27: The secrets of the royal treasury, the remains of gods and demons!

Ever since Eunuch Wei "disappeared," Gu Yang's life in the capital had become quite comfortable.

The Royal Hunting Grounds became his backyard, and the Imperial Kitchen became his private canteen.

But the good times didn't last long. After only half a month, Gu Yang discovered a serious problem—

There was nothing left to eat.

He had eaten every high-level exotic beast in the hunting grounds, not even sparing the few kept for breeding.

As for ordinary beef and mutton, to his current physique, it was no different from drinking plain water; it couldn't provide any energy points at all.

"Your Majesty, I'm hungry."

Inside the Imperial Study, Gu Yang toyed with the coiling dragon pillar in his hand, looking at the Emperor with a face full of "sincerity."

"I heard the Imperial Family has a heritage spanning a thousand years and a great treasury? There must be a lot of good stuff hidden inside, right?"

The Emperor's hand, which was currently reviewing memorials, jerked violently, nearly snapping the vermilion brush.

He looked up at this bringer of calamity, his heart bleeding.

That was the Royal Treasury! The Great Xia Imperial Family's last shred of dignity!

But seeing Gu Yang's "if you don't give it to me, I'll take it myself" gaze, and thinking of Eunuch Wei's fate... the Emperor took a deep breath, forcing a smile that looked worse than crying onto his face:

"I... I have long wanted to take my dear official to see it."

"From the treasures within the treasury, you may choose three! No, five!"

...The Royal Treasury was located a thousand meters deep beneath the Imperial Palace.

Strengthened by countless Formations from generations of Imperial Enshrined experts, it was claimed to be impregnable.

As the heavy Dragon-Severing Stone slowly rose, an ancient and luxurious aura rushed toward them.

"Official Gu, please."

The Emperor led the way personally, pointing at the dazzling array of shelves. "Here are rare Secret Manuals from previous dynasties, Sharp Weapons that cut through iron like butter, and..."

Gu Yang didn't even spare those things a glance.

He casually picked up a sword encrusted with jewels and applied a slight pressure with two fingers.

Snap!

It broke.

"Too brittle."

He then flipped through a few Secret Manuals claimed to be peerless divine techniques.

"<Purple Mist Divine Art>? Qi cultivation? Too slow, better to just add points."

Gu Yang walked deeper inside, turning a blind eye to these supreme treasures in the eyes of mortals.

Until he reached the deepest part of the treasury.

There were no mountains of gold and silver here, only a solitary black stone platform.

On the platform sat a black box tightly bound by nine profound iron chains.

Around that box, even the air seemed frozen, emitting a heart-palpitating, pure aura of destruction.

[Warning! Warning!]

[Extremely high energy level reaction detected! God-Fiend level biological remains detected!]

[Suggestion: Devour! Must devour!]

The System's usually cold notification tone actually became urgent now, and red warning boxes flashed frantically before Gu Yang's eyes.

"What is this?"

Gu Yang pointed at the box and asked.

The Emperor's expression changed, a flicker of fear crossing his eyes:

"Official Gu, you cannot touch this! Absolutely cannot!"

"This is the only remaining fragment of an 'Otherworldly Demon' slain by our Great Xia's founding Progenitor a thousand years ago—a severed finger!"

"This thing is incredibly wicked! Anyone who approaches it will be eroded by Devilish Qi and die insane! Even the Progenitor could not destroy it back then and could only Seal it here..."

"A Heavenly Demon's Severed Finger?"

Gu Yang's eyes lit up.

That look was like a gourmet seeing a peerless delicacy.

"Even the Progenitor couldn't destroy it? That's because his teeth weren't good enough."

"Official! No!"

Amidst the Emperor's terrified screams, Gu Yang ripped apart the nine profound iron chains in one go.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sparks flew in all directions.

He reached out and opened the black box.

Hum—!

A monstrous surge of Devilish Qi erupted instantly, transforming into a hideous ghost face that roared as it lunged toward Gu Yang's face.

"Jie jie jie! A thousand years! Finally, food has been delivered to my door..."

"So noisy."

Gu Yang opened his large mouth and took a sudden, forceful breath toward that mass of Devilish Qi.

Wind and Thunder Lungs—Heaven Swallowing!

Whoosh—

That terrifying Devilish Qi was actually sucked directly into his stomach. He let out a burp: "A bit spicy, like wasabi."

Then, he reached out and picked up the severed finger in the box, which was as black as ink and emitted a metallic luster.

Though it was only a section of finger bone, it weighed ten thousand catties and was engraved with countless eerie demonic runes.

"Looks very hard, should be quite chewy."

"You... what are you going to do?"

The Emperor slumped to the ground, trembling all over in fear.

"Eat it, of course."

Gu Yang grinned and tossed the Heavenly Demon's Severed Finger directly into his mouth.

Crunch! Crunch!

The tooth-aching sound of chewing echoed in the deathly silent treasury.

That was a demon bone that even Sharp Weapons couldn't cut, yet it turned into gristle under Gu Yang's teeth.

"Gulp."

Gu Yang's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed it.

BOOM————!!!

The next second.

Gu Yang's body suddenly stiffened.

An unprecedentedly terrifying energy exploded within his body!

That was no ordinary energy; it was a God-Fiend level Origin power belonging to a higher dimension!

[Devoured God-Fiend remains (Heavenly Demon Finger)! Energy running wild...]

[Primordial Indestructible Golden Body forcibly suppressing... Transformation beginning!]

[Gained energy points: 1000... 2000... 5000 points!!!]

"Aaaaahhh——!!!"

Gu Yang roared toward the sky, the clothes on his body instantly bursting apart.

The muscles on his back writhed and bulged frantically, as if something was about to break out of his body.

Crack! Crack!

Accompanied by the sound of bone growth, two massive lumps of flesh burst open on his back, transforming into two brand-new arms covered in demonic runes!

Four-arm form!

Not only that, his height shot up again, reaching a staggering three meters!

His entire skin turned a dark purple-gold, and his eyes transformed into vertical slits, one gold and one black.

At this moment, he was no longer human, but a God-Fiend descended upon the mortal realm!

"This power..."

Gu Yang clenched those four fists, feeling the terrifying monstrous strength within his body that felt like it could tear apart heaven and earth.

"I have a feeling that now, I could punch a hole right through the sky!"

...At the same time.

Tens of thousands of miles away, in the Far West.

Atop a demonic mountain peak shrouded in black mist all year round.

A figure in black robes sitting cross-legged on a throne of white bones suddenly snapped his eyes open.

In his eyes, it was as if mountains of corpses and seas of blood were rising and falling.

Heavenly Demon Cult Leader—Dugu Wudi!

A true Earthly Immortal, a Martial Dao Saint!

"The Sacred Object... has awakened?"

"In the East? In the direction of the capital?"

Dugu Wudi slowly stood up, the surrounding Void Realm trembling and shattering because of his movements.

"Searching for a thousand years, I have finally found it."

"That is the opportunity for this seat to ascend and become a demon!"

"Pass down the order! The Heavenly Demon Cult is to mobilize in full force!"

"Target: the capital! Retrieve the Sacred Object! Those who stand in the way... kill without mercy!"