Your Spell Version is Too Low!

The view inside the hall opened up dramatically.

This was less a palace and more a meticulously arranged hall of treasures.

The space was far more vast and magnificent than it appeared from the outside.

Jet-black pillars, so massive it would take several people to encircle them, supported the distant, vaulted ceiling.

Within the hall, rows of display cases, also crafted from gilded Spirit Wood and transparent glass, were neatly arranged.

These display cases had a quaint, antique design, and a faint, protective Spiritual Light flowed across their surfaces.

Like massive glass domes, they sealed the treasures within from the outside world.

A strange, crimson Ore that seemed to have lava flowing within; a nine-leafed Spirit Grass, sealed in ten-thousand-year-old Profound Ice, yet still radiating vibrant life.

A ferocious-looking Demonic Magical Artifact, its Evil Qi nearly piercing through the barrier; a top-grade Spirit Pill, the size of a longan and wreathed in layered halos, resting in a Jade Box.

There were even the shrunken eggs of exotic demon beasts, covered in naturally formed, profound patterns. With each slight throb, they caused the surrounding Primordial Qi to resonate in response...

Treasure Light intertwined with dense Spiritual Qi.

The entire hall shimmered with brilliant, flowing colors, as if a Star River had fallen into the mortal world.

Of all the treasures here, Qi Yun had never even heard of ninety-eight percent of them, let alone seen them.

The Daoist Intent and oppressive might emanating from many of the items completely surpassed his current understanding.

’I’m a fucking poor man, after all...’

In contrast, the Elder Master Deng Yin beside him remained as calm and unconcerned as ever.

His cloudy gaze swept over these treasures—enough to drive any Qi Refining Cultivator mad with greed—as if he were looking at a pile of common stones and rubble.

His expression was completely unruffled.

The difference in perspective and needs between Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment was as vast as the sky and the earth.

It was like an ant trying to comprehend humanity’s sprawling mansions and gourmet feasts.

"Teacher," Qi Yun said after taking several deep breaths. With a practiced flip of his hand, a dozen bulging, high-quality Storage Pouches appeared in his palm. His intention could not have been clearer.

"Did we... strike it rich this time?"

His posture made it clear he intended to pack up the gilded glass cases along with the treasures inside.

"What are you thinking?" the Elder Master shot him a glance, the corners of his mouth twitching with a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

"Do you want to become Black Fiend’s mortal enemy, bound to a feud that won’t end until one of you is dead?"

"If you empty his vault, he’ll hunt you to the ends of the earth. Even my reputation might not be enough to save you."

"But don’t I still have you, Teacher?" Qi Yun blinked, his tone sincere, fully expecting his master to handle any fallout.

Hearing this, the Elder Master simply shook his head. His gaze seemed to drift into the distant future as he stated a sobering fact in a calm voice:

"Don’t forget, I only have about forty years of life left."

Having casually mentioned the limit of his own lifespan, the Elder Master clasped his hands behind his back and looked away from the dazzling array of treasures.

He strode toward the deeper part of the vault.

"Follow me."

"Black Fiend may have acted dishonorably this time, but we can’t go too far and create an irreconcilable feud. It’s always best to leave some leeway."

He said calmly as he walked.

"As it happens, you’re still missing a few of your Foundation Establishment Objects."

"This Li Hanyan fellow is from a wealthy background and has a penchant for collecting all sorts of rare Spiritual Materials."

"He should have some in stock here."

"Yes! I understand!"

Upon hearing the Elder Master’s words, Qi Yun’s spirits soared. He immediately reined in his thoughts of plundering everything and hurried to keep pace with the Elder Master.

The two walked slowly through the treasure hall, which was filled with glittering jewels and suffused with spiritual pressure, their gazes sweeping over the rows of display cases.

The Elder Master would stop from time to time, his gaze lingering on certain treasures for a moment, as if identifying and assessing them.

Suddenly, the Elder Master’s steps halted in a seemingly unremarkable corner.

His gaze fell upon a gilded glass case before him, one that looked no different from the others.

Inside the case, there was no brilliant Treasure Light, no powerful spiritual pressure—only a fist-sized mass of pure white qi, slowly circulating and changing shape on its own.

The white qi was incomparably pure, untainted by the slightest impurity. It gave off a strange feeling, one that was supremely pure and sharp, yet also carried a sense of ’metamorphosis’.

"Found it." The Elder Master’s lips curled into a slight smile; he had clearly found his target.

"This is...?" Qi Yun asked, moving closer curiously to examine the mass of pure white qi.

He prided himself on being well-read, having extensively studied the texts in the Inner Mansion’s Book Collection Pavilion.

But this thing before him, whether in form or aura, was completely beyond his scope of knowledge—utterly ’off the syllabus’.

The Elder Master looked at the mass of pure white qi and slowly spoke its name:

"A Metal Element Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object—[Taibai Molt]."

The Elder Master was decisive. Having found his target, he didn’t delay.

His palm bloomed with a white radiance, turning incorporeal and passing straight through the gilded glass case. With a gentle reach, he retrieved the circulating, pure white [Taibai Molt].

The mass of supremely pure Metal Qi felt warm and gentle in his hand, yet it faintly emanated a sharpness that made the skin tingle.

Next, the Elder Master’s gaze shifted, landing on another treasure not far away.

It was a cloak, fiery red all over, woven from some unknown type of Spirit Silk.

Its surface was densely embroidered with exceptionally profound Talismanic Rune Patterns in gold thread. These runes seemed to flow slowly, emitting powerful fluctuations of Daoist Intent.

With a grasp through the air, the red cloak flew up on its own and landed in his hand.

"This [Golden Pattern Fireproof Shield] is a fine item as well. When the time comes for your Foundation Establishment, it can increase your chances of success by ten percent." The Elder Master’s tone was calm, yet his words revealed the cloak’s immense value.

A treasure that could increase the success rate of Foundation Establishment was a Supreme Treasure in the eyes of any Qi Refining Cultivator!

He handed the [Taibai Molt] and the [Golden Pattern Fireproof Shield] to Qi Yun.

"Let’s go." The Elder Master waved his hand, and the light of his avatar seemed to dim slightly.

"If we take too much, the disturbance in the aura will be too great. That hoarder will sense it even in his seclusion. We should know when to stop."

"Yes, Teacher." Qi Yun took the two incredibly precious treasures and quickly stashed them in the deepest part of his Storage Magical Artifact.

Although his heart still itched to see the vault full of treasures, and he felt a little reluctant to leave them, he knew the Elder Master was right.

He had obtained two treasures crucial to his Foundation Establishment for free.

One of them was even a direct Metal Element Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object.

This was already an immense gain. Any more greed could lead to disaster.

After one last look at the vault behind him, Qi Yun followed the Elder Master’s avatar, silently retreating from the heavily guarded treasure vault along the still-extant bridge of light from the [Formless Divine Talisman].

They passed through the black clouds and flew over the giant, green-furred ape that was still slumbering on guard.

Following the path they came from, under the protection of the [Formless Divine Talisman]’s residual power, Qi Yun swiftly returned to the secluded Side Hall on Black Death Peak where he had been told to wait.

Inside the quiet room of the Side Hall, everything was just as he had left it. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

The decoy, created by the [Gathering Form and Scattering Qi] Divine Technique, was still sitting naturally in the chair, even the patient expression of waiting on its face perfectly maintained.

Qi Yun’s real body merged silently into the decoy like a ripple in water, completing a seamless replacement.

He picked up the teacup, pretending to drink. In reality, he used the motion to silently exhale a long, pent-up breath.

He raised his hand and used his sleeve to casually wipe away a bead of cold sweat that had, at some point, trickled down his forehead.

’Raiding a Foundation Establishment Master’s lair right under his nose...’

Even for someone like Qi Yun, who prided himself on being audaciously daring and had weathered many storms, his heart couldn’t help but race and a chill run down his spine as he recalled the event.

’It was like pulling teeth from a tiger’s mouth.’

Having done such a ’guilty deed’, Qi Yun’s subsequent behavior could only be described as extremely ’well-behaved’.

He forcefully suppressed the urge to leave immediately.

He waited patiently in the quiet room of the Side Hall for more than half a month!

During this time, aside from necessary movements, he barely left the quiet room. Every day, he would nurse the pot of Spirit Tea, drinking it cup after cup.

By his calculation, he had drunk enough tea in the past half-month to fill a water vat.

It wasn’t until Li Chong came to visit for the third time, his face showing even deeper apology and helplessness than before, and informed him that his master was still at a critical stage of his seclusion and he would have to wait longer...

Only then did Qi Yun rub his stomach, force a perfectly calibrated expression of ’helplessness’ and ’fatigue’ onto his face, and slowly stand up.

"Senior Brother Li," he sighed, his tone carrying a measure of understanding, but also a hint of barely perceptible ’disappointment’.

"It seems... Junior Martial Uncle Li won’t be coming out of seclusion anytime soon."

"I have some urgent matters to attend to... so I’ll be heading back first."

Seeing this, the guilt-ridden Li Chong couldn’t help but show a look of sincere remorse.

"To have Junior Brother make a trip for nothing and wait so long in vain... I have truly wronged you." Li Chong clasped his hands in apology, his tone sincere.

"Rest assured, Junior Brother Qi. As soon as my master emerges from seclusion, I will inform you at once to complete the exchange for the [Soul-Shaking Potion]."

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries. Qi Yun acted perfectly reasonable, showing not the slightest hint of dissatisfaction over the long wait.

Finally, under Li Chong’s somewhat apologetic gaze, Qi Yun unhurriedly departed from Black Death Peak—a place that had both terrified him and rewarded him greatly.

Only when he was completely clear of Black Death Peak’s territory and could no longer sense any prying or targeting gazes did Qi Yun’s suspended heart finally settle back into his chest.

The corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably, breaking into an exhilarated and cunning smile.

Hehe!

Another absolute windfall!

...