CHAPTER 362: CHAPTER 162 THE REAL SECRET OF THE XUANTIAN TREASURE VAULT (PLEASE SUBSCRIBE)_2

Therefore, the great aristocratic families often intermarry amongst themselves, a web of relations where you have a bit of me, and I have a bit of you. In order to break this cycle, the Empress in our court was often selected from families of lesser nobility, the intent being to prevent scholars and aristocratic families from getting their hands on Imperial Power, yet this also inevitably pushed them away from the heart and moral standing of the Imperial Power.

This was not without its benefits, as it substantially lowered the chances of foreign relatives usurping authority.

It must be said, the Grand Ancestor of our current dynasty was unbiased in his "love for the people." In his eyes, whether scholars or commoners, they were all but serfs and laborers of his own household, no different from one another.

Typical of a landlord’s mindset.

Yet, he was truly a once-in-an-eternity emperor.

Founding emperors naturally have their flaws, but their strengths are more than enough to cover for their weaknesses.

Besides, times change, and so do evaluations.

Later generations often assess their predecessors from the standpoint of their own times. For example, the Han Dynasty condemning the ruthlessness of the Qin Dynasty was the absolute political correctness. On the other hand, it did not prevent the Han Dynasty from adopting the Qin System.

It’s like declaring disgust but being upright at heart.

There’s no other, the laws of Qin are just too effective in controlling the populace!

Xu Qing’s thoughts flashed swiftly, as he spoke slowly: "So you mean to say, you’re associated with Quanzhen?"

Red-haired Yan Kong replied: "You could say that, and the greatest secret of the Xuantian Treasure Vault lies in the two words ’Quanzhen’."

"What is it that you want to take away?"

Red-haired Yan Kong replied: "The Wisdom Sword."

Xu Qing asked: "You wish to cut off a facet of Yan Kong?"

Red-haired Yan Kong replied: "You truly possess extraordinary wisdom, seeing right through with a hint."

Xu Qing shook his head: "Unfortunately, I cannot help you. You’re far too dangerous."

"Indeed, Master Yan Kong, you are very dangerous." Feng Wu had apparently awoken at some point.

Red-haired Yan Kong cast a deep glance at Feng Wu.

Suddenly, Feng Wu waved her hand, and a large net appeared.

"The Annihilation Dao’s Heavenly Net," Red-haired Yan Kong silently marveled, then flicked his fingers releasing the Great Vajra Finger Power in an attempt to break the net, but at that moment, Feng Wu struck the shrine revealing a hidden passage.

She pulled Xu Qing into it, and after they entered, the passage closed behind them, and signs of collapse began to appear in the great hall outside.

Red-haired Yan Kong tore through the Heavenly Net and hurried forward, also striking the shrine. However, his body rebounded as if shocked by electricity, red smoke emanating all over him. He snorted coldly, recognizing it as a Daoist barrier left by the Xuantian Taoist specifically to guard against him.

Although he knew of the Xuantian Taoist’s practices, he did not inherit the teachings and naturally couldn’t break the barrier.

As the collapse of the great hall was unstoppable, Red-haired Yan Kong whistled, and the golden-furred creature that had escaped from Vajra Temple appeared, carrying Red-haired Yan Kong out.

...

...

Having exited the secret passage, they found themselves in a stone chamber that was as bright as daylight.

Xu Qing did not see the source of the light.

Feng Wu spoke: "Husband, this is the entrance to the Xuantian Treasure Vault’s Inner Treasury, but I am not sure where the ’Life Gate’ of the entrance is."

Xu Qing replied: "I’ll look for it."

He touched the stone walls with his hand, and his Divine Skill, the Heavenly Repairing Tribulation Hand, came into play, but unexpectedly, he encountered a strange force on the stone walls that blocked the probing of the Heavenly Repairing Tribulation Hand.

This was the first time he had faced such a situation since he began cultivating the Heavenly Repairing Tribulation Hand.

Then, Xu Qing tried to break through the stone wall with palm power, but the force dissolved like a clay ox entering the sea, leaving no trace.

The same result occurred even when he attempted with the Wuji Saber.

Xu Qing couldn’t help but lament: "The Xuantian Taoist’s Daoist Skill is so brilliant, I still have a long way to go compared to my seniors."

Feng Wu consoled him: "Husband is still young, you will eventually surpass them."

Xu Qing smiled: "Entering the treasure mountain, one cannot return empty-handed, let’s think of another way."

He could sense that the great hall outside was collapsing, but he was not in a hurry to leave. After all, compared to the gold, silver, weapons, and elixirs outside, the items in the Inner Treasury were likely to be more valuable.

Xu Qing had already observed that the elixirs outside weren’t bad, but they were only suitable for ordinary martial artists, something that Elder Dan Xi and Xu Fu could make as long as they had the resources.

That was probably what Chongyang True Master had prepared for his middle and lower-level disciples.

Since Chongyang True Master had the Seven Disciples of Quanzhen, and Xuantian Taoist and Red Moon were the same person, then what Xuantian Taoist has must be a portion of the Chongyang Treasure originally obtained by his predecessor, the Iron Foot Immortal.

Similar treasure vaults probably existed in seven different places.

Some of the disciples’ Daoist legacies remain to this day, so those portions of treasure would have been used by them.

However, some lineages have been extinguished.

If the opportunity arises, Xu Qing could search for them in the future.

As for the secret manuals of cultivation, they mainly depend on compatibility with oneself, after all, there is almost no essential difference in the upper limits of Superior Skills.

Xu Qing fell into deep thought, entering a state of Absolute Focus.

"I’ve got it." Combining various analyses and aided by the state of Absolute Focus, Xu Qing had a flash of insight.

"What did you think of?"

"Do you remember the appearance of the statue in the great hall when we came in?"

"I remember, right, the right index finger of the statue seemed to be in a different pose than a normal statue. Could it be, that finger indicates the specific direction of the Inner Treasury’s entrance?" Feng Wu deduced the direction of the statue’s finger based on the arrangement of the secret passage and found the finger pointed exactly in the direction where the passage and stone chamber were facing,

It naturally couldn’t be the passage here, so it must be directly opposite the passage.

She went there but still didn’t discover anything.

Xu Qing mused: "There are two possibilities, one is the position you mentioned; the other is, the finger points towards a location in the Eight Diagrams."

Because the layout of the great hall did indeed align with the principles of the Eight Diagrams.

There’s an inexplicable relationship between Taoism and "The Book of Changes."

Xu Qing was more inclined towards the latter.

Upon hearing this, Feng Wu carefully deduced and murmured: "Exhaustion at noon is Qian, exhaustion at midnight is Kun, with yang in the south and yin in the north. The position of the statue’s finger is northwest, ’between’ the positions of ’Ming Yi’ and ’Sui.’ Could it be the position of ’Wu Wang’?"