At that moment, a dark red crystal slowly rose from the center of the treasury, suspended in mid-air.
An overwhelming aura emanated from the crystal, causing every hair on Ling Feng's body to stand on end. Ling Feng's movements halted as he gazed intently at the crystal that had suddenly risen.
Upon closer inspection, Ling Feng discovered that the crystal contained a man sealed within it!
The man appeared to be in his early fifties, exuding an air of mysticism quite different from the "lecherous, crude, shameless, and cunning[1]" image that Zifeng had repeatedly mentioned.
This Battlefield of the Gods and Demons had split from the Xuanling Continent tens of thousands of years ago, so how this man's physical form remained intact over these millennia was nothing short of a miracle.
Even in death, the aura emanating from his body was terrifying. In life, the Chunyang Sword Emperor's strength had likely surpassed even that of the Great Emperor Tiance.
Indeed, the older the era, the more powerful it's figures. In the ancient and primeval ages, before the rules of heaven and earth had shifted, the powerhouses of those times far outclassed their present-day counterparts. Chunyang Sword Emperor had lived during an era when the martial arts world was at its zenith, despite the threats from the Devils from Beyond.
During that age, great emperors were as common as dogs, and sages roamed like commoners!
Unfortunately, following that catastrophic war, the spirit ore veins of the Xuanling Continent collapsed, and martial arts declined. Today, experts in the emperor realm had become as rare as phoenix feathers.
Ling Feng took a deep breath, so shaken by the presence of this corpse that he found it hard to breathe.
"Master, be careful!"
Zifeng's body expanded to the size of a calf, and he carefully supported the crystal, setting it gently on the ground. "Let's not wake this guy up."
"Wake up?" A chill ran down Ling Feng's spine as he gasped, "Is he... still alive?"
"Of course he's dead." Zifeng blinked and explained, "Theoretically, he's dead. But who says the dead can't return to life?"
Ling Feng gulped and bowed toward the Chunyang Sword Emperor's corpse, murmuring, "Senior Chunyang, please rest in peace, you better don't wake up!"
"Don't worry, Master. As long as the crystal remains unbroken, the old man's corpse won't reawaken."
Zifeng continued, "Those at the great emperor level, also known as the Divine Destiny Realm, are not ordinary beings. They defy fate, shaping creation itself. It wouldn't be surprising if they left a sliver of spiritual consciousness behind."
Ling Feng nodded slightly. He had met several great emperor experts, and as Zifeng said, their capabilities were indeed extraordinary. For instance, Tianbai Emperor's spiritual manifestation in the Misty Ghost Forest, or Great Emperor Tiance on Wangduan Mountain...
These emperor realm experts from a thousand years ago had preserved their consciousness. Compared to that, the Chunyang Sword Emperor from the golden age of martial arts, tens of thousands of years ago, was likely even more formidable.
After pondering for a moment, Ling Feng decided to quickly select a few valuable items and leave this place immediately. If the Chunyang Sword Emperor truly awoke, who knew how this ancient monster might react to him?
Ling Feng had briefly entertained the notion of controlling Chunyang Sword Emperor's corpse. After all, the Reincarnation Heaven-Burying Sword Art he practiced contained a forbidden technique: Reincarnation and Rebirth.
He had twelve crystal coffins stored in his Five Elements Heavenly Palace, each holding the corpse of a great emperor-level expert, but none matched the strength of this ancient Chunyang Sword Emperor.
If he could one day use the Art of Reincarnation and Rebirth to control the Chunyang Sword Emperor, that one great emperor alone would be more powerful than the twelve others combined.
However, Ling Feng quickly abandoned this mad idea. Firstly, he couldn't open any dimensional treasures; he could barely carry the items he wanted. How could he possibly move such a massive corpse?
Secondly, Chunyang Sword Emperor had sealed his body within a crystal, likely protected by some kind of restriction. Attempting to meddle with his corpse might end very badly.
"These Treasures of Heaven and Earth... let's take whatever we can carry."
Ling Feng touched his nose and set his sights on the Treasures of Heaven and Earth displayed on the altars.
He had no need for weapons, as he already possessed the Eradicator of Realms. As for armor, given his physical strength, he didn't need any additional protection.
He also didn't require the elemental stones and crystals here, though they were valuable. With the wealth of his Five Elements Heavenly Palace, money was never an issue.
What truly interested Ling Feng were the Treasures of Heaven and Earth infused with the power of creation.
It was worth noting that even a single Treasure of Heaven and Earth could cost billions of Tianwei points at Tianwei Academy.
Since the academy's founding, no student had ever accumulated enough points to exchange for one of these treasures, which were essentially treated as display items, rarely used by anyone.
Now, sixteen Treasures of Heaven and Earth lay before him, each one surpassing the top-grade items in Tianwei Academy's treasury!
Quickly, Ling Feng selected six Treasures of Heaven and Earth, stuffing his entire body until he couldn't carry anything else.
More importantly, despite their small size, some Treasures of Heaven and Earth were incredibly heavy. Considering that he'd have to escape through the windhole outside, Ling Feng dared not take more than he could handle.
As for Tuoba Yan, she wasn't interested in ordinary weapons or armor. She finally picked a soft inner armor tailored for women. Despite being just inner armor, it was one of the few defensive sacred artifacts in the treasury.
Her greatest weakness was her lack of defense, so wearing this sacred artifact inner armor would significantly enhance her safety.
After taking this inner armor, Tuoba Yan lost interest in anything else.
The most extravagant by far was Zifeng, who expanded its body to the maximum and opened its mouth wide, stuffing boxes filled with elemental stones and crystals into its stomach.
With its demonic essence enveloping the boxes, Zifeng's stomach acted as a decent storage container.
To Zifeng, treasured weapons and armor were meaningless; the elemental stones and crystals, filled with pure spiritual energy, were what truly drew itself.
Soon, Zifeng's belly bulged, unable to hold any more. Casting a greedy glance at the remaining boxes, it let out a sigh, out of breath, and said to Ling Feng, "Ma... Master, that's about it."
"..." Ling Feng rolled his eyes and said with a wry smile, "Zifeng, doesn't that feel uncomfortable?"
"What discomfort? These are all great items!" Zifeng pouted, "The purity of the elemental stones and crystals here is ten times better than those acquired from veins! They're amazing treasures!"
"Fine, thanks for the effort." Ling Feng patted its head, shaking his own with a laugh, and he and Tuoba Yan began to make their way back.
Though the treasury held many more items, he had obtained what he needed. The rest could be left for future adventurers.
1. The author is inconsistent with the terms used to describe the sword emperor, so I translated whatever word was used by author. ☜