Vol 3 Chapter 32: The Choice of Heavenly Treasures
Using illusion techniques to stay hidden in Tianqing City, and relying on alchemy to gradually amass the resources needed for cultivation, Lin Jing felt that maintaining his current state—without constantly fleeing—was rather peaceful.
However, things never go as planned.
Lin Jing had seemingly forgotten something—something that hadn’t troubled him in a long time.
Something powerful enough to tear him away from his stable life, throwing him into chaos once again.
Crowds bustled through the busy streets.
Suddenly, the sky trembled, and a massive light pillar descended from above, crashing heavily into the corner of the market district—
Right at the Nameless Pill Pavilion.
A powerful tremor spread across the city.
The Nascent Soul powerhouse, Venerable Ling Quan, abruptly stepped out of his cultivation chamber.
“That direction… the Nameless Pill Pavilion?”
“That young wandering alchemist… just got sucked into a secret realm?”
A flicker of realization flashed across his eyes—
Treasure Vault Secret Realm!
His expression changed dramatically.
“Damn it! That brat still owes me Gluttonous Pills! I was planning to collaborate with his master long-term—he better not die on me!”
“For the first time in nearly twenty years, I’ve been pulled into another Cavern Heaven…”
Compared to the chaos outside, Lin Jing himself was feeling a bit dazed.
After sending off Ouyang Hao, he had simply returned to refining pills.
One moment, he was focused on his work.
The next, he was dragged into a Cavern Heaven.
It had happened too suddenly, but what concerned him more was—
What kind of secret realm was this? What were its rules?
Before long, in a brilliantly illuminated grand hall, six figures appeared, standing around a stone tablet in the center.
Engraved beneath the tablet were the words—
“Treasure Vault Secret Realm”
And below it, the rules of the realm were inscribed:
The Vault of Heaven Bestows Supreme Treasures.
Rule 1: Upon entering the Treasure Vault Secret Realm, each participant will receive a tailored artifact from the treasure vault, chosen specifically to match their abilities.
Rule 7: Before seeing the artifact’s details, participants cannot choose to accept or reject it.
If a participant accepts, they must battle all others who made the same choice.
Only one survivor will obtain the final reward.
If a participant rejects, they will be isolated in a side chamber, becoming a spectator.
They will return to the outside world once the realm closes, with no risk to their life.
“Are you kidding me? Why does it have to be this secret realm?!”
Among the six, a young man dressed as a boatman clutched his head in frustration.
This was a do-or-die realm—you either killed everyone else for the treasure or walked away empty-handed.
The risk was too high.
The six contestants carefully examined one another.
Lin Jing glanced around—
The boatman youth seemed to specialize in water magic, likely from a coastal region.
A gold-haired youth, dressed in luxurious robes, carried the aura of a lightning cultivator—his background was likely extraordinary.
One of the two women wore a green dress and had a gentle temperament—probably a wood-element cultivator.
The other woman had fiery energy, but lacked alchemy traces—she was more likely an artifact refiner than a fire cultivator.
The last young man—Lin Jing recognized him.
Their eyes met, both equally shocked to see each other here.
Everyone understood the brutality of the Treasure Vault Secret Realm.
If they chose to compete, they would have to kill every other contender—or risk being killed themselves.
The boatman youth muttered to himself.
He could tell that none of the other five were easy opponents.
The moment the artifacts were revealed—
His breathing changed.
His rationality shattered.
Even Lin Jing felt the urge to fight.
As the ten-second countdown began, a phantom hourglass appeared before Lin Jing—visible only to him.
Information flowed into his mind, and his eyes widened slightly.
[Holder may enter the Hourglass Space for cultivation.]
[Internal time flow: 10:1 (10 years inside = 1 year outside).]
[Unless proficient in both time and space laws, external forces cannot interfere.]
Lin Jing’s breath hitched.
A Treasure Designed for a Longevity Body
This artifact had drawbacks—
After ten years inside, the user must spend one year outside before re-entering.
Aging and lifespan within the hourglass corresponded to its internal time flow.
For most cultivators, this was a huge issue.
But for someone with a Longevity Body?
Longevity cultivators struggled with one major problem—
How to convert their vast lifespan into cultivation progress.
This Hourglass of Time directly solved that problem.
More importantly, the hourglass space was an ideal hiding place—even Nascent Soul powerhouses skilled in spatial arts would struggle to break in.
“A treasure perfectly tailored for me.”
Lin Jing’s heart raced.
To obtain it, I’d have to kill every other contender.
Lin Jing glanced around.
The others’ greedy gazes showed that their treasures were likely just as valuable as his.
“If I want this Heavenly Treasure, I must follow the realm’s rules and kill them all.”
“The factions backing these geniuses won’t let this slide.”
“If they’re from outside Qingzhou, it’s fine.”
“But if they’re from Qingzhou, things will get complicated.”
“My fake identity will be exposed again…”
“But if I give up, I’ll lose this space-time artifact forever.”
Just as Lin Jing was still weighing his options, one of the six—a Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator—chose to withdraw.
He was dressed in the alchemy attendant robes of Tongtian Tower.
It was none other than—
Back when Xia Yan bought Gluttonous Pills, it had changed his fate, allowing him to pass Tongtian Tower’s trials.
Now, he gazed at Lin Jing with complicated emotions.
“A single pill from that alchemist changed my destiny.”
“He saw through my father’s secrets at a glance.”
“He’s definitely not just a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.”
“Even based on gratitude alone, I’m not qualified to fight him.”
Even though Xia Yan’s treasure was exceptional, he reluctantly stepped away.
Seven people remained.
The artifact refiner youth also chose to withdraw.
Now, only five contenders remained.
A gold-haired youth smirked.
“Finally, the real competition starts.”
“Let’s see which of you is brave enough to fight me.”