Chapter 459: 赤天

The Human Emperor’s Secret Vault.

Wang Yu instantly entered a secret chamber through a hidden entrance in the Coiling Dragon Pillar, using spatial manipulation. His exact location was still unclear.

This so-called secret vault, however, was not very large.

It was a plaza-like structure. After all, Eastern Capital was merely one of the four capitals, and the Human Emperor likely didn't spend much time here, primarily conducting affairs in the main capital. The ceiling was adorned with numerous intricately carved Firefly Stones, whose soft white light illuminated the dark space with remarkable clarity.

Stone pillars were neatly arranged across the plaza. Each pillar was topped with a basin-shaped platform, on which various treasures floated, protected by extremely rigorous restrictions. The pillars themselves were covered in dense inscriptions.

However… upon seeing the so-called "treasures," Wang Yu's expression grew peculiar.

Floating on the first pillar was an ordinary ruler. The inscription on the pillar read: "The Emperor's Spanking Ruler — once used by Grand Tutor Cang Wu to redden the palm of the young Human Emperor."

Wang Yu: "..."

It was just an ordinary ruler, perhaps a bit ancient in style, making it a true antique at best.

He suddenly had a bad feeling. Was it perhaps natural for a man to collect such items?

The second pillar displayed "Milk Potato Crisp" — which almost choked the young Human Emperor to death, marking the Human Emperor's first life-or-death crisis! Here, "potato" referred to a type of raw tuber, named because it grew in the soil and resembled a bean. Looking at the shriveled, strange object, Wang Yu showed a humanized expression of disgust.

This was utterly unreliable!

"No wonder he hid them away; he must have secretly admired them in his spare time, right?" He grumbled inwardly.

Wang Yu continued examining, growing more and more disappointed. Among the items were a palace maid's bellyband, a Human Emperor's tooth, and a broken strand of hair, which the pillar recorded as having been obtained by making his sister cry. There were venom-filled snake fangs, a wooden horse toy, and two dog testicles. Who knew what kind of creature the young Human Emperor was, capable of climbing trees to steal birds and diving into water to catch turtles? He was purely a terrifying child. There was even a skull, specifically preserved from his first kill. Wang Yu was speechless, utterly speechless.

Yet, the fact that he kept these items showed that the ancient Human Emperor still possessed a man's childlike innocence and youthful mentality; otherwise, he wouldn't have preserved them all. He must have been an interesting person.

It wasn't until the twenty-sixth pillar that he finally moved past those trivial incidents. By then, the young Human Emperor in the stories had entered his teenage years. True treasures finally began to appear.

"Water Cloud Sleeve — Consort De, in her youth, secretly pledged her life to the Human Emperor, using this personal magic artifact as proof. Years later, she joined the imperial harem, and their bond was finally fulfilled." Wang Yu murmured, noting that although the pillar's story was written from a third-person perspective, it constantly flattered the Human Emperor, making its authenticity hard to believe. It was clear who had penned it.

The Water Cloud Sleeve was a top-tier Tier 4 magic artifact that could be combined with any magical robe. Wang Yu took it out and put it into his Sea Heart Ring. This was his first significant gain.

The next few dozen pillars also chronicled minor stories, all praising the Human Emperor's charm, how he conquered countless beautiful maidens without revealing his identity. He even tricked young ladies from ducal estates into premarital defloration. The treasures were mostly personal items belonging to women, primarily Tier 4: jade pendants, bracelets, hairpins, buyao (hair ornaments), hair ties, small vanity mirrors… The most outrageous was a breast binder. According to the inscription, it was used to flatten the chest of a female general from the Immortal Dynasty. When Wang Yu took it out, he could still smell a faint fragrance. After a moment of hesitation, he put it back. He had no use for it, and giving it to another woman felt strange. It was a rare instance of him giving up a valuable treasure.

Having finally escaped the "Incubus Human Emperor" stories, Wang Yu had unknowingly passed over a hundred pillars. The Human Emperor's chronicles had now reached his youth. During this period, the Human Emperor seemed engrossed in physical training, often inviting offspring of general's mansions to spar in the Imperial Garden, captivated by the visceral impact of hand-to-hand combat. The gains from this stage were somewhat surprising.

Most were obtained from defeating various individuals or winning duels, covering a wide range of items, including his first melee weapon. The Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear — originally a mid-grade Tier 5 spirit treasure. It later accompanied the young Human Emperor in slaying three million Ice Clan beasts, defeated all contemporary prodigies, and was designated by an Immortal as the First Human Emperor's weapon. During a battle against the Second Ice Emperor at Guiwu Plain, it suffered severe damage, degrading to a top-tier Tier 4 magic artifact and losing all its spiritual essence. The stories inscribed on the pillars contained many hidden secrets. Wang Yu read with great interest.

Although the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear was a damaged spirit treasure, it was more suitable for his current stage of cultivation, and better suited for his Extreme Yin Dragon Body than the Flesh and Blood Demonic Sword. It was a rather good magic artifact. Moreover, it had the potential for repair. As Wang Yu knew, the lotus seeds produced by the Seven-Colored Lotus could imbue and even restore spiritual essence. Such treasures were rare but rumors of them still persisted. The Human Emperor not repairing it wasn't due to inability; perhaps he valued its story and legendary status more. Given his position and resources, the effect of one or two spirit treasures wasn't crucial to him. For someone who had reached the pinnacle like him, cherishing the stories behind the items held greater meaning. Judging from his previous collections, he was indeed such a person.

However. Judging from the information revealed in the pillar stories, when the Human Emperor was young, the Ancient Immortal Dynasty had just been established, and the Immortal responsible for the "prison" of the Ice Prison Realm was still in power. It should be noted here that this Immortal and the Immortal who ultimately wiped out the Human Emperor's lineage, as mentioned by the Crown Princess, were not the same entity. The First Human Emperor was likely a descendant of an Immortal's attendant divine general. Exceptionally talented. Born with spirit body-level aptitude, known as the True Dragon Spirit Body, he was extraordinary from childhood and garnered the Immortal's attention, only being recognized as the First Human Emperor in his youth. At that time, the Four Capitals were just being founded. The Ancestor of Geomancers traveled extensively, setting up profound geomantic formations, meticulously planning the Human Emperor's future cultivation path. Unfortunately, the Human Emperor's talent still exceeded expectations. He eventually followed the Immortal to the Upper Realm. Then came the Second Human Emperor, the unfortunate soul mentioned by the Crown Princess who was executed for his crimes by the second Immortal who descended. The Ancient Immortal Dynasty should have prospered for a long time, yet it perished after only two generations. Wang Yu suspected this might be related to the First Human Emperor in the Upper Realm. After all, wherever there are people, there are conflicts and factions. While the Immortal Palace in the Upper Realm was powerful, internal competition must have been fierce. Given the First Human Emperor's personality, it was perfectly normal for him to offend someone. Otherwise, the second Immortal wouldn't have been so ruthless. In subsequent demonic insurrections, every Immortal who descended met a bad end, hinting at a "death curse" and revealing a certain strangeness.

Wang Yu couldn't help but recall the Beast God. His experience at the Ancient Beast Ancestral God Mountain had given him a glimpse into the true nature of the Ice Prison Realm. Now, through the Human Emperor's Secret Vault, more details were filled in. The only regret was that he still hadn't found a special medium, like the black stele, that truly recorded secrets. This stele seemed indestructible.

Throughout this period of the Human Emperor's youth, Wang Yu acquired numerous true bloodline artifacts of body cultivators. Unfortunately, these items were even more selective than natal magic artifacts. Only a very few bloodline artifacts could be passed down, and even then, only direct bloodline descendants of the original owner had a chance to inherit them. In the hands of outsiders, they were merely ordinary sharp weapons. Reaching this point, the Human Emperor's Secret Vault yielded less valuable rewards than the External Longevity Medicine Vault, merely satisfying much of his curiosity.

The final stretch. The Human Emperor entered adulthood, and many pillars were empty, indicating that he spent very little time in Eastern Capital afterward. Records appeared only after long intervals, but the commemorative treasures at this level were even more precious. From his eldest son, the Second Human Emperor, came the Creation Longevity Pill, a top-tier Tier 5 elixir, capable of extending a Spirit Transformation cultivator's lifespan by a thousand years. The pillar recorded it as the first gift he received from his eldest son. For the Human Emperor, its emotional value surpassed its practical utility. The preciousness of this item made it the most valuable acquisition Wang Yu found in the secret vault. If exposed, every Spirit Transformation cultivator in the Ice Prison Realm would resort to any means to seize it. Especially given the unique circumstances of the Ice Prison Realm, an extra thousand years of life would allow for more thorough preparation, awaiting the true arrival of the day they could break free from the cage.

At the end of the secret vault, via the Coiling Dragon Ring, he discovered a stone wall covered with chaotic patterns. Using the Coiling Dragon Ring's authority, many of these patterns combined to reveal the core mysteries of a divine ability.

Therefore… "The First Human Emperor's Legacy!" Wang Yu was slightly surprised. Upon closer inspection, he found that many of the inheritances were low-tier, perhaps inscribed during his younger years. Some special secret techniques also had many restrictions; few met Wang Yu's requirements and were suitable for him.

Just as Wang Yu was enthusiastically searching for a suitable inheritance.

—Outside.

Scarlet Heaven Demonic Venerable emerged from the Golden Imperial Palace with a grim expression. His tattered clothes clearly showed he had suffered a minor setback. In his hand, he clutched a ball of golden metal, faintly radiating dragon might. This was his only gain from "bravely" assaulting the Golden Imperial Palace. It was Fortune Dragon Gold, forcefully extracted from the imperial throne, intrinsically just a golden essence refined through a special secret art. However, after countless years of nourishment from the Immortal Dynasty's fortune and the Human Emperor's violet qi, it underwent a unique mutation. It could be said that this was the only such piece in the entire Ice Prison Realm. While unremarkable for crafting ordinary magic artifacts, it produced miraculous effects when creating certain artifacts with special properties, making it a peculiar supreme treasure effective only in specific situations. It also reached Tier 5, barely satisfying Scarlet Heaven. He wouldn't return empty-handed.

Still, his mood was far from pleasant. As the saying goes, "a fall into the pit, a gain in your wit." His target had shifted away from those ornate yet impractical buildings. He decided to follow the rules of the cultivation world and search for places like pill chambers or artifact forging rooms. Surely, these places wouldn't be completely empty? With the vast spiritual sense of a Spirit Transformation cultivator, even without flight, he could cover the entire Eastern Capital for an extremely thorough search.

Naturally, Scarlet Heaven's second target was the Longevity Medicine Vault.

Inside the medicine vault at that time, the Yellow Springs Abbot had collected 8 items, while Old Demon Glorious Sun had 5. At this rate, it would take at least half a month to pack up all the spiritual resources in the vault. They were also aware that Scarlet Heaven Demonic Venerable was in the imperial palace. Continuing to proceed so slowly was not a solution. They might very well be caught red-handed when Scarlet Heaven entered the vault. However, there was an abundance of Tier 5 profound pills here, and neither side felt that dividing them equally or according to strength was appropriate. Thus, they entered a state of dilemma, wanting Wang Yu's help to quickly retrieve all the profound pills and spiritual medicines, yet unwilling to compromise their own interests.

Old Demon Glorious Sun was even more anxious about this. After all, his speed in breaking through restrictions was far inferior to the Yellow Springs Abbot. He leaned towards an equal division, or even taking a larger share. After all, Wang Yu was from the Blood Spirit Sect, so he should logically take the biggest share, but his technical inferiority was also a fact. Considering the future plan to deal with Scarlet Heaven, it was highly likely that the plan would fall apart due to an unequal distribution of the medicine vault's gains, making him anxious. He needed at least one top-tier Tier 5 breakthrough elixir. Combined with the Refining Heaven Demonic Sect's secret technique, he would then have a chance to transcend the Spirit Transformation threshold, but this also involved a time issue. To act against Scarlet Heaven, they had to deliver a killing blow. Otherwise, let alone secret techniques, the very survival of the Blood Spirit Sect would depend on the Refining Heaven Demonic Sect's whim. Betting so much when they had extensive assets was somewhat counterproductive. Yet, the allure of the Spirit Transformation realm was right before his eyes. Ignoring it was impossible for him. He had already given up the opportunity at the Heavenly Star Pagoda once; this time, he absolutely could not miss it.

"The secret method to avoid demonic corruption..." Old Demon Glorious Sun was burdened with thoughts. He suddenly glanced at the Yellow Springs Abbot. Theoretically, the predicament he faced was also the Abbot's. The other party didn't even possess this special secret method, so how would they avoid this risk...? Since they had agreed to this cooperation earlier, clearly, he had a plan. Could it be that the Yellow Springs Abbot had another method? Thinking of this crucial factor, Glorious Sun immediately had the idea of striking a deal. The entire vault full of profound pills and spiritual medicines, along with Wang Yu's exceptionally high authority, were all his bargaining chips.

With this thought, Glorious Sun suddenly spoke. "Fellow Daoist Yellow Springs, I have an idea, you..." Before he finished speaking, the entire Longevity Medicine Vault suddenly trembled. Extremely terrifying demonic essence fluctuations transmitted from outside, and Scarlet Heaven Demonic Venerable's aura was incredibly potent. The two old demons exchanged glances, both seeing horror in the other's eyes.

"There's no time, make it quick." Old Demon Glorious Sun quickly said. "Abbot, let Wang Yu quickly retrieve all the profound pills and spiritual medicines. You take sixty percent, I take forty, but I need your method to avoid demonic corruption. How about it?"

The Yellow Springs Abbot frowned deeply. "My method won't work for you."

"How do you know it won't work for me?"

"Never mind." Knowing time was short, the Yellow Springs Abbot decisively pointed a finger, and a spiritual light from his divine sense landed in Old Demon Glorious Sun's palm. After perceiving the information within, his face turned extremely grim. The other party's method for avoiding demonic corruption was very simple. Just three words.

—Enter the Yellow Springs!

Here, "Yellow Springs" referred to the true Yellow Springs. After years of operation and secret technique research, the Yellow Springs Abbey, developed from the remnants of the Yellow Springs White Bone Path, had already drawn out a true tributary of the Yellow Springs in their secret realm, sacrificing endless death to forge a genuine Yellow Springs River. The power level vaguely surpassed the Spirit Transformation realm. With the erosive properties of Yellow Springs power, it could, of course, counteract and suppress the demonic corruption traps within Spirit Transformation inheritances. Over the years, the Yellow Springs Abbey had continuously used the spirit-drawing formation, which condensed spirit stones, to create an entire desolate desert of death. This true "death" involved the concepts and rules of heaven and earth. Ostensibly, they sought to destroy the Ice Prison Realm to break the cage and gain true freedom. Covertly, however, they were drawing out a true tributary of the Yellow Springs, letting it flow through the desolate desert. This was their true goal: a stable path to Spirit Transformation! Only by first reaching the pinnacle of the Ice Prison Realm could they gain a better vantage point to oversee the overall situation and devise a true strategy to break the cage.

Furthermore, due to the unique nature of Yellow Springs power, unless a cultivator practiced the "Yellow Springs Underworld Scripture," cultivators following other paths simply couldn't achieve the same effect through Yellow Springs power. More likely, before they could even resolve the demonic corruption, they would be turned into a pool of muddy water by the Yellow Springs itself. This secret method involved the true hidden secrets of the Yellow Springs Abbey.

Therefore, the Abbot did not elaborate, merely describing what Yellow Springs power could achieve. This was also the root of Old Demon Glorious Sun's disappointment. He couldn't walk another's path.

"First, secure the treasures. We'll discuss other matters after that." The situation was urgent; the immediate priority was to leave the Longevity Medicine Vault. After all, no matter what they decided afterward, activating the hidden Yin-Yang Killing Array in Eastern Capital would require Wang Yu's attempt.

However, the two had been talking for a while. Yet Wang Yu remained leaning against the vermillion pillar, unmoving. Old Demon Glorious Sun immediately showed a look of suspicion, and his divine sense surged towards Wang Yu. The Aurora Phantom instantly revealed a mocking smile. With a pop, it exploded into dreamy colored light particles and vanished.

The Yellow Springs Abbot's face also darkened. He suddenly rushed to the vermillion pillar, meticulously examining it for a long time, yet found no issues whatsoever. After all, it was a secret vault personally set up by the First Human Emperor. To avoid social humiliation, he must have used every means at his disposal, even reinforcing it specifically after his cultivation reached its peak. The Coiling Dragon Vermillion Pillar was merely an entrance equipped with spatial techniques; the real Wang Yu had long since left the Longevity Medicine Vault. Without Wang Yu's help, Old Demon Glorious Sun and the Yellow Springs Abbot couldn't even leave the Longevity Medicine Vault, let alone deal with Scarlet Heaven Demonic Venerable breaking through the restrictions outside. If they made too much noise and exposed themselves, Scarlet Heaven would definitely discover them. At that point, whether they fled or fought, their outcome wouldn't be good.

For a moment, both felt as if they had been tricked. The Yellow Springs Abbot was even more direct. "Glorious Sun, your methods of managing people are utterly disappointing."

"Isn't it all because of your petty schemes? Otherwise, how would Wang Yu have developed animosity towards me? And you still have the nerve to speak!"

In fact, Wang Yu's decision was quite normal. Glorious Sun's actions had already proven him untrustworthy, and Wang Yu would trust the Yellow Springs Abbot even less. No matter how eloquently he spoke, the key was to see what he did. Furthermore, Wang Yu felt no sense of belonging to the Blood Spirit Sect. Apart from a few specific individuals, he had no qualms about plotting against Old Demon Glorious Sun. If they dared to threaten him, they naturally had to endure the feeling of being bitten back by an "ant." Let them kill Scarlet Heaven; he wouldn't join in on that fun.

The situation rapidly deteriorated. Besides exchanging a few barbs, the two had no immediate solution, though they didn't resort to fighting.

Taking a deep breath, the Yellow Springs Abbot said, "Things haven't reached the point of despair yet; there's still a glimmer of hope. Have you forgotten our original purpose for coming in?"

Old Demon Glorious Sun suddenly remembered. "You mean… there might be spiritual objects here that can deal with Scarlet Heaven?"

"Not necessarily spiritual objects; they could also be restrictions or formations." The Abbot continued, "Let's search first. This Abbot recalls that Azure Water Demonic Lord was tricked and perished in the medicine vault by Wang Yu. There might be similar arrangements here."

In fact, it was just as the Yellow Springs Abbot had guessed. The restrictions in the Longevity Medicine Vault were a level higher than those in the Immortal Official's Medicine Vault, and it also contained hidden destructive restrictions, set up by the First Human Emperor to prevent outsiders from entering his secret vault. This was for destroying all traces at a critical moment. Whether they could find and trigger it depended on their methods. The more critical the situation, the calmer one must be. Only then could a sliver of hope be found in desperation. To have grown to their current stage, both had faced countless dangers. The current predicament was merely a bit more severe. They didn't aim to kill Scarlet Heaven, but merely to find a chance for survival.

Not long after, with a thunderous boom, the colossal spiritual light barrier enveloping the entire Longevity Medicine Vault shattered completely. Under the fierce gale, all its entrances burst open. Before, with the protective restrictions, divine sense couldn't penetrate and observe the interior. Now that the restrictions were broken, Scarlet Heaven Demonic Venerable instantly noticed something was amiss.

Someone had beaten him to it! The first person he thought of was Wang Yu, because Wang Yu had previously entered the imperial palace. If he truly possessed unimaginable authority, then all the treasures here would surely have been taken. Hence, his already gloomy mood turned into a raging storm, a torrent of anger waiting to be unleashed.

Fortunately, very few restrictions inside had been broken, and the presence of numerous Tier 5 profound pills and spiritual medicines finally cleared Scarlet Heaven's gloom, making him feel much better.

"Dragon Slaves, children, come in and break the restrictions."

"Yes!"

The three dragons and two children were all Nascent Soul cultivators. The two "children," despite their youthful appearance, were actually old monsters who had deliberately maintained their youthful forms through special secret techniques, having accompanied Scarlet Heaven for many years. With subordinates to do the hard work, this allowed for faster breaking of the restrictions outside the profound pills. Seeing his subordinates begin their work, Scarlet Heaven himself snorted coldly, looking towards the dark part of the ceiling, where two "little mice" were hiding above a beam. No wonder not many spiritual items had been taken from here.

"Glorious Sun, Yellow Springs. What… you took my things and then thought of ambushing me?" They were all long-established elders. At his Spirit Transformation celebration back then, Scarlet Heaven had met almost all the top Nascent Soul cultivators in the world. They were somewhat old acquaintances.

Suddenly exposed, the two stopped hiding and walked out openly, respectfully bowing to Scarlet Heaven, showing no hint of their previous intention to kill him.

"Yellow Springs greets Venerable One."

"Glorious Sun greets Venerable One."

"I cannot accept your bows. To make a long story short, hand over all the items. I will personally search your storage rings." As soon as these words were uttered, Glorious Sun and Yellow Springs, despite having anticipated it, still felt incredibly frustrated and indignant. They were both demonic grandmasters; how could they ever have been treated like this? Storage rings, being highly personal items, often held secrets. Without removing the divine sense imprint, others couldn't open them. They were very private. But taking the Nether Prince as a lesson, they exchanged glances and obediently submitted, offering their storage rings with both hands. One was the revered Ancestor of the Zhuo clan, with esteemed status. The other was the Yellow Springs Abbot, who commanded a powerful demonic sect. Yet, under the coercion of the Spirit Transformation Venerable, they were so "sensible."

Scarlet Heaven curled his lips into a mocking smile. They dared to touch his possessions; did they think handing them over would resolve everything? Naive! He was just pondering how to justify killing them, and here they were, delivering themselves to him. He had a higher tolerance for Glorious Sun, but absolutely no patience for the Yellow Springs Abbot. The murderous intent in his chest had long reached its peak.

The moment he took the storage rings, he acted decisively. His Soul-Seizing Demonic Claw suddenly shot out, directly targeting the Yellow Springs Abbot's Nascent Soul within his body. The target was quite clear!