The others present nodded in agreement, acknowledging the extraordinary nature of the beads.
Si Yuanfu from Taigu Sect hurriedly said, “This treasure was discovered by all of us, everyone deserves a share!”
Suddenly, the voice of the artifact spirit rang in Lin Yun’s mind.
“Lin Yun, the beads on this stone lion’s neck must not be touched, or there will be danger!” the artifact spirit warned solemnly.
Lin Yun was startled by the artifact spirit’s voice.
He knew the artifact spirit rarely spoke, but when it did, it was always about something particularly important or serious.
At that moment, Bao Gang was already reaching for the beads.
“Bao Gang, stop!” Lin Yun shouted, trying to prevent him from acting rashly.
Bao Gang, who was about to take the beads, frowned upon hearing Lin Yun’s shout and turned to face him.
“Lin Yun, what’s with the yelling?” Bao Gang said, visibly irritated.
“Bao Gang, these beads must not be touched, or there will be danger!” Lin Yun said gravely.
“Danger? Nonsense! Where’s the danger here? If the castle’s owner intended to set a trap, why bother with this?” Bao Gang challenged.
“I’m not here to argue. In short, you absolutely cannot take those beads!” Lin Yun’s tone left no room for doubt.
“Lin Yun, I see what’s going on. You know this treasure can’t be split among the six of us, so you’re making up stories about danger to stop us from taking it, then you’ll come back for it yourself, right?” Bao Gang sneered.
“Bao Gang, if that’s what you think, it only shows how twisted your mind is. I’m telling you, if you dare take those beads, I’ll stop you by force!” Lin Yun’s gaze narrowed.
“Stop me by force? Haha, what a joke! Do you really think you’re a match for me, Lin Yun? And let’s get one thing straight, I’m the team leader. Any decisions are mine to make!” Bao Gang exuded authority.
“You can try,” Lin Yun sneered.
“Lin Yun, you won’t let me take the beads? Fine, I won’t decide alone. Let’s put it to a vote.”
Bao Gang then turned to the other Immortals present.
“Everyone, though we don’t yet know the exact value of this item, it’s surely precious,” Bao Gang said.
He continued, “And it might date back hundreds of thousands of years. Though we can’t split it among so many, we can take it back to Deputy Palace Master Yao, exchange it for a sum of Haoyue Crystals, and divide those among us. How about it?”
“Good!”
Si Yuanfu from Taigu Sect and Gu Yangqiu from Tianqian Empire nodded in agreement.
“Then, those in favour of taking the beads, raise your hands,” Bao Gang asked.
“I agree!”
“I agree too!”
Si Yuanfu from Taigu Sect and Gu Yangqiu from Tianqian Empire were the first to raise their hands.
“I disagree!” Mo Qing quickly stated.
Though Mo Qing couldn’t see what danger taking the beads might cause, she firmly stood by Lin Yun.
“Teng Hong, what about you?” Bao Gang looked at Teng Hong from Taixu Tavern.
Teng Hong, who had been exploring the hall earlier, had returned upon hearing the dispute.
Lin Yun also looked at Teng Hong, “Senior Teng Hong, these beads are strange and must not be touched! What do you think?”
Lin Yun knew that with Bao Gang, Si Yuanfu, and Gu Yangqiu all in favour, if Teng Hong agreed, it would be four against two.
If Teng Hong disagreed, it would be a three-to-three tie, making Teng Hong’s stance crucial.
From their journey so far, Lin Yun felt Teng Hong was somewhat reliable and not entirely driven by greed.
After some thought, Teng Hong raised his hand and said, “Lin Yun, I think it’s fine. You might be too cautious. Even if there is danger, with the six of us together, it’s hard to imagine anything that could threaten us.”
Clearly, Teng Hong was swayed by the beads.
“Lin Yun, now that everyone agrees to take it, this isn’t just my decision. What do you have to say now?” Bao Gang sneered.
Lin Yun closed his eyes, saying no more.
With the others determined to take the beads, how could he stop all four of them? Lin Yun knew he couldn’t.
Without hesitation, Bao Gang swiftly reached out and removed the beads from the stone lion’s neck.
“Got it!” Bao Gang’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
The others quickly gathered around, closely examining the beads.
“They do look extraordinary. As for their specific effects, we’ll have Deputy Palace Master Yao appraise them. They might even be a peerless treasure!” Si Yuanfu from Taigu Sect said with anticipation.
“If it’s truly a peerless treasure, our rewards will be substantial,” Bao Gang said with a smile.
Then, Bao Gang turned to Lin Yun.
“Lin Yun, you said taking these beads would be dangerous. So, where’s the danger now? You alarmist, you nearly made us miss this treasure!” Bao Gang’s gaze was cold, clearly displeased.
Even Mo Qing looked surprised. Had Lin Yun been mistaken?
Even Lin Yun himself felt some doubt. After all, the warning about danger came from the artifact spirit, but Lin Yun had always trusted its words.
“Artifact spirit, what kind of danger did you sense?” Lin Yun asked.
“I’m not entirely sure, but I can tell those beads are likely used for suppression, and they’re extremely valuable. Why would they be hung here for decoration? It doesn’t add up!” the artifact spirit said.
Lin Yun began to wonder if the artifact spirit had been mistaken.
“Enough, Bao Gang, say less. Lin Yun was just being cautious. Since the beads are already taken, there’s no point arguing. Let’s keep exploring and see what else we can find,” Teng Hong from Taixu Tavern mediated.
“Cautious? I’d say he’s a coward!” Bao Gang sneered.
Clearly, Bao Gang held a strong prejudice against Lin Yun.
Buzz buzz buzz!
Just as Bao Gang finished speaking, the stone lion in front of them suddenly began to tremble.
“What’s happening?” Everyone quickly turned to the stone lion.
The lion exploded with a boom, instantly transforming into a massive demonic beast!
“Roar!”
The beast let out a deafening roar, revealing razor-sharp fangs. The aura it exuded was utterly terrifying!
The roar shook the entire hall, carrying a fearsome pressure that made their minds tremble.
Even Lin Yun felt dazed by the roar. Just how terrifying was this beast’s strength?
“This… this… this…”
Upon seeing the beast, all six of their faces changed drastically!
