The Treasure Vault was like a sky full of stars, with each star representing a treasure. The least of them were Royal Family’s Top-Grade Weapons, and there were countless Low-Grade Spirit Stones and various elixirs. The sheer number of treasures was dozens of times greater than that of the Divine Holy Empire’s own vault!

"True Qi, condense! Storage Dantian, absorb!"

With a low shout, Nie Yun’s dense True Qi instantly formed eight enormous arms. Looking like an octopus, he shot into the star-filled space and began rapidly collecting everything.

Xiaofong wasn’t idle, either. The Mana of a Secret Realm Powerhouse was even more substantial than True Qi. He scooped up heaps of treasure with a single grab, casually tossing them toward Nie Yun.

He didn’t have a Storage Dantian, so he could only throw the items to Nie Yun for safekeeping.

Working together, the two of them cleared out most of the treasures in the vault in less than twenty breaths. All sorts of elixirs, medicinal materials, and weapons were piled up inside Nie Yun’s Storage Dantian. If his Storage Dantian hadn’t been larger than a normal person’s, thanks to being nourished by the Nameless Technique, there was no way it could have held so much!

"Master, what’s that?"

As they were finishing up, Xiaofong suddenly pointed forward.

Following Xiaofong’s finger, Nie Yun saw a strange bronze mirror on the far wall of the Treasure Vault. The mirror had an antique charm and was engraved with peculiar runes that made one feel dizzy and disoriented just by looking at them.

’These runes...’

Gazing at the Ancient Mirror, Nie Yun’s mind reeled as if he had suffered a powerful spiritual attack.

’This is bad! There’s something in this mirror that devours Soul Power! Don’t look!’

He had only taken a single glance, but Nie Yun already knew the mirror was incredibly strange. He cried out in alarm and quickly turned away. However, he found that the Ancient Mirror seemed to exert a special force that held him fast. No matter which way he turned his head, the runes remained imprinted in his mind, madly devouring his Soul Power!

’The Soul Devouring Mirror! Could this be the Demon Race’s dreaded Soul Devouring Mirror?’

Nie Yun’s face instantly paled as he felt the tearing force emanating from the Ancient Mirror.

The Soul Devouring Mirror could absorb resentful energy and devour souls. It was a Supreme Magical Treasure of the Demon Race, a tier above even Royal Family’s Top-Grade Weapons. In his past life, he had only ever heard of it; he never imagined he would find one in the Treasure Vault of the Zi Qiong Mountain Range!

This type of Soul Devouring Mirror could only devour the Soul Power of those below the Qi Sea Great Perfection Realm. It had no effect whatsoever on souls at the Great Perfection or Spirit Levels.

’I can’t let it devour me! Power of the Blood Pupil Master, surge! Soul Power, rise!’

Knowing his strength would plummet if his soul was devoured, Nie Yun roared internally. He activated his Blood Pupil Master talent, and an eerie light shot from his eyes as he resisted the Devouring Power of the Soul Devouring Mirror.

However, his resistance was incredibly weak—it was like drinking poison to quench his thirst.

’This is no good! If this continues, not only will my True Qi be depleted, but my Soul Power will plummet as well. I can’t accept this! I refuse to accept this!’

Straining so hard it felt like his eyes would burst, Nie Yun found himself on the verge of collapse.

’Once your cultivation reaches Ultimate Venerable Peak, you have to cultivate Soul Power. If my Soul Power falls, my overall strength will be crippled. Forget about rescuing my parents and the others—I wouldn’t even know what hit me before I died!’

’I cannot be devoured! I must become stronger! I must rescue my parents and everyone else! I must charge toward a higher realm! For her, for Master, for all the dreams I couldn’t fulfill in my past life...’

The regrets of his past life and the thought that his parents might still be in his enemies’ hands flashed through his mind. Nie Yun gritted his teeth and persevered.

GRIND! GRIND!

Just as Nie Yun felt he could hold on no longer, his Spiritual Power suddenly triggered something, causing it to circulate along the pathways of the Nameless Technique.

BOOM!

Circulating Spiritual Power according to the Nameless Technique enhanced one’s aura. As it flowed, Nie Yun’s aura instantly exploded, reaching the level of a Secret Realm Powerhouse—a raging, stormy sea.

’Breakthrough! Breakthrough!’

With the sudden surge in his aura, Nie Yun felt like a favorable wind had suddenly appeared while he was rowing upstream. With a jolt of his spirit, he charged for the breakthrough!

BOOM!

After a dizzying moment where the world seemed to spin, Nie Yun felt his soul instantly enter a new plane of existence. His entire perspective immediately broadened.

His Soul Power had surged, and the Devouring Power from the Soul Devouring Mirror weakened, no longer seeming to have any effect on him.

’Qi Sea Great Perfection? I actually broke through to the Great Perfection Realm?’

Sensing the change in his Soul Power, Nie Yun knew he had achieved a breakthrough. He had entered a new realm and was so excited he nearly leaped into the air!

’Qi Sea Great Perfection... A realm that usually only Secret Realm Powerhouses can reach! To think I achieved it while I’m still only at Ultimate Venerable Peak!’

’With this level of Soul Power, I’m immune to all poisons and impervious to all evils. Even if I faced Qi Emperor again, I wouldn’t be afraid!’

"Master, are you okay...?"

He had just come down from his excitement when he heard Xiaofong’s worried voice.

The whole process, from his soul being ensnared by the Soul Devouring Mirror to his breakthrough, might sound long, but it had only taken two or three breaths. Xiaofong, standing beside him, didn’t even realize what had just happened. In that brief moment, Nie Yun’s power had already undergone a qualitative leap and transformation.

"I’m fine!"

Nie Yun waved a hand to show Xiaofong he shouldn’t worry, then turned his gaze back to the Ancient Mirror.

’It must be these runes on the Ancient Mirror that absorb people’s souls. If I can figure them out and combine that knowledge with my Blood Pupil Master talent, Soul Attacks could absolutely become my most powerful weapon!’

An idea struck Nie Yun as he recalled the terrifying way the Ancient Mirror devoured souls.

’The Blood Pupil Master talent is an innate gift for controlling souls. If I can decipher these runes and combine them with that talent, I could probably throw even a Qi Sea Great Perfection expert’s mind into chaos in an instant!’

’In a duel between masters, there is no room for the slightest error. A single moment of mental chaos can decide the victor!’

’This isn’t the time or place to study this. I’d better put it away for now!’

After observing it for a moment, Nie Yun reminded himself that this was the Zi Qiong Mountain Range Treasure Vault and he couldn’t linger. With a sweep of his hand, he stored the Ancient Mirror in his Storage Dantian.

’I’ll study it carefully when I get back. If I can figure something out, I won’t just be able to improve my own strength—I might even be able to help my Demon Pets and friends improve their Soul Power!’

’Cultivation is easy to raise, but Soul Power is difficult to grow. If this Soul Devouring Mirror can help my Demon Pets and friends all improve their Soul Power, then I’ll truly be able to run rampant across the Qi Sea Continent, fearing nothing!’

’Just imagine it... If my parents, siblings, and Demon Pets all reached Soul Great Perfection, their strength would be comparable to those old undying monsters who have broken through to the Secret Realm. Who would I have to fear then? There would probably be no power left on the entire Qi Sea Continent that could threaten me!’

"We’ve cleaned out pretty much everything in the Treasure Vault. Let’s go!"

After storing the Ancient Mirror in his Dantian, Nie Yun scanned the room one last time. The entire hall was now completely empty, picked clean. He called out to Xiaofong, and the two of them quickly headed for the exit.

They hadn’t yet reached the door and were just about to open it when a stern voice barked from the other side.

"You aren’t at your posts. What are you all doing standing here?"

The voice carried a powerful, naturally authoritative aura.

"A Secret Realm Powerhouse! Master, there’s a Secret Realm Powerhouse outside! Could the Zi Qiong Emperor be back?"

Xiaofong suddenly sent an anxious Sound Transmission.

PS: It seems I won’t get any monthly tickets if I don’t ask. It’s the end of the month, everyone, so please check your accounts. You should have some tickets stored up, so please vote for me! Lao Ya needs you... We definitely have no hope for the top three, but we must fight our way into the top six! Let’s charge, charge!! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)