CHAPTER 356: CHAPTER 53: HEAVEN-CRACKING SWORD

"How would I know... Besides, I just recently made it onto the gold list, how could the opportunities come so quickly?"

Lin Jing sat cross-legged on the Nine Dragon Boat, experiencing the benefits brought by being in the top ten of the gold list.

On either side of him stood Ling Yue Sword Immortal Feng Ning and the renowned detective Gao Sheng. Compared to Gao Sheng, who was more focused on the fortune brought by the luck gold list, Feng Ning was more concerned with the comprehension bonus from the gold list.

"The comprehension bonus... I can indeed feel it. My current state, although not as extraordinary as when I encountered the golden Bodhi Tree in the Bodhi Grotto Heaven, is still remarkable..."

"In no time, I might successfully improve the Beast Taming Sect’s cultivation technique."

"Uh, why improve the cultivation technique?" Gao Sheng questioned. If he had this comprehension bonus, the first thing he’d do would undoubtedly be to cultivate some extremely difficult secret techniques...

Lin Jing glanced at him and said, "The current Beast Taming Technique can only contract demon beasts, unable to contract other races, which is too limiting."

Gao Sheng was startled and said, "You want to contract what... people? Human Taming Technique? Wait, we’re about to meet the Ghost Bride, you’re not thinking of contracting that senior, are you..."

Feng Ning swept Gao Sheng aside with a flick of her sword, "Idiot, didn’t Lin Jing say earlier that a mechanical beast was captured by the Artifact Ghost? When we retrieve that mechanical beast, won’t we contract it?"

She adjusted her forehead, wanting to send this guy back to the Ancient Country first, to avoid dragging them down later.

Gao Sheng, who was swept to the edge of the flying boat, finally understood: "So it’s that Mechanical Turtle. Since Brother Lin started at the academy, he has been using it."

"Brother Lin, as expected of you, truly a loyal man..." He laughed heartily and looked over.

"Since entering the gold list top ten was possible through the Celestial Demon Body, I wonder if, by borrowing the power of the ’Sword Cultivation Technique,’ I could climb on as well." Ling Yue Sword Immortal was quite tempted, harboring mischievous thoughts.

"You’re not afraid Elder Lie Tian will blame you for abusing magic, just go for it..." Lin Jing chuckled. The next moment, he routinely used his Celestial Demon divine sense to see if anyone was following.

With Lin Jing’s current divine sense situation, unless there were those extremely adept in stealth, none could escape his perception.

And such experts... are rare. At least those from Martial Emperor City are not.

Shortly after, Lin Jing narrowed the scope of his divine sense.

This time, he didn’t sense any tails, but just as Lin Jing was about to continue refining the Beast Taming Technique, suddenly, a spatial ripple flashed around, instantly alerting Lin Jing to the extreme.

"Who is..." Despite his Celestial Demon divine sense, he hadn’t sensed anyone approaching through the void.

The spatial hiding skill of this person had reached an unfathomable level.

"Who!" Not only Lin Jing but also Thunder Dragon Ancestor, Ling Yue Sword Immortal, and Gao Sheng, among others, were instantly on high alert and looked toward the void.

Then, immediately... they were speechless as they witnessed a plain-looking turtle emerge from the spatial ripple.

"Uh..." Seeing this turtle, Thunder Dragon Ancestor was stunned; wasn’t this the mechanical beast taken by the Artifact Ghost!

How did it come back?

Moreover, what shocked Thunder Dragon Ancestor was that this turtle had the fluctuations of an empty profound level, immensely powerful, and perhaps the Artifact Ghost was still inside it!

"Your Highness the Saint Son, be careful!! It’s the Artifact Ghost!!!"

Thunder rumbled just as it was about to make a move when Lin Jing spoke confusedly, "Wait, it’s the Artifact Ghost, and yet it isn’t the Artifact Ghost."

His divine sense being sharper than the Thunder Dragon Ancestor’s, he immediately saw that while there was indeed an artifact spirit inside the Longevity Turtle, that soul was, for some unknown reason, currently in a slumber, unconscious.

The current Longevity Turtle seemed to have been reset, following its basic mechanical orders, and found its way back to him.

Lin Jing was dumbfounded.

"Damn, what’s going on." Even he couldn’t help but be stunned.

Beside him, Feng Ning and Gao Sheng, who were as if facing a great enemy, were even more perplexed.

Moments later, Lin Jing figured out the reason, leaving him speechless.

"This gold list really is something good." He murmured.

"This luck bonus, I have indeed experienced it too."

"Gao Sheng, earlier you asked, hadn’t I found anything good, well, here it is."

"The Artifact Ghost that took my mechanical beast, it seems to have been injured and fell unconscious, and then my mechanical beast dragged it back... even, my mechanical beast was temporarily enhanced by it."

"What a situation."

Lin Jing finished, even finding it absurd himself.

Gao Sheng and Feng Ning were once again dumbfounded.

"Wait, this works???" Gao Sheng was dumbfounded, thinking that it would take a lot of effort to find the Artifact Ghost, but did it just come here unconscious by itself?

He knew that the luck bonus from being on the gold list was incredible, but this was too unbelievable.

He couldn’t imagine how great it’d be for a Prince Gu and an Ancient Clan Princess living like this!

"So what should we do with this Artifact Ghost now?" Feng Ning asked. The Artifact Ghost obtained was much easier than expected, but now there’s another issue.

The Artifact Ghost... was brought back by Lin Jing’s mechanical beast. The Celestial Sword Sect couldn’t claim much effort on this, hardly any at all. Even if Gao Sheng provided the intel, intending to let the Celestial Sword Sect take the Artifact Ghost, Feng Ning felt embarrassed to take it.

"Don’t be too happy yet."

"What we should be worried about now is not how to deal with it, but... the person who injured the Artifact Ghost seems to have arrived too."

"The visitor... is very strong."

Lin Jing took a deep breath, his gaze suddenly grave and serious. The senses brought by his divine sense made his body tremble. The secret technique of the Hidden Dragon also issued a warning; a great crisis was about to arrive. Sure enough, just as he finished speaking, the bright day was suddenly overshadowed.

"Inquiry..."

Beside him, Thunder Dragon Ancestor’s pupils shrank, speaking with difficulty.

"Could it be..."

"The Netherworld Hall Master, Emperor Haili!" It exclaimed.

In the next moment, sure enough, two figures appeared in the sky, their auras eerie. They were the Netherworld Hall Master and the Netherworld Saintess.

"Still a step late... the item is already in troublesome hands."

The Netherworld Saintess’ eyes flickered with ghostly flames as she looked down at Lin Jing and the others, feeling an extreme headache.

As expected, it wasn’t as easy as that tomb robber claimed... An unconscious Artifact Ghost was certainly easier to capture but also easier for others to get first.

And the troublesome thing was, those who got it first were two geniuses protected by an Inquiry Sword Cultivator...

"Hand over that thing, and the Netherworld Hall will give you a substantial reward." The Netherworld Saintess spoke. Even for the sake of the ultimate Artifact Spirit, the Netherworld Hall didn’t want to outright slaughter or rob Lin Jing and Feng Ning. In their view, Lin Jing and Feng Ning shouldn’t know the true identity of the Artifact Ghost.

If an exchange could be achieved, that would be best.

After all, even if able to wield an Immortal Artifact, it’s not truly invincible. The Martial Emperor could wield an Immortal Artifact but still wasn’t a match for the Ancient Country. It’s merely a ticket to the strongest Inquiry Sword Cultivator, better not to provoke a Demon Emperor of the demon race and an Inquiry Sword Cultivator.

"You’re unwilling?" Facing the Inquiry pressure, the Netherworld Saintess frowned, seeing Lin Jing holding the Longevity Turtle, his eyes fierce, showing no intention to hand it over. As for Ling Yue Sword Immortal, she was even more exaggerated, her eyes flooding with incredible battle intent, hair fluttering, and a hand already resting on her sword.

"Seems like there’s still a chance for me to make a move..." Feng Ning Sword Immortal chuckled, drawing her sword. The sky shattered, and the power was terrifying, causing the Netherworld Saintess and Emperor Haili to shrink their pupils. They never imagined that all of a sudden, a Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator would unleash an Inquiry-level sword strike...

Lin Jing and Gao Sheng beside her were also shocked, because this sword, Feng Ning wasn’t swinging towards the enemy, but towards them!!

"The Heaven-Cracking Sword can cleave through the void, transporting cultivators other than the sword wielder to the Celestial Sword Sect’s holy land. Originally, my master wanted to use this move to send you away from Heaven-Reaching City... now, it’s still being used. I’ll send you two to the Celestial Sword Sect first, and I’ll stay behind to cover..."