Before long, Ye Qin, Huangfu Bing'er, and the others arrived at the ruins of the grand hall in the center of the city, where they met the leader, Sun Xing, along with the scholar-robed cultivator Kong Shi and several other treasure-hunting cultivators.

In a side hall of the ruined structure, there was a small, ancient teleportation array spanning several zhang.

The main hall had collapsed, and massive stones that fell from the roof had smashed one corner of this ancient teleportation array. At this time, more than ten other treasure-hunting cultivators from various districts also rushed over, gathering within the hall's ruins.

“This hall must be the main chamber of Desolate Spirit City! For the ancient cultivators to place this small teleportation array here, it must be extremely significant, very likely the entrance to the Ancient Treasury!”

Sun Xing pointed at the ancient teleportation array and spoke to the crowd, his expression somewhat agitated. “Daoist Kong, what do you think?”

“Brother Sun speaks the absolute truth. Moreover, this small ancient teleportation array is clearly designed for short-range transit. Its transmission radius does not exceed this vast island of ten thousand li. Unless it leads to the Ancient Treasury, there would be no need to install such a small teleportation array in this hall.”

Kong Shi nodded solemnly, agreeing with Sun Xing. “The ancient teleportation array differs somewhat from those used in the current cultivation world. Under normal circumstances, the difficulty of repair is immense. However, fortunately, only a small corner of this array was damaged by flying swords, resulting in only minor harm. As long as we patch up this damaged section, it should be usable again. I fear it might be difficult for me to repair it alone. Is there any other Daoist friend proficient in array formations who would join me in restoring this ancient teleportation array?”

“I am Shen Qinghui, from the Jade Void Palace in the East Sea. I have a slight specialization in ancient formations. I shall assist!”

“Count me in as well!”

Few cultivators were truly skilled with ancient teleportation arrays; only three or five people stepped forward, intending to work on the restoration together.

The remaining cultivators watched from the sidelines within the ruined hall.

“Very well, I shall rely on the expertise of you few Daoist friends to repair this ancient teleportation array! If we locate the Ancient Treasury, you few will receive an additional benefit from it.”

Sun Xing waved his wide sleeve, and a burst of immense power surged forth from thin air, blasting away the massive roof stones pressing down on the ancient teleportation array with a thunderous roar, kicking up a cloud of dust.

As the large stones were moved, a stark white skeleton was revealed underneath. Lying beside it was a dusty flying sword, long since rendered useless scrap.

“Eh? Why is there a corpse here?” Immediately, all the cultivators present showed looks of astonishment.

This Desolate Spirit City had been cleared out by the Ghost Cultivator Xiao Li, so upon entering the city, they had not discovered any lingering corpses of cultivators or demonic beasts. This skeleton was the very first one they had seen. Had they not moved those massive stones, they likely would never have found it.

“The robes of this skeleton bear the mark of the Heavenly Dao Alliance; it must be a cultivator from there. Furthermore, there are several massive claw punctures on this skeleton—it seems to have died at the hands of the Demon Race. Though the robes are decayed, indicating death occurred long ago, judging by the quality of the skeleton's clothing, headwear, fine boots, and accompanying personal artifacts, this was likely an ancient Nascent Soul cultivator, and one of no small status. Dying here, it might even be some important figure from the Heavenly Dao Alliance,” Sun Xing mused, circling the skeleton with a solemn expression, then shaking his head.

“The emblem on its adornment indicates the Heavenly Dao Alliance’s Punishment and Reward Elder! A position second only to the Five Great Sect Masters. In the Heavenly Dao Alliance, there are probably only a few dozen such figures—extremely high status,” Ye Qin stated calmly. Turning to see the Golden Core cultivators staring at him in surprise, Ye Qin offered an explanation: “The Palace Master of Violet Sword Palace introduced me to some matters concerning the Heavenly Dao Alliance. The rules of the Heavenly Dao Alliance are passed down through generations and rarely change.”

The treasure-hunting cultivators from the Sea of Blood were instantly relieved. Recalling that Ye Qin was an Elder of the Violet Sword Palace, placing him on par with a Nascent Soul cultivator, it was not surprising that he knew these details. As for the treasure hunters who adventured in the Sea of Blood year-round, they rarely paid attention to such external matters.

“We cannot delay the repair of the ancient teleportation array. Senior, please move to the side for now,” Sun Xing commanded, waving his hand and using his magic power to shift the skeleton away.

A small, inconspicuous bag slipped from the skeleton’s waist. With a clatter, it fell onto the ground with a clear sound. “A storage bag!?” Sun Xing froze.

In that instant, his expression flickered slightly, and he was nearly consumed by regret. He had summoned these cultivators via sound transmission talisman only because he didn’t know how to repair the ancient array. If he had known there was a skeleton beneath the giant stones, and a storage bag on it, he would never have sent that talisman to invite other Golden Core cultivators over.

“A high-level storage bag from a Nascent Soul cultivator!” Gulp. “I wonder what’s inside?”

The ruins of the hall immediately erupted in a chorus of gasps.

The minds of many cultivators began to stir, their gazes flickering as they calculated their chances while simultaneously guarding against the surrounding Golden Core cultivators snatching the bag. Yet, wary of becoming a target themselves, none dared to make the first move.

The air in the hall instantly solidified, becoming almost suffocating.

Every Golden Core cultivator present knew precisely how precious a storage bag left behind by an ancient Nascent Soul cultivator was. Even a few minor divine-ability-grade magic tools, Spirit Pills above the tenth rank, raw materials, or cultivation secrets from the Nascent Soul stage contained within could instantly enrich a Golden Core cultivator and multiply their strength several times over.

Ultimately, these twenty-plus treasure-hunting cultivators had risked adventure here all for the sake of gaining immense rewards. And before this, they were all treasure hunters who were strangers to each other; there was no bond of friendship between them. Naturally, none of them were willing to yield such a high-level storage bag.

“Uh, I suggest… we divide it!” Ye Qin saw Sun Xing’s face pale with extreme regret. He suppressed a smile, coughed, and spoke up. Ye Qin’s words carried considerable weight. Aside from his own formidable strength, Huangfu Bing’er and Jiang Zheng in the hall were aligned with him. The Pang cultivator’s group of three had also publicly declared their willingness to cooperate with him. The other cultivators were in groups of two or three, none possessing strength surpassing his own.

“Very well. By the rules of us treasure hunters, anything seen is meant to be shared! I shall open the storage now, and we shall divide the contents among everyone! The spoils within the Ancient Treasury are surely countless times greater than those in this storage bag—why be so hasty?”

Sun Xing looked disgruntled, glancing at the restless cultivators. He had no choice but to propose division. If he tried to claim it all, it would be impossible unless he could fight all the Golden Core cultivators single-handedly. Otherwise, dividing the treasure was the only path.

The spiritual sense seal on the storage bag had already vanished with the death of the ancient Nascent Soul cultivator, so Sun Xing opened it easily. All the contents spilled out with a clatter—a dazzling heap of items. As expected, there was a large pile of mid-grade and high-grade Spirit Stones, advanced talismans, raw materials for alchemy, forging, and talisman refinement, jade slips containing secret manuals, over ten Soul Artifacts, various small boxes holding items, and other strange and sundry objects. Roughly estimated, the total wealth was no less than tens of millions of low-grade Spirit Stones.

“A pity there are no minor divine-ability-grade magic tools; they were likely destroyed during the Immortal-Demon War. While this wealth appears substantial, divided equally, each treasure hunter will receive only about several million low-grade Spirit Stones worth of goods. It’s not a massive fortune, merely a small windfall. This city was cleared by the ghost cultivators; otherwise, just finding storage bags left by the ancient cultivators would have been enough for us to strike it rich! Those damned ghost cultivators got the best of it! After we find the Ancient Treasury this time, we can search through the rest of the city again; perhaps we can find some overlooked corpses and treasures!”

Sun Xing felt a pang in his heart as he quickly scanned the wealth, then shook his head dismissively.

“Daoist Ye, why don't you pick first? Each person selects one item, and we go in rotation.” Since there were no exceptionally great treasures, Sun Xing was happy to play the magnanimous host. Either he or Ye Qin, the two strongest cultivators, would pick first before the others. Moreover, Sun Xing was curious to see what Ye Qin would choose.

“Thank you, Brother Sun,” Ye Qin said with a faint smile, making no pretense of refusal. He glanced over the wealth, even peering into the contents of the various jade boxes. His gaze settled on a box made of Lingtan fragrant wood.

Inside this box lay five black metal tokens. They were dull and unremarkable, sequentially inscribed with “Token One,” “Token Two,” up to “Token Five,” along with dense, fine runes. They did not resemble offensive or defensive magic tools but looked more like tokens used by the high-ranking officials of the Heavenly Dao Alliance to issue commands.

Ye Qin’s eyes flashed, and he reached out to grasp one of the black metal plaques.

Sun Xing, Pang cultivator, Grand Cultivator Cao, Kong Shi, and the others exchanged glances, filled with doubt. These nine tokens were unassuming, their function unknown, and thus their value was impossible to estimate. If they were merely command tokens, tokens from ten thousand years ago would long be obsolete, worth less than any Soul Artifact.

“Daoist Ye, what is this token?” Sun Xing asked in surprise when he saw Ye Qin bypass all the other treasures to pick up a black metal token.

“I don’t know. Perhaps they were used for issuing orders. Tokens passed down from ten thousand years ago are rare,” Ye Qin replied placidly. After a pause, he continued, “Brother Sun, perhaps you should select one as well?”

Sun Xing stared intently at Ye Qin’s face, unable to discern anything. “What is that 'Ye' fellow taking this junk for?!” He cursed inwardly, hesitated for a long moment, and finally took a token. “Fine. If there are benefits, we all get them. If there is a loss, we all share it. Everyone is the same; no one will gain too much, nor will anyone suffer too much disadvantage.”

The cultivators took turns picking items. Pang cultivator and Grand Cultivator Cao both chose a token with strange expressions, pondering its use. It was somewhat ironic; they didn't know what the items were, but they followed suit simply because Ye Qin and Sun Xing had chosen them first. Confucian scholar Kong Shi also chose a token first. Some cultivators lamented that there was nothing suitable for them, while others excitedly picked a high-grade Soul Artifact and burst into laughter.

Ye Qin watched them choose, pocketed the black metal token, but his heart was already churning with unimaginable joy, suppressed beneath a calm facade. Others didn't know the purpose of these black material tokens, but he did.

Every Immortal Palace in the East Sea possessed a treasury stocked with Spirit Stones, magic tools, and Immortal Canons. The reserve status of these treasuries related directly to the survival and prosperity of an Immortal Palace and was treated as absolute top secret. These treasuries were protected by incredibly powerful restrictive formations to guard against intrusion. Only one type of access token could allow passage safely through these restrictive formations into the treasury. Such access tokens were held by several Elders of the Violet Sword Palace, specifically for opening the Violet Sword Palace’s treasury. Each token was kept on the Elders; only cultivators at the Elder level or above were permitted to know how to use them. Ordinary Golden Core disciples could never access this information to prevent leakage of treasury details.

“If I am not mistaken, these tokens from the Heavenly Dao Alliance Punishment Elder are very likely the access tokens for this Ancient Treasury. Each token can only be used by one person. The Ancient Treasury is indeed located here!” Ye Qin mused internally, his spirit suddenly soaring, but no abnormality showed on his face. His only uncertainty now was which specific ancient vault his “Token Five” would lead to.

The others finished selecting from the pile of wealth, and silence fell over the ruined grand hall. Kong Shi and the others needed time to repair the ancient teleportation array. The cultivators could only wait. Although repairing the array wouldn't take long, waiting in place inevitably brought anxiety.

“It’s fixed!” After about half an hour, Kong Shi finally announced. He cast a protective shield around himself, held a magic tool, activated the ancient teleportation array, and vanished upon it. Seeing that the Confucian scholar cultivator’s transit was successful, the other cultivators hurried onto the array one after another. In a short time, the cultivators were sequentially teleported away, the number of people remaining outside constantly decreasing.

High above the sky of Desolate Spirit City, a thousand zhang up, the Desolate Spirit Ghost Master rode a two-headed vulture skeleton demon, coldly observing the city below. He watched the Golden Core cultivators disappearing into the ancient teleportation array within the ruined hall.

“Master, you lured these treasure hunters to Desolate Spirit City, intending for them to repair this ancient teleportation array. Now that it’s fixed, why not kill them instead of letting them enter? If they happen to obtain the ancient relic within the Ancient Treasury, it might spell trouble,” the two-headed vulture suddenly spoke. Low-level skeleton demons below the tenth rank cannot speak human language, but this one had reached the eleventh rank and could transform into human form, thus possessing speech.

“Hmph, a group of Golden Core cultivators—mere ants! As long as they are not Nascent Soul cultivators, they pose no threat to this Lord,” the Desolate Spirit Ghost Master hissed. “I spent nearly a thousand years, exhausting every means, to cultivate to the peak of the Ghost Cultivator Nascent Soul realm. Only the final great tribulation remains to break through to the Spirit Transformation stage. My remaining lifespan is short; I must pass this stage one way or another to extend my life by a thousand years in one go. For this purpose, I spent countless efforts over the last few centuries setting up this Ghost Mist Grand Array on this island to survive the tribulation.”

“This Ancient Treasury is located in the exact center of the entire island, a position of extreme importance. Moreover, there is an ancient treasure suppressing the Treasury that poses a great threat to Ghost Cultivators. Once I refine that ancient treasure into a thirteenth-rank Nether Artifact using profound flames, and use this artifact as the core to operate the ten-thousand-li Ghost Mist Grand Array, its power can increase several times over. This Lord will then have over fifty percent more certainty of passing the Spirit Transformation Tribulation on this island! Once I reach Spirit Transformation, I will travel to the West Nether Continent and become the ruler of a domain, cultivating to a higher realm! Furthermore, the Netherworld of the West Nether Continent still offers a chance for reincarnation. Even if I cannot become a Nether King in this lifetime, I shall become an Immortal in the next!”

The Desolate Spirit Ghost Master’s gaze turned cold. He suddenly struck the two-headed vulture and plummeted downward toward the ancient teleportation array. “This Lord shall send a wisp of Yin Soul to follow them in to observe, lest they act recklessly and seize the prize!” A beam of black light shot straight down.

All the treasure-hunting cultivators had already passed through the ancient teleportation array, save for the last one. As this cultivator activated the array, a black light suddenly poured down from above his head. His gaze instantly sharpened, his body enveloped by eerie black energy, and he shuddered violently. With his Golden Core cultivation, resisting the soul-snatching attempt of a peak ninth-layer Nascent Soul cultivator was virtually impossible. In the blink of an eye, the black energy receded from his eyes, returning to normal. A cold smile touched his lips as he vanished into the ancient teleportation array.