Volume One, Chapter 22: The Hall of Treasures

It must be said that with Xu Zhanfeng present, even the demonic beasts dared not approach Ye Qinghan.

Because Ye Qinghan had entered relatively early and moved with haste, she had not encountered any other cultivators along the way. If she did, they were already corpses; she had seen no living souls. However, the return journey toward the Treasure Hall, located behind the entrance, was a different story. The path was littered with the bodies of cultivators—a sight Ye Qinghan had fully expected. Beasts who claimed to be human had drawn their swords and unleashed their magical artifacts for the sake of rare treasures.

Of course, Ye Qinghan was no exception. While the demonic beasts feared Xu Zhanfeng’s formidable cultivation, humans did not. People were creatures of great audacity; where beasts feared to tread, there would always be those who dared. Yet, it was clear they could not even make it past Xu Zhanfeng. Ye Qinghan indifferently accepted the rare treasures and storage rings Xu Zhanfeng handed over; she was never one to fear having too many of such things. If it were gold or something that could be converted into currency, that would be even better—her Master would surely be delighted! Compared to rare treasures that only she could use, she preferred to obtain things that would please her Master. However, she had never seen her Master take an interest in anything other than disciples and money. In earlier days, her Master had not even shown much interest in her disciples...

In this labyrinthine secret realm, having Xu Zhanfeng lead the way allowed Ye Qinghan to avoid many detours. Soon, she returned to the forest where she had started, though she emerged from a different cave entrance. Under Xu Zhanfeng’s guidance, they reached the seal of the Treasure Hall. Ye Qinghan smiled; Xu Zhanfeng had not lied. She was not well-versed in arrays or barriers, but with Xu Zhanfeng at her side, there was no need to stop. Before she could even step forward, the barrier was already dispelled.

"These two fierce beasts..." Xu Zhanfeng spoke honestly. Though their cultivation levels were not exceptionally high, they were still fierce beasts, and ordinary cultivators could never handle them.

"With your Nascent Soul cultivation, you can't even handle a mere two beasts?" Ye Qinghan was not surprised so much as she was suspicious. Most dangers arrived just before the moment of victory. She never forgot her Master’s teachings: one must always remain steady. It wasn't out of fear of death, but rather a refusal to disgrace her Master. If her Master were to see her in such a disheveled state, she would surely be heartbroken and unable to sleep at night!

"My lady, you may not know this, but the master of this place, though he attained immortality, lived his life without children and sought to find a successor. He specifically left these two fierce beasts to guard the gate and screen for a suitable apprentice. These beasts were carefully selected; they mirror the cultivation level of anyone who attempts to force their way through. But as everyone knows, how could a human possibly defeat a beast of the same cultivation level?"

"If I were to go in, I fear I would be no match for two Nascent Soul beasts." Xu Zhanfeng wanted to survive, so he dared not lie. This lady was ruthless and struck to kill; he dared not provoke her. Whether he could kill the beasts, he didn't know, but he was certain that as long as this woman had a breath left, she could kill him!

Upon hearing this, Ye Qinghan chuckled. Wasn't this exactly her area of expertise? Her Master could slay heavenly tribulations without any cultivation at all, and her fellow disciples at the Foundation Establishment stage could solo Nascent Soul experts! Although she was only at the Foundation Establishment stage herself, she truly did not believe anyone else at her level could best her! Two-on-one? Did they think so little of Ling Shuang Hall? If the spellcasters next door saw this, they would think Ling Shuang Hall couldn't afford a proper fight! She wanted to take on ten!

"These are called fierce beasts? What is so fierce about them?" Ye Qinghan stood at the entrance, looking at the two beasts curled up in front of the Treasure Hall. They looked just like common village dogs; nothing special at all.

Xu Zhanfeng was bewildered. "My lady, you must be joking. That creature may be motionless now, but once you step into the domain of the Treasure Hall..."

"And what will happen?" Ye Qinghan looked at him with disdain. She found it pathetic that Xu Zhanfeng, who had nearly ascended to immortality, was such a coward. Xu Zhanfeng noticed her gaze. Was it that he didn't want to perform well? Could he be blamed? If he were still at his original Great Completion stage, he would naturally not think twice about two Nascent Soul beasts. But he was only at the Nascent Soul stage now! He would have to give his all just to face one beast of the same level; how could he possibly handle two?

"Just mindless cattle. Wait here." No sooner had the words left her lips than a figure darted past her and flew inside.

*Huh?* People were fighting for this job?

"Miss Chen Meng, such hesitation—could it be that you are afraid? If you are scared, go back and find your Master. Leaving home before you've even been weaned—can your Master really rest easy?" Dongfang Jue, watching the Treasure Hall door sealed by the barrier, could not resist mocking the three people standing at the entrance.

"Sister Qinghan, she actually!" Shi Yao clenched her small fists, looking as indignant as if someone had stolen her steamed bun.

"It is of no consequence. This is a secret realm. She may have the life to snatch things from my Master, but she must also have the life to carry them out, must she not?"

Xu Zhanfeng listened, muttering quietly with his remaining half-mouth: "My Master's... things?" This lady was already so heaven-defying; what kind of terrifying existence must her Master be? Judging by her demeanor, she held her Master in both awe and fear. Even here in the secret realm, she referred to these as her Master's treasures, without a single thought of claiming them for herself! It was clear that the Master behind her was truly unfathomable!

"Does that mean we are just waiting here, Sister?"

Ye Qinghan merely smiled and retrieved the Heaven-Sinking Ruler from her jade pendant, tossing it gently into the sky. In an instant, half the secret realm was shrouded by the ruler. Xu Zhanfeng, who had once been on the verge of immortality at the Great Completion stage, realized it in an instant... *Damn it!* Another peak-grade Immortal artifact! Within the range of the Heaven-Sinking Ruler, there were only two ways out: kill Ye Qinghan, or use an artifact of equal spatial property to counteract it or shatter the ruler in the sky.

"Sister Qinghan, what is this?"

"I stole it from Master. I don't know what it's called either, but with this, even if Dongfang Jue takes Master's treasures, she will never be able to leave the barrier this artifact has woven!"

"Won't your Master beat you again if she finds out?"

"Master used this to spank me, so I stole it."

Throughout the journey, Xu Zhanfeng had noticed that this second lady’s head wasn't quite right, but since the first lady called her a sworn sister, Xu Zhanfeng dared not say a word. Even if the second lady was dim-witted, she was still the second lady! What if she, like the first lady, was hiding her true strength? Xu Zhanfeng could not afford the price of a slip of the tongue!

"This ruler looks truly extraordinary. Since it is your Master’s artifact, could it be a Heaven-tier treasure?"

Xu Zhanfeng was stunned. The second lady truly had eyes like torches; what a keen observation!

"Definitely not. If it were a Heaven-tier treasure, Master would certainly treat it like a gem and lock it in a chest. Would she let me touch it?"

Xu Zhanfeng was even more confused. Was the first lady treating him like a fool, or were the two of them speaking in riddles?