The protective energy shield of the entire Magic Castle shattered with a deafening explosion, causing the massive structure to plummet like a meteorite, smashing into the ground and embedding itself deeply into the earth, gouging out a huge crater.

Whoosh!

A massive metallic foot descended from the sky, brutally stomping onto the still-recovering Magic Castle. The very earth shuddered violently, sending soil and debris flying outwards. Centered around the Heavenly Dao Mecha, the surrounding earth surged backward as if churned by a bulldozer, the ground ripping open with terrifying fissures that made one’s scalp tingle.

A cold light flickered in Ye Chen’s eyes. He slapped his palm, causing several sharp claws to protrude from the metal fingers. With immense force, the gigantic hand gripped the entire Magic Castle, the sharpened digits tearing and ripping, sending shards of metal debris fluttering down from the structure.

The Heavenly Dao Mecha, like a frenzied god of slaughter, hoisted the entire Magic Castle high, then slammed it down onto the ground with devastating force. Immediately following, it brought down a crushing punch, and then its massive metallic foot descended with another heavy stomp, shaking the very foundations of the earth, driving the Magic Castle deeper into the soil.

From a distance, Fuxi, the Yellow Emperor, and Nuwa watched this brutal display, utterly dumbfounded. They had never imagined Ye Chen’s combat style would be so aggressively barbaric. They suspected that even if the powerful being inside the Magic Castle hadn't been killed outright, they would certainly have been shaken unconscious by those relentless impacts!

Inside the Magic Castle, the gaunt old man’s ears were ringing, blood trickling from his seven orifices. His eyes were wide with fury as he stared at the colossal foot appearing on the main screen. His lungs felt ready to burst with rage. He, the deputy leader of the Ancient Babylonian Civilization, the commander of the Magic Legion, had never suffered such humiliation—being stomped upon repeatedly as if he were mere trash!

“I’m going all out! I’m fighting you to the death!” the gaunt old man roared, rocketing upwards against fate.

Boom!

A metallic foot slammed down with crushing finality, driving the remains of the Magic Castle deep into the earth, burying it.

All the external auxiliary devices and many palace structures surrounding the Magic Castle disintegrated and collapsed into countless fragments of wreckage. The Heavenly Dao Mecha’s hand clamped down, snatching up the shattered castle to check for signs of life. It immediately saw the gaunt old man’s face, his eyes and ears covered in blood, a large amount of sanguine fluid seeping out, his expression looking truly savage and terrifying.

Ye Chen frowned slightly but said nothing more. He directly stowed the entire Magic Castle into the Heavenly Dao Mecha’s containment bay, instructing Xiao Zongsheng to lock the gaunt old man into the forbidden prison deep within the mecha.

Having handled the situation, the killing intent in Ye Chen’s heart subsided slightly. He piloted the Heavenly Dao Mecha hurtling toward the distant Heavenly Emperor Castle, then leaped out of the cockpit, storing the mecha into his personal space for automatic energy restoration.

Whoosh whoosh!

Fuxi and the Yellow Emperor swiftly approached, their expressions a mixture of pleasant surprise and excitement as they looked at Ye Chen. They quickly asked, “Was that the power of the Heavenly Dao Mecha just now?”

Ye Chen glanced at them, smiled, and nodded. “It was.” But in his heart, he knew that was merely the mecha’s standard combat mode. If he engaged the highest-level C-grade combat mode, facing a peak Dao Artifact like that Magic Castle, a single strike would have been enough to destroy it!

“Let’s go to the treasury first!” Nuwa’s gentle voice held a note of urgency.

Fuxi and the Yellow Emperor instantly felt a jolt and swiftly returned with Ye Chen to the Heavenly Emperor Castle. The castle's repair system rapidly restored the energy shield and the balance system. The engines at the base of the entire Heavenly Emperor Castle roared to life, carrying the structure as it shot toward the treasury!

Among the many factions scrambling to find treasure, the Spiritual Civilization ended up ranked last after this battle.

In the eyes of Nuwa, Fuxi, and the Yellow Emperor, there was a distinct severity and worry. Their primary goal this time was to acquire the key fragments to the Ancient God’s Cave Mansion. If successful, the Spiritual Civilization would control three key fragments, an asset of immeasurable value!

The treasury was dim. Upon entry, there was a long metallic corridor, at the end of which stretched a vast plaza. In the center of the plaza sat a golden fountain pool, enormous and boundless. Though called a fountain, its surface area was nearly the size of Earth’s Atlantic Ocean, but given the vision of Ye Chen and the others, they could easily survey its entire expanse.

Bai Yijun ignored the treasury for a moment, walking softly to Ye Chen’s side. She took his hand and whispered softly, “Are you alright?”

A warmth spread through Ye Chen’s heart, and he smiled. “I’m fine, don't worry.”

Bai Yijun returned his smile sweetly, then turned back to face the fountain ahead. The water flowing from the fountain was a river of seven-colored rainbow light, beautiful, dazzling, inspiring awe and breathlessness.

However, despite the breathtaking beauty, every person who entered the area was too preoccupied to admire it. Everyone was rushing toward the various branch halls and passages around the perimeter, searching for the keys to the Ancient God’s Cave Mansion and any other hidden treasures.

The Heavenly Emperor Castle flew in, arriving above the plaza. Surrounding the plaza was a massive, circular central building with numerous archways, each leading into a long, deep passage.

Nuwa weighed her options for a moment, then piloted the Heavenly Emperor Castle toward one of the side passages. Suddenly, Bai Yijun called out, “Wait!”

The Heavenly Emperor Castle, which had been speeding like thunder, abruptly decelerated. Nuwa turned back in surprise, looking at the clear-eyed girl in white, and asked, “What is it?”

Fuxi and the Yellow Emperor both turned their attention to her. Throughout their journey, this woman had only shown tenderness toward Ye Chen; toward everyone else, she remained cool and detached, never volunteering input. Her sudden halt clearly meant something important.

Bai Yijun glanced at Ye Chen, then turned her gaze toward the fountain not far away. The water in the fountain shimmered, rippling with seven-colored light. A faint gleam shone in her eyes as she whispered, “There is something strange in this fountain pool. If my intuition is correct, there should be a treasure within it.”

Ye Chen nodded gently, turned to Fuxi beside him, and asked, “Shall we go take a look?”

Fuxi pondered for a moment, glancing at Bai Yijun. Finally, he agreed, “Alright!” A faint feeling suggested to him that the fountain pool might indeed hold something unusual. In his long life, he had seen all manner of treasuries and knew that the less conspicuous a place was, the more likely it was to conceal an earth-shattering treasure!

Nuwa remained silent for a moment but did not object. With a wave of her hand, Adam in the pilot seat swiftly adjusted the Heavenly Emperor Castle’s direction, turning tail-to-head, quickly retreating and hovering above the fountain pool.

Click!

The hatch opened, and Bai Yijun and Ye Chen took the lead, stepping out onto the air above the fountain. Ye Chen suddenly felt a stirring in his heart—that vanishing, wondrous sensation resurfaced from his core. He frowned, staring intently at the rainbow fountain, realizing that the liquid within carried a faint aura of divine power.

It was the aura of God-Emperor level divine power!

If one didn't examine it closely, it would be almost impossible to detect. Ye Chen’s gaze swept over the area and he noticed that some of the liquid had spilled near the edge of the fountain. It seemed others had noticed the pool’s peculiarity and searched within, making him wonder if any treasure was truly left, or if it had already been claimed.

He moved instantly, taking Bai Yijun’s small hand, and the two plunged into the fountain pool. The icy water enveloped them, clinging to their skin. Ye Chen’s vision wasn't overly obstructed underwater; he opened his eyes to survey his surroundings and found the seven-colored fountain pool to be unfathomably deep, causing him to look at Bai Yijun.

Their eyes met across the water, both knowing the other’s intent. After slight nods, they began swimming toward the depths of the fountain.

Above, Nuwa, Fuxi, and the Yellow Emperor stowed the Heavenly Emperor Castle and followed them, quickly catching up. The five of them pursued downward into the fountain pool together.

Fuxi’s expression grew stern. If they failed to find treasure in this pool, the time spent searching for artifacts would be severely delayed, and their hope of obtaining the Ancient God’s Cave Mansion key fragments would vanish.

This was truly a gamble.

A cold sweat broke out on his brow as chaotic thoughts raced through his mind. He couldn't fathom why he had been impulsive enough to agree to such a proposal.

As his thoughts churned, the group descended tens of thousands of kilometers into the pool. As they went deeper, the light in the surrounding water gradually dimmed. However, this darkness didn't last long before a milky white luminescence appeared ahead.

The throbbing in Ye Chen’s heart grew stronger, compelling him to accelerate his pace toward the mass of white light. He quickly reached it and immediately felt the surrounding seawater grow warm. Deep within the white glow was a coral reef, fashioned as if cast from metal, vibrant in color and emitting a faint luminescence.

Nestled within this coral reef was a golden treasure chest.

However, the golden treasure chest had already been pried open, and it was empty.

Nuwa, Fuxi, and the Yellow Emperor’s eyes had lit up upon spotting the chest, but their expressions immediately soured when they saw it pried open. They had expected a treasure here, just as Bai Yijun suggested, only to find someone had gotten there first!

And all of this, they thought bitterly, was due to the delay caused by the Demon Realm Civilization and the Ancient Babylonian Civilization, which had made them arrive at the treasury too late!

Realizing this, anger surged within them, but they knew this was no time for resentment. They decisively transmitted a mental command: “Go!”

“Wait.” Ye Chen suddenly spoke. Ignoring the surprised glances of Fuxi and the others, he directly took Bai Yijun’s small hand and floated toward the open chest. Bai Yijun had been about to turn away, but seeing Ye Chen’s expression, something stirred within her, and she obediently allowed him to lead her to the chest.

“What did you find?” Fuxi asked in astonishment.

The Yellow Emperor and Nuwa beside him were burning with anxiety, feeling as if every second spent here meant more treasures were being snatched away by others. They were biting their lips, barely restraining themselves from stamping their feet in frustration.

Ye Chen showed no outward haste. He gazed intently at the golden artifact, feeling the internal thrumming grow increasingly intense. His blood seemed to surge backward, almost ready to burst forth. His hand trembled slightly as he crouched down, reaching toward the metal container.