One of these two forces surely harbored ulterior motives. But which side was it, exactly? Jiang Chen had been ruminating over the question, yet he still couldn't arrive at a definitive answer.
"What are you all standing around for? Enter this palace at once and seek out your own fortunes. The second floor of this palace holds countless opportunities — it all depends on your own luck. However, you had best be on your guard. That flat-feathered beast will absolutely not let this go. You should take advantage of the fact that it hasn't recovered its vitality yet, find all the treasures hidden in this palace as quickly as possible, and then proceed to the third floor. The third floor is a safe zone. With my protection, that flat-feathered beast will never be able to harm you!"
The voice continued to issue its warnings.
Upon hearing this, everyone swarmed forward in a rush, each person jockeying for position as though afraid of losing out.
Passing through the resplendent main hall, the crowd spotted a long flight of stairs that seemed to stretch upward toward some mysterious, primordial age.
"Move!"
One after another, voices cried out as figures surged toward the second floor at breakneck speed.
Jiang Chen, however, took his time. He knew that with so many Emperors present, and with distribution rules already established, even if there were something genuinely good up there, he'd have a hard time getting his hands on it even if he rushed up.
Since he couldn't expect to secure any of the finer treasures through proper channels, there was no point in hurrying.
He had the distinct feeling that this palace was rife with oddities. If there truly were treasures, who they ended up with was still anyone's guess. Under circumstances like these, the question was: who could laugh last?
So even if he charged up now and managed to grab something valuable, it wouldn't necessarily be a good thing. An innocent man becomes guilty when he possesses a jade — acquiring something precious only meant painting a target on one's back, only meant danger.
Jiang Chen proceeded at an unhurried pace and arrived at the second floor.
Sure enough, the second floor was a treasury — a clearly designated treasure-holding area, with row upon row of compartments filled with all manner of valuables.
There were divine weapons and sharp blades, technique scrolls, pill recipes and secret manuals, mysterious elixirs, wondrous talismans, and various ornaments whose names no one could quite place.
The shelves lining every wall held several hundred treasures in total. Some of them, in particular, boasted appearances far too enticing — they radiated a captivating luster that was enough to make anyone's eyes redden with envy the moment they laid eyes on them.
Emperor Yunlan was the first to step forward, his tall frame blocking the path in front of the group.
"Gentlemen, you all remember our prior agreement, I trust? The distribution plan was approved by everyone. So now, we must abide by the rules and divide the spoils according to that plan. Should anyone attempt to cause trouble, they will be stripped of their share immediately. Does anyone have objections?"
Emperor Yunlan's words carried a certain logic. A distribution plan had been established, and it had to be enforced — otherwise, all that arguing beforehand would have been for nothing.
Under the previous arrangement, Dan Fire City and its affiliated factions would claim sixty percent of the spoils. The Heavenly Dragon Sect and the Nine Yang Heavenly Sect would each receive fifteen percent.
The remaining ten percent would be shared among all other factions.
A quick headcount revealed that, fortunately, not too many people had made it inside. But even so, it was doubtful whether everyone would receive even a single item.
Jiang Chen's gaze swept across the shelves. He had little interest in those divine weapons and sharp blades. A fine weapon could elevate a martial artist — or ruin one.
Possessing an invincible divine armament could easily breed complacency. And that sort of complacency operated on a psychological level; it wouldn't necessarily be visible on the surface.
The other treasures were more or less the same story. Each had its own distinguishing features, but none were particularly compelling to Jiang Chen.
Talismans, pills — these were heaven-sent fortunes for ordinary folk, but for Jiang Chen, they held scant appeal.
Most importantly, with those titanic Emperor-realm powerhouses eyeing everything with predatory hunger, there was simply no room for a minor character like him from the "Purple Smoke Sect" to compete for treasure.
Jiang Chen opted instead to stand off to one side and observe with cool detachment.
He truly felt as though he were lost in a fog. Something about this palace struck him as deeply strange, yet looking at this treasury, at these treasures, they appeared utterly real.
Any single piece among them, brought back to the human domain, would qualify as a major treasure. Some could even be classified as supremely rare finds.
"Could it be that I'm overthinking this? This secret realm is ultimately just an ancient sacred ground, none of the dangers I suspected?"
For a moment, Jiang Chen actually wondered whether his judgment had been off.
But the chain seal wouldn't lie to him. As long as that chain seal remained in its state of high alert, Jiang Chen couldn't bring himself to lower his guard.
"Every piece here is undeniably rare. But for me, one more treasure would certainly be welcome — yet I can absolutely do without it. Safety comes first on this trip. If it's not something that makes my eyes light up, I'd rather leave it behind than take the risk."
Jiang Chen arrived at a firm decision.
With that decision made, he began examining the treasury at a leisurely pace. This treasury was no ordinary place, and he had only given it a cursory glance before — he hadn't inspected each item individually.
He went through the treasures on the shelves one by one, analyzing each in careful detail. With his eyesight and experience, he could appraise these artifacts with near-perfect accuracy, virtually never misjudging their true value.