Yi Tianyun resumed his seated comprehension, causing the God Monarchs around him to look at one another, sharing a mutual sense of fear in their eyes.
They were relieved they hadn't been so impulsive; otherwise, they'd be the ones dead. The swiftness of Yi Tianyun's attack was beyond their line of sight, clearly not on the same level as them.
"He's hidden his cultivation way too well. After calming down, he really does feel like just a Heavenly Monarch!"
"This guy's clearly pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger. He's waiting for anyone foolish enough to provoke him, then he'll attack before they know what hit them. Who could stop him?"
"Makes sense. For him to break through here alone, he can't just be relying on treasures. He must be strong in his own right. Better not to provoke him… Good thing I didn't try anything."
They each felt lingering fear. Their own cultivation wasn't much higher than those three who were just killed in a blink. Even imagining it was terrifying, it was as though those God Monarchs were made of water, easily pierced by one spear and turned into a puddle.
Little did they know that Yi Tianyun wasn't hiding his cultivation at all, he truly was only at the Heavenly Monarch level. They just mistakenly believed he had the power of a God Monarch.
Since everyone was now intimidated enough not to disturb him, Yi Tianyun was quite satisfied. That was precisely the effect he wanted. Right now, his goal was to hurry upward, and everything else was secondary.
"Almost there… I just need a bit more to fully comprehend it!"
Yi Tianyun's comprehension went rapidly, mainly because the difficulty wasn't very high for him. That was why he progressed so quickly.
Meanwhile, on the fifth level, a monumental change had occurred. The glow of the rare treasure that everyone sensed was emanating right here, radiating wave after wave from a spherical object up ahead.
It was a massive sphere, and it looked extremely strange. Primarily because this huge sphere was composed of ten smaller spheres, merging together into one. Each smaller sphere was densely engraved with divine inscriptions, though from a distance it was hard to see their details.
A large crowd of God Monarchs encircled it in layer after layer, but none dared to move in and grab the sphere. It wasn't that they didn't want to, rather, the moment anyone tried to approach, they would be blasted away by the sphere's shockwave. At best, they'd be injured; at worst, they'd die!
"I don't believe we can't break into that sphere!"
A late-stage God Monarch gritted his teeth and charged downward, his body covered by a thick layer of armor capable of withstanding very strong attacks.
However, the moment he got near, the sphere suddenly emitted a brilliant light. One of the ten smaller spheres shot out like a bolt of lightning, whoosh!, sending the late-stage God Monarch flying.
His once-sturdy armor was punched clean through, leaving a gaping hole that spurted blood, staining a wide area red.
Though he managed to drag himself upright after being blasted away, the internal damage was severe, leaving him in extreme pain.
"Are you okay?" His companion rushed over, pulling him to safety.
"My insides are pretty much shattered… Good thing my soul wasn't hurt."
This cultivator sucked in a sharp breath. The pain tearing through him rendered him nearly immobile.
"That thing is so strong? Your defense is top-notch, even a mid-grade Heavenly Dao weapon wouldn't normally harm you much in a short time!"
"That sphere is terrifying… The impact it delivers probably reaches a half-step Heavenly Venerable level."
He forced a bitter smile. He had thought those who were blasted back before were simply too weak to get close. But now that he'd tried himself, he realized just how frightening the sphere truly was.
The other cultivators paled upon seeing this. The man was from the Giant Rock Race, known for first-rate defense, yet even he was knocked away so easily. It was utterly horrifying.
Standing at the side was Domain Lord Liuli, silently observing. She hadn't made any rash moves, merely watching the others. She wasn't someone reckless; achieving the position of Domain Lord proved she wasn't simple.
"This treasure is so amazing… likely at the Heavenly Venerable Spirit Treasure Rank,"
Domain Lord Liuli murmured to herself, studying the sphere. Each of the ten smaller spheres could launch an attack.
By the time she arrived here, it was already present. The giant sphere seemed to have fallen from the sky, smashing a huge crater in the ground. If anyone wanted to obtain it, they had to go down there, but to do so would bring about its attack. No one had figured out a way to pick it up.
So there they were, helplessly staring at it.
Just when they thought the stalemate would continue, the giant sphere abruptly split into its ten smaller spheres, each one shooting off in different directions, whoosh!, flying into the surrounding forest.
By chance, one of them hurtled in the direction of Domain Lord Liuli. Her eyes lit up, and she swiftly gave chase, turning into a flash of blue light, the power of a peak God Monarch exploding forth in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, she caught up to the small sphere. Not far ahead came a resounding boom, evidence that the sphere had slammed into the ground.
Domain Lord Liuli sped forward and found that the little sphere was indeed embedded in the earth, creating another crater.
She rushed in, snatched it up, and inspected it briefly, noticing a number "8" carved on its surface. It seemed to be Sphere No. 8!
She wasn't sure what it was for, but she knew it definitely wasn't simple. She immediately stashed it away, ready to retreat.
But the moment she tried to withdraw, a group of God Monarchs closed in from all sides, at least a dozen, including some at the Seventh or Eighth Level God Monarch realm. Some of their cultivations were weaker than hers, but they had the advantage of numbers.
Together, they surrounded her so tightly that not a drop of water could escape.
"Listen here, beautiful lady, hand over that treasure quietly, and we'll let you off."
"No, hand it over to us! If you do, we won't pursue the matter either!"
These dozen or so people formed two separate groups, each eyeing the other warily, clearly not on good terms.
Domain Lord Liuli frowned. Being alone here was certainly not the best situation.
Suddenly, with a sharp whoosh, she transformed into a water-like silhouette and charged straight ahead. She rammed into one of the God Monarchs blocking her path, sending him flying. No one had expected her to just barge through without even bothering to talk.
Domain Lord Liuli was a fierce individual, there was no way she'd hand over the treasure. If it really was a Heavenly Venerable Spirit Treasure, it could massively strengthen her Heavenly Spring God Domain!
"After her!"
They howled in fury, giving chase in her direction to prevent her escape.
"I need to lose them quickly, then figure out what this treasure actually is,"
Domain Lord Liuli thought to herself.