The location of the Natural Seal wasn't far from the Chaotic Space. Joe Di and the others arrived after just over two hours.
When Joe Di and his group arrived, there were already at least a hundred people present. With the thirty-plus newcomers, the total reached about one hundred and forty.
As an eighth-tier Immortal Array Master, Joe Di swept his divine sense across the area and immediately recognized this as a top-tier Natural Seal. Outside the seal, various treasures had blasted out a trench over ten meters wide.
Joe Di didn't need to use his divine sense to know that the leading cultivator was an Immortal King, likely at the fifth level. His aura was fierce and brimming with killing intent. Joe Di understood that this man must have spent years battling outside, for such a murderous presence to nearly take physical form.
After Joe Di's group arrived, the Immortal King stopped his assault and turned to address everyone, "Fellow Daoists, the treasure within this Natural Seal is no ordinary item. Now that we have enough people, please do not summon anyone else. If anyone sends another message, don't blame me, Victor Hong, for being ruthless."
No one dared to refute Victor Hong's words. Although he wasn't the only Immortal King present, it was clear that his strength was unmatched.
Seeing everyone remain silent, Victor Hong softened his tone slightly and said, "I believe that when the Natural Seal was attacked just now, faint traces of treasure aura leaked out. So, we must act quickly and decisively. Top-tier Natural Seals are hard to break with brute force. I have some skill with arrays; we'll split into two teams and attack together with my array flags."
Joe Di remained silent. He had sensed the presence of a treasure long before, which was why he had chosen to come.
At that moment, another early-stage Immortal King cupped his fists and asked, "Daoist Victor, we don't know what's inside this Natural Seal. Now that we're all working together, how do we split the treasures once the seal is broken?"
Victor Hong replied calmly, "You're right. None of us know what treasures lie within. Once we open it, there might be only one treasure, or there could be many, or even none at all. My suggestion is that we all attack together, and whoever grabs an item first gets to keep it."
"Alright, we agree." Most cultivators accepted this arrangement.
Those with lower cultivation could only hope that the seal, once broken, would reveal many treasures, rather than just one or two.
"In that case, watch my Array Banners!" Victor Hong tossed out two Array Banners and shouted, "Attack!"
Even Joe Di found it difficult to pinpoint the array base of this seal. Earlier, when Victor Hong claimed to be proficient in arraycraft and could guide the attack with his Array Banners, Joe Di was skeptical. Now, seeing the two banners Victor Hong threw out, Joe Di realized he was just bluffing.
After Victor Hong threw out his Array Banners, countless magical treasures struck them simultaneously. Then Victor Hong threw out two more banners.
Victor Hong's Array Banners kept coming, one after another. Over a hundred cultivators attacked in unison, causing the seal to rumble continuously. The aura of top-tier treasure grew ever clearer.
Though Joe Di joined the attack, he secretly looked down on Victor Hong. With everyone attacking so intensely, regardless of effort, it would consume a great deal of immortal essence. Once the seal was broken, Victor Hong would have the most essence left.
Moreover, Victor Hong's cultivation was the highest. If there was only one treasure, he'd be the first to snatch it, hardly needing to exert himself at all.
A faint, crisp sound rang out. As Joe Di detected a surge of rich immortal aura, he also spotted the true array base. He sighed; if they didn't attack the actual array base, following Victor Hong's method would take at least another day, since the Natural Seal could repair itself automatically.
Yet Joe Di couldn't help but feel anticipation for the treasure. Though he hadn't seen it yet, the elusive aura made him sense that it might contain the power to break through all rules.
He wasn't about to give up on this. Should he reveal the truth and help open the seal faster?
Just as Joe Di was considering whether to point out the true array base, Victor Hong suddenly fixed his gaze on a small, thin Ascendant Lord and barked, "Why aren't you attacking?"
The Ascendant Lord wasn't refusing to attack; he was staring intently at a particular spot. Joe Di noticed that the place he was looking at was indeed one of the true array bases that needed to be attacked.
Upon hearing Victor Hong's question, the Ascendant Lord quickly replied, "Senior Victor, I feel that if we keep attacking like this, it'll take another day. I just sensed the real array base—if we target it, we might only need an hour..."
Joe Di's eyes lit up; he hadn't guessed wrong. For this Ascendant Lord to notice, he must be at least a sixth-tier Immortal Array Master. Thanks to the Ninth Prime Law, Joe Di had recently become an eighth-tier Array Grandmaster.
Clearly, in the vast cosmos, there were plenty of formidable individuals—it wasn't just him who stood out.
Victor Hong's voice grew cold. "So, you're saying my arraycraft isn't as good as yours?"
Victor Hong's killing intent pressed down on the Ascendant Lord, whose face instantly turned pale. "N-no, that's not what I meant..."
"If that's not the case, then get lost..." Victor Hong said, then raised his hand and slapped at the Ascendant Lord.
Without hesitation, Joe Di threw a punch. The violent force of his fist collided with Victor Hong's palm, blasting a huge pit between them.
Sensing that the immortal essence in his punch was no weaker than Victor Hong's, Joe Di felt reassured. He knew Victor Hong hadn't struck with full force, but he wasn't afraid—he hadn't used his full strength either.
Before Victor Hong could speak, Joe Di said calmly, "This friend wasn't wrong—your arraycraft really isn't as good as his. In fact, I'm starting to wonder if you understand arrays at all. Earlier, you just threw out Array Banners at random, letting everyone attack to conserve your own immortal essence. I believe others here noticed too, but I was simply the first to speak up."
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Victor Hong's face darkened. Joe Di's punch had made him realize Joe Di was no weaker than himself. Plus, he couldn't discern Joe Di's cultivation level, and with the treasure grab ahead, he hesitated to make a move. Otherwise, he would have struck already.
"So, you're saying your arraycraft is better than mine too?" Victor Hong asked, his tone calm but still tinged with killing intent.
"That's right, my arraycraft is superior to yours. Your method is just random attacks, which has nothing to do with understanding formations." Joe Di retorted.
Victor Hong's tone became calm. "Since your arraycraft is better, then you do it."
Joe Di didn't hold back—he never intended to waste time here. That's why he stepped forward. If he hadn't, following Victor Hong's method would have been a huge waste. Secondly, he wanted to showcase his strength, so that when it came time to seize the treasure, no one would dare stand in his way.
"Fellow Daoists, attack according to my Array Banners. I believe we can break this Natural Seal in half an hour at most." Joe Di cupped his fists, giving a time estimate even shorter than the Ascendant Lord's.
"Daoist, you set out the Array Banners, and we'll attack as you direct." An early-stage Immortal King stepped forward. Clearly, while his arraycraft skills were average, he believed Joe Di.
Joe Di grabbed an Array Banner and placed it on an array base. "Everyone, attack here. Begin!"
Seeing where Joe Di placed the Array Banner, the Ascendant Lord's eyes lit up. He respectfully said, "Thank you, Senior, for your great kindness. Your arraycraft far surpasses mine—the array base I chose wasn't as good as yours."
"You're quite talented. One day, you'll surely become a master of arraycraft," Joe Di nodded at the Ascendant Lord, convinced of his words.
As the Ascendant Lord was about to speak, a sharp crack sounded—the Natural Seal split open, releasing an incredibly dense surge of immortal aura.
Before Joe Di could speak, everyone already knew where to attack next.
The roar of magical treasures was endless. It took far less than half an hour—just half a stick of incense—and the Natural Seal shattered completely with a loud crash.
More than ten exposed Immortal Spirit Veins radiated bands of white light, and all the cultivators surged forward in a frenzy.
Joe Di ignored the Immortal Spirit Veins. With a flash of his divine sense, he rushed straight to the innermost part. There, he saw an ancient tree over ten meters tall, bearing a single fruit—the very source of the treasure aura he'd sensed before.
Now that he was inside the seal, Joe Di could sense the fruit's aura even more clearly. It felt as if it could reveal all the secrets of heaven and earth, radiating a profound Dao-marked energy.
No matter what kind of immortal fruit it was, Joe Di decided to seize it first and ask questions later.
(That's all for today's update. Good night, friends!)