Everyone gave up searching for immortal herbs and gathered around. Seeing the excitement on their faces, Evan Chu knew they must have made quite a haul. "Immortal herbs may be precious, but compared to the treasure left behind by a God-Venerable, they're nothing. We're here for the treasure—once we get it, none of you will care about these herbs anymore."
"Evan, there really are all kinds of rare immortal herbs here. If Gavin Wei were here, I swear he'd go crazy—there are so many top-grade herbs it's hard to count. But as for the treasure's entrance, we still have no clue where it is," Yvonne Xuan said.
"That's exactly what I wanted to talk about. It's obvious this is a truly mystical gorge, and the treasure is definitely hidden somewhere inside. But the valley is enormous, and our divine senses are suppressed. If we want the treasure, we have to search carefully.
There are plenty of us, so I've decided to split into four groups. Based on Princess Serena Hua's and my deduction, the treasure must be on the cliff face. We'll search along both sides of the cliffs."
Yvonne and Serena Frost will be one team; Nolan Nangong, Jade Qin, and Luna Nangong will be another; Jade and the elder will be a third; I'll be with Princess Serena Hua. We'll use this spot as our base and search forward and back along the cliffs. If anyone finds anything strange, notify everyone immediately. And if you discover the entrance, do NOT go in alone—the inside is bound to be extremely dangerous." Evan Chu said seriously.
Everyone nodded and split up, flying off toward both cliffs. Evan Chu and Princess Serena Hua took the left cliff, slowly flying deeper, while Jade and the elder headed forward along the opposite side.
"Evan Chu, why did you choose to team up with me? I didn't want to be paired with you—it'll just cause unnecessary misunderstandings," Princess Serena Hua complained.
"You don't want to be with me? The others would jump at the chance. I don't have any other thoughts about you, so what are you afraid of? Or are you worried you'll fall for me after spending too much time together?" Evan Chu teased, laughing.
"As if I'd ever fall for you! Stop flattering yourself. My future husband has to be at least God-Venerable Realm. With your current strength, do you really think you qualify?" Princess Serena Hua shot him a look.
"Heh, you sure talk big—God-Venerable Realm, huh? Let's just find the treasure entrance first. Honestly, you may be beautiful, but I'm really not interested." Evan Chu ignored her after that. This girl was way too arrogant; women like her just weren't his type.
Both sides of the cliffs were lined with jagged rocks, and along the way they passed quite a few natural caves, but none showed any sign of the treasure. Evan Chu and Princess Serena Hua grew disappointed; they'd flown more than a hundred li, slowly, and their divine sense was running low.
"Maybe the treasure isn't in this direction. I wonder if the others found anything—how come we haven't heard from them yet?" Evan Chu said to Princess Serena Hua, who was not far away.
"Just wait a bit longer. You really think it's that easy to find? This might be a test in itself. Since we've come this far, we'll definitely find it eventually, so why rush?" Princess Serena Hua replied.
Just then, a thunderous rumble echoed from far away. Evan Chu and Princess Serena Hua were startled—it was coming from Yvonne Xuan's team's direction. "Something's up. Let's go check it out!" Evan Chu said.
The two of them flashed forward, speeding toward Yvonne Xuan's group. Halfway there, they saw Yvonne Xuan and Serena Frost flying toward them, both pale and clearly shaken.
"What happened? Did you find the treasure entrance?" Evan Chu asked the two women.
At that moment, Jade and Nolan Nangong's team arrived quickly, and everyone regrouped. "Serena and I did find the treasure entrance—it's about fifty li ahead. But getting the treasure won't be easy. There's a huge monster guarding it.
Serena and I were sent flying hundreds of meters by just one sneeze from that thing. Luckily, we weren't badly hurt. The guardian monster only said one thing: 'Come any closer and you'll die.'
Its aura was so strong it's hard to describe. Serena and I felt like if it wanted to kill us, it could do it with a single casual swipe. It's just way too powerful."
"Evan, I think we should just leave. This treasure isn't something we can get, so why risk our lives? I'm still scared—the fear comes from deep inside, and it's downright chilling." Serena Frost said.
"Since we've come all this way, of course I have to take a look. Why don't you all wait here? I'll go scout ahead while invisible—maybe I'll find something!" Evan Chu said.
Most of them already knew Evan Chu could turn invisible, but Luna Nangong and the elder didn't, and both stared at Evan Chu in shock, growing more curious about him.
"If that monster is so strong, and Evan gets spotted, there'll be a huge fight. This treasure zone is basically a special space, so we should find a safe spot to hide. Trying to help Evan is impossible—in front of that monster, we're like ants," Yvonne Xuan said.
"Yvonne's right. If a real fight breaks out, it'll shake heaven and earth. Everyone, protect yourselves. If needed, we can set up a barrier together for safety. Don't worry about me—if I run into danger, I have ways to escape," Evan Chu said.
Everyone quickly flew farther back—the farther away, the less danger they'd face. Evan Chu flashed and vanished before their eyes. When he was about ten li from the spot Yvonne Xuan mentioned, he activated Light Transformation and became invisible.
Soon, Evan Chu stood before the monster. He didn't even dare to breathe, sensing a powerful divine sense locking onto him.
He looked at the creature. It was sprawled on the ground, several meters tall, and its appearance was bizarre—neither beast nor bird, but vaguely like a qilin, though not quite the same as any qilin Evan Chu had ever seen.
"You shouldn't have come here. Did you think I wouldn't notice you just because you hid yourself? My master's treasure is only for those with fate. Leave now while I'm still calm, or you won't get another chance," the monster said, speaking human language.
Evan Chu was startled. From its aura, he could tell the monster was at least God-Lord level—he was no match. But he couldn't help feeling unwilling to give up.
"Only those with fate can obtain it? But how do you know who's fated? I know you're stronger than a God-Lord, and I'm not your opponent. But since I've made it this far, doesn't that mean I have fate? I bet you've guarded this place for millions of years, haven't you?" Evan Chu said, summoning his courage...