Infinite Regeneration In The Apocalypse

Once Madam Violet, who had been the first to exit through the stone gate, stepped beyond the threshold, she suddenly cried out in complete astonishment:

"What is this?!"

Her voice carried such genuine shock that it immediately caused alarm among those still approaching. Vogue and the rest of the expedition quickened their pace, eager to see what had provoked such a reaction from the normally composed elderly woman.

When they emerged through the doorway one by one, every single person appeared astounded by what lay before them.

They had entered a hall that was several times larger than the previous chamber—easily spanning three or four hundred meters in diameter with a ceiling that soared at least fifty meters overhead. The sheer scale was breathtaking.

But the size alone wasn’t what had shocked Madam Violet into an outcry.

At the exact center of this massive hall stood an exquisitely styled pavilion that seemed completely out of place in an underground ruin. The structure was constructed entirely from translucent white jade that seemed to glow with its own internal luminescence. It stood over thirty meters tall despite having only two visible stories, suggesting the interior spaces were quite grand.

The pavilion’s entrance featured a ten-meter-tall gate decorated with intricate carvings, and above this gate were three characters written in flowing silver script that read: Jadepier Pavilion.

The architectural style was elegant and refined—this was clearly meant to be a place of importance and beauty rather than simple storage.

But perhaps most peculiarly, there was a jet-black altar table positioned directly in front of the pavilion’s entrance. On top of this table lay a single item: a sparkling scroll approximately one meter in length, rolled and bound with silk cord.

As for the rest of the enormous hall, it was completely empty and vacant. No additional doorways were visible in any of the surrounding walls. No other structures or objects occupied the space.

The implication was immediately obvious to everyone: whatever treasures and inheritances the Saint had left behind were almost certainly contained within that jade pavilion at the hall’s center.

Marcus and Mr. Yun exchanged meaningful glances, both men’s eyes gleaming with barely suppressed excitement and greed.

After a brief moment of silent communication, Mr. Yun took the initiative. He began walking forward toward the altar table with visible caution, his spiritual senses extended to their maximum range, carefully probing for any hidden traps or defensive mechanisms that might still be active.

The rest of the expedition felt their hearts stir with anticipation, but remarkably, no one raised objections or tried to rush ahead. They simply stood back and calmly observed Mr. Yun’s actions, willing to let him take the lead and any associated risks.

The white-clothed old man approached the black altar slowly and deliberately. He hesitated for a long moment, standing just out of arm’s reach, his eyes scanning every detail of the table and the scroll resting upon it.

Finally, after convincing himself that no immediate danger was present, Mr. Yun made his move. He opened his mouth and released a concentrated mist of white spiritual energy. The luminous fog wrapped carefully around the scroll and gently lifted it from the table’s surface.

With a series of careful manipulations, Mr. Yun used his spiritual power to unroll the scroll while keeping it suspended in midair, avoiding any direct physical contact until he could confirm it was safe.

The scroll opened to reveal a portrait painted on fine silk. The image depicted a scholarly-looking man dressed in elegant robes, holding a sword in one hand while gazing contemplatively toward the sky. His expression suggested deep thought about profound mysteries.

"Is that Master Cang Kun himself?" Sean asked with genuine curiosity, stepping slightly closer to get a better view of the portrait.

Sir Collins’s gaze flickered across the painting with analytical interest. After a moment of consideration, he offered his assessment:

"It certainly seems likely. There would be little reason to enshrine a portrait of anyone else in such a prominent position at the entrance to a Saint’s inheritance. However, I must point out that while the painting is quite well-executed artistically, it doesn’t appear to be particularly precious from a cultivation standpoint. The materials are high-quality but not extraordinary."

Mr. Yun nodded slowly in agreement, his brow furrowed with thought. He spoke in a measured tone:

"Let me test something before we make any definitive conclusions about this item."

His hands formed a rapid series of incantation seals, and he flicked several fingers forward. Multiple red-colored spell formations shot from his hands and struck the floating portrait directly.

The scroll suddenly blazed with brilliant silver light for just a brief moment in response to the spiritual probing. Then the light faded completely away, and the portrait returned to its normal appearance as if nothing had occurred.

Mr. Yun’s expression showed confusion and uncertainty. He muttered half to himself:

"How strange indeed. The scroll showed a momentary reaction to spiritual investigation, but then completely returned to dormancy. It’s possible this is simply an ordinary memorial portrait with a minor protective enchantment and nothing more. But why would a Saint bother enshrining such a mundane object?"

After another moment of contemplative silence, Family Head Marcus made a practical suggestion:

"Since we cannot immediately determine the portrait’s true significance or value, I propose we set it aside temporarily. Our priority should be locating and distributing the actual treasures that we know must be present. We can examine this scroll more carefully later after securing the main inheritance. Does anyone have objections to this approach?"

Madam Violet glanced at the portrait with her experienced, calculating eyes. After a brief assessment, she responded with a light chuckle:

"I have no objections whatsoever, Family Head Marcus. Your suggestion seems quite reasonable. Let’s proceed with examining the pavilion’s contents first."

Since the woman who had destroyed her own ancient treasure to help breach the barrier raised no complaints, the others naturally felt even less inclined to argue. Everyone present had come for Saint-level treasures and techniques—a potentially decorative portrait wasn’t worth fighting over when far more valuable items surely awaited inside.

As a result, Mr. Yun carefully rolled the scroll back up and reverently placed it into his storage pouch for safekeeping. The portrait could be examined in detail later when time and circumstances permitted.

With that matter temporarily resolved, Marcus turned his attention to the magnificent jade pavilion before them. His eyes swept across its gleaming walls as he addressed the group:

"Well then, shall we proceed inside and discover what secrets a Saint left behind three hundred years ago? I confess my anticipation has reached its peak!"

The assembled expedition members began walking around the black altar table, approaching the pavilion’s towering entrance with a mixture of excitement and nervous tension.

Vogue moved among them, maintaining his position near the middle of the group—close enough to observe everything, but not so far forward that he appeared overeager or suspicious.

When they reached the pavilion’s massive doors, Marcus didn’t hesitate. He stepped forward confidently and pushed the entrance open with both hands.

The ancient hinges creaked loudly in protest after centuries of disuse, but the doors swung inward smoothly to reveal the interior.

Before Vogue and the others could even fully enter the structure, they were immediately struck by an absolutely blinding burst of light that erupted from within. The radiance was so intense and unexpected that it forced everyone to instinctively close their eyes or look away.

They remained effectively blinded for quite a while—perhaps ten or fifteen seconds—as their vision slowly adjusted to the overwhelming brightness.

When they could finally see properly again and examine what lay before them, the source of that dazzling light became immediately apparent, and it caused every person’s heart to race with greedy excitement.

The first floor of the pavilion contained three slender shelving units constructed from polished black wood. These shelves were arranged in neat rows and absolutely filled with items that radiated powerful spiritual energy—the treasures that had emitted such blinding light moments ago.

The expedition members instantly felt waves of joy wash over them at the sight of such obvious wealth. However, as experienced and cunning as each of these cultivators were, not a single one dared to immediately rush forward and begin grabbing items out of pure greed.

They all understood that acting rashly in a Saint’s inheritance could easily trigger deadly defensive mechanisms or curses. Caution and restraint were essential, no matter how tempting the treasures appeared.

With the entire group exercising remarkable self-control and restraining their fervent desires, they slowly and carefully walked deeper into the pavilion’s first floor. They began methodically examining each of the treasures displayed on the black shelves with cautious appreciation.

The three rows of items were organized with clear intention:

The first shelf contained sixteen brilliantly glowing weapons and artifacts of obvious power. These were ancient treasures and magical implements of various types—swords, spears, mirrors, bells, cauldrons, and other cultivation tools. Each one radiated distinct spiritual energy signatures that marked them as exceptional items.