"How much do you know about this Void Emperor?" Han Jue asked.
"The Void Emperor was a powerful figure who lived a hundred thousand years ago," Yaoguang's second son replied. "Back then, Yaoguang Main City was still called Void Emperor Main City. After the Void Emperor's fall, my grandfather was appointed as City Lord. That's when the Yaoguang Clan truly began to flourish."
Han Jue processed this information carefully. A day in the Seven Flames Palace was roughly equivalent to ten Earth days. A hundred thousand years here translated to one hundred epochs, or one-tenth the lifespan of a World Master, a considerable span of time indeed.
"According to my grandfather," Yaoguang's second son continued, his voice taking on a reflective tone, "the Void Emperor had a rather... whimsical personality. He possessed a strong desire for entertainment and challenges. That's why, before his death, he placed all his treasures here in this elaborate vault. What puzzles me is that the Void Emperor Tokens weren't distributed until recently. I don't know why he waited so long."
"Did he fail to break through to become an Immortal?" Han Jue asked, his analytical mind piecing together the implications.
"Break through to Immortal?" Yaoguang's second son looked surprised. "The number of Immortals in the Seven Flames Palace is fixed. It's impossible for anyone new to reach the Immortal realm. The peak of World Master level is the absolute limit here. That's why most World Masters don't pursue higher realms. After all, breaking through to World Master status already grants a lifespan of a million years."
"A fixed number?" Han Jue mused aloud, understanding dawning on him.
This was likely a control measure imposed by whatever power governed this isolated world. Perhaps the Virtual Universe Company had deliberately limited the cultivation ceiling here to prevent the development of threats to the wider universe.
"We've arrived. Let's take a look," Han Jue said, changing the subject.
If the first level of the Void Emperor Treasury was a vast medicinal plantation, then the second level resembled an immense zoo.
Compared to the first level, this space possessed a more refined quality befitting a World Master's inner world. The area was enormous, roughly estimated to span at least tens of millions of kilometers in diameter. Surrounding them stretched a vast grassland where numerous small animals roamed freely, seemingly completely unafraid of their presence.
"Brother Han," Yaoguang's second son said, his expression growing cautious, "the Void Emperor Treasury doesn't have just one entrance. There are six in total. We might encounter other competitors here."
Han Jue nodded slightly. He hadn't known this detail before.
No wonder there had been only five people confronting them earlier at the canyon entrance. Could the sixth person carrying a Void Emperor Token have entered through another passage?
Since two people could enter the second level of the Void Emperor's Treasury simultaneously, six groups could easily form alliances to enter the second level and fight for the final treasure.
Han Jue would need to remain prepared to deal with potential enemy coalitions.
"Are these animals puppets?" Han Jue asked, noticing something peculiar after casually grabbing a rabbit-like beast. The creature felt unnaturally solid in his grip, its movements mechanical rather than organic.
"Yes," Yaoguang's second son confirmed, his expression growing grave. "The Void Emperor's greatest skill was puppetry. During his lifetime, he created many puppets reaching World Master level. They're likely stored somewhere in this treasury. We must be extremely cautious."
Han Jue felt a flicker of doubt. Could the humans of the Seven Flames Palace truly be capable of developing such sophisticated puppets? The technology seemed far beyond what this isolated civilization should possess.
Then again, the mechanical puppets created by the machine race were renowned throughout the universe. While the puppets crafted by the Void Emperor were certainly not as powerful as those created by the machine race itself, they were nonetheless formidable enough to resist the Holy Flame's destructive power.
The center of the second level appeared to be dominated by a towering structure.
From a great distance, its shadow could be vaguely discerned rising above the grasslands.
Han Jue and Yaoguang's second son hurried toward it, their movements swift but cautious.
The surroundings were eerily silent, without any sound or movement from other competitors.
"Brother Han, be careful!" Yaoguang's second son warned, his concern evident.
The young noble was now more worried about Han Jue's safety than his own. If Han Jue died, Yaoguang's second son would have nowhere to find the antidote for the Moshu poison fruit coursing through his veins.
Han Jue approached the tower with measured steps, his Six Eyes scanning for threats. When he arrived at the tower's base, he found a line of ancient script engraved on the stone surface.
"There are three great puppets in this world, whose strengths correspond to the first, second, and third levels of World Master cultivation. They are the proudest works of my life. Defeat all three and extract their cores, then you may enter the third and final level of the Void Emperor Treasury."
Next to this inscription was a detailed map marking the locations of the three puppets.
In addition, three stone pillars surrounded the tower's base. Two of these pillars already held puppet cores placed upon them, glowing with residual energy.
Han Jue tested the pillars, attempting to extract the cores through brute force, but found them immovably sealed. He gave up on the idea.
"It seems someone's already beaten us to the punch," Yaoguang's second son observed.
"Yes. We're only missing the most challenging one," Han Jue said, his gaze focusing on the map.
The remaining puppet was designated as a third-level World Master, the strongest of the three guardians.
"This Void Emperor is really something," Yaoguang's second son complained. "He insists on creating so many tests instead of just leaving his treasures accessible."
"There's no helping it," Han Jue said with a helpless shake of his head. "He designed this place as his legacy. We'll have to play by his rules."
He stood up and rushed toward the location marked for the final puppet, his figure blurring with speed.
"Qi Yunxian, I'll give you two billion Spark Coins if you withdraw now," a commanding voice echoed across the scorching landscape.
This was a vast lava lake, its surface roiling with incredible heat. Even a single droplet of escaping lava would be enough to incinerate all life on an ordinary planet.
Above the lava lake, two groups faced off in mid-air, their domains creating visible distortions in the superheated atmosphere.
"Puyang Wan, you're a member of the Puyang family," Qi Yunxian said coldly, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Why are you involving yourself in this competition?"
"I heard that the Void Emperor collected three different varieties of Holy Flame during his lifetime," Puyang Wan replied smoothly. "How about this, if I succeed in obtaining his treasures, I'll give you one of them as compensation?"
Qi Yunxian stopped speaking, her expression suggesting she was genuinely tempted by the offer.
Puyang Wan, seeing this opening, was about to continue his negotiation when he suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
"Wait! There's movement!" Puyang Wan stared intently at the lava lake below, his entire demeanor shifting to one of alert tension. The two World Masters behind him also wore solemn expressions, their domains flaring defensively.
"Boom!"
The lava lake beneath their feet began to boil violently.
Massive amounts of molten rock erupted upward at incredible speed. One glob accidentally struck one of the four cultivators standing behind Qi Yunxian. The unfortunate Domain Lord didn't even have time to scream. Half his body was instantly incinerated by the extreme temperature, dissipating into black ash that scattered on the superheated winds.
"Be careful!" Qi Yunxian shouted urgently.
Without her warning, those around her had already begun retreating to safer distances.
Beneath the lava lake, a colossal dark figure gradually rose, its form displacing thousands of cubic meters of molten rock.
"Is this the third-level World Master puppet?" Puyang Wan said, his voice tight with tension.
"The difference between this guardian and the other two is enormous," one of the World Masters behind him said, unable to hide his shock.
"Some peak World Masters are probably at this level of power," another person muttered nervously.
"Woosh!"
Lava splashed like ocean waves as the towering puppet beneath the lake revealed its full form to the assembled cultivators.
It was a colossal creature, standing ten thousand meters tall. Its surface was covered in thick layers of rock armor that oozed with streams of molten lava. Four massive mechanical arms extended from its torso, each one capable of independent movement. Its legs remained planted deep in the lava lake, seemingly absorbing energy directly from the molten stone. Its head consisted of a suspended sphere that offered three-hundred-sixty-degree vision, allowing it to detect any enemy presence instantly.
Just looking at the puppet was enough to instill primal fear.
"Bang!"
The lava puppet raised all four of its mechanical arms simultaneously. The limbs transformed before their eyes, reconfiguring into four massive turrets that began unleashing barrages of lava shells at Puyang Wan, Qi Yunxian, and their respective groups!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Each shell was imbued with the power of the Origin Law of Fire, shattering space itself before landing on distant ground and transforming entire regions into new lava lakes.
Each projectile possessed destructive power equivalent to a full-strength attack from a World Master who had gained recognition from the Origin Law of Fire!
Puyang Wan and Qi Yunxian were both third-level World Masters, capable of withstanding such attacks. However, the people they had brought with them were only first-level World Masters at best, with some merely holding Domain Lord cultivation. If they took a direct hit from these bombardments, they would be crippled if not outright killed.
"Qi Yunxian, we need to join forces!" Puyang Wan shouted, all thoughts of negotiation abandoned in the face of this overwhelming threat.
Qi Yunxian's expression grew grim. She raised her hand, sending a towering column of water cascading down toward the lava puppet. For a creature forged from molten stone, however, the water technique proved ineffective. It evaporated before making real contact, inflicting no damage to the puppet's rocky shell.
This lava puppet undoubtedly possessed combat power equivalent to a high-level World Master, far beyond what any of them had anticipated when entering this treasury.
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