Chapter Five Hundred and Seventeen: The Earthly Treasure Core
Southeast coast, Dragon Whisker Island.
“… Right here.”
On a fishing boat, a fisherman in a short shirt and shorts pointed at a nearly collapsed ruined island and said, “This is Dragon Whisker Island.”
“It got its name because it resembles dragon whiskers, being eerie and dangerous. Even without this earthquake, fishing boats rarely come here.”
“Now that the earth dragon has turned, the island has been completely destroyed into rubble, and no one comes anymore.”
Young Master Sang stood on the boat, gazing at the fragmented island, and slowly said, “I heard this place is where the earthquake was the fiercest?”
“Should be,” the fisherman recalled for a moment. “When the earthquake struck, the shoreline overflowed significantly. But looking at the direction of the overflow, it seemed to be coming from Dragon Whisker Island.”
“This overflow was quite terrifying, with waves as high as several zhang! If it weren’t for the protection left by a kind-hearted cultivator who had passed by the village, one wave would have destroyed everything!”
Young Master Sang fell silent for a moment, then slowly cupped his hands and said, “Thank you. Here’s a little reward, please accept it as a token of respect.”
The fisherman happily accepted the generous bag of money, grinning from ear to ear. “If you need anything else, just call for me anytime!”
“Got it.”
After letting the fisherman return to the village, Young Master Sang slowly stepped onto the island.
The island was a complete mess, nearly impassable. As Young Master Sang navigated through the rubble, a JK girl in a fluttering skirt floated beside him.
“You’re quite clever, Host. How did you figure it out?”
“I always felt that the Earthly Treasures had a sense of déjà vu, but I just couldn’t recall what the déjà vu was.” Young Master Sang said softly. “It wasn’t until I fell asleep in Li Shanyan’s office, dreaming about it, that I suddenly thought of their connection in my dream.”
In the dream, Young Master Sang vaguely saw a seed.
This seed was formless and colorless, seemingly drifting in the void.
Until it transformed into a crystalline shape, and the void began to gradually attract something called spiritual power.
It then changed to a jade-like form, and the surrounding spiritual power gradually gave rise to outlines, birthing mountains and rivers.
An iron appearance filled the void’s emptiness, granting the mountains and rivers substance. A talisman mobilized the rules of the five elements of the world.
A herb granted life to inanimate objects, a feather awakened spiritual intelligence in all beings, and a copper bell defined the cycles of life and death.
Young Master Sang watched in awe as that seed took root and sprouted.
… And then gave rise to a complete world.
“I’ve been thinking. Since even the Eight Major Domains are created by gods and demons.”
Young Master Sang muttered, “Then the Abyss Realm must also have been created by someone.”
“And the Earthly Treasures are sealed and hidden here… it looks like those were tools used by that person to create the Abyss Realm.”
Nian Nian looked at him with slightly approving eyes.
“You’re pretty close.”
“The birth of the Abyss Realm indeed borrowed the power of the Earthly Treasures.”
“But the power of the Earthly Treasures is not limited to this; otherwise, it would only create a small world and wouldn’t attract the attention of gods and demons.”
Young Master Sang fell silent.
Indeed.
The secrets of the Earthly Treasures seemed to go far beyond this.
Moreover, above the Earthly Treasures, there were still heavenly treasures that had yet to be unveiled. What kind of divine power the heavenly treasures held, no one knew.
“But if this line of thought is correct…”
Young Master Sang said, “Then the last Earthly Treasure must be what I think it is—the missing link in this world-creating process.”
Also the very first link.
… That void.
If the Abyss Realm is a world created by someone, then there must be some medium or vessel to support that world.
Only then can the other Earthly Treasures create everything within this boundary.
Just like you need a box to store a little world inside; otherwise, it’ll be scattered all over the place.
“And that box,”
Young Master Sang quietly said, “I guess… it’s underground, right?”
Nian Nian didn’t respond.
But seeing her light steps, Young Master Sang knew he guessed correctly.
“It’s time for the final task of collecting the last Earthly Treasure.”
“The Earthly Treasure Core.” Nian Nian replied with a smile in her eyes, “It’s the core of this world.”
“Its existence is similar to how you understand the Earth’s core, but it’s much simpler and more direct. Only when it releases enough gravitational force can it attract everything in the Abyss Realm around it, keeping it in a stable state.”
“Otherwise, the entire Abyss Realm would shatter in the void, unable to coalesce into a complete world.”
“In other words…”
“The one who controls the Earthly Treasure Core,” Nian Nian gazed quietly at Young Master Sang, “is the master of this world.”
“The destruction or survival of the entire world rests solely within your thoughts.”
Upon hearing this, Young Master Sang couldn’t help but laugh.
“Talking so seriously, it makes me want to crush something just for fun.”
“Hey, stupid Host! This is real! If you break it, the Abyss Realm will really be destroyed.”
“I said I’m just playing around; don’t take it seriously!”
While they were chatting, Young Master Sang arrived at a spot buried under rubble.
Long before stepping onto the island, he had already seen the cave buried under the pile of boulders.
“The Earth’s core, huh… sounds interesting.”
Young Master Sang brushed aside the rubble and looked down, “Should I just jump down?”
“Sure!” Nian Nian said nonchalantly. “Anyway, your current state is the limit of what this world can bear.”
“If even you can’t withstand the pressure near the Earthly Treasure Core, then no one else will get it.”
With Nian Nian’s assurance, Young Master Sang relaxed, lightly lifted his foot, and instantly shot straight down like a cannonball.
Ten miles. Twenty miles.
Five hundred miles. A thousand miles.
Five thousand miles. Eight thousand miles.
As he descended deeper, Young Master Sang gradually felt the terrifying pressure squeezing his bones and flesh.
The unbearable high temperature around was manageable. But this terrifying pressure made him feel like he was being tightly grasped by the giant hand of an ancient god.
It felt like every inch of him was being crushed, and every moment was a torment.
This was still under the protection of the armor formed by the Dream Jun Sword.
With every inch down, the pressure and temperature multiplied, and Young Master Sang had no choice but to use the full power of the Earthly Treasures and mask mode to forcefully protect himself.
“… Damn,” Young Master Sang gasped, “no wonder it’s the power that stabilizes a world. I feel like I’m being trampled under the forces of the entire world.”
“That’s why it’s the last Earthly Treasure to emerge.”
Nian Nian, oblivious, casually said, “Without the other Earthly Treasures, it would be nearly impossible for you to obtain the Earthly Treasure Core.”
“The Earthly Treasure Core represents the most primal and original power of this world. Even if one cultivates to the great completion realm, under the power of this origin, one still feels insignificant.”
“But.”
“This power will soon belong to you.” Her beautiful eyes began to shine with a faint light.
Accompanied by extreme darkness, a moment of clarity unveiled at the end.
A small sphere, resembling a luminous pearl, quietly hovered before them.
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