Although they felt their guesses were likely correct, not a single person stopped.
They continued to shout loudly.
The reason was simple.
Perhaps the God of Ice Seal had already resurrected.
They dared not come out only because they had been continuously calling out to Ao Yuan, hoping he might emerge from the shadows.
While the possibility was extremely low, when weighed against their lives, this low probability would be infinitely magnified.
For some, a ninety percent chance of death and a ten percent chance of death were indistinguishable.
After an unknown period, the brilliant lightning flashes had significantly dimmed.
At this point, someone finally shouted, "I say... my throat is about to go dry."
"The God of Ice and Snow still hasn't appeared. It's likely he's no more, right?"
Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances.
"Alright, alright, everyone stop."
As one person uttered these words, everyone turned to look, and then, with unspoken agreement, they all stopped.
This was because the person who had just spoken was the one accompanying Ao Yuan.
Though they didn't know his name, nor who he truly was, his strength was evident to all.
"The God of Ice Seal is likely dead."
Living under the same roof, this person did not boast. Instead, he sighed faintly.
"If he were alive, given his temperament, he would have shown himself by now."
"Now, all we need to do is quietly wait for the tribulation lightning to dissipate."
As he spoke, a hint of melancholy crossed his face, a feeling akin to shared misfortune.
Honestly, before returning to Blue Star, he had been extremely arrogant.
But upon arriving at Blue Star and hearing of Ao Yuan, and learning that he had once slain deities, his first reaction was disbelief. He had even intended to teach Ao Yuan a lesson, to show him that deities could not be insulted.
However, before he could even set out, he learned of Ao Yuan's feat of slaying Ares.
Subsequently, Ao Yuan had successively slain Yamata no Orochi and seven other deities!
Initially, all of this did not deeply affect him. At most, he decided not to provoke Ao Yuan in the future.
But after witnessing Ao Yuan continuously slaying the Blood Ancestor and the God of Ice Seal today, his mindset had completely changed.
From now on, he would avoid entering any area within a hundred-mile radius of Ao Yuan if at all possible.
He would maintain a safe distance from Ao Yuan.
No!
It wasn't just Ao Yuan; anything associated with Ao Yuan must be kept at a hundred-mile distance.
Looking at his demeanor, the others exchanged bewildered glances.
They all felt that, in that instant, he had been lost in a myriad of thoughts.
Their inner curiosity urged them to inquire, but their fear of his strength prevented them from uttering even a single extra word.
Thus, everyone fell silent.
Within the vast valley, not a sound could be heard.
Until an unknown amount of time passed.
When the lightning faded, the minds of the crowd gradually became more active.
For reasons unknown, at this moment, everyone's gaze fell upon the spiritual spring.
Their expressions varied: some showed greed, others surprise, and yet others determination!
The leading figures, the Giant Hand, Karl, the Magic Elephant, and Nan Ba, exchanged silent glances, then their gazes turned to the person who had followed Ao Yuan but not left with him, their eyes filled with wariness.
The others noticed this and also fixed their attention on that individual.
As the cage was about to disappear, the problem at hand would resurface.
He didn't look at them, but as if sensing something, he shrugged with a bored expression and said, "This little thing, even if given to me, I wouldn't want it."
*Hoo!*
Upon hearing this, everyone's taut nerves immediately relaxed.
It was at this moment that the lightning dissipated.
The man glanced at the crowd and directly headed towards the valley's exit.
As he reached the valley entrance, he paused momentarily and said, "As for the spiritual spring, I suggest you also forget about it."
"The waters here run too deep; you wouldn't be able to handle it."
As he spoke, he walked out of the valley.
*Hoo!*
Stepping out of the valley, a sense of relief washed over him, making him feel utterly unburdened.
In fact, under normal circumstances, he would never have offered so many warnings.
However, perhaps because of Ao Yuan, he not only refrained from killing them but even offered these warnings.
Meanwhile, within the valley.
The Giant Hand, Karl, the Magic Elephant, and Nan Ba exchanged glances, a thoughtful look in their eyes.
Clearly, they were pondering why the spiritual spring could not be claimed.
It was such a valuable treasure; obtaining it would lead to a significant and rapid increase in strength and cultivation.
"I think I understand what he meant."
After a long silence, Karl suddenly had a flash of inspiration and looked up, saying, "What did he mean?"
The Giant Hand asked, confused, "What did he mean?"
The other two remained silent but looked at him with doubt.
"Do you remember what we said earlier?" Karl looked at them and gave a bitter smile.
Hearing this, not only the Giant Hand, the Magic Elephant, and Nan Ba began to ponder, but even the others couldn't help but recall their previous conversations.
They had said too many things upon their arrival, and some of it they had already forgotten, leaving them completely clueless as to why.
"Karl, stop beating around the bush," the Magic Elephant said after thinking for a moment with no leads. "If there's something, just say it."
"If there's a problem, let's solve it together."
"The spiritual spring is a good thing; I don't want to give up on it!"
Everyone nodded at this, then turned their gazes to Karl.
As the Magic Elephant said, none of them were willing to abandon the spiritual spring.
Possessing the spiritual spring could directly widen the gap between them and other cultivators on Blue Star by a vast margin!
Karl looked at the crowd and sighed heavily, then said, "Have you forgotten what I said at the beginning?"
"I said, in front of the Dragon God, that the spiritual spring was to be offered to him."
Everyone was stunned, as if struck by lightning.
Hearing Karl's words, they finally remembered.
Indeed, they had said those words.
"But the Dragon God probably wouldn't care about these things, right?" the Magic Elephant asked tentatively after some thought.
Even someone close to Ao Yuan didn't care for the spiritual spring, so why would Ao Yuan?
That was simply playing games.
Karl chuckled and said, "You're right, the Dragon God truly doesn't need it."
"But this is about our attitude, you understand what attitude means?"
"You mean to exchange the spiritual spring for the Dragon God's favor?" Nan Ba asked after a moment of silence.
"Precisely," Karl nodded and said earnestly. "We've finally encountered the Dragon God. If we can establish some connection with him, it would be quite impressive to speak of later!"
"And if we keep the spiritual spring for ourselves, first of all, can you guarantee that the Dragon God truly doesn't care?"
"Even if he doesn't care, what about those who wish to curry favor with the Dragon God? If they hear wind of this, will they act?"
"Therefore... the best decision is to offer the spiritual spring to the Dragon God!"