23: Yingzheng makes amends and the treasury searches for treasure

Ying Zheng stood at the edge of the high platform, his entire body ice-cold, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

His Great Qin’s Foundation, which he was so proud of, and his Imperial Uncle Ying Wu, whom he relied on, were just… gone?

Along with two other Heavenly Human Realm old monsters who appeared out of nowhere, they had all vanished into thin air.

Who exactly was this young man holding half a string of candied hawthorns?!

An Immortal!

He declared himself an Immortal!

His Disciple also cultivated Immortal arts!

Ying Zheng’s mind buzzed, countless thoughts surged, finally turning into a blank.

He suddenly felt how ridiculous his relentless pursuit of the Nine Great Dynasties’ hegemony was in the face of the word “Immortal”.

“Gulp.”

Someone, he didn't know who, swallowed hard.

Inside and outside the martial arts arena, tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians, every single one of them, were petrified on the spot.

They had witnessed a miracle with their own eyes, and also witnessed divine punishment.

Ying An’ge’s small face was pale, and the candied hawthorn in her hand fell to the ground with a “thud,” covered in dust. Her gaze towards Lu Yuchen was filled with extreme fear, and a hint of… inexplicable reverence.

Was this truly… power?

Lu Yuchen glanced at the Dragon Throne with a half-smile, his voice not loud, but clearly audible throughout the entire venue:

“The Emperor of Great Qin, are you not going to come out and say something?”

Ying Zheng shivered, the feeling of his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering instantly enveloping him.

He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the tumultuous waves in his heart, trying to keep his voice from trembling too much.

He quickly walked down the high platform and came before Lu Yuchen, bowing deeply, lowering his posture to the absolute minimum.

“Junior Ying Zheng, I was blind and offended the Immortal. I beg the Immortal for forgiveness!”

Behind him, all the civil and military officials of Great Qin were already scared out of their wits. Seeing their own Emperor so respectful, how dared they remain standing? They knelt down in a flurry.

“Please forgive us, Immortal!” The mountainous, tsunami-like sound carried a tremor from their very Souls.

Lu Yuchen pursed his lips, thinking to himself that this old Emperor was quite sensible.

“Alright, alright, all of you may rise.” He waved his hand, as if shooing flies, “Ignorance is no sin, and this Master is not a bloodthirsty person.”

Of course, the premise was not to provoke him and his precious Disciples.

Ying Zheng felt a little relieved upon hearing this, but still dared not rise, cold sweat trickling down his forehead.

“Immortal is magnanimous, this Junior is endlessly grateful. Previously, my Great Qin’s Imperial Uncle Ying Wu offended the Immortal’s Disciple, and truly deserved to die. It’s just…”

He paused, carefully looking up to observe Lu Yuchen’s expression, “May I ask why the Immortal has graced my Great Qin with his presence? Whatever my Great Qin can do, we will not hesitate to do, even if it means death!”

These words were extremely well-spoken, admitting fault and proactively showing goodwill, attempting to probe Lu Yuchen’s intentions.

Lu Yuchen glanced at him, thinking to himself that this old fellow was quite cunning.

He pointed to Lin Fan, who was still in a daze, and Nanny, who was obediently pulling at his clothes.

“These two good-for-nothing Disciples of mine have troubled you.”

“This boy Lin Fan came to participate in your martial arts competition to find a spouse for the ‘five elements source crystal’.”

“As for Nanny…” Lu Yuchen rubbed Nanny’s small head and chuckled, “She needs some special Five Elements spiritual items for her Foundation Establishment. I heard your Great Qin’s national treasury has quite a few treasures?”

The meaning was clear: I want the five elements source crystal, and I also need to browse your national treasury.

Ying Zheng, being who he was, instantly understood.

His face immediately broke into a “sincere” smile: “So that’s it! Lin Fan, the Immortal’s Disciple, won the championship, so the five elements source crystal is naturally his! As for the national treasury…”

He waved his hand grandly, full of heroic spirit: “If the Immortal and the two Immortal Disciples find anything to their liking, please take it! It would be an honor for my Great Qin!”

Are you kidding? Building good relations with an Immortal, let alone a mere national treasury, even if he were to give away the entire Great Qin, as long as it could bring a hint of Immortal fate, it would be a huge gain!

He now understood that all the struggles for hegemony among the Nine Great Dynasties and the unification of the world were mere child’s play in the face of a true Immortal.

“Hmm, you’re very sensible.” Lu Yuchen nodded in satisfaction.

This Emperor is someone he can deal with.

A moment later.

The Great Qin National Treasury.

Ying Zheng personally led the way, followed by Lu Yuchen, Lin Fan, and Lu Nuannuan.

The national treasury was heavily guarded and filled with mechanisms. But under Ying Zheng’s guidance, they naturally passed through unhindered.

Pushing open the heavy bronze door, a rich aura of treasures surged forth.

Mountains of gold, silver, and jewels, Sharp Weapons gleaming with cold light, and countless rare medicinal herbs, ancient books, and secret manuals.

Lin Fan was dazzled, thinking that Great Qin was indeed incredibly wealthy.

Lu Yuchen, however, was uninterested. These mundane objects were no different from scrap metal to him.

Only Nanny, upon entering the national treasury, her big, round eyes lit up.

She sniffed her small nose, pulled Lu Yuchen’s hand, and walked directly towards the depths of the treasury.

“Master, over there, there’s something delicious over there!”

Upon seeing this, Ying Zheng’s mouth twitched slightly.

Delicious… delicious?

This little Immortal maiden’s taste was indeed unique.

Under Nanny’s “guidance,” everyone arrived at a secret room in the deepest part of the national treasury.

Stored here were the most precious and rare treasures of the entire Great Qin Dynasty.

“It’s this!”

The small figure rummaged through a pile of miscellaneous items and found four treasures emitting different elemental auras.

A piece of “Li Fire Divine Stone” that was entirely crimson and exuded a scorching aura.

A section of “Profound Nether Heavy Water” that was crystal clear and exuded an extremely cold aura.

A “Geng Metal Mother Embryo” that was incomparably sharp, as if it could pierce through metal and crack stone.

A handful of “Resting Soil Essence” that was thick and solid, exuding an aura of the earth.

“Master, Nanny wants all of these!” She held the four treasures, looking at Lu Yuchen with eager eyes.

Lu Yuchen scanned them with his Divine Sense and found that these four items were all exceptionally pure Heaven And Earth Treasures of fire, water, metal, and earth attributes. Although their grade was not as Heaven-Defying as the five elements source crystal, they were still considered rare in the world.

“Good, take them all.” Lu Yuchen smiled, “Adding the wood attribute spiritual item your Senior Brother gave you earlier, with the Five Elements complete, your Foundation for forging the Chaos Dao Body will be solid.”

Ying Zheng watched Nanny, as if she were strolling through her own backyard, collect several of Great Qin’s top treasures into her possession. His heart was bleeding, yet he maintained a respectful smile on his face.

“Immortal, two Immortal Disciples, is there anything else you fancy?” He asked, suppressing his heartache.

“No need.” Lu Yuchen waved his hand, “These are enough.”

He glanced at Lin Fan: “Fan’er, if there’s anything you fancy, take it as well.”

Lin Fan scratched his head: “Master, this Disciple doesn’t want anything. These treasures should be left for Junior Sister’s Foundation Establishment.”

What he cared about most was improving his cultivation and helping the Sect as soon as possible.

Lu Yuchen nodded with satisfaction. This eldest Disciple was teachable.

The treasure hunt in the national treasury concluded with everyone happy (at least on the surface).

Three days later.

Lu Yuchen took Lin Fan and Nanny, bade farewell to Ying Zheng, who was endlessly grateful and wished he could package the entire Great Qin and give it to them, and embarked on the journey back to Tai Xuan Immortal Sect.

Outside Xianyang City, Ying Zheng led all the civil and military officials to respectfully see them off at the ten-li long pavilion.

When the news spread, the entire Nine Great Dynasties was shaken once again.

The Emperor of Great Qin actually bowed so humbly to an unknown “Tai Xuan Immortal Sect”?

The bizarre “disappearance” of the three Heavenly Human Realm powerhouses finally had a reasonable explanation.

Immortals!

Tai Xuan Immortal Sect was a true Immortal Sect!

For a time, the name of Tai Xuan Immortal Sect became as bright as the sun, spreading to every corner of the Nine Great Dynasties.

Countless Martial Artists racked their brains trying to find out the location of Tai Xuan Immortal Sect’s mountain gate, hoping to join the Immortal Sect and seek the Great Dao of Longevity.

The three-Dynasty war, which originated from Lin Fan, also strangely ceased due to this shocking change.

At the same time, the Great Chu Dynasty was scared stiff.