Chapter 511: Taking the Treasure

The Night Sea was only known to produce Night Sun Fish, so the appearance of a Night Sun Turtle was an extraordinary event. A creature like this was surely capable of spiritual communication. After listening to Li Qiye, it immediately nodded.

“Good. I like those who know what’s best for them,” Li Qiye said with a smile. He then solemnly produced a Treasure Bottle and carefully dripped out a single, treasured drop of Starry Universe Water.

He had already used several drops from his small cup of Starry Universe Water. Now, he was using yet another, so naturally, Li Qiye treasured it dearly.

“You… this is too wasteful! You’re… you’re feeding Starry Universe Water to a turtle!” The moment she saw the Starry Universe Water, Lan Yunzhu leaped to her feet, her heart aching at the sight. This wasn’t the first time she had witnessed Li Qiye’s extravagance; he had done something just as wasteful back at the Thousand Islands.

And yet, now Li Qiye was feeding a drop of Starry Universe Water to a turtle. It was simply outrageous!

With her heart aching, Lan Yunzhu said, “You… Have you no sense of decency? Do you have any idea how precious a single drop of Starry Universe Water is? It’s something even Immortal Emperors covet, and you… you fed it to a turtle! You’ve… you’ve gone too far!”

“What? Th-th-th-this is the legendary Starry Universe Water, an item exclusive to Immortal Emperors?!” Hearing this, Suan Tian Daoist was so shocked he started to stammer. He stared, utterly dumbfounded, and stood there in a stupor.

Starry Universe Water… Suan Tian Daoist had only ever heard of such a Supreme Immortal Object. Many in the world even doubted its very existence.

A single drop of Starry Universe Water was more precious than a drop of Emperor’s Blood. And now, Li Qiye had actually fed a drop of this priceless water to a turtle!

If word of this were to get out, it would scare countless people to death. No one would even believe it; it was simply too impossible.

“Th-th-th-this… This is too extravagant, too wasteful!” After a long moment of speechlessness, Suan Tian Daoist finally managed to force out the words.

Feeding Starry Universe Water to a turtle… just how wasteful could one be? If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, Suan Tian Daoist wouldn’t have believed it was real. The whole affair was simply too ridiculous.

Suan Tian Daoist had seen his fair share of wastrels, including scions of Emperor Immortal Gates who treated Great Sage Essence Jades like pocket money.

But compared to Li Qiye, all the wastrels he had seen before couldn’t even hold a candle. Using Star River Everything Water to feed a turtle—could anyone possibly be more of a spendthrift than Li Qiye?

To be wasteful to such a degree was beyond description. If it were him, he would never do it. A single drop of Star River Everything Water could save one’s life at a critical moment. Such an item was precious beyond measure, simply priceless.

Li Qiye merely said coolly, “The Night Sun Turtle needs Star River Everything Water to unleash its potential. Otherwise, it cannot enter that place.”

The Night Sun Turtle knew this was a treasure. Its tongue flicked out and instantly lapped up the drop of Starry Universe Water, not wasting a single trace.

BUZZ— After the Night Sun Turtle swallowed the Star River Everything Water, the flames on its body instantly flared several times stronger. The Order Divine Chains within the fire wove together, as if forming an Immortal Chapter.

In the blink of an eye, all of the Night Sun Turtle’s Order Divine Chains had woven themselves into a Thick Shield. This shield covered its entire body, like a second shell.

Watching the Night Sun Turtle swallow the Starry Universe Water, Lan Yunzhu couldn’t help but ask, “Is it really worth it? A single drop of Starry Universe Water is more precious than a drop of Emperor’s Blood!”

“It is,” Li Qiye said, nodding without hesitation. “If I can obtain that item, it’s absolutely worth it!”

“‘If’? It’s still just an ‘if’?” Lan Yunzhu stared at Li Qiye with her lovely eyes. “Do you have any idea what that ‘if’ implies?”

It wasn’t that Lan Yunzhu had never seen treasures before. On the contrary, hailing from the Qianli River as its successor, she had seen plenty. But a drop of Starry Universe Water was more precious than Emperor’s Blood; it wasn’t something you could get just by wanting it. You might be able to trade for Emperor’s Blood with some Emperor Immortal Gates, but Starry Universe Water couldn’t be bought, not even with all the money in the world.

To gamble with a drop of Starry Universe Water… wasn’t that stake a bit too high? Even Suan Tian Daoist was moved. Not just anyone could possess such boldness, such a willingness to act on such a grand scale.

“Barring any accidents, there shouldn’t be a problem,” Li Qiye said with a faint smile.

Lan Yunzhu shot Li Qiye an exasperated glare. “Instead of being so wasteful, you might as well have just given it to me.”

“Give me a kiss, and I’ll consider giving you a drop of Starry Universe Water,” Li Qiye said teasingly, tapping his own lips.

Lan Yunzhu’s face instantly turned crimson. She aimed a kick at him and snapped, “Get lost, you shameless bastard!”

Li Qiye laughed. Then, with a BUZZ, ten Life Palaces appeared. One of the Life Palaces slowly opened, revealing a tree stump inside.

“Ten Palaces,” Suan Tian Daoist murmured in a daze, staring at the ten Life Palaces hovering above Li Qiye’s head. The news that Li Qiye possessed Nine Stars and Ten Palaces had spread long ago, but hearing about it was completely different from seeing it in person. To witness the ten Life Palaces with one’s own eyes was truly shocking.

At that moment, guided by Li Qiye, the withered, palm-shaped tree stump flew out of his Life Palace, roots, stem, and all.

The palm-shaped stump landed on the Night Sun Turtle’s back. The moment it touched down, its roots shot out like tentacles, wrapping tightly around the turtle and clinging to its shell.

The Night Sun Turtle, already wearing its Divine Chain Armor, now carried a palm-shaped stump on its back. It was a bizarre sight. Neither Lan Yunzhu nor Suan Tian Daoist could make any sense of the combination.

“Why make the Night Sun Turtle carry a dead tree stump?” Lan Yunzhu asked, her curiosity piqued. She had seen this stump before. It was the one Li Qiye had obtained at the Thousand Islands, for which he had used a priceless treasure—the World Tree’s Young Leaves, boiled into a juice.

Seeing the vibrant new shoot sprouting from the side of the stump, Li Qiye smiled and explained, “The Night Sun Turtle is only a guide. No one can enter this Secret Realm Lake; falling in would be a dead end. A creature like the Night Sun Turtle, however, can survive. But it can’t retrieve the item here. For that, we need this tree to gain the Secret Realm’s recognition.”

“What kind of Divine Tree is that stump from?” Suan Tian Daoist was skilled in divination, and he could tell at a glance that the stump was extraordinary. He couldn’t help but ask. For a mere stump to be able to gain a Secret Realm’s recognition, one could only imagine its heaven-shattering origins.

Li Qiye smiled. “It’s a Divine Tree beyond your divinatory abilities. Attempting to scry it would only invite heavenly retribution.” He then put the Night Sun Turtle down, patted its back, and said, “Go on. Once you retrieve that item for me, you will be free.”

Without hesitation, the Night Sun Turtle crawled toward the lake. In the blink of an eye, it vanished beneath the water’s surface.

Li Qiye sat by the shore, silently watching the lake. Though his expression was placid, the focused intensity in his gaze revealed his gravity.

Lan Yunzhu sat beside him on the shore, also watching the water in silence. She didn’t dare to speak, as if a single word might disturb whatever lay within the lake.

Suan Tian Daoist had once read Li Qiye’s palm, an experience that had left him terrified. Now, seeing Li Qiye so serious, he couldn’t help but wonder, ‘What is the Mirror Guardian Treasure here? What could possibly be worth his undivided attention?’

Time ticked by, but the lake remained calm, as if nothing had happened at all. It was as if the Night Sun Turtle had simply fled the moment it entered the water.

After a long while, the lake was still placid. Lan Yunzhu, who had been waiting quietly by Li Qiye’s side, began to worry. “Do you think the Night Sun Turtle might have just dived in and escaped?” she asked softly.

“I’m not worried about it escaping.” Li Qiye shook his head. “Even if you gave it ten times the courage, it wouldn’t dare run from me now.” As he spoke, his eyes remained fixed on the lake.

“What exactly is the Realm Guardian Treasure here?” Lan Yunzhu asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. She knew Li Qiye wasn’t the type to be easily swayed by treasure. In her heart, she understood that ordinary items could never move him; anything that caught his interest had to be absolutely unique in all the world.

“I don’t know.” Li Qiye hesitated for a moment before slowly replying, “I hope it’s the item I’m imagining. I truly hope so.”

Lan Yunzhu was taken aback. Li Qiye’s moment of hesitation spoke volumes. Such an expression was rarely seen on his face; he was anything but an indecisive person. His hesitation now clearly showed a lack of confidence, an uncertainty she had never seen before.

In all the time she had known Li Qiye, she had never seen him lack confidence or certainty. Even when he declared he would annihilate the Ten Thousand Bones Throne, he was filled with absolute self-assurance!

But this time, she saw a flicker of doubt on his face. What in the world could make Li Qiye so uncertain?

BOOM— At that very moment, the entire Secret Realm shook as if shaken by a colossal force. The lake instantly erupted, throwing a thousand-foot-tall wave into the air. SPLASH! Water sprayed in every direction.

“Success—” A look of joyful surprise crossed Li Qiye’s face. He shot to his feet, his eyes glued to the roiling water.

Now, even Lan Yunzhu and Suan Tian Daoist grew tense. They stared intently at the churning water, waiting for the Night Sun Turtle to reappear.

After a while, the churning water finally calmed. As the great wave receded, the Night Sun Turtle emerged from the depths, swimming toward the shore.

It was clear the Night Sun Turtle was utterly exhausted; every stroke seemed to take immense effort. The armor woven from the Order Divine Chains on its back was completely shattered, and cracks even marred its body. Despite having consumed the Star River Everything Water, its wounds were not healing quickly.