Nine Nether Dragon Emperor-Chapter 279: You Haven’t Collected Any Treasures in Seven Hundred Years?!

Ning Xuan suddenly spoke up, "Huh, why are you still here?"

The First-generation Human Emperor was a bit stunned and subconsciously asked, "What?"

"Didn't you just say you were going back to where you came from? Why haven't you... I get it. You must be tired of living, right?"

Without waiting for the First-generation Human Emperor to reply, Ning Xuan continued with a laugh, "No worries, I'll help you along."

Ning Xuan was about to make his move when the man in front of him vanished. The First-generation Human Emperor hadn't fled. Instead, he was kneeling on the ground.

"You sure moved fast," Ning Xuan muttered.

From the floor, the First-generation Human Emperor's voice came out weakly. "Th-that... I'm still here."

Ning Xuan was greatly surprised. "You're still here?"

This wasn't an act; he truly thought the other had left. Deprived of the consciousness supporting it, the eunuch's body was worse than a walking corpse, so its collapse to the ground wasn't strange at all. But for the First-generation Human Emperor to just kneel like that was utterly absurd.

On the ground, the kneeling First-generation Human Emperor was on the verge of tears.

"I don't want to be here either! But without it, I have to be here!" He looked as if he was about to burst into tears. The Jade Seal was the key to the revival of his consciousness. Without it, how could he possibly return to the Imperial Tomb?

"I'm begging you, please give it back to me?" the First-generation Human Emperor sobbed, pleading with Ning Xuan.

Behind them, though he had already dismissed his attendants, King Dong Cang still felt deeply uneasy. He kept looking around in every direction. At this moment, he looked less like the sovereign of a nation and more like a petty thief. After confirming they were alone, King Dong Cang breathed a sigh of relief, his face turning green.

He felt like kneeling, too—not to Ning Xuan, but to the First-generation Human Emperor.

My ancestor! Can't you be aware of your own status?! You are the First-generation Human Emperor who unified the world! What in the world are you doing now?!

King Dong Cang's thoughts were as miserable as they could be. It was unbelievable. They were supposed to be the rulers of this world, yet now they were in this pathetic state.

Damn it! We're not kings, we're a damn joke! Ning Xuan is the real king here!

Ning Xuan paid no mind to their thoughts. A glint flashed in his eyes as he said with a smile, "I can give it back to you, but you'll have to trade something for it."

The kneeling First-generation Human Emperor immediately looked up, needing to confirm Ning Xuan wasn't joking.

"Don't have anything?" Ning Xuan looked down at him, unable to hide his disappointment.

"I do, I do! I definitely have something!" the First-generation Human Emperor replied, finally reacting. As he spoke, he looked toward King Dong Cang.

King Dong Cang's heart sank. He quickly said, "The Royal Family has no ultimate treasures."

"Bullshit! I conquered this vast land! I used my bloodline to nourish my soul and guarded the world for seven hundred years! And in all that time, you're telling me you haven't collected any treasures?!" the First-generation Human Emperor exploded before Ning Xuan could even say a word.

Then, without waiting for King Dong Cang to explain, he plastered a grin on his face and said to Ning Xuan, "I know where the Royal Family's Secret Vault is. I'll take you there right now."

With that, he rose to his feet and began leading the way.

Behind them, King Dong Cang was completely stupefied. At that moment, he harbored a deep suspicion about whether that was truly the consciousness of the First-generation Human Emperor. The First-generation Human Emperor was so domineering! Yet his current demeanor was no different from a eunuch's.

However, King Dong Cang was one hundred percent certain it was the First-generation Human Emperor. There was a unique connection between members of the Imperial Bloodline that simply couldn't be faked.

With a heavy internal sigh, King Dong Cang chose to follow.

The Secret Vault had evolved over seven hundred years. While it looked much the same on the outside, it now contained hidden compartments and more mechanisms—all sorts of traps, one after another. Even he, the King, had to inform the secret keepers in advance to enter because the mechanisms changed daily.

Each day, the five secret keepers would each receive a small portion of the map. Only when the five pieces were combined could one see and bypass all the traps.

King Dong Cang had an idea. He quickened his pace to catch up to Ning Xuan. "Young Master Ning, the Secret Vault is the most important place for the Royal Family, so..." In a single breath, he told Ning Xuan everything he knew.

After listening, Ning Xuan laughed. "You're quite confident, aren't you? Not bad."

King Dong Cang's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly explained, "I don't mean anything by it, I just..."

He had an eerie feeling that Ning Xuan could see through all of his schemes with a single glance.

Ning Xuan truly admired the man. It was yet another open plot! By informing him in advance, the king could not only absolve himself of responsibility but also avoid offending either side. Ning Xuan, being extremely shrewd, immediately understood his thinking and cut him off with a smile. "Whether you mean anything by it is of no importance to me."

In his heart, there was one more thing Ning Xuan didn't say. Whether the Secret Vault has traps is equally unimportant. What truly matters is whether there is anything useful inside.

As King Dong Cang was still explaining, "The Secret Vault is just ahead. Even for me, getting the maps from those five people is...," Ning Xuan had already gestured for the First-generation Human Emperor to lead the way.

The First-generation Human Emperor didn't hesitate. He was just a consciousness, after all. No matter how formidable the traps inside were, they had nothing to do with him. He even hoped the traps were as powerful as possible.

It would be best if... The thought had barely begun to form when the First-generation Human Emperor forcibly stamped it out. Ning Xuan's Dao Body could hear my thoughts! This is his main body, so he surely can as well! It would be incredibly dangerous to harbor any ill intentions right now.

What he didn't know was that the ability to hear thoughts was merely a product of the environment within the Imperial Tomb. The tomb was situated in a strange force field, and it was because of this that Ning Xuan's Dao Body had gained that heaven-defying ability.

Of course, Ning Xuan certainly wasn't going to tell him that.

"Since our ancestor is here, I won't accompany you inside," King Dong Cang said with a wave as the door to the Secret Vault opened.

The moment the Secret Vault door closed, his expression darkened. "Come forth!" he commanded emotionlessly.

The void behind him twisted, and a short, elderly man appeared.

"Your Highness!" 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Go quickly and keep an eye on Si Lanyi and her group! As soon as things are confirmed on this end, act immediately!"

"Understood!"

The man acknowledged the order and vanished without a trace.

Staring at the tightly shut door, King Dong Cang's face twisted into a cruel smile. "Ning Xuan, oh Ning Xuan," he murmured, "I did warn you." He hadn't forgotten what Ning Xuan had done. Now, he could finally avenge Princess Mingzhu.

"Mingzhu, I've kept you waiting. A father's promise may be late, but it always arrives," he murmured to himself before flicking his sleeve and turning to leave.

「Inside the Secret Vault」

"Something's wrong," Ning Xuan said, just as the First-generation Human Emperor took his second step.

"What's wrong? Don't worry, even if there are traps, they wouldn't be right here at the entrance. This place simply doesn't..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the body he was in exploded.

"Damn it! Are you kidding me?! They even blew me up! I'm the one who built this place!" the First-generation Human Emperor's consciousness raged, absolutely livid.