Everyone's attention immediately shifted away from the three master artifacts and turned toward Konomi. Kuniyoshi Hokoji hurriedly asked, "What are you breathing? What does it say?" As an accomplished fire master, his nine years of compulsory education had been spent mostly skipping classes and sleeping—he had nearly forgotten that there was ever a Chinese characters class. The sight of the dense, ancient Chinese characters on the bamboo scroll sent him spinning. While Kunitaro and others undoubtedly had a higher cultural level, even including graduates from prestigious universities, they too could not make sense of the text. Konomi looked at the corpse with a complex expression: "He is Xu Fu, and also Amaterasu..." The members of the Chikura group fell silent, caught between the recognition that it was true and the reluctance to face it. Kunitaro spoke firmly, urging, "What does it say?" "This is Xu Fu's personal account. According to the bamboo slips, he was commissioned by the First Emperor to seek the elixir of immortality by sea. It states: 'In the East Sea lies a precious treasure left by the Huangdi of the creation of heaven and earth; ten suns rest upon it. By obtaining it, one may achieve eternal life, sharing the lifespan of heaven.' Minorishi said: 'Xu Fu led young boys and girls, along with the jade disc granted by the First Emperor, and set sail by sea. Through the skills of the scholars, he spent several years and finally discovered an island nation, then another several years to reach this very place. 'To unlock the sacred realm, he traveled throughout the island, gathering precious stones, carving stone sculptures, and crafting the jade disc, ultimately opening the hidden realm.' Indeed... this confirms Zhang Yuanqing's earlier thoughts. During the Qin dynasty, practitioners possessed the ability to create and open sacred realms—otherwise, Xu Fu could not have forcibly opened Gao Tian Yuan. Moreover, Gao Tian Yuan has always existed as a sacred realm, not one established by Xu Fu himself.' Onozaki continued: "It was only here that he realized Tenri had perished, leaving behind the bronze divine tree, which he diligently studied for years, yet could not master. Beneath the tree lay a spiritual spring; ordinary people who bathed in it could undergo a transformation, rejuvenating and extending their lives. Monks who bathed could achieve a pure, radiant body, and upon drinking the spring's waters, would be immune to a hundred diseases and poisons—what Xu Fu believed to be the Fountain of Immortality. Yet once the Fountain of Immortality departed the spring, it would revert to ordinary water, and Xu Fu could not bring it back to China. Thus, the capable practitioners accompanying him advised Xu Fu to settle here, establish a kingdom, and enjoy eternal life—what a better fate than returning to China to serve as a vassal? Xu Fu therefore named this place 'Kotodahara' and proclaimed himself the Heavenly Illuminator, the Great Divine Sovereign. He discovered three mineral stones at the bottom of the spring—one copper, one iron, one jade—and forged them into sacred implements, symbolizing supreme authority. He taught the common people of the island the customs of etiquette, agriculture Yet the beautiful scene did not last long. The spring water gradually dwindled, and this vibrant sanctuary began to wither. Xu Fu dispersed the people living within it, sending them to live outside, while he himself remained here, recording his experiences on bamboo scrolls. "So, the Immortal Spring that Emperor Qin longed for has withered?" Ancient Jun Huo Jin asked, looking up at the towering bronze tree. "And is this bronze tree merely a useless relic?" He could not hide his disappointment. "Not quite. Xu Fu has not yet grasped the secret of the bronze tree." Dragon Zhi said, then turned to Ozawa and asked, "What do you think?" After a long pause, Ozawa said, "Two possibilities: First, Xu Fu has not yet understood the secret of the bronze tree—indeed, it is the very thing Emperor Qin sought. Look at this pond—it is clear that the Immortal Spring flows out from the roots of the tree. Second, the bronze tree may have no value at all. The true treasure might exist elsewhere, though, beyond this place." The bamboo scroll states that in the Eastern Sea lies a supreme treasure, upon which ten suns once circled. When Xu Fu began his search, the ten suns had already vanished. "After he had occupied the Spring of Immortality for many years, the spring gradually withered—this indicates that the spiritual essence of the sacred realm is slowly fading. If the treasure still resides here, it should not have deteriorated so significantly." Shinobu Ichiro paused, then asked, "Which scenario seems more likely?" Without waiting for the others to respond, he turned to Princess Yin Yao, saying, "Master Yuan Shi, what do you think?" I recall the legend that Xu Fu set sail twice, and only after the second voyage did he lose contact—yet the scroll makes no mention of this. No, according to the scroll's account, Xu Fu never returned to China at all. Is the legend therefore inaccurate? Not quite. The jade disc was a carefully crafted artifact by Xu Fu to open the High Heaven Plain, not one brought from China. If Xu Fu never returned to China, then how do we explain the jade disc found at Qin Feng Academy? Therefore, Xu Fu concealed this experience and did not mention it in the bamboo scrolls—this matter is far from simple... Zhang Yuancheng's thoughts raced as he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to first examine the bronze divine tree." With a single star-dash technique, he materialized before the tree, gazing at its trunk broad as a city wall and studying the intricate patterns. Still completely unintelligible... He muttered to himself, then vanished again with another star-dash. Using the flight ability of his Swift-Wind gloves combined with the star-dash technique, he circled the bronze divine tree carefully. The members of the Tsumugi group, lacking such advantages, watched in anticipation, waiting patiently. It took fully fifteen minutes to complete a full circuit of the tree—without any breakthroughs. "Have you finished? Do you feel like you're wasting time?" Gu Jun Huojin glanced at him with a knowing smile, saying, "We're leaving. Are you certain you want to stay?" Zhang Yuancheng, riding the flow of air, looked down at him with a calm demeanor, replied, "You go ahead and leave. Try to see if I'm willing to kill you." He turned to Kōbe Ichirō and said, "I'll go down to the bottom of the pool." "I'll go too," Minoru said hurriedly, retrieving his jet-pack and leaping down into the depths as if descending into the abyss. Zhang Yuanqing reached the pool bottom first. Beneath his feet lay jagged rocks and soil fragments, no silt—this area had dried up for several thousand years, resembling a true deep chasm. The walls on all sides were uneven. On the stone wall near the bronze tree, thick bronze roots emerged from the stone, hanging in mid-air. "It's incredible—this bronze tree seems alive, not merely a bronze sculpture," Minoru noted, having just landed with his jet-pack and observing the dangling roots. "Do you speak foreign languages?" Zhang Yuanqing asked in a foreign language. "Oh, no need for that—I speak Chinese," Minoru smiled. "As a scholar, mastering multiple languages is a fundamental skill." He summoned a sharp blade from his inventory, stepped forward, grasped a slender root, and cut it firmly. "Creak... creak..." The blade sliced through the bronze root, emitting a sound so sharp it made one's teeth ache. Zhang Yuanqing watched silently, quietly summoning the ghost bride and instructing her to go and keep an eye on the leaders of the Chihara group, ensuring they wouldn't slip away and trap him deep within the realm. Although he had a divine jade tablet—a powerful artifact—he found its effectiveness limited by its own quality; it could not penetrate especially strong seals or barriers. The secret realm of Kōten'gen, clearly, surpassed even the Saint's quest in terms of such defenses. Amidst the surging waves of negative energy, a graceful figure in a vibrant red wedding gown rose gently upward. ——He had brought both the lively young one and the ghost bride. "Eh—!" Small Nishijiri tried in vain, then drew in a deep breath, exclaiming loudly, "Incredible! Truly incredible! It is indeed bronze, a metal—but at the same time, it possesses life! How is it that metal has come to live? What power allows such a marvel to exist?" Upon finishing, he remembered that the Prime Immortal didn't understand Japanese, so he repeated the words in Mandarin Can metal come alive? Heavens, that truly seems incredible—what kind of power could achieve such a marvel? What if, from a different perspective, other inanimate things could also come to life? Zhang Yuanqing wasn’t a homebody, so his first thought was of props—something made of silicone or inflatable material—rather than the more abstract concepts of silicon or gas. Even more, he considered the concept of yin corpses—could yin corpses be revived? "Anything you've discovered? Any ideas?" he wanted to hear the professionals' insights. "The authority of life lies with the musicians—the eternal spring pool likely flows from within the bronze sacred tree," said Xiao Yushi, pushing his glasses up his nose and analyzing. "Indeed, the bronze sacred tree is closely linked to the musicians' profession. Yet musicians alone couldn’t create such a magnificent scene. It’s the scholars who possess that capability." So, it’s a synthesis of the abilities of both scholars and musicians, resulting in the bronze sacred tree? Zhang Yuanqing suddenly realized and asked, "Then, is this tree still valuable? Is it dead or just in dormancy?" Xiao Nishi shook his head: "It's hard to say—it might be dead, or it might be in dormancy. But the treasure is definitely gone, otherwise why would it be like this? This sacred tree holds greater symbolic and aesthetic value than practical utility. 'If I were a crafting artisan, I could extract information from it—even if it lacks tangible item properties, that would be a pity.'" Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing felt a bit disappointed and remained silent, gently exhaling a stream of Taiyin energy, which landed as a smooth, slightly sparse infant with soft hair. Let's see how the little enthusiast reacts to the bronze sacred tree—perhaps it will reveal something. And while we're at it, let's go inside the trunk. Given how thick this tree is, can it really be solid throughout? He immediately issued a quest to the little enthusiast, though unfortunately, his backpack has limited capacity and he couldn't bring the exploration cloak. If only he could have managed to pack one for his beloved son. The little comic lifted his head, scanned the surroundings, and then spotted the dense, hanging roots—his shiny eyes lit up instantly. He quickly moved his limbs and crawled over toward them. Climbing up the steep wall, he grasped the roots and plunged headfirst into the stone wall. The next moment, the little comic bounced like a small ball, rolling in circles at the bottom of the pond. He sat up, puzzled, stunned for a few seconds, then began to cry loudly. He couldn’t enter the trunk… Zhang Yuanqing fell silent. … At the Pine Sea hotel room. Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes and dialed Fu Qingyang’s phone. Since he knew Fu was busy with his work, Fu answered promptly: “What have you found in Gao Tianyuan?” "The authentic relics of the Heavenly Sword, the Hook Jade, and the Eight-Handed Mirror are all located in Tōten-no-Ōkami, all being master-tier artifacts..." Zhang Yuanqing briefly outlined the current situation within Tōten-no-Ōkami, then raised his question: "That jade disk was a magical artifact crafted by Xu Fu in the Japanese archipelago. If he had never returned to China, the Qin Feng Academy would not have a hand-drawn diagram of it. Old Man, what do you think about this?" Fu Qingyang, as a scout, was more perceptive and intellectually sharper than Zhang Yuanqing—both in insight and strategic acumen. When faced with uncertainty, asking for Qian Gong's opinion was always reliable. "It's straightforward—Xu Fu omitted his return to China, which may not have been to his credit, or may have been due to some hidden reasons. Time is limited, so I'll keep my explanation concise..." Fu Qingyang spoke with clear diction and a magnetic tone: "First, Xu Fu returned to China with specific intentions; he certainly did not intend to report in detail to Emperor Qin. Otherwise, Emperor Qin would have already personally visited Tōten-no-Ōk "Secondly, Xu Fu was ambitious—he clearly intended to claim the entire High Heaven Plain on his own. 'Finally, having entered the High Heaven Plain, what compelled him to return to Central China once again?' Zhang Yuan suddenly had a flash of insight, his mind clicking into place, and exclaimed, 'To seek a deeper understanding of the bronze divine tree?' Fu Qingyang replied, 'Exactly. The First Emperor sent Xu Fu to sea in search of the elixir of immortality, perhaps because he possessed a certain object or information, knowing what lay within the High Heaven Plain. 'If you were the First Emperor, would you entrust that object to Xu Fu?' Zhang Yuan answered without hesitation, 'I would dispatch others to search for the High Heaven Plain, and only after reaching it would I personally go there. Now I understand your point, Elder Brother—Xu Fu found the High Heaven Plain, but kept it hidden from the First Emperor. He returned to Central China with the jade disc, deceiving the First Emperor, intending either to secure or to steal the very things the First Emperor controlled." "But he failed. Out of necessity, he found reasons to set sail a second time and never returned to Central China, establishing himself as a king in the island nation. He had hoped to achieve immortality through the Elixir of Immortality, but as the world underwent great changes, his spiritual energy waned, the Elixir withered, and he eventually passed away peacefully in the High Heaven Plain." With this reasoning, the logic now makes sense. Fu Qingyang said, "That's roughly what we've concluded. If our assumptions are correct, then within the two stone gates beneath the Jiao-ren Lake at Qin Feng Academy, there may lie the key to solving the mystery of the Bronze Divine Tree. We should find a way to retrieve the jade disc." "I'll take care of it!" Zhang Yuanqing's heart immediately warmed with enthusiasm. For instance, the Bronze Divine Tree, as a master-level artifact, is hardly significant. ... High Heaven Plain, at the bottom of the pond. If they directly request the jade disc from the Chian He group, they are likely to refuse and instead offer financial compensation, given the profound significance the High Heaven Plain holds for them. There were only three divine artifacts in the Tachibana realm, and the harvest fell short of expectations. Without one of them, the prior agreements would be nullified. I would directly demand one of the three divine artifacts—there was no way they would agree. First, I would propose a request so demanding that they could not possibly accept, securing all three artifacts, and then, as a fallback, ask for the key with some difficulty. The art of negotiation is to ask for everything at once, then settle for less. Should they still refuse, only force would remain—though they possessed three master-tier items, force would need to be applied with finesse. His thoughts raced swiftly, and soon he had a plan. "It seems this sacred tree has indeed lost its value," Zhang Yuanqing sighed, looking toward Konoji Yojiro. "Let's go up." With that, he pressed his palm against his lower body, and a strong wind surged, lifting him upward and returning him to the ground. Konoji, carrying his backpack, arrived slightly later and reached the edge of the pond. "Any discoveries?" asked Konoaru. Zhang Yuanqing shook his head: "The bronze divine tree has little value." At this moment, he was immensely relieved that Lady Yin Yao was a shade-body, as shade-bodies lack facial expressions and wear glasses, making it unlikely that Long Qi would notice any anomalies. "Is that correct?" said Godoku Ichiro, turning to the more trustworthy Ono-shi. Ono-shi nodded, sharing his hypothesis about the bronze divine tree with his companions and sighed: "Master Yuan-shi is right—the bronze tree is of limited value. It seems our gains are limited to just the three divine artifacts." Hearing this, the senior officers of the Chihaku group could not help but express their disappointment. They had come with the expectation of making a fortune, only to come away empty-handed. Yet, the three master-level items at least somewhat alleviated their sense of letdown. The Chihaku group has only maintained three master-level artifacts throughout its history, two of which were seized by the Heavenly Punishment during periods of war. Today, as a national official group, Chihaku holds only one master-level artifact—of relatively lower quality among the master-level items. In contrast, the three divine artifacts are all of excellent quality. With these three items, the overall strength of the Chiyama group has instantly multiplied several times over. At this point, Zhang Yuanqing said, "Then let's discuss the distribution of the spoils. Everyone, I would like to take one of the three items—does that sound fair?" The senior members of the Chiyama group grew serious. "No way!" Gojūkuni Koshiro, straightforward and resolute, immediately rejected the proposal without hesitation: "These three sacred items must remain the property of my Chiyama group. You won't get them, not even in thought." Zhang Yuanqing silently opened the zipper of his backpack, and coldly replied, "Are you now going back on your word? It seems I have overestimated your sense of integrity. Your island-born people truly are mere mice—aware of small courtesies but lacking in great principles, fearful of authority but devoid of genuine virtue." Shino Ryō, diligently translating, then grew increasingly anxious, speaking with a tearful tone: "Please calm down, everyone. Let's have a constructive conversation—absolutely no internal conflict." I thought giving the Yuanshishu King a divine artifact would be...” The sentence was cut short as ancient-gunji Koshiro roared, “Hajimemashite! You have no right to speak here! Clarify your status and position! Don’t think that because the team leader has promised to promote you, you now have the authority to give orders—get out of here, or I’ll expel you from the Chihaku Team!” Godoku Ichiro and the others watched her coldly. Hayano Ryō had never been treated so brutally; her eyes glistened with emotion, and she was so startled that she couldn’t speak, tears welling up but not yet falling. Zhang Yuanqing decisively reached into her backpack and pulled out a thunderstorm cannon thirty centimeters long, its large, dark barrel aimed squarely at Koshiro, and said coldly, “You can die right now!” Koshiro suddenly realized what was happening, instinctively turning to the eight-armed mirror in her hands. To her surprise, the mirror flashed a scene—she was struck by a spherical lightning bolt, her body shattering into fragments, exploding into chunks of flesh, and the shockwave injuring Godoku At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing pulled the trigger! Purple lightning rapidly coalesced at the muzzle, arcs crackling and jumping in succession, then a spherical lightning bolt surged forward. Kuji's heart leapt—he roared, "Get out of the way!" He snatched a ball of flame and hurled it toward the distance, instantly enveloping himself in the rising flames to evade the attack. From his elevated position, Zhang Yuanqing sent a gust of wind blade slicing across. Meanwhile, the others instinctively scattered in all directions. "Boom!" The entire ground trembled violently, stones and soil exploding outward, lifting a cloud of dust. Mount God Watanabe Kiyotaka, who had just begun to retreat, suddenly felt the Kunitachi jewel glow with a jade-green aura. The next instant, the stones and soil hurtling toward him altered their trajectories and instead surged past him. The shockwave was also deflected by an invisible force, as though deliberately steered around Watanabe. "Automatically neutralizing the attacks?" Watanabe Kiyotaka was both astonished and delighted. Kuji, however, was not so fortunate—his chest was sliced by the He clutched his chest, roaring in anger. Zhang Yuanqing raised his gun once again, aiming directly at him. The fire demon felt a jolt of surprise, silenced instantly, his body tensed and alert. The members of the Chihara group who had retreated to the far end gathered back together, eyes shining with excitement—Master Yuan-Shi’s single shot had once again activated two previously unknown functions of the props. Indeed, these were top-tier artifacts crafted by ancient superbeings, made from materials from the High Heavens, and truly exceptional. The injuries sustained by the ancient city of Kujin, however, went largely unnoticed. "Master Yuan-Shi, we have no intention of fighting you," said Kato Ichiro firmly. "But should you insist on pressing your case, do not expect us to hold back." He tightened his grip on the Tenshun Cloud, ready to act. Hitoshi Ryō watched Master Yuan-Shi with tearful eyes, deeply moved, so much so that she momentarily forgot to translate. When Master Yuan-Shi, facing her deputy director with a cold demeanor, had directly opened fire, it had struck her as particularly poignant. Though the conflict stemmed from uneven resource distribution, it Ogawa Yoichi silently took on the role of translator. "Then it seems Kobe's leader doesn't intend to keep his word. In that case, don't expect me, the Supreme Sovereign, to be particularly generous." Zhang Yuanqing pressed both hands together, leaping into the air and standing above the crowd, gazing down coldly. "Look at what's behind you." At that moment, the dust slowly settled, revealing a massive crater over ten meters in diameter where the explosion had occurred. Zhang Yuanqing spoke calmly. "Kobe's leader, do you think your Heavenly Sword-Cloud is more powerful, or is my hand cannon?" He added, "Why don't I stand above, you stand below—let's see who's stronger?" As long as he didn't mention it, no one knew the Thunderstorm Cannon had a limited range. The officers of the Chikura group exchanged slightly worried glances. "Hmph! We are numerous, each of us a Saint, and we have the support of the Three Sacred Treasures—how could we possibly fear you!" Hisuji Kotohime declared. "If you insist on seizing the three treasures today, then the Shadow Skeletons shall "Kobe Ichiro's expression changed instantly: 'Master Yuan Shi, what do you mean?'" Zhang Yuanqing, seeing the stern expressions of the people below, continued: "If I leave the High Heaven Plain now and take the key with me, will you be able to catch up?" "If I want this matter to reach the Heavenly Judgment, do you think the Heavenly Judgment would take away these three premium artifacts? If I reveal it to King Kǒngjù, do you think King Kǒngjù would launch an attack on the Chianhe Group?" As he spoke, the faces of the Chianhe Group's officers grew increasingly grave. Kobe Ichiro gritted his teeth, yet felt a deep sense of frustration as he realized the points the other had struck at his weaknesses. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head: "These three sacred artifacts must remain with our Chianhe Group, Master Yuan Shi. If you wish to reveal this matter, go ahead—our group will strive to hold on. Even if the Heavenly Judgment comes, they will naturally retain one of the artifacts. And if King Kǒngjù arrives, the senior officials of the Heavenly Judgment will surely intervene. In that Zhang Yuanqing sighed, deliberately furrowing his brows and陷入 deep thought. After a long pause, he slowly said, "Very well, Mr. Kōbu. Rather than suffer a mutual defeat, let's each make some concessions." Kōbu's mind eased slightly. "What kind of concessions?" Zhang asked. "Ten billion Japanese yen, the key to Kotohira, and three opportunities to borrow props—once you sign the agreement, that's it. Otherwise, we part ways immediately." The moment of truth had arrived.