Chapter 1458: Key

Could Qiongqi's death have triggered a mechanism? A thought flashed through everyone's minds. Fortunately, the few individuals present possessed strong cultivation and quickly stabilized themselves, slowly descending from the air.

Fortunately, it was not a bottomless abyss below. Soon, the group reached level ground and discovered it was also a very spacious area. Right ahead, another door had suddenly appeared. Compared to the one above, this door was even more ancient and mysterious. In its center was a circular pattern resembling a star map, featuring several unique indentations.

The Demon Emperor took one look and then turned to Zu An. "You still haven't answered my previous question."

Zu An, gathered with the three women, calmly replied, "I know about the Immortality Elixir."

If he knew I possessed the Sun-Slaying Bow, he might immediately turn against me. In contrast, information about the Immortality Elixir was more suitable, as it would make him hesitant to act against them.

"The Immortality Elixir!" The Demon Emperor's breathing quickened. This was precisely what he needed most. "Excellent, you are indeed qualified to cooperate with me."

A hint of malice flashed in the Golden Crow Prince's eyes. If his father became immortal, wouldn't he remain a mere prince for eternity? However, he dared not show the slightest hint of it. He could only console himself that if he also achieved immortality, it would still be a favorable outcome.

"Where is the Immortality Elixir?" The Demon Emperor urgently pressed for an answer.

Zu An smiled. "Do you think I would tell you at this moment?"

"That makes sense." The Demon Emperor was not offended by this. He didn't believe the other party was lying to him; if Zu An and his companions truly didn't know, they couldn't have fabricated the name "Immortality Elixir." Once they cooperated to find a higher level of power and left this place, it wouldn't be too late to compel him to hand over the Immortality Elixir. With so many women around him, there would certainly be ways to get him to comply.

Meanwhile, Wu Liang had already approached the great door and was studying it. He excitedly stroked the patterns on its surface, saying, "No wonder we couldn't find a way to enter from above earlier. It seems that was just a decoy; this is the true great door."

The Demon Emperor squeezed the ghost in his hand, distorting its form. "Is this the place where you claimed your father, Emperor Yao, was sealed?"

"Yes, yes, I can already sense my father's aura." The ghost shrieked, its heart filled with malice. "Once my father is free, he will crush all of you despicable wretches!"

Zu An, standing nearby, was stunned. "Isn't this the tomb of Yu the Great? How could it be Emperor Yao's?" Had he come to the wrong place again? But it didn't make sense. Shun had specifically mentioned that he wanted me to deal with Yu the Great.

"Didn't you say that your father would appear after the seals on the Four Fiends were lifted? Where is he now?" The Demon Emperor glared coldly at the ghost in his hand, as if ready to crush it into dust at any moment. Along the way, by interrogating Dan Zhu, he had learned that Emperor Yao was a legitimate great emperor of old, and that there must be numerous treasures buried with him. Crucially, the power of ancient great emperors deeply captivated him. He believed that if he could experience it firsthand, he would have an opportunity to advance further.

"This tomb must be opened first. By the way, if you embed the gems we found earlier into the great door, it will open." The ghost trembled uncontrollably, terrified of being destroyed before it could reunite with its father, which would be an immense loss.

The Demon Emperor looked up at the distinctive indentations on the great door. Their shapes did indeed seem somewhat familiar. With a flick of his wrist, several beams of light shot forth from his sleeve. These were the gems he had collected throughout their journey. Four gems of different colors—red, green, blue, and yellow—were embedded into the great door.

Rings of light emanated from the great door, and various lines illuminated as if circuits were being activated. Everyone waited expectantly for the great door to open. To their surprise, the lights eventually halted and then sequentially faded, reverting to ordinary lines and patterns.

"How can this be?" The Demon Emperor's face darkened, and he glared menacingly at the ghost in his hand.

"No... it doesn't make sense. This is the method to open the great door!" The ghost was clearly bewildered and terrified, its voice trembling slightly.

Just then, Wu Liang's voice rang out. "I understand now. Something is still missing. There's a keyhole right in the center; we must be missing a key."

"A key?" The Demon Emperor's heart sank. They hadn't found any keys throughout their journey. He instinctively looked towards Zu An and his companions. Zu An also spread his hands, indicating they hadn't encountered any keys either.

The Demon Emperor's face was clouded with gloom. He approached the great door, intending to forcibly break it open with the power of an Earth Immortal. Few tomb entrances in the world could withstand the full force of his blow. However, when he unleashed a punch, a layer of light shimmered across the tomb entrance. He clearly felt his power being redirected in all directions by this door, to unknown destinations. It was clear that no matter how many times he tried, he wouldn't be able to force open this great door head-on.

Suddenly, his gaze sharpened, focusing on the keyhole in the very center. After pondering for a moment, he turned to the Golden Crow Prince. "Son, do you recall a key in the imperial treasury that bears a striking resemblance to this shape?"

The Golden Crow Prince also went to examine it. "Indeed, that key seemed to have been in the treasury all along. I even played with it as a child, but I could never discern anything special about it. I never understood why it was kept in the treasury."

Considering the imperial treasury housed the accumulated wealth of generations of Demon Emperors, what right would an ordinary key have to be stored there?

The Demon Emperor stated in a deep voice, "That key was in the treasury when I was a child. No one knew its origin. There were even rumors that it had been passed down through generations of the Golden Crow clan since ancient times. Our ancestors, generation after generation, couldn't discern its purpose. All we knew was that it was impervious to both water and fire; even our Golden Crow Sacred Flame could barely harm it."

The others present were secretly astonished. A mere key, impervious even to the Golden Crow Sacred Flame? Its very material proved its extraordinary nature.

"I never expected it to be used here." As the Demon Emperor spoke, he felt both the relief of a thousand-year-old secret of the Golden Crow clan finally being revealed and a profound sense of vexation.

Just then, Yun Jianyue couldn't help but interject, "You've said all this, but did you actually bring the key?"

The Demon Emperor and the Golden Crow Prince hung their heads in dejection. Though they didn't answer, their expressions spoke volumes. They were truly exasperated. They were clearly within arm's reach of the treasure, yet lacked the necessary key. And ironically, this key was in their possession; they simply hadn't brought it!

A secret realm in such an unknown place might only open by chance once in countless years. After all these years, this was the Imperial Tomb's first activation. If they missed this opportunity, they likely wouldn't get another chance to enter. The thought alone made both of them so frustrated they nearly spat blood.

Just then, Zu An's voice rang out. "Hmm, why does this shape look somewhat familiar to me?"

The Golden Crow Prince was already displeased. Hearing this, he sneered, "You claim familiarity with items from my imperial treasury? Try to be more convincing when you boast."

Zu An thought to himself, 'So the imperial treasury is impressive, huh? I'm even familiar with your stepmother's bed.' He couldn't be bothered to respond to the other party. Instead, he meticulously observed the shape of the central keyhole.

"Stop feigning ignorance. If you can actually discern anything, I'll eat these stones right here and now." The Golden Crow Prince was secretly pleased. He had realized that if his father couldn't gain further power in this secret realm, then with his lifespan nearing its end, he would have to pass on the throne and his cultivation to him. Therefore, he naturally sought to hinder Zu An as much as possible, though he didn't believe Zu An would actually discover anything of value.

To his surprise, the very next second, Zu An pulled out an oddly shaped key. "Is this the one?"

The Golden Crow Prince's smile immediately froze.

The Demon Emperor had initially been dismissive, thinking there was no way a key from his treasury would be in someone's possession. But after a closer look, he was filled with both shock and delight. "Where did you get that?" A jolt of alarm ran through him. Could it be that this fellow was now able to enter and exit the imperial palace with such ease? He stole the key from the treasury without my knowledge, so what other valuable items might he have taken?