Ye Xiruo's words completely dispelled the emperor's doubts. In any case, the fact that he could extend his life by thirty years was already an enormous advantage, a blessing he must have accumulated over many lifetimes.
"Everything has a cause and an effect. I'm not entirely sure what the consequences of taking the longevity pill will be, but going against the will of Heaven will inevitably come at a price. For the next thirty years, you'd better cultivate your character and do more good deeds."
"Thank you for your guidance, Immortal Master. Would you like to take a look at my private treasury?"
Ye Xiruo gave the old emperor a meaningful look, but did not expose his thoughts, and nodded: "Alright."
To Ye Xiruo's surprise, the emperor's private treasury was actually located in the underground vault beneath this grand hall, and the mechanism was a seemingly insignificant pearl on the throne. The ancestors of this Rui Kingdom were indeed astute.
After navigating a long, secret passage and dodging countless traps, Ye Xiruo finally arrived at the underground vault with the old emperor. This was just the beginning; there were still numerous formidable traps at the entrance, and most importantly, it required royal blood to open. This level of security rivaled even the legacy caves left behind by some powerful predecessors.
Ye Xiruo raised an eyebrow. From what she had seen and learned upon entering the palace, it was clear that the ancestors of the Rui Kingdom's royal family were cultivators. The fact that they left behind so many formations that were clearly not of this mortal world meant that there should also be cultivation techniques passed down. She didn't know whether they had been lost or whether no one in the royal family could meet the conditions for cultivation. In fact, there wasn't a single cultivator in the entire royal family.
The emperor's private treasury truly lived up to its reputation. It contained the wealth accumulated by the Rui Kingdom over countless years, combined with the old emperor's many years on the throne. Entering it, Ye Xiruo felt as if he had entered a treasure mountain. Judging from the old emperor's expression in the opening scene, he also seemed somewhat smug.
Hmph, I didn't expect the old emperor to have such thoughts; it's just like a child showing off.
"This private treasury must have been around for many years! Why is there no one in the entire royal family who cultivates immortality? I'm talking about your royal family's own cultivation methods." Those like Chen Siling who joined other sects don't count. Ye Xiruo believed that even without her and Brother Xiu Qi's appearance, Chen Siling would never have inherited the throne of Rui Kingdom.
"How did the immortal master know that my royal family has its own cultivation techniques?"
"I guessed." Ye Xiruo took out a luminous pearl the size of a washbasin from the box. The brilliance and the feel of it were on a completely different level from the rare luminous pearls she had seen in her previous life. Sure enough, nothing that could enter the emperor's private treasury was ordinary.
Although most of them are of little use to cultivators, the craftsmanship and aesthetics are quite perfect, judging solely from their design.
Ye Xiruo strolled around for a while but didn't find anything particularly interesting. She already had quite a few of these treasures in her own private treasury, and there were also some rare and precious materials that she had never used.
The emperor's private treasury also contained ancient historical records and some powerful cultivation techniques for mortals. Ye Xiruo quickly flipped through all the historical records and closed the book. The history of Rui Kingdom was already over a thousand years old. The fact that her adoptive parents had chosen to live in seclusion in this country was not a random decision, but rather had a profound meaning. Unfortunately, historical records only mentioned the back mountain briefly. The ancestors called it the Land of Divine Descent, meaning that mortals were forbidden to set foot there, lest they face certain death. Sadly, even now, highly accomplished cultivators cannot enter that mysterious inner circle of the back mountain.
"Please feel free to take anything you need, Immortal Master."
"We agreed on a choice between two options, and this immortal master won't let you suffer a loss." Ye Xiruo took out three bottles of Nourishing Yuan Pills from her spatial ring and handed them to the emperor: "These are Nourishing Yuan Pills, which strengthen the foundation and cultivate vitality. They can be used to save lives, but don't use them lightly."
"Thank you, Immortal Master."
Ye Xiruo selected several headdresses. The royal collection was too extravagant, but she finally found two jade pieces with a watery green color and a faint spiritual aura. Ye Xiruo unceremoniously accepted them; this set would be suitable for Aunt Wang. She also picked out a uniquely crafted and exquisitely beautiful headdress, which that little girl Mingxi would probably like.
"There's something like this here? Didn't the emperor notice?" Ye Xiruo reached out and took out a fist-sized piece of jadeite—it was black jadeite! Black jadeite is a rare gem among jadeite, always extremely scarce. In her previous life, every time raw black jadeite appeared, it would fetch astronomical prices. Even after secondary processing, black jadeite transformed into jewelry remains highly sought after. Ye Xiruo hadn't expected to see such a large piece of black jadeite here, and the spiritual energy contained within it was also considerable. She could take this back and have it carved into a jade pendant or ring for her seventh brother, Xiu Qi.
As for medicinal herbs, Ye Xiruo glanced at them and immediately identified all the herbs with high spiritual energy, instructing the emperor that these herbs might be needed later. The emperor was naturally extremely grateful.
In his mind, cultivators should be like the Imperial Preceptor, aloof and without desires. Or like Elder Qingshan, arrogant, selfish, and greedy. He never expected to meet Xiu Qiyu, whose style was so unique. In Ye Xiruo's eyes, he saw no contempt or indifference towards mortals. Such a person should be able to become an immortal! He was truly lucky.
Having thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle, Ye Xiruo flicked her sleeves: "Alright, I've seen the private treasury. Once you reveal the royal secrets, this deal is over, and I should leave." The news of Chen Siling's death probably wouldn't reach the Emperor's ears quickly, but the Qingyun Sect would certainly know soon. But what good would knowing do? Was a dead genius worth the Qingyun Sect's trouble? The answer was naturally no. It seemed the Emperor's feelings for the Fifth Prince were also complex; how he would react was none of her concern.
"As the Immortal Master predicted, there was indeed an ancestor in Rui Kingdom who was an immortal, but unfortunately, he failed to ascend and was reduced to ashes under the heavenly tribulation. The arrays and layout of the palace were all built under the supervision of our ancestor when his cultivation level was still low. Our ancestor reigned for only five short years, but during those five years, the world was at peace and the country was prosperous. After leaving these things behind, our ancestor abdicated and went out to seek opportunities. Two hundred years later, our ancestor was about to ascend, but he only saw the emperor who was on the throne at the time, left behind a few killing weapons, and instructed that the cultivation technique could not be practiced unless it was compatible with his, before he went to undergo his tribulation."
Unfortunately, our ancestor failed to transcend the tribulation. Three years later, news of his failure spread, plunging the entire nation into grief. The contingency plans left behind by our ancestor were gradually depleted over the next few centuries, and the effectiveness of the formations slowly weakened, now possessing only one-tenth of their original power. As for the cultivation techniques left by our ancestor, only three people have successfully cultivated them in eight hundred years, but none have reached the level of our ancestor.
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