Chapter 559: Treasure

An invisible energy field swept back and forth, changing dozens, even hundreds of times in the space of a single breath.

The four of them, wrapped in the Five-Colored Divine Light, advanced through the energy field, the light quivering nonstop.

Zhou Ruxuan’s face was full of curiosity.

Ming Nianwei, however, was trembling with fear.

As a Mage, she was keenly aware of the danger. The seemingly gentle energy field concealed a terrifyingly destructive power, capable of tearing even a Fifth-Grade Expert to shreds in the blink of an eye.

Otherwise,

the forces standing guard outside would have long since broken through the Array and entered the Treasure Storage.

Fortunately, Zhu Ju’s technique was even more impressive. The Five-Colored Divine Light merged with the Array, shifting in tandem with its changes and guiding them deeper, step by step.

“Phew…”

“We’re through.”

Having exited the energy field, Zhu Ju let out a long sigh and stabilized the Five-colored Divine Light.

“That was a lot more strenuous than I expected. But, thankfully… we made it through.”

“My Lord, your Divine Techniques are incredible. With the divine light’s protection, we could turn peril into peace,” Ming Nianwei said, her voice full of praise.

“I am truly impressed!”

Such blatant fawning and flattery made Zhou Ruxuan roll her eyes.

“Next up is the Water and Fire Mutual Aid Formation.”

Ming Nianwei glanced to the side.

“Miss Zhou, you’re up.”

“I know.”

With a solemn expression, Zhou Ruxuan strode forward, coming to a stop before a wall where the rock flowed unceasingly like quicksand.

SWOOSH!

With a single outstretched hand, a spear as white as snow and bright as silver appeared in her palm.

VMMMM…

The long spear trembled gently, a multitude of afterimages flickering into existence around it.

The terrifying Strength caused the air to roil violently, and the extreme cold threatened to freeze all of creation.

As Zhou Ruxuan thrust her spear, the afterimages in the air suddenly coalesced, surging forward like a mighty river.

Celestial River Spear Technique!

Zhu Ju’s eyes shifted, a hint of surprise in his gaze.

This single thrust stirred the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, condensing the Qi into ice that could freeze all creation. Her technique was nothing short of extraordinary.

‘Zhou Ruxuan said she’d received a predecessor’s legacy and that her strength had skyrocketed. It seems she wasn’t lying.’

BOOM!

The tip of the long spear struck something in the void, and the condensed coldness immediately burst forth. A patch of ice crystals appeared on the wall, visible to the naked eye, and rapidly expanded outward.

In the blink of an eye, it was several feet wide.

However, compared to the unending Array Power, Zhou Ruxuan’s own strength had its limits.

After a moment of expansion, it was forced back bit by bit.

“Go!”

Zhu Ju’s eyes narrowed. With a wave of his long sleeve, a violent surge of Qi Blood enveloped the four of them and slammed them forward.

BANG!

The wall shattered.

Zhu Ju’s figure moved like a Swimming Fish, darting through the cracks in the Array and leaping out just an instant before it sealed itself.

A brilliant light flared.

Their vision suddenly brightened.

Radiant light filled their eyes.

Rainbow light circled around them.

Not even the fabled golden courts, jade pillars, or purple-palaced Immortal Mansions could compare to this.

What came into view was a high tower—an exquisite pagoda carved from a single, massive block of white jade.

An exquisite pagoda, exquisitely crafted; the Exquisite Treasure Pagoda has nine stories in total.

The nine-story Treasure Pagoda stood over a hundred feet tall. Its flying eaves and corners were bound with chains as thick as a man’s thigh. Dozens of these chains were anchored deep in the earth, forming what looked like a giant seal upon the Treasure Pagoda.

But the Treasure Pagoda was not whole.

It looked as if it had been split open from top to bottom, leaving only one half. The other was nowhere to be found.

Exquisite objects were arrayed upon the open-faced tower half, shimmering with lights of every color.

The myriad lights reflected one another, creating a dazzling, mesmerizing sight.

“This…”

Zhou Ruxuan was dumbstruck, her jaw agape.

“There’s really treasure?”

“So much treasure.” Even though she had memories of this place, Ming Nianwei was still unable to regain her composure.

“We’re rich… we’re rich…”

In Li Chengxia’s memories, this treasure hoard was something she had arranged casually, without putting much thought into it.

The items inside were considered ‘unremarkable’.

But in Ming Nianwei’s eyes, every item inside the Exquisite Treasure Pagoda was priceless.

The nine-story Treasure Pagoda held different Treasures on each floor. The higher the floor, the better the Treasure.

On the highest floor sat a Jade Plate, and on the Jade Plate rested a heart the size of a human head.

That heart,

seemed to still be beating faintly.

“Worthy of a Prince’s hoard. Truly extraordinary.”

Zhu Ju took a deep breath and said slowly,

“Ru Xuan, you pick one. Ming Nianwei, you pick two. The rest are mine. You two can pick first.”

“Oh…”

“Don’t touch the heart at the very top.”

“Why do I only get one while she gets two?” Zhou Ruxuan didn’t mind Zhu Ju taking the lion’s share, but she was incensed that she was getting less than Ming Nianwei.

“I want two as well.”

“She counts as two people,” Zhu Ju said, his expression unchanged.

“Besides, she’s the one who provided the location. You just put in a little effort. Do you have a problem with that?”

“Hmph!”

Zhou Ruxuan huffed but said no more. She flew toward the Exquisite Treasure Pagoda and reached out to grab an item from the seventh story.

The Ice Soul Pearl!

This was a Fourth-Grade Curious Object, born in a land of extreme cold. It contained an ice soul that would be beneficial to her Cultivation.

The moment she had laid eyes on it, the Ice River True Gang inside her body had reacted. This object was clearly meant for her.

A thread of Ice River True Gang flowed from her palm into the Ice Soul Pearl, drawing out a wisp of cold Qi that she then converted into more True Gang via her Dantian.

‘Hiss…’

Zhou Ruxuan’s eyes widened, her face overcome with wild joy.

‘Cultivating with this item in hand, one day of practice will be like dozens. Reaching the mid-Sixth Grade is just around the corner.’

Not only that,

the cold Qi contained within the Ice Soul Pearl was like a vast ocean. The wisp she had just drawn out was utterly negligible.

Perhaps with its help, she could break directly into the Fifth-Grade Realm!

Ming Nianwei chose a Wood Talisman and a Flying Sword.

The Wood Talisman was a Soul-Stabilizing Talisman, which had the wondrous ability to nourish the Primordial Spirit and protect the Divine Soul—something of critical importance to any Cultivator.

The Flying Sword was the Fuyao Sword, an Upper Fifth-Grade Magical Treasure, brimming with Spirituality and possessing astonishing power.

She had clearly decided what she wanted long ago, as she took the two items directly and turned them over in her hands with unconcealed joy.

Zhu Ju didn’t rush to grab his share. Instead, he was sizing up the dozens of chains binding the Exquisite Treasure Pagoda.

“Imitation Demon-Devouring Iron?”

“Yes.”

Ming Nianwei snapped out of her reverie and nodded.

“A Second-Grade Demon King was once suppressed here, but it was later slain by Li Chengxia. That heart…”

“…is probably that Demon King’s.”

She pointed a finger at the Jade Plate on the Treasure Pagoda’s highest level.

“What kind of Demon?”

“An Ox Demon with the bloodline of the Ancient Divine Beast, the Ao Hen. That Demon King had a taste for human flesh, which is why it was suppressed.”

‘Ao Hen?’

‘Shaped like a yellow ox, its body covered in such thick fur it looked like a straw raincoat from a distance, and with four horns on its head.’

‘One of the Ancient Divine Beasts.’

Understanding dawned on Zhu Ju. He reached out and took the Demon Heart.

The Demon King had been dead for over two hundred years, and much of the Essence Blood within the Demon Heart had dissipated.

But it was, after all, the Demon Heart of a Second-Grade Demon King, far more potent than the Demon Essence Blood he had acquired in the past.

The vast reserves of Qi Blood and Essence within it made his eyes gleam.

“What a Treasure!”

‘With this, my strength can be quickly restored. Reaching the Sixth Grade in a short amount of time should be no problem at all.’

“What’s the situation outside?”

Ming Nianwei put away her Flying Sword, walked to the edge of the Array, and activated it using the Method from Li Chengxia’s memories.

Getting in from the outside was difficult, but once inside, she could control the Array. After all, Li Chengxia was the one who had set it up.

Instantly, a watery mist gathered and coalesced into a projection of the scene on the deserted island.

Dozens more people were now on the island, patrolling everywhere and searching for any sign of them.

“My Lord.”

Ming Nianwei’s expression changed slightly.

“There’s a Fifth-Grade Expert!”

“Then we won’t be in a hurry to leave,” Zhu Ju said, nodding as he withdrew his gaze.

“We’ll focus on improving our Cultivation first.”