Chapter 723: The Most Precious Treasure of the Continent

"Kid, how did you learn about the Divine Desolation Treasure Box?" Yan Cangtian narrowed his eyes, his expression serious.

"The Divine Desolation Treasure Box?" Ling Feng smirked, taking it out from his storage spirit ring and casually tossing it before Yan Cangtian. "Here you go, Elder Yan. Take a look!"

"What... what is this?" Yan Cangtian stared in silence for a moment before the shock set in, his hands trembling uncontrollably. "Di... Di... Di... Divine Desolation Treasure Box?" His voice quivered as his mouth twitched with disbelief.

The Divine Desolation Treasure Box—the stuff of legends!

Records of its existence went back at least ten thousand years!

"

Mhmm.

" Ling Feng nodded emphatically.

"This...

uh...

is... is it real?" Yan Cangtian gripped the edge of the table beside him, causing it to shake.

He still couldn't believe what he saw.

"

Mm-hmm.

"Ling Feng nodded again, unwavering, meeting Yan Cangtian's gaze with absolute certainty.

"No... no... no... this can't be!"

Yan Cangtian's hands trembled violently. He had never imagined he'd see such a legendary item before his very eyes, a vision even his wildest dreams hadn't conjured!

"Elder Yan, I can understand how you feel," Ling Feng said, taking a deep breath. When he'd first acquired the box, he hadn't fully grasped its significance, and it hadn't amazed him.

But after reading through Shen Lang's notes, he found his worldview being reshaped.

He realized that this small box contained the fabled opportunity to ascend to the Supreme Immortal Realm.

After a long time!

After a long long time!

Yan Cangtian, dumbstruck, paced back and forth like a man who'd just stumbled upon a mountain of gold and jewels. He didn't speak a word for a long time—so long, in fact, that the sun had already set by the time he finally said,

"

Oh...

Fuck!"

Even Yan Cangtian, with his status and experience, was left speechless, only able to express his feelings with a simple, "Oh fuck!"

"Elder Yan..." Ling Feng's lips twitched in amusement. He hadn't expected Elder Yan's mental fortitude to be this easily shaken.

If Yan Cangtian knew what Ling Feng was thinking, he'd likely be furious.

Mental fortitude?

Anyone else with a weaker heart would have died from sheer excitement. First, they'd be thrilled, then paranoid about losing the treasure, living in constant fear of it being stolen, only to eventually meet their end empty-handed.

This was the common state of most owners of the Divine Desolation Treasure Box.

Take Shen Lang, for instance. He had been calm and wise in normal circumstances, yet he had once thrown himself into molten lava in search of the Divine Desolation Treasure Box, a decision that had cost him his life.

"Put it away! Right now!" Yan Cangtian managed to contain himself as he ground out the words, "Kid, from now on, never show that thing again—not even to me!"

"

Uh...

okay," Ling Feng quickly stowed the Divine Desolation Treasure Box away, but his curiosity was piqued. "But why?"

Yan Cangtian sighed in relief as the box disappeared, then explained, "You've no idea the temptation this puts me through! If I didn't understand the treasure's value, it would be one thing, but I've read an ancient text about it. I know exactly what this box represents."

He paused, wiping sweat from his brow. "Even if I felt the slightest bit of greed, you'd be dead right now!"

"I trusted you, Elder Yan," Ling Feng said with a laugh.

"It doesn't matter if you trust me or not!" Yan Cangtian rolled his eyes before cautioning him gravely. "Not a word of this must get out. Every person who knows about it adds another layer of danger."

He continued, "While most people might not understand what the Divine Desolation Treasure Box is, those at the level of a human emperor or even a great emperor, always on the lookout for greater opportunities, would know it. There are records of this very item in ancient books across the five regions of our continent. It's recognized as the most precious treasure of the Xuanling Continent."

"The most precious treasure of the Xuanling Continent?" Ling Feng murmured, feeling a chill run down his spine.

"Exactly. Not just for the Tianbai Empire, but for the entire continent!" Yan Cangtian declares solemnly. "The Tianbai Empire is but a country within the Dongling Region, which itself is one of the five regions of the continent: east, west, south, north, and central. Though interactions among the regions are rare, the Divine Desolation Treasure Box is unanimously acknowledged across the continent as the most precious treasure."

Yan Cangtian's face grew even more serious. "That's because the opportunity to ascend to the Supreme Immortal Realm, hidden within this box, is unique across the entire continent."

Ling Feng nodded, feeling a weight settle over him. He realized he'd need to strictly follow Elder Yan's advice, ensuring he never revealed the treasure again.

"

Oh,

and take this!" Yan Cangtian hurried over to a nearby bookshelf, rummaging through it until he found a thin book, which he handed to Ling Feng. "This is all the information I've collected on the Divine Desolation Treasure Box, from ancient texts and the royal library. It may help you in your research."

Ling Feng accepted the book and nodded. "Thank you, Elder Yan."

"Now go on. It's hard to break the mystery of this treasure, but if anyone has a chance, it's you. I'll keep an eye out for any clues about it, but for now, I need some peace."

Though Yan Cangtian managed to maintain a calm demeanor outwardly, seeing this legendary artifact had thrown him into a storm of emotion.

"Understood. I'll leave you to your cultivation, Elder Yan." Ling Feng bowed and exited Yan Cangtian's private room with Tuoba Yan.

Ling Feng didn't leave the area, though. Instead, he headed straight to the alchemy room, bringing out the discarded medicinal pills he'd brought from the Tiandan Pavilion to experiment with.

Although these pills had lost most of their potency and accumulated harmful toxins, Ling Feng intended to reverse-engineer their formulas using the resources he had.

With the Vermilion-Eyed Ice Silkworm to absorb any toxins, he had no reason to worry about adverse effects.

This gave him a unique opportunity to test the formulas and refine them using the herbs from the medicinal herb garden, increasing his chances of success significantly.

"Miss Tuoba," Ling Feng said, looking over to her, "I won't be returning to Tianxuan Garden tonight. There's a guest room behind the courtyard; you can rest there. I won't stray beyond a hundred zhang."

"No need," Tuoba Yan replied coolly. "I may not be an alchemist, but I know a thing or two about herbs. Just tell me what you need, and I'll fetch it for you."

This was the first time Tuoba Yan had offered her help, a subtle change in her attitude since their experience on the Battlefield of the Gods and Demons.

"Alright, I'll take you up on that offer," Ling Feng said with a smile. "You're not as cold as you pretend to be, Miss Tuoba."

"

Hmph!

" Tuoba Yan shot him a glare. "It's just to pass the time. Keep talking, and I'll ignore you completely!"

"

Hehe...

" Ling Feng shook his head and smiled. "Alright, not another word."