice transmission.

Before things are clear, I cannot distinguish friend from foe. Please forgive me, Fellow Daoist Chen.” Han Li still refused.

Brother Li, I know you are blessed with great fortune and already have another key on you, which is why you can afford not to contend for this one. But have you considered that if they learn of this, after we are destroyed, how can you and Fellow Daoist Shi be preserved?” Chen Yang suddenly changed his tone and transmitted.

Han Li's expression shifted slightly, surprised that Chen Yang knew this.

But after a moment's thought, he understood: it was probably when the two keys resonated earlier, his chest burned, and although he tried to hide it, Chen Yang had caught a trace.

Fellow Daoist Chen, is this a threat?” Han Li asked coldly.

Brother Li, this is absolutely not a threat. You and I are like lips and teeth—if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold…” Chen Yang's tone grew more urgent.

After hesitating for a long time, Han Li looked up at the bronze tree and saw Shao Ying's legs glowing at the acupoints, vibrating against the tree trunk, slowly pulling himself free.

Enough…” Han Li sighed softly and, without warning, leaped up.

With a bang beneath his feet, wearing Star Moon Boots, he stepped on the void and reached the top of the bronze tree in a few bounds.

Qin Yuan and the others saw this, their expressions changed, and they cursed loudly.

Chen Yang and Sun Tu exchanged a glance, breathed a slight sigh of relief, and instead intensified their attacks on Qin Yuan and the other to buy time for Han Li.

As a result, as soon as Han Li landed on the bronze tree top, he too was immediately吸附 by a strange force to the tree trunk.

Shi Chuankong followed closely, flying up, and temporarily acted as his guard.