Record of a Demon's Cultivation

Chapter 551 - The Xing Family Treasury

Translator: Cinder Translations

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After concluding her communication with Jing Lie, Jing Feiyao made her way alone to the Xing Family Treasury.

The treasury was located within a small mountain, with its interior almost entirely hollowed out to store the family's various treasures.

The mountain was enveloped by a Tier-4 formation, which remained active year-round. Without a pass token, no one in the world could enter the treasury unnoticed.

At the mountain's base, a late-stage Golden Core male cultivator sat cross-legged.

"Madam, what brings you here?" the male cultivator asked.

Jing Feiyao replied, "I urgently need a Mystic Ice Crystal for my cultivation and have come to retrieve it."

"Then, please present the family token," the male cultivator said.

Jing Feiyao took out a green jade token and handed it to him.

After inspecting the token, the male cultivator put it away.

The token was a one-time-use item, each allowing the bearer to exchange it for a single treasure from the treasury.

"Madam, please wait here while I retrieve the Mystic Ice Crystal for you."

"I'll accompany you into the treasury," Jing Feiyao said.

"Madam, that would be against the rules!" The male cultivator hesitated.

"What rules? I am the Xing Family's head wife. Am I not even allowed to take a look at our own treasury? Besides, all the treasures inside are protected by restrictions, and you will be there with me. Do you think I would steal them?" Jing Feiyao said with a hint of displeasure.

"Very well."

After some deliberation, the male cultivator chose to yield.

He produced a formation disk and performed a series of hand seals.

Behind him, the barrier of the formation split open, revealing a passage.

"After you, Madam!"

Jing Feiyao stepped through the opening as instructed.

Before her, at the mountain's base, was a cavern entrance.

The male cultivator followed her into the formation and sealed the barrier behind them.

He led Jing Feiyao into the cave, guiding her deep into the mountain.

They arrived at a vast underground cavern.

The ceiling was embedded with luminous gemstones, illuminating the entire cavern as if it were daylight.

Inside, rows of wooden shelves stood in an orderly fashion, each protected by its own restriction.

The shelves displayed jade boxes, jade bottles, magical implements, and other containers holding treasures.

However, most of the shelves were empty. Even those with treasures were sparsely populated.

"Why is the treasury so desolate? Where are all the treasures?" Jing Feiyao asked, surprised.

The male cultivator shook his head. "I cannot answer that, Madam."

Pointing to one of the shelves, he said, "The Mystic Ice Crystal you need is on that shelf. Please retrieve it yourself."

With that, he manipulated the formation disk to deactivate the restriction on the shelf.

Instead of taking the Mystic Ice Crystal, Jing Feiyao cast her gaze toward the depths of the cavern.

Beyond the visible rock, there was nothing.

But Jing Feiyao knew that behind those rocks lay a hidden chamber, the true Xing Family Treasury.

"Open the hidden chamber!" Jing Feiyao ordered.

"Apologies, Madam. Without the command of the two patriarchs, no one is allowed to enter the hidden chamber," the male cultivator replied.

Jing Feiyao fixed her gaze on the cultivator and said coldly, "What if I insist on entering?"

The male cultivator's expression was indifferent.

"With Madam's early Nascent Soul cultivation, even if I do not intervene, you cannot enter the hidden chamber."

Jing Feiyao's voice turned cold.

"If I recall correctly, your name is Xing Mo. You are already 470 years old, a ripe age for a cultivator. In your lifetime, you've had only one Dao companion. She passed away sixty years ago, leaving you and your daughter to rely on each other."

"Your daughter's cultivation talent is mediocre. At 130 years old, she has only reached the late Foundation Establishment stage. If you allow me to enter the hidden chamber and retrieve one item, I can reward you with enough spirit stones and a Golden Core Pill to help your daughter form her core."

Xing Mo shook his head, unmoved.

Jing Feiyao pressed on.

"You must think carefully. You have only a few years left to live. Once you perish, your daughter will have no support, and she will never have the chance to form her core."

Perhaps out of concern for his daughter or due to Jing Feiyao's status in the Xing family and the power of her Jing clan, a slight change appeared in Xing Mo's otherwise impassive expression.

"Madam, I cannot let you enter the hidden chamber. If I do, my life will be forfeit. However, I can tell you this: the hidden chamber does not contain what you are looking for."

Jing Feiyao narrowed her eyes.

"You don't even know what I'm looking for. How can you be so sure it's not inside?"

"The hidden chamber has already been emptied!"

Jing Feiyao's body stiffened, and her expression turned to shock.

"How is that possible?"

"Madam, just look around at the wooden shelves," Xing Mo said.

Jing Feiyao frowned.

"Where have all the treasures from the treasury gone?"

"Cloud Ridge Mountain," Xing Mo replied.

Jing Feiyao pondered for a moment before questioning him further.

"Are you lying to me?"

"I would not dare utter a single falsehood," Xing Mo assured her.

Jing Feiyao nodded slowly.

"What happened here today must not be mentioned to anyone. In the future, if your daughter needs any rare items for her cultivation, you may come to me. I will do my best to help her."

"Thank you, Madam."

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Upon leaving the treasury, Jing Feiyao returned to her palace and immediately took out her communication jade slip to contact Jing Lie.

"I didn't retrieve the Saintly Spirit Pill. According to Xing Mo, it was never in the treasury."

"Can Xing Mo's words be trusted?" Jing Lie asked.

"Most likely. The spiritual treasures in the Xing family treasury are pitifully scarce."

"This is strange. Where have all the Xing family's treasures gone?"

"I don't care where their treasures went. Right now, I just want to deal with the problem of Shan Yue. Have you contacted Ancestor Wuming or not?"

Jing Feiyao deliberately withheld the information about Cloud Ridge Mountain, trying to gauge Jing Lie's reaction.

"Without the Saintly Spirit Pill, it's unlikely the other party will fall for our trap. Even if Ancestor Wuming personally intervenes, he may not be able to capture the target."

"Are you saying you haven't reported this to Ancestor Wuming yet?" Jing Feiyao's message carried a tone of clear irritation.

"For now, contact Shan Yue and pretend that you've obtained the Saintly Spirit Pill. See if you can lure her out. If she agrees to a deal, then we can report to Ancestor Wuming."

Jing Feiyao had no choice but to follow Jing Lie's suggestion and contact Shan Yue.

"The Saintly Spirit Pill is in my possession. When and where shall we trade?"

Moments later, Shan Yue replied.

"The esteemed Lady Jing acts swiftly. It's impressive that you've acquired the Saintly Spirit Pill so quickly. Naturally, the sooner we trade, the better. However, before the exchange, I need to verify that you indeed possess the Saintly Spirit Pill."

"How do you propose to verify it?" Jing Feiyao asked.

"Record a clip using a Shadow Stone. In the clip, both you and the Saintly Spirit Pill must be visible. Before the hour of You (5:00–7:00 PM), leave the Shadow Stone at the summit of Yellow Stone Mountain, west of Fang City. Someone will retrieve it. A word of caution, Madam: I've seen the Saintly Spirit Pill with my own eyes. Don't think you can deceive me with just any pill."

Jing Feiyao glanced at the sky.

The hour of You was less than an hour away.

She neither possessed the Saintly Spirit Pill nor had ever seen one.

Given the short timeframe, even forging a fake was impossible!

(End of the Chapter)

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