"Those are..." Lan Xun's gaze fell upon the fourth treasure. The object resembled a spirit pill, yet not quite a spirit pill — it looked exceedingly strange.
Lan Xun's delicate brows furrowed slightly, as if she were somewhat puzzled. But soon, her expression brightened and she cried out: "Emperor Severance Pill!"
"What?" Luo Yuan, who had remained silent until now, exclaimed in shock: "Emperor Severance Pill? Are you sure you're not mistaken?"
At these words, Xiao Chen gave a cold snort: "Watch your tone. The one before you is Her Highness the Princess!"
Luo Yuan turned his head to glare at him, and when their eyes met, sparks practically flew.
Lan Xun pressed her lips into a smile and said: "I'm quite certain this is an Emperor Severance Pill. If Brother Luo doesn't believe me, we can break the barrier later and take it out for a closer look."
"I didn't say I didn't believe you!" Luo Yuan snorted. "It's just... I didn't expect a treasure of this caliber to appear here."
Lan Xun nodded: "I didn't expect it either. An Emperor Severance Pill... I've never seen one myself. I only heard my father mention it a few times, which is why I couldn't identify it at first glance. However, Emperor Severance Pills contain the full-force strike of an Emperor Realm powerhouse sealed within. If you could obtain such an item, it would be tantamount to having a trump card at your disposal!"
Hearing this, Yang Kai immediately understood what secrets the Emperor Severance Pill held and what kind of power it contained.
The thing actually sealed the full-force strike of an Emperor Realm powerhouse! Its workings were somewhat similar to the Star Emperor Token he had once obtained in his home star field.
Inside the Star Emperor Token, the Divine abilities of the Great Emperor of the Stars had been sealed away!
Everyone present was a Dao Origin Realm martial artist. If any of them possessed this Emperor Severance Pill, who among their peers could possibly stand against them? Even against an Emperor Realm expert, it wouldn't be without the power to fight back!
Just as Lan Xun had said, this thing could indeed serve as a trump card — the kind that decided the outcome in a single blow!
Every martial artist who had ever ventured out into the world had faced life-and-death crises more than once. In those critical moments, the Emperor Severance Pill was unquestionably the best card to hold.
Everyone's breathing quickened once more. Their faces burned with desire.
"And the last item..." Lan Xun's brows furrowed again as she stared for a long time at the fire-red bead, roughly the size of a dragon's eye, before slowly shaking her head. "Forgive my ignorance — I don't recognize it. Does anyone here have any impression of what it might be?"
If even someone of Lan Xun's caliber didn't recognize the fire-red bead, no one else stood a chance. They all shook their heads one after another, indicating they had never seen anything like it.
Lan Xun smiled faintly. "Regardless of what it is, since it's been placed here alongside the other treasures, it's probably no ordinary object either."
Her words were not without reason.
Among the five items on the high platform — a defensive Pseudo-Emperor treasure, a drop of Grand Origin Divine Water, a wisp of Emperor Charm, and an Emperor Severance Pill — which one wasn't worth a king's ransom? Which one wasn't a treasure on the verge of extinction? In terms of pure value, it was truly hard to say which ranked highest. There was no reason to assume the fifth item would be worthless. This fire-red bead was, at minimum, on the same level as the other treasures — it was simply that no one knew what it did.
"Actually..." Lan Xun's beautiful eyes grew distant as her gaze settled on the center of the high platform, where an empty barrier flickered with light, its interior hollow. "What I'm more concerned about is what was originally here."
"What does Her Highness mean by that?" Kong Qi asked.
Lan Xun replied: "Within this barrier, there remains an extremely potent aura of Emperor Might. If I'm not mistaken, there should have been an Emperor Treasure here originally..."
"An Emperor Treasure?"
"Truly?"
"No way!"
Even though the people present had all seen their share of grand spectacles, this revelation still startled them. An Emperor Treasure was not something one could obtain just like that. Inevitably, exclamations erupted.
"I'm quite certain..." Lan Xun's tone was firm. "Moreover, this Emperor Treasure was still here not long ago. For some unknown reason it suddenly vanished, otherwise the residual Emperor Might wouldn't be this clear."
"Someone was here before us?" Gong Wenshen's expression darkened.
"How infuriating — who beat us to it!" Kong Qi cursed in frustration.
Lan Xun shook her head. "That shouldn't be the case. If someone really had been here before us and claimed a treasure, why would they have taken only one? The remaining items are all extraordinary treasures as well — there's no reason to leave them behind. Besides, the barrier itself hasn't been damaged..."
"Then what's going on?" Kong Qi was completely bewildered.
"I don't know either," Lan Xun said with a helpless smile.
As the group conversed, the image of the Phoenix Radiance Robe flickered involuntarily through Yang Kai's mind...
Recalling the Emperor Might that had radiated from the garment when Zhang Ruoxi had worn it earlier, and comparing it to the aura still lingering on the high platform... Yang Kai gave a dry cough and said: "Whether or not there was once an Emperor Treasure here, since it's gone now, that simply means we weren't fated to obtain it. We should focus on how to divide the remaining items."
The moment these words left his mouth, the atmosphere — which had been somewhat harmonious until now — instantly turned razor-edged and hostile. Every person present subtly circulated their Source Power, imperceptibly widening the distance between themselves and the others. Their gazes turned wary and solemn.
Five treasures, yet eight people. There was clearly no way to divide them equally. Someone was inevitably going to walk away empty-handed.
Every one of them was a chosen prodigy, a formidable powerhouse. No one was willing to leave with nothing.
"Everyone, I have a proposal — I wonder if you'd be willing to hear it!" Xiao Chen suddenly spoke up with a pleasant smile.