Gu Yuan and the other two entered the Martial Arts Division of Zhongzhou Prefecture. A dedicated staff member approached them.
"Hello, I'm a staff member from the Martial Arts Division who will escort you to the treasury. You can call me Xiao Ai," the beautiful Xiao Ai introduced herself with a smile.
"Please follow me, I'll take you to the treasury." After speaking, Xiao Ai led the three of them towards the storage area.
Along the way, they remained silent. This was a sensitive area, and it was best to maintain a serious demeanor.
Five minutes later, Xiao Ai, holding her work pass, swiped it through several metal alloy doors and arrived at a small room. She stopped and said to Gu Yuan and the other two,
"We've arrived. Due to special circumstances, I cannot accompany you further. Please proceed on your own; other staff members will be there to meet you."
Gu Yuan nodded. He pushed open the small door in front of him, revealing a tiny room with nothing inside except a middle-aged man sitting cross-legged.
Monk Miaozhen and Xiao Yixian also entered. The three exchanged glances, slightly bewildered by the sight.
Although Monk Miaozhen and Xiao Yixian were true disciples of major sects, they had never been to a high-level place like the treasury before.
"Prepare yourselves. You will enter the treasury through the teleportation array shortly," the middle-aged man said, opening his eyes.
Strangely, the man's eyes were a deep sapphire blue, resembling the starry sky. Considering he might be a senior, Gu Yuan dared not look further and suppressed his curiosity, stepping onto the teleportation array.
As the three took their positions, the middle-aged man placed several spirit stones into designated slots, activating the array. Blue light enveloped them, and they instantly vanished.
Only the powdered spirit stones remained. The middle-aged man's lips curved upwards as he murmured, "Interesting..."
Gu Yuan and the other two felt a dizzying sensation, and their surroundings suddenly brightened, revealing a grand bronze gate.
The bronze gate was adorned with carvings of exotic beasts and figures shrouded in mist.
A young man approached them and smiled, saying, "Hello, I am Xiao Ou. Please present your entry credentials for the treasury so I can inspect them."
"Certainly," Gu Yuan and the others replied, producing their issued entry tokens and handing them to Xiao Ou.
Xiao Ou accepted them and produced a cube-like device. He scanned the three tokens with it, which emitted a dazzling blue light.
Xiao Ou then put away the device, took the three tokens, and led them towards the gate.
From where he stood, Gu Yuan felt the gate was close, but it took nearly five minutes of walking to reach the front of the colossal bronze door.
Gazing at the immeasurably tall bronze gate, Gu Yuan's eyes reflected awe. He wondered how much treasure lay within.
The other two were slightly better off, but not by much.
Xiao Ou took their tokens to the center of the bronze gate, where two elders with imposing, unfathomable auras stood. He respectfully handed the tokens to one of them.
The elder received the tokens, swept his palm over them, and a line of text appeared. He nodded, put away the tokens, and gently waved his hand towards the three. They instantly disappeared.
Gu Yuan, still admiring the murals on the bronze gate, saw a flash and found himself in a new location.
Before he could react, a message in his mind explained everything.
He had entered the legendary treasury. Following the instructions in his mind,
he could step forward to select items, each clearly priced. Once he had chosen items worth ten billion yuan, he could mentally recite "exit" and be automatically teleported out.
Gu Yuan looked at the white mist enveloping his surroundings. As per the instructions, he took a step forward, and the scene rapidly changed, revealing rows of what looked like bookshelves.
Each shelf was laden with items, varying in quantity.
With no time limit, Gu Yuan could meticulously select items to his liking.
Following his original plan, Gu Yuan intended to choose items with high-level or abundant "Qi Yun" (spiritual energy/essence).
He activated the detection function of the "Dao Yuan Yun Tian Tu" (a treasure of his), and his vision was instantly filled with a riot of colors.
"Holy shit!"
Gu Yuan's mouth fell open. As a simple farmer, he had never witnessed such a spectacle.
"Good heavens, how much Qi Yun is this?" Gu Yuan mused.
He decided to pick slowly. With so much Qi Yun available, he had to select items that suited his current needs and could enhance his strength.
Gu Yuan planned to select based on the color and size of the light, starting with the highest-grade, brightest colored items and working his way down.
In the center of this section of shelves, there was a Qi Yun value as bright as a scarlet star.
This was the best and most advanced item in the entire area.
Gu Yuan approached it. A constantly flowing spiritual energy shield encased the item, which turned out to be a scroll.
He looked at the description below.
"Sword Ancestor Slaying Demons Scroll!"
Description: Five thousand years ago, the first person in history to achieve great mastery in the Way of the Sword, Sword Ancestor, was slaying demons when the Painting Sage of that era completed this scroll using all the spiritual energy within a hundred-kilometer radius.
Suitable for: Swordsmen, those whose attacks carry a sharp essence, cultivators of the Metal element.
Rewards: Extreme · Demon Slaying Sword Art! Sword Intent! Sharpness Essence...
Price: Ten billion for one comprehension!
*Hoo!*
Gu Yuan's breathing grew heavy. This was too...
He spent nearly five hours in this place, repeatedly examining items, before finally completing his selection.
Exactly ten billion. Gu Yuan returned to the entry point, casting a reluctant glance at the items emitting colorful light within his sight – all of them brimming with Qi Yun.
He then resolutely departed.
Outside, Xiao Ou was still waiting. Seeing Gu Yuan emerge, he greeted him with a smile, "Gu Yuan, how was your selection?"
"Not bad," Gu Yuan nodded.
"And the other two?"
"The other two have already returned. They also asked me to give you a note," Xiao Ou explained, then produced a slip of paper.
Gu Yuan did not read it in front of Xiao Ou but instead put it directly into his storage ring.
"Then I'll escort you out," Xiao Ou offered.
Gu Yuan nodded. He was already eager to return and absorb the Qi Yun.
"Woohoo, let's fly!"
With so much Qi Yun, perhaps even the Life God could appear this time.
Along the way, Gu Yuan also asked Xiao Ou when he could collect his other rewards.
Xiao Ou told him he could come whenever he wished, as the Martial Arts Division would always be prepared for them.
After bidding farewell to Xiao Ou, Gu Yuan returned to the interior of the Martial Arts Division. Xiao Ai again led him out, and after saying goodbye to her, he took a dedicated vehicle to leave.
He arrived back at his dormitory.
Gu Yuan cautiously activated his defensive array first. After confirming its integrity,
he took out the items he had acquired from the treasury.
Gu Yuan looked at the pile of items before him and let out a delighted chuckle.