Chapter 369

Chapter 369: Entering the Secret Vault

Fifth Heaven!

Eternal Order Sect.

“Have you heard? The Endless Secret Vault is about to open in the Aurora Star Field. Should we send someone to grab a piece of the pie?”

“The Endless Secret Vault was a backup plan left by the Endless Emperor for his rebirth, but before it even opened, the Endless Emperor fell.”

“According to our investigations, the Endless Emperor was a powerful figure 160,000 years ago. Although his active region wasn’t nearby, it seems his reincarnation fell near the Aurora Star Field!”

“So this news might actually be true?”

“Very likely!”

“Alright, since it could be true, let’s send someone over. Let Junior Brother Jianhui lead the team!”

“Understood!”

Ming Fo Temple!

“Amitabha, Senior Brother, could this be a scheme?” a monk asked with hands clasped.

“Many forces in the Fifth Heaven are reacting, and even if it’s a scheme, what can we do? The Endless Secret Vault is tied to our Buddha Sect, so please let Junior Brother Tongxin go take a look.”

“Amitabha, good, good…”

This situation played out in nearly every sect that caught wind of the news.

Demon Sky Star Field.

The Heartless Demon Lord was taken aback upon hearing this news.

“Which idiot leaked this?!”

The Heartless Demon Lord had long set his sights on the Endless Secret Vault, waiting for the two guys in the Aurora Star Field to crash and burn so he could reap the benefits.

But now, the entire Fifth Heaven knew.

If he wanted to take action…

Action my foot! Those two empires are battered but not broken!

Taking the key from those two emperors would be too difficult.

This was clearly the moment for the Demon Clan to rise.

At that moment, the Heartless Demon Lord suddenly frowned.

Even those two emperors, as foolish as they are, wouldn’t leak the Endless Secret Vault’s news.

Especially while they’re still in a stalemate!

So it had to be someone else.

It’s Lu Ye!

The Heartless Demon Lord realized it was Lu Ye, as mentioned by An Li.

An Li had once said this Lu Ye was her greatest rival.

Unsurprisingly, she might end up dead at his hands.

Now Lu Ye was about to ascend, which surely indicated he was up to something.

The Heartless Demon Lord’s face turned ugly.

“Lu Ye!”

He recognized Lu Ye’s name; he had wiped out the Demon Clan below the Fifth Heaven.

Regardless of whether he had provoked him or not, Lu Ye would hunt the Demon Clan as if they had a blood feud.

For someone who was obsessed with reviving the Demon Clan and becoming the supreme demonic body, the Heartless Demon Lord obviously harbored immense hatred for such a natural enemy.

Since the news of the Endless Secret Vault had spread, the Demon Clan wanted their share, but killing this Lu Ye was equally important!

“Send spies to track Lu Ye’s whereabouts!”

The Heartless Demon Lord ordered.

“Yes!”

Since Lu Ye wouldn’t spare the Demon Clan regardless, what’s there to be afraid of?

Little did he know, Lu Ye thrived on that mentality.

He hunted the Demon Clan without need for any reason.

Now that the Demon Clan sought to kill him, that was precisely what he desired.

The Aurora Dynasty and Extermination Empire also received the news and were outraged.

What the hell?

Who leaked the news?!

The situation had escalated, and countless powerful beings were rushing here.

Even if their forces were formidable, they couldn’t fend off so many strong opponents.

The two emperors nearly simultaneously contacted each other.

After a quick exchange.

Although there was deep-seated hatred between the two forces, they ultimately came to a unified conclusion.

That was to open the Endless Secret Vault!

The two emperors wasted no time and flew straight to the border.

Upon arrival, the two met, their expressions somewhat complicated.

“It’s been a while since we last met,” said Li Wujing of the Extermination Empire.

“Indeed, I vaguely remember attending your family banquet when you were just a month old,” chuckled Qi Chengdao of the Aurora Dynasty.

“And then?”

A hint of mockery flashed in Li Wujing’s eyes.

Qi Chengdao sighed.

“Your father deceived and exploited the people; justice should’ve been served. My father spared you for your father’s merit, not expecting you would treat the dynasty this way.”

“Hahaha…”

“What a scheme! What exploitation! My father, whether deceived or obedient to orders, you know better than I.”

“I am more aware, your father truly was like that!”

Li Wujing gritted his teeth.

“Let’s stop the nonsense; once I extinguish your Aurora Empire, I will ensure you face my father’s wrath!”

Qi Chengdao couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Never mind; arguing over the past is pointless. We need to join forces and open the Endless Secret Vault before more strong beings arrive, or we won’t have a scrap left to drink!”

Li Wujing controlled his emotions.

“Agreed!”

They both produced half a jade pendant, resembling a swirling eye.

Upon sensing each other’s presence, the pendant emitted a hum, and they let go.

Instantly, the two halves merged into one.

The void trembled violently!

It was as if a terrifying entity was emerging from the void, the pendant turned into a whirlpool, suspended in the air.

The Endless Secret Vault was opening.

However, that terrifying feeling vanished almost immediately, leaving only a swirling vortex in the void.

“Go in!”

In an instant, each powerful being dashed into the whirlpool.

It was a ten-meter-wide small vortex.

But as soon as it opened, figures flickered into existence from the void.

Among them were formidable members of the Demon Clan.

Forces close to the Aurora Star Field had long been waiting here for the Endless Secret Vault to open.

Naturally, Lu Ye was also present.

The strong from the Aurora Empire and the Extermination Empire wanted to block them, but upon a glance…

Forget it…

So many powerful beings appeared.

Even the two empires were grateful that the Endless Secret Vault opened early; otherwise, they might have faced annihilation.

“Go in!”

Lu Ye wasted no breath and charged into the vortex with the Heavenly Gate members.

Now wasn’t the time for a brawl; it was easy to imagine that once everyone emerged from the Endless Secret Vault, chaos would reign.

Strong figures poured in one after another.

Most were from the Imperishable Realm, while others were from the Ascendant Realm.

Enter, enter, enter!

Figures swiftly entered.

In no time, they lost count of how many entered.

Lu Ye and the Heavenly Gate members felt a surge of teleportation energy, and everyone accepted it without resistance.

After a brief moment of dizziness, the light before Lu Ye’s eyes shifted.

It was a tower!

A colossal treasure tower radiating an aura as deep as the ocean.

This was the Endless Emperor’s imperial weapon, the Endless Heaven Tower.

Chapter 370: A Shock for the Great Emperor

Everyone found themselves in front of the tower.

In front of this imperial weapon, even those from the Imperishable Realm felt as insignificant as ants.

The Endless Heaven Tower surveyed the newcomers.

It scanned, searching.

Unfortunately, the figure it sought didn’t appear.

From now on, it would never appear again.

A hint of sorrow emerged in the Endless Heaven Tower.

Everyone fell silent, gazing at this ancient bronze tower, worn by time.

“Since you’ve come, it signifies that the Emperor has fallen. Are you willing to accept the Emperor’s trials to obtain his legacy?” the Endless Heaven Tower boomed.

The Endless Emperor had previously informed it.

If he returned, everything would be fine.

But if he didn’t, this place contained his legacy, and the Endless true method should be passed down, fulfilling his journey in this world.

In unison, everyone replied, “We are willing!”

“Good, then I will explain the rules. The Endless Heaven Tower has only thirteen levels but possesses endless space. The Emperor left three trials, each with corresponding rewards.”

“The first trial is called Battle!”

“The second trial is called Intention!”

“The third trial is named Dao!”

“The three trials have no end; the further you go, the greater the treasures you will obtain.”

“If you can truly go far, you will meet me!”

“No need for more words, let’s begin!”

At the thirteenth level of the Endless Heaven Tower, three gates opened simultaneously, corresponding to the three trials.

People began to ponder.

Battle, Intention, Dao…

None of these trials seemed simple.

No one knew the content inside.

Lu Ye also had no clue; he heard of the Endless Secret Vault in his previous life, but specifics eluded him.

However, the Demon Clan managed to claim the Endless Secret Vault before, so he didn’t think he’d have too many issues.

“I’ll pick Dao and see what’s going on,” Lu Ye announced.

“Should we wait?” Ning Tianming voiced his concerns.

“The Dao trial’s fine!”

Lu Ye believed that the Endless Emperor’s Dao was no match for his own.

As a reincarnation of the Great Emperor, he was a Celestial Lord reborn.

Lu Ye led by example, bolting into the gate for the Dao trial.

Once someone took the first step, others hesitated no more, rushing toward their preferred trials.

Those good at combat chose the Battle trial.

Those adept at Dao picked the Dao trial.

Those with patience opted for the Intention trial.

Lu Ye charged into the Dao trial, and a figure appeared before him.

The figure, cloaked in black, with enigmatic patterns that resembled a whirlpool, was the Endless Emperor’s projection.

“Greetings, Fellow Daoist!”

Lu Ye smiled lightly, cupped his hands slightly.

The Endless Emperor remained expressionless, emanating an aura of low pressure.

Of course, he wouldn’t be in a good mood; if he were a visitor instead of himself, it meant he was likely dead, and now his treasures would go to someone else.

How ridiculous is that?

The Endless Emperor wouldn’t be in the best of spirits.

“What is Dao?”

The Endless Emperor began directly with philosophical inquiry.

“Dao is fruit!”

Lu Ye wasted no time, getting straight to the point.

The Endless Emperor???

His eyes narrowed at that moment.

“What do you mean?”

Lu Ye started to elaborate, clearly well-versed in these concepts.

The so-called great Dao ultimately manifests as Dao Fruit.

The Dao Fruit represents a cultivator’s life, everything attained through nurturing in the world, seeking knowledge, the Dao, and self-transcendence.

All experiences and tribulations along the cultivation path—loss, pain, heartbreak—without questioning what lies ahead or the fruits of one’s efforts.

What ultimately takes shape is your Dao.

That constitutes your entire life…

The previously expressionless Endless Emperor’s gaze widened at this moment.

He stared at Lu Ye.

Listening intently.

He certainly understood the great Dao, the great Emperor’s Dao Fruit.

But if he were to express it, he couldn’t have spoken so effortlessly.

How could someone so comprehensively articulate the great Dao?

“Wait, why not debate rather than me just talking?” Lu Ye remarked.

The Endless Emperor…

His expression shifted from dazed to relaxed, then weighed down, finally arriving at…

“May I ask who you are, Fellow Daoist?” the Endless Emperor inquired solemnly.

“Who do you think I am?”

The Endless Emperor was indeed deceased; what remained was but a remnant of his essence.

“I hope the Fellow Daoist will enlighten me!”

The Endless Emperor rose and cupped his hands to Lu Ye.

Lu Ye grinned.

“In this life, my surname is Lu, and my name is Ye!”

The Endless Emperor stared intently at Lu Ye.

“In my past life, I was known as Nine Lives.”

“Also known as, Celestial Lord!”

The Endless Emperor’s body shook violently.

Celestial Lord…

It was truly Celestial Lord…

No wonder, no wonder…

“I, the poor Daoist, Endless, salute the Celestial Lord!”

This time, the Endless Emperor formally paid respects.

Lu Ye returned the gesture.

“All that was in the past; for this life, I need your vault to cultivate,” Lu Ye smiled.

The Endless Emperor sighed.

“The Celestial Lord is reborn, shining like a rainbow, while my reincarnation is like a floating weed, how tragic…”

“Rebirth means abandoning the former self; it’s fate!” Lu Ye replied.

“I had hoped that by being a reincarnation of the Emperor, I would possess unrivaled strength, just to catch a glimpse of the Celestial Lord, not anticipating that even the Celestial Lord wished to reincarnate.”

Lu Ye…

He had little choice in the matter.

“Fellow Daoist, I’ve perished; may I inquire about the Celestial Lord’s Dao?” the Endless Emperor’s tone held a hint of yearning.

He was reborn seeking to surpass the Celestial Lord.

Unfortunately, he failed halfway.

Now, before his fading essence, if he could hear about the Celestial Lord’s Dao, it would be a supreme bliss.

Lu Ye fell silent.

“I’m willing to exchange the Endless Secret Vault as payment!”

Lu Ye remained silent.

Regardless of whether the Endless Emperor agreed to give him the Endless Secret Vault, it seemed like he could acquire it on his own.

“Whatever the Fellow Daoist asks, feel free to express!”

Finally, a smile crept onto Lu Ye’s face.

“Simple, help me kill some people!”

Kill people?

The Endless Emperor relaxed a little; just killing people…

He thought it was something serious; if it’s just that, he could manage.

“Alright!”

Without wasting words, Lu Ye summoned the Tree of Enlightenment.

The Celestial Lord’s great Dao lay within.

“Contemplate!”

The Endless Emperor gazed at the Tree of Enlightenment, instantly becoming silent.

He was being given the Celestial Lord’s great Dao, something he couldn’t attain in his lifetime, just like that, through a tree?

The Celestial Lord’s great Dao was dismissed so easily?

If this were offered to himself…