When the music began playing, the Emperor Realm experts were largely unaffected, but the juniors and disciples brought along by their elders reacted quite differently. The lower their cultivation, the more intense their reaction. One martial artist at the Void King Realm couldn't help but cry out, his face flushed with pleasure, a sharp light flickering in his eyes as if he had gained some kind of insight.
The tinkling sounds continued to emanate from the box, which rose tier by tier. Only then did everyone realize that the box was no ordinary rouge case — it was a miniature pagoda. As it rose layer by layer, the pagoda took shape, standing roughly three feet tall. A rough count revealed that it had fully nine tiers.
Each tier was rotating — some clockwise, some counterclockwise, some fast, some slow. As the tiers of the pagoda spun, the music gradually shifted, yet remained just as melodious and pleasing to the ear.
Once the pagoda had fully formed, a hazy mist began to seep out from it, tinged with a deep blue hue that soon filled the entire hall.
When everyone looked up again, the ceiling of the great hall had transformed into a vast, clear night sky dotted with countless stars.
The place where they stood no longer seemed to be the Myriad Saint Hall at all, but rather the boundless expanse of the starry heavens. When they reached out, the stars seemed close enough to touch, giving everyone an utterly wondrous sensation.
The expressions of the Emperor Realm experts grew solemn. They vaguely realized the true purpose of the treasure box, and one by one they began calculating in their minds what price they would need to pay to acquire it.
Crack...
With a soft sound, the countless stars shattered, the celestial bodies vanished, and the breathtaking scenery dissolved into nothing. Accompanied by the lingering melody, the treasure box slowly retracted, transforming back into the appearance of a simple rouge case — outwardly, there was nothing remarkable about it at all.
The martial artists at the Dao Source Realm and Void King Realm snapped back to their senses as well, every one of them wearing an expression of lingering reluctance, their gazes fixed on the treasure box with undisguised desire.
The elderly man holding the box smiled. "The Heavenly Sound Treasure Box. The celestial music it produces and the illusions it creates are immensely beneficial to the Cultivation of any martial artist below the Dao Source Realm. Cultivating under its assistance will yield twice the results with half the effort. Moreover, it carries absolutely no negative side effects. I obtained this treasure box by chance in my youth. From the moment I entered the Saint Realm, it has been with me for a thousand years. My present achievements would not have been possible without its contribution."
Listening to the old man's explanation, everyone immediately realized that their earlier speculations had been correct. Although the Emperor Realm experts present had felt virtually none of the treasure box's miraculous effects, the reactions of the juniors and disciples spoke volumes — this treasure was of tremendous help to martial artists with lower cultivation. By harnessing that strange, wondrous music and the magnificent illusions, it provided an enormous boost to Cultivation.
This was not something that could be compared to consuming spirit pills. Any spirit pill carried a trace of toxicity. A small amount was harmless, but taking too much would hinder a martial artist's growth. The Heavenly Sound Treasure Box was different — everything it offered was entirely natural.
Everyone grew even more curious: who could have possibly forged such a treasure?
According to what the old man had said, the Heavenly Sound Treasure Box had been with him for a thousand years. If that was the case, then this was absolutely not something that any modern artifact refiner could produce. It was most likely an heirloom from a far distant era, possibly even dating back to the ancient or primordial times.
The old man continued, "A treasure of this magnitude — honestly, I would rather not part with it. However... I am all alone. No descendants, no disciples. Keeping the Heavenly Sound Treasure Box in my possession any longer would be nothing more than a fine gem gathering dust. I hope it can once again serve a meaningful purpose, as a way of thanking it for all it has given me over the years."
There was a note of loneliness in the old man's words, yet they struck a chord with everyone present.
Generally speaking, a martial artist like the old man — one with no Sect backing, no powerful connections — would find the path of Cultivation to be fraught with obstacles and hardships. Few such individuals ever achieved anything of note. Advancing to the Emperor Realm would be extraordinarily difficult.
Yet here he was, an Emperor Realm powerhouse. The Heavenly Sound Treasure Box was very likely the reason.
"There is one thing I should make known to all of you," the old man said. "Though the Heavenly Sound Treasure Box is indeed miraculous, it has absolutely no effect on those at the Emperor Realm. Even for those at the Dao Source Realm, its effectiveness is drastically reduced. Only martial artists below the Dao Source Realm can truly experience the wonders of this treasure."
The old man appeared to be a straightforward person, so he held nothing back, revealing the treasure box's limitations as well.
But even so, so what?
The Emperor Realm experts gathered here were nothing like the old man, who stood alone. They each commanded countless subordinates, or had their own families and descendants — and among those, the number of people below the Dao Source Realm was staggering.
Take the Azure Sun Divine Temple, for example. A Sect of that magnitude had martial artists of every level, with those below the Dao Source Realm in abundance. The Heavenly Sound Treasure Box would be of enormous benefit to them.
If the Azure Sun Divine Temple could obtain the Heavenly Sound Treasure Box, it would add yet another option for their disciples' Cultivation below the Dao Source Realm.
The appeal of such an item to any Sect or clan was simply immeasurable.
So the moment the old man finished speaking, someone below the platform couldn't help but ask, "Elder Lu, may I ask what you wish to exchange the Heavenly Sound Treasure Box for?"
"Yes, Elder Lu, just name your price so everyone can prepare. We won't disappoint you."
Some of the Sect Masters and Clan Heads even secretly sent voice transmissions to Elder Lu, offering him the position of Elder or even Vice Sect Master, hoping to entice him into joining their respective Sects. Unfortunately, the outcome was inevitably disappointing for them. People like Elder Lu were far from rare in the Star Boundary. Some lacked the opportunities or the aptitude to join those great Sects, while others were free spirits who simply did not wish to be bound by any Sect's rules.
Elder Lu was undoubtedly the latter type. With his Emperor Realm cultivation, he would have been welcomed into any Sect whatsoever — even the Azure Sun Divine Temple would have had a place for him.
To all the private transmissions, Elder Lu politely declined.
After a long pause, Elder Lu finally spoke again. "A few years ago, I began cultivating a secret technique that requires the inner core of a demon beast. Therefore, I hope to exchange this Heavenly Sound Treasure Box for demon beast inner cores."
"Demon beast inner cores!" The crowd reacted with a mix of joy and dismay, their expressions varying greatly.
"The inner cores I need must be from twelfth-rank demon beasts, and I wish to exchange for two complete sets of the Five Elements inner cores!"