CHAPTER 443: CHAPTER 0440: THE TOAD WANTS TO EAT SWAN MEAT

In the distance.

The old man’s face was as dark as water, and his severed arm grew back. "Search, find them, announce to the world that the Sacred Emperor’s Land has been destroyed, and three people have stolen the Holy Emperor’s treasure."

"Understood."

Everyone around him stood solemnly, but what terrified them more was figuring out who could have done it.

The Sacred Emperor’s Land was an ancient sacred ground.

The Emperor was an Immortal Emperor-level powerhouse.

With a mere gesture, the sun, moon, and stars would tremble. But who possessed the power to achieve such a feat?

The Immortal Realm was shaken. Countless people learned that the Sacred Emperor’s Land had been annihilated. Rumors spread that it had accidentally provoked a reclusive, ancient Immortal Venerable whose lifespan was nearing its end, and the Immortal Venerable wiped it out with a single move.

There were many rumors, but no one knew the truth.

However, three young individuals were seen in the Sacred Emperor’s Land, perhaps associated with the Immortal Venerable.

Ancient sacred grounds and large organizations throughout the Immortal Realm secretly sent scouts to investigate the situation. While Immortal Venerables seldom appear, if it wasn’t one who destroyed the Sacred Emperor’s Land, then who?

No one could say for sure.

But countless ancient powerhouses knew that the Sacred Emperor’s Land’s strength did not lie in the Emperor but in the Sacred Emperor who was in a deadly closed cultivation.

The Three Fortunates were on the run everywhere.

The matter of the Sacred Emperor’s Land had nothing to do with them, yet they were dragged into it. It was unfair—deeply unfair.

"Found anything?" Lin Fan asked.

Qin Yang poured out the items they collected and carefully tallied them. "We didn’t have much time to loot, so not much good stuff, but luckily there are a few decent items among them."

Regardless, the Sacred Emperor’s Land was an ancient ground. As long as the search path was right, treasures could often be found.

Xiang Fei’s expression grew serious as he said, "Our current situation isn’t too promising. Without noticing, we’ve been drawn into troublesome affairs. The destruction of the Sacred Emperor’s Land wasn’t our doing, but we happened to be there, so someone is bound to seek us out."

"It’s fine. Just be careful, and there shouldn’t be any major issues." Lin Fan felt the situation didn’t match his plans. He merely wanted to maintain a low profile, grow stronger without drawing trouble.

But the world seldom aligns with one’s wishes, and some troubles cannot be avoided no matter how hard one tries.

The three pondered in silence.

Contemplating their next move.

Suddenly.

"Someone’s approaching."

Lin Fan sensed movement. There were many people. Their arrival here was supposed to go unnoticed, so why would anyone come? Or were they just passing by?

Qin Yang and Xiang Fei focused their thoughts.

Who was coming?

Especially at a critical moment like this, it could mean life or death.

"Quack quack!"

Suddenly.

A figure descended from the sky.

"Look at that massive bullfrog! Tonight’s dinner is settled."

Lin Fan looked up and saw a gleaming bullfrog leap in from afar, carrying a swan in its mouth—buy one, get one free.

"Nonsense! You’re the bullfrog. Your entire family’s a bunch of bullfrogs!"

The Golden Toad landed, heard Lin Fan’s comment, and immediately cursed. But as it opened its mouth, the swan fell to the ground. Shocked, the Golden Toad hurriedly grabbed the swan again to prevent its escape.

Whoosh!

A streak of swordlight flashed, landing beside the Golden Toad.

"Despicable thief!"

Soon, several figures descended from the sky. The leader was an elderly woman holding an Immortal Sword, wrathful and murderous. Upon seeing the Golden Toad, her fury surged.

The Golden Toad hadn’t expected the pursuers to arrive so quickly. It seemed tricky to escape. Its eyes darted as it concocted a plan, turning to Lin Fan. "Boss, fight her!"

It then pointed at the old woman, saying.

"You old hag, how dare you act up before my boss? My boss punches Immortal Emperors and stomps Immortal Venerables! Kneel down immediately, give my boss a proper foot massage, and maybe he’ll spare your lives!"

The Golden Toad’s strategy of sowing discord was executed flawlessly.

"Hmph, no wonder you are so audacious as to steal swans from the Immortal Pool. Turns out you have accomplices." The old woman’s eyes gleamed coldly. She and her group had pursued the Golden Toad relentlessly for ages.

But the Golden Toad was exceedingly crafty and, being an alien species in the Immortal Realm, possessed its own peculiar abilities.

Lin Fan said, "I think you might be mistaken. We have no connection with this creature."

"No need for excuses." The old woman struck at once. Sword light shimmered as it swept toward them, whistling through the air with ear-piercing intensity, illustrating the terrifying power of the sword’s strike.

Lin Fan frowned. The old woman was being unreasonable.

Even after they clearly stated they had nothing to do with the Golden Toad, she still chose to attack, which was unacceptable.

Lin Fan countered with a palm strike, sharper than the glowing sword light itself. It scattered the sword light and continued its momentum, heading directly toward the old woman. Startled, she raised her sword to block.

Crack!

The Immortal Sword shattered under the pressure, unable to withstand the force.

The old woman looked horrified and retreated swiftly. Someone supported her from behind, preventing her from being flung into the distance.

"Retreat!"

One move was all it took to reveal they couldn’t stand against Lin Fan.

But they also made sure to etch Lin Fan and his companions’ faces into their memories.

"That was incredible!"

The Golden Toad exclaimed in surprise, realizing how powerful Lin Fan was. However, recalling its attempt to manipulate the situation, it felt uneasy and quickly grabbed the swan, darting away.

"See you around, folks!"

Before these words settled.

The Golden Toad was already making its escape.

Lin Fan waved his hand. A sharp streak cut in front of its path, blocking its retreat.

"You’ve come this far. Why leave now?" Lin Fan asked, then turned to Qin Yang and said, "Brother Qin, prepare the pot and boil some water. Tonight, we’re having bullfrog with roasted goose."

The Golden Toad widened its eyes, cold sweat streaming down its face. "You people are brutal! Eating me right after meeting me? We are sentient beings; what makes you think eating us is acceptable? If you hold a grudge, at least beat me up instead!"

The swan in the Golden Toad’s mouth spoke, "Let me go! Let me go!"

The voice was charming.

It turned out the swan was a young lady.

"So that’s where the saying ’a toad lusting after swan meat’ comes from," Lin Fan mused aloud.

Qin Yang said, "Brother Lin, I suspect this might be the Treasure Swallowing Golden Toad, an alien species of the Immortal Realm."

The Golden Toad stared at Qin Yang, then chuckled. "I didn’t expect anyone to recognize my true identity. Since that’s the case, I won’t hide it anymore. Indeed, I am the Treasure Swallowing Golden Toad."

Then.

The Golden Toad let go of the swan and flicked its agile tongue, placing a restriction on her.

"Little sister, don’t shout. Remember when you insulted me before? Now you’ll see if this ’toad lusting after swan meat’ is real."

"Heh heh."

The Golden Toad laughed lasciviously.

But it was aware the situation was quite precarious; these Human Clan Immortal practitioners clearly misunderstood its intentions.

"Dear friends, I, the Treasure Swallowing Golden Toad, am being hunted down and outnumbered with no other options, so I sought refuge in your presence to drive away those villains."

"I sincerely thank you all."

The Golden Toad bowed humorously in gratitude, especially after seeing Qin Yang preparing the pot—it realized these were cold-hearted individuals not to be trifled with and tried to negotiate.

Qin Yang asked, "Brother Lin, when should we throw it into the pot?"

The Golden Toad flew into a rage. "You little brat! Do you seriously want to eat me? Can’t you see I’m speaking to your boss here?"

"Hmm?" Qin Yang frowned in anger, then retorted, "Such arrogance, Golden Toad. Do you even know who I am? If you knew my background, you’d crawl to offer yourself for us to eat. For you, it might even be an honor."

The Golden Toad wanted to hurl insults at Qin Yang but hesitated. In its current predicament, it was clearly outmatched.

"Please calm down, dear friend. I spoke out of fury just now. Here are some Immortal Treasures as a token of my goodwill."

The Golden Toad gurgled, and three Immortal Treasures flew out from its mouth.

The Immortal Treasures radiated light, gently landing before the trio.

"A great favor cannot be repaid with mere words. I shall always remember your kindness. Perhaps we’ll meet again someday."

Immediately.

The Golden Toad grabbed the swan and fled toward the distance.

Its speed was truly astonishing.

It was as if it feared Lin Fan and the others might reconsider and act against it, which would be disastrous.

"Hold up."

Lin Fan stretched out his hand, and the Golden Toad, for all its cunning and agility, was swiftly drawn back to its original spot.

"Boss, if you have any instructions, let’s talk it over calmly. No need for brute force," the Golden Toad said.

Its heart sank, realizing its ploy to divert trouble to this group had utterly backfired.

Lin Fan said, "Do you realize that because of you, we, who simply wished to lay low, have once again attracted undue animosity? Three Immortal Treasures, and you think that’s enough to settle things? You must be kidding."

The Golden Toad stared at Lin Fan in shock.

Utterly flabbergasted.

Holy heavens.

It didn’t expect it had stumbled upon such insatiable individuals. Three Immortal Treasures were not enough to satisfy them—this was simply outrageous.

If it were stronger.

It would absolutely curse them out.

Greedy, opportunistic goons! Any other group would rejoice to receive three Immortal Treasures, yet these guys were acting resentful. Truly, the world had grown depraved, and their avarice knew no bounds.

"Dear friends, these are Immortal Treasures!" raised the Golden Toad’s voice, trying to make them grasp the significance of what they’d received—it wasn’t worthless scraps!

Qin Yang sneered, "Immortal Treasures? And so what? Are Immortal Treasures anything special? I’m not bothered about having too few; I’m more troubled by having too many."

"Ha!" The Golden Toad looked strangely at Qin Yang, its gaze clearly saying:

"Keep boasting, why don’t you."

Qin Yang said under his breath, "With the Immortal Treasures I have, I could slap one against your face so hard that you’d bleed from all seven apertures. If Brother Lin were to act, you’d be dead outright."

"Sigh, saying so much seems in vain; you still don’t believe me, do you?"

"Forget it, ignorant frogs like you are a rare sight."

Thud!

Qin Yang dumped all his Immortal Treasures onto the ground. Radiant beams of immortal light flooded the area.

"Oh my, oh my."

"A little slip of the hand, and all these treasures couldn’t wait to jump out—they must be craving fresh air. Truly cheeky."

The Golden Toad stared at the treasure-filled ground, all of high quality.

Lin Fan intervened, "Alright, enough theatrics. We’ll let you off today, but for your sake, be careful in the future."