CHAPTER 569: CHAPTER 553: TREASURY_1

At the headquarters of the Golden Tripod Inn!

With the fall of Jin Yinduo and many powerful warriors losing their lives, this tower, once hailed as the business hub of the continent, suddenly became deserted, so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

Suddenly, the ground started to shake!

Following that, the thundering sound of hooves echoed, audible even from hundreds of li away.

Before long, a battle-hardened army came roaring in. The murderous intent was overwhelming, like a gigantic blood dragon riding a crimson cloud, darkening the skies.

"Halt!"

About ten minutes later, Yue Fei, leading the Bei Wei Army, stopped beneath the ten-thousand-layer tower.

Looking at the devastated and looted tower, he dismounted and ordered ten thousand of his subordinates to enter.

Upon entering, the interior of the tower was in even worse condition. It was completely empty; even the spiritual-essence-painted walls had been scraped off, leaving only the damaged structure.

"Disperse and search for the treasury!" Yue Fei scanned his surroundings and issued the command in a solemn voice.

The main purpose of his expedition to the Golden Tripod Inn was not just to obliterate the remaining enemies, but primarily to confiscate their spoils of war.

As the only sacred site for commerce on the continent, the wealth amassed by the Golden Tripod Inn over countless eons was undoubtedly astronomical, probably surpassing even that of the Eternal Temple and Immortality Mountain.

If this colossal fortune could be obtained, the Saint’s Court of the Qin Dynasty would develop rapidly. After all, the Qin Dynasty had just emerged from wars and had occupied vast new territories; there were far too many areas that desperately needed funding!

"General, the first floor is empty!"

"General, the second floor has been completely plundered!"

"General, there’s no sign of the treasury on the third floor!"

"General..."

Hearing his subordinates’ reports, Yue Fei’s brow furrowed. This shouldn’t be happening! If the treasures of the Golden Tripod Inn had indeed been stripped bare, surely many items would have flowed into the market, yet I heard nothing about any rare items on my way here. Furthermore, if someone had found the Inn’s treasures, a great battle would surely have erupted by now! Wealth certainly attracts greed. Yet looking around, there are indeed corpses, but not many—at most a thousand. This indicates that no large-scale battle occurred.

"Continue the search!" Yue Fei commanded, though unwillingly.

"Yes, General!"

The ten thousand subordinates spread out, searching inch by inch.

But after an hour of frantic work, they still came up with nothing, not even a shadow of a treasure, let alone the treasury.

Could it be that the Golden Tripod Inn’s treasury isn’t at the headquarters? Yue Fei pondered, then shook his head. No, given Jin Yinduo’s nature of cherishing wealth as much as his own life, he would definitely keep the treasury under his watchful eyes, ideally where he could see it at all times. So... where could it be? Not inside the tower, but somewhere always visible!

Yue Fei closed his eyes, deep in contemplation. The power of his soul erupted, covering a ten-thousand-li radius, seeking the treasury’s hiding place.

Several minutes later, he suddenly opened his eyes. Two beams of divine light shot out, piercing through the ten-thousand-layer tower and gazing up at the firmament—more precisely, at the Sea of Fortune!

"Slash!"

With a tap of his foot, Yue Fei soared into the air. The war spear in his hand thrust out, forming a veritable sea of spears that radiated a bloody glow, like a crimson sun, smashing into the Sea of Fortune.

RUMBLE!

The Sea of Fortune, which spanned over ten thousand li, cracked open with countless fissures. The sky shattered, collapsing in large sections and forming a massive black hole.

Tendrils of terrifying power swept across the vast expanse!

"What is he doing?"

"Destroying the Sea of Fortune? Doesn’t the Saint’s Court of the Qin Dynasty want the Golden Tripod Inn’s Fortune? Even though it’s not much!"

"Who knows! I always feel that people from the Saint’s Court of the Qin Dynasty are utterly bizarre!"

These were the hushed exchanges among the powerful observers.

For countless years, no one had ever destroyed a Sea of Fortune; they only dispersed the Fortune itself. This was because destroying a Sea of Fortune would cause the Fortune to dissipate and return to the heavens and earth, requiring a long time to recondense. Who would engage in such an act that brought all harm and no benefit?

Yet Yue Fei did precisely that, a puzzle none could solve!

I hope my intuition is correct! Yue Fei gazed at the shattered Void, a hint of worry in his eyes. He suspected Jin Yinduo had hidden the treasury within the Sea of Fortune, but he wasn’t entirely certain.

Soon, the Sea of Fortune completely vanished. However, the shattered Void didn’t heal; it remained a rotating black hole, as if something unknown were about to fall from it.

BOOM!

A few moments later, a colossal green dragon flew out of the black hole. Before the stunned gazes of countless onlookers, it transformed into a ten-thousand-li spirit mine.

"A top-grade spirit mine!" Tens of thousands of li away, an early-stage Emperor Realm elder cried out, his face filled with envy.

My gamble paid off! Seeing this, Yue Fei’s tense expression relaxed into a slight smile.

With the appearance of the spirit mine, the black hole became like a cornucopia, continuously disgorging treasures: Heaven-grade elixirs, Saint-grade weapons, powerful formation patterns... you name it, it was all there!

Crafty old fox! Yue Fei cursed with a grin, overjoyed. Who would have thought the Golden Tripod Inn’s treasury was hidden beneath the Sea of Fortune? But then again, it was indeed a superb location. It was safe from covetous thieves, and one could monitor it at any time using the power of Fortune. Moreover, this method offered another significant advantage: if the faction perished, as long as the Sea of Fortune wasn’t destroyed, this priceless treasury would eventually vanish forever as the Fortune dissipated.

"Gen... General, we’ve struck it rich!" a Deputy General stammered, his voice trembling.

By this point, the black hole had already disgorged thousands of spirit mines and tens of thousands of treasures. They filled the sky, emitting a radiant treasure light that shot straight towards the Big Dipper.

Not only Yue Fei’s men, but all the observing Martial Artists were also utterly stunned, gasping heavily, swallowing hard, their eyes filled with avarice.

So many treasures... If only I could get my hands on them... a Martial Artist of the Great Emperor realm murmured, his eyes bloodshot with envy, his features twisted as wicked intentions began to sprout.

All living beings are inherently greedy.

The colossal temptation caused numerous Martial Artists to lose their senses and fly towards the falling treasures.

"Seeking death," Yue Fei stated calmly.

As his words fell, the war spear in his hand vibrated slightly. A razor-sharp aura sliced through the Void.

Simultaneously, the bodies of dozens of Martial Artists who were approaching the treasures suddenly exploded. Not even a scream was uttered before their deaths, their faces still etched with greed.

Thick blood stained the Changkong.

The pervasive smell of blood sobered many of the Martial Artists. Their faces paled, cold sweat beaded on their foreheads, and they hastily retreated, vanishing without a trace.

"All Martial Artists of the Emperor Realm and above, leave the Golden Tripod Domain immediately! Otherwise... death without mercy!" Yue Fei declared coldly, brandishing his spear.

His voice wasn’t loud, yet it carried a terrifying aura of death that enveloped the nine heavens and ten earths, echoing in the ears of all Emperor Realm experts.

This declaration displeased many Emperor Realm experts, leaving them indignant. They were lofty Emperor Realm experts, yet they were being driven away so ignominiously. The generals of the Saint’s Court of the Qin Dynasty were far too tyrannical!

"Sigh! We’d better leave. In recent times, haven’t enough Emperor Realm experts died at the hands of the Saint’s Court of the Qin Dynasty?"

Though inwardly furious, they knew the Saint’s Court of the Qin Dynasty was not to be trifled with. Swallowing their humiliation, they had no choice but to depart the Golden Tripod Domain.

Finally, some peace and quiet! After his single command had sent thousands of powerful experts scattering, Yue Fei allowed himself a slight smile and began to direct his army to catalogue the treasures.

The sheer deluge of treasures made this stoic, iron-willed warrior, usually so sparing with his words and smiles, as happy as a two-hundred-pound child.