Chương 224: Chapter 113: The Mu Family Treasury

Stepping over the threshold into his chamber, Reyn slammed his palm heavily against his storage bag. With a sharp flick of his wrist, he summoned a complete set of array flags, casting them into the air where they drove themselves into the floor around the room's perimeter. He waved his arm, channeling spiritual energy to instantly activate an isolation barrier designed to block divine sense inquiries.

While this restrictive seal lacked the strength to withstand a forceful breach from a Nascent Soul cultivator, it was more than sufficient to serve as an early warning system, granting him precious extra seconds if anyone attempted to breach his room undetected. Crossing his legs as he sat down upon the woven prayer mat, Reyn closed his eyes slightly, turning his consciousness inward.

Within the depths of his Primordial Soul, he projected a sharp, focused strand of thought directly into the space where the Artifact Spirit resided. A moment later, the loud and unruly voice of the Little Divine Hall echoed back, its tone laced with a distinct mix of exhaustion and reckless excitement.

"What do you want with this deity now? I'm exceedingly busy at the moment, so unless you have something truly urgent, don't disturb me!"

"My power—the glorious strength I lost—is recovering bit by bit! Heheh, give me half a month at most, and this deity will fully regain his former grandeur. When that time comes, if anyone dares rub me the wrong way, I'll flatten them into a blood pancake with a single slap!" As its underlying power rapidly recovered, its momentum soared exponentially in a heartbeat, filling its speech with immense confidence and swagger. Reyn had no patience for its self-aggrandizing chatter.

The moment he received its reply, his expression dark, he spoke in a low, gravelly voice.

"Whatever I am about to tell you, you had better accomplish it to the letter. Otherwise, I guarantee that before I draw my final breath, I will drag you down to the underworld with me!" That very first sentence caused the Little Divine Hall to shudder violently, an icy chill running straight through its spirit essence. Hearing the deadly, unyielding seriousness in Reyn's voice, it realized he was not making an empty threat, and the creature instantly fell deathly silent.

"Within seven days, I don't care what methods you employ, you must achieve complete harmony with your physical artifact body and unlock the true, unleashed power of a Dao Artifact."

"Seven days?!" The Little Divine Hall immediately shrieked in absolute terror and dismay.

"Impossible! This deity cannot possibly accomplish that! Didn't we agree on two full months? How can you cut it down like this?!" Reyn understood its nature inside out—this entity was the type that refused to shed tears until it saw the coffin right before its eyes. Without wasting another breath, he recounted the grim revelations he had uncovered earlier that day.

"Our situation is perilous in the extreme. Mu Daguang is a genuine Nascent Soul cultivator. If you fail to restore your power in time, I will undoubtedly perish at his hands. But before I die... I believe my meaning is crystal clear to you."

"Clear! How could I not be clear?!" The Little Divine Hall wailed incessantly in sheer agony.

"Drag me down with you! If you're going to die, just die on your own, why must you do this to me?! How miserable I am! I was sealed for endless, agonizing ages, and the moment I finally tasted freedom and started restoring my power, I end up bound to a ruthless lunatic like you!"

"Oh, the tragedy of it all! Tragic beyond belief!"

"Curse that vile Manifest Saint old ghost! How dare he be so utterly poisonous! His scheme isn't just driving you into a corner—that bastard is driving ME into a corner too! Since he dares push me into a death trap, I'll make sure he pays a horrific price! Worst comes to worst, this deity will detonate my true Dao Artifact body and level the entire Mu Family compound to ashes!

Even if self-destructing doesn't kill that old monster outright, every single one of his descendants and bloodline kin will be blown into absolute nonexistence!"

"If he dares make my life a living hell, I will ensure his lineage ends forever!" Hearing this, Reyn's heart stirred slightly. A cold, sardonic smile curled up the corners of his mouth, and he offered a calm praise: "An excellent strategy indeed." Little Divine Hall: "@#%&*%#..."

"Master! My dearest, most beloved Master!" The Little Divine Hall pleaded frantically, its tone shifting dramatically into obsequious flattery.

"We must consider matters with extreme prudence and caution! We cannot act on impulse! Self-destruction is just something we talk about in jest, merely a fleeting thought! We both need to live long and prosperous lives, don't we? Please, whatever you do, do not resort to extreme measures!" If the spirit possessed physical hands at this moment, it would have slapped its own face dozens of times over. Why did it have to run its mouth off like that?!

Sensing the dead-serious tone in Reyn's voice, it felt an overwhelming, bitter taste flood its spirit core, as if it had swallowed a mound of bitter herbs. Reyn paid no heed to its desperate, fawning entreaties. He merely stated in an indifferent tone, "Rest assured. Unless I am pushed into a completely hopeless dead end, I won't execute that plan." Having uttered those words, he decisively severed the mental connection between them. Rest assured, unless I am pushed into a dead end, I won't execute that plan?

In other words, the moment a dead end is reached, he will definitely do it without hesitation! The Little Divine Hall burst into a frantic, crazed howl inside its dark space: "Damn it! That old bastard is a genuine Nascent Soul cultivator! Facing off against him means a hundred percent certainty of death!"

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! This deity cannot die, I absolutely cannot die! I haven't even manifested a true human form yet! I haven't had the chance to frolic naked with a harem of drop-dead gorgeous beauties! How can I perish so miserably and uselessly?!"

"Harmonize! Hurry up and harmonize! I refuse to believe this deity cannot complete the fusion within seven days! Damned old ghost, you better move slowly with your nefarious plot! Give this deity a bit more time!!"

The next day.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Reyn!" This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Outside the massive gates of the Mu Family Treasury, four patrolling guards bowed low in unison, their faces brimming with profound respect and dread. As a newly designated core disciple of the Mu Family, Reyn held authority and status that rivaled even ordinary elders.

Within a cultivation clan, someone of his standing wielded total power over life and death regarding ordinary disciples like them. Naturally, none of them dared show even a shred of disrespect or annoyance. Reyn maintained an unreadable, icy expression, giving a subtle nod before speaking calmly, "I require certain materials to refine a few items. I have come to collect resources from the treasury. Open the gates."

As a core disciple, he possessed the privilege to freely requisition items from the family vault, albeit within a specific annual quota allotted to his rank.

"Understood, Senior Brother. Please wait a moment." The four guards responded respectfully. Slapping their respective storage bags in unison, each produced a carved stone toad artifact.

"Speed!" With a low, synchronized shout, the four guards channeled their spiritual energy into the stone toad statues. Instantly, the carved eyelids of the toad opened wide, releasing a crimson ray of light that struck the heavy vault door behind them. Buzz! The monumental gate shuddered violently. Formidable array runes flared across its surface in flickering spiritual light as a wave of terrifying pressure burst forth into the surrounding air.

As the central treasury of the Mu Family, this vault was of paramount importance. Its defensive restrictions possessed lethal power—strong enough to obliterate any Golden Core cultivator who dared to trespass. As the defensive spell evolved, a pulsing orb of crimson light slowly coalesced, emitting a strange, rhythmic wave of energy.

"Senior Brother Reyn, please produce your identity token and place it inside the light orb," instructed the Mu Family cultivator on the left, his tone meticulously formal. Reyn offered a calm nod. Reaching into his storage bag, he retrieved a leaf-shaped jade token and slid it into the hovering sphere of crimson light. This token served as the proof of his status as a core disciple, inscribed with secret restrictive seals personally forged by the Mu Family Ancestor—a seal impossible for outsiders to forge or copy.

A few breaths later, the orb spat the token back out. With a heavy, grinding groan, the vault doors unlocked and slowly parted.

"Senior Brother Reyn, you have half an hour inside to select your items. However, every single item you claim must be registered before you leave. Otherwise, the defensive restrictions will target and destroy you." With those words, the guards stepped aside, granting him passage. Reyn gave a curt nod and strode forward through the threshold. Behind him, the massive vault doors slammed shut with a reverberating thud.

He walked nearly a hundred meters down a stone corridor until it opened into a vast circular grand hall. Surrounding the perimeter were several arched doorways, each clearly labeled with the category of items stored within. In a quiet corner of this central hall sat a desk and chair. Behind it sat a white-haired old man holding a small wooden carving. The man had clearly suffered a horrific injury in his past—a brutal scar tore down from his forehead, across his eye, and all the way to his jawline.

The raw, purplish-red flesh flared outward, twisting his face like a venomous centipede. Yet the moment Reyn met his gaze, his heart gave a sudden leap. The sharp light gleaming in the elder's single eye felt capable of piercing straight through his soul, laying bare every secret he held. Moreover, judging by the aura wafting off this scarred elder, his cultivation had reached the Peak Late-stage Golden Core level—just a paper-thin margin away from the Pseudo-Nascent Soul stage.

"Junior Reyn pays his respects to Senior!" Reyn bowed respectfully. His gaze remained firm and direct—neither flinching away from the gruesome scar nor staring intently at it. His posture radiated absolute composure and calm confidence. The scarred elder let out a soft exclamation of surprise, his single eye glinting with unexpected interest. He gave a slight nod.

"You likely already know the rules. Every item must be recorded by me before you leave the vault. Attempting to smuggle anything past will result in instant death under the defensive seals."

"Junior understands completely."

"Mm. Go ahead then." The scarred elder lowered his gaze, his weather-worn fingers gently tracing the contours of the wooden carving in his hand. Catching a glimpse out of the corner of his eye, Reyn noticed the carving was of a beautiful woman. A flicker of curiosity stirred in his heart, but he knew when to press forward and when to hold back. Refraining from disturbing the elder further, he bowed once more, scanned the surroundings, and made his way directly toward the artifact-refinement materials section.

Once Reyn vanished into the doorway, the scarred elder slowly lifted his head. Complex emotions swirled within his single eye as he murmured under his breath, "Reyn... It seems he is the cultivator the Ancestor chose this time. To reach such a level of cultivation at such a young age is rare indeed."

"A'Zi, do you want me to help him? You must, otherwise you wouldn't have left me a century ago. But no matter what this family has become, the same blood runs in my veins. I can hide away here and wash my hands of their schemes, but I cannot bring myself to tear it down."

"A'Zi... can you ever forgive me?" The elder's voice softened into a delicate whisper, though deep sorrow consumed his remaining eye.... Less than half an hour later, Reyn emerged from the refinement material vault. By then, the scarred elder had already smoothed away his sorrow, his face a mask of stone.

"Senior, these are the items Junior wishes to take." Reyn unclasped a storage bag from his waist and respectfully handed it across the desk. Receiving the bag, the scarred elder projected his Divine Sense into its spatial cavity. A split second later, his single pupil contracted almost imperceptibly before returning to normal. He tossed the storage bag back to Reyn with a casual wave of his hand.

"I have recorded them. You may leave." Reyn caught the bag, bowed respectfully, and turned to stride briskly toward the exit.

"A'Zi, this junior seems to have sensed the impending danger already. He's preparing to run. He is far smarter than your brother ever was."

"Do you know what materials he picked? Heh... they are the exact components needed to refine the Space-Shattering Spirit Feather. Back then, you planned to forge one for that fool brother of yours, though you failed before you could finish it."

"This kid actually knows how to refine the Space-Shattering Spirit Feather as well. It seems fate ties him to you. Fine. I will lend him a slight hand for your sake. As for whether he can survive this fatal calamity... that will depend entirely on his own fortune." The elder's rasping voice sank lower. Shaking his head, he flipped his wrist to retrieve a blank jade slip and imprinted a completely altered inventory list onto it before resting it on the table. He did not put the slip away.

Holding the wooden statuette close, the corners of his mouth twitched upward into a contorted, sinister smile—as if awaiting an expected visitor, or mocking the absurdity of the world. Moments later, the heavy vault doors slowly ground open again. Mu Yunshen walked in with a dark, grim expression. Seeing the white-haired elder with the gruesome scar, his lips quivered slightly, and a flash of deep melancholy flickered across his eyes. He sighed softly.

"Eldest Brother, why must you do this? If you had been willing to confess your guilt and beg the Ancestor for forgiveness back then, how could you have ended up in such a miserable state?" Unbelievably, this mutilated elder was none other than the elder brother of Mu Yunshen, Patriarch of the Mu Family! The scarred elder did not react. Without even raising his head, he asked coldly, "What brings you here today?"

Mu Yunshen fell silent for a short moment before answering, "I come by the Ancestor's decree to retrieve the jade slip recording the materials Reyn withdrew." The scarred elder curled his lips in contempt, yet deep inside his single eye, sorrow ran thick and dark.

"The jade slip is right here. Take it." Mu Yunshen swept his hand, collecting the jade slip into his sleeve. Letting out a long sigh, he turned around and strode back toward the entrance.

"Second Brother... does a family that exists in this manner still hold any meaning?" the scarred elder suddenly called out, lifting his head as the grief on his face deepened. Mu Yunshen did not stop his pace. After a moment of silence, he replied in a dark, firm voice, "Eldest Brother, in the future, you will come to realize that the choice the Ancestor and I made was absolutely correct!"

"And I will never stand by and watch the Mu Family decline into ruin!" With a wave of his sleeve, he unsealed the heavy vault doors and strode away. Behind him, the scarred elder seemed to lose all strength in an instant, collapsing back into his seat. After a long silence, he let out a solitary sigh.

"I hope my prediction is wrong..."