Chapter 2269: Earth Treasury Spirit Liquid

"There are indeed so many good things here..." Leading Luo Qiqi, he had flown for less than two hours, yet the treasures he had collected were already almost equal to the total he had earned in over a month in the God Realm.

With the continuous sale of Beauty Pills and Barrier-Breaking Pills, his wealth had reached an astonishing level over the past month. The fact that he could accumulate a similar amount in just two hours here indicated the sheer abundance of treasures. This was also due to his exceptionally powerful soul; a mere thought allowed him to 'see' much further and broaden his search radius. Other peak Titled God Kings would likely not even achieve a tenth of his efficiency.

In the desolate sky, countless fragments of stone drifted. Many of them bore precious medicinal herbs, each of significant value, alongside a variety of ores and profound iron. When accumulated, these materials were sufficient to refine God King-tier elixirs and longswords.

"These items are still not particularly useful to me," Zhang Xuan mused, shaking his head after collecting for a while. While the herbs were indeed precious, even Supreme-grade Divine Origin Pills held little utility for him. Unless he acquired something even better, these items would contribute nothing to enhancing his strength.

"There's land ahead..." Luo Qiqi observed after they had flown for some more time.

Zhang Xuan looked, and sure enough, a vast expanse of land appeared before them. Spanning tens of thousands of kilometers in diameter, it stretched beyond sight. The spiritual energy was abundant, and the vegetation was lush.

"Perhaps when the God Realm's sky shattered, a piece of land was also drawn in..." Zhang Xuan surmised, feeling a familiar sensation from the ground. The enormous rift in the God Realm was undoubtedly the reason for the rapid decline of spiritual energy. It wasn't surprising that a piece of the land had been pulled in.

Upon landing, Zhang Xuan extended his spiritual sense and discovered countless treasures on the land. Ores that were rare in the God Realm were abundant here, and even the rivers flowed with coalesced spiritual energy.

"Someone's over there..." he remarked, raising an eyebrow.

Just as they had discovered the landmass, other arriving God Kings and Titled God Kings had also found it. Approximately a dozen individuals had landed and were gathered, seemingly in discussion.

"Friends, why not join us?" a voice from the group called out. It was clear that just as they had spotted the others, they too had been noticed.

"Teacher Zhang..." Luo Qiqi glanced at him.

"Let's go," Zhang Xuan nodded. Since everyone was there to seek treasures, there was no need to avoid them.

The group consisted of twelve individuals: eleven God Kings, and the strongest among them was a Titled God King from Cloud Chi Heaven, identifiable by their emblem.

"Friends, I am Ao Feng, a Titled God King serving under Emperor Yun Chi," the Titled God King said, cupping his fist in greeting.

Zhang Xuan returned the gesture.

"We are all here seeking wealth," Ao Feng began. "A single individual's strength is limited, making it difficult to handle dangers. By uniting, we won't have to worry about such risks."

The others nodded in agreement. Indeed, operating alone as a God King here was perilous. Beyond other threats, the numerous spatial-temporal rifts and traps were impossible to fully guard against, and even a minor misstep could lead to demise. Furthermore, there were God Kings and Titled God Kings specifically lurking in the shadows, hunting. Without forming an alliance, even if one acquired treasures, there was no guarantee they could safely take them back. During every spiritual energy tide, an untold number of God Kings and Titled God Kings perished, often exceeding half of those present.

"As you are all aware," Ao Feng continued, "a powerful God King who fails to earn the Emperor's favor or pass the Titled assessment, no matter how long they cultivate, will remain stuck in the same realm, unable to advance even half a step. Their lifespan is also limited to around ten thousand years, after which they turn to dust..."

The eleven God Kings standing before him all wore expressions of shared sorrow and empathy. The power of a Titled God King cannot be attained through conventional, step-by-step cultivation, which is precisely why countless God Kings envied them.

"I presume you've all acquired a fair number of treasures from the Tidal Sea, enough to push your cultivation to the peak of the God King realm. But... what then? Your lifespan won't increase, will it?" Ao Feng scanned the group, his voice laced with temptation: "Unless... you can gain the Emperor's recognition!"

"We understand that if we earn the Emperor's favor and receive his guidance, we can pass the assessment and even become Titled Kings. But... how does one achieve that?" a God King couldn't help but interject. "Who wouldn't want to please the Emperor? But he is so high above, rarely seen. How difficult it is to gain his recognition!"

There was once a God King who, desiring recognition, deliberately performed a shocking feat to draw attention. The outcome was not admiration, but a swift, fatal slap. From that point on, all cultivators understood that to gain the Emperor's approval, one needed sufficient strength and a proper introduction; otherwise, all efforts would be futile.

"It sounds complex, but it's actually quite simple!" Seeing that he had their attention, Ao Feng smiled. "In fact, I came here this time with an instruction from the Emperor himself! He wishes to acquire a certain treasure. If you can help me obtain it and present it to him, it will surely delight His Majesty. Becoming a direct disciple or a Titled God King would then be effortless!"

"A treasure the Emperor needs?""Isn't the Emperor supposed to be beyond desire? Does he truly need something?""Are you certain? If we find this treasure, will the Emperor truly take us as direct disciples, or even bestow a title directly?"

The group was momentarily stunned, then visibly intrigued. Their only fear was an Emperor devoid of desires. As long as there was a wish, a path could be found. If they could indeed fulfill this, obtaining a title genuinely seemed possible.

"What kind of treasure does the Emperor desire?" someone asked, unable to contain their curiosity. If it was too difficult to obtain, or demanded their lives, they would rather not pursue it. The desire for a title was to extend their lifespan and achieve higher status; losing their lives in the process would be counterproductive.

"The item the Emperor desires is on this very continent: a quantity of Earth Hidden Spiritual Liquid. Its spiritual energy is so incredibly dense that someone of my strength cannot utilize it; only the Emperor can refine it..." Ao Feng's eyes flickered. "However, it's guarded by some illusory spirits. I cannot enter alone; I will need your assistance to acquire it!"

"Illusory spirits?"

"They are unique life forms born from exceptionally abundant spiritual energy. They lack physical bodies, possess strength comparable to God Kings, and are quite formidable. I attempted to pass earlier but was repelled. If we combine our strengths, we should be able to breach their defenses!" Ao Feng explained. If he could obtain the Earth Hidden Spiritual Liquid by himself, he certainly wouldn't be seeking to share it with others. Unfortunately, even as a Titled God King, he had no better alternative here.

"Earth Hidden Spiritual Liquid?" Zhang Xuan's eyes brightened. He had previously seen descriptions of this item in the books at Master Kong's residence. Its effects far exceeded those of Supreme-grade Divine Origin Pills. If he could obtain it, he might be able to make a direct breakthrough to the peak of the Titled God King realm.

"How numerous are these illusory spirits? If it's too dangerous, then we'll pass. We merely wish to live out our remaining days in peace..." a God King in the crowd interjected.

"Live out your remaining days peacefully? Ha! With the current state of the God Realm, how many more years do you think such a life can last? Spiritual energy is waning, resources are scarce! Forget about advancing to higher realms; even maintaining your current state will demand a significant price from you, won't it? And your accumulated resources... how long will they sustain you?" As if anticipating such a remark, Ao Feng scoffed, "Once you can no longer maintain your cultivation and your power wanes, what do you think your enemies, those who resent your position and strength, will do? What about the factions you protect? I needn't elaborate; you should be able to imagine the consequences!"

"This..." The others were speechless.

Cultivation is like sailing against the current: you either advance or fall behind. To maintain one's current level, an immense accumulation of resources is required. It's akin to athletes who must relentlessly train and meticulously manage their nutrition to sustain peak performance, allowing no room for error. With the entire God Realm now experiencing declining spiritual energy and resource scarcity, even God Kings find it increasingly difficult to maintain their power. Furthermore, each of them has a vast family dependent on them. Should anything go awry, everything they have accumulated would crumble into dust.

"The God Realm, as it is now, no longer permits a peaceful existence. It's either advance or perish—it's that simple! Even Titled God Kings are not exempt!" Seeing their silence, Ao Feng pressed on, "To be frank, a battle erupted on the moon two days ago, and Emperor Tianzong... has fallen!"

"What did you say?""Emperor Tianzong is dead?""How did he fall? Was it... a contest with Emperor Lingxi?""An Emperor can fall?"

The group erupted in an instant. The battle between Master Kong and Luo Ruoxi had occurred on the moon, a fact known only to the Emperors and their closest Titled associates. Few others in the God Realm were aware of it, so hearing this news now, everyone was in disbelief.

Emperor Tianzong, who had emerged spectacularly, had given countless ordinary cultivators hope, making them believe that with enough effort, they too could become Emperors—challenging even those Emperors who had existed since the very formation of the world! For this reason, he was an idol to countless deities; even unspoken, their reverence for him was immense. They had believed that this idol would easily triumph, even if he challenged Emperor Lingxi. They never in their wildest dreams imagined... that he would actually fall! If an Emperor could fall, then the likelihood of them, mere ordinary God Kings, perishing was even greater.

The eleven God Kings were all speechless, and the atmosphere grew heavy.

"Therefore, we must become stronger to protect ourselves and our families, instead of passively accepting the status quo as before!" Seeing that he had swayed them, Ao Feng continued, "While the illusory spirits do pose a certain danger, if we unite and cooperate effectively, our chances of obtaining the treasure will be ninety percent! Ninety percent hope to change your lives—I needn't elaborate on how to make such a choice; you all understand, surely!"

"We need some time to consider..."

"How about this!" Ao Feng proposed, noticing their lingering hesitation. "For anyone willing to join me, regardless of whether we obtain the Earth Hidden Spiritual Liquid, I will offer a Supreme-grade Divine Origin Pill and a personal favor as compensation! Of course, if you accept my favor, then after acquiring the treasure, you should not expect any additional rewards from the Emperor."

"This..." They were momentarily stunned, then their eyes gleamed with fervent excitement. Most of these eleven God Kings were rogue cultivators; even those from other Heavens lacked substantial family support, meaning their access to resources was limited. For them, even a single Supreme-grade Divine Origin Pill was considered an astronomical price. What's more, there was the favor of a Titled God King—a favor whose value undoubtedly far surpassed that of a single pill. And beyond that... there was still the opportunity to gain the goodwill of an Emperor! By any calculation, it was a worthwhile endeavor.

"Alright, I agree!""I agree as well!"

Opportunity and danger went hand in hand. Those daring enough to venture here had long since accepted the possibility of death. Coupled with their God King cultivation, they were not individuals prone to cowardice. Within a minute, all eleven God Kings had made their decision.

"And you two?" Ao Feng asked, relieved to see the others agree, turning to Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi.

"I agree as well..." Zhang Xuan nodded. Since the Earth Hidden Spiritual Liquid was useful to him, finding it was the priority.

"Excellent. We are now an alliance," Ao Feng stated. "Should anyone attempt to withdraw prematurely, they will face judgment! They can even... be struck down on the spot!"

In an alliance, desertion during a critical moment was strictly forbidden, as it could endanger everyone.

"Understood!" The group acknowledged, nodding in unison.

"Let's go!" With the discussion concluded, Ao Feng said no more and flew forward, with the others swiftly following.

Before long, they reached a mountain gorge where the spiritual energy was even more concentrated, and dense vegetation formed an overhead canopy.

"Those ahead are the illusory spirits..." Ao Feng indicated.

The group looked, and through the vast white mist ahead, they discerned faint, shifting shadows.

"They're plant spirits... born from abundant spiritual energy!" Zhang Xuan suddenly realized. He had been curious about these so-called illusory spirits, but it turned out that the spiritual energy here was so incredibly abundant that some ancient trees and plants had developed their own consciousness. Similar to the Pill King he had encountered previously.

While these spirits appeared to possess God King-tier strength, their actual combat power was quite weak. It was merely their overwhelming numbers that made them impossible to resist or defend against. Furthermore, as long as the spiritual energy in this place persisted, they were virtually immortal and indestructible, making them truly troublesome opponents.

"Our objective is to acquire the Earth Hidden Spiritual Liquid, not to engage in a life-or-death battle with these spirits," Ao Feng explained. "Therefore, our plan is to enter the gorge, locate the item, and then swiftly depart!"

Once he saw that everyone understood what the illusory spirits were, Ao Feng outlined their strategy: "In a moment, you will all attack from various directions to draw out as many illusory spirits as possible. Then, I will find an opportunity to slip in. The moment I secure the liquid, we will immediately depart..."

"The plan is sound, but what if you secure the liquid and then simply flee without informing us, leaving us trapped by them?" a God King voiced. It wasn't a matter of distrust, but given their recent acquaintance, no one dared to truly entrust their lives to another.

"Precisely," another God King added. "If you leave with the item and we're trapped, not only will we gain nothing, but we might also perish. We cannot proceed like this!"

"Then what do you propose?" Ao Feng asked, frowning at their collective skepticism.

"If we go in, we go in together; if we retreat, we retreat together!" the God King who spoke earlier asserted.

"Right, together in, together out!" The others nodded in unison.

"Advancing and retreating together is indeed safe," Ao Feng conceded, "but have you considered that once we're encircled by these illusory spirits, not only will we fail to secure the treasure, but we might all perish inside?"