The haul was enormous, but Yang Kai still hadn't found what he was looking for.
Still, he was in no hurry. Instead, his gaze drifted toward several boxes that had been placed in the most inconspicuous corner of the vault.
There were three boxes there, arranged in a row. If his estimates were correct, one of them should contain the Star Emperor Token.
The Star Emperor Token was the key to his entering the Star Boundary in pursuit of higher martial attainment — Yang Kai naturally cared a great deal about it.
He had already collected six pieces in his possession. Adding Purple Star's piece would make seven. The remaining two had already been identified; all he needed was to gather them all to open the passage.
This piece from Purple Star — he was absolutely determined to have it.
Approaching the three boxes, Yang Kai studied them for a moment, confirming that no restrictions or wards existed in the vicinity, before reaching out and lifting the first one.
He opened the box and found, lying inside, a crystalline object.
Yang Kai's expression immediately turned peculiar. After studying it carefully for a while, he realized he actually had no idea what it was. The crystal was perfectly circular, immaculately pure, without a single flaw — it looked very much like a Holy Crystal.
But it was absolutely not a Holy Crystal.
No ordinary Holy Crystal would ever be stored in Purple Star's treasury.
Yang Kai reached in and took the round crystal out of the box. His expression grew even more peculiar as he realized the thing emanated not a shred of energy fluctuation — it was like a completely useless piece of quartz.
But the moment he sent his Divine Sense probing into it, his face changed drastically. He let out a low, startled cry: "This powerful?!"
In that instant, from this unassuming crystal, he sensed an energy fluctuation so vast it defied his imagination!
That energy was as boundless and immense as a boundless ocean. When his Divine Sense surged into it, he immediately felt as though he could not perceive its end, and it sent a faint shiver through his heart.
"Could this really be a Holy Crystal?" Yang Kai was no longer certain. He could sense that the energy contained within the crystal was utterly pure — it could be absorbed and refined by a cultivator to aid in their practice. This function was indeed like a Holy Crystal, but what Holy Crystal possessed such terrifying reserves of power?
He attempted to circulate his technique, drawing the energy from within the crystal into his body, and it flowed smoothly. The stored energy streamed through his palm and poured into his limbs and meridians.
Yang Kai instantly felt refreshed and invigorated, as if his entire body were being enveloped by a vast reservoir of energy.
After only a single instant of absorption, Yang Kai discovered that what he had drawn was roughly equivalent to the combined total of over a hundred Holy Crystals. Yet the round crystal showed no change whatsoever, as though the energy within it were truly inexhaustible.
"Could this be an Earth Vein Crystal?" Yang Kai suddenly recalled a rumor he had once heard. His eyes lit up.
An Earth Vein was a special concentration of spiritual energy that gathered deep underground. It could not be moved or relocated. Wherever an Earth Vein existed, the ambient spiritual energy of heaven and earth would naturally be richer and denser. For this reason, powers of every size — families and sects alike — preferred to establish their headquarters atop Earth Veins, so as to provide their disciples with a superior environment for Cultivation.
The more powerful the Sect, the more eagerly it sought to claim a high-quality Earth Vein.
Earth Veins came in various grades. The lowest-tier veins were nothing rare — they could be found throughout every sacred mountain and great river. Slightly better veins were comparatively scarce, and those of still higher quality were rarer than phoenix feathers and dragon scales.
Lingxiao Sect's current location sat above an excellent Earth Vein deep underground, which was why the spiritual energy there was so rich.
Not only did Earth Veins vary in grade, but they also varied in size. Some sprawled across vast territories, while others extended only a handful of miles — anything was possible.
And according to legend, there existed a most supreme grade of Earth Vein. All the energy of heaven and earth would condense into a single point, and over the course of countless years, it would take on the form of a crystal — an Earth Vein Crystal!
An Earth Vein could not be moved. But an Earth Vein Crystal could be carried on one's person.
Possessing an Earth Vein Crystal was equivalent to carrying the finest Earth Vein with you at all times. A cultivator who relied upon it for practice would never need Holy Crystals again, and their cultivation speed would increase a thousandfold, even tenfold beyond that.
Yang Kai had never personally encountered an Earth Vein Crystal before. He had only ever heard of them in rumors.
Yet now, within Purple Star's treasury, there sat what very likely was an Earth Vein Crystal!
This was a treasure that defied the natural order. Though it could only serve a single user — unlike an ordinary Earth Vein that could benefit an entire family or Sect — with this crystal in hand, a cultivator would find it impossible not to advance at breathtaking speed.
Clutching the Earth Vein Crystal, the corners of Yang Kai's mouth split into a grin so wide it nearly reached his ears.
At his current level of cultivation, very few things in this world could still stir his heart. But the Earth Vein Crystal was undeniably one of them.
He stored the Earth Vein Crystal away in his Space Ring. Rather than dwelling on it further, he picked up the second box.
Opening it, he found lying inside a distinctive token. A faint imperial might radiated from its surface, and on its face was carved a single, striking character — "Emperor." If this wasn't the Star Emperor Token, what else could it be?
Yang Kai claimed it without the slightest hesitation.
And with that, the seventh Star Emperor Token was finally in his hands.
Yang Kai turned his gaze toward the last box.
The first two boxes had held an Earth Vein Crystal and a Star Emperor Token respectively — both items of incomparable value. Naturally, he was filled with anticipation for what the third box might contain.