Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts

Chapter 139

The crimson dragon shot out of the Toad Temple, streaking across the night sky.

Inside the main hall, the golden toad, seated motionless, had closed its eyes, its entire body still as if it had entered eternal meditation.

Xia Donghua glanced at the red dragon in the sky, then back at the golden toad statue before him. He shouted, “Don’t be fooled by this creature! If we kill it, all its treasures will be ours! This is just a ploy to make us turn on each other!”

With that, Xia Donghua drew his sword and leaped forward. His blade, like a cascade of stars falling from the heavens, slashed down upon the golden toad.

Clang!

The clash of black iron against stone echoed throughout the hall.

A ripple of spiritual energy spread from the point of contact between the sword and the statue, slamming into Xia Donghua’s chest and sending him crashing to the ground.

As Xia Donghua struggled to his feet, trying to rally the others to attack together, a cultivator had already darted into the sky, grabbing the demon core.

The moment the cultivator held the core, red blood energy enveloped him instantly.

Before their eyes, the spiritual energy of Baiwa City converged on the cultivator’s body. The very essence and fate of the city poured into him, accompanied by various visions of power and ascension. It left no doubt that this man was becoming the new master of this small world!

But just as he was reveling in his newfound strength, another cultivator emerged from the shadows, thrusting a sword into his back.

The first cultivator turned around in shock, only to meet a devastating palm strike.

A burst of blood sprayed into the air as the first cultivator disintegrated, and the demon core was snatched by the second attacker.

Like his predecessor, the new holder of the core began absorbing the city’s spiritual energy and fate. Without hesitation, he turned and ran.

He knew that if he could kill to claim the treasure, so could others. While the core was making him the master of this world, he needed to survive until dawn—until the first rays of sunlight shone on him. Only then would his dominance be secured.

But the others weren’t about to let him escape.

Like a pack of rabid wolves, they descended on him.

The cultivator desperately evaded their attacks, but was met with a relentless barrage of spells and treasures.

“Don’t kill me! Once I become the master of this world, I can lead you all out of here!”

His cries for mercy fell on deaf ears. Within minutes, he lay bleeding on the ground, pleading for his life. His pleas ended when a sword sliced through his throat.

After his death, the demon core’s surface began to peel away, revealing an object beneath it—a treasure orb inscribed with intricate runes.

This revelation finally put everyone at ease.

After all, how could a mere demon core be considered such a supreme treasure? Let alone something capable of granting dominion over the world—an idea far too absurd to believe.

Their suspicions had been right all along.

Now it was clear that this orb was the key to this small world.

For the next half-hour, the orb changed hands repeatedly. Each time someone claimed it, they were hunted down by the others.

Eventually, some people stopped chasing the orb altogether.

What was the point? Even if they managed to seize it, they didn’t have the strength to keep it. It would only lead to their deaths.

Better to wait until the others exhausted themselves fighting over it. Then they could swoop in and reap the rewards.

But of course, no one else was foolish either. Everyone was waiting, biding their time.

And so, the standoff continued.

Yet as they gazed at the glowing orb hovering in the night sky, the desire in their eyes burned ever brighter.

This was no ordinary treasure. It was the key to an entire small world!

In this world, how many people could lay claim to their own small world?

Once you possess such a domain and refine it, everything within it becomes yours. Whether it’s rare treasures or the creatures residing inside, all would serve you. You would become the sovereign of this small world—its Dao Master—and this realm would be your Dao field.

A single small world is enough to stir even cultivators of the Immortal Realm, let alone those in the mid-stages of cultivation.

In the end, someone could no longer resist and made a move, attempting to seize the treasure orb.

Men die for wealth, just as birds die for food.

As cultivators, they couldn’t stand idly by and watch this opportunity slip through their fingers. The mere thought of missing such a chance would haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Once someone acted, the tenuous calm broke. The others, already teetering on the edge of restraint, also surged forward. Chaos erupted again as everyone scrambled to claim the orb.

The slaughter in Baiwa City continued unabated. With each death, the fallen would dissolve into motes of light, merging into the secret realm itself.

It was as if every cultivator who perished became nourishment for Baiwa City, thickening its spiritual energy with every death.

As the number of casualties grew, the competition for the treasure orb became even more frenzied.

Some cultivators began to realize that their minds seemed to be under some kind of influence.

The orb appeared to them like a peerless beauty, fresh from her bath, standing alluringly before them. Their throats felt parched; their only desire was to pounce, to catch even a whiff of her, to take a bite—and they would gladly die for it.

Even Xia Donghua, though aware that his will was being swayed, found himself unable to suppress his desire. In the end, he too rushed forward to fight for the orb.

“Roar!”

Suddenly, the crimson dragon let out a deafening roar, blasting away the cultivators who had surged forward.

Its gaze locked onto a specific direction, and it froze for a moment.

The next instant, the dragon surged forward with incredible speed, heading straight for that location.

The cultivators’ hearts sank. Fearing the dragon might escape, they quickly gave chase.

But the dragon’s speed was far too great.

From a distance, they saw the crimson dragon descending upon a mountain peak. There, a blood-red array glowed ominously.

At the center of the array stood a woman.

“Roar!”

The dragon’s ferocity intensified, charging straight at her.

However, a man in azure robes stepped into the air above the woman, placing himself between her and the oncoming dragon.

He faced the dragon without the slightest hint of retreat.

No one doubted that this man would be annihilated by the dragon’s charge.

The man raised his fists, assuming a battle stance. His martial true energy swirled and coiled around him.

The intensity of his blood energy and martial aura was so overwhelming that it sent shivers down the spines of all who watched.

This man exuded the oppressive presence of a savage beast.

With a single punch, he struck out, meeting the crimson dragon head-on.

In an instant, the dragon engulfed him completely.