Volume One: The Celestial Palace Amidst the Clouds Chapter Sixty-Eight: The Crimson Coral Forest

Chapter Sixty-Eight: The Crimson Coral Forest

No one had expected that the wall behind the Crystal Palace’s grand hall would be the entrance to the Dragon King’s treasury, nor that the crystal throne itself would serve as the key to open it! Originally, Cai Lingzi had planned to defeat the most powerful heirs of the four great factions before entering the treasury to claim all the treasures for himself, but his plot was foiled by Zhou Hao and Su Qing. Now, gravely wounded, blood streamed incessantly from a narrow wound at the center of his brow—the mark of Su Qing’s celestial sword. To make matters worse, his arm had taken a direct blow from Zhou Hao’s Great Solar Palm, a wound unlikely to ever heal. If he could not tend to his injuries soon, his wounds would surely become his undoing. Should he encounter any of the four factions or Zhou and Su again, it would truly be the end for him.

Whoosh!

Within the treasury, a forest of crimson coral stretched out in every direction, each branch adorned with various magical weapons, celestial treasures, and sacred objects. It was as if they had entered a vault of wonders. Yet, a streak of multicolored light shot swiftly toward the depths of the vault, showing not the slightest interest in the treasures upon the coral.

That streak, of course, was Cai Lingzi. To his astonishment, he found his right arm would not regenerate, and anger nearly drove him mad; he longed to turn back and slaughter everyone. But he forced himself to remain calm, for he knew well the mission that had brought him here. So long as he could obtain the item entrusted to him by Lord Caixiang, it would not take a thousand years before he could surpass all his peers and become the envy of the world—a Celestial Immortal.

Yes, a Celestial Immortal! Consider this: Cai Lingzi, at barely five hundred years of age, had already attained the rank of Golden Immortal, while his uncle-master, Lord Cai, who once tried to take Zhou Hao as a disciple upon the Celestial Ascension Platform, had only reached mid-stage Golden Immortal at fifteen hundred. It spoke to the immense difficulty of cultivating the immortal path—cultivation that could lag behind by a thousand years even among those of similar talent. Indeed, innate talent and spiritual acumen played a significant role.

But within the Immortal Domain, a timeless maxim endured: The path of immortality is long and arduous—one’s beginning is determined by talent, one’s journey by fortune, but in the end, it is diligence that prevails.

It was true. In the early stages, many compared who could reach the highest realms in the shortest span. Just as Cai Lingzi reached Golden Immortal at five hundred, while Lord Cai took more than a millennium—that was the gulf that talent created. Yet, the path of immortality was long, offering the promise of longevity. A mere thousand years was hardly worth mentioning. As long as one pressed forward with unwavering resolve, there was always a chance to overtake others at a bend in the road.

The strong may remain strong, but the weak, through unrelenting effort, could gradually catch up and become strong themselves.

“As Master said, that object lies at the far end of the vault. Once I have it, I can return and report. Hmph—how could any of these other treasures compare to that one?” Cai Lingzi muttered to himself as he hurried along.

Meanwhile, Zhou Hao and his companions had also entered the vault, but their mood was quite different from Cai Lingzi’s, for the sight before them was truly exhilarating.

Everywhere they looked, crimson coral grew in orderly ranks, arrayed as if they were regiments of soldiers. Upon every branch rested a treasure, radiating potent spiritual energy—each one an inestimable treasure in the outside world, for these were the Dragon King’s private collection, beyond all measure of value.

“Ah! Save me… save me… sa—”

“Help… ah!”

Just as everyone was dazzled by the array of treasures, two disciples from the four great factions suddenly screamed in agony, changing the mood in an instant as all eyes turned toward them.

It turned out the two had reached out greedily for treasures atop the coral, only to be ensnared by the branches. In a heartbeat, the coral had drained them of all flesh and blood, leaving behind nothing but two stark-white skeletons!

“I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die—ah…” Their spirits still clung to the two coral stalks, struggling in vain.

Sss!

A plume of flame surged toward the coral, sent by the strongest disciple from the Firelands. His fire would not harm the soul, so there was no risk to the trapped spirits.

Yet, even the flames of a Golden Immortal had no effect; if anything, the coral only grew stronger in the fire, instantly absorbing both spirits.

“Damn it! What kind of monster is this?” cried the strongest disciple of the Firelands in alarm.

“Alas, just as I had feared, these crimson corals are here to guard the treasures. The two of them were simply too impatient and fell victim to calamity,” sighed the Golden Immortal from the Wind Barrens.

“What? Does that mean none of us can claim these treasures atop the coral?” The others, hearing this, were struck with despair.

“I don’t believe it!” At that moment, another disciple from the great factions approached a coral stalk.

A dazzling blue celestial blade rested atop this coral. The disciple raised his spear to hack the coral apart and claim the blade. Instantly, the coral wrapped around the spear, and with a chorus of cracking sounds, the weapon was shattered—leaving only half a shaft in his hand. The disciple stared mutely at his new “short stick.”

“It ate his weapon?” The others were stunned—these corals were too fiendish.

“Let me try!” Failure did not dissuade everyone, and now another stepped forward.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

He selected a coral and, opening his mouth, spat forth a miniature tornado. The whirlwind, bristling with countless sword-qi, struck the coral, filling the air with the shriek of clashing metal. Yet, no matter how sharp the sword-qi, it could not harm the coral in the slightest.

In the end, the coral simply absorbed the sword-qi whirlwind.

After a hundred such attempts, everyone finally had to admit defeat, shaking their heads—there was simply no solution. The treasures lay before them, tantalizingly out of reach.

“The Dragon King’s treasury truly is not for the likes of us to covet. With our current cultivation, there’s no way we can claim these treasures, no matter how close they are.” Some admitted their helplessness with regret.

“What now? Are we to leave empty-handed? Impossible! The sect leader himself told us we could claim treasures from within—surely we should trust him!” Some refused to give up, determined to obtain something.

“Perhaps… there is some mechanism here? Great figures often set up tests for those with the right fate,” Zhou Hao, standing with the others, offered a bold suggestion.

“A mechanism?” The others pondered his words, and soon, lacking better options, agreed.

“It’s worth a try!” The Golden Immortals from the Wind Barrens and Firelands took the lead, searching the coral forest for a hidden mechanism.

“Let’s all look together. Just remember—don’t touch the coral!”

Strangely, the coral here was not clustered into reefs as one would expect, but stood one by one, each rooted in the ground like red antlers—charming to behold, and would have been more so had they not feasted on immortals.

The corals were arranged in neat, orderly ranks—a phalanx of treasure, each bearing a weapon, a pill, a magical artifact, or a scroll of immortal martial secrets… all treasures, simply waiting for someone to take them.

“Have you discovered anything?” came a familiar female voice from behind Zhou Hao, who was searching the coral forest alone for a possible mechanism.

“Eh? You are…” Zhou Hao turned to see the bewitching smile of a beauty he had only recently met.

“Oh dear, has it been so short a time and you’ve already forgotten me? I must have overestimated my charm, alas!” The woman’s words were tinged with playful regret.

Faced with a sigh from such a beauty, even Zhou Hao could not help but comfort her. “How could I forget? Fairy sister, you misunderstand me. To speak with you at such close distance leaves me ashamed, for I fear to profane a goddess—hence my awkward silence.”

His flawless reply, full of flattering words, had the desired effect, for the woman’s face bloomed into a radiant smile.

“You certainly have a way with words, sir. I am nowhere near so alluring. But you’re right, I was too forward before—please forgive my lack of propriety.” With a hint of apology, the woman stepped back two paces.

“Fairy sister, what was it you asked me just now? Forgive me, I was lost in thought and missed your question,” Zhou Hao said, scratching his head, looking every bit the honest man.

“Pfft!” The woman, who had intended to remain proper, could not help but laugh.

“Ahem, you don’t have to keep calling me ‘fairy sister.’ I’m from the Wind Barrens; just call me Feng Ling. I was only asking if you’d found anything—I’ve been searching for ages and there really doesn’t seem to be any mechanism here.” She quickly composed herself and turned to business.

“All right, Sister Feng Ling. To be honest, I haven’t found anything either.” Zhou Hao shook his head.

Feng Ling’s brow creased slightly, a flicker of suspicion in her eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it came. She smiled and said, “No matter, let’s all keep searching together. I’ll go check on my teammates—goodbye!”

Without waiting for a response, Feng Ling waved and flew off, treating him entirely like a stranger asking for directions.

Zhou Hao rubbed his nose and gazed after her, sighing, “It seems that, whether in the mortal realm or the immortal domain, there are always some women who fancy themselves beautiful and use their looks to squeeze the last bit of value from men.”

“Heh heh, did I just hear some rather questionable thoughts? Squeezing men dry!?” The turtle, who had been hiding in Zhou Hao’s arms, let out a mischievous snicker.

“You’re absolutely right, Yu Nan—you’re a filthy turtle!” Zhou Hao retorted.

“Hmph! Your Grandpa Turtle was once wild and reckless. What’s wrong with being filthy? Haven’t you heard that a true hero is always a bit dirty? It’s a form of cultivation too, you know?” The turtle took pride in its shamelessness.

“Enough, I can’t out-talk you. But we still have business to attend to—how can we get our hands on these treasures? To look but not touch is an unbearable torment!” Zhou Hao gazed at the corals ablaze with treasure, feeling a pang in his heart.

It was like embracing a beauty, only to discover he was a eunuch—utterly tragic.

“Hahaha, you really are hopeless! You have such a capable strategist by your side, and you don’t even ask for advice, preferring to search for a mechanism yourself. Was your head kicked by a donkey?” The turtle cackled smugly at Zhou Hao’s complaints.

“Laugh all you want. My head wasn’t kicked by a donkey—it was kicked by a dirty turtle like you. If you have an idea, spit it out. Every second we waste increases our danger. Don’t forget, this place is likely the sealing ground of an immortal king-level demon. Who knows when it might break free?” Zhou Hao said.

“Don’t be impatient. I observed the terrain and the arrangement of this coral forest—it’s set up as a formation. To claim the treasures, we must break the array. The key is to find the formation’s core and destroy it!”

“Where’s the core?”

“I don’t know.”

“What? Then what was the point of everything you just said?!” Zhou Hao was exasperated.