410 - Rebirth of a Star: Another Day, Another Drama

Chapter 410: Entering the Treasure Grounds Unexpectedly, Ye Ling Long did not expect the final counterattack of the Heaven-level formation to be so effective. Initially, she thought that at most, this group would be severely injured, and she planned to slowly toy with them afterward. However, no one anticipated that Dong Lang's brother would be so unlucky. At that time, he stood closest to the explosion of the formation and was completely unprepared, resulting in his immediate death. The outcome exceeded her expectations, and Ye Ling Long was undoubtedly pleased. Five people had entered, and now one was dead—significantly weakening their overall strength. Though someone died, aside from Dong Lang, the others hardly felt sorrow. In fact, there was a subtle delight among them. After all, with one less person, there was more treasure to share later. They were there for the treasure, after all, and having a larger share was certainly a cause for happiness. After taking some healing pills, they recuperated for a day, and their injuries largely recovered, though fully returning to peak form in such a short time was impossible. During this period, Qian Jun earnestly observed his young master's acting skills, which completely fooled the four of them, leading them to believe that Ye Ling Long was a timid woman with some talent in formations—easy to manipulate. There were times when Qian Jun even doubted whether this was truly her nature, if not for the occasional glimpse of disdain in her eyes. The next day, the four decided to take Ye Ling Long to enter the treasure grounds of the Emperor's Command. They promised her that if she behaved obediently and helped them break any formations inside, she would receive a share of the treasure once they found it. Ye Ling Long naturally nodded with apparent gratitude. Secretly, she clearly understood the disdain in their eyes. She anticipated that they wouldn’t give her any treasure, and might even kill her once she outlived her usefulness. They wouldn’t want anyone leaking the news about the Immortal Emperor's treasure. There are only two ways to keep a secret: either become a partner or end up dead. Without the strength to be a partner, she was more likely to be the latter. That suited her fine. She didn’t want her master's gift intended for disciples to be shared by others. These people would find themselves eternally bound here. Upon entering, they first encountered an illusion formation. In the blink of an eye, each person was isolated. The formation didn't impress Ye Ling Long—while she couldn't completely dismantle it, she could easily find her way out. Standing outside the formation, Ye Ling Long observed as the four inside succumbed to its influences, fighting viciously, with each strike aiming to kill. Under the illusion, the weakest among them was the ice-element female cultivator. Despite her good cultivation level, her lack of combat experience quickly led to her defeat. Eventually, Dong Lang's punch to her chest ended her life, leaving her crumpled form on the ground. Four quickly became three. Only then did Ye Ling Long re-enter, pretending to have just found the way out, and led the remaining three from the illusion. Realizing another member was dead, and tragically one of their own hands, Dong Lang was drenched in sweat. The ice-element woman, Bing Yun, was the sister of the icy palace master. He had some fondness for her, and now he had killed the one he liked with his own hands. As he contemplated this, he turned towards Ye Ling Long, his eyes filled with murderous intent. In his mind, it was all her fault. If she hadn’t taken so long, if she had found the way to break the illusion sooner, Bing Yun wouldn’t have died. It was her fault! By blaming others, much of Dong Lang’s guilt vanished, intensifying his desire to kill Ye Ling Long. Yet she remained unfazed, knowing that who would ultimately live or die was yet to be determined. As they continued, with Qian Jun as a living map and Ye Ling Long subtly influencing their decisions, they steadily progressed in the right direction. Though, they managed to trigger every mechanism along the way without missing any. Each time a trap sprung, Ye Ling Long, aware beforehand, skillfully avoided danger, while the others weren’t as fortunate. Of the three, another perished, leaving just Dong Lang and the leader, Ge Lao. Both, battered and injured, found their strengths severely diminished. Ye Ling Long maintained her façade of injury, though she was entirely unscathed. Starting at five, now reduced to two survivors, mirrored her own battered appearance. Tension ran high in Dong Lang's increasingly agitated expression, while Ge Lao remained inscrutable. But their thoughts were quickly drawn away. The destination was now before them—the chamber where the Emperor's Command had stored its treasures. A vast stone chamber, unguarded by restrictions, perhaps because anyone who reached this point had overcome all previous challenges. The Emperor’s Command left no traps at the final threshold. In an instant, Ge Lao and Dong Lang rushed inside. Ye Ling Long chuckled softly and followed them in.