Steady Cultivation: Starting With the Perk “Work Hard, Rest Hard” Chapter 573: Another Chaos

"I never expected it would be so easy to hook so many treasures!"

Su Yuan mused inwardly.

To him, these treasures held no small significance.

Utilizing the Tai'a Guiyuan Treasure Mirror, they were transformable into vast quantities of Dao Yan Crystals, which could then be refined through the True Name Jade Disc into an enormous stockpile of Chaos Jade Marrow.

A quick calculation revealed that these items would yield seventeen billion units of Chaos Jade Marrow.

"Not bad, not bad, what a bountiful gain!"

Prior to withdrawing the fishing rod and departing, Su Yuan deposited one million seven hundred thousand units of Chaos Jade Marrow as a reciprocal offering.

Simply plundering treasures from an unknown party would border on impropriety, yet with this Chaos Jade Marrow left in exchange, it transcended mere theft. It amounted to a compelled trade at a value far exceeding market prices, ensuring satisfaction on both sides.

Additionally, Su Yuan inscribed a message amidst the treasures prior to fully retrieving the rod.

Having triumphed in his prior cast, Su Yuan brimmed with enthusiasm and hurled the line anew. The hook plunged beneath the water's surface, disappearing entirely from view.

This round brought no swift tug. Evidently, the hook roamed ceaselessly within the Nothingness, probing for valuables.

In a distant location.

Amidst particular Chaos.

Within an immense Dao Palace, legions of cultivators honed their arts. Their ranks swelled enormously, rendering this faction's might unparalleled.

One cultivator, honored for monumental service, gained the privilege to claim treasury rewards. Escorted by an Elder, they reached the vault's threshold.

As the vault's entrance swung wide, astonishment seized the group!

For the sight confronting them revealed a treasury stripped utterly bare.

This revelation swiftly roused the Dao Palace's leadership.

Mighty experts materialized in rapid succession.

Li Shanchang, the Dao Palace's Palace Master, appeared with a grim visage.

He scowled while scrutinizing the vault's exterior for flaws, detecting zero irregularities. The protective arrays stood flawless, yet the contents had evaporated mysteriously.

"Who found it first? Precisely what transpired?"

Li Shanchang inquired.

An Elder advanced: "Palace Master, as I facilitated a disciple's treasure exchange, the vault's emptiness stunned me, prompting an instant alert. During my inspection, no living presence lingered within!"

"Did you enter to verify?" Li Shanchang pressed.

"Not yet!"

Internally, Li Shanchang lamented. The calamity's scale was devastating; even as Palace Master, he faced certain rebuke from the Supreme Palace Master. Such a thunderous shock!

Entering the vault, he confronted the void where treasures once overflowed. Amid his dismay, a mound of jade stones caught his eye in one corner.

"What is this..."

Li Shanchang's face grew grave. He summoned a single jade stone for close inspection.

"Origin Divine Crystals?"

Li Shanchang stared in disbelief at the heap; every piece was an Origin Divine Crystal!

Their abundance jolted even him to the core!

Arriving Elders gaped, jaws slack in shock.

"Was our treasury ever stocked with so many Origin Divine Crystals?" one Elder blurted.

Regaining composure, Li Shanchang gathered all the Origin Divine Crystals, a spark of relief in his gaze. This might mitigate the blunder.

Once the Origin Divine Crystals vanished, a inscription materialized on the floor.

Crafted in alien characters, its embedded Dao intent rendered the message crystal clear.

"Master Empty Void, the Marvelous Hand of Emptiness!"

Li Shanchang eyed the words with peculiar unease.

The Elders' faces mirrored a tumult of emotions.

"Who is this Master Empty Void? How could they infiltrate our Dao Palace undetected and plunder the treasury's riches in silence?"

"An outright challenge!"

"Did this intruder deposit these Origin Divine Crystals? What purpose does it serve? Surely they surpass the treasury's former hoard in worth!"

"Palace Master, the emptied vault hampers Dao Palace functions. Other vaults' combined reserves pale against this primary one. Perhaps exchange portions of these Origin Divine Crystals for new treasures to restock?"

Elders voiced suggestions in abundance.

Li Shanchang flicked his hand dismissively: "Enough. I will report this matter to the Supreme Palace Master. A palace meeting will be convened later to discuss it further!"

"Yes!"

The earlier fury, rage, and bitterness etched on the faces of everyone had faded a great deal. With the Origin Divine Crystals now in play, the theft from the treasury no longer stirred much wrath. Excitement started to build instead, as they looked forward to how these Origin Divine Crystals would be divided up.

As the old proverb states, those who witness it share in the spoils. These Elders could easily claim some of the Origin Divine Crystals. They might trade their personal treasures to refill the treasury, while securing Origin Divine Crystals for themselves to shatter cultivation bottlenecks and grasp profound Daoist techniques. What seemed like a disaster could prove to be a blessing in disguise!

Li Shanchang departed ahead to inform the Supreme Palace Master.

The moniker 'Master Empty Void' etched itself deeply into the minds of the numerous Elders right away. Word of it spread rapidly, racing through every corner of the Dao Palace.

Meanwhile, hordes of cultivators chanted Su Yuan's new title fervently.

Su Yuan's [Mental Echo] started producing entirely fresh strands of thought.

These strands multiplied steadily, weaving into a full-fledged mental pathway brimming with countless thoughts, which at last piqued Su Yuan's interest.

Normally, Su Yuan ignored the endless thought strands that [Mental Echo] churned out passively.

Yet this time, a fresh mental pathway emerging in an utterly novel direction inevitably seized Su Yuan's focus.

Especially since this pathway veered away from all familiar Chaoses, aiming instead at some unknown realm.

Su Yuan dispatched his awareness down its length.

In a flash, his intent surged across immeasurable spans of known and unknown time-space, reaching a wholly new Chaos.

Su Yuan observed how, inside the Dao Palace, throngs of people buzzed about "Master Empty Void."

Comprehension dawned on Su Yuan immediately. This was precisely the Chaos from which he had recently plucked those treasures.

Differing from the Taihao Dominator, Taihao gained no coordinates after his fishing expeditions. Thus, his angling left the diverse Chaoses untouched.

Su Yuan stood apart, however. Armed with the Chaos Trait [Mental Echo], he could pinpoint the fished Chaos via its thoughts. At the same time, leveraging the Chaos Trait [World Traveler], he spanned infinite voids, pierced the Nothingness barrier, and entered this alien Chaos.

One mere thought propelled Su Yuan's consciousness into the Dao Palace's depths, slipping into a Secret Realm.

In that place, he witnessed this Dao Palace's Palace Master, Li Shanchang, in discussion with Supreme Palace Master Li Chun.

"That's how things are, Supreme Palace Master!" Li Shanchang responded.

An profound and unyielding aura cloaked Supreme Palace Master Li Chun, his forehead creased faintly: "To think someone could break in right under my nose! And if you hadn't come, This Sovereign would still be unaware of the problem to this day! It seems the other party has the ability to conceal the workings of fate!"

"Should we dispatch investigators to track this person's location?" Li Shanchang inquired.