Chapter 41: Chapter 41 The Ancient Realm King and The Three Treasure Chests

Lin Shen suspected that Tian Xin, this little punk, was just learning on the fly, using the same strategy on him that he had just used on Tian Xin.

“You think I’d believe that?” Lin Shen took out his Leaf Blade, walked up to Tian Xin, and abruptly thrust the blade towards his eyes.

“I have evidence… it’s inside my backpack…” Tian Xin suddenly yelled.

Lin Shen’s hand couldn’t stop in time; he forcefully diverted it a little, and the Leaf Blade didn’t hit Tian Xin’s eyes, but stabbed the flesh below, right on the bags under his eyes.

One had to admit, the strength of a Crystal Base Level body was truly frightening. Even with Lin Shen’s forceful stabbing with the Leaf Blade, it only made a shallow cut, barely breaking the skin.

“Sorry, you shouted too slowly, and I was a bit too quick. Be more careful next time,” Lin Shen said with a smile.

“No problem, no problem, this isn’t your fault,” Tian Xin quickly said it was okay.

“I’m telling you to pay attention, shout faster next time, what are you thinking about?” Lin Shen said, walking behind Tian Xin. He saw that there was indeed a small backpack on his back, woven from metal wire and fastened between his two wings.

Lin Shen took down the backpack, originally intending to tear it open forcefully, but after trying to rip it twice, the backpack was completely unscathed.

“Heaven Brand backpack, name brand, high-end, made of Crystal Spun Silk material, very durable. If you like it, friend, I’ll give it to you,” Tian Xin said, trying to ingratiate himself.

“This was originally mine. Why would you give me my own thing?” Lin Shen glared at him.

“Yes, yes, yes, it’s indeed yours when it’s in your hands. It’s just my confusion speaking wrongly,” Tian Xin said with his mouth, but inside, he was itching with hate: “Damn it, trash, idiot, just don’t let me find an opportunity. When I recover, I’ll steal everything of yours, not even sparing your underwear. I’ll steal it all ten times over.”

Lin Shen couldn’t be bothered with him, and upon inspection, he discovered that the backpack even had a combination lock.

“Friend, the password is six sixes,” Tian Xin became much more cooperative, not waiting for Lin Shen to ask and volunteering the password himself.

“Why do you advanced and sophisticated Celestials still use this kind of traditional combination lock?” Lin Shen didn’t turn the dials but instead looked at Tian Xin and asked.

“Other methods like fingerprint, iris, facial recognition, or even DNA-based locks, they actually aren’t too reliable after a defeat. A combination lock can last a bit longer,” Tian Xin thought with a little devilish flame in his heart, eagerly flickering: “Just open the lock… hurry up and open it… How could I possibly give you the true password… As soon as there’s an incorrect input… I’ll let you village bumpkins realize how ignorant and foolish you really are… ”

“Makes sense,” Lin Shen commented, reaching for the combination lock. His finger was on it, but under Tian Xin’s anxious gaze, he didn’t turn the dials. Instead, he turned his head back to Tian Xin and said, “You said your civilization is so advanced, and Celestials are so clever, thinking everything through so carefully, even anticipating the problem of the enemy stealing the bag after defeat. Surely, you must have also designed a mechanism against enemies trying to open the lock. Tell me, if I happen to have a bad memory and remember the password incorrectly, could there be any danger from entering the wrong one?”

“That…” Tian Xin’s cold sweat started to break out on his forehead.

“Right, my memory isn’t very good. What was the password you said earlier?” Lin Shen asked with a smile.

“Six sixes…” Before Tian Xin could answer, Wei Wufu, who was wolfing down the Base Mutation Fluid, wiped his mouth and interjected.

Tian Xin’s face immediately darkened. Lin Shen was clearly giving him a way out, but before Tian Xin could even hesitate, Wei Wufu dismantled the escape route.

“Can’t you speak properly? If you can’t, why don’t you go back to school for a few more years?” At that moment, Tian Xin wished he could go up and give Wei Wufu several hard slaps.

“No, no, no, he remembered it wrong. The password I told you was 994572,” Tian Xin said, trying to bluff his way through.

Lin Shen had already guessed there was some anti-theft design on the lock and would definitely not attempt to open it himself. If he didn’t find an excuse now, he would suffer later, and he did not want to suffer the consequences.

“Is that so?” Lin Shen asked, turning to Wei Wufu.

“Not… six sixes…” Wei Wufu was suddenly much more articulate.

“You…” In his heart, Tian Xin cursed Wei Wufu with ten thousand words, but he had to keep a smile on his face and said, “Friend, that friend was a bit too far, he must not have heard it clearly. I said 994572, you can trust me, a good friend wouldn’t deceive another good friend.”

“Alright, since we’re good friends, then I’ll trust you,” Lin Shen responded, stretching out his finger and dialing the combination to the numbers 994572.

With a click, the lock opened.

Tian Xin couldn’t believe Lin Shen actually used the password he gave to open the lock; inside, he regretted it terribly.

“If I had known this, I should have fabricated another one…” Tian Xin’s regret was so intense he could almost bite his teeth to pieces.

Regret was useless now; all he could do was watch helplessly as Lin Shen dumped out everything from the backpack.

Aside from a few articles of clothing, there was a metallic box the size of a spectacle case in the backpack, along with a few other items that seemed like everyday use items.

“Where’s the evidence you mentioned?” Lin Shen asked Tian Xin.

“It’s in that box,” Tian Xin said helplessly.

Lin Shen picked up the box and looked it over, then, surprisingly, without any unnecessary talk, he slowly opened the unlocked box.

“What is this?” Lin Shen asked in surprise as he looked inside the box.

“Haven’t you heard the story of The Three Treasure Chests of The Ancient Realm King?” Tian Xin was slightly taken aback, but then immediately said, “The Ancient Realm King I’m talking about waged wars across the universe, and in just ten thousand years, he became a generation Realm King and established his own universal dynasty—the Ancient Dynasty. Unfortunately, the Ancient Dynasty existed for only a short twenty or so years before it was replaced by other dynasties.”

“A dynasty established over ten thousand years, just to be replaced in a little over twenty?” Lin Shen felt the discrepancy was too great.

“Indeed, the Ancient Dynasty was the shortest-lived dynasty in the history of the universe, which is quite a pity. However, the story of The Ancient Realm King and The Three Treasure Chests is widely circulated and, after countless millennia, is still enjoyed by many,” Tian Xin vividly began to recount the story of The Three Treasures Keys.

The Ancient Realm King almost never faced defeat in his life. It may sound like a long time to establish a dynasty in ten thousand years, but in the history of the entire universe, very few could rise from nothing and build a dynasty in just ten thousand years.

After the establishment of the Ancient Dynasty, The Ancient Realm King encountered a strange event.

All his close friends and dear ones, anyone he cared about, started to die one after another in unexpected ways.

As immensely powerful as The Ancient Realm King was, it seemed unlikely that someone was deliberately harming his loved ones, as he already took strict precautions. Yet, his most beloved Imperial Consort still died right in front of his eyes, and The Ancient Realm King was powerless to stop it.

Afterward, as loved ones continued to die before his eyes one by one, it proved that it was not mere scheming, but fate, a punishment from the heavens for slaying too many beings during his quest to establish his dynasty, designed to leave him bereft of kin and companions, to grow old alone.

The Ancient Realm King, who had been invincible across the universe, exhausted all methods yet could only watch helplessly as his brothers, his closest friends, wives, and descendants died one by one in accidents before his eyes.

In the end, The Ancient Realm King had no choice but to issue a bounty to the entire universe: whoever could solve his plight would be rewarded with vast power and wealth.

Those desiring power could dominate the skies; those seeking wealth could become the richest in the universe.

Once the bounty was announced, many capable individuals and fraudsters alike tried their hand, but still, no one could solve his dilemma.

Not until only a little Prince and two young Princesses of his direct lineage remained, did someone finally arrive to help The Ancient Realm King out of his predicament.

This person asked The Ancient Realm King to forge three treasure chests, and upon opening the first chest, instructed The Ancient Realm King to place within it the item he deemed most valuable, warning him repeatedly that it must be the most precious and expensive thing he could think of besides sentimental items.

The Ancient Realm King thought the person wanted his most valuable possession as a reward. By then, The Ancient Realm King was at his wit’s end and thought little of worldly possessions, so without hesitation, he placed what he deemed his most valuable and precious item into the chest.

The person nodded, then opened the second chest and continued, telling The Ancient Realm King to put what he now thought was the most precious and valuable item into it.

The Ancient Realm King, without hesitation, placed another cherished item inside.

Again, the person nodded and went on to open the third chest, prompting The Ancient Realm King to place what he currently thought was his most valuable item into it.

This time, The Ancient Realm King felt somewhat displeased, feeling that the person was just too greedy, asking for more and more. He had already placed his two most treasured possessions inside, yet the person was still not satisfied.

The Ancient Realm King figured the person just wanted something valuable, so he casually chose a very valuable item to place inside. Although it was not his most cherished item at the moment, its worth was not far off.

The person locked all three chests and, unexpectedly, returned the three keys to The Ancient Realm King. Then, he made an even more unexpected statement.

He implied that if the three items The Ancient Realm King had placed inside were indeed those he considered most valuable at the time, then his predicament would be resolved.

But, if any of the items in the chests were not among the three that The Ancient Realm King valued most, for every item that was wrong, one of his blood relatives would die. One wrong item would result in the death of one relative, two wrong items would lead to two, and three wrong items would mean that three would die.

The Ancient Realm King had only three blood relatives left; if all were wrong, then all would perish.

The Ancient Realm King asked the person, “How do you determine what’s wrong and what’s right?”

“That question, Realm King, should be asked of your own heart,” said the person. After these words, he drifted away, not asking for any reward or taking the three chests with him.

And indeed, the person’s words came true: the Prince died, and the two Princesses lived on.

“The short-lived nature of the Ancient Dynasty is greatly related to this event,” Tian Xin sighed. “Later, no one knew where The Ancient Realm King met his tragic death. Without an heir, the Ancient Dynasty fragmented, and no one saw The Three Treasure Chests again, although The Three Treasures Keys became well known. It is said that The Ancient Realm King carried The Three Treasure Chests with him at all times, and that whoever finds his final resting place and possesses The Three Treasures Keys would obtain the three most precious items in the universe.”

“You’re not trying to tell me that this is one of The Treasure Keys, are you?” Lin Shen said, looking at the key in the box, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

“Indeed, this is one of The Three Treasures Keys,” Tian Xin stated with certainty.

Lin Shen saw that Tian Xin’s expression was no pretense, but he found it hard to believe that this key was one of those so-called Three Treasures Keys, because it looked very similar to the Gold Crystal Key he had found on Ye.