One Expectation cultivator from the Heavenly Dao Alliance, one from the Heavenly Demon Alliance, and one from the Blood Sea cultivators each entered the Ancient Treasure Vault. The Saint Sovereign also sent his Golden Armored Guards to enter the vault, tally the stored wealth, and retrieve every treasure within. These Golden Armored Guard puppets could see, move, and speak, acting as the Saint Sovereign's eyes and ears.

The group of Nascent Soul cultivators waited outside the ancient teleportation array, exchanging hushed conversations while patiently standing by.

The Saint Sovereign, Sect Master Yu, and the other late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators would not easily enter; otherwise, if the Ghost Lord attacked again and damaged the ancient array, they would face the danger of being trapped within the subterranean vault. Even if the Ghost Lord didn't appear, there was insufficient trust between them to risk it.

"Saint Sovereign, this Sect Master has an impertinent request. My sect's White Floating Palace has many direct Golden Core disciples who urgently need Nascent Soul Pills for their ascension. They are eagerly awaiting them. I wonder if it would be convenient for the Saint Sovereign to assist?"

Sect Master Yu smiled at the Saint Sovereign.

"Sect Master Yu needs Nascent Soul Pills?"

The Saint Sovereign appeared slightly surprised.

He immediately recalled that Sect Master Yu had been so agreeable earlier, ceding the distribution rights, likely for this very reason. The reconstruction of the Saint Sovereign Palace needed to court the allegiance of a few Nascent Soul cultivators, not a massive supply of Nascent Soul Pills. Granting some to Sect Master Yu to curry favor was not an issue.

"Very well. I will coordinate things and try my best to convert the treasures allocated to the White Floating Palace into Nascent Soul Pills."

The Saint Sovereign considered for a moment before nodding slightly.

"This Sect Master thanks the Saint Sovereign on behalf of the juniors of the White Floating Palace," Sect Master Yu replied with a grateful smile. Securing more Nascent Soul Pills from this trip was a satisfactory outcome for him.

The Nascent Soul cultivators from the various Immortal Palaces of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, the cultivators from the Heavenly Demon Alliance's Immortal Palaces, and the Nascent Soul cultivators from the Blood Sea factions—none of them failed to brighten their eyes. Seeing Sect Master Yu make the first request, they swiftly converged around the Saint Sovereign, offering flattery and voicing their hopes for specific items.

"Everyone, no need to rush. Once the inventory of the treasury is complete, we can discuss the distribution afterward!"

The Saint Sovereign smiled.

He had secured the distribution rights to the vault precisely to build goodwill, so he naturally would not refuse the assembled cultivators.

On the other side, the Saint Sovereign used his divine sense to pilot the Golden Armored King into the ancient teleportation array.

The cultivators selected by each faction also filed in sequentially.

As soon as the Golden Armored Guard entered the Ancient Treasure Vault, its gaze swept across the entire area.

In the chaotic main hall of the vault, shattered ice fragments and corpses were scattered everywhere on the ground, along with lingering auras of chaotic cultivators, icy spirits, and ghost cultivators.

"Treasure-seeking cultivators entered this vault before, and they suffered significant casualties!"

The Golden Armored Guard uttered a low murmur to itself.

"Let's go. Clear one treasury after another down each passage, recording all the stored wealth onto jade slips."

With that, it transformed into a streak of golden light and entered the passage leading to the Earth Treasury.

The few Nascent Soul cultivators who entered the vault knew the Golden Armored Guard represented the Saint Sovereign. They dared not delay and followed closely, smashing the sprites and demon spirits in the passage that couldn't react in time. For these mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, these demon spirits posed no real threat.

Before long, they arrived at the Earth Treasury, which contained a massive quantity of spirit stones and ancient texts.

"Eh?"

The Golden Armored Guard glanced at the numerous empty stone platforms in the outer hall. The restrictive formations in the Yu Treasury had been disabled. However, residual spiritual power still clung to the light barriers above the stone platforms, slowly fading but not entirely gone.

Those empty tables must have been cleared by the same group of people. They simply hadn't had enough time to continue taking more. These primarily held spirit stones and texts pertaining to the Golden Core stage; the Saint Sovereign paid them little mind and thus did not dwell on them.

After finishing there, the Golden Armored Guard proceeded into the Inner Treasury.

Beholding the storage bags floating gently above the stone tables in the great hall, even with the Saint Sovereign's breadth of vision and experience, his spirit rose. In the entire Ancient Treasure Vault, only the rare ancient texts passed down through ages truly held appeal for the Saint Sovereign; otherwise, he wouldn't have sent the Golden Armored Guard to the Earth Treasury first.

"Someone has been in this Inner Treasury; they took several items. I wonder what they were!"

The Golden Armored Guard noticed three empty stone tables and shook its head slightly. After surveying the area, the Golden Armored Guard thrust a golden spear forward. Golden light shot out, effortlessly tearing through the residual spiritual energy of the stone platform barriers. It then collected over a dozen storage bags—along with blueprints related to Puppet Arts—before transforming once more into a streak of golden light, heading toward the treasuries in other passages.

In the other passages, there were also Golden Core cultivators recently killed by demon spirits. Each treasury had an inner and outer section, and the circumstances varied, but all showed signs of being disturbed.

The final destination for the Golden Armored Guard was the central Ice Treasury of the Ancient Vault.

Upon seeing the white jade lotus platform, the Saint Sovereign couldn't help but express a degree of surprise. Within the Ice Treasury were the corpses of two treasure-seeking cultivators, likely killed in a struggle over items. One of them carried an extremely faint trace of the Ghost Lord’s ghostly aura.

"The core of this Ancient Treasure Vault is likely sustained by an ice-element magical artifact—probably a Great Divine Ability grade artifact."

"Who took it?"

"There are many treasure seekers on this island; any of them could be suspect."

"Why did the Ghost Lord launch such a frenzied attack on the treasure ship? The most suspicious person aboard that ship is that brat Ye Qin! He boarded midway and was on his way to leave Desolate Spirit Island."

"I say the Ghost Lord dared to ignore me and arrogantly attack the treasure ship! It discovered that brat was on board and thus struck regardless of the cost. This has some capability if he can cause the Ghost Lord to suffer a loss!"

The Golden Armored Guard's pupils flashed with an uncanny blood-red light as it fell into thought, though what it was contemplating remained unknown.

Before long, the inventory of the Ancient Treasure Vault was complete and its contents retrieved. Under the Saint Sovereign's direction, the Nascent Soul cultivators from the Heavenly Dao Alliance, Heavenly Demon Alliance, Blood Sea, and other factions divided everything among themselves. The entire collection of the Desolate Spirit Island Ancient Treasure Vault was emptied.

Sect Master Yu, True Person Dongyang, and the other Nascent Soul cultivators eventually departed Desolate Spirit Island, satisfied with their gains.

However, the Saint Sovereign Palace's treasure ship lingered, flying slowly in the air, seemingly in no hurry to leave the island.

"Saint Sovereign, our Saint Sovereign Palace obtained immense wealth this trip, equivalent to one-fifth of the treasury of a great Immortal Palace in the East Sea Archipelago. After leaving Desolate Spirit Island, where shall we proceed next to an Ancient Ruin? Your subordinates have already located clues to several Ancient Ruins; please decide, My Lord," Elder Song respectfully inquired of the Saint Sovereign standing at the bow of the ship.

"No rush! I have one small matter yet to conclude. You all wait aboard the treasure ship."

"Yes, Saint Sovereign!" Elder Song and the other Nascent Soul cultivators of the Saint Sovereign Palace exchanged glances. Though puzzled, they dared not ask further.

The Saint Sovereign left the treasure ship, ascended into the sky, paused briefly in the air to fix his bearing, and then shot off toward the area on Desolate Spirit Island where the ghostly energy was thickest.

A short while later, he flew several thousand miles away.

Whoosh!

The Saint Sovereign's figure abruptly halted. He stood still in the sky, gazing silently toward a mountain range ahead, shrouded by billowing clouds of specters. Dense black energy coiled around these peaks, obscuring any view of what lay within. The Ghost Lord's powerful aura was concealed within, yet it made no attempt to truly hide.

"Ghost Lord, the matter of the Ancient Treasure Vault is concluded, and this Sovereign will be leaving Desolate Spirit Island shortly. Before I depart, I have something to discuss with you. Come out," the Saint Sovereign said softly, halting outside the mountain range and emitting a powerful presence.

The opposite mountain range, shrouded in ghost clouds, remained silent for a moment. Suddenly, the ghostly mist surged violently, and a beam of dark flame light, hundreds of feet long, shot out, stopping only a few miles before the Saint Sovereign, revealing the form of a late-stage Nascent Soul Ghost Cultivator.

The arrival was none other than the Ghost Lord, restraining his rage and glaring darkly at the Saint Sovereign.

Once cultivators reached their level of power, achieving a draw in battle was simple, but without special means, securing a victory unto death was exceedingly difficult. Although the Ghost Lord had been defeated by the Saint Sovereign, he did not fear the Saint Sovereign seeking him out.

"Saint Sovereign, although this Lord is not your equal, if you press too hard, this Lord does not fear mutual destruction with you," the Ghost Lord hissed viciously.

"Heh heh, Daoist Friend Ghost Lord, this Sovereign has always acted with propriety. The previous incident was solely to secure the Ancient Treasure Vault, not aimed at you. Since that matter is past, why must you hold a grudge?"

The Saint Sovereign smiled lightly, unconcerned.

"Hmph. Easy for you to say. This Lord has cultivated on this island for hundreds of years and never clashed with East Sea cultivators. Today, you East Sea cultivators have utterly ruined my major undertaking! My tribulation to ascend to the Spirit Transformation stage is approaching, and I lack the time or energy to waste on whatever grand affair the Saint Sovereign speaks of. Please return," the Ghost Lord scoffed, refusing without hesitation, and then began to turn back toward the mountain peaks.

"Oh, is that so?!"

The Saint Sovereign's expression remained unchanged as he chuckled lightly. "This Sovereign had assumed you would be quite interested in the tribulations of the Spirit Transformation stage. It seems, Daoist Friend Ghost Lord, you do not care for such things. In that case, there is no need for further discussion. Farewell!" With that, he prepared to turn away.

"Wait!"

The Ghost Lord was instantly alarmed and quickly called out to the Saint Sovereign.

"What? Have you reconsidered?"

The Saint Sovereign stopped, looking at the Ghost Lord with an expression of mild amusement.

"I ask what the Senior Saint Sovereign seeks from this Lord. Furthermore, regarding the Spirit Transformation tribulation, I beg the Saint Sovereign for guidance on how to overcome it. If this Lord can pass the tribulation, I will certainly repay the Saint Sovereign's kindness today!"

The ghostly mist on the Ghost Lord's face shifted, suggesting hesitation and internal struggle. In the end, he yielded. His gloomy tone became considerably more respectful. After all, the Spirit Transformation stage took precedence over everything; the minor past grievances with the Saint Sovereign were utterly insignificant.

"This Sovereign has long been planning a certain endeavor. However, relying on my own strength alone, I fear it may not succeed. I need to join forces with several powerful late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators to have a good chance. I hope you will join forces with me!" the Saint Sovereign stated calmly.

"Why doesn't the Saint Sovereign seek out the five Sect Masters of the Heavenly Dao Alliance or the five overlords of the Heavenly Demon Alliance? Their strength surpasses this Lord's! With them, is there anything in the East Sea Cultivation World that cannot be achieved?" the Ghost Lord asked doubtfully.

"The strength of the Sect Masters and the overlords is indeed formidable. However, this Sovereign holds old grudges against them, and I do not wish for the Heavenly Dao Alliance or the Heavenly Demon Alliance to be involved in this matter. The primary reason I approach you is that you do not belong to either faction. Furthermore, your strength, Ghost Lord, is no less than that of any Sect Master or overlord, making you an exceptionally suitable partner! If you are willing to undertake this task with me, this Sovereign will impart all experience regarding the Spirit Transformation tribulation to you! How about it, will you consider it?"

The Saint Sovereign fixed his gaze on the Ghost Lord and smiled.