Chapter 460: tit for tat

As soon as the words "Palace Master" were spoken, the seventeen star officials in the temple immediately fell silent.

In the divine temple, the Palace Master held absolute authority, and no one dared to defy his will.

The star officials could only watch quietly, while secretly hoping that Dongfang Ji would not intrude into the northern rift.

On the other side, Qin Jun looked puzzled and asked Dongfang Ji, "Since there is danger ahead, why don't you leave?"

Zhao Yun and Qi Xie also stared intently at Dongfang Ji. His aura was deep and unfathomable, like an abyss that no one could fully comprehend.

What made Qin Jun most nervous was that Dongfang Ji was able to resist his secret array technique, and it was clear that Dongfang Ji himself was unaware of this. Could it be that Dongfang Ji possessed a powerful treasure?

"Because there is something in the rift that attracts me," Dongfang Ji said as he gazed at the northern rift, making no effort to conceal his reasons.

He had already advised Qin Jun and the others. If they insisted on moving forward, they would be responsible for their own fate.

As for competing for the fortune of Qin Jun and his companions, he was not currently interested.

Dongfang Ji was extremely powerful and possessed resources that the Southern Domain could not compare with. He knew from the beginning that the true focus of the competition was the fortune within the divine temple. Not everyone was born with great fortune.

So from the start, Dongfang Ji's goal was to obtain the fortune within the temple.

He could sense that there was a fortune hidden in the northern rift, but there was also a formidable presence guarding it, a presence that even made him feel apprehensive.

The reason he did not leave was because he was waiting for an opportunity.

Upon hearing this, Qin Jun felt a sense of unease.

"Ding! Triggering mandatory mission—Seize the Fragment of the Wheel of Fate! Mission details: There is a fragment of the Wheel of Fate hidden in the northern rift, and the host must seize it. Failure will result in the host's level being reduced by five, while success will grant the host a skill inheritance! The mission duration is one month!"

Damn!

As expected!

"Damn, the mission reward is so meager, and the consequences of failure are so dire. Are you kidding me?" Qin Jun cursed in his heart. "And, when will this mandatory mission end? Could it be triggered indefinitely?"

"The items that the system requires for mandatory collection are materials that help the system improve and become stronger. The more perfect the system becomes, the more functions the host can enjoy," the system explained.

"The mythical system is not completely perfect yet?" Qin Jun widened his eyes.

In his view, the mythical system was already powerful enough, and he could not imagine how powerful it would become once it was completely perfected.

"Yes! So I hope the host will cooperate. Besides, such mandatory missions are actually quite rare, after all, the system does not need just any random materials," the system said in a more relaxed tone, but Qin Jun couldn't help feeling like he was being set up.

"Your Majesty, what should we do next?" Zhao Yun asked, feeling the terrifying pressure emanating from the northern rift, making his scalp tingle with fear.

"Wait!" Qin Jun flew to another peak. Since the mandatory mission had been triggered, he had to complete it. He would wait for a while, and when Yang Jian arrived, everything would be easier to handle.

Because he could summon Yang Jian, this mandatory mission was practically a piece of cake for him.

Zhao Yun and Qi Xie could only suppress their unease and follow Qin Jun.

This scene was observed by Dongfang Ji, who sneered disdainfully. He thought that Qin Jun and his companions were planning to wait and take advantage of the situation.

Time passed quietly.

The eighteen star officials in the Temple of Heavenly Observation looked at each other. They had not expected Dongfang Ji and his companions to be so patient, while the other participants were engaged in fierce battles.

"It seems that Dongfang Ji is from the Eastern Flame Domain, right?" a senior star official suddenly asked, with a pensive expression on his face.

The old man beside him nodded and said, "Yes, he may have some connection with the Eastern Old Monster."

"The Eastern Old Monster? Hmm, has he finally compromised? Is he willing to send his descendants or disciples into the divine temple?" Yao Xu raised an eyebrow and smiled, his tone full of sarcasm.

More than half of the star officials were visibly moved at the mention of the Eastern Old Monster. It was clear that this Eastern Old Monster was quite powerful.

"If he is indeed related to the Eastern Old Monster, then that would be perfect," the senior star official nodded, and then fell silent.

The other star officials smiled, understanding each other without the need for words.

"Look, this little guy known as the Young Demon Lord seems to be no less impressive than Dongfang Ji," a star official pointed at a glowing sphere in front of them, amazed.

Geniuses like Dongfang Ji only appeared once every ten generations, but unexpectedly, this generation had produced two such individuals.

For a moment, the attention of the eighteen star officials was drawn to the Young Demon Lord.

Qin Jun sat cross-legged on the mountaintop, but he couldn't calm his mind when he thought about Yang Jian's imminent arrival.

At that moment, four cultivators flew over.

Qin Jun looked up and saw that the leader was An Lang, accompanied by three other participants from the Southern Domain. They were quite clever to stick together.

"Isn't that His Majesty?" one of the participants pointed in Qin Jun's direction with surprise, and An Lang turned to look, his face lighting up with joy.

The four of them quickly flew towards Qin Jun.

Dongfang Ji frowned as he watched. He wasn't afraid of facing a larger group, but too many flies buzzing around would be annoying.

"Your Majesty, what are you doing here?" An Lang asked, barely containing his excitement. Ever since witnessing the strength of the participants at the Temple of Heavenly Observation, he had been worried for Qin Jun. If Qin Jun were to die, the Great Qin Heavenly Court would collapse, and it would be difficult for him to find another powerful backer.

"It's a long story," Qin Jun smiled. He was genuinely happy to encounter four participants from the Southern Domain.

Things were getting lively on their side, much to the annoyance of Dongfang Ji on the other side.

"Get lost, or I'll kill you if you keep making noise!"

Dongfang Jihan said in a cold voice, "The waiting process is already boring, and a group of ants are still babbling on the side. How can he endure it?"

When Qin Jun heard this, his face instantly darkened, and the others reacted the same way.

"Do you want to kill us? Do you have the strength for that?" Qin Jun said coldly, expressing his displeasure directly. Although he couldn't figure out the opponent's strength, he was not afraid either.

Since he became the emperor, who has he been afraid of?

Zhao Yun, An Lang, and Qi Xie all looked at Dongfang Jih with hostility.

"Hehe!"

Dongfang Jih sneered and slowly stood up. His aura rose steadily, and his cultivation in the Heavenly Immortal Realm quickly became fully apparent, causing Qin Jun and the others to be moved.

Such a strong aura!

Could it be that he has surpassed the Earth Immortal Realm?

Qin Jun squinted and instantly associated Dongfang Jih with the Little Demon Lord.

Could it be that the man in the golden robe in front of him is one of them?

Boom!

At that moment, the earth began to shake violently, startling everyone into flight.

"What's going on?" Qi Xie asked in shock, involuntarily looking towards the crack in the northern vein. The next moment, his face changed dramatically.

A terrifying black giant hand emerged from the crack in the northern vein, grabbing the edge of the cliff, crushing rocks and causing dust to fly. In front of it, the nearby ten-meter-tall trees appeared small.

End of this chapter.