Chapter 146: Immortal Treasure
The Star Dawn Mortal World stretched across five massive continents separated by the imposing Black Sea: Eastern, Western, Northern, Southern, and at the center, the largest of all—the Central Continent. This central landmass stood as the pinnacle of advancement, where high-level cultivators roamed freely like mortals.
Ten major sects dominated this region, collectively known as the Ten Holy Lands. These were major powers that had transcended beyond first-rank status, each possessing at least one Immortal inheritance.
Wang Jian found himself standing before a representative of such overwhelming authority. Seated in the Sect Master’s chair was a young man who appeared barely a hundred years old. If it was any other person, this would have been considered treason.
But this was no ordinary visitor, this was the Young Master of the Celestial Accession Holy Land from the Central Continent. Despite only being at the Golden Core realm, the young man commanded respect that belied his cultivation level. Achieving such power before reaching a century marked him as an extraordinary genius, one clearly favored with abundant resources from his sect.
This level of investment signaled their high regard for him. This was why Wang Jian’s small Golden Edge Sect was extremely cautious not to offend him.
"So she ran away?" Liu Feng, the Holy Land’s young master, asked with surprising calmness.
"That’s right," Wang Jian replied, his voice betraying his inner turmoil. Anxiety gripped his thoughts as he silently lamented, Xiuying, why did you have to flee? Even if you rejected the marriage, you could have simply told me. Now we’ve offended a Holy Land’s young master—our sect surely won’t survive this.
"Well, no matter," Liu Feng stated flatly.
Wang Jian’s heart sank. It seemed their sect would end today. He offered silent apologies to his ancestors for failing their legacy. His only remaining hope was that Meiling would protect his daughter after he was gone. But as Liu Feng’s words registered fully, confusion overtook him.
"Ah, what?" Wang Jian blurted, unable to hide his surprise.
"Since she doesn’t want to get married, then that’s that," Liu Feng explained with unexpected indifference. "Anyway, do you have any information on the item I asked you to find?"
The Sect Master’s bewilderment slowly gave way to understanding. Of course—the young master had come with his own agenda from the beginning. The marriage had been merely his suggestion, not his primary purpose. Still, Wang Jian marveled at the young master’s magnanimity in the face of rejection. The Holy Land representative had proven far more reasonable than anticipated.
Meanwhile, Liu Feng’s thoughts followed their own path. Though the pure yin body would have complemented his pure yang physique perfectly, he saw no reason to force an unwilling bride. Besides, his true objective carried far greater importance.
Recently, he’d noticed his resource allocations diminishing. Fortunately, he had overheard high-ranking members discussing the appearance of a treasure in this region—one valuable enough to draw the attention of Immortals.
He had ventured to this area in secret, determined to secure this treasure. With such a treasure in his possession, he would no longer depend on his Holy Land’s limited support. He would be at the top of the world. Just the thought sent thrills of anticipation through his body.
...
The remnant soul drifted aimlessly through Li Yao’s spiritual sea in bewilderment. What had begun as a simple possession attempt now stretched into a journey with no visible end. The vast expanse of Li Yao’s inner realm defied all expectations, sprawling outward in seemingly infinite directions.
"How could this child possess such an immense spiritual sea?" the soul fragment wondered, his astonishment growing as he noted the remarkable stability of the space around him. "This rivals my own spiritual sea when I was at the Soul and Body Integration realm."
The remnant continued forward, his determination unwavering despite his growing unease. He needed only to locate the core of this spiritual sea. Once found, taking control of the body would be simple, regardless of how expansive this inner landscape might be.
After what felt like an eternity of floating through identical starscapes, a change finally manifested in the distance. A massive structure rose against the celestial backdrop—a castle of impossible proportions looming in the void. Perhaps there, he thought, the core might be found.
Yet something about the fortress made him a little uneasy. The uneasiness grew stronger the closer he got. What’s with the weird structures? He wondered, can you build such structures in the spiritual sea?
As he approached the castle’s perimeter, he felt the space around him shift, and in the next moment, he found himself kneeling on the ground. Disoriented, he glanced around frantically, struggling to comprehend the sudden transformation of his surroundings.
When he finally raised his gaze, he found himself frozen in terror.
Seated upon an ornate throne before him was the Human Empress herself, her imperious gaze bearing down upon him with such unfathomable pressure that he could barely look up. Her mere presence sent tremors through his soul—the sensation was utterly foreign to him. Not even during his Immortal Tribulation, when he was attempting to break through to the Tribulation Transcendent realm, had he experienced such overwhelming dread.
Every instinct screamed for escape, yet he knew with absolute certainty that flight meant death. With the pressure surrounding him, he knew that the slightest movement would result in his immediate annihilation.
Survival instincts overriding his pride, the remnant soul pressed his forehead to the ground in submission. "I’m sorry, Senior," he pleaded, his voice trembling. "I was blind and couldn’t see the difference between heaven and earth. Please forgive me."
The Empress regarded him silently, finding his reaction a little strange.
[Do you understand your mistake?] she finally asked.
"Yes, I understand my mistake," the soul fragment responded hastily, prostrating himself deeper. "I shouldn’t have attempted to possess the Senior."
The Empress merely shook her head, disappointment evident in her expression.
[You shouldn’t have tried to possess anyone at all,] she corrected.
"Huh?" Confusion colored his response as he dared to look up. "Isn’t that a little extreme, Senior? Can’t I possess someone if I’m stronger?"
The Empress considered his words thoughtfully. He wasn’t entirely wrong—in the cultivation world, might typically determined right. There were no protections for the weak; this wasn’t the empire. A soft sigh escaped her.
[You’re right,] she conceded.
Hope flickered across the remnant’s features, his expression brightening momentarily. But her next words shattered that brief optimism.
[What you said is indeed correct—the stronger one is always right,] she continued, her tone devoid of emotion. [Since I am the stronger one here, I’ve decided to kill you. I hope you don’t mind this.]
"No, Senior, wait!" Terror seized him completely. "I was wrong! Please—"
His pleas dissolved into nothingness as the Empress lifted her hand in a casual gesture. With that simple movement, the remnant soul disintegrated entirely, leaving not even the faintest trace of spiritual residue behind.
"Be a nice person in your next life," she murmured to the empty space where the intruder had knelt only moments before, her voice carrying neither satisfaction nor regret.
...
Author’s Corner:
Yes, immortal tribulation: when breaking through to the tribulation transcendent realm, you undergo the immortal tribulation and instantly ascend after success. (this guy isn’t really a tribulation realm expert, he failed the tribulation and died)
If you’re wondering why the empress found the man’s reaction strange, I’ll explain it in the next arc. If you’re feeling confident, you can guess.