113. Discovering the Array

However, there was a huge stone on the ground, about half a person’s height, surrounded by many scattered rocks, pressing down on the area tightly.

“Flying sword, go.”

Chen Fengyun moved to the other side of the giant stone, using it to shield his body. Then, quietly summoning his flying sword, he sent it plunging into the earth, instantly clearing away the surrounding stones and dirt.

“Ding…”

The flying sword penetrated about two meters deep. Among the rubble and debris, it struck a metallic object, emitting a soft chime. Chen Fengyun then gathered his spiritual power, drawing up both the flying sword and the metal object together. It turned out to be a nearly two-meter-long rod, though one end had been cut off.

As the others looked over, Chen Fengyun withdrew the flying sword and grasped the long rod. He noticed his cultivation system vibrating slightly, sensing it was likely an ancient magical artifact. However, since it had been severed, its formation array was broken, reducing it to a fragmented relic with only faint spiritual energy remaining.

“Absorb it,” Chen Fengyun said without hesitation, immediately instructing his cultivation system to absorb the remaining spiritual energy. The long rod then transformed into an ordinary metal rod—very hard and suitable as a weapon.

“What did they find?” someone asked.

“Looks like a weapon.”

“It’s a metal rod that’s been cut off. Nothing particularly special about it,” came the reply.

The northern sect’s members watched as the southern sect gathered around, curious. After Chen Fengyun absorbed two attribute points, the metal rod lost its value to him, so he tossed it to Ye Mingfu. “No one has a weapon yet; use this temporarily.”

“It’s heavy,” Ye Mingfu said as he took it. His wrist sagged under the weight, and he quickly struggled to lift it, exclaiming in surprise.

“This should be a broken part of a magical artifact. Originally, it must have weighed several hundred pounds. Now that the formation inside is damaged, it’s just an ordinary metal rod. But the metal itself is no ordinary material, so it still weighs over thirty pounds,” Chen Fengyun explained.

Among the group, although Ye Mingfu was not tall, he was the most robust, and thus the strongest. That was why Chen Fengyun handed him the metal rod.

“Uncle Ye, be grateful. Using this rod will give you a bit more safety,” Chu Wangshu said with a smile.

“Step aside, let me test this rod’s power,” Ye Mingfu said eagerly, fixing his gaze on a nearby giant stone.

“Hey…”

Everyone immediately stepped back. Ye Mingfu swung the rod, exhaled sharply, and shouted loudly before smashing it down. The metal rod struck the giant stone with a sharp clang, the ground trembling instantly. The stone shattered into pieces, the crashing sound echoing for a long time.

“Amazing,” everyone exclaimed in surprise. The giant stone had crumbled, but the rod remained unchanged, with no marks where it had struck. Clearly, the material was extraordinary.

“Let’s keep searching. Looks like there are good things in this ruin,” Hong Zhongshan grunted, not jealous of the southern sect’s rod, but instead addressing the northern sect.

Only Martin Dang cast a deep glance at Chen Fengyun. The others saw nothing unusual, but she noticed something—among so many from the southern sect, it was this young man who found the rod. Her intuition told her he was extraordinary.

Soon, everyone resumed searching the ruins. More martial artists would arrive shortly to join the treasure hunt, unaware that Chen Fengyun had already thoroughly scouted the area with his divine sense.

As more people arrived, they gradually spread out over a wider area. Both southern and northern sect members dispersed to cover more ground.

“Boom…”

Suddenly, a young man from the northern sect triggered something during his search. The ground before him erupted loudly, and a light barrier appeared, enclosing a perfectly intact building.

“Wow…”

The young man was thrown backward, coughing up blood in midair. The loud noise drew the attention of many nearby. Takeda Kurao from the Japanese faction swiftly approached, drawing his sword and striking the light barrier heavily.

“Step aside. This place was found by our people. Get lost,” Hong Zhongshan shouted angrily as he rushed over, launching an attack on Takeda Kurao.

“Whoever gets it owns it. Why should it be yours?” At that moment, Wilson, the Dark Blood assassin, arrived and sneered, joining the assault on the light barrier.

“Black devil, get lost,” a cold voice rang out beside him. Wilson recoiled in panic, sensing a strong aura of danger. Turning, he saw a young woman.

“Mr. Chen, it seems the northern sect discovered something. Currently, Takeda Kurao and Wilson are fighting over it,” Feng Tianbao reported. He did not rush in but instead sought Chen Fengyun’s opinion.

“Let them fight first. If there’s anything valuable, we can step in later,” Chen Fengyun observed the light barrier’s power blocking his divine sense, so he couldn’t see inside. He chose not to engage immediately.

“I think this light barrier is tough to break. Why don’t we all attack it together first, then divide whatever’s inside?” Some other strong practitioners gathered and spoke up. Zhou Zixu from Xi’an looked around and said loudly.

“That makes sense. We haven’t even seen the treasure yet; why ruin harmony? If there’s nothing inside, what’s the point of fighting?” Li Linxi from Korea added.

The southern sect members didn’t approach but gathered nearby, clearly unwilling to contest the northern sect for now. However, if there was anything valuable inside once the barrier fell, they would naturally join in.

“Ding Dang, what do you think?” Hong Zhongshan hesitated. He noticed several foreign strongmen were conspiring together, while the Chinese practitioners had not yet united.

After all, this was the ancient sect ruins of a great master. Any treasure found here could greatly enhance one’s strength, so even Chinese fighters were eager to compete.

“Since everyone wants to see what’s inside first, let’s break the barrier together. In the end, strength will decide ownership anyway. Everyone, step back a little to avoid being caught in the battle,” Martin Dang smiled, then instructed the northern sect to fall back. She clearly didn’t want them to face the foreign alliance alone. Once treasures appeared, those foreigners would surely fight among themselves as well.

“You all step back too. Uncle Feng, you go take a look. I’ll stay out of it for now,” Chen Fengyun said, seeing the consensus reached. He retreated with the others to watch the unfolding drama.