The Changkong Treasure Vault held a multitude of treasures.

It even housed Sacred Artifacts, and fragments of weapons once wielded by Great Saints.

But divine objects possessed spirits of their own, and they would conceal their own brilliance.

Even with the opportunity to enter the Changkong Treasure Vault, what treasures one could ultimately obtain depended entirely on one’s own fortune.

Entry to the Changkong Treasure Vault was granted only to those who made outstanding contributions to the Changkong clan or accomplished some great deed.

Examples included becoming the clan’s Dao Seed, or its First Martial King.

Now that Fang Yang had become the Marquis of Shiwu, he was granted just such an opportunity to enter the Changkong Treasure Vault.

"Fang Yang, I never thought you would be the one to become the sole Marquis of Shiwu."

Chen Kui’s expression was complicated. "Remember, don’t let greed cloud your judgment. Even if a Great Saint’s weapon appears before you, don’t force it. Go on in."

After offering a few words of caution, she stood her ground, watching as Fang Yang strode forward and walked directly into the bank of clouds before them.

Beyond the clouds lay the Grotto Heaven, the pocket dimension where the Changkong Treasure Vault was located.

An old Saint stood guard within the Changkong Treasure Vault, so Chen Kui did not follow Fang Yang inside.

As she watched Fang Yang’s figure vanish, Chen Kui let out an inexplicable sigh. "Alas... could I have been wrong back then?"

On the eve of the Enlightenment Ceremony long ago, she had been the one to stop her younger sister, Chen Ying, from gifting the Fire Eagle Essence to Fang Yang.

It was true that Fang Yang had shown some extraordinary qualities back then, but Chen Kui had not been optimistic about his relationship with Chen Ying.

The story of Fang Nian and Qing Rushang had served as a cautionary tale.

Now, however, Chen Kui was filled with a measure of regret.

It wasn’t that she regretted being blind to his talent; she regretted allowing her sister to fall deeper and deeper in love!

The thought of her sister’s increasingly gaunt face made her own heart ache.

Fortunately, her sister was headed to the Daoist Mansion of Eternal Life, while Fang Yang was bound for the Thunder Saint Academy. The two of them would be like kites flying in opposite directions, their paths diverging ever more.

She believed that with the great power of time, all feelings would eventually fade.

’Surely the younger generation of the Daoist Mansion of Eternal Life can’t all be inferior to Fang Yang, can they?’ Chen Kui took a deep breath, steeling herself.

...

「Changkong Treasure Vault.」

The sky was a vast azure, streaked with faint, multicolored glimmers of light.

From the land below rose all manner of strange cries—the roars of tigers and lions, the screeches of eagles and hawks.

Patches of treasured ground shone with brilliant, divine light, yet they also exuded auras of immense power, forcing Fang Yang to a halt.

"Easy there, little one. Don’t be hasty. Quiet your mind, close your eyes, and carefully sense the flows of energy to make your choice."

An ancient voice drifted down from the heavens, brushing past him like a gentle breeze as it imparted its wisdom.

In truth, Fang Yang had already learned this trick from Sen Hui before he arrived. Still, hearing it again, he ceased his aimless wandering.

He recalled the prophecy from his divination: *Enter the Changkong Treasure Vault, expand the Cyan Thunder, and a Tier Six opportunity shall be yours. Auspicious.*

Without hesitation, he waved the sleeve of his Daoist robe, and the Cyan Thunder Rune Seed appeared. He immediately channeled his True Essence into it.

CRACKLE... POP...

The Cyan Thunder Rune Seed flew from his hand and drifted into the air. Emitting a thunderous crackle, it rapidly expanded, transforming into a stalk of Thunderous Cyan Bamboo.

A treasured light flared, and from the distance came a sound like a surging tide, drawing the Cyan Thunder Rune Seed toward it.

The bamboo that had formed from the Cyan Thunder Rune Seed drifted southeast on its own. As it moved, its lightning grew more and more abundant until it was no longer a single stalk of Thunderous Cyan Bamboo, but an entire grove of it!

"Oh?"

Fang Yang thought he faintly heard a gasp of surprise. He guessed it was likely the old Saint who managed the vault, expressing his astonishment.

Thunder boomed as waves of Cyan Thunder pulsed through the air.

Soon, Fang Yang arrived in a place that resembled an ocean of bamboo.

Before his eyes, this ocean of bamboo rapidly contracted, condensing with furious speed.

The Yimu Sacred Spear.

A shattered spear hovered in the air before Fang Yang.

This was an Assault Sacred Artifact. Its entire body was a deep cyan, as if forged from Yimu wood. Though its shaft was covered in a chaotic mess of scars and nicks, it was still astonishingly solid.

’A Sacred Artifact! Even a fragmented one is incredibly precious.’

WHOOSH... As Fang Yang watched, the Cyan Thunder Rune Seed flowed like water into the Yimu Sacred Spear, partially restoring its damaged tip.

Fang Yang understood. The Yimu Sacred Spear had now inherited the abilities of the Cyan Thunder Rune Seed.

"Little one, your name is Fang Yang, is it not?"

The ancient voice spoke once more:

"Fang Yang, the Sacred Artifact in your hand is named the Yimu Sacred Spear. It was once a Tier Seven Sacred Artifact that drank its fill of the blood of demons."

"Its master was a man named Lin Muteng, known by the title ’Yimu Divine General.’ I hope you will remember his name."

"Wielding it, the Yimu Divine General slew three Demon Saints of the same realm before he finally fell in battle."

"But because it endured such a horrific battle, its rank has gradually fallen. Now, it can barely maintain its status as a Tier Six Sacred Artifact."

"In another hundred years or so, it would have devolved into a mundane weapon. But you arrived just in time."

"Heh. A youth destined to be a Great Saint should indeed have a Sacred Artifact as a trump card."

The old Saint seemed emotional at this point. "Accept it."

Hearing this, Fang Yang nodded in acceptance.

His expression was calm, but inside, his heart was a sea of crashing waves.

A Sacred Artifact!

An actual Sacred Artifact!

How could he have actually obtained a Sacred Artifact from the vault? It was unbelievable!

True, the Sacred Artifact had degraded over long years of battle and was even on the verge of losing its sacred status entirely.

But no matter what, it was still a Sacred Artifact! As long as he could repair its hidden damage within a hundred years, he would possess a Tier Six Sacred Artifact—or perhaps even a Tier Seven!

If the other new Saints like Yuxuan, Qingkong, and Chen Kui learned of his good fortune, they would probably be green with envy!

VMMMM...

The moment Fang Yang’s hand touched the shattered Yimu Sacred Spear, a bolt of Yimu Divine Thunder materialized around it.

Yimu Divine Thunder, one of the Five Elements Divine Thunder, possessed incredible power—enough to obliterate the body of a Saint and scatter their ashes to the wind.

Strangely, however, this bolt of Yimu Divine Thunder was extremely docile. It restrained itself, gently nourishing Fang Yang’s body instead.

It was like a fledgling swallow returning to its nest, or a fish released into the sea.

The Yimu Sacred Spear swiftly formed a connection with Fang Yang. With the aid of the Changkong Treasure Vault’s ambient power, he was able to refine it in an instant!

Like a stream of water, it shot into Fang Yang’s Void Acupoint True Essence Sea, forcefully shoving aside the Carp Eagle Divine Feather to occupy the very center of his True Essence Sea.

Fang Yang closed his eyes, sensing the Yimu Sacred Spear on a deeper level. Streams of information immediately flowed into his mind.

*...Yimu Sacred Spear. Originally a Tier Seven Sacred Artifact, currently Tier Six. Urgently requires repair. Otherwise, it will degrade into a mundane weapon within one hundred years.*

*...Method of repair: Evolve the internal Cyan Thunder Rune Seed into a Cyan Thunder Talisman Tree.*

*...The Yimu Sacred Spear contains a vast reserve of Yimu thunderous might, comparable to the full-power strike of a Tier Six Thunder Dao Saint. This power can be unleashed once every ten years...*

Fang Yang’s sharp brows rose in slight surprise.

’In my experience, activating a Sacred Artifact requires consuming immortal essence. But my Yimu Sacred Spear doesn’t need that!’

’Perhaps this is a form of compensation for it being shattered.’

After a long moment, he opened his eyes and exhaled slowly.

Then, an amusing thought occurred to him.

’The original owner of this Yimu Sacred Spear was Lin Muteng, an ancestor of the Lin clan.’

’And as it happens, I don’t get along with Lin Shenghuang. If Lin Shenghuang keeps coming after me, wouldn’t using this spear against her be a rather unique form of disrespecting one’s elders and ancestors?’