Chapter 348: Chapter 324: Thousand Machine Messenger Pigeon
Thousands of kilometers away from the Foggy Swamp, two old men were flying at high speed through the air.
"Zi Qiong Emperor, while we may be rivals, I’d never do something like that. Don’t worry. I’ve already got a plan. As soon as the Inner Hall of the Zihua Cave Mansion is open, we’ll move immediately to kill Nie Yun. Once we have the Cave Mansion and offer it to Lord Hua, we’ll be able to enter the Sect smoothly, receive its protection, and our Cultivation will soar! That’s what really matters. Everything else is useless. Even if your things were precious, they’re just a pile of junk on the Floating Heaven Continent. You weren’t really planning on taking a pile of junk to the Floating Heaven Continent, were you?"
Huangg Chen, whose beard and hair were completely white, stroked his beard as he flew and let out a chuckle.
"A pile of junk? Bullshit! Do you have any idea how much time I spent collecting those treasures? Several hundred years!"
Hearing Huangg Chen call his lost possessions junk, the Zi Qiong Emperor was so furious he started sputtering incoherently.
"Ahem, I’m just trying to console you, you know? You have to look on the bright side. Out with the old, in with the new. Maybe since you lost your things, you’ll find a great opportunity and some amazing treasures at the Zihua Cave Mansion. Your strength will skyrocket, and your lifespan will increase!" Huangg Chen said.
"Easy for you to say. If your entire Treasure Vault was emptied, let’s see if you’d still be calling it ’losing a pile of junk’! ’Out with the old, in with the new’ my ass!"
The more he listened to Huangg Chen’s so-called consolation, the more the Zi Qiong Emperor ground his teeth in hatred.
This old coot was clearly reveling in his misfortune. During their ten-or-so-day flight, he had brought this up no fewer than seventeen or eighteen times!
It was no wonder. Both of them served Lord Hua. The very reason they had been able to advance to the Secret Realm was the Creation Aura Lord Hua had bestowed upon them. Serving the same master, they had grown accustomed to competing. When one suffered a loss, the other would feel immensely pleased. This time, he had suffered such a huge loss—treasures scraped together over several hundred years, all looted—that it naturally made this old coot Huangg Chen laugh his head off.
"Ahem, talk about mistaking good intentions for ill will. I’m showing concern for you, and you’re cursing me to lose my things? You’re biting the hand that feeds you! Heh, but it’s not so easy for my Treasure Vault to be robbed. I once specifically requested a powerful set of Restriction treasures from Lord Hua to envelop the entire vault. Once the Restriction is active, no one can get in, not even me! How about that? Jealous, are you? Back when I asked for this treasure, you laughed at me and called me a miser!"
Seeing the look on the Zi Qiong Emperor’s face, Huangg Chen felt an indescribable satisfaction, as if a long-held frustration had finally been vented.
Years ago, the two of them had completed a mission for Lord Hua at the same time. When Lord Hua offered a reward, the Zi Qiong Emperor had asked for a Spiritual Soldier, while he had requested this set of Restriction treasures!
Because of that, the Zi Qiong Emperor had laughed at him for a long time, saying things like, "Who would dare touch the treasures of a Secret Realm Powerhouse on the Qi Sea Continent?" To exchange such a great merit for a set of Restrictions was, in his words, completely redundant!
But now, someone had actually dared to mess with the big boss, stealing every last one of his treasures. If this wasn’t the perfect time to mock him, when was?
WHOOSH!
Just as Huangg Chen was gloating inwardly, a streak of white light suddenly shot past from behind, exploding in front of them with a BOOM!
"A Thousand Machine Messenger Pigeon! What happened in the Imperial Capital? Why would they use something so precious?"
Startled by the white light, Huangg Chen quickly came to a stop.
There were several methods of communication. The most ordinary was the Communication Jade Token. Although convenient, its only limitation was that it couldn’t transmit messages over very long distances. A few thousand kilometers was fine, but it was useless at their current distance of several hundred thousand kilometers from the Imperial Capital.
In such situations, one needed something capable of sending messages over greater distances, like the aforementioned Thousand Machine Messenger Pigeon. Only a Heaven-Seizing Creation Secret Realm Powerhouse could create one. It flew at incredible speeds and could locate its master based on their aura, allowing it to deliver a message even from hundreds of thousands of li away. However, this method took time, wasn’t instantaneous, was one-way, and became useless after a single use.
The most advanced method was transmission via an Array. This was how they communicated with Lord Hua. They would inscribe a message on a Communication Jade Token and use an Array to send it back. This method covered long distances and arrived instantly, making it very convenient.
He had created three Thousand Machine Messenger Pigeons himself, and before leaving, he had given specific instructions not to use them unless something extremely serious had occurred. Why was one being sent when he had only been gone for a few days?
He reached out and caught the remnants of the exploded pigeon in his palm. With a light tap, the seal contained within was broken, and an anxious voice rang out.
Unlike a Communication Jade Token, a messenger pigeon could record sound.
"Lord Huangg Chen, this is terrible! The Treasure Vault has been robbed by someone unknown! Eight or nine-tenths of the treasure is gone!"
The voice delivered just a single, panicked sentence. The sender seemed utterly shocked, their voice filled with a deep-seated terror.
"What? My treasure has been stolen too? How is that possible! My Treasure Vault has the Restriction that Lord Hua gave me. Anyone who enters would trigger it... I don’t believe it!"
Hearing the anxious message, Huangg Chen nearly died of anger on the spot.
He had just been mocking the Zi Qiong Emperor, and now he had immediately suffered the same fate. ’Heavens, you can’t play me like this.’
"Haha, the weather is wonderful today! How refreshing! It’s been a long time since I’ve been this happy!" The Zi Qiong Emperor had also heard the voice from the Thousand Machine Messenger Pigeon. Seeing the old coot, who had been so smug just moments ago, now looking like this, he was so excited he nearly jumped for joy, his laughter echoing across the land.
"You... Hmph! Even if my things are gone, I’m not worried. My Restriction has the ability to record auras. Lord Hua once said that anyone who enters, even someone at his level of power, would have their aura recorded. When I get back and find out who did it, I will tear them to shreds! As for you, you saw someone stealing your things with your own eyes and still couldn’t catch them. You must be even more furious than I am!"
Being mocked by his old rival, Huangg Chen was furious, but he was also extremely clever. He immediately thought of a counter and retorted sarcastically.
"You... Hmph!"
Although Huangg Chen’s words were unpleasant, the Zi Qiong Emperor knew he was right. The Restriction could record the intruder’s aura. Once he investigated, he would know who did it. That was better than his own situation; he still didn’t even know who the thief was!
WHOOSH!
Before their argument could end, another Thousand Machine Messenger Pigeon flew before them and BOOM!—it exploded.
"Lord Huangg Chen, our apologies. We were rash earlier. We perform a monthly inspection of the Treasure Vault, and when we went in, we saw it was empty. In our panic, we sent the message. Please forgive us! We just now carefully examined the aura recorded by the Restriction and realized that it was you who took the items from the vault. We are writing to apologize!"
The seal broke, and an apologetic voice sounded.
"My aura? I took the items from the vault? What the hell, who the hell did this?"
Huangg Chen’s face flushed red, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
This is outrageous! ’Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?’ (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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