His curiosity piqued, Lián Xù immediately addressed the System.
"Hey, System. What is this... Realm Chest."
There was a pause.
Not long—just deliberate enough to be irritating.
[A rare and exclusive reward category.]
[Designed to assist the Host in the near future.]
"…That's vague," he said flatly.
[Correct.]
Lián Xù snorted, rolling his eyes."Oh, perfect. That clears up everything. Thanks a lot."
[You're welcome. Glad I could assist.]
Lián Xù sighed, the sound full of helpless resignation, then gave in.
"Fine. Open everything."
At once, the illusion dissolved like mist beneath his touch.
Gold spilled into existence.
Not metaphorical. Not symbolic.
Real gold—heavy, brilliant—clattering onto the floor of the royal study as if reality itself had shrugged and decided to comply.
[10,000 Gold Coins ×4.]
Forty thousand.
Lián Xù whistled low."So the treasury lives another day."
Next came the Materials Chest, opening with a soft, resonant chime. A Qiankun storage bag appeared, bulging with contents. Inside—one thousand low-rank spirit stones. The lifeblood of cultivation. The currency of sects and cultivation merchants alike.
Lián Xù's purple eyes flickered with a sharp, pleased gleam.
Good.
Then the Food Chest opened.
The study filled with the scent of clean earth after rain.
A cart appeared, stacked impossibly high—one thousand bags of spiritual rice. Each grain faintly luminous, humming with restrained vitality.
"Spiritual rice…" Lián Xù murmured.
"Enough to feed a city."
Or an army.
He turned to the Military Chest.
It didn't open.
It unfolded.
Lines of light snapped into place midair—intersecting, locking—forming a vast geometric lattice before collapsing inward and imprinting itself directly into his consciousness.
[Earth Rank Defensive Formation Acquired.]
[Activation Requirement: None.]
[Coverage Radius: 100,000 Miles.]
[Effect: Repels attacks below Spirit Domain Realm.]
Lián Xù went still.
"…No cultivation required?"
Silence.
Then—slowly—a sharp smile curved his lips.
"So even a useless emperor can build a wall the heavens have to respect."
A laugh escaped him, bright and incredulous."Hahaha—what a steal. This is perfect."
The Energy Chests came next. They barely opened—two faint wisps drifting out like sighs, dissolving into his body with gentle warmth.
[2× Fragmentary Spiritual Qi Absorbed.]
Not much.
But it was something.
Finally, his gaze settled on the last chest.
The Divine-ranked Realm Chest hovered quietly—as if waiting for permission rather than command.
He opened it.
There was no explosion.No thunder.No divine proclamation.
Instead—
A single fragment of jade drifted out.
Broken. Incomplete.
Ancient carvings marred its surface, worn smooth by time. Yet the moment it appeared, space itself seemed to bow.
A piece of a yùpèi—once ceremonial. Now severed.
[Fragment of Authority Detected.]
[Authority Completion: 1/5.]
Lián Xù stared.
"…That's it?"
The disappointment slipped out before he could stop it.
"One-fifth?" He leaned back, rubbing his temple."I risked being misjudged across half the court for this?"
The fragment pulsed faintly.
Offended.
[Host Emotional State Detected: Dispirited.]
"Hmph. You don't say."
[Clarification Provided.]
[Upon full Authority completion, Host will obtain: Invincibility.]
The word landed.
No echo.No embellishment.
Just fact.
Lián Xù froze.
"…Invincible?"
[Confirmed.]
The disappointment evaporated—replaced by something quieter.
Curiosity.Hunger.
He reached out, letting the fragment hover above his palm.
"But right now," he muttered, "this is just a useless fragment. Nothing worthy of being ranked Divine."
A soft chime echoed.
[Correction: Authority Fragment will assist cultivation.]
[Possessing one-fifth increases absorption and refinement efficiency by ×10.]
[Additional fragments will further amplify this effect.]
His heartbeat quickened.
"Ten times…?""That's insane."
The shard pulsed faintly.
Instinctively, his fingers twitched.
A subtle surge brushed his skin—like lightning whispering instead of striking. His breath caught.
Just for a moment.
Power nudged the edges of his awareness.
Teasing.Promising.
A slow grin spread across his face.
"So this little thing," he murmured, lifting it to the light,"isn't useless at all."
Excitement, curiosity, and dangerous ambition coiled in his chest.Each heartbeat whispered the same truth—
This fragment was only the beginning.
"System," he asked quietly,"how do I get the rest?"
[Fragments obtainable solely from Realm Chests via System Gacha rewards.]
"…Gacha," he repeated, tapping his chin.
Then he looked back at the fragment.
"Well," he said cheerfully,"you're my next target, little piece of immortality."
A laugh burst free—loud, reckless.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
The fragment pulsed again.
A sudden knock on the door jolted Lián Xù from his giddy haze.
Lián Xù froze, snapping back to reality. With a wave of his hand, everything vanished—neatly stored in the System's hidden space.
"You may enter."
"Your Majesty," the head eunuch Li said, bowing deeply."A delegate from the Vermillion River Kingdom has arrived, bearing gifts from their Crown Prince."
*****************************
The throne room smelled faintly of incense and polished wood, though the tension in the air was heavier than any perfume. Light from high windows cut sharp angles across the polished floor, illuminating dust motes that swirled like drifting spirits.
The delegate from Vermillion River entered with a slow, measured swagger, every step radiating self-assured arrogance. His gaze swept the throne with a mixture of curiosity and barely concealed contempt.
The young emperor seated before him—Lián Xù—looked every bit the pampered, inexperienced boy the gossip had promised. Pale skin untouched by sun, eyes flicking nervously toward the Regent, and a robe impossibly thick and luxurious, defying the poverty-stricken reality of Azure River.
Sheltered.
Green.
Clueless.
The delegate's eyes sharpened, taking in every detail.
A puppet.
What he did not see was why Lián Xù's gaze kept darting to the side.
The Imperial Uncle, Lian Wei, his regent, frowned so deeply it etched shadows across his face.
Something worries him, Lián Xù noted silently.
I'll have to ask later.
Maybe I can help—if I play this right, the System can give me answers.
After all, he's guiding the kingdom on my behalf.
The least I can do is try to ease the burden.
"General Xu, at your service, Your Majesty Emperor of the Azure River Kingdom," the delegate said, voice smooth, lazy, as if the very act of bowing were beneath him. The curtsy was minimal, almost dismissive.
The court erupted in murmurs, some scowling openly.
Lian Wei's frown deepened further, voice sharp as he barked,
"Audacious! Is this how Vermillion River addresses an emperor?"
General Xu's laugh cut through the room like ice.
"Technically, he's not my emperor," he said coolly, "and I have given the minimum respect required."
Shock rippled through the ministers and courtiers.
Whispers sharpened into stifled gasps.
Some glared, others shook their heads in disbelief.
All the while, Lián Xù's lips curved into a faint, knowing smile.
A subtle chime sounded in his mind—Misjudgement Points.
Points for General Xu's private assessment.
Points for the courtiers' reaction.