Chapter 161: Chapter 138: 5-Bird Celestial Fire Fan

Song Changsheng didn’t know what words could possibly describe the scene before him, and he believed Xu Yunhe at his side felt the same.

He had once entered his Clan Treasure Vault, the largest and most profound Treasure Vault in all of Ling Province. The first time he stepped inside, he had been utterly stunned.

But compared to this... no, there was simply no comparison.

It was like comparing a firefly to the moon in the sky; the two simply couldn’t be mentioned in the same breath.

Before him, the Treasure Vault stood nearly twenty zhang high and dozens of zhang wide. The walls and floor were made of an extremely strong alloy, while the ceiling was inlaid with countless fist-sized pearls, illuminating the entire space as if it were day.

Towering shelves stood within, making anyone standing beneath them feel utterly insignificant. The shelves were divided into numerous small compartments, each containing a shimmering ball of light.

But what surprised Song Changsheng the most was that the concentration of Spiritual Qi inside was far greater than in the outside world. Cultivating here would surely yield twice the results with half the effort.

Moving a little closer, Song Changsheng was even more astounded by Luoxia City’s extravagant wealth. The shelves, some dozens of zhang tall, were actually crafted from thousand-year-old Sandalwood Spirit Wood, and their exotic fragrance filled the air.

A single shelf was worth no less than a Foundation Establishment Pill.

And in this Treasure Vault, there were dozens of such shelves. As far as the eye could see, it was all just money!

Even Song Changsheng, who came from a family with a respectable foundation, was shaken. Needless to say, Xu Yunhe, a Loose Cultivator, was even more overwhelmed, looking left and right until his head spun.

Elder Qianri was very pleased with their reaction. He recalled when he had just become the old City Lord’s disciple; his own first time entering this Treasure Vault had also left him speechless with amazement.

"Each ball of light represents a Tier Two Treasure. As promised by the City Lord’s Mansion, you two fellow cultivators may choose any three items from among them. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Be warned, each compartment has its own independent Restriction. Do not touch them carelessly, or you will activate the Array within the Treasure Vault.

"But rest assured, a wooden plaque hangs before each compartment, detailing all the information you might want to know. You two may begin your selection. Once you have chosen, I will retrieve the items for you," Elder Qianri said, gesturing to the shelves as he instructed them.

"We juniors understand." Song Changsheng quickly pulled Xu Yunhe along to give a respectful bow.

Elder Qianri was not arrogant; he returned the bow with cupped hands before stepping out, leaving the two of them to themselves.

Staring at the dense sea of light orbs before them, neither Song Changsheng nor Xu Yunhe moved. They had no idea where to even begin.

After a long moment, Song Changsheng finally chuckled and said, "When I first heard that Luoxia City’s Tier Two Treasure Vault held over a thousand Tier Two Treasures, I was skeptical. I thought it was just an exaggeration, someone grandstanding for attention.

"But I never imagined their imagination was actually too limited. There are far more than just a thousand treasures here.

"Today, I finally understand why Luoxia City, with only three Purple Mansion Cultivators known to the public, is considered the head of the Seven Eminent Clans."

"For Luoxia City to repel the Demon Beasts at the Hundred Thousand Mountains line with the strength of a single city is truly extraordinary. If it weren’t for you, Brother Song, I might never have had the chance to witness such a breathtaking sight in my entire life."

It was only at this moment that Xu Yunhe truly understood the meaning of the word "foundation."

Though he was a Loose Cultivator, his talent was decent and his opportunities weren’t bad. Even after suffering a great calamity, he had pulled through with sheer belief and strong Willpower, successfully achieving Foundation Establishment in his thirties.

Such an achievement already surpassed the vast majority of people. So, when others spoke of the "foundation" of the great powers, he had always been somewhat dismissive.

In his view, no matter how deep a faction’s foundation was, if it failed to produce outstanding talents for a generation or two, it would just be coasting on its legacy for a few years before slowly declining and fading into obscurity.

But today he learned just how ridiculously wrong he had been. With a true foundation like this, even a pig could be pushed to the Purple Mansion Stage.

It might not be enough for aggressive expansion, but it was more than enough to maintain the status quo.

Even if they failed to produce talented individuals for a generation or two, their foundation would allow them to squander resources for a long, long time—so long that they would still be powerful even after so-called geniuses had turned to dust.

At that moment, a bold idea began to sprout in his heart.

’My descendants, or my successors, absolutely cannot lose at the starting line!’ Xu Yunhe swore to himself.

Song Changsheng, oblivious to the psychological shift in his companion, smiled and said, "Brother Yunhe, let’s split up. Picking just three treasures out of so many won’t be easy."

"Alright." Xu Yunhe nodded and walked off to the left.

Interestingly, while flying was forbidden within Luoxia City, Sword Flight was permitted inside this Treasure Vault, simply because the shelves were too tall.

Song Changsheng straddled his Spirit-Slaying Gourd and flew to the top of the nearest shelf. The treasures in the compartments all emitted a hazy glow, not only obscuring them from the naked eye but also blocking Divine Sense. Only the wooden plaques recorded their basic information.

Although there were many treasures, their categorization was extremely meticulous.

He could see major categories such as Magical Artifacts, Spirit Medicines, Pills, Heart Method Scriptures, Hundred Arts Inheritances, Talismans, puppets, and Rare Treasures.

These major categories were then subdivided further. For example, Pills were divided into healing, cultivation-boosting, and enhancement types.