As Dongbo Xueying stepped through the spatial entrance, he felt space twist around him, followed by a sudden dimness before his eyes.
“Where is this?” Dongbo Xueying found himself standing within an ancient, shadowy hall. The space wasn’t vast—merely a hundred meters in range—with deep gray doors tightly shut.
A faint fragrance permeated the air, filling every corner of the hall.
“Is this the third layer of the treasure vault?” Dongbo Xueying surveyed the seemingly ordinary hall, which was mostly empty save for a few decorative items. Hanging on the walls were various objects, and at the forefront stood a grand throne. Behind it, the wall bore an enormous carving—a massive dark cloud.
Though merely a sculpture, the dark cloud seemed to blot out the heavens, its invisible pressure weighing heavily over the entire hall.
“Where are the treasures?”
“The treasures of the third layer—since I was able to enter, it means they haven’t been completely taken yet.” Dongbo Xueying mused silently. He had already extended his senses, probing every inch of the space, yet found nothing.
Puzzled, he stepped forward, his gaze immediately drawn to the most striking feature—the enormous dark cloud carving behind the throne. It was so vivid that it even emanated a powerful oppressive aura. Soon, he stood beside the throne, carefully examining every detail of the sculpture.
The lines of the carving…
“Impressive. These lines flow naturally, yet they form an incredibly profound formation. I couldn’t even discern it at first glance.” Dongbo Xueying scrutinized it closely. Though the formation was formidable, it couldn’t be moved, nor could he master it now. Moreover, the dark cloud formation didn’t seem designed for combat.
“Found it!” His eyes gleamed as he spotted a series of black beads embedded along the edges of the carving, serving as embellishments.
Twelve black beads in total—seemingly ordinary and seamlessly integrated with the sculpture. Their aura blended perfectly with the carving’s, so much so that even his Panbo Diagram failed to detect anything unusual. Yet, upon closer inspection, he noticed faint wisps of mist slowly swirling within the beads—visible only to the naked eye.
These twelve beads were known as *Blackwater Pearls*, renowned treasures from the Primordial Ancient Sacred World.
A single pearl was worth over three thousand Source World Stones. Rumor had it that gathering more of them unlocked even more miraculous uses, making them highly sought after by supreme beings.
“Twelve Blackwater Pearls—worth over thirty-six thousand Source World Stones.” Dongbo Xueying’s eyes sparkled with excitement. With a thought, nine flying daggers shot out, aiming precisely at the edges where the pearls were embedded. However, an invisible barrier of light flared across the surface of the dark cloud carving, effortlessly deflecting all the blades with a series of sharp *bangs*.
“This carving is that powerful?” Though he had anticipated resistance, frustration still gnawed at him.
“If I destroy this formation, the pearls—mere treasures without its protection—should be easy to claim.” With another thought, twelve hundred flying daggers surged forth, wreathed in purple battle-qi, crashing against the dark cloud carving in a mighty assault.
Yet again, the invisible barrier repelled every strike.
“Again.”
Instantly, one hundred and twenty layers of the Dark Realm descended, each forming a hemispherical dome over a critical node of the formation—a point Dongbo Xueying had faintly discerned as a core nexus within the intricate web of lines.
**BOOM—**
The sheer force of the Dark Realm’s descent sent the hall’s energies into turmoil. The ensuing explosion triggered the same barrier, effortlessly nullifying the attack.
“How is this possible? Every attack I launch is effortlessly blocked.” Dongbo Xueying realized his assaults were far from reaching the barrier’s limits—it was holding up with ease.
“Am I truly unable to claim them?” He stared at the dark cloud carving, his gaze lingering on the twelve Blackwater Pearls adorning its edges.
So close, yet so far.
“Keep searching.”
He scoured the hall meticulously, even attempting to remove some of the wall-hung decorations. Unfortunately, the entire structure was protected by formations, rendering his efforts futile.
“Hmm?” After a full circuit, he returned to the dark cloud carving, his attention shifting to the throne before him.
Carved entirely from wood, the throne bore intricate patterns that, upon closer inspection, faintly resembled sinister faces. A malevolent aura seeped toward him.
“Is this… *Ghostmother Sacred Wood*?” Dongbo Xueying inhaled sharply. He reached out, lightly touching the throne’s surface, confirming the presence of an invisible sealing formation. “No wonder I sensed nothing—this entire throne is made of Ghostmother Sacred Wood, sealed away by the formation. If not for the patterns, I wouldn’t have recognized it.”
Though Ghostmother Sacred Wood exuded a sinister aura, it was a coveted treasure among powerful cultivators. Even a small amount, crafted into a necklace or embedded in a storage bracelet, could greatly benefit the soul. For an entire throne to be carved from it… even for a Cosmic God, this was extravagance. Moreover, after the shattering of the Primordial Ancient Sacred World, this wood had ceased to exist.
This throne was worth far more—likely double its original value, estimated at fifty thousand Source World Stones!
Fifty thousand…
No wonder the treasures of Emperor Jiuyun could drive even Chaos Realm overlords to madness. Most such overlords couldn’t amass fifty thousand Source World Stones even if they liquidated all their assets. Even those who had conquered the eighth level of the Star Tower might struggle to gather such wealth. Only ancient figures like the Chaos Hall Master, who had reached the pinnacle of their bottlenecks, could possess such treasures.
Of course, that was under normal circumstances. Dongbo Xueying’s entry into the vault was anything but normal.
“I’ve made it inside… but can I take anything?” He had little confidence. If he couldn’t even retrieve the twelve Blackwater Pearls, how could he possibly claim the Ghostmother Sacred Wood throne?
“Up.” Gripping the armrests, he summoned the full might of his Voidwalker physique, heaving with all his strength.
**THUD.**
The throne didn’t budge, as if fused with the hall itself.
In frustration, he unleashed another one hundred and twenty layers of the Dark Realm, focusing solely on the throne’s armrests. Though wary of damaging the priceless artifact, his fears proved unnecessary—the formation held firm, unscathed.
“Useless.”
He glanced down at the throne, then back up at the dark cloud carving.
One worth over fifty thousand Source World Stones.
The other over thirty-six thousand.
These were likely the core treasures of one of Emperor Jiuyun’s sixteen vaults. The items from the first and second layers? Mere trifles in comparison.
“No wonder records mention Chaos Realm overlords entering the third layer but leaving empty-handed,” Dongbo Xueying muttered. “Just as I suspected—unless I crack Emperor Jiuyun’s seals, I can’t take a thing.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage