At first, Dongbo Xueying experienced intense emotional fluctuations—after all, this was a grand treasure trove. But soon, he regained his composure, as this outcome was within his expectations. As a Unity realm cultivator with strength comparable to the fifth level of the Star Tower, even if he entered the third layer of the Nine Clouds Divine Emperor’s treasure vault, it would be nearly impossible for him to take any treasures away.
Previously, he had entered the second layer knowing that even if he didn’t intend to proceed to the third, he would still have to destroy the meteorite hill to claim any treasures. Moreover, he had harbored a sliver of hope.
*What is lost is fate, what is gained is fortune!* After all, for a Unity realm cultivator to obtain such a treasure was nothing short of wishful thinking.
“Perhaps there are still some treasures left.”
Dongbo Xueying walked through the grand hall, meticulously examining every decoration—even the stone slabs paving the floor. To his surprise, he did discover a few ornaments worth several hundred Meta Realm Stones, but unfortunately, none could be taken.
*Boom—*
Dongbo Xueying approached the hall’s entrance and attempted to open the door.
The deep-gray doors remained firmly shut, resisting his efforts.
After exhausting all possibilities, he returned to the Ghost-Pattern Sacred Wood Throne, carefully studying both the throne and the sealing formation. He then raised his gaze to the dark-cloud carvings on the walls, analyzing the formation patterns to see if he could decipher and dismantle them to claim the treasures.
Time flowed relentlessly.
One hour passed…
Then two…
“The formation on the Ghost-Pattern Sacred Wood Throne cannot be examined—only brute force can break it, provided one possesses sufficient strength,” Dongbo Xueying mused silently. His eyes remained fixed on the dark-cloud carvings. “As for these carvings, their patterns are clear and traceable, yet profoundly mysterious… To deduce a method to dismantle them within three short hours is utterly hopeless.”
—
**First Layer of the Treasure Divine Tower.**
The Sky Sword Sect Master and the gray-robed woman exchanged distant glances, both smiling faintly. They had maintained an unspoken truce, refraining from conflict—neither had confidence in overpowering the other. The Sky Sword Sect Master was acutely aware of his own limitations, while the gray-robed woman suspected that the three who had advanced ahead were monstrously powerful. She deemed it wiser to remain cautious, assuming that those left behind in the first layer might also possess hidden trump cards.
Thus, the two coexisted peacefully until now.
“I wonder how Brother Feixue is faring,” the Sky Sword Sect Master thought to himself. “All three of them are in the second layer. If they engage in battle, the outcome is unpredictable.”
*Hum—*
A spatial fluctuation descended, enveloping both the Sky Sword Sect Master and the gray-robed woman. In an instant, they vanished.
The three-day period had concluded, and they were forcibly teleported out.
—
**Second Layer of the Treasure Divine Tower.**
The Undying City Lord and the burly man were both exerting their full strength, relentlessly assaulting the meteorite hill before them.
“Hahaha! Time is almost up, Undying City Lord. Your luck seems rather lackluster this time,” the burly man laughed heartily. “At least I’ve recouped my losses, while you’ve only obtained a single treasure.”
The Undying City Lord’s expression darkened.
His luck had indeed been abysmal. His initial attempt to suppress Dongbo Xueying had backfired—especially since Dongbo Xueying had been concealing his true strength. For over two days, he had toiled like a laborer, only for all the treasures to be claimed by Dongbo Xueying. At least he had been spared his life. In the remaining three hours, both he and the burly man had focused on attacking the meteorite hill.
The burly man had secured three treasures, worth over a thousand Meta Realm Stones.
The Undying City Lord, however, had obtained only one, valued at a mere two hundred Meta Realm Stones—barely twenty to thirty percent of what he had brought with him.
“That white-robed man had exceptional luck, advancing to the third layer. Who knows what grand treasures he might have obtained?” The Undying City Lord couldn’t help but compare, feeling that this venture into the Nine Clouds Divine Emperor’s treasure vault had been a mistake.
*Hum—*
Spatial fluctuations descended once more.
Both the burly man and the Undying City Lord were teleported away.
—
**In the darkness…**
A hunched figure sat cross-legged, his eyes gleaming faintly as he observed the scene before him—a projection of an ancient hall, where a white-robed Dongbo Xueying stood, gazing up at the dark-cloud carvings.
“This young man…”
“He is truly young! Judging by his soul aura, his cultivation time is astonishingly short, yet he has already reached such heights. Among all the cultivators who have entered this treasure vault, his potential and comprehension are among the very best.” The seated figure’s eyes gleamed with interest.
Indeed.
In terms of sheer potential, within the Tai Void Heavenly Palace, Dongbo Xueying was one of the fastest to achieve combat prowess at the fifth level of the Star Tower.
Of course, the Sword Lord’s comprehension was no less formidable. Though the Sword Lord had already cultivated for the better part of a cosmic epoch before joining the Tai Void Heavenly Palace, he had done so in his home universe—without access to superior resources or extensive scriptures, relying solely on solitary cultivation to reach the Chaos realm.
Upon arriving at the Tai Void Heavenly Palace and studying its scriptures, he had broken through to the ultimate existence in a single closed-door session!
Had the Sword Lord entered the Tai Void Heavenly Palace earlier, he would have undoubtedly reached the Chaos realm in an even shorter time.
But—
Whether it was the Sword Lord or Dongbo Xueying, both possessed extraordinary talent and comprehension. Among the few who had entered the Nine Clouds Divine Emperor’s treasure vault in the Nine Clouds Continent, none could rival Dongbo Xueying. Even the Chaos realm overlords who had ventured here were ancient beings who had cultivated for unfathomable ages, making further progress nearly impossible.
“His potential and comprehension are exceptional,” the seated figure murmured. “Most importantly, he is neither a subordinate of the Sacred Master nor under the control of the Mother Ancestor.”
“Excellent.”
—
Dongbo Xueying stared at the dark-cloud carvings, sensing that time was nearly up—the three-day period had concluded.
“What a pity. I’ve seen the treasures of the third layer, yet cannot take any with me,” Dongbo Xueying mused inwardly. “Still, all things considered, this expedition to the Treasure Divine Tower has been highly rewarding.”
“Hmm?”
A thought flickered through his mind, and he frowned in confusion, glancing around. “Why is there no movement?”
According to the intelligence he had received, once the three-day period ended, he should have been teleported out immediately.
Given his cultivation realm, his perception of time was precise—the three days had indeed passed. Yet no spatial fluctuations had arrived.
*Rumble—*
In the distance, the hall doors he had previously failed to open now slowly creaked apart.
Dongbo Xueying blinked. “The door… opened?”
Without hesitation, he strode toward the entrance. There was no need to fear danger—if the Nine Clouds Divine Emperor’s mechanisms wished to kill him, they could do so effortlessly, without any need for deception.
The three-day period had ended, yet he hadn’t been teleported out. And now, the doors had opened?
Beyond the doors lay a broad corridor.
Dongbo Xueying glanced left and right—the corridor stretched into shadowy depths in both directions, revealing that this was part of a vast palace complex, with the hall he had been in merely a small section of it.
“Where is this? Wasn’t the third layer supposed to be just the hall? Now I’m outside it, and this place seems far larger?” Dongbo Xueying pondered, choosing a direction at random. He passed by other sealed halls and eventually arrived at an open courtyard, where a fiery-red cauldron stood at the center.
Towering flames surged from the cauldron, coalescing into the form of a mighty avian creature. The pressure radiating from it was overwhelming—comparable to that of figures like Ancestor Tianyu and the Sword Lord.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage