“This…” Lu Xian’er stared at the shattered seal and the opened box in Lin Yun’s hand, her eyes freezing for a moment. How could this be? This guy actually crushed the seal so easily?!
“Director Lin, your cultivation is actually that strong?” Her tone had unconsciously shifted.
Lin Yun simply smiled and said, “It’s alright, good enough.”
It was both modest and a subtle warning. This was why he waited until now to open the box—he had done it deliberately to crush it in front of her.
“This is the so-called treasure?” Lin Yun retrieved the item inside the box, only to find it was a damaged hide scroll exuding an ancient aura. There were also many ancient characters written across it.
Lu Xian’er held her breath and nodded. “Yes, that’s the one!”
At that moment, Bai Xiaoxue, who had remained silent until now, suddenly cried out in surprise, “This… this thing?!”
All three of them turned to look at her. Lin Yun asked curiously, “Xiaoxue, have you seen it before?”
She clenched her fists, her delicate body trembling slightly as she said, “This is the thing I picked up back then…”
That one sentence stunned both Lin Yun and Qing Yue.
They knew Bai Xiaoxue’s past well but never expected the rumored treasure to be the same item.
Lu Xian’er was also shocked and asked in disbelief, “You said you picked this up?”
“Mhm… but it was later stolen,” Bai Xiaoxue pursed her lips, seemingly unwilling to explain further.
Seeing this, Lin Yun lightly cleared his throat and changed the topic. “So, what exactly is this hide scroll?”
To him, an outsider, it looked like a specially made scroll with some illegible characters.
Lu Xian’er explained, “The scroll itself is made from the hide of a peak 9th-grade profound beast.”
Lin Yun drew a sharp breath. A peak 9th-grade profound beast? That was equivalent to the peak of the Heavenly Emperor Realm! Such creatures had long vanished from the world.
He couldn’t help but ask, “So, what’s written on it?”
Lu Xian’er suddenly asked in return, “Have you ever heard of the last Empress of the continent?”
Lin Yun shook his head. He really didn’t know anything about that.
Qing Yue suddenly spoke up, “You mean the Empress Chiyuan?” Find the original chapter at g.com.
“Exactly, it’s her!” Lu Xian’er took a deep breath and explained to Lin Yun, “The Empress Chiyuan is the last known cultivator in the records of the Heavenly Mystic Continent to have reached the peak of the Heavenly Emperor Realm—and she was the strongest of all!”
“It’s said that without any guidance, she condensed Qi at age three, was crowned at five, reached the Dao Condensation Realm at ten, and became a Heavenly Emperor at twenty. She was titled the Red Sparrow. By thirty, she was invincible at the peak of the Heavenly Emperor Realm!”
Lin Yun’s mouth twitched. Now that’s a real protagonist—this is what they call a legendary genius!
“And after that? With such talent, she could probably transcend and become an immortal, right?”
On the Heavenly Mystic Continent, there were indeed legends about immortality. Some ancient texts mentioned that beyond the continent existed an Immortal Realm, the ultimate destination for all cultivators.
A person at the peak of the Heavenly Emperor Realm could, after surviving several great tribulations, enter the Immortal Realm and pursue true eternal life.
Given the Empress Chiyuan’s displayed talent, it felt like becoming immortal would be easy for her.
However, Lu Xian’er shook her head. “She didn’t. Instead, she spent hundreds of years traveling the continent, using her unmatched cultivation to benefit the world while seeking the elusive path to immortality.”
“Then, a thousand years later, she suddenly vanished, as if evaporated from the world.”
“No one knew what happened to her. But a hundred years after her disappearance, a close female friend of hers heard news that she had perished and chose to take her own life upon hearing it.”
“Since then, no one ever saw the Empress Chiyuan again. Over time, her death became accepted as fact.”
Lin Yun frowned. “That’s far too strange. With her strength, who in the world could possibly kill her?”
“It is strange. That’s why the death of the Empress Chiyuan and the suicide of her close friend have remained an unsolved mystery on the continent,” Lu Xian’er sighed. “After all, the Empress Chiyuan was known for her righteousness. The righteous path revered her, and the demonic path—even when attacking her together—stood no chance.”
Upon hearing this, Qing Yue crossed her arms and snorted softly to herself.
Lin Yun didn’t notice and pondered for a moment before asking, “So, what does the Empress Chiyuan have to do with this treasure?”
“A lot, in fact!” Lu Xian’er hesitated for a moment, then said slowly, “Because this scroll was left behind by the Empress Chiyuan, and the contents are her last will and testament.”
Bai Xiaoxue and Qing Yue were both visibly shaken.
Lin Yun’s eyes narrowed, and he immediately asked, “What does the will say?”
Looking at the ancient scroll, Lu Xian’er explained, “According to the ancient language interpretation, she left her entire life’s inheritance, treasures, and the truth behind everything in a secret realm—hoping that a fated person would find it.”
“And with this scroll in hand, when the secret realm opens, one can bring up to nine others into it.”
Lin Yun raised his brows slightly and nodded. “So essentially… it’s like a ticket to a dungeon.”
At this point, Lu Xian’er asked curiously, “You said dungeon? What’s that?”
“Ahem, nothing.” Lin Yun waved it off with a cough and asked, “Then when does this so-called secret realm open?”
“Based on the calculation, it will be in half a year. At that time, the realm will descend and remain open for three days.”
“So soon?” Lin Yun had originally thought if it were years away, he could build up his strength and join the chaos later.
Suddenly, he realized something and asked, “Wait, according to what you’re saying, this scroll exists in multiple copies?”
“Yes. The exact number is still unclear,” Lu Xian’er replied after some thought. “Since the first scroll appeared a few years ago, we’ve all been searching for them.”
“Right now, among the five major powers of the Eastern Continent, only our Joyous Harmony Valley and the Heavenly Demon Palace haven’t gotten one.”
“And considering the Bloodfiend Demon Sect used this scroll to bait us, they clearly have more than one!”
These so-called five major powers were the dominant forces in the Eastern Continent.
They included the righteous sects: Ancient One Dao Sect, Joyous Harmony Valley, and Heavenly Sword Sect. Then there were the demonic path powers: Heavenly Demon Palace and the newly risen Bloodfiend Demon Sect.
Most other powers had already acquired one, so it made sense that Joyous Harmony Valley was desperate to find one. In fact, even the tool they used to search for the treasure had been borrowed at great cost from the Ancient One Dao Sect.
At this moment, Bai Xiaoxue said coldly, “So anyone with a scroll will participate in the secret realm competition?”
“Of course. Anyone who knows the scroll’s secret wouldn’t be able to resist such temptation.”
After all, this secret realm was left behind by the Empress Chiyuan. Even a small benefit from it could make someone soar to unimaginable heights!
Bai Xiaoxue nodded. “Alright, I understand…”
She clenched her fists, seemingly intending to use this opportunity to take revenge.
Lin Yun noticed this and looked at Lu Xian’er, saying calmly, “Alright, I understand the situation now.”
Lu Xian’er stared at him and took a deep breath. “I know this treasure is extremely valuable. But if you’re willing to sell it, as long as your condition isn’t too outrageous, our Joyous Harmony Valley will agree—and consider it a great favor owed to you.”
A favor from Joyous Harmony Valley carried serious weight. That was the greatest sincerity she could offer. If Lin Yun proved too greedy, then they’d just have to find another scroll within the next six months.
Unexpectedly, Lin Yun smiled cheerfully and said, “I’m willing to sell it—as long as I get enough black crystals and you agree to one condition.”