C5 Treasure Map

A wave of pain that could nearly shatter one's consciousness washed over Yu Yaolu's soul. His eyes widened before he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

"Fu Chengyang wins!"

It was as if the crowd suddenly snapped out of a trance.

Fu Chengyang had won! And with a beginner's sword technique, no less?

Despite the crowd's astonishment, Fu Chengyang cast a glance at the body on the ground, only to make a startling discovery—his life script had changed.

Name: Yu Yaolu

Level: Late Golden Core

Life Matrix: Innate Strength (Green)

Destiny: Arrogant (Gray) Death Looming (Black)

...

Innate Strength: Skilled with various heavy weapons, he possesses a unique talent in the art of physical cultivation.

Arrogant: His overbearing nature tends to draw the ire of others.

The Life Matrix line had turned gray, and a new line had appeared at the end of Destiny: Death Looming.

Death Looming: The end is near, life hangs by a thread.

And there were slight alterations in the recent turn of events:

The original "recklessly causing trouble, killed today by another," had transformed into "recklessly causing trouble, killed today by another, rendered useless by an Outer Sect disciple, driven mad by the shock, killed by a demon, with the Outer Sect disciple claiming the treasure map fragment from his storage bag."

Demons? To think there were demons within the Swiftbreaker Sect. First demons, now this—it was clear that strengthening his abilities was of the utmost urgency!

Fu Chengyang shook his head, dismissing the surplus thoughts, and took the two storage bags from the Law Enforcement Hall before departing.

Back in the courtyard, Lu Xingyao was busy with chores.

"Here, take these two items and focus on your cultivation. Don't let me down," Fu Chengyang half-joked as he approached her.

Building rapport was one thing, but being overly attentive could raise suspicions of ulterior motives.

Despite his words, Lu Xingyao looked up, stunned, as Fu Chengyang handed her a bottle of Qi Accumulation Pills and a secret manual—his newly won spoils of battle.

"I'm sorry..." Lu Xingyao began to refuse, but her eyes welled up with tears.

During her two years at Swiftbreaker, she had been treated like a pariah, constantly facing ridicule and abuse.

On the rare occasion someone exhibited a better disposition, they would merely be cordial and aloof.

She had never been taken seriously by anyone, nor had anyone ever treated her with such kindness!

Yet, without waiting for her to decline, Fu Chengyang pressed the items into her hands, "My apologies for the intrusion. It was a trivial effort. Focus on your cultivation and show them up—it reflects well on me too."

With those words, Fu Chengyang turned and headed back to his room. Glancing up, he noticed his favorable impression of her had risen by ten points.

She was quite the naive child, easily swayed by the smallest of favors. Fu Chengyang let out a soft sigh, a hint of compassion stirring within him.

He approached the table in the room and set down two storage bags.

One was his, and the other, of course, belonged to Yu Yaolu.

Yu Yaolu was fortunate to have strong backing; the resources in his storage bag were impressively rich, with Golden Core pills as plentiful as candies, each bottle valued at a hundred soulstones.

Even more astonishing was the collection of magical treasures, all above the Yellow Rank, which could easily fetch ten thousand soulstones in total.

But what truly captured his attention wasn't these items. He scrutinized the brown paper in his hand, yet couldn't discern any secrets.

Was this the fabled treasure map?

It was puzzling, devoid of any text. Then, an idea sparked in Fu Chengyang's mind.

He began to channel his Five Elements Spiritual Energy into the map, and sure enough!

The spiritual energy didn't scatter as it would with ordinary paper; it was absorbed as soon as it entered.

Despite Fu Chengyang's continuous infusion of spiritual energy, the treasure map remained unresponsive, like a stone sinking into the depths of the sea.

Thankfully, due to his practice of the Five Spiritual Arts, Fu Chengyang's spiritual energy was inherently more abundant than that of an average person.

After the time it took to sip a cup of tea, the treasure map finally reacted. A pale blue apparition emerged, resembling the form of a fragmented building.

It all made sense now. As he observed the apparition, a sense of familiarity washed over Fu Chengyang.

However, the quest for treasure would have to wait until he had collected all of the treasure maps.

With this in mind, Fu Chengyang centered himself and began his meditative cultivation.

The following day, as the sun began its ascent, Fu Chengyang opened his eyes. The previous night's rest, coupled with the day's earlier battle, suggested his realm was on the cusp of another breakthrough. However, haste could impede progress. At the moment, he was sustaining himself with his entire cultivation base, limited to the basic attack techniques of the Outer Sect. To advance further, he knew he must refine his sword skills.

Yesterday's victory over Yu Yaolu had led to his successful acceptance of a new mission. Now, having ascended to the Golden Core stage, it seemed fitting to visit the Myriad Books Tower.

Without further ado, Fu Chengyang found himself at the entrance of a towering wooden pagoda, piercing the clouds. Disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall stood guard, allowing entry once information was registered. Each Outer Sect disciple of the Swiftbreaker Sect was entitled to one visit to the Myriad Books Tower upon reaching the Golden Core stage, with the privilege of selecting three secret tomes. What lay beyond the Golden Core stage was a matter for the future.

Stepping inside, Fu Chengyang was greeted by a seemingly endless staircase winding upwards. Before even starting his selection, he felt a refreshing clarity of mind, a testament to the different aura within, likely the result of a Heart Cleansing Formation laid by the sect. Indeed, the resources of a grand sect were apparent.

Surveying his surroundings, Fu Chengyang noted that the Myriad Books Tower truly lived up to its name. The phrase "tens of thousands of volumes" was an understatement. Rows upon rows of jade slips sat on sandalwood racks, ready for the disciples' perusal.

Being newly initiated into the early stages of the Golden Core realm, he was restricted to the first level. The jade slips here, mostly white or cream-colored, ranged from Yellow to Xuan level techniques and martial skills. Higher levels housed Divine, Immortal, Heaven, and Earth grade teachings, each associated with distinct colors.

Legend had it that the tower was established by the sect's founding ancestor, whose teachings remained even after his ascension. Yet, despite centuries passing, tales of someone stumbling upon such fortune were rare, and the stories were often taken lightly, as mere amusement.

With the Five Spirits Technique already in his possession, Fu Chengyang knew that any Yellow Grade cultivation technique would pale in comparison. His current focus was on selecting a sword technique and a movement technique.

Fu Chengyang's attention shifted as he meticulously examined each jade slip. It didn't take long for him to find two that were a perfect fit.

The Light Cloud Sword technique was fluid and elegant, capable of overcoming brute force with its gentle approach. While not the pinnacle of swordsmanship, it unexpectedly complemented the Heavensfall Blade. The Heavensfall Blade, not being a broadsword, was a divine weapon ill-suited for wide, sweeping strikes. Its true potential lay in delivering lethal blows with a single strike.

The other technique he chose, the Mysterious Grade Divine Shadow Step, matched the Heavensfall Blade flawlessly. Activating this technique allowed him to move at extraordinary speeds, leaving a trail of afterimages in his wake. At full power, he could even achieve the explosive speed characteristic of an Earth Grade technique for a brief moment.

Having made his selections, all Fu Chengyang needed to do was project his consciousness into the jade slips to receive the legacy. With quiet determination, he placed the jade slip against his forehead.