The deepest region of the Imperial Palace had become completely silent.
No birds sang.
No wind moved.
Even the spiritual energy floating throughout the area seemed to have slowed down.
Before everyone stood the enormous dimensional gate leading toward the Imperial Treasury Realm.
Ancient golden symbols drifted around its surface.
Countless formation runes shone beneath the ground like rivers of light.
The aura leaking from the gate felt old.
Very old.
As though it had existed long before the Da Cang Empire itself.
Lin Shuan quietly observed everything.
His heartbeat had already accelerated.
Somewhere inside that hidden dimension—
countless treasures waited.
Ancient inheritances.
Rare cultivation resources.
Perhaps even objects connected to secrets far older than the empire.
Meanwhile—
Protector Yi stood calmly beside him.
Her crimson robes moved gently in the faint spiritual wind.
Everything appeared normal.
Then suddenly—
a powerful pressure descended from the sky.
WHOOSH!
A streak of light shot downward.
The Arena Elder slowly landed before Protector Yi.
The old man cupped his fists respectfully.
"Empire Protector."
Protector Yi nodded lightly.
"Elder."
The greeting was simple.
Yet Lin Shuan immediately noticed something.
This elder was clearly respected.
Even Protector Yi treated him politely.
Before anyone could speak further—
space suddenly distorted.
Ripple.
Ripple.
Ripple.
Two figures appeared without warning.
No sound.
No fluctuation.
Nothing.
One moment there was empty air.
The next moment—
two old men stood there.
Like ghosts emerging from another world.
"AH!"
Zu Lin nearly jumped backward.
Even Qin Yue's face changed.
Lin Shuan instinctively tensed.
His Frost Luo Essence almost activated automatically.
The appearance of the two elders was simply too strange.
Yet strangely—
Protector Yi remained calm.
The Arena Elder remained calm.
Neither seemed surprised.
As if they had expected them from the beginning.
Qin Yue lowered his voice.
His expression carried deep respect.
"Those two elders..."
"They are the legendary guardians of the Imperial Treasury."
Zu Lin immediately looked toward him.
Qin Yue continued.
"It is said that both of them reached Divine Cycle Emperor Rank long ago."
"They have remained here for hundreds of years."
"Their only responsibility..."
"...is protecting the Imperial Treasury."
Silence followed.
Zu Lin's mouth slowly opened.
Lin Shuan's eyes narrowed.
Divine Cycle Emperor Rank.
Not one.
Two.
The strongest people he had personally encountered until now.
For a moment—
he could not help feeling shocked.
Throughout his entire life—
Divine Cycle Emperor Rank experts had existed only in stories.
Existences capable of destroying empires.
Existences capable of shaking entire continents.
Yet now—
two such beings stood before him.
Even Zu Lin felt his scalp becoming numb.
His thoughts became chaotic.
Two Divine Cycle Emperors...
Just guarding a treasury...
How powerful is Da Cang Empire really?
Then his gaze shifted toward Protector Yi.
A strange thought emerged.
If even these two respected Protector Yi...
Then how powerful was she?
No one knew.
Not even Qin Yue.
The two guardian elders slowly looked toward Protector Yi.
Surprisingly—
Protector Yi slightly lowered her head.
"Greetings, Elders."
The gesture was small.
Yet it shocked the younger generation.
Not because Protector Yi was weaker.
But because these two elders were incredibly ancient.
Their age alone deserved respect.
Seeing Protector Yi greet them—
Lin Shuan, Qin Yue, and Zu Lin hurriedly bowed as well.
"Greetings, Elders."
The two old men nodded.
One had long white hair reaching his waist.
The other possessed sharp golden eyes that resembled an eagle.
Their expressions remained calm.
Yet merely standing there created invisible pressure.
Then the Arena Elder stepped forward.
He smiled.
"Elders."
"These are the champions of this year's Empire Warriors Tournament."
He turned toward the youths.
Then suddenly paused.
Because originally—
there should have been five.
Now only three remained.
For a brief moment—
silence appeared.
No one said anything about Mo Xiao Lan.
No one mentioned Yan Lie.
No one mentioned what had happened.
The dead remained dead.
The living moved forward.
The Arena Elder eventually shook his head.
Then his gaze landed on Lin Shuan.
A strange smile appeared.
"This one is particularly interesting."
"He is Shuan Hao."
"The Number One Champion of this year's tournament."
The two guardian elders finally focused completely upon Lin Shuan.
The moment their eyes landed on him—
their expressions subtly changed.
They felt something.
Something strange.
A cold aura hidden beneath his body.
A mysterious fluctuation.
An ancient feeling.
Not powerful.
But ancient.
The white-haired elder narrowed his eyes.
"Shuan Hao..."
The golden-eyed elder repeated.
"Shuan Hao..."
Lin Shuan immediately felt as though every secret within his body had been examined.
Fortunately—
the Frost Divine Heart remained completely hidden.
Even Tian Wuchen stayed silent inside the pendant.
Not daring to reveal himself.
The two elders observed Lin Shuan for several moments.
Then surprisingly—
they asked nothing.
Instead—
they slowly turned toward the dimensional gate.
The white-haired elder spoke.
"Then let us begin."
Immediately—
everyone became serious.
Even Protector Yi's expression sharpened.
The atmosphere changed.
The Imperial Treasury was about to open.
And opening it—
was not simple.
The three elders stepped forward simultaneously.
One stood in the east.
One in the west.
One in the center.
Together they formed a perfect triangle around the dimensional gate.
Then—
they raised their hands.
BOOM!
Three different auras erupted.
Golden light.
Silver light.
Blue light.
The sky above trembled.
Ancient runes began appearing everywhere.
Lin Shuan watched in complete fascination.
He had never seen such a profound formation before.
The white-haired elder formed dozens of hand seals.
Every seal created another glowing rune.
The golden-eyed elder mirrored him.
The Arena Elder did the same.
Thousands of symbols rapidly appeared.
Each symbol carried ancient power.
Each symbol contained laws far beyond Lin Shuan's understanding.
Soon—
the air itself became filled with glowing characters.
The three streams of runes flew toward the dimensional gate.
BOOM!
The entire gate shook.
A deep sound echoed throughout heaven and earth.
Yet it did not open.
Instead—
another layer appeared.
An enormous golden lock.
The lock was hundreds of meters tall.
Ancient dragons were engraved across its surface.
Lin Shuan stared.
"A second seal?"
Qin Yue inhaled sharply.
"So the legends were true..."
The white-haired elder spoke calmly.
"The Treasury Realm possesses Three Ancient Seals."
"The first protects against invaders."
"The second protects against greed."
"The third protects against fate itself."
Zu Lin blinked.
"What does that even mean?"
No answer came.
The elders continued working.
The first seal had already appeared.
Now they began breaking it.
Their hand seals accelerated.
Faster.
Faster.
Faster.
Thousands of runes collided against the giant lock.
CRACK!
A fracture appeared.
Then another.
Then dozens.
Finally—
BOOOOOOM!
The giant lock exploded into particles of light.
The entire space trembled.
Yet immediately—
a second phenomenon appeared.
The dimensional gate suddenly transformed.
Its surface became a mirror.
Not an ordinary mirror.
A spiritual mirror.
The moment it appeared—
everyone felt something strange.
Their minds became heavy.
As though countless desires were being pulled from their hearts.
The golden-eyed elder spoke.
"The Seal of Greed."
"If the seal senses overwhelming greed..."
"It rejects the individual."
"Sometimes permanently."
Lin Shuan frowned.
The Imperial Treasury was far more mysterious than expected.
The three elders extended their palms simultaneously.
Three beams of light shot into the mirror.
For several moments—
nothing happened.
Then—
images appeared.
Mountains of treasure.
Infinite wealth.
Divine weapons.
Immortal pills.
Entire kingdoms kneeling.
Countless temptations.
The mirror seemed to be testing something.
Testing the hearts of those who wished to enter.
Qin Yue's breathing became slightly heavier.
Zu Lin's eyes widened.
Even Lin Shuan felt temptation.
But his gaze soon became calm again.
Treasure?
Power?
He desired them.
But only because he needed strength.
Strength to survive.
Strength to uncover the truth.
Strength to protect.
Not merely wealth.
The mirror gradually calmed.
Then shattered.
CRASH!
The second seal vanished.
Silence followed.
Everyone stared.
Only one seal remained.
The final seal.
The most mysterious one.
The Seal of Fate.
Even Protector Yi became serious.
The three elders exchanged glances.
For the first time—
their expressions became solemn.
The white-haired elder spoke.
"This seal cannot be broken."
Lin Shuan blinked.
Cannot be broken?
Then how was the treasury opened?
The elder continued.
"It can only be acknowledged."
The next moment—
the three elders cut their palms.
Drops of blood floated into the air.
Ancient blood.
Divine Cycle Emperor blood.
The blood transformed into countless crimson runes.
The runes gathered before the gate.
Then—
the entire world suddenly became silent.
Absolutely silent.
Even sound disappeared.
A colossal eye slowly opened behind the dimensional gate.
An ancient eye.
An eye large enough to cover the heavens.
The moment it appeared—
everyone's souls trembled.
Lin Shuan felt chills.
He had never experienced such pressure before.
It was not strength.
It was age.
The eye seemed to have watched history itself unfold.
The eye observed the three elders.
Then Protector Yi.
Then Qin Yue.
Then Zu Lin.
Finally—
it stopped on Lin Shuan.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Even Tian Wuchen became motionless.
For several seconds—
nothing happened.
Then suddenly—
the ancient eye narrowed.
As if it had discovered something unexpected.
Something impossible.
Something hidden.
Lin Shuan felt his Frost Divine Heart tremble faintly.
Inside his sleeve—
the Heart Purification Jade also became slightly warm.
No one noticed except Tian Wuchen.
And the old monster's heart nearly stopped.
Impossible...
Did it sense the Frost Divine Heart?
The ancient eye continued staring.
Longer than anyone else.
Far longer.
Even the two guardian elders noticed.
A strange expression appeared on their faces.
Then—
the eye slowly closed.
The pressure disappeared.
And the final seal dissolved.
RUMBLE!
The dimensional gate finally opened.
Endless golden light burst outward.
Ancient spiritual energy flooded the surroundings.
The hidden Treasury Realm—
had awakened.
Yet at that exact moment—
far away among the palace structures—
the hidden black-robed figures watching everything suddenly vanished.
One after another.
Without warning.
Without hesitation.
They retreated completely.
Because during the opening of the three seals—
they had witnessed something terrifying.
Something they did not understand.
Something involving the final Seal of Fate.
And somewhere far away—
within Black Swamp City—
a mysterious leader slowly opened his eyes once more.
As if he had sensed that something unexpected had entered the game.
Something capable of changing fate itself.
Meanwhile—
standing before the now-open treasury—
Lin Shuan knew nothing about this.
His eyes reflected the endless golden world beyond the gate.
Excitement.
Curiosity.
Anticipation.
For him—
a new chapter was about to begin.
And hidden somewhere inside that ancient realm...
awaited a treasure connected to a destiny far older than Da Cang Empire itself.