Chapter 987: Filter

Suddenly, many 'Qi Palaces' appeared in the Universe. These so-called Qi Palaces were actually treasure troves filled with precious items.

They contained knowledge, cultivation methods, Spiritual Artifacts, and many rare artifacts.

The way to enter was simple: just find a Qi Palace, push open its gate, and step inside. Once there, one could freely take any treasure within.

There was only one catch—

One had to leave before the time ran out.

It wasn't even a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; if you came this time, you could come again next time.

The gate would only remain open for a fixed period. You had to exit within this time, otherwise... you wouldn't be able to leave.

The gate would close, and you would become one of the treasures inside, with everything you had remaining there.

It was a very simple and convenient screening method.

Before anyone exited, they would be fully informed of the rules. They had to leave with their chosen items within the allotted time. They could take anything they wanted, as long as they could carry it and bring it out.

Of course, if one couldn't even withstand the radiant glow of a treasure, it was best to look for lower-tier items and not be too greedy.

Then, they could enter and indulge in a 'zero-cost shopping spree' without restraint.

Perhaps some might think this was simple.

The time limit was announced, and it was quite generous, lasting seven or eight hours, ample enough to leisurely enter and take everything one desired.

As long as you could reach the place and push open the gate, that was all.

But... was it really so?

When treasures capable of changing your destiny for a lifetime are laid before you, can you truly maintain your sanity?

Moreover, even if you remain rational, you still need to judge what you can take. A radioactive neutron star substance is certainly precious, but touching it without protection is clearly unwise.

This was a test.

A test of your rationality and self-awareness.

And the inner gates of all 'Qi Palaces' led to an extradimensional world, a special dimension.

In reality... this place led to Li Qi's Inner World.

Inside were truly Li Qi's collections, ranging from special Dao Resonances of the fourth-grade to ordinary gold, everything imaginable. If one was lucky, they might even encounter Li Qi himself.

Therefore, it was almost like a labyrinth, and while it held no malice, no malice didn't mean no danger.

It was possible to trip and fall to your death on the path, and while many treasures within wouldn't actively harm people, if you urinated on a sword...

It would be quite normal for that sword to fly up and strike you down, wouldn't it?

So, there was no 'malice' within, but every action would have consequences.

Furthermore... this labyrinth required exploration.

Although you could take anything inside, Li Qi did not allow the use of mustard seed bags or similar items in this place, so 'whale swallowing' was impossible. To get what you liked, you needed to explore.

And how to explore, what to explore, and then quickly escape within the appropriate time, was the test itself.

This was a huge test of your wisdom, your knowledge, your Heart-Nature, your spirit, and your degree of restraint over desires. The most difficult test was undoubtedly learning to 'give up'.

Recognize your own abilities, and then give up on things beyond your capabilities.

Only then can you exercise restraint. Li Qi was screening for such individuals.

As for the cost of failure... that was, of course, death.

Li Qi had set such a large bait; challenging it certainly wasn't without cost.

So, everything began.

When Li Qi selected enough personnel, the demon-extermination operation would truly commence.

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Wang You was an Immortal who had just achieved longevity.

To be precise, he had just ascended to Immortality and attained longevity a few days prior.

This was truly a remarkable achievement. He began Qi Refining at three, performed his first spell at nine, and by thirty, he could ride clouds and mists, traversing the Jianghu with carefree abandon.

By the age of one hundred and twenty, he had already become a Sect Leader, renowned throughout the entire cultivation world.

Finally, he ascended amidst radiant light, successfully escaping the influence of terrestrial geomagnetism, flying into the air, and entering the 'Heavenly Realm'.

However, at this moment, he realized...

Ascension amidst radiant light was merely ascending from a small, Earth-like planet to the true home of his civilization.

Those great Immortal Emperors had created countless 'mortal realms'. These mortal realms were ordinary rocky planets, and their living environments and species were largely similar. The reason was simple: all planets had been modified by the Immortal Emperors, transforming them into preparatory ecological planets.

Then, the seeds of cultivation were sown upon them, awaiting their slow germination. As long as one could 'ascend', thereby escaping the planetary protective Restrictions and various trials of tribulation, they could reach the upper-level Universe Void Realm, where a teleportation gate would send them to the civilization's main body, where they would be granted the method of longevity and become a true Immortal.

Wang You was just such a young Immortal who had recently attained longevity.

And now, during an exploration, he found a... surprising place.

It was truly difficult to describe the beauty here.

He had never seen such a vibrant world. Every life form, every landscape within it, was more vigorous than those outside, clearly feeling healthier, stronger, and more excellent.

Even the air here felt different.

Wang You was currently in a sea of flowers. He could barely believe how vibrant these flowers were; they bloomed so joyfully, their orange-red stamens so luxuriant, covering everything, so wonderfully indescribable. All of it proclaimed a brilliant ecstasy, surging with bright purples and orange-reds, playing a joyful melody in some hidden rhythm.

It was truly unbelievable; they remained motionless, yet still emitted a clear, joyous sound!

Wang You merely stood silently, gazing at these flowers, and he found that his Inner World and his cultivation itself began to move in concert with them, as if moving with the stars due to gravity. Thus, he could feel their radiating sounds, all the tiny cells of these flowers pulsating with life's bloom and whispers, causing Wang You's Inner World to also become lively.

This was definitely some kind of treasure!

Because he already knew; it was written on the entrance when he came in.

This was a place called 'Qi Palace', where everything could be taken, as long as he left within four hours.

But after four hours, it would close, and he wouldn't be able to get out then.

So Wang You didn't overly immerse himself in these flowers. He knew there must be something more valuable here.

Without hesitation, he immediately rushed deeper inside.

Beauty was fleeting, but just from these flowers, he had already realized this place was extraordinary.

Seizing the opportunity, perhaps he could achieve a Heaven-Defying change of fate!

Wang You charged in.

He began to plunder extensively. Although spatial equipment couldn't be used here, he had the strength to move mountains, so carrying a few mountains was no difficult task.

However, some things still required his time, such as discerning the value and purpose of treasures, or finding suitable ways to contain them—all of which wasted time.

He was tirelessly engrossed in this, after all... who would find picking up money tiring?

Soon, more than three hours passed, and he was already heading back.

What a simple and joyful matter.

As long as he left within the stipulated time, there would be no problem. At first, he was suspicious, but then he discovered it was actually true!

This place really was like this.

So, after more than three hours, with fifteen minutes remaining until the four-hour limit, he had already exited.

Wang You knew this was not the time for greed. Fifteen minutes was nothing; if it was wasted, it was wasted. Caution was paramount.

Wang You left the place, having made a huge fortune. He even took an Immortal Sword that only an Immortal Emperor could use! A fifth-grade Spiritual Artifact, which instantly transformed his fortunes, making him one of the wealthiest individuals in the entire civilization, perhaps.

Such gains made him determined...

To go again.

Yes, go again. It didn't say he couldn't go a second time.

So, Wang You went a second time.

The second time, he was still very cautious. This time, he mainly took some treasures that aided cultivation, and he returned early again.

This time, with the help of a large number of treasures, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, breaking through nine realms and becoming a middle-tier figure in the civilization, renowned for his abundance of Spiritual Artifacts.

So he went a third time, a fourth time, a fifth time...

In just over ten thousand years, he had become one of the most famous Immortal Emperors in the civilization.

He carefully guarded the secret, ensuring that the Star Domain where the Qi Palace existed was exclusively his.

Wang You had become very familiar with entering and taking things. Although the scenery inside changed every time he entered, he almost treated it as his home.

Many times, he would enter not to take things, but just to rest and enjoy the scenery inside.

It was indeed very beautiful in there.

He would climb those high mountains, taking nothing, just quietly gazing at the Spirit Trees.

These trees grew very well, their leaves semi-transparent, covered with veins flowing with Spiritual Qi, displaying a beautiful green.

In the sky were some Qi-manifested beings resembling butterflies, their thin wings fluttering in the chaotic clouds illuminated by sunlight. These were small creatures generated because the surrounding energy was too concentrated.

Light shone through the outstretched thin wings of these small creatures, making the wings appear like thin glass stained with reddish-brown spots.

Various vibrant life forms were gently breathing, shimmering with light: vivid green nurseries, faint grayish-green forests, and within them, some deep blue amber, dark green Spirit Medicine fields, wave-like rolling Immortal Rice paddies, and light green fruit trees clustered together.

All of this presented a riot of colors, a streak, a layer, a patch, on the slopes, on the hilltops, on the leaf tips, on the broken flower stalks, on the high mountains, astonishingly bright, burning with countless colors, sparkling.

So beautiful.

And all of this belonged to him; he could take it freely, pluck it at will. This was his treasure house.

Relying on this treasure house, he easily became an Immortal Emperor and was climbing towards higher stages.

Wang You returned outside contentedly, continuing to enjoy his Immortal Emperor authority, his power, and his almost endless material wealth.

However... not long after, another young man in the civilization rose to prominence.

He had acquired many Spiritual Artifacts and rare artifacts from an unknown source. He claimed this was because he inherited his teacher's wealth, which made others hesitant to easily seize them.

But Wang You almost instantly realized something.

He immediately set out to find the other party.

The other party had already escaped. Evidently, through some method, perhaps a treasure from within the Qi Palace, he had learned about Wang You, the Immortal Emperor's situation.

This filled Wang You with immense anxiety!

That treasure house...

It wasn't exclusively his!!!

How could this be?!

Others could actually enter too!?

Wang You immediately had an idea.

He immediately sealed the entrance, added layers of defenses, and even personally monitored it.

However, this stability did not last long. He discovered that others also had entrances to the Qi Palace.

It seemed many people could enter the Qi Palace.

He went mad.

It turned out there were many entrances to the Qi Palace, and anyone could come.

Since it wasn't his, then... moving things out should make them his, right? Things moved out and placed in spatial equipment would surely be his, wouldn't they?

He began to actively enter and transport large quantities of treasures out.

However, the contents of the Qi Palace were simply inexhaustible; no matter how much was taken out, there was always more inside.

He was incredibly anxious, no longer attending to other matters, but began to transport day and night, entering every day, and each time taking out treasures worth many galaxies.

This phase continued for some time, and he had become accustomed to it, feeling nothing about it.

He thought he had calmed down.

Until one day...

He saw people, other people, inside the Qi Palace.

The other party saw him, and then, due to the dimensional labyrinth within the Qi Palace, he almost immediately lost track of their location.

He began to search for the other party, to search for other people.

The wealth of the Qi Palace was too vast; he absolutely could not let it go to others!

Searching, ambushing, trapping—all sorts of methods were employed.

Until one day...

Wang You, focused on tracking the traces of outsiders' movements that he had discovered, momentarily forgot the 'four-hour' Restriction.

This was normal, because he had come to the Qi Palace too many times.

He was extremely familiar with this place; he had come hundreds of thousands of times, and over the years, he had spent more time inside than outside.

'Habit' was a terrifying force.

I've been here for so long; it's easy to forget some commonplace trivialities here.

The gate closed with a rumble.

From then on... no one ever saw 'Immortal Emperor Wang You' again.

His property also vanished into thin air, as if he had evaporated from the world.

And such incidents occurred frequently throughout the Universe. (End of Chapter)