No matter how shaken they felt, the problem Jiao Hai and his companions faced now wasnt Ye Zichen or his background.

Kneel and apologize to a condor? A mere beast?

Theyd be lying if they said their hearts didnt recoil at the prospect. Just how lofty were their positions? Lowering themselves before a mere animal? If word of this incident spread, how could they face their subordinates?

But they were already kneeling. Adding an apology to a beast on top of that wouldnt really change much.

And if they refused, would that little tyrant, Gu Luolin, really let them go?

Big White!

The great condor walked over, dragging its wing. Although Ye Zichen had already given it medicine, a beasts physique was ultimately different from a persons, and the pills hadnt had a particularly noticeable effect.

Its wounds had knit together somewhat, but it was far from a full recovery.

When she saw the bloody gashes on the birds wings, Gu Luolin clenched her little fists.

Her loathing for Kui Lin went up, too!

Since arriving in the Transcendent Mausoleum, the condor had already saved her life twice. When its clansmen wanted to divide her up and eat her, it stopped them. When she was on the verge of dying of lotus poison, it found her an antidote.

Whether it was to repay a debt or simply because they felt like old friends the moment they laid eyes on each other.

Kui Lin had hurt the bird so badly. There was no way Gu Luolin would just let this go so easily.

If shed known this would happen, back when she was still within the clan, she definitely would have listened to her parents and cultivated properly. If only shed listened, Kui Lin couldnt have left so easily.

Shed just have to start by collecting interest from Kui Lins dogs. As for her grudge with the Demon Emperor herself, shed take her time making him pay later.

She buried this resentment deep within her heart, then looked at Jiao Hai, Qiu Guang, and Tai Tan. Apologize!

It was the tender voice of a young girl, but the sound made their hearts tremble. They couldnt escape; they had to apologize to the condor, like it or not. To live on, to convince Gu Luolin to spare them, to avoid her seeking trouble with them later, all they could do was lower their proud heads.

Were sorry.

Is that how you apologize? Kowtow!

Were sorry! They really did lower their heads until they hit the ground.

The condor blinked, much like a human might. It waved its uninjured wing, drawing Gu Luolins attention.

Should I let them off?

Scree. The condor nodded, but Gu Luolin still gave them each several vicious kicks.

Scram! The further away, the better. Dont show yourselves in front of me again!

The offending trio fled, scampering off as if theyd received an imperial pardon. They didnt dare retrieve the apology gifts scattered across the ground; all they could think of was fleeing this forsaken place.

Gu Luolin still had yet to fully vent her anger. She stared in the direction theyd fled in and snorted, They sure got off easy this time! I even let the Demon Emperor escape! Hmph! Hed better not think this is over just because he ran away. You can escape the monk, but you cant escape the temple. Ill find him sooner or later!

Dont be so angry, laughed Ye Zichen. If Kui Lin ran, he ran, but I know a way to ensure hell never be able to raise his head again.

You do? Gu Luolins eyebrows shot up.

Ye Zichen chuckled. Once Jiao Hai and the others were completely out of sight, he finally pressed the button on his screen and stopped the recording.

Then, he admired the video hed just taken with relish. Only then did Ye Zichen put his phone away.

Once we get out of here, Ill be sure to give the Demon Emperor a generous present.

..

..

..

After Kui Lins group left, no one else invaded the giant condors territory.

But even after just one group of invaders, the condors clan had suffered enormous losses. Ye Zichen and Gu Luolin joined forces to dig several pits at the base of the cliff, in which they buried the birds corpses, letting them rest in peace within the earth.

The condor was despondent. The fallen birds had been its followers for far, far too long.

It had known many of them their whole lives; it watched them grow up. But now, its once lively clansmen were nothing but rigid corpses buried in the dirt of the valley. The rims of the birds eyes shimmered with moisture.

It was indeed as Kui Lin said; the condor and its followers really were guarding an ultimate treasure.

Ye Zichen wasnt sure whether it was because of gratitude or simply for Gu Luolins sake, but the condor personally carried the treasure over in its mouth.

It was a solid gold crown with five protuberances, each containing a glittering, transparent gem.

Unless Ye Zichens senses were mistaken, the five gems corresponded to the five elements.

Wind, Fire, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning.

Why did Ye Zichen think that? Because when he put the crown on his head, he could sense that his affinity for the five elements shot up, and his enlightenment deepened.

He even felt that he was nearing a breakthrough in thunder and fire now.

Gu Luolin didnt like the crowns style; she said it was too pompous. But she did like the five gemstones.

The moment she laid eyes on them, she wanted them. She even tried removing them from the crown.

But no matter what she did, the imperial crown was a single unit. Gu Luolin could only stare at the gems longingly as she gave up. In the end, she decided that the crown really was too grandiose for her tastes. She spurned it, so it fell to Ye Zichen.

Getting an ultimate treasure like this out of nowhere naturally filled him with delight, but he also felt a bit guilty.

When they faced the Demon Emperor, theyd survived entirely due to Gu Luolins performance. She was the one whod scared them off. Ye Zichen was just a spectator; he hadnt really done anything at all.

When the condor took out the crown, it seemed it wanted to give it to Gu Luolin.

But Gu Luolin was generous. When she saw Ye Zichens hesitation, she patted his shoulder knowingly, as an elder might. Just take it as a greeting gift. Its my first time meeting my nephew.

The bird didnt object. Ye Zichens brow shot up, but he didnt argue, either.

All he had to do was play junior to obtain such an ultimate treasure? That was no loss. Besides, the crown was intimately connected to his cultivation path. If he kept wearing it, he might very well condense the Dao Heart of the Five Elements in the near future.

If he succeeded before the end of the era arrived, it would just help him keep himself safe. It would be good news for the entire era as they fought for survival!

Ye Zichen spent the next few days in the condors territory, the crown on his head, contemplating the Dao of the Five Elements. He was in no rush to head to the palace; he was well aware that with his current strength, never mind the likes of the Demon Emperor, he couldnt even fight off an imperial king. But fortunately, with the crown on his head, he was already showing signs of imminent breakthroughs in thunder and fire. As such, he decided to break through first, then keep moving.

There was neither night nor day within the mausoleum. The snow fell over the mountains in perpetuity.

Why is it suddenly dark out? Ink-dark clouds had appeared out of nowhere, blotting out the skies over the perpetually snowy mountains and obscuring the sun. The entire mountain range was shrouded in darkness. The dark clouds were heavy and oppressive. Many of the mountains bestial inhabitants crawled back into their lairs; they dared not even poke their heads out to look.

As for those experts rushing through the ice and snow in search of transcendent fortune, they stared up at the sky, their expressions solemn.

They called upon their spiritual power, placing barriers around themselves in advance of what was to come.

Who knew how the ink-dark clouds had appeared, or why? But for something so eerie to happen, they naturally had to proceed with caution.

The birds within the condors territory all flew back to their nests. The ink-dark clouds darkened, and just an hour later, the mountains were so dark, you couldnt see your hand when it was right in front of your face.

A stream of blood-red lightning flashed through the sky, its brief light increasing both the cultivators and the beasts alertness until they were completley on edge.

The darker it was, the more danger lurked on every corner. Furthermore, the situation on the mountain was exceptioal.

Even imperial lords couldnt spread their divine awarenesses more than a thousand meters.

The way these experts saw it, this might very well be an obstacle the Transcendent Mausoleum had prepared for them. Opportunity and danger always went wide by side; the mausoleum wouldnt let them take its treasures so easily. Seizing treasures.

It was entirely possible that this sudden darkness was the Transcendent Mausoleums first wave of attacks.

Yet another lightning bolt streaked by, looking endlessly sinister and eerie against the inky darkness of its surroundings.

No one dared act recklessly. Those traveling in groups huddled together

Crack! Boom!

Heavenly thunder rumbled, then streaked down in a bolt several meters across. Then, the entire mountain range became a pool of lightning as several streaks of electricity came crashing down from above.

The entire snowy mountain range shook without end, the lightning lighting up the darkness.

Where it landed, the ground broke and rocks scattered. In the pitch-darkness, no one dared act recklessly. All they could do was pour their power into their barriers.

But it seemed thunder and lightning were nothing but an appetizer...

Whoosh!

Firelight.

Dazzling, brilliant, firelight!

When they looked up, the cultivators saw one ball of flames after another, falling down to earth like shooting stars. When they landed, they burst into flames, patches of light illuminating the endless darkness.

One patch of flames after another blazed, the searing heat melting the snow and ice.

Even the boulders baked and shattered!

Those are dao arts!

When the flames descended, someone finally recognized the true nature of the fire, thunder, and lightning.

This wasnt some test or obstacle of the mausoleum. No, someone had achieved a breakthrough in their dao.

As for who that person was?

Flashing lightning, rumbling thunder, heavenly flames

This was obviously the work of one whod gleaned enlightenment into the five elements. Of those whod entered the mausoleum, the only one with enlightenment into that particular dao was

Ye-zi! Its Ye-zi! Yang Jian stood beside the flames and shouted at the top of his lungs. Hes alive!

I told you Ye Zichen was alive, but you refused to believe me, snorted Gu Li. But he, too, was inwardly a little shaken.

Such powerful flames, thunder, and lightning meant full mastery of their respective elements.

And it was Ye Zichen whod caused that downpour of auspicious rain. That meant hed masted four of the five elements. He was only one step away from condensing the Dao of the Five Elements' dao heart!

The Emperor Star really is Heavens chosen. From somewhere within the mountains, the Ocean Emperor watched the flames and lightning and muttered to himself.

There really was a treasure hidden there! Although no one knew it, while the others stood in place at the foot of the pitch-black mountains, unwilling to move recklessly, someone used the light of the flames and lightning to stare intently at the palace they all longed for. Forget it! So long as this emperor can obtain transcendent fortune, even the Gu Family will have no choice but to bow before me!