Chapter 1665: The Treasury
Gu Zun said with a smile: âI know that you have given me a chance. Brother-in-lawâs sacrifice had redeemed for my sin. Because of this, after you have regained your body, you still didnât do anything against Heaven Suppression.â
âUnfortunately, you still donât understand and havenât changed your mind at all. Still the same Gu Zun as before.â Li Qiye smiled and shook his head.
âWhy should I?â Gu Zun smiled back: âIf I am a bad person, no matter how much I change my mind and become enlightened, Iâm still a bad person. It doesnât change what I have done in the past.â
âYes, just the fact that you told Immortal Emperor Ta Kong of the coordinates to Immortal Demon Grotto alone is worthy of a thousand deaths.â Li Qiye nodded seriously.
After Li Qiye escaped from the grotto, he worked together with an Immortal Emperor to banish the entrance to this place into a deep spatial zone. Others wouldnât be able to find the coordinates of this entrance but Gu Zun was aware of this secret. He told Immortal Emperor Ta Kong so that the emperor could find it.
âThatâs why there is no need to change my mind.â Gu Zun smiled: âIâm a dead man anyway, why bother trying to become a good person? Plus, I might have a chance of winning as a bad person, donât you think?â
Li Qiye became a bit sentimental after seeing the calm Gu Zun. He smiled and said: âWith your talents, you can learn things that even the old emperors canât. Alas, you couldnât learn certain positive traits outside of this calmness. It does resemble me quite a bit.â
âImmortal Emperors arenât anything to you anyway. Plus, due to your belief of my natural disposition for betrayal, you wouldnât have trained me to become one anyway regardless of how I have acted. Thus, I have thought clearly about this matter. No need to worry about becoming an Immortal Emperor, there are many other things in life worth pursuing.â
âSo you want to imitate and become me.â Li Qiye was clear on this as well.
âIn this world, it isnât my sister who understands me the best, not my brother-in-law either, it is you, your Excellency.â Gu Zun said: âIf I canât become an emperor, then itâs not bad to become the dark hand either. I donât lack talents and strategies, my dao heart can be polished even further. Though my dao heart is no match for yours, I still think it canât be weaker than the emperors. With enough time, mine will be as strong as yours.â
âBut you lack two things. Resources and immortality.â Li Qiye chuckled.
âYes, Your Excellency. However, you have left behind a treasury that was once watched over by my brother-in-law and Immortal Emperor Qian Li. It was then strengthened by Immortal Emperor Yin Tian later. I heard them saying that this treasury contains your personal artifacts for attacking the tenth world. Thus, there is no need to debate their values. If I can obtain them, thatâs enough for me to stand strong in the nine worlds!â Gu Zun remained calm.
âThatâs why you have always wanted it.â Li Qiye didnât become angry: âThough you couldnât open it, this led to your second idea. If you had immortality, it would mean endless possibilities and time for strategies. One day, you would be able to get this treasury.â
âYes, thatâs why I gave the coordinates to Immortal Emperor Ta Kong so that he could invade the place. Unfortunately, this plan wasnât that successful. If I could become an immortal being like you were, I could replace you one day.â Gu Zun agreed.
âHow interesting.â Li Qiye couldnât help but smile: âI have met so many people in the millions of years. Supreme geniuses and treacherous students, but no matter who they are, they all wanted to obtain some treasures or training from me. Of course, becoming an emperor was many peopleâs dream. However, very few wanted to become an existence like me. Immortality isnât all that wonderful like in peopleâs imagination.â
âThatâs indeed the case.â Gu Zun said solemnly: âThis is something I admire about you. As generations went by with pain, you didnât become a saint or a devil, your heart remained the same. This is the greatest thing about you and what I aspire with great confidence to have one day, an immovable dao heart. Then I can rule the nine worlds just like you, much more interesting than becoming an emperor.â
âItâs not a bad thought, unfortunately, you are not me.â Li Qiye shook his head.
âThatâs why I have worked hard to become someone like you. After all, my cultivation is still weak after just three generations, not being able to reign the nine worlds just yet. It looks like I have let you down.â Gu Zun replied truthfully.
âForget it, no need to talk about this.â Li Qiye shook his head: âMy main goal this time in the Grand Sea is taking your life. Since you have chosen on walking the dark path, I shall let you use all your means and ace cards now, so that you wonât be dying a regretful death.â
âThank you. Let us finish this matter then.â Gu Zun respectfully cupped his fist.
âClank!â The entire field was locked the moment Gu Zun finished speaking. An iron curtain surrounded the whole place with the two and the palace inside.
Li Qiye wasnât afraid at all. He carefully observed the curtain and commented: âFlawless craftsmanship, cast from the iron of the earth vein. It grew together with the vein and after a long period of gestation, it had taken roots with the vein for symbiosis.â
âThis is all thanks to your guidance.â Gu Zun didnât become complacent: âYou have taught me the art of smelting before so I gave it a try. Iâm glad youâre not disappointed.â
âYou still want me to open the treasury.â Li Qiye glanced at the palace and understood Gu Zunâs intention.
âI truly want to widen my horizon. Your treasury has been here for a long time. After careful rumination, this treasury was now connected with the earth vein. Without your key, it is impossible to open it. So, I used the arts you have taught me back then and used the earth iron as the base in order to connect this curtain with the earth vein as well. After years of harmonization, my experiment was a success.â
âHmm, indeed.â Li Qiye agreed: âA very clever design. If I want to leave by breaking down this curtain, I have to open the treasury first. Or, just opening the treasury would automatically remove the curtain as well. This is indeed the finest craftsmanship in the nine worlds. This technique, this planning, this refinement technique⦠how many people can actually achieve this type of symbiosis with the earth vein?â
If outsiders were to listen to this conversation, they would think the two were discussing a profound art. Who would think that these two were about to kill each other?
Gu Zun respectfully cupped his fist at the praise again.
Li Qiye smiled and looked at Gu Zun: âYou want to see the key, right?â
âYes.â Gu Zun nodded: âYour treasury is unique, the other treasures in the world are mere scraps in comparison. I have coveted your treasury for a long time, you wonât be so stingy as to not let me see it?â
Gu Zun didnât try to hide his intent at all. There was no need to do so before Li Qiye since nothing could elude his eyes.
âAre you not afraid of me killing you first?â Li Qiye teased.
Gu Zun didnât become afraid: âI know youâre not so ordinary. In your eyes, I am a dead man, it is only a matter of time. I havenât used my ace card so you wonât be killing me just yet. Iâm confident you will open the treasury first.â
âHow fun.â Li Qiye praised: âFine, since you want it so bad, what else can I say? Itâs not like I canât let you see it, but, the key is not on me.â
âFrom what I know about you, Your Excellency, as long as your soul and sea of memories are there, it will not be a problem. Your sea of memories isnât only empowered by brother-in-lawâs group but also by many other existences. Because of this, it can easily open this treasury.â Gu Zun slowly commented.
Li Qiye gently shook his head: âNo, you donât understand. What Iâm saying is, the key is not on me. You have the key.â
âYour Excellency, your joke isnât funny at all. If I had the key, I wouldnât need to wait till now.â Gu Zun shook his head.
To which Li Qiye responded in a serious manner: âIâm not joking around. I donât have the key, the real key has always been on you. You, yourself, is the key.â
âImpossible!â Gu Zun couldnât remain calm at this moment. He took one step back with his eyes narrowing.
In this split second, he came up with a frightening possibility!