Chapter 182: Entering the Treasury

After finding the entrance to the salamander's lair, Zhang Lie rushed deep within, bolstered by his genetic energy. Within moments, he arrived at the deepest part of the lair, where he found a glowing pool of golden radiance.

"Wasteland essence!" Zhang Lie shouted.

In the darkness of the salamander's lair, the golden light emanating from the wasteland essence was particularly eye-catching. After securing the essence, Zhang Lie left the Desert of Silence immediately.

There were still a few hunters among those who had followed Zhang Lie into the Desert of Silence, who were staring into its midst with anticipation and anxiety.

"Did you all hear that? Could Zhang Lie have gone inside to hunt down a desert salamander?"

"Isn't that nonsense? What else would he be doing?"

Amidst wind and sand, Zhang Lie, his armor stained with the blood of the desert salamander, emerged from the desert.

The hunters present gaped. How had Zhang Lie finished the battle so quickly?

Zhang Lie glanced toward the hunters standing by the entrance to the desert. He did nothing else, but this glance alone was sufficient to cause the hunters to turn aside, afraid that Zhang Lie would suddenly lash out at them—but Zhang Lie simply turned aside and continued on his way.

"I bet the desert salamander's been killed by now. Is there anything or anyone in the first realm that can win against Zhang Lie?" One hunter sighed, glancing at Zhang Lie's back.

After an entire day of rest and recuperation, Team Zenith was informed that their prizes were ready to be claimed. They teleported to the capital, where soldiers from the world federation were already waiting to bring them to the treasury.

There, they found Yan Long and Luo Lie.

"I'll need to require that you all wear this wristwatch while in the treasury, given the valuables that are within," Yan Long instructed."As a reminder, don't try to pull anything funny, or you'll receive severe punishment from both the world federation and the military."

Once everyone had put on their wristwatches, a large airship appeared from the horizon and landed in front of Zhang Lie and the others. Luo Lie beckoned everyone in.

The airship flew toward the horizon. No one, not even Zhang Lie, knew where they were headed; after all, the national treasury's location was a closely guarded secret, one that the world federation certainly had no intention of sharing.

In about ten minutes or so, the airship slowed down and prepared to land. Luo Lie led the ten winners of the nationwide tournament out of the airship, where they found themselves surrounded by a mountain range.

"Have we left the capital?" Fang Yi murmured, glancing all around him.

"We have, but we also haven't," Luo Lie replied, smiling mysteriously.

The ground shuddered. The rock wall in front of them cracked open, revealing a small, dark tunnel, which they couldn't see within.

"Let's go." Luo Lie had a few guards remain at the entrance, then led Zhang Lie and the others through the tunnel. Although the surroundings were dark, Luo Lie seemed to be very familiar with the path. He led everyone else forward without ever pausing or having to turn back.

"We're here." After an interminable period of time, Luo Lie suddenly stopped. His sonorous voice echoed in the tunnel. Light flared all around them, turning their surroundings as bright as day.

Zhang Lie raised his head and took a good look at his surroundings. They seemed to be deep within a mountain, with a set of sturdy robotic doors before them.

"So this is China's national treasury?" Fang Yi and Sun Mengmeng exclaimed, their eyes round in shock.

"Identity confirmed: Lieutenant-General Luo Lie. Welcome." A robotic whirr sounded as the doors slowly slid open, revealing a straight, narrow corridor.

Even as the door opened fully, Luo Lie made no motion to enter. Instead, he regarded the opening seriously. Seeing his behavior, Zhang Lie didn't dare make any sudden movements either. After all, they were at the entrance of the national treasury, and it would be quite strange if the security here were lax.

With another robotic whirr, a gust of wind blew out of the corridor exposed by the doors, and Zhang Lie felt a strong aura envelop him. The other hunters of Team Zenith all frowned, their expressions serious, as they began to circulate their genetic energy, as did Chu Feng, Yun Bing, He Tian, and Qian Zhen.

"Don't worry. These are just the robotic guards guard the treasury," Luo Lie explained. Robots emerged from the corridor, outfitted with bulky black armor and thick limbs. Their eyes shone with red, glittering light.

The robots each possessed an incredible aura, one that pressured even the hunters of Team Zenith.

"Ah, red-eyed dark knights! Robots constructed with a third-realm hunter as basis," Zhang Lie murmured, shocking Luo Lie. Clearly, Luo Lie hadn't expected that anyone present would be familiar with such robots.

In the past, it had been the existence of these robots that had saved mankind in several critical battles, but at present, it looked as though such robots couldn't be manufactured in large enough quantities to be of public use.

"These robots aren't perfectly calibrated yet, so don't release hostile intent in their direction. Otherwise, it's very possible that they'll attack you," Luo Lie warned seriously.

The hunters all nodded as they walked in through the corridor. The robots' eyes shone brightly, as though waiting to scan the incoming hunters.

As the robot's gaze landed on Zhang Lie, it suddenly raised an arm, pointing a gun right at Zhang Lie's head. The hunters of Team Zenith all reared back in shock.

"Don't make a move, or even stronger guards will appear!" Luo Lie shouted. The anxious members of Team Zenith forcibly stopped circulating genetic energy as they glanced at Zhang Lie.

Zhang Lie stared calmly at the robotic guard despite the life-threatening danger.

"Threat negated." The robotic guard put down its weapon as Zhang Lie walked by, causing the hunters of Team Zenith to breathe out in relief.

Luo Lie glanced at Zhang Lie. There were only two possibilities that could prompt such a serious response from the guards: either someone unidentified had barged into the treasury, or someone who could threaten even them had appeared.

He's only a first-realm hunter, so how could he be so strong??Luo Lie wondered to himself.

"What frightening robotic guards! We'd surely be able to reduce hunter casualties if we started employing them in interstellar warfare," Sun Xiaowu exclaimed.

"You're too naive! These robots likely haven't been field-tested yet, and the government wouldn't use them before exhaustively testing for the possibility of a malfunction. After all, our enemies are far more technologically advanced than we are, so if we were to use these robots without taking sufficient precautions, they could easily sabotage the robots or use them against us," Chu Feng replied before Luo Lie could.

On the other hand, Zhang Lie remained silent. He knew that these guards would only become usable in interstellar warfare after an exhaustive series of trials, tests, and improvements, and there was still a long way to go for the military.

"Behind this door lies the national treasury, and I can't go beyond it. I'll wait for all of you outside," Luo Lie said, as the party reached the end of the corridor.

As the final door opened up completely, a series of lights flashed on, illuminating the national treasury. Zhang Lie sucked in a deep breath as he beckoned the rest of Team Zenith forward, followed quickly by the remaining hunters. The wristwatches on their hands were what granted them access.

After they were all inside, the door slammed shut behind them. A long corridor stretched out near-endlessly up ahead, with shelves of treasures on either side. Soulshards, herbs, and even weapons and equipment awaited them all.

"Is that... a peak-grade soulshard?!" Fang Yi's eyes were focused on several glittering soulshards at the top of a cabinet. He sucked in a deep breath: indeed, it wasn't surprising that the national treasury would boast such staggering rewards.

"And that's... dragonbreath grass!" Before they teleported to the capital, Zhang Lie had given them a list of items that he needed to acquire, and this precious herb was among them.