The Magic Lake Island is a small, unremarkable island located near the edge of the Inner Stellar Sea. It remains known among cultivators not because of any grand distinction, but due to a unique material—called "Emerald Copper"—produced in several lakes on the island. Though not exceptionally rare, this material is essential for crafting certain exclusive artifacts, drawing occasional visits from lower-level cultivators seeking it. These lakes, seemingly enriched by the abundance of Emerald Copper, all exhibit a vivid, jade-like emerald hue, far more intense than ordinary lake waters. Remarkably, when ordinary people fall into the lakes, they float effortlessly and never sink. As a result, the island's name gradually gained recognition among neighboring isles. However, the island lacks trees and has no spiritual energy veins, making it infrequently visited. But that day, fifty or sixty lower-tier cultivators gathered by a lake on the island, hastily setting up several intricate temporary spell arrays. Most of them were Jin Qi stage cultivators, with only six or seven at the Juzhi stage. Meanwhile, three Jian Dan stage cultivators gathered in the low airspace above the lake's center, quietly conversing among themselves. "Xie Shenzhong, this time we won't fail, will we? To break through the seal, I've nearly sacrificed all my personal assets—my accumulated spiritual stones now amount to over twenty thousand. If we fail again, I simply won't have any left." The elderly gray-robed man, lined with wrinkles, expressed his growing anxiety to the other two. "Hmph, Master Wu exaggerates. Among us three, perhaps only Master Wu has the most substantial resources. His Golden Ming Hall is well-known throughout the surrounding seas. How could he possibly lack spiritual stones?" The handsome blue-robed man responded, giving a dismissive sigh. "Master Lei, you may not be aware, though our Golden Ming Pavilion appears to have a broad footprint, it has actually been gradually squeezed by larger merchants such as the Fire Cloud Pavilion and others, and is now barely holding on." The gray-robed elder sighed, looking utterly helpless. "Master Wu, why are you complaining? Your Golden Ming Pavilion has been open for no less than a few years now. If it were truly unprofitable, how could it still be operating today?" The last person was a strikingly beautiful woman dressed in a crimson robe, with full hips, a generous bust, and a pair of bright, liquid-eyed peach blossoms that seemed to captivate the soul whenever her gaze moved. "Indeed, our Golden Ming Pavilion earned some spiritual stones in the past few years—though that was all during Master's lifetime. Since the sudden disappearance of the Barbarian Master over a hundred years ago, without the backing of a Yuan婴-level cultivator, our pavilion has immediately faced intense competition from the larger merchants. In the past few years, things were still manageable, as the lingering influence of the Barbarian Master still held them back, and they dared not encroach too heavily." But since twenty years ago, when the master was severely injured and ultimately passed away after being struck by the Six Paths Supreme Saints, the business had effectively come to an end. Had it not been for my own status as a late-stage Jiadian cultivator, I fear this entire estate would have long since been absorbed by others. How could my younger brothers and sisters have been so carefree and at ease? The gray-robed elder sighed with a deep sense of irony. As for what Wu brother has mentioned, I have no interest in knowing, nor do I wish to. All I know is that the amount of spiritual stones I've provided is no less than his. Moreover, life has not been easy for you since the master's disappearance—something you surely know well. The master used to be notoriously temperamental, often causing friction with countless cultivators. Now that he's vanished, I've been treated as the target of their resentment, pursued relentlessly for over three decades, only to finally escape. In contrast, Wu brother has built his own power base and maintains ties with the Xueguang Gate—truly enjoying peace and security. The blue-robed man's aura flashed, revealing a strong undercurrent of bloodiness. "What could you possibly mean? If I had more disciples, I'd have long since adopted your style of fading into obscurity. Why keep struggling? With the mounting expenses each year—just to maintain our foothold on the Bloodlight Sect, we're required to send large quantities of spiritual stones annually. My life has been quite difficult. As for your reputation, I've heard quite a bit about it. The 'Hand of Blood' title is well-known among our Jiandan cultivators. Your cultivation method was always designed to accelerate progression through continuous combat and slaughter. Isn't it now clear that you've progressed from the initial stage to the mid-stage?" The gray-robed elder remained in his sighing, weary demeanor. The young man in blue robes raised his eyebrows, visibly displeased, as though ready to object—but the beautiful woman chuckled softly, cutting off the exchange between the two. "Wu Shangxi and Lei Shidie, why keep arguing? After all, Master Man is not here to support us, and our situation has always been difficult—this is certainly true. But as long as we retrieve the treasures from the secret sanctuary, I'm confident that, given Master's status as a Yuan婴中期 cultivator, the treasures stored there will be sufficient to allow us to divide them equally. Then, either we will quietly pursue cultivation, living under humble names, or we will use these treasures to join other factions and secure our own futures—either way, we will be absolutely secure." Upon hearing the words of the graceful woman, the elder and the young man in blue robe exchanged glances and truly paused their debate, as though they held a certain respect or even apprehension for her. Yet, after silently observing the lower-level cultivators setting up their spell arrays by the lake for a while, the young man in blue robe once again turned to the graceful woman and asked, "Cai Shijie, is it truly Master's treasure sanctuary behind that seal? You're certain it's not just one of the temporary ones? Although the seal was indeed crafted by Master, Master Man has always preferred to establish temporary sanctuaries "If that's the case, then all our efforts these past days have been for nothing." "Wait a moment, Lei Zhisheng, how can you doubt my words!" Upon hearing this, the graceful woman grew slightly displeased. The young man in blue robes gently licked his lips, remaining expressionless as he continued: "Miss found me and Wu Sheng and said she had the location of our master's hidden treasure, bringing us here to collect it since several months ago. Yet she has never once explained to us how she came by this information. Our master, though he holds you in high regard, would never have mentioned such a matter to you—given his own nature. Now that the seal is about to be lifted, Sister, I urge you to clearly explain this matter to us so that both Wu Sheng and I may feel at ease." "Indeed, your words hold some merit. Moreover, Miss has been silent for years, and now suddenly appears, bringing me and Lei Zhisheng here to retrieve the treasure—this has naturally raised some questions in our minds." The elderly man in gray robes spoke calmly, without changing his expression. "How could it be that without me clearly explaining this matter, you two already wish to take action, even to bully me—a mere Juvenile Dan stage female?" The beautiful woman's expression darkened. With one hand, she gently lifted a strand of silvery hair from her forehead, and her delicate face instantly turned as cold and composed as ice. Yet on her porcelain-warm wrist, a purple-tinged bracelet shimmered with mysterious runes. The elder and the young man both gasped upon seeing it. "We never expected our master to have also gifted his Purple Ice Bracelet to our sister! Solely based on this ancient relic, even if I and my senior brother combine our efforts, I doubt we'd stand a chance against her." The young man in blue robes exhaled deeply, his eyes subtly revealing irritation and envy. It remained unclear whether his anger was directed at the woman or at the brash master he had mentioned. Beside them, the gray-robed elder's face changed several times before he chuckled warmly, "My sister is truly jesting. How could we possibly have thought such a thing?" This time, to break the seal beneath the lake, we've truly drawn upon our last reserves—being cautious seems entirely understandable. My sister hasn't even produced a single spiritual stone. "I led you to this treasure vault, and I only took one-third of the treasures. Why should I offer any more spiritual stones? Nevertheless, since both Wu师兄 and Lei师弟 have some doubts about this location, I'm not entirely opposed to revealing it." The graceful woman hesitated, then her expression gradually softened. "Then I shall listen attentively," the elder said, beaming with satisfaction. The young man, on the other hand, remained silent and gloomy. "My name is Man, but I am actually only his concubine—both of you must be aware of this. I discovered this treasure location accidentally during one of my visits, when I overheard a dream conversation he had. He himself knows his life span is drawing near, and it seems he intends to attain enlightenment right here, within this vault, alongside these treasures." "The beautiful young woman spoke with composed grace. 'That's it! So simple!' The elder and the young man exchanged glances, momentarily at a loss. The young man in blue robes couldn't help but ask, 'Do you think it's any more complicated? I've already explained. Whether you believe me or not is entirely up to you. Besides, if this weren't the treasure vault's location, wouldn't you think the barbarian master would have set up such an elaborate sealing array outside a temporary dwelling? With our three combined efforts, it would take months just to fully dissolve it. Is there any other explanation besides the treasure vault?' The beautiful woman said with a mocking tone. 'Your reasoning does make sense. I suppose I and my younger brother have been overthinking this. Fortunately, only the final layer of the seal remains. Once we break through it, all our efforts over these past months won't have been in vain. I'll go check on the sealing array they've arranged—how well it's been set up.' After a brief pause and a thoughtful glance, the elder in gray robes bowed slightly to the two, then cleared his throat and said. Then he shimmered into a beam of yellow light, heading straight for the shore. "I'll go check on the status of the lake's seal as well!" The young man in blue robes raised a brow, glanced at the beautiful woman, and said calmly. Instantly, a flash of bloodlight rippled over his form, and a translucent crimson aura emerged. He sank downward, vanishing into the lake waters. As the elder smiled briefly at the other two, intending to say something, his expression suddenly changed, and he turned sharply toward the horizon. Both the graceful woman and the young man in blue robes were startled, and hurried to look in that direction. Far off, a shimmering green light flashed, and a bright, piercing streak of jade-green light surged forth, clearly aimed directly at the lake where they stood. (First chapter, with one more to come. We've had to sadly miss the annual conference in order to keep delivering fresh chapters. Now that we're halfway through, please vote for us a few times—your support will mean a great deal. Hehe, we'll keep writing hard!)